And finally: WORST NUMBER 1 HIT of the LATE 1970s? (Part 3)

[NightTrain]

Coming this weekend:

A runoff poll of the ten top vote-getters in the various "Worst #1 Hit of the '70s" surveys that I've conducted over the last few days. At which time, we'll determine the chart-topper that DU considers the absolute worst of the Me Decade!

Stay tuned....

[MrSlayer]

1. My Sharona was kind of cool....

compared to the other rubbish here. Not saying much I know. Barbara Streisand gets my vote, she is beyond dreadful.

[NightTrain]

3. Personally, I always found the Knack extremely annoying.

But to each his own!

[MrSlayer]

5. LOL! I only said it was sort of cool compared to the other shit.

I'm not a Knack fan by any stretch.

[Capn Sunshine]

42. It might interest you to know Sharona sells Real estate today

in Beverly Hills. Sharona Alperin.

[a_random_joel]

2. Ring My Bell does not suck!

Man, you gotta problem with disco?

[NightTrain]

4. Err.... Yes, it does!

And no, I don't have a problem with GOOD disco. In fact, I've passionately defended the genre against the not-inconsiderable "Disco Sucks" crowd at DU. But if I don't like a disco record, then I don't like it! Simple as that.

[joeybee12]

8. I agree with a random Joel--it's a pretty good disco song....

...not a classic, but definitely one of the better of the era.

Didn't some awful Peaches and Herb song make #1 that could be here instead?

[Systematic Chaos]

10. "Reunited"...?

Oh, man. I've always thought that was one of the nicest ballads ever recorded.

This is kinda funny, really. Some of us HATE "Ring My Bell" while others think it's great, and now I'm defending Peaches & Herb while someone else can't stand them. I think it's pretty funny, all these differences of opinion.

[NightTrain]

12. I like it too, but decided to add it anyway.

What the hell, I'll give those who hate the record a chance to vote for it!

[a_random_joel]

14. I hate Peaches and Herb

Go figure.

[fortyfeetunder]

31. you are talking about the 1970's Peaches and Herb?

Remember Herb had a string of Peaches...I think the first time they debuted were in the 60's. Definitely more soulful songs.

[joeybee12]

19. What about their song that went something like "Gee, I wanna be your

roller skate mate, I can see us getting down on a roller skate date????"""

Surely you see my point!

[a_random_joel]

18. It's a classic.

I know everything.

You are all misguided.

[a_random_joel]

20. But seriously...

As a former DJ of several dance genres, that song gets girls out on the dance floor in DROVES.

For that alone... it does not belong in the poll.

[Systematic Chaos]

9. Sorry, a_r_j,

but "Ring My Bell" is just about the ONLY major disco hit I can't stand. The rhythm is nice and all, but I think what does it for me is the - and I use the phrase very loosely - "background vocalists" with their falsetto oooooohs and aaaaaaaahs. It's like nails on a blackboard to me.

[a_random_joel]

16. Those are the best parts of the song!

Besides the bell tones.

I am mighty tempted to introduce you guys to todays "Your favorite band sucks" thread.

[a_random_joel]

21. See post 20.

[joeybee12]

6. How DARE you put MacArthur Park on this list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is a classic--Donna made one forget the music's lame lyrics!

[Systematic Chaos]

7. It took until your third poll, but I finally found one I honestly hate

"Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward definitely ranks on my top 100 list of the most pathetically obnoxious songs of all time, and it's probably more like top 10.

As for the other 29 songs, there is definitely a lot of syrupy, kitschy stuff but nothing that I'd die listening to once in every great while. Hell, about a third of the songs I actually like! And to think, I was only in sixth grade at the end of 1979 but the radio was my best friend by then so I grew up listening to many of these songs.

[jpgray]

11. I thought the pina colada song was in the early eighties?

Either way, it really sucks.

[donco6]

15. That was my pick. Ugh! eom

[NightTrain]

22. It was the last #1 hit of 1979.

As such, you can consider it either late '70s or early '80s. But I can't imagine either decade actually wanting the fuckin' thing! :puke:

[rockymountaindem]

13. Is there going to be a runoff between the 3 winners?

[NightTrain]

17. Read what I wrote at the top of the original message.

This weekend, I'll be conducting a "runoff poll" between the ten songs that got the most votes in the respective surveys for the early, mid, and late '70s.

[Turbineguy]

23. Boogy Wonderland

[NightTrain]

32. Not a #1 hit.

n/t

[Turbineguy]

33. Whew! That's good news!

[boobooday]

24. Midnight at the Oasis!

Sing your camel to bed

. . . . . .

oh, oh, cactus is our friend
he points out the way . . .


. . ..

let's slip off to a sand dune
real soon
and kick up a little dust!

Nothing could be stupider than that!

Maybe Muskrat Love . . .

