I'd say the beauty of it comes from the vocal of Lisa Gerrard, an Aussie singing an entirely made-up language!
Jesus, I'd never heard that track before, it's breathtakingly painful. A masterpiece is what I'm saying..
Starting to get down to the popular songs now. I think it's between 1 or 2 songs that will win. Cathartic.... thats a brilliant explanation for the song. It's dark but I don't think as bad as Polly, that song makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. You know you're right is one of, if not my favourite Nirvana songs, I thought it would be higher (I'm going to say that about every one of mine ). Though I can understand as the whole grunge era has long gone and that genre of music, understandably doesn't hit like it used to. The circumstances behind the song make it cripplingly poignant.
I think the darkest part is not necessarily the lyrics it's his voice. You can literally feel the despair in him. I don't know if you like Joy Division but I liken this vocal(you know you're right) to something from "closer". Edit. And obviously it was the last thing they recorded. Edit Edit. And Dave Grohl is on fire on this track
For the people who are fans of the Gladiator song - not the one featured here, but the one featuring Lisa Gerrard, I would recommend this track called Icarus from the game Deus Ex Human Revolution by Michael McCann
Here we have a track that started proceedings with a solitary 10 point vote in the 1st round and needed a strong showing in the semi-final to make it to this stage. It claimed 5 votes in the semi's including a top scoring vote, to finish 5th in the semi-final with a score of 36. It didn't quite match that tally in the final round but it did get 3 votes to add 21 points to it's 10 from the first round. The first reveal tonight and the first of our top 20 is......... 20TH PLACE TOXICITY SYSTEM OF A DOWN 1st Round: 1 List / 10 Points [Semi Final: 5 Lists / 37 Points] Final Round: 3 Lists / 21 Points Total: 31 Points Released: 22nd January 2002 Album: Toxicity (2001) FF's Greatest Song Position: N/A Genre: Progressive Metal; Hard Rock Highest UK Chart: 25 Highest US Chart: 70 It's been popular throughout the vote and is deserving of its top 20 finish. "Toxicity" is a single by American heavy metal band System of a Down and was released from their 2nd studio album of the same name in 2002. The song is typically known for its dynamic chorus, aggressive vocals & prominent drum beat. The video for the song is well known with a production that begins on the Hollywood Walk of Fame before returning to the band. During the verses of the song, there is a projector showing homeless people lined against the streets. This develops into a full crowd after the 2nd chorus with the final shot being of the milky way. The video has over 700 million views on YouTube! The song reached number 25 in the UK Singles Chart and 70 in the US Billboard Hot 100 but did reach the top 10 of both the UK Rock & Metal chart and the Alternative Airplay chart in the US. It is certified silver in the UK and 3x platinum in America. Where did the song get its votes from? 1st Round: @Zydus (10pts) [Semi Final: @SkyBlueMatt (7pts), @RedDevilsShinja (7pts), @Zydus (12pts), @Si Robin (7pts) & @JoshBCFC (3pts) ] Final Round: @Si Robin (3pts), @Zydus (8pts) & @RedDevilsShinja (10pts)
Here we have another track that made it straight to the final round with a top scoring vote in round 1 and in the final it attracted the attention of more people, claiming 3 votes, including another top scoring vote. The next track in our list is......... 19TH PLACE UP ABOVE MY HEAD ALABAMA 3 1st Round: 1 List / 12 Points Final Round: 3 Lists / 20 Points Total: 32 Points Released: Not released as a single Album: The Last Train to Mashville, Volume 1 (2005) FF's Greatest Song Position: N/A Genre: Alternative/Indie Highest UK Chart: N/A Highest US Chart: N/A I think this group epitomises what this process is all about as I'm sure a lot of us had never heard of them, but they are now a mainstay in these lists and earn another solid finish this time around as well. Track number 2 on Alabama 3's album, The Last Train to Mashville, which was released in 2005. I couldn't find much else about this track unfortunately but I am told it was inspired by a Sister Rosetta Tharpe Classic. However, Habbinalan did have more to say, including confirmation of my research about the inspiration for the track: "Inspired by a Sister Rosetta Tharpe classic. Always look forward to a rendition at their gigs. Best track on their second best album, Last Train To Mashville" Where did the song get its votes from? 1st Round: @Habbinalan (12pts) Final Round: @Habbinalan (12pts), @Panja (3pts) & @Zydus (5pts)
Another track now that made it straight to the final round after a top scoring vote in round 1 and then went on to bag another top scoring vote in the final alongside another 3 votes to claim a lofty finish The next track in our list and possibly the best named track in the final is......... 18TH PLACE WEIRD FISHES (ARPEGGI) RADIOHEAD 1st Round: 1 List / 12 Points Final Round: 4 Lists / 23 Points Total: 35 Points Released: Not released as a single Album: In Rainbows (2007) FF's Greatest Song Position: N/A Genre: Alternative/Indie Highest UK Chart: N/A Highest US Chart: N/A Twice appearing at the top of a list means it definitely deserves a place in the top 20. This is the 4th song on the playlist of Radiohead's seventh studio album, Rainbows. The first ever perfornance of the song came in 2005 when Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood played it together with the Nazareth Orchestra at the Ether Festival at The Royal Albert Hall. There isn't too much else out there about this song but I did find out that "Arpeggio" is a term for playing different notes from a chord in succession and it comes from the Italian language meaning "in the manner of the harp". Where did the song get its votes from? 1st Round: @Burg (12pts) Final Round: @Burg (12pts), @JoshBCFC (2pts), @Zydus (4pts) & @Machida (5pts)
