For the last few weeks, Carol has been revealing the Hottest 100 of all time list for herself and her family. With her inspiration in mind, I thought I’d see if I could do something similar.
It should be as simple as going to my Last.fm account, or even checking out what were my top songs on Rhythmbox (no, I don’t use Itunes), but they’re both skewed a little bit Swedish at the moment.
Or maybe I could check out my CD collection, but that ignores all the vinyl.
Sitting down and compiling a list would take too long, so I decided to go through the Hottest 100’s of the last twenty years and choose songs from there.
So strictly speaking, this is not actually my Hottest 100 of all time, it’s just the songs I like from the last twenty years of Hot 100s. And even though there was about 2,000 songs to choose from I only ended up with 62. Sure, I like lots of others, but these are the ones I REALLY LIKE.
This list is chronological, not in terms of preferences…
1 Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
2 Hunters & Collectors – Throw Your Arms Around Me
3 The Jam – That’s Entertainment
4 New Order – Blue Monday
5 This Mortal Coil – Song To The Siren
6 John Lennon – Imagine
7 Prince – Kiss
8 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
9 Enya – Orinoco Flow
10 Womack & Womack – Teardrops
11 Sakamoto & Sylvian – Forbidden Colours
12 Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance
13 New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
14 Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side
15 The Stranglers – Golden Brown
16 Grandmaster Flash – The Message
17 Laurie Anderson – O Superman
18 The Church – Under The Milky Way
19 Black Box – Ride On Time
20 ABBA – Dancing Queen
21 Madonna – Into The Groove
22 Billy Bragg – Levi Stubbs Tears
23 Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
24 Billy Bragg – Sexuality
25 Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
26 Massive – Unfinished Sympathy
27 Yothu Yindi – Treaty
28 Pet Shop Boys – Go West
29 Bjork – Human Behaviour
30 KD Lang – Constant Craving
31 Veruca Salt – Seether
32 Underground Lovers – Losin’ It
33 Kylie Minogue – Confide In Me
34 Pet Shop Boys – Absolutely Fabulous
35 Oasis – Wonderwall
36 Portishead – Glory Box
37 Christine Anu – My Island Home
38 Bjork – Hyperballad
39 Tori Amos – Professional Widow
40 The Whitlams – No Aphrodisiac
41 Blur – Song 2
42 Silverchair – Freak
43 Josh Abrahams & Amiel Daemion – Addicted To Bass
44 Propellerheads & Shirley Bassey – History Repeating
45 Fatboy Slim – Praise You
46 Madison Avenue – Don’t Call Me Baby
47 Fatboy Slim – Right Here Right Now
48 Bob Marley & Funkstar De Luxe – Sun Is Shining
49 Moloko – Sing It Back
50 Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
51 Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler
52 Moloko – The Time Is Now
53 Groove Armada – I See You Baby
54 alien ant farm – smooth criminal
55 dido – thank you
56 eminem – cleaning out my closet
57 Michael Franti/Spearhead – Everyone Deserves Music
58 Lior – This Old Love
59 Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
60 Bernard Fanning – Songbird
61 Scissor Sisters – Filthy Gorgeous
62 Peter Bjorn & John – Young Folks
A bit of a 90s guy, aren’t I?
None of this list is terribly cool, and none of it would gain me much cred amongst “serious music fans” of my age. “ABBA poof”, I hear them say. But frankly, I don’t care.
Hey, the Underground Lovers made it in. Not bad.
I’ll be in Sydney from the 7th to the 10th. Let me know if you have time for dinner or a few drinks on of those nights.
No problem. That sounds great. Thursday is probably best for me, but could do other nights.
Oooh! some excellent stuff on your list, many of which were on my first cut (of 93, which I really should have not deleted).
Now the challenge is to cut your list down to 10!
It was so difficult! Especially as the glory of the haus comp (and associated trophy and bragging rights) rides on the choices – hard to get a balance between songs you love and songs you think will get up there (and not be a complete sell out & go for the easy win, like certain teenage boys I can name).
OK, here’s my Top 10 based on the last twenty years of Hot 100s. These are the songs I could put on repeat over and over again…
1 New Order – Blue Monday
2 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
3 Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side
4 ABBA – Dancing Queen
5 Madonna – Into The Groove
6 Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
7 KD Lang – Constant Craving
8 Pet Shop Boys – Absolutely Fabulous
9 The Whitlams – No Aphrodisiac
10 Scissor Sisters – Filthy Gorgeous
Of the songs that I reckon should make the Top 20 of the Hot 100 or there abouts, I reckon it’s gotta include my Top 6.
1 New Order – Blue Monday
2 Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
3 Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side
4 ABBA – Dancing Queen
5 Madonna – Into The Groove
6 Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
It depends on who votes. I remember there was a Best Album thing of all time a few years ago, and it was evident the only people who voted were white middle aged men who liked guitar rock. As I recall, there were hardly any black artists and hardly any women in the list.
