Blue Oyster Cult Top 40 countdown thread!!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George Co-Stanza, Jul 14, 2023.

  1. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    I had Goin Through The Motions at 25. I always liked it a lot and one of my favorites from Spectres. Has a neat little guitar solo. I've always been a huge fan of Ian Hunter who co-wrote it plus there's the bit referencing Stairway To The Stars which I thought was a nice touch. A Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter Top 40 Countdown would be fun.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2023
  2. ThereOnceWasANote

    ThereOnceWasANote Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cape May, NJ
    Sun Jester would make mine and HM The B&S is probably top 5 for me.

    A few others:

    Morning Final
    Redeemed
    Sole Survivor
    Unknown Tongue

    and just missing out Mirrors, Cagey Cretins
     
  3. Markyp

    Markyp Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louth
    06 Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll (unranked)
    So I didn’t rank this as top 40. It is great live but as an album cut it doesn’t have enough for me the elevate it to the list. Nice guitar through the song and the riff is so dirty and heavy and gives the song some heft.
    05 E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) (my number #1)
    So this is my number 1 song.
    I love every single thing about this one. The guitar effect on the intro signals that something different is going on with this song. Eric’s “Psst, come here” at the start as he’s going to whisper us a secret, but then it’s sung out loud so not a secret.
    Then the first verse
    “I hear the music, daylight disc
    Three men in black said, "don't report this...
    Ascension" and that's all they said
    Sickness now the hour of dread”

    I love this sort of stuff so much, it’s that otherworldly mystery that BÖC do so well.
    Cracking band harmonies on the chorus and the last verse when the rhyming couplet ends with the words “Agents of Fortune!”
    Finally Buck is UNLEASHED!!

    04 Dominance and Submission (my #13)
    To be honest I can’t really say why I had this so high on my list, but I always enjoy this one because it’s so catchy and groovy. Alberts not a classic singer but he did a decent job and does have a distinctive style.
    I could easily have dropped this a couple of places on my list as it placed above ‘Veteran’ and ‘I Am The Storm’.
     
  4. Echoes71

    Echoes71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    I'm very surprised that "Workshop of the Telescopes" did not make the list (unless there is a late surprise!). I would argue that it is one of the iconic songs on the debut - it's got a cool, sinuous riff, some great guitar-keyboard interplay, a nice Buck solo, and some of the best weirdo lyrics on the album. I would also say that this is the song that best nails the one-foot-in-psychedelia, one-in-hard-rock sound that defines the debut. Maybe it flew under the radar because it never got much attention from the band after the album was released, rarely getting played live. I do love the early live versions, though, as heard on the "Bootleg EP" version featured on the comp. They also named one of their major compilations after the song, so that says something! I had "Workshop" at #6 on my list.

    Other than "Buck's Boogie", which came in at a surprising #18 (in hindsight, I should have changed that, as there are so many better songs in the catalog), my Top 20 all made it to the final list.
     
  5. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Thanks again to everyone who submitted a list and/or has participated in this thread. This has been a lot of fun!!

    Here are the top 3...

    *drum roll*


    03 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
    Appeared on 24 of 25 entrees
    Top 10 finishes: 14
    Highest Ranking: 1 (@Fischman, @downer mydnyte, @Nipper, @Arthur Comics)

    A timeless classic, one I had no problem having at number 2 on my list. A truly awesome song that has aged really well. I never get tired of hearing this gem. I feel like its greatness almost goes without saying, so I have nothing more to add.


    02 Then Came the Last Days of May
    Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
    Top 10 finishes: 16
    Highest Ranking: 1 (@Python, @jdthebrit1)

    One of my favorite BOC concert experiences is still seeing this played in the late 90s when everyone in the first two rows except me was getting baked (I didn't delve into that until my 30s), but I got a major second hand high, and it made the extended guitar solo in this song feel that much longer and sound that much better. Totally epic moment. I ranked this 15th.


