The Smiths: Your top ten songs?

The first six are my top six for sure, in no order:

Reel Around The Fountain (Peel Version)
The Queen is Dead
This Charming Man
William It Was Really Nothing
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want Now
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

The next four are hard as its like picking 4 from 15 which are all equally good but today it is:

Ask
I Know Its Over
Sheila Take A Bow
Big Mouth Strikes Again

 

I disagree with both of you. I prefer the Troy Tate version of "Reel" over the others. I think the studio/debut version is overproduced and the BBC version sounds kind of empty, but the Tate version strikes the perfect balance and ultimately resonates with me a lot more.

 

Damn you! LOL....

I find a factor in music is what you heard first is kind of the version you like best. And as a very early fan I taped the first Peel session off the radio with Reel on in the summer of 83 and played that tape to death. It was by far my favourite song by them. When the album came out 7 or so months later I was so disappointed by the album version as it was overproduced and took away the charm I felt.

By no means do I feel the BBC version is empty - it is sparse but I think that suites the song better.

But I will admit a bias to the BBC version as it was the version I really fell in love with first.

If you can to pick though, between the album and BBC version only what would you chose?

 

...no order here-

*London
*Rubber Ring
*Still Ill
*I Know It’s Over
*How Soon Is Now
*Well I Wonder
*Stretch Out & Wait
*Unloveable
*Bigmouth Strikes Again
*Death At One’s Elbow

 

The first version of "Reel" that I heard was the album/studio version, and initially I kind of hated it because it sounded so polished and overproduced. Then I heard the BBC version when I got Hatful of Hollow, and I liked it more, but it still didn't click. But something about the Tate version, which I didn't hear until years later, really grabbed me, for reasons that are difficult to explain because the differences are kind of subtle. The song works better with a more sparse arrangement, but there's a bit more reverb and sense of space on the Tate version that I find to be more evocative. It just has a certain feel to it that I really like.

So, for me it was the opposite of you - the first version I heard was the version I liked the least! And the same goes for the other BBC versions included on Hatful - I like all of those more than their studio counterparts, even though I heard the studio versions first. Hearing those BBC versions was a revelation.

But to answer your question, I'd choose the BBC "Reel" over the studio/album version.

 

I have not heard the Tate effort but "the BBC version sounds kind of empty" yes I'm buying that!

 

Death At One's Elbow. Really? Oh well... a fourth or even fifth vote for I Know It's Over... I don't feel so alone!

 

In no particular order:
Hand In Glove (Hatful Of Hollow version))
Back To The Old House (Hatful...)
Reel Around The Fountain (Hatful...)
William It Was Really Nothing (Hatful...)
This Charming Man (Hatful...)
The Queen Is Dead (The Queen Is Dead)
Cemetery Gates (The Queen...)
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (The Queen...)
Big Mouth Strikes Again (The Queen...)
Paint A Vulgar Picture (Strangeways…)

 

...yep, really.

 

The Headmaster Ritual
Stop Me..
Well I Wonder
How Soon Is Now?
Reel Around The Fountain
Death Of A Disco Dancer
Unhappy Birthday
Shoplifters
Never Had No One
What Difference

 

In no particular order:

Bigmouth Strikes Again
How Soon Is Now?
Is It Really So Strange?
Panic
Shoplifters of the World Unite
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
Half a Person (just cuz of the line "do you have a vacancy for a back-scrubber?")
A Rush and A Push and The Land Is Ours
Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
I Won't Share You

 

This Charming Man
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Golden Lights
Boy With A Thorn In His Side
Girlfriend In A Coma
I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Oscillate Wildly
Panic

 

I just listened to it, and it's pretty good! Assuming you like '60s girl groups of course. What's even better is that it's on a compilation CD that I already have!

When you've finished listening to I Want a Boy for My Birthday by the Cookies, check out I Never Dreamed ...

Meanwhile, back to the task at hand. My top six:

Well I Wonder
Sweet and Tender Hooligan
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
This Charming Man [at this point preferring Hatful of Hollow with full band intro]
Panic
Ask

I haven't listened to many of these tracks in quite a while, but I can certainly vouch for these additional four:

The Boy With the Thorn in His Side
There is a Light That Never Goes Out
Bigmouth Strikes Again
The Headmaster Ritual

On another day I might pick something else ...

 

Here goeth nothing :

Rusholme Ruffians
Frankly, Mr Shankly
Ask
How Soon Is Now?
Well I Wonder
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Sheila Take A Bow
Rubber Ring
Half A Person
Panic

 

I'm more surprised to see multiple mentions of "Oscillate Wildly" - didn't think it would make many top 10 lists

 

I have been doing some early morning marking.

These are the current rankings taking into account everyone's nominations and which version if the song (where stated).

