NME: The best songs of the last 60 years: How many do you have in your collection?

[KZNSeagull]

It's this magazine that knows nothing about music. The only way you can determine the best songs is by sales figures, as clearly public opinion has to be the greatest single factor in any such debate. For your information, this is FACTUALLY the top songs of all time in the UK:

1) Candle in the Wind - Elton John
2) Do they know it's Christmas? - Band Aid
3) Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
4) Mull of Kintyre - Wings
5) Rivers of Babylon - Boney M
6) Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood
7) She Loves You - The Beatles
8) You're the one that I Want - Grease
9) Unchained Melody - Robson and Jerome
10) Mary's Boy Child - Boney M

I'm not saying it's what I like, but it's better than somebody's opinion.

I am absolutely delighted to say that I own precisely 0 of those.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As I mentioned earlier, how do people define their music 'collection'? To me, if it's been downloaded for free it's just been emotionlessly added and stolen from the artist (so I don't), and paid downloads just seem a little distant from me (but I still do a little). My collection is vinyl and CD, anything else is virtual data.

This. I have downloaded about 10 single tracks in my lifetime. But, I own over a 1000 CDs, and some vinyl.

 

[jemwillett]

17. Missing Dizzee, Ronettes and The Cure. My wife has The Cure and Dizzee in her collection though.

i have 18. On the Boney M thing, I love rivers of babylon, esp when sung by Josh Pearson at the Ballroom last year. Magnificent song.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

18. Missing The Smiths & The Cure

Shame on you Uncle H

 

[Icy Gull]

This. I have downloaded about 10 single tracks in my lifetime. But, I own over a 1000 CDs, and some vinyl.

Vinyl is King. I cannot relate to a cd anymore than a download. Maybe it's because when I started buying music there was only vinyl. I could never get enthused about 8 track, cassettes or CDs. Carrying all my music around on a iPod did inspire me however and I'll live with not having an album sleeve to peruse as I listen to the music.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

You're right. After all, everybody bought Candle in the Wind because of the quality of the song and its place at the top of the list has nothing to do with the fact it was released in memory of Diana and for charity.

Candle In The Wind was released years before the death of the People's Princess (c) Daily Express. It was written in memory of Marilyn Monroe.

 

[Marxo]

As I mentioned earlier, how do people define their music 'collection'? To me, if it's been downloaded for free it's just been emotionlessly added and stolen from the artist (so I don't), and paid downloads just seem a little distant from me (but I still do a little). My collection is vinyl and CD, anything else is virtual data.

I have a very large collection of CD's and LP's (almost 4,000) but when I've got 10 or 12 albums of an artist and I'm missing a song which only appears on a CD where I've got all the other songs, I may or may not be tempted to go down another route

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

As usual with these lists, completely scattergun and meaningless. This particular list seems to have been written by a nineteen year old spotty pop poppet with no working knowledge of Heavy Metal, Rap, Reggae or indeed original Rock n Roll (assuming 2012 - 60 = 1952). Shallower list than most, has to be said. Laughable really.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

My entire vinyl collection was stolen in a burglary fifteen years back and I have not recovered. Had signed Smiths albums and limited edition stuff. I am still recovering...Insurance company did not believe that I had as many albums as I said and they went as far as to come round to where I lived and measure the space where I stored them with a tape measure. Bastards!
Like a lot of people on this thread I have downloaded very little and would rather have a 'real' copy I can add to a physical collection. But I think its an age thing and what we are brought up with. Number 98 in NME list is Debaser by The Pixies. A great song.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

All these best of lists change all the time and always have glaring omissions and ridiculous inclusions. Many songs from the likes of The Kinks, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to name but a few are surely more worthy than many included there. As far as best selling singles, sales aren't the same as quality and singles are mostly the province of teenagers.

Totally agree. What about the Beatles? And given that it is 60 years, it goes back to 1952. So do none of Elvis, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochrane, Little Richard and so on and so on get a look in?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Candle In The Wind was released years before the death of the People's Princess (c) Daily Express. It was written in memory of Marilyn Monroe.

Absolutely, and the Diana version messed it up if anything

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

It's this magazine that knows nothing about music. The only way you can determine the best songs is by sales figures, as clearly public opinion has to be the greatest single factor in any such debate. For your information, this is FACTUALLY the top songs of all time in the UK:

1) Candle in the Wind - Elton John
2) Do they know it's Christmas? - Band Aid
3) Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
4) Mull of Kintyre - Wings
5) Rivers of Babylon - Boney M
6) Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood
7) She Loves You - The Beatles
8) You're the one that I Want - Grease
9) Unchained Melody - Robson and Jerome
10) Mary's Boy Child - Boney M

I'm not saying it's what I like, but it's better than somebody's opinion.

Would have to disagree most strongly that most bought/popular = best. One could probably write several thousand words on the subject, and i probably did 40 years ago.

 

[Northstandite]

Would have to disagree most strongly that most bought/popular = best. One could probably write several thousand words on the subject, and i probably did 40 years ago.

So true.

A list dominated other then by the deserving Beatles, would have Westlife, Takethat, Humpledinck, and other crap.

 

[Brixtaan]

What a disappointing list! I'm quite shocked that the NME has gone down such a conservative path. The strangest thing is consistently not picking the best song by many of the artists.

 

[Superphil]

I have:

1. Joy Division – 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'
2. Pulp – 'Common People'
3. David Bowie – 'Heroes'
4. The Beach Boys – 'Good Vibratons'
5. New Order – 'Blue Monday'
8. The Specials – 'Ghost Town'
10. Oasis – 'Wonderwall'
11. The Rolling Stones – 'Sympathy For The Devil'
12. The Ronettes – 'Be My Baby'
14. Sex Pistols – 'God Save The Queen'
16. The Cure – 'Boys Don't Cry'
17. Bob Dylan – 'Like A Rolling Stone'
18. The Beach Boys – 'God Only Knows'

A great polariser though, I would only have one of those in my top 20.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

i read it alot in the 70's

always used to piss me off,when the yearly awards came around

jean jacques burnel always voted number 2 bassist behind bruce foxton,don't get me wrong,foxton is quality,but JJ is the master

also dave greenfield always missed out to rick wakeman,brighton boy dave is the best on the swelling organs

 

[Dandyman]

I've got 8 of those but I am 49 years old. If I was 21, I'd think it was a load of w@nk.

 

[Norman Potting]

Strange that extraordinary 'Atmosphere' always got more votes in their live & John Peel era & nowadays it's the inferior & populist LWTUA than wins the day

Is that a cover of the hit song that Russ Abbot had in the charts?

I was born in the vinyl era but I am not afraid to say that I think downloads/MP3 and Spotify are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Although I had a large vinyl collection, then a large CD collection all has now been replaced by iCloud. Listening to Spotify has enabled me to listen and enjoy (and also listen and think cack) to stuff that I would never have had the opportunity or money to buy on the off chance of liking it.

For me it is what is on the LP/tape/file that is important - not the actual artefact that stores it. I listen to 99% of my music via laptop and cheap external speakers and have never had or desired to have a ginormous and expensive music system. I agree with the quote from (I think) Berry Gordy who said that Motown tunes were intended to sound good even on a cheap AM car radio with a poor signal.

 

[salty seagull]

Another vote for `Atmosphere` here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPLk5mJ1D4

In the time it took me to post, beaten to it by Norman

 

[supaseagull]

I stopped reading when I saw no. 2 Pulp...what a crock of shit