    01 Astronomy
    Appeared on 24 of 25 entrees
    Top 10 finishes: 19
    Highest Ranking: 1 (@Echoes71, @LandHorses, @echo/magic, @Aggie87, @four sticks, @99thfloor)

    This finished 1st by a very comfortable margin (scores to come), which surprised me a little. I was not surprised it finished at the top, but I didn't expect it to lap the field. I ranked it 18th, which has just as much to do with the Imaginos version as it does the original, but I get that the Secret Treaties version is THE studio version for most. A most worthy number 1.
     
  6. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    Final list (which lists every single song that got a vote), with points totals as well, is below. If you do not see a song listed, that means it did not make a single top 40 (and I just hope I inputted every list correctly lol).

    01 Astronomy 843
    02 Then Came the Last Days of May 716
    03 (Don't Fear) The Reaper 707
    04 Dominance and Submission 688
    05 E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 686
    06 Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll 585
    07 Flaming Telepaths 582
    08 Burnin' for You 519
    09 The Red & the Black 515
    10Veteran of the Psychic Wars 513
    11 Harvester of Eyes 504
    12 Career of Evil 480
    13 Hot Rails to Hell 477
    14 7 Screaming Diz-Busters 470
    15 Black Blade 443
    16 Stairway to the Stars 422
    17 Subhuman 406
    18 Godzilla 401
    19 Transmaniacon MC 363
    20 ME 262 351
    21 Before the Kiss, a Redcap 350
    22 Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl) 334
    23 Fire of Unknown Origin 328
    24 Take Me Away 313
    25 Golden Age of Leather 311
    26 This Ain't the Summer of Love 296
    27 The Revenge of Vera Gemini 293
    28 Joan Crawford 275
    29 The Vigil 274
    30 O.D.'d on Life Itself 272
    31 Lips in the Hills 265
    32 I Love the Night 251
    33 Wings Wetted Down 237
    34 Harvest Moon 236
    35 Shooting Shark 234
    36 Vengeance (The Pact) 226
    37 Teen Archer 208
    38 Death Valley Nights 198
    39 Nosferatu 191
    40 Monsters 163
    41 Workshop of the Telescopes 162
    42 (t) R. U. Ready 2 Rock 155
    42 (t) Sole Survivor 155
    44 (t) Fireworks 136
    44 (t) In Thee 136
    46 Cagey Cretins 135
    47 (t) Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver 126
    47 (t) I Am the One You Warned Me Of 126
    47 (t) Unknown Tongue 126
    50 In the Presence of Another World 124
    51 Baby Ice Dog 122
    52 After Dark 121
    53 (t) Divine Wind 117
    53 (t) Tenderloin 117
    55 (t) Deadline 108
    55 (t) The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria 108
    57 Tattoo Vampire 105
    58 Buck's Boogie 102
    59 She's as Beautiful as a Foot 100
    60 Sinful Love 97
    61 Debbie Denise 94
    62 Les Invisibles 90
    63 See You in Black 88
    64 (t) Dr. Music 77
    64 (t) Perfect Water 77
    66 I Am the Storm 76
    67 Stone of Love 75
    68 Feel the Thunder 68
    69 Don't Turn Your Back 62
    70 True Confessions 60
    71 Goin' Through the Motions 59
    72 (t) Live for Me 53
    72 (t) Morning Final 53
    72 (t) Shadow of California 53
    75 (t) The Great Sun Jester 52
    75 (t) You're Not the One (I Was Looking For) 52
    77 (t) Blue Oyster Cult 51
    77 (t) Dancin' in the Ruins 51
    79 I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep 50
    80 (t) Searchin' for Celine 47
    80 (t) X-Ray Eyes 47
    82 (t) Hungry Boys 44
    82 (t) Mirrors 44
    84 Power Underneath Despair 39
    85 Eyes on Fire 36
    86 Screams 34
    87 (t) Moon Crazy 33
    87 (t) The Horseman Arrive 33
    89 Real World 32
    90 (t) Boorman the Chauffeur 28
    90 (t) Veins 28
    92 Celestial the Queen 27
    93 Mes Dames Sarat 26
    94 Madness to the Method 25
    95 The Old Gods Return 24
    96 (t) Lonely Teardrops 23
    96 (t) Night Flyer 23
    96 (t) Tainted Blood 23
    96 (t) That Was Me 23
    96 (t) The Marshall Plan 23
    101 Magna of Illusion 19
    102 Fallen Angel 18
    103 Here Comes That Feeling 16
    104 (t) Redeemed 15
    104 (t) There's a Crime 15
    106 Dial M for Murder 13
    107 Pocket 12
    108 Secret Road 10
    109 (t) Box in my Head 8
    109 (t) Imaginos 8
    111 Florida Man 6
    112 Edge of the World 4
    113 (t) Shadow Warrior 3
    113 (t) The Alchemist 3
    115 (t) Dance on Stilts 1
    115 (t) Hammer Back 1
    115 (t) Nightmare Epiphany 1
     