I wouldn’t even know where to start compiling a list of songs. Albums maybe but songs? I’d have a nervous breakdown!
And how could you overlook the Swedish stuff???
Hi Grant, because it’s only based on the Hottest 100 lists of the last 20 years. Not a lot of Swedish pop in there. That said, the 62 does include two Swedish acts. Or have you completely blanked them out? :) There’s also a band from Finland and the singer from Iceland gets two mentions. James
I know why you did it the way you did but I just know how much you love Swedish pop and it’s hardly represented. It was just a comment in passing since you were choosing from existing lists which of course would only include stuff released in Australia.
As it is, the one ABBA song I would include isn’t on the list!
Hmmm, maybe I should have a go from the existing lists but then so many things would be missed. So frustrating when one buys most of their music from overseas!
Check my blog later.
If I had some patience I’d attempt my own Hot 100, but I figure it would take too long.
Using Last FM as a guide, here’s my Favourite Sweidsh Tracks.
Peter Jöback – Stockholm Inatt
Magnus Carlsson – Funnit Min Ängel
Kent – Dom andra
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Innan Allt Foersvinner
Peter Jöback – Juni, Juli, Augusti
Magnus Carlsson – Live Forever
Magnus Carlsson – Då Talar Kärleken Sitt Språk
Veronica Maggio – Måndagsbarn
Robyn – Should Have Known
Magnus Carlsson – Det Måste Va Med Dig
Magnus Carlsson – Discodåre
Magnus Carlsson – Som Om Inget Hänt
Magnus Carlsson – Live Forever (Acoustic)
Magnus Carlsson – Lev Livet!
Magnus Carlsson – I Mina Händer
Alcazar – Start the Fire
Alcazar – This Is the World We Live In
Alcazar – Not a Sinner nor a Saint
Kleerup – Longing for Lullabies (feat. Titiyo)
Magnus Carlsson – Det Största Av Allt
Martin Stenmarck – 7milakliv
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Brev
Kleerup – With Every Heartbeat (feat. Robyn)
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Köpenhamn
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Människor är djur
Magnus Carlsson – I won´t cry
Alcazar – Save My Pride (Original Edit)
Anne Sofie von Otter – Ljusa Kvällar Om Varen
Peter Jöback – Är det här platsen
Nanne Grönvall – Håll om mig
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Allt ljus på mig
Magnus Carlsson – Mitt Hjärta, Ta Mitt Hjärta
Brolle – Solo i Stockholm
Peter Jöback – Inget Vi Får Vill Vi Ha Kvar
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Hon är så söt
Monica Zetterlund – Sakta Vi Går Genom Stan
Bo Kaspers Orkester – I botten på glaset
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Den Bllir Baettre Sen
Kent – Kärleken väntar
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Vi tar in på hotell
Magnus Carlsson – Jag Ser Dig, Jag Ser Dig, Jag Ser Dig
Lena Philipsson – Det gör ont
Bo Kaspers Orkester – Svårt att säga nej – Havanna
Lill-Babs – Leva livet
Magnus Carlsson – Waves of Love
Peter Jöback – Charlies Tema
Svante Thuresson – Du ser en man
Bo Kaspers Orkester – 01 – Människor Som Ingen Vill
Anne Sofie von Otter – I Walk With You, Mama
Magnus Carlsson – Give a Little Love
Alcazar – Funky Feet
Alcazar – Dance With the DJ (Original Edit)
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – Vem kommer såra vem ikväll
I went through the top 100s and there were so few that I would even consider including in the top 100, I thought I may as well put them here. There are 28 in all. There is a heavy bias towards the 90s and so many artists I haven’t even heard of. It mkaes one wonder who actually votes in these things.
In alphabetical order – just to be different. :)
1. Aretha Franklin – Respect
2. Black Box – Ride On Time
3. Blondie – Heart Of Glass
4. David Bowie – Heroes
5. Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
6. Efua – Somewhere
7. Jamiroquai – Canned Heat
8. Jamiroquai – Virtual Insanity
9. John Lennon – Imagine
10. Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
11. Kylie Minogue – Confide In Me
12. Madonna – Into The Groove
13. Massive – Unfinished Sympathy
14. New Order – Blue Monday
15. Pet Shop Boys – Absolutely Fabulous
16. Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her
17. Pet Shop Boys – Go West
18. Pnau – Baby
19. Propellerheads & Shirley Bassey – History Repeating
20. Quindon Tarver & Lee Perry – Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
21. R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts
22. R.E.M. – Losing My Religion
23. Scissor Sisters – Filthy Gorgeous
24. Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancing
25. The B-52s – Rock Lobster
26. The Doors – Riders On The Storm
27. William Shatner – Common People
28. Womack & Womack – Teardrops
great list! I own at least half of it and quite a few on my music stream!