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Underground > Radio & Music >

Brits gone mad

08:29 / 11.01.05

It's the 25th anniversary of the Brits, so, tellingly, they've decided to choose the "best song" of the past twenty-five years.

It's a daft idea, but hey, let's run with it. And now, the nominations for the award:

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush
We Are The Champions by Queen
Leave Right Now by Will Young.

You do the math. We all know from experience how futile "best song" lists are, but this is the shortlist? I really want to know what kind of crazy pills the judging panel are on. I mean, really.

(Any other suggestions for an alternative shortlist also welcome).

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

10:33 / 11.01.05

I kind of agree with TWO of those... (which two's probably a bit of a no-brainer- okay then, the first two).

Although I think I'd flinch from having to choose THE BEST SONG of the last 25...
I think the problem with this sort of list is that not only is music such a subjective thing in that it varies from person to person, it's also subjective in that my tastes can vary from hour to hour.

10:39 / 11.01.05

just gone a bit batman on the old google and look what i found - the names of the judges who selected the shortlist:

tony wilson
alan partridge
ben elton
simon cowell

i think we could all have guessed those would turn up, couldn't we?

ONLY NICE THINGS

11:45 / 11.01.05

I think you've omitted Angels, by Robbie Williams.

12:57 / 11.01.05

Ah, that wasn't in the release I saw, Haus. The icing on the cake, as it were.

13:18 / 11.01.05

gary barlow, obviously, being the name i forgot to put on the judges list. d'oh!

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

13:54 / 11.01.05

Alan Partridge?

So fictional comedy creations are allowed to vote in these things?

Where's Papa Lazarou then?

Brigade du jour

21:06 / 11.01.05

He only likes Barry Manilow and Jim Reeves.

02:08 / 12.01.05

And Billy Bragg.

10:58 / 13.01.05

I can't believe Will Young is on that list. Blue completely piss over everything he's ever done.

If these nominations means they show the video for Wuthering Heights, however, everyone's a winner.

11:21 / 13.01.05

the original list was as follows:

Heroes’ David Bowie
‘We Are The Champions’ Queen
‘Wuthering Heights’ Kate Bush
‘Night Fever’ Bee Gees
‘London Calling’ The Clash
‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ Joy Division
‘That's Entertainment’ The Jam
‘I Don't Want To Talk About It’ Rod Stewart
‘Look of Love’ ABC
‘Golden Brown’ The Stranglers
‘True’ Spandau Ballet
‘Careless Whisper’ George Michael
‘Holding Back The Year’ Simply Red
‘Sledgehammer’ Peter Gabriel
‘Sacrifice’ Elton John
‘Unfinished Sympathy’ Massive Attack
‘Why’ Annie Lennox
‘Fields of Gold’ Sting
‘Kiss From A Rose’ Seal
‘Wonderwall’ Oasis
‘Angels’ Robbie Williams
‘Yellow’ Coldplay
‘Babylon’ David Gray
‘Leave Right Now’, Will Young
‘Dry Your Eyes’ The Streets

The five represent a shortlist voted for on radio 2- very weird idea to start the whole thing off with a shortlist...

"ok british public vote for your favourite tune- we KNOW that its one of these- no, no you can't vote for Blur they would'nt agree to be on our compilation tie in record"

fucking Rod Stewart? Wonderwall eh? Just reminds me of drunk rugby twats at Uni- a load of cack if you ask me... nonsense nonsense nonsense...

11:38 / 13.01.05

it's almost all the same song - 'power ballads' i think they used to call them, though now they tend to get the label 'that shit by keane or snow patrol or whatever'.

Haus of Mystery

13:14 / 13.01.05

Fucking 'Dry Your' fucking 'Eyes' by the fucking Streets. Fuck's sake...

13:29 / 13.01.05

its a strange one - the difference between "the best" and "the most popular" especially when regarding music. I think most of us learnt that at a young age the number one record wasn't the best record.

This list is a list of the accessable - what the masses want/ can palate. Yup 'love will tear us apart' is a great song and up there with my faves but so is 'transmission' all very odd

The list seems to have tried to encapsulate eras although dance music ( *cough* Harrison..) is pretty much off the radar- and choosing Wonderwall as the representation of the Britpop years is very odd- a wishy washy schmaltzy power ballad.

why couldn't they just have an open website where you type in the name of the band and the song - surely a much truer representation of the "favourite" song?

fear of another Belle and Sebastion vs steps....

don't you love the Brits.

oh yeah has anybody else noticed that PJ Harvey is turning into the new Annie Lennox in the Brits- she will get a nomination every year as best female but i don't think has ever won? The new album is her worst to date imho- but still there's no more worthy female artists in all of this 'ere land... honest

13:41 / 13.01.05

Fucking 'Dry Your' fucking 'Eyes' by the fucking Streets. Fuck's sake...

or your "mothers got a penis" by Goldie lookin chain

or even "shaddap you face" by joe dolce

13:52 / 13.01.05

i'm enjoying reading this list over and over though. start at the bottom and go up, hum the chorus of each track to yourself and notice just what identikit-schmaltz is on offer.... til you get to peter gabriel and all of a sudden your mind is invaded by an eighties sax break and dancing fruit.

abc
joy division
clash
stranglers
jam
beegees
bowie

are the only tracks there i would happily put on a mix tape. that's quite a few i suppose, except you wouldn't really ut any of them on a mix tape because the person who you gave it to would be like - 'oh. how predictable'

alternalist for the above:

when smokey sings
the one that goes 'dayin, dayout, dayin, dayout' can never remember the title but i luv that'n
strange little girl
the bitterest pill
that number one they had in the eighties, i love that one, (childhood memories of glastonbury carnival...)
in the heat of the morning

13:55 / 13.01.05

oh and 'i fought the law', forgot about those earnest little twats.

ONLY NICE THINGS

14:15 / 13.01.05

the one that goes 'dayin, dayout, dayin, dayout' can never remember the title but i luv that'n

Better idea - "Day In, Day Out", by David Bowie. Two great tastes...

14:21 / 13.01.05

i don't think i know that one. hum it for us...?

14:27 / 13.01.05

also, in the welcome absence of certain posters, i think it behooves someone to point out how white this list is. all of them in fact, except seal, the ones out of massive attack who ain't a-playing with the kiddies, and mick hucknall.

15:19 / 13.01.05

Farkin 'ell i just realised no Smiths?!!?

would they have made if Mozzer was dead and would 'Love will tear us apart' have made it if curtis was alive.

and isn't candle in the wind the worlds biggest selling single shouldn't that be in there rather than sacrifice???

I hate the brits to horrible and smug?

who remembers the year that Suede played early 90's when they were trying to make em cool- even though they weren't nominated for any awards and lots of the execs refused to clap them cos they weren't annie lennox

Haus of Mystery

17:12 / 13.01.05

I hate the brits to horrible and smug?

Have you been on the mother's ruin again Copey?

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

17:46 / 13.01.05

DAMN THE MASSES!