  7. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    America
    A few thoughts on the ones that missed...

    I Am the One You Warned Me Of being the top rated Imaginos song (outside of Astronomy, which I feel was ranked 1 from the ST version) threw me for a loop. That has always been one of my two least favorite songs from it.

    I didn't rank it, but I was hoping Nightmare Epiphany would do a little better. To me, that is the unquestioned gem of The Symbol Remains.

    Deadline, my number 3 song, finishing so low still makes me sad.

    I thought Perfect Water would fare a little better. Great song.

    Side 2 of Agents... getting blanked didn't surprise me, but four of the five made my top 40 (Tattoo Vampire was the only that did not).
     
  8. Echoes71

    Echoes71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    Well, as we all anticipated, the Top 3 have been determined - it was just a question of order.

    Glad to see "Astronomy" (also my #1) come out on top. As I've mentioned several times, there are other tunes that could have taken the top spot for me, especially some of their "harder" songs like "Dizbusters", but when you come down to it, "Astronomy" is the essence of weird BOC at its best, with a perfect match of eerie music and mysterious lyrics. This is also a song where I love studio and live versions equally, especially the version on Some Enchanted Evening, which features a commanding Eric Bloom vocal as well as one of my favorite Buck guitar solos, period. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the Imaginos version, but that didn't prevent me from giving it the top slot.

    "Reaper" came in at #32 for me, probably a victim of being overplayed. From a purely objective standpoint, though, this is probably Buck's greatest composition, from lyrics to arrangement to performance. Don't need to add much more - this is a stone cold classic.

    "Last days of May" was #4 for me, largely based on the understated beauty of the studio version. Merely 3 tracks into the debut, Buck establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with, weaving beautiful guitar fills between the doom-laden lyrics. What I love about Buck's playing here is that it is bluesy without ever once reverting to blues guitar cliches, which is something that sets him apart from a lot of other players of the era. Special shout out to the spacious production of this track - while the debut album is no sonic marvel, I really love the echo-drenched sound of this mournful song.

    Overall, I think that we all came up with a pretty fantastic Top 40 list that has had me going back to all my favorite Cult classics and listening to them with fresh ears. Thanks again to @George Co-Stanza for setting up this thread, which was one of the most enjoyable that I have ever contributed to on the forum. I hope the BOC conversation continues even after the final reveal!
     
    HfxBob, SonicBob, Pouchkine and 7 others like this.
  9. four sticks

    four sticks Senior Member

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    03 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper - #39 on my list. A tune I rarely play anymore but still worthy of the list.

    02 Then Came the Last Days of May - #23 on my list. I thought this would end up higher but just too many I prefer over it.

    01 Astronomy - also #1 on my list. Spots two through fifteen had a lot of movement as I was finalizing my list, spot one was easy.

    My top 3:
    3 Dominance and Submission
    2 Subhuman
    1 Astronomy
     
  10. Fischman

    Fischman RockMonster, ClassicalMaster, and JazzMeister

    Location:
    New Mexico
    03 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
    At first blush, I didn't plan to put this at the top of my list. My appreciation and popularity in the general population never align, so I just assumed I couldn't really consider putting it at #1. But as I considered it against other top contenders, a few of which are also perfect 10s (the top two here among them), I still had to consider this first among equals. Riff, mood, lyrics, transitions, solo, Buck's best vocal, all that and then some. As much as I love to go against the grain, The Fischman just has to accept his place in the mainstream here.