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Diogenes2]

27. What's wrong with a little cactus now & then?

Ask Aldous Huxley :)

[Kat45]

25. I kinda liked "My Sharona"

Yeah, it was pop drivel, but, man, it was a catchy tune. The Rod Stewart one was a bad song, but I couldn't put it in the same category as the others because my friends and I had such a blast making fun of it. I guess I'll have to look at the list again and try to pick a worst from the remaining songs.

[zbird]

26. It's Neil and Babs for me.

My roommate in college freshman year used to play that when her boyfriend visited on Friday nights. Of course, that was in the days of 45 RPM singles and the auto replay turntable. Try hearing that in the dorm room next door (where I used to visit sometimes until they left for the weekend) for 3 to 4 hours SOLID! I learned to truly despise that song.

[carpetbagger]

28. What about You Light Up My Life?

Was it really that bad or was it just so, so persistant on the radio?

I think about the songs I got utterly sick of at the time, and the Pina Colada song and Reunited are the ones that come to mind. Pina Colada got my vote because I still have to hear that tripe, whereas the other one mercifully left the music scene after its 15 weeks of fame.

I also got somewhat sick of You Don't Bring Me Flowers, but Barbara Streisand's voice is a little less grating on the 1000th play.

[NightTrain]

29. See the previous poll

n/t

[bobthedrummer]

30. Rupert Holmes

:puke:

[Doctor_J]

34. Do ya think...

Many bad ones to pick from during the disco era, but Rod really had to slum to cut that piece of crap. His music was great for "setting the mood" during my HS years (71-74). Don't know why he did disco.

OTOH, Bob & Ray's take-off of it on SNL was highlight-film stuff.

[Arbustosux]

35. Wildfire?

Been a hoot owl outside my window....

[dae]

36. Ring My Bell! I'll be weeks trying to get it out of my head. ummmmmmm

[Rabrrrrrr]

37. Everything EXCEPT "My Sharona" is a POS

So they all rate equally as the worst hit of the late 1970s.

Come on, people - it's time you all faced the truth - POP MUSIC SUCKS AND HAS NO TIMELESS VALUE. THERE IS IN POP MUSIC ONLY ABOUT 0.05% THAT IS WORTH CONSIDERATION.

None of what you think is "really bitchin'!!!" today will be aroundin two years.

I mean, come on - look at the historyu of pop music, It's all shit.

Look at the history of non-pop music - it's still being played, it's still releveant, and it's still interesting.

[Dogmudgeon]

38. So, what's "Pop Music"?

Value in music transcends genre. If it's good, it will last -- even if it has to be "rediscovered".

If it's not good, it won't be remembered a week after it leaves the charts. Period.

--bkl

[Rabrrrrrr]

39. Pop music is that which the industry "produces" and the masses

consume because they are told it is important and wonderful and which makes the charts, only to be forgotten a year later.

If you are a pop music defender, that's fine, but more than likely, we'kll never be able tio have dialogue since I adamantly against corporate produced schlock that has no meaning, no integrity, and no redeeming social value.

Pop music idiots would have us believe that Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, King Crimson, Adrian Belew, Zappa, early Genesis, Captain Beefheart, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Dylan, CSN&Y, Pearl Jam, Sabbath, Metallica, Doobie Brothers, Van Morrison, Jonie Mitchell, etc., are all shit artists because "you can't dance to 'em" and "they aren't always on the charts", and yet these bands still sell shitloads of albums.

Pop music tends toward mediocrity and corporate produced bullshit, and I have to say that after 25 years of dealing with this schlock, I'm not gonna change my mind.

Not all pop - every now and again a legitimate song makes into the top 40 - but 99.5% of it is crap. Total crappola. Is the Thomas Kinkade equivalent of art. That is, disposable, irrelevant, unthoughtful putrid detritus.

[Dogmudgeon]

40. Pretty much the truth

I wouldn't put the figure at 99.5%, but it would still be up there.

The music industry does hail the bands you cited, but only because they make money. It's hip to claim to have liked Hendrix when you were 11, or Pearl Jam when they were still playing small clubs, etc.

And, there are enough talented musicians so that corporate music does occasionally promote some excellent music. It's usually by accident, but it happens.

Actually, though, you don't have to change your mind about music at all. It's corporate music that won't be changing its mind (little though that mind is). But I think that in 20 years, nearly 99% of the "good" music will be produced by small studios and distributed digitally. The age of corporate art is going to come to an end very soon. Not soon enough for me!

--bkl

[NightTrain]

43. In response to the no-sense-of-humor tirade above

"If it's in the Top 40, it can't possibly be good." Christ, what tight-assed, elitist blather!

I was just trying to have a little fun, but oh no! We certainly can't allow that now, can we?

[gyopsy]

41. Rod Stewart

But they all kinda sucked. I think the late 1970s and early 1980s represents a creative vaccum for this country.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

44. Wow, all of the above

It came down to D'ya think I'm sexy and the pina colada song, though.
The late 70s were pretty bad.