Comments

My first ballot was Beck, Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest, Dolly Parton, and Kate Bush. Really though, this is a really solid group. Heck, I wouldn’t even mind if Lionel Richie for in.
Not to be pedantic, but Demi Lovato uses they/them pronouns now. Also, the original "A Whole New World" is indeed an almighty banger.
Yes, let's get rid of actual journalists and give their jobs to...*checks glasses*alienvspredatorvsroevswade. Run-on sentence. D-.
This guy's gotten a pass for years after "the Incident" and I have no idea why. It's not like we'd be missing out on much if he dropped off the face of the Earth.
Eurovision representation! We love to see it. Arguably, their competing in 2005 was what made the lightbulb go off over Finland's head that led to them sending Lordi the following year.
I keep forgetting how good this song is, then I get reminded all over again. This song is burned into my brain.
Music nerds can roll their eyes, but the simple fact of the matter is that Dave Grohl doesn’t give one iota of a fuck about looking cool and just does what he pleases, and I respect him for that. He’s having more fun doing songs for Fraggle Rock and making horror movies than any of y’all do complaining about it. Also, the Fraggle Rock revival is fantastic, totally worth checking out.
"Achy Breaky Heart" is one of those songs I'm astonished became a worldwide hit. This should be OUR embarrassing mess. It's like when I found out "All Summer Long" went to #1 in the UK - like, why? WE'RE embarrassed by Kid Rock!
Here's the thing about "Baby Got Back": it feels like one of those songs that was extremely popular in the late '80s-early '90s that it's been historically cool to hate. You know, like your "Ice Ice Baby"s or "Achy Breaky Heart"s, those kinds of songs that make every "worst songs of all time" list and yet I can't think of that many people who actually, seriously despise it. And yet, I can't think of that many "worst song" lists that have "Baby Got Back." What's the point of hating this song? Like yes, in theory, I can imagine someone really disliking it, or at least being very sick of it (such as Sir Mix-a-Lot himself), but in reality? Not only do I not know anyone who doesn't like this song, most people I know loooove this song. It's not as much of a meme now as it might've been thirty years ago, but it really is an evergreen. It's soundtracked many a workout. I know the first verse by heart. I don't know if I'm proud, but it is a reality. Also, had absolutely no idea Rick Rubin was involved in this song.
Please God tell me all the penis says is "Derek!"
Part of why I'm so happy is because of how brilliant that trailer was. I legit wanted to see that as a full movie. And here we are!
The last few weeks have been a little weird. I have a couple of ushering gigs that pay decently but have been off and on due to the pandemic. I'm trying to find something long-term and motivating myself to do so is difficult. What is it I want to do? What am I even qualified for? I'm 22, almost 23, and even though I (hopefully) have a lot of living to do, I still feel like there's so much more I could be doing and maybe should've done already. I don't see friends as often as I like, my siblings are in college. Life is kind of in flux, and sometimes I feel very adrift in the world. But then, every so often, news comes out that reminds me what being alive is all about. Seeing this news, and knowing I'm alive to see it, lets me know that, to quote The Kid Mero, being alive is way more popping than being dead.
Same deal as Fairytale of New York. Well-intentioned song, objectively a banger, one line can sour you on the whole thing if you let it.
I'm sad but not surprised that the Opry would be OK with this. The Nashville country establishment doesn't give a good goddamn about Black country musicians unless it's profitable for them.
I heard another potential lead-off single was "Chicken Pot Pie," a parody of "Live and Let Die" (to which you may say: "Why would he parody a song that was almost twenty years old at that point?" To which I say: two of his most beloved parodies are of "Lola" and "American Pie," made many years after the originals came out, so I see the logic). Paul McCartney turned him down because he was a vegetarian and didn't want one of his songs to be made into being about eating meat. Al, being a vegan himself, understood. In both cases, the original parody ideas sound more like what people THINK Al's songs are like than actual Weird Al songs, so I'm glad he never got the chance.