    02 Then Came the Last Days of May
    The second time my ranking matched this group. This actually has a lot in common with reaper, especially mood, dark theme, a smooth Buck vocal providing contrast with the darkness, and is that a great lick to kick things off?!

    This scenario, maybe purely coincidentally, provided the setup for the plot of the Chuck Norris movie Lone Wolf McQuade.

    01 Astronomy
    I have noted a few songs in this journey for the very BOC-unique evocative mood they bring, including the two immediately below this one. As much as they show that aspect of this band's greatness, this one indeed tops all in that category, so it is only fitting that this song triumph among fans of the group. My #5, but only because I just never tire of Burnin For You and Vera Gemini is so sexy.

    HUGE thanks to @George Co-Stanza. This has been exceptional fun. Kudos to all who listed or cemmented.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2023
  11. Echoes71

    Echoes71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    Looks like a lot of the songs from my Top 40 that didn't make the final list were contenders:

    "Workshop" (41) was #6 for me.
    "RU Ready to Rock" (42) was #24
    "Cagey Cretins" (46) was #25
    "Heavy Metal" (47) was #38
    "Unknown Tongue" (also 47) was #23
    "Baby Ice Dog" (51) was #27

    Others on my list that didn't make the Top 40:

    "Buck's Boogie" was 18 (ranked this one too high)
    "Screams" was 30
    "Morning Final" was 33
    "Dr Music" was 34
    "I'm On the Lamb" was #39 (looking back, I would probably knock this out of my Top 40)

    Nice to see some of the obscure non-album tracks like "Mes Dames Sarat" and "Boorman the Chauffeur" make the full list - they really had some excellent outtakes. It also was great to see songs from The Symbol Remains get some love. While I do not like Richie's songs, I otherwise think this is a fantastic record.
     
  12. moomaloo

    moomaloo All-round good egg

    Thanks for all the hard work that went into this. I was too late/too lazy to play along but I’ve enjoyed reading it. So ‘Morning Final’ did make the list after all (albeit at no. 72/73). I’d have ranked it much higher than that but that’s the thing about BOC; they are so wonderfully diverse.

    Can’t argue with Astronomy at number 1 though…

    I may work the final results into a playlist for the car.
     
    George Co-Stanza, carlwm and Fischman like this.
  13. finslaw

    finslaw muzak to my ears

    Location:
    Indiana
    I nearly posted this same 3 2 1 as a guess to snidely point out how the 2 from the B&W were going to outrank the stone cold radio signature song, but then I decided I've said it enough times already and retracted the post. Don't Fear the Reaper is the song that people think of when they here the band name, you got stoners pontificating about it in The Stoned Life, you got mention of it in the book and mini-series The Stand, and then of course you got the classic SNL skit. Is the song overplayed for many? Sure, it kinda has no choice at this point. However, whereas a lot of band's overplayed songs are of the commercial chorus earworm type which can wear on the brain, The Reaper is a very unusual song to be their #1 most popular. The riff has that Byrdsy sound to it, the harmonies with that low harmony remind me of some demented Beach Boys song, and the song kind of eases you into the harder guitar parts. Not a hard core song, it could almost be called soft rock, however, when the main middle guitar solo comes in it is one of the great explosions of sound in rock music. Maybe the solo isn't playing many notes but the rolling drums and the sinister chords played give it gravitas. Now the part I hold off talking about is the lyrics, Buck sort of regrets the song for the couple suicides and the song featured in a Prophecy movie (with Walken again) as a couple commits suicide while the song plays. The lyrics are fantastic though, and IMO it is hard to take digs at this song even if you heard it too many times. I ranked it #4.