12 - Bigmouth Strikes Again
9 - This Charming Man
8 - How Soon Is Now?
8 - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
8 - Ask
8 - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
7 - I Know It's Over
6 - Well I Wonder
6 - The Queen Is Dead
6 - Panic
6 - William, It Was Really Nothing
5 - Cemetery Gates
5 - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
5 - Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
5 - Half A Person
4 - Reel Around The Fountain
4 - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
4 - The Headmaster Ritual
3 - Sheila Take A Bow
3 - Hand In Glove
3 - Is It Really So Strange
3 - A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours
3 - Girl Afraid
3 - Some Girls Are Bigger than Others
3 - Girlfriend In A Coma
3 - What Difference Does It Make?
3 - London
3 - Rubber Ring
2 - Sweet And Tender Hooligan
2 - This Night Has Opened My Eyes
2 - I Don't Owe You Anything
2 - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
2 - Stretch Out And Wait
2 - That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
2 - Oscillate Wildly
2 - Asleep
2 - Rusholme Ruffians
2 - Still ill
1 - Back To The Old House (What Difference Does It Make single)
1 - Wonderful Woman
1 - This Charming Man (Hatful)
1 - Nowhere Fast
1 - Meat Is Murder
1 - Victor In A Tutu
1 - Shakespeare's Sister
1 - The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
1 - I Keep Mine Hidden
1 - Suffer Little Children
1 - I Want A Boy For My Birthday
1 - Reel Around The Fountain (Hatful)
1 - Unloveable
1 - Death At One’s Elbow
1 - Hand In Glove (Hatful)
1 - Back To The Old House (Hatful)
1 - Paint A Vulgar Picture
1 - Death Of A Disco Dancer
1 - Unhappy Birthday
1 - Never Had No One Ever
1 - I Won't Share You
1 - Golden Lights
1 - I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
1 - Frankly, Mr Shankly

Across many years of foruming and reading media you would think that if ever there was a Smiths signature song it was either This Charming Man or There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. Well they're up there here too but Bigmouth seems to have struck again. Thrilled to see I Know It's Over in the top ten (who would have thought it?) and as recognition of the voting I am going to revamp my Smith's songs folder and arrange them from least favourite to favourite (adding things like Barbarism Begins At Home of course)!

If there are more top tens added I will at a later point amend the table.

 

Well, two votes unless I overlooked one.

(Phew - it was just two).

 

Out at Christmas\New Year later this year.

 

I was struggling with The Draize Train. I have an mp3 copy but all the other files are WMA because they are from CD and I want to keep things that way.

I thought it was on The World Won't Listen which I don't have but I checked and can't see it. Then I checked The Sound Of The Smiths which I do have but it's not on there.

Found out it's on the Panic CD single - er - not paying £12 from Discogs or £60...

The Smiths - Panic

... instead I converted my mp3 of it to WMA online.

 

And thus, my new-look Smiths Songbook is this:

01 - I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
02 - The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
03 - Vicar In A Tutu
04 - Unhappy Birthday
05 - Barbarism Begins At Home
06 - Death Of A Disco Dancer
07 - Frankly, Mr. Shankly
08 - What She Said
09 - Never Had No One Ever
10 - The Draize Train
11 - Miserable Lie
12 - Jeane
13 - Unloveable
14 - Suffer Little Children
15 - Paint A Vulgar Picture
16 - Nowhere Fast
17 - Shakespeare's Sister
18 - I Won't Share You
19 - Back To The Old House
20 - Still Ill
21 - Wonderful Woman
22 - Asleep
23 - Rusholme Ruffians
24 - Stretch Out and Wait
25 - That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
26 - I Don't Owe You Anything
27 - Sweet And Tender Hooligan
28 - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
29 - This Night Has Opened My Eyes
30 - Oscillate Wildly
31 - Pretty Girls Make Graves
32 - Is It Really So Strange?
33 - London
34 - You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby
35 - These Things Take Time
36 - I Want The One I Can't Have
37 - Rubber Ring
38 - You've Got Everything Now
39 - Handsome Devil
40 - What Difference Does It Make-
41 - Girl Afraid
42 - The Headmaster Ritual
43 - Hand in Glove
44 - A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
45 - Money Changes Everything
46 - Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
47 - Girlfriend In A Coma
48 - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
49 - Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
50 - Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
51 - Reel Around The Fountain
52 - Panic
53 - Half A Person
54 - Cemetry Gates
55 - Meat Is Murder
56 - Sheila Take A Bow
57 - William, It Was Really Nothing
58 - Shoplifters Of The World Unite
60 - Well I Wonder
59 - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
61 - The Queen Is Dead
62 - Ask
63 - I Know It's Over
64 - How Soon Is Now?
65 - Bigmouth Strikes Again
66 - This Charming Man [New York Vocal]
67 - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

 

Late to the party (no, that's a Kacey Musgraves song). Anyway…

1. I Know its Over
2. There is a Light That Never Goes Out
3. This Charming Man
4. Well I Wonder
5. Wonderful Woman
6. Suffer Little Children
7. Girlfriend in a Coma
8. Back to the Old House (acoustic version)
9. Half a Person
10. Reel Around the Fountain

 

I think you need to combine the totals for, say, "This Charming Man" and "This Charming Man" (Hatful), etc.. They're all votes for the same song and we're picking top 10 songs, not picking top 10 arrangements or top 10 performances.

 

Bigmouth Strikes Again
Cemetry Gates
How Soon Is Now?
Paint a Vulgar Picture
Panic
The Queen Is Dead
Sheila Take A Bow
Shoplifters of the World Unite
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
William, It Was Really Nothing

 

This Charming Man
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Ask
How Soon Is Now
Back To The Old House
What Difference Does It Make
The Queen Is Dead
Paint A Vulgar Picture
William It Was Really Nothing

 

1. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
2. How Soon Is Now
3. Half A Person
4. Bigmouth Strikes Again
5. I Know It's Over
6. Shoplifters Of The World Unite
7. You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby
8. What Difference Does It Make?
9. Sheila Take A Bow
10. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Is it weird that zero songs from my favourite Smiths album - Strangeways - feature in my list? Or just the sign of an amazing discography?