In the end, to tie all the threads here together, it was a blessing in disguise that MJ didn't let Weird Al parody "Black or White." Al was in a slump after UHF, his incredible (and insanely underrated) 1989 film, bombed at the box office, and going back to the well of food-themed Michael Jackson parodies seemed like an easy way to get back on top. When he didn't get his blessing, Al had to look elsewhere...which is what led to him doing "Smells Like Nirvana" instead. The rest is history.
2/10 troll, nice FJM zinger but that’s about it
0/10 troll, come on man, do better
1/10 troll, you’ve been doing this for how long? Work on it.
2/10 troll, this would barely pass muster on YouTube, try harder
I don’t know how you could see a video with these people and this song and not feel immense joy. Weird Al is in it!
The only thing this video was missing was Tramp Stamps. They didn’t break up, but I wish they had.
Wind of Change is a 9. Can’t come between a man and his Europop.
RIP. Clearly I have to educate myself some more on the man’s work. Sounds like he lived one hell of a life.
I kinda like More Than Words (more than One More Try, at least - still can’t get over that 8), but fuck Gary Cherone. And You Don’t Love Me Anymore is a 10.
The best to ever do it. Banger after banger.
All I wish is that people still lose their goddamn minds when it gets to the drop in Dance Yrself Clean.
Should've hired him years ago so we might've avoided those awful Alec Baldwin years.
Oh we all know what it was, you don’t have to be on brand all the time
Man, shame on all of you. I could go on a whole rant about charity and whatnot, but the bigger problem down here in the comments is laziness. Is this the best you can do? Some limp insults? No paragraph-long tangents or unrelated music recs? Try harder. I expect more from you, and that goes double for the trolls
Our Eurovision connection(s) here: - Londonbeat competed in the 1995 British national final with a song called "I'm Just Your Puppet on a...String!," a gutsy move when you consider they were blatantly calling back to the UK's first-ever Eurovision winner, 1967's "Puppet on a String" by Mod legend Sandie Shaw ("Puppet on a String" sucks ass, and Sandie Shaw vocally agrees). They lost the ticket to Love City Groover and their eponymous song, a supremely goofy slice of '90s cheese that I love dearly and introduced hip-hop to Eurovision, for better or worse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAQYDoM3f50&ab_channel=JUGOVIZIJA - Meanwhile, Alcazar, mentioned as having covered this song, were a famous Swedish schlager-pop group that kind of sound like ABBA if they never evolved past "Waterloo." They tried for Eurovision several times and never quite got there (their most recent, and best, effort was 2014's "Blame It on the Disco"). Several of their songs have been covered by British schlager-pop act Steps, who've been suggested as a potential British act several times by people who don't know a goddamn thing about Eurovision and in spite of the fact that the group have stated several times that it isn't their scene. On the other hand, the guy from Alcazar was part of Switzerland's 2006 act six4one, a blatant attempt at reaching a broad number of voting blocs (er, I mean, a musical collective designed to showcase international unity...ahem) with singers from Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malta, Germany by way of Portugal, Israel, and Switzerland itself. Their song, "If We All Give a Little," was written by the German songwriting duo of Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, who really are fascinating in how wildly they swing between genuine classics and utter crap (outside of Eurovision, you have them to thank for "Moskau"). This, if you haven't guessed, is the latter, although Malta looked out for their own and gave it 12 points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSkQmSug55g&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest
I heard The Stonk while going through all the songs Tom Ewing ranked a 1 on Populist. It seems...earned.
My lord in heaven. Look, the sentimentalist I am appreciates all the stuff about how wonderful it is to get a fluke like Timmy T topping the charts...but no, even in my most charitable of minds, that isn't cause enough to rate this any higher than a 1. This song is wretched.
Nine times out of ten (give or take the occasional Bill Cosby or Chris Brown) you can always tell which famous people are chilliest by whether or not they do Sesame Street.
Hi all. Sorry for mentioning my cousins in the IDF in the comments section of another post. I was trying to prove a point but I know anything mentioning Israel makes things touchy around here, and I only want to make people happy, so clearly I failed and for that I am sorry. Still love you all.
You know not everyone in the IDF engages in active combat right? If you think the point wasn’t to make this “corporal” look like an obvious poser you’re missing the point (and please don’t say that about my cousins, that hurts my feelings).