    Here we go, Then Came the Last Days of May. A great story within this song, well told through the lyrics, it gives it almost a folk ballad type presentation. The laid back feel and I love the guitar descent after choice lines. The 1975 live version features some of the most atmospheric soloing from Buck and the guitar sound has a bite and the song often escapes its ballad trappings to rock out. Great stuff.....for the live version. The album version is like taking that live version and saying "hey, let's neuter it and make it a sleepy lullaby." The studio version rubs me the wrong way instantly by panning a delay on the singing and drums all the way to the right ear, and this is no fun for those with headphones on. The guitar tone is subdued, losing the bite, the solo has hardly any presence as a result. Comparing the guitar solo on the studio versus the 1975 live version is like night and day. The live version thrills, the studio version bores. I could not rank just according to what they eventually got the song to sound like, so I split the difference and the song got a #28, but the live version on its own would rank around #17 for me, IMO #2 is still waaaay too high for this song.

    Astronomy was my guess earlier for the #1 track, Reaper would alienate too many for being played so often and having the gall to not place on the first 3 albums. I like the song in both of the studio incarnations, the football chants on the Imaginos version are kind of fun, and at least they went for something different. However I assume this song is based on the closing track on the band's 4th album, oh wait, scratch that, it has to be the 3rd to make it this high. The song has a nice piano part, the chill buildup of guitar feedback, it is all very atmospheric and cryptic. However, why is getting married a point in time people want to know where wind comes from? BTW, trees sneezing is the answer according to Calvin and Hobbes. I'm losing focus, maybe because I like this song quite a bit and placed it at #7, but it isn't one I was rooting to place first. Maybe because it doesn't quite rock out, then again none of the 3 songs here are all out rock songs, unlike the last batch. So yeah, a snide response to the top 3 songs, but there we go.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2023
  14. finslaw

    finslaw muzak to my ears

    Location:
    Indiana
    Seeing the rest of the list makes me wish we had done a top 50, that would have included Imaginos twice (!!!!), many of the underrated songs on later albums and only 2 from the first 3 albums (1 totally undeserving.) The ones on my list that didn't place in the top 40 were:

    #12 Goin' Through the Motions
    #14 The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria
    #17 In Thee
    #22 In the Presence of Another World
    #24 Debbie Denise
    #25 Sinful Love
    #31 You're Not the One I Was Looking For
    #32 R. U. Ready 2 Rock
    #34 Sole Survivor
    #36 Pocket
    #37 Deadline
    #38 Fireworks
    #39 After Dark
    #40 See You in Black
     
  15. Echoes71

    Echoes71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    And if anyone is interested in the breakdown of lead vocalists in the Top 40, here is how it played out in the end:

    Eric - 23 songs
    Buck - 11
    Albert - 4
    Joe - 4

    I counted Eric and Albert as co-vocalists for "Career of Evil" and Eric and Buck for "Godzilla".
     
  16. ThereOnceWasANote

    ThereOnceWasANote Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cape May, NJ
    I heard Perfect Water yesterday and I really liked it. Maybe one of Bloom's best vocals on it too.
     
  17. Nipper

    Nipper His Master's Voice

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I had Reaper at the top. Perfect cowbell.

    Last Days Of May came in at #9 for me. Definitely top ten material.

    I had Astronomy at #12. Probably should've been in the top ten, but BOC just have so many great tunes.


    The top songs on my list that didn't make the top 40 were:
    7. True Confessions
    19. She's As Beautiful As A Foot
    20. Mirrors
    21. Workshop Of The Telescopes
     
  18. finslaw

    finslaw muzak to my ears

    Location:
    Indiana
    Nice to see these get some love, because both get a lot of flack. True Confessions is up there with Goin Through the Motions and Debbie Denise as far as bitter romantic entanglement songs, probably inspired by groupies. Mirrors is a fascinating take on vanity. I think the album of the same name only placed one song because it is a very consistent album where nearly any song can be a favorite (I nearly placed Moon Crazy), so nothing else got vaulted. Sort of what happened with Imaginos.
     
  19. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    I am totally fine with these being the top three.

