I'd be down to do a Radiohead one in the near future. Live medleys would never apply. I would ponder combining songs like from The Lamb or the end of W&W and make a judgement call, but we can worry about that later. Back to R.E.M.!
I had “Nightswimming” at 8. I love that song. Two sleeper ballads at the end of the album. Incredible. “Radio Free Europe” was 140 on my list. Speaking of the version on Murmur, it has the same power as “I Saw Her Standing There”, dramatically introducing a new sound by a new band. Its middle-tier placement for me is really a function of how much I like the rest of the group did. It’s really such a powerful song. I feel the same way about “Hand In Glove”, not that I intend to start comparing the two bands.
Love the interplay between the organ and Buck's Leslie'd guitar. It captures a mood of emptiness and loss to back up Stipe's mournful lyrics. REM's first attempt at going for a big epic sounding track.
Four of my top five have not been listed yet, with no chance at all. Not a huge R.E.M. fan but I've learned a lot about them via this thread. I'm sure my #1 isn't even on 10 others top 40, but I really like it. I will post my wildly outlying songs tomorrow.
Genuinely waiting with bated breath. With 6 to go I thought the final songs were locked in then Begin The Begin appeared. Now I'm doubting my number one choice will even appear. With this doubt I can still see four candidates for the top two positions.
I'm wondering how many "users who are viewing this thread" will greet George tomorrow morning waiting for his post. This top ten has had me more anxious and surprised than I thought it would. "Begin the Begin" surprised me a lot given what is still left out there.
I’m 100% confident on one of the 2 songs….and about 93% on the other! Both IRS era songs. There is a very unlikely dark horse album track in the back of my mind from arguably their most popular album that I was sure would make the top 40.
Or, they are just too introvert to speak up! Just kidding. I would be all for a Radiohead countdown too.
One is definitely a Warner’s tune Perhaps both Only a few more hours until “Stand” and “Shiny Happy People “ finally get recognized as the two greatest, most sublime REM tracks of all time….
I think they'll definitely both be IRS tunes. I'm pretty sure I know which ones they are. I can't believe either of these wouldn't make the top 40.
The top 2 are honestly going to be a surprise to me. There were several contenders I expected that have now either been announced or (from comments here) don't seem to have a hope.
The fact that so many seemed unsure of what the top 2 were is EXACTLY why I requested no spoilers/predictions. It makes more fun to keep those in suspense! And with that, below are the top two. Thanks again to everyone who participated! 02 So Central Rain (I’m Sorry) Appeared on 60 of 75 entrees Top 10 finishes: 22 Highest Ranking: 1 (@Rochdale3, @Reckoning, @Asgard, @Standoffish, @bvb1123, @joaback, @Golden Richards) I had totally forgotten about this song until I got into the band four years ago, but when I heard it, I was like, "Wait, I know that song!" MTV must have played it a bit back in the day. That verse melody and chorus both feel pretty iconic. I ranked this 17th, and it could have been a tad higher for me on the right day. 01 Fall On Me Appeared on 66 of 75 entrees Top 10 finishes: 35 Highest Ranking: 1 (@Haberdasher, @The MEZ, @sinistrail sentinel) This didn't just finish number 1; it lapped the field and finished 1st (which you will see in the next post where I post the total tallies). Good song for sure, one I ranked 23rd, but I don't really set it as so awesome that it should have finished 1st by this wide a margin, but it shows how popular it is general with the fans here that it only finished 1st on three lists, yet still was the runaway winner.
