Wednesday 29 May 2013

Hottest 100 of the last 20 years: How I voted.

 

Every time I turn on Triple j these days they seem to be doing a Hottest 100 of this or a Hottest 100 of that. Not that I mind. I enjoy lists, reading lists, making lists but mostly I enjoy criticising lists. 

The first of the yearly Hottest 100 polls was held in 1993, so this year it is the Hottest 100 of the last 20 years. Of course we are all being encouraged to take part by voting for our top 20 of the last 20 years.

Here is how I voted. The technique was one of speed, I wrote down 20ish songs I like, trying to keep to the types of artists that get played on triple j and then to no more than 1 or 2 songs per artist. From this I did a quick cull and hit submit.

 As raw and powerful today as it was 13 years ago One Armed Scissor is the most powerful moment from At the Drive In's best album. Emotional before Emo had a name.

Spiky guitar tune that moved the early 2000s post punk revival on to the dance floor.

While Deftones outgrew nu-metal a long time ago this hit from Around the Fur lives on.

The first single from the first CD I ever bought. 

Repetitive, irritating, brilliant.

Interpol effortlessly recreated Joy Division, Obstacle 1 was their best song. If only that is where it ended. Of the two groups I am not sure who had the more tragic career progression. Joy Division's lead singer hung himself. Interpol's lead singer released a horrible rap mix tape called 'Everybody on my dick like they supposed to be

A song about getting old, making big decisions, moving away and never forgetting the value of your friends. I am a little older, so like it a little more each time I hear it.

I forget why I voted for Protection over Teardrop, Angel or Karmacoma. All great songs I only had room to choose one.

Hottest 100 voters like swearing. On Closer Trent Rezor sings 'I wanna fuck you like an animal'. Closer is likely to make the top 100. I voted for something else. Two NIN songs that are full of emotion but are near polar opposites. Hurt is desperate, broken, weak and fragile. The Hand That Feeds powerful, urgent and angry.

Super group containing members of Tool, QOTSA, NIN, Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson you know I love it.

da-chk, da-chk, de-de-de-de-de, da-chk, a-a-a-a.
Total headache material, totally unexpected, totally brilliant. 

 Modest britpop highlight. 

In truth I could have chosen any track from the first three QOTSA albums. 

15 Step is my favourite song from my favourite Radiohead album. Choosing Paranoid Android is my attempt at picking something that might come in near the top of the list.

Swirling feedback, pulsing drums, howling guitars: music to lose your shit to. Wolf Like Me blows my mind every time.

Great sing-a-long track from the greatest sing-a-long band.

Tragic thing is that the riff from Seven Nation Army now best known as a bland corporate sport chant.  FOOTBALL!!!!!!!

Bawley winner and newest song on my top 20.

That is it. On review I forgot to put in any Nick Cave (Bad Seeds or Grinderman), DJ Shadow, PJ Harvey, Spiritualized, The National, any Hip Hop, anything Australian or any Blur.

Voting closes on June 2nd. Get to it.

2 comments:

Nick said...

Awesome choices...

Yeah, Getting it down to 20 is pretty hard isn't it? I keep thinking of songs that really should have been in my list.

Talking Frankly said...

I am just happy I had heard of all the bands that made your top 20.