    "The Reaper" only made #22 on my list. Again because of the many B&W songs I rate and maybe a little bit because of burn out. The main body of the song (vocals sections) are beautiful, great melodies and harmonies, fantastic lyric and all the cool guitar licks etc., but if it had only had that (which the butchered single version has), it would just be one in the crowd of many good songs they have. What elevates this to the stratosphere for me has always been the mind blowingly cool middle section, which transports me in my mind to an Arabian desert or something (really represents a glipse into the world beyond I guess). The backing "oriental" (phrygian) riffs are so heavy and sinister and Buck's solo is out of this world. I have played this song one time only in a band, I'm not sure we nailed it but it was fun learning all the parts, for example figuring out how that little arpeggio bit before the solo section works against the pulse, I no longer remember that and have gone back to hearing it wrong as I always have...

    "Last Days of May" made #4 on my list, so just missing the top three. I was a little surprised to see that it beat "Reaper". I know many rate it because of the live version(s), but I have no problem putting it this high based on the studio version only. There are so many tasty Buck licks in this one and it's one I have also played in a band and it was great education learning all the guitar bits in it. I remember clearly playing it at this biker midsummer party (this was years ago when I was in my early twenties) and after we had played it at the soundcheck this really tough biker guy (who I knew was also a drummer) came walking up to us across the floor with a stern look on his face, and we all looked at each other a bit scared wondering what we had done wrong. But when he came closer I saw he had tears running down his face and he wanted to thank us for playing the song, it had made his day.

    "Astronomy" was my #1 and I had no doubt it would win this countdown. Musically majestic and so interesting in the way it's put together, it takes new unexpected twists several times throughout. The lyric is also a favourit, again with several things that make me think Lovecraft, and I have once written a song called "Acid & Oil" because of my favourite line in the song. (It was an instrumental, I would never dare write my own lyrics using inspiration from them.) The studio version is the one for me, but the live version on Enchanted Evening is the highligh of that album, so glad they found room for it there (as all the other songs are more recent or covers). The Imaginos version is an abomination (sorry) and did not figure in my rating. The way this song was written is that Joe was taking a break from band practice and was taking a walk when the melody and chords of the verses came to him. He had the fragment sitting around for a while but he could not come up with anything more to go with it so he gave it to Albert and he finished it by adding the other parts. (I guess the lyric was an already existing one in their collection of Sandy poems.) I know both of them are very pleased that Metalllica covered it, not least because of the impact it has had on their bank accounts, probablay did more for them financially than all the rest of their work combined.

    Here are my songs that didn't make it:
    10. "Workshop of the Telescopes"
    26. "Buck's Boogie"
    28. "In Thee"
    35. "Perfect Water"
    36. "Dancin' in the Ruins"
    37. "R. U. Ready 2 Rock"
    39. "Goin' Through the Motions"

    Bubbling under (chronological):
    "Sinful Love"
    "Tattoo Vampire"
    "Dr. Music"
    "Mirrors"
    "Moon Crazy"
    "Fallen Angel"

    I wish I had placed it just a step higher (which I easlily could) and it would have been included.

    It's the song that really has had me reaching for the dictionary the most, "silverfish imperetrix", "drake", "undine", "refract spoke", huh?

    The version on the EP has some parts being played quite differently, I love them both, I wonder which was first (I guess the live one is a later rearrangement since they do "Red & Black" on the EP).

    "Buck's Boogie" was on my list and is a classic because of it's status as a live staple. I didn't expect it to be high on this countdon, but maybe make a placement. I wonder if people forgot about it because it's a live-only song? (A factoid is that it takes some of it's parts from the old pre-Cult "Arthur Comics".)

    I to was suprised that "Perfect Water" didn't make at least the nether regions of the list. Maybe it is forgotten because it is on an album that people dismiss. (I like "Dancin' in the Ruins" as well.)

    Agents is really front loaded, for a long time I could never really remember how the last three songs went, the album seemed to peter out towards the end. Those song are really great when you hear them one by one, I wonder if it had been different if they had paced the album a bit different.