And yet another song that blitzed straight into the final with a solitary top scoring vote in round 1 before scoring well from its 3 votes in the final round to claim a great finish. Next one to be revealed is........ 17TH PLACE LITTLE SISTER QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE 1st Round: 1 List / 12 Points Final Round: 3 Lists / 24 Points Total: 36 Points Released: 7th March 2005 Album: Lullabies to Paralyze (2005) FF's Greatest Song Position: N/A Genre: Alternative/Indie; Folk; Rock Highest UK Chart: 18 Highest US Chart: 88 Just missing out on the top 15 but still a very respectable finish for this track. This song was the first single from the Queens of the Stone Age's 4th studio album, Lullabies to Paralyze and was initially released as promotional single before being released commercially in March 2005. This song had been planned for many years and was first recorded with Dave Grohl for the bands earlier Songs for the Deaf album in 2002 and is said to have been inspired by the "sort of sexual twist" of Doc Pomus's song of the same name. Lead singer Josh Homme said: "I like the amalgam of imagery that it puts forward, that throwing a little pebble at the girl's windows late at night, you know, trying to creep in the back door, you know. And I also love the Elvis song 'Little Sister' because I like the sort of sexual twist that's put on by 'little sister don't you do what your big sister done." The song has featured on a number of TV shows, including Entourage, and video games including Midnight Club 3 & Colin McRae: Dirt 2. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and also reached 88 in the US Billboard Top 100 and peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay Chart. Where did the song get its votes from? 1st Round: @SkyBlueMatt (12pts) Final Round: @Habbinalan (7pts), @SkyBlueMatt (12pts) & @Panja (5pts)
7 points was the minimum cut off for tracks to make it out of the first round and into the semi final and this was one of 2 songs with 7 as a starting point to make it into the final. Having only managed 1 vote in round 1, it went on to claim 8 votes in the semi final, one of which was a top score, where it finished in 3rd place with 59 semi-final points. its popularity remained in the final round, reappearing on 7 lists but generally lower down these lists heading to a total of 30 points in the final round of voting. And so our final reveal of tonight is......... 16TH PLACE I MISS YOU BLINK-182 1st Round: 1 List / 7 Points [Semi Final: 8 Lists / 59 Points] Final Round: 7 Lists / 30 Points Total: 37 Points Released: 2nd February 2004 Album: Blink-182 (2003) FF's Greatest Song Position: N/A Genre: Alternative/Indie; Rock Highest UK Chart: 8 Highest US Chart: 42 It was always up against it in the final rounds with a lower starting point but it has performed superbly in both the semi and final rounds and is a song I am glad to be reacquainted with. "I Miss You" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 and was the second single to be released from the band's untitled fifth studio album. Using an unusual method of having 2 people writing the song separately and then bringing their 2 verses together, with guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus being the 2 to write this one. it is said that the song was inspired by the Cure song "The Love Cats" and contains references to the 1993 movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. The song received positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Jesse Lord of IGN praised the "well-thought-out dissonance" between Hoppus and DeLonge's respective vocal tracks, opining that it "expertly showcases and highlights the differences between the two."Nick Catucci of The Village Voice praised the song, writing, "It's how Tom and Mark zing off of one another that makes Blink-182 one of the greats. Name another two dudes who can so naturally share a tender, swelling ballad like 'I Miss You.'" The track performed well in charts around the world, becoming a top 10 single in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 8 and reaching number 42 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the genre specifc US charts, it reached number 1 in the Alternative Airplay chart and is certified Gold in 3 countries as well as diamond in 2, including the United Kingdom. Where did the song get its votes from? 1st Round: @Machida (7pts) [Semi Final: @Machida (12pts), @Vito Andolini (5pts), @Tomohawk (8pts), @SkyBlueMatt (5pts), @RedDevilsShinja (5pts), @Joga bonito (10pts), @Si Robin (6pts) & @JoshBCFC (8pts) ] Final Round: @Tomohawk (2pts), @Si Robin (1pt), @JoshBCFC (4pts), @Machida (7pts), @Joga bonito (7pts), @RedDevilsShinja (6pts) & @BleedsIsDead (3pts)
And with just 15 songs left to reveal, that is where we draw to a close this evening. The live running list and the Spotify playlist in the OP are now fully up to date. We will have a weekend off for a breather and to enjoy what has already been revealed and we shall resume on Monday evening. The plan for next week is 5 songs per night to be revealed with the final countdown coming on Wednesday evening when we will find out which song is FF's Best Song of the Noughties
And there is still chance to throw a bit of a write up at me for any of the songs that are left to be revealed if you wish. Send me a DM if you want to add anything
I absolutely adore this song but didn't vote for it as I tried to go for one track per artist and There There just edged it.
I would have been delighted if they did that, The Bends is one of my favourite albums. Ok Computer blew my mind as an experience but The Bends remains my favourite. Wish I was able to go to a Radiohead gig directly after they released OK Computer and just hear all my favourites. They even made unreleased songs like Lift and Big Boots worse in later years when they recorded them. Maybe you'd enjoy the other Radiohead 90s era songs as well, they're more easily digestible. Yeah good idea to include a soundtrack song at all but I agree. If this song was an option instead it would be near the top or maybe even top of my list, as I probably listen to it more than any other song from the songs left.
I saw them at the NEC when they toured OK, not only did they play most of The Bends but they brought Creep out of early retirement. Absolute bliss.
