This is a fabulous list. Reckon you could make a better playlist from these than from the no1s
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āViennaā by Ultravox is conspicuously absent.
I reckon they made a conscious decision to leave it out (because it is so obvious). Bit silly really, but there is so much great stuff in the list.
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I enjoyed reading that. Thanks for linking.
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Love that description of Heartbreak Hotel:
āIts brooding, echo-smothered power must have sounded as if it had come from another planet.ā
That is exactly how Keith Richards says he felt listening to the song for the first time. It is such a weird minimalist song.
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Some amazing songs in there, many of which I was under the misapprehension were number 1s.
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And fittingly, number 2 on that list is particularly brilliant.
Hoping someoneās done a playlist of these because it looks like a great Friday listen.
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Waterloo Sunset, Upside Down, God Only Knows and Born Slippy not being number ones is weird.
Stop by The Spice Girls is an utterly dreadful song.
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Wait for the worst No2s list next week.
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Oh good god, yes. Absolute Spice Girls mark over here but that song is canāt be arsed trash.
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As emphasised by John Caleās fabulously bleak cover, especially the live version.
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Sweet Female Attitude is a nice pick.
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Iāve been trying to figure out what I like about so many songs on that list and I think it is that whilst they have obvious, memorable, hooks they also have something slightly odd or off-kilter about them.
That most obvious in things like O Superman! or This Town Aināt Big Enough For The Both of Us, but you also hear it in Heartbreak Hotel, God Only Knows, even in songs like SOS or Some Girls. I like songs like that
That O Superman truly is a number two
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Some Girls FTW
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What a world where a journalist can include Wonderwall but not Song 2 and still be employed.
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No KLF featuring Tammy Wynette?
Another throwaway list from Petridis. Would have been interesting if heād included the song that kept the records off number 1. For instance, Richard Osman informed us yesterday that Sparks were kept off the top by Sugar Baby Love by The Rubettes, which is in Vienna / Dolce, RobsonJerome / Pulp territory.
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Anyway, it is a great list, yeah.
Was thinking the other day about how small a number of UK number 1 singles supposedly donāt have the song title in the lyrics, which says a lot about how purchasing of songs happened. Recall Tubthumpingās cover art put the chorus line on there.
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There have been some spectacular shooting yourself in the foot moments where bands have wanted to go with an āinterestingā title.
The Shamen only got into the top 5 when they re-released āPro>Genā as āMove Any Mountainā.
Who knows? The Cuban Boys could have been number 1 if theyād called āCognoscenti vs Intelligentsiaā something like āThe Hamster Songā.