Eliminate one female singer

[Sigmapolis]

Wikipedia is calling Rolling in the Deep soul because they’re racist, somehow. That’s all I can think to explain it. Well, that or maybe it is my belief that soul/R&B/rock-and-roll have a massive overlap?

Massive but not total. You'd think the greatest all-time "ballsy rock song" would at least unambiguously display the usual characters of a rock song and not be a blues-tinged soul power ballad, no?

A few other possible contenders that came to mind are labeled as some type of "rock."

I also think I-vi-IV-V is the perfect progression for 2-3 minutes of pop bliss, be it the Marvelettes or the Misfits.

I'm not sayin' never do it.

There are definitely a lot of great four-chord vamp pop songs out there. Heck, most of the blues canon and the rock derivatives of it use three chords and the normal 12-bar structure.

But when you do it on most of the songs on an album... and then album after album... it gets kind of stale. Maybe you have one or two songs that can break through as pop classics because of a memorable melody and lyrics, strong marketing, and incumbent fans, but everything else sounds like bland filler.

Swift released her first album in 2006 and is about to release #12. And all of them basically do the same thing at the foundation of her songwriting with the harmonic structure. You can still pluck most of them out on a guitar or plink most of them out on a piano and make the songs go with the same patterns over and over again. Obviously it works for her, a billionaire, but eventually I'd get bored with that level of repetition.

But it is easy to write songs that way and easy to listen to 'em like that if you just want a pop bop, which describes most of her audience very well. I would just like to see a bit more growth.

Bruce’s only #1 song was played by someone else, and it wasn’t even Patti Smith (it was Manfred Mann’s Earth Band playing Blinded by the Light).

Kinda crazy, actually.

Which brings me to my next hot take: Jack and Diane , which did hit #1, is a more interesting record than anything Bruce ever recorded.

I've always thought the best version of any Springsteen song was the Band's late-career, post-Robbie Robertson cover of "Atlantic City." Levon's voice and Garth's accordion make anything better.

 

[12191987]

Massive but not total. You'd think the greatest all-time "ballsy rock song" would at least unambiguously display the usual characters of a rock song and not be a blues-tinged soul power ballad, no?

A few other possible contenders that came to mind are labeled as some type of "rock."

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Note, I said most rockin’, not rock song. The elision is meant to imply rock-and-roll, which is also not the same .

The only one on your list I’d consider a contender is Brown Sugar. It might be the best contender there is (still disqualified if I’m counting in my lifetime…barely). It is probably the Stones at their absolute ballsiest.

The Nirvana song is decidedly less ballsy and less rockin’ (and definitely less rock-and-roll). I’d agree with them that Gouge Away is the template for the coolest kinda College Rock though.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand is disqualified on date. It isn’t as ballsy either.

Bohemian Rhapsody and Won’t Get Fooled Again are both awesome rock songs. I’d say less ballsy and less rockin’ as well (and neither a rock-and-roll song, and Roger Daltry would certainly agree).

That Atlantic City cover is ******* awesome. I’d not heard it. Funny, my absolute favorite version of Who Do You Love is by Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, who became the Band.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Note, I said most rockin’, not rock song. The elision is meant to imply rock-and-roll, which is also not the same .

The only one on your list I’d consider a contender is Brown Sugar. It might be the best contender there is (still disqualified if I’m counting in my lifetime…barely). It is probably the Stones at their absolute ballsiest.

The Nirvana song is decidedly less ballsy and less rockin’ (and definitely less rock-and-roll). I’d agree with them that Gouge Away is the template for the coolest kinda College Rock though.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand is disqualified on date. It isn’t as ballsy either.

Bohemian Rhapsody and Won’t Get Fooled Again are both awesome rock songs. I’d say less ballsy and less rockin’ as well (and neither a rock-and-roll song, and Roger Daltry would certainly agree).

That Atlantic City cover is ******* awesome. I’d not heard it. Funny, my absolute favorite version of Who Do You Love is by Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, who became the Band.

I wasn't taking the five I picked too seriously.

"Brown Sugar" is about as aggressively offensive as a rock song can get even by the standards of the 1970s and it hasn't gotten any "better" in that regard since (many time worse really).

