The people have spoken. You want a long music thread. So tonight, I'm sharing an absolutely nasty playlist that includes rock, hip hop, electronic, and outsider music.
Buckle your seat belts. It's about to get real.
First up is this live performance of "Ghost Riders" by the electronic punk band Suicide. Interesting fact about Suicide: they were the first band to call themselves "punk".
@atomicpoet Interesing! That “Ghost Riders” track had me thinking Sigue Sigue Sputnik, either “Love Missile” or “21st Century Boy”, but the others in your reply thread headed in another direction… that also sent me a wanderin’ in related YouTube music.
The man singing is Daniel Miller. He became the founder of Mute records, and is a well known producer. This is one of the first electroclash singles ever made.
Yoko Obata is most well known for singing the title song to the 80s anime Magical Girl Emi. She wasn't that well known during her heyday, but she's been sampled on many vaporwaves songs.
If you recognize this song, it's because it was sampled in Jay-Z's single "Big Pimpin'" The original song is definitely hypnotic, and I imagine many dance floors in the Middel East were going wild during the 1950s.
"The Black Angel's Death Song" by The Velvet Underground
It's wild that this song came out in 1966. It was totally new and unlike anything else made at the time. In many ways, one could argue that this was the first noise rock song ever made. And you can definitely hear John Cale's classical influence.
I still maintain that Fight the Power is the most punk rock song ever made. It has everything: righteous anger, a call to action, explosive sound. Both Chuck D and Flavor Flav kill this track.
This was the first acid house I've ever heard, and I don't think there's ever been a better acid house song ever made. It's got hypnotic beats, and that feminine voice draws you in. Manchester must have been amazing in the 1980s.
I used to think that Tom Waits was a circus act. But as I get older, I understand his vibe more and more. All those times I've been in a morning diner all by myself drinking coffee, regretting the night before... that's a Tom Waits song.
I can't stand all this Yoko Ono slander. People make all these conspiracies up about her. But whatever your opinion, this much is true: "Walking On Thin Ice" is a disco-punk classic, and as good as anything The Beatles made.
One of the best post-punk instrumental tracks ever made. It's got so much texture! When I'm out on my patio, I put this song on and it takes me to my happy place.
Before Dizzee Rascal came along, I didn't give a damn about British hip hop. In fact, I thought the whole notion was absolutely ridiculous. Then Dizzee Rascal dropped "I Luv U" and he made a fool out of me. This man can has mad flow!
Like others growing up in the 80s, my first exposure to hip hop was Run-D.M.C. These guys were crushing it. And I think "It's Like That" really showcases their storytelling abilities. It was a tragedy when Jam Master Jay was murdered.
Funk existed before Parliament came along. But when they added that synth, they took it into amazing new directions. "Flashlight" changed everything. This song was the 80s before the 80s happened.
Tentenko started out in the avant-garde idol group BiS before venturing out into noise music. And while she was at it, she dropped "Goodbye, Goodgirl" which anticipated both future funk and VHS aesthetics that became all the rage many years later.
Maybe "There She Goes" isn't the most famous song to come out of the 90s, but is there any song more 90s than this one? Just hearing this makes me want to watch a quirky romcom. Plus, what a fantastic hook!
To me, "Fisherman" is the definitive roots reggae song. Produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry, this is what many people call his magnum opus. That delicious reverb is infectious. It makes me want to hang out on a beach in Jamaica!
So many good dancehall songs were made in the 80s. But "Tempo" is my favourite. It's clearly influenced by electro. The robotic quality with lots of reverb is dynamite. If this song doesn't make you dance, nothing will.
While K-Pop is all the rage, so much cutting edge pop music originated in Japan 10 years ago. For example, future funk was pioneered by a Japanese girl group called Especia. They never made it big, but they've been sampled many, many times. Aviator / Boogie Aroma has sass, fire, and beautiful hooks.
Young people nowadays ignore rock n' roll made in the 1950s. But that decade was full of originators, one being Shirley & Lee. This was wild and reckless dance music. Fun Fact: Shirley later sang the disco hit "Shame, Shame, Shame".