Total list: 01 Fall on Me 1888 02 So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) 1499 03 Radio Free Europe 1419 04 Nightswimming 1417 05 Driver 8 1384 06 Begin the Begin 1259 07 Losing My Religion 1202 08 Find the River 1189 09 Man on the Moon 1132 10 It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 1127 11 The One I Love 1124 12 (Don't Go Back to) Rockville 1017 13 I Believe 990 14 Drive 957 15 Orange Crush 928 16 What's The Frequency, Kenneth? 927 17 Perfect Circle 920 18 World Leader Pretend 917 19 Harborcoat 902 20 Electrolite 863 21 These Days 854 22 Gardening at Night 832 23 Country Feedback 788 24 Pretty Persuasion 786 25 Sitting Still 777 26 Talk About the Passion 762 27 Feeling Gravitys Pull 761 28 Finest Worksong 750 29 Try Not to Breathe 737 30 Cuyahoga 713 31 Shaking Through 688 32 Superman 668 33 Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) 648 34 Can't Get There from Here 617 35 Everybody Hurts 614 36 You Are the Everything 613 37 Half a World Away 609 38 Maps and Legends 591 39 E-Bow the Letter 564 40 Imitation of Life 558 41 (t) Pilgrimage 510 41 (t) Strange Currencies 510 43 Texarkana 491 45 Near Wild Heaven 489 46 Me in Honey 485 47 Life and How to Live It 481 48 Welcome to the Occupation 476 49 Sweetness Follows 460 50 Turn You Inside-Out 453 51 Wolves, Lower 452 52 Leave 445 53 Wendell Gee 438 54 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite 435 55 Green Grow the Rushes 417 56 Stand 399 57 Daysleeper 384 58 Bang and Blame 379 59 At My Most Beautiful 373 60 Disturbance at the Heron House 371 61 Swan Swan H 355 62 King of Birds 344 63 Shiny Happy People 343 64 Walk Unafraid 334 65 Laughing 327 66 7 Chines Bros. 322 67 The Flowers of Guatamala 321 68 Crush with Eyeliner 320 69 Pop Song 89 319 70 The Great Beyond 317 71 (t) All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star) 313 71 (t) Bittersweet Me 313 73 Exhuming McCarthy 304 74 How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us 279 75 I'll take the Rain 263 76 New Test Leper 259 77 The Wrong Child 247 78 Leaving New York 241 79 Oddfellows Local 151 239 80 I Remember California 236 81 Camera 228 82 Bad Day 222 83 Get Up 218 84 Ignoreland 213 85 Fretless 208 86 Be Mine 206 87 Ages of You 197 88 (t) 11th Untitled Song 196 88 (t) Good Advices 196 90 Moral Kiosk 193 91 Untitled 188 92 Time after Time (Annelise) 187 93 (t) Catapult 185 93 (t) Crazy 185 93 (t) The Lifting 185 96 Monty Got a Raw Deal 184 97 The Wake-Up Bomb 181 98 Supernatural Superserious 178 99 (t) Just a Touch 160 99 (t) West of the Fields 160 101 Radio Song 157 102 I Took Your Name 155 103 Living Well Is the Best Revenge 154 104 Letter Never Sent 150 105 Sad Professor 149 106 Kohoutek 144 107 Photograph 139 108 So Fast, So Numb 137 109 (t) 9--9 135 109 (t) Second Guessing 135 111 Voice of Harold 131 112 Tongue 129 113 Belong 125 114 (t) Auctioneer (Another Engine) 123 114 (t) Departure 123 116 (t) I Don't Sleep, I Dream 120 116 (t) Undertow 120 118 Hairshirt 118 119 Star 69 109 120 (t) Discoverer 108 120 (t) Lotus 108 122 (t) Accelerate 107 122 (t) Uberlin 107 122 (t) We All Go Back to Where We Belong 107 125 (t) Hope 106 125 (t) Low 106 127 All the Right Friends 102 128 We Walk 100 129 It's a Free World, Baby 91 130 What If We Give It Away? 87 131 Low Desert 86 132 Hyena 84 133 Let Me In 82 134 You 80 135 Until the Day Is Done 79 136 Strange 78 137 (t) Electron Blue 76 137 (t) Falls to Climb 76 139 1,000,000 75 140 (t) Circus Envy 71 140 (t) Man-Sized Wreath 71 142 She Just Wants to Be 63 143 Binky the Doormat 61 144 Blue 60 145 (t) Fireplace 56 145 (t) Star Me Kitten 56 147 It Happened Today 52 148 (t) Beat a Drum 49 148 (t) Little America 49 150 Stumble 45 151 Why Not Smile 43 152 I've Been High 42 153 Suspicion 39 154 Around the Sun 37 155 (t) Airportman 36 155 (t) Diminished 36 155 (t) I Walked with a Zombie 36 155 (t) You're in the Air 36 159 (t) Animal 34 159 (t) Bandwagon 34 161 Old Man Kensey 33 162 (t) Final Straw 32 162 (t) Ghost Reindeer in the Sky 32 162 (t) Wall of Death 32 165 Saturn Return 31 166 The Apologist 30 167 I'm Not Over You 29 168 (t) Disappear 28 168 (t) Pale Blue Eyes 28 170 Academy Fight Song 26 171 (t) Beachball 25 171 (t) Hollow Man 25 171 (t) Sing for the Submarine 25 174 Permanent Vacation 24 175 (t) Chorus and the Ring 23 175 (t) Horse to Water 23 175 (t) The Outsiders 23 178 High Speed Train 22 179 Femme Fatale 20 180 Mine Smell Like Honey 19 181 (t) I Wanted to Be Wrong 16 181 (t) The Ascent of Man 16 183 (t) Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter 15 183 (t) The Worst Joke Ever 15 185 Houston 14 186 (t) Mr. Richards 13 186 (t) Romance 13 188 There She Goes Again 12 189 (t) Boy in the Well 9 189 (t) Sex Bomb 9 189 (t) Wanderlust 9 192 (t) Every Day Is Yours to Win 8 192 (t) Ghost Rider 8 192 (t) Lightnin' Hopkins 8 192 (t) Make It All Okay 8 192 (t) That Someone Is You 8 197 King of Comedy 7 198 Underneath the Bunker 5 199 (t) Aftermath 4 199 (t) Burning Hell 4 199 (t) Oh My Heart 4 199 (t) Windout 4 203 (t) Burning Down 3 203 (t) I'm Gonna DJ 3 205 Last Date 1