But it's such a good song. That riff is beautiful. Peak Jagger-Richards. Completely sold me on the song and on Sticky Fingers in the first few seconds and the rest of the album keeps it up.

Robbie never got much recognition as a guitarist in his lifetime. Mostly thought of as a songwriter. And he's nothing outstanding as a lead guitarist. But my oh my his rhythm parts are awesome.

 

[12191987]

I wasn't taking the five I picked too seriously.

"Brown Sugar" is about as aggressively offensive as a rock song can get even by the standards of the 1970s and it hasn't gotten any "better" in that regard since (many time worse really).

But it's such a good song. That riff is beautiful. Peak Jagger-Richards. Completely sold me on the song and on Sticky Fingers in the first few seconds and the rest of the album keeps it up.

Robbie never got much recognition as a guitarist in his lifetime. Mostly thought of as a songwriter. And he's nothing outstanding as a lead guitarist. But my oh my his rhythm parts are awesome.

Totally agree on Robertson.

 

[NY Chicago Fan]

Sorry but that's not how big music works. She may have made some lyrical changes and yes sometimes I'm sure she has her input but when the song is produced by the two guys that 'co-wrote' the song, it was made for her. That's her most listened to song on YouTube music.

Rick Beato, a big time producer addressed this on his YouTube but I can't find it off hand or I'd post it. I'll see if I can find later.
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Love Rick Bs videos. I dont understand half what hes talking about because I dont know music notes but he is always interesting

 

[cytor]

So..... back to which female singer would you get rid of. GO!

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Love Rick Bs videos. I dont understand half what hes talking about because I dont know music notes but he is always interesting

He's such a great advocate for music. Brutally honest and gives so much knowledge back to the community.

 

[Angie]

But I’d counter by pointing out that Madonna doesn’t even have a nice song.

She is what Samantha Fox would be if you traded the Page 3 pics for more of the same.

I'd disagree with that. She had some softer stuff - "Take a Bow," "Crazy for You," "I'll Remember," "This Used To Be My Playground." (The last two are, I think, from soundtracks.). And she certainly showed off the goods.

 

[carvers4math]

Tough call between Madonna and Mariah. I can sing all of Madonna’s stuff but not Mariah’s, as she has much better range, so I picked Madonna as the lesser vocalist.

Disappointed Carrie Underwood not a choice.

And I have a ton of dudes I would like to never hear from again.

 

[cyfanatic]

I'd disagree with that. She had some softer stuff - "Take a Bow," "Crazy for You," "I'll Remember," "This Used To Be My Playground." (The last two are, I think, from soundtracks.). And she certainly showed off the goods.

And even some of her "dance"-tracks were good...not something I craved or bought...but good songs like "Into the Groove", "Deeper and Deeper" and "Causing a Commotion"...good listens in the right mood for it but again, I am not a fan at all of Madonna...but not going to suggest she didn't put out some good tracks! Not every song has to change the world...some days I just need to listen to something that makes me tap my toes, roll the windows down and sing along with the radio!

 

[Angie]

And even some of her "dance"-tracks were good...not something I craved or bought...but good songs like "Into the Groove", "Deeper and Deeper" and "Causing a Commotion"...good listens in the right mood for it but again, I am not a fan at all of Madonna...but not going to suggest she didn't put out some good tracks! Not every song has to change the world...some days I just need to listen to something that makes me tap my toes, roll the windows down and sing along with the radio!

For sure! I get the feeling she is and always has been the biggest chore - but she had a stranglehold on the 80s for a reason!

 

[VeloClone]

I thought one of the things with Garth when he came through Des Moines was that he flew home each night. That isn’t a criticism but I thought he wanted to be home with his family each night.

I know he has spent the off days during the week in Minnesota when he has been in Minneapolis. He was even asking staff for recommendations on things they should do/see on those days.

 

[Cyrealist]

So..... back to which female singer would you get rid of. GO!

I'm in the minority, but my vote goes to Taylor Swift. She's easily the least talented of the group, but she's a marketing machine. Obviously, someone like Madonna is far past her prime, but in her day, she had some talent to back up the marketing. Most of the popular music of today could easily have been produced by AI. Maybe that will create some movement toward supporting live music.