This has to be one of the best rockabilly songs ever made, and that genre was chock full of memorable tracks. Gene Vincent had more danger than Elvis. And he knew how to bring the house down! Just listen to that bass!
This song was famously covered by Sid Vicious. But the original is so much better. It's got that ramshackle beat with that blazing guitar. And you know who what? I'm glad Eddie took his gal out in his Ford!
This song was so beloved by famous British DJ John Peel that it was played at his funeral. I agree that it's the perfect power pop song. It's downright explosive. I love the Northern Irish warble of the vocals. And you know what? It makes me feel like a teenager again.
Here's the moment that prog met punk. Both scary and haunting, it has a killer chorus. The vocal performance on this one is one of a kind. And I'll never forget the bass.
The early 2000s is often thought of as the last hurrah of rock music in the mainstream. If true, it sure went out with a bang. "Last Nite" made everything sound fresh and new again. For me, this song defined my young adult years.
To me, this will always be Sonic Youth's signature song. It was delicious hooks buried under noise. This was dangerous, rollicking, and fun! And I love Lydia Lunch's guest vocals. An alternative classic.
When you think of Britpop, Blur and Oasis come to mind. But before them, there were The Auteurs. And they had one of the most shimmering gems of a song. Lenny Valentino has so much energy, and that's what I love about it.
Before "Alison", I didn't realize that shoegaze could be sweet, gentle, and nostalgic. Hell, when I first heard this song, I avoided everything I perceived as "soft". But damned if this song doesn't winnow its way into my heart. It makes me want to go stargazing.
This song is such a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't want to like it, but Mick Jagger's voice somehow gets into my head. Plus, who doesn't like blues rock mashed with disco? This song makes me want to dance.
"We're Not Just Friends" by Parks, Squares and Alleys
10 years ago, I spoke to the guy who made this song. He seems like a nice Russian fellow. He made one of the best indie pop songs I've ever heard, and I'll never forget it. I hope life is treating him as well as this song is treating me.
I saw this band in concert. At the time, I wasn't interested in the music but instead the keyboardist who worked at Buzzfeed who absolutely fascinated me. I found out that she was in a punk band, so I had to check it out. And wow! Did her band blow me away! I kept following up on them, and their song "Hell" has been one of my favourites since.
Yeah, everyone likes to make fun of Canadian music because we tend to export silly bands. But did you know that Montreal has one of the best music scenes in North America? One of my favourite Montreal bands is Ought. And "Habit" really gets under my skin in the best possible way.
If you went out raving during the 1990s, chances are you heard this song because it was on everyone's DJ set lists. The amount of people I'd see dancing is fuzzy pants and glowsticks will always be embedded in my memory.
To me, the 80s officially ended when I heard this song. It was a careen fireball of noisy guitar coupled by the most angelic voices. This song has burned a hole in my ears in the best possible way.
I've always had a soft spot for punk rock. It will never go away. Some of my best memories are hanging around skate parks while boards ravaged concrete. In 2002, this song often played in those parks. To this day, it's a banger
This is one of the best electro hip hop songs ever made. Whenever I meet a break dancer, I play this song -- and they go wild for it. If this song sound familiar to you, it's because Beck sampled it on his song "Where It's At".
I have no idea why this band never made it big. But if there's anyone who absolutely nailed that lofi and fuzzy feminine noise pop sound, it's this band. What a dynamite track, and a total hidden gem!
Mac makes perfect indie folk songs. They're nice little ditties that are a cool and chill affair. And yet, they have just a little bit of bite to them that keep them memorable. I love the guitar in this song -- it's so unique.
Punk before punk. This sounds like it was performed in a blender by an absolute madman. And it's absolutely perfect for it. A perfect rock n' roll song.
@atomicpoet
Been diving through Starkid's back catalog lately. Turns out, independent musical theatre is exactly what I need in my life.
Their best work (according to me) is "Black Friday" a musical horror/comedy about consumerism which is the second of three of what fans call the "Hatchetfield Trilogy." https://youtu.be/Bqt4_tHLSB4?si=9lDrCxyuVtsSEyy7
Their stuff is great, but they outdid themselves with this one. There are inside jokes from the first one, but you can enjoy Black Friday as a stand alone no problem.
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