    I don't think of the studio version as having a "solo" as such, it just has guitar fills of different lenght throughout. The live version has an prolonged section (which grew even longer with time) to make it have a proper solo. Besides that added bit I think the guitar playing is very similar in both versions.

    Speaking of rubbing the wrong way (which your post did me a little bit), don't you think that most people that prefer the B&W era do that because they like those songs, not to spite you and others that like later songs?
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2023
  20. finslaw

    finslaw muzak to my ears

    Location:
    Indiana
    I'll put a big IMO here. When you do a poll like this you are going to get an assortment of fans. Some will know all the albums and more or less like/love them all and be more random, fine. Some will know all the albums and still prefer the first 3 albums, again, fine. Some will listen to the first 3 albums and maybe a smattering of later popular tunes but give up on the later albums and not know them very well, IMO (again IMO) not fine. You need to know ALL the songs well to rank them accurately. I feel the latter 2 types are why the first 3 albums got 10 of the top 14 spots, and why the last (IMO very subpar) Secret Treaties track somehow nearly made the list. If this were an Alice Cooper song poll then the 5 band albums would hog all of the space at the top of the list, and for similar reasons. There are those who insist BOC fell apart after the first 3, and that notion rubs me the wrong way. But all of this is just IMO.

    PS: Maybe I am overestimating the amount from the 3rd group, and it is really the 2nd group that vaulted those songs.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2023
  21. Fischman

    Fischman RockMonster, ClassicalMaster, and JazzMeister

    Location:
    New Mexico
    My personal chart entries that failed to chart among this group.

    39. Veins
    38. Harvester of Eyes
    35. Florida Man
    34. Power Underneath Despair
    31. Debbie Denise
    26. There's a Crime
    25. After Dark
    24. Sinful Love
    23. R. U. Ready 2 Rock
    17. Baby Ice Dog (a surprise non charter to me, this thing outrocks most of the b&w selections)
    15. Stone of Love (top ranking late album entry)
    7. Eyes on Fire (yeah, I LOVE this song)
     
  22. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    The Reaper made #6 on my list, First Days Of May, #7 and Astronomy, #23.

    Top fun, @George Co-Stanza. Kudos to you and all other contributors. :righton:
     
  23. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    03 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

    Still and will always be the group's signature song and that's not a bad thing. I had this at #11

    02 Then Came the Last Days of May

    I had this at #8. One of the highlights of the first album and always cool live.

    01 Astronomy

    I had this at #4 but easily could have been #1. Great song. What a cool vibe.
     
  24. finslaw

    finslaw muzak to my ears

    Location:
    Indiana
    The 1975 live version rearranged it and rocked it even harder (wish it was clearer):

     
    George Co-Stanza likes this.
  25. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    For what it's worth, here's my top forty:

    40: Secret Road
    39: Flaming Telepaths
    38: The Cold, Grey Light Of Dawn
    37: She's As Beautiful As A Foot
    36: Wings Wetted Down
    35; Death Valley Nights
    34: Box In My Head
    33: Morning Final
    32: Stone Of Love
    31: Veterans Of The Psychic Wars

    30: Burnin' For You
    29: In The Presence Of Another World
    28: In Thee
    27: Florida Man
    26: Fireworks
    25: Sinful Love
    24: Veins
    23: Astronomy
    22: Live For Me
    21: Light Years Of Love


    20: Edge Of The World
    19: Make Rock Not War
    18:Shadow Of California
    17: Redeemed
    16: Lonely Teardrops
    15: Golden Age Of Leather
    14: Eyes On Fire
    13: Out Of The Darkness
    12: Madness In The Method
    11: Moon Crazy

    10: Spy In The House Of The Night
    9: The Siege & Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle In Weisseria
    8: Take Me Away
    7: Then Came The Last Days Of May
    6: (Don't Fear) The Reaper
    5: Tainted Blood
    4: Dancing In The Ruins
    3: Great Sun Jester
    2: Harvest Moon
    1: Shooting Shark
    14:
     

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