Pop!

[Spark Of Spirit]

I was tinkering around with a one disc compilation for MJ, (The essential makes for a pretty good two disc comp) for when I just want the very best stuff.

1. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
2. Rock With You
3. Off The Wall
4. She's Out Of My Life
5. Billie Jean
6. Beat It
7. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
8. Human Nature
9. Thriller
10. Bad
11. Another Part Of Me
12. Leave Me Alone
13. The Way You Make Me Feel
14. Smooth Criminal
15. Jam
16. Black Or White
17. Remember The Time
18. Will You Be There?

Whaddaya think? I stuck with the four core albums since those are his best, IMO. They barely fit on one disc, too.

[Avaitor]

That almost looks exactly like Number Ones.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I wish Number Ones was that good. Missing Off The Wall, She's Out Of My Life, Human Nature, and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' is lame. Also including Dirty Diana and Man In The Mirror over Leave Me Alone and Another Part Of Me is weak. Black Or White is also the only Dangerous cut which is insulting- HIStory gets more representation than it, for crying out loud, and that's his worst album.

I'm not really sure why he has so few good compilations, but I'm sure the focus on newer material over essential material does it.

[Commode]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr-SqRWImmI

I love this woman.

[Avaitor]

One of my followers on tumblr went to see her. Her opening act covered "Love You Like a Love Song" (yech), which caused her to yell out "DEMI IS BETTER".

Uh, that's all I really have to say here.

[Commode]

This song is pretty good too.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NKUpo_xKyQ

Maybe I need to stop listening to Hits 1.

[No-Personality]

I mentioned this song in another thread, but what do you think about it?

I know by the video clip that this has been a huge thing for awhile but I never took the time to really listen to the whole song. Goliath recommended it. What do I think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr-SqRWImmI

I love this woman.

I was only familiar with "I Am Not a Robot" previously but this beat is incredible. I give it a solid:

This song is pretty good too. Maybe I need to stop listening to Hits 1.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NKUpo_xKyQ

Hmmm... A little soft for me, but quite good.

Here's another one I see people talk shit about, but I actually kind of like it.

Until the excellent "tonight, we are young" section, this song is way too soft.

aside from "Pumped Up Kicks", I do like Foster the People.

I seem to remember quite liking that one.

Man, I totally can't get into anything Madonna has ever done. Her music is so boring for the most part and unexciting using shocking images to invoke reactions instead of just making quality music.

... The same Madonna who revolutionized pop music with endless amazing songs... is boring? (Ugh, I'm too tired to offer up a lecture on why Madonna is one of the greatest things to ever happen to pop. But... she kinda is.) Then, don't tell me what's incredible or exciting. It would likely be the same as an extreme overdose of cocaine, shutting down the heart directly.

[Avaitor]

haha, a 5 star song from a Goliath rec? I'm a little surprised.

But at least the song's good.

[No-Personality]

haha, a 5 star song from a Goliath rec? I'm a little surprised.

I'm not petty, for goodness' sake (I hope). 1-star people can be capable of having 5-star taste. (On occasion.)


Since everyone else this year has been recommending material from '11, '10, and earlier, I'm going to say my favorite "pop" artist/group right now is St. Vincent. "Cruel" got me to check out her previous work and... well, this should say everything. Best song of 2009? If not, it's a fucking good contender. I went through her albums and, as usual, my loyalty is to the songs I like. I'm just not an album person. Anyway: wow again. And again. And... well, this loses me around 3:30, but before that... Just one more. Okay, another one more.

As for the rest of the pop scene now, I'm too busy trying to catch up on movies. But every now and then, I do check if there's any news on potential new releases from Rihanna (she's going on tour now so... a new album this year is probably not going to happen), Goldfrapp (god 2010 feels like ages ago), and Ke$ha. Although, I'm not loving the idea that her next album will be rock-oriented. She really has no problem with the whole Gaga-wannabe label, does she? Pity, since I thought Cannibal blew Born This Way out of the water (months before that album was even released).

Meanwhile, in the months of silence from Rihanna, Gaga, and Ke$ha, I'm expecting Kreayshawn to become the next big female star. She's out there, they're not. Or at least, I expect she will be.

[Avaitor]

Well in regards to Ke$ha, her duet with Alice Cooper wasn't too bad. It was actually kind of promising, I thought.

I also happen to be quite ambivalent to her as a whole. I think a lot of her songs are obnoxious, but I think that's her intention, and that she's a lot smarter than she makes herself out to be. Plus her taste in music is surprisingly very solid. I believe she said that she's aiming for T. Rex-type rock in this album.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Yep, Madonna is boring. Not one song of hers I find all that catchy or memorable, and her videos have never done anything for me.

[No-Personality]

Yep, Madonna is boring. Not one song of hers I find all that catchy or memorable, and her videos have never done anything for me.

I didn't say anything about her videos. Is that how you believe most people connect with an artist/group? That the albums aren't solid resources in themselves?

Because I've definitely heard a lot of arguments that she's a terrible artist based on the fact that she's not attractive, she's too powerful, rude, sexual, immasculating, not "womanly" enough, etc. Nearly all of which were based on her image. And sure, an image can rub people the wrong way about any artist.

That's all I've got. Your arguments are just, literally, that extremely incomprehensible. Unless you're in your 60's or older, a sexist, or have chosen to block out the 80's because you hated that time period, you already understand what's entirely memorable about Madonna's music. You know the impact it had on the culture. You probably even have theories that she's one of the smartest women who's ever picked up a microphone, which is understandable since she's always been wiser than her years, knows music and listeners better than any artist who wasn't a producer, and so brave that no one's ever held her back.

And... you say her music isn't catchy or memorable? That is without question the laziest "criticism" I've ever seen anyone attempt to connect to this artist. But, it could work, if you really didn't like 80's pop that much. Somehow, I have the feeling I'm not meant to make that leap in logic but it's the only sensible one. Otherwise, your problem is with her image.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Yep, Madonna is boring. Not one song of hers I find all that catchy or memorable, and her videos have never done anything for me.

I didn't say anything about her videos. Is that how you believe most people connect with an artist/group? That the albums aren't solid resources in themselves?

Because I've definitely heard a lot of arguments that she's a terrible artist based on the fact that she's not attractive, she's too powerful, rude, sexual, immasculating, not "womanly" enough, etc. Nearly all of which were based on her image. And sure, an image can rub people the wrong way about any artist.

That's all I've got. Your arguments are just, literally, that extremely incomprehensible. Unless you're in your 60's or older, a sexist, or have chosen to block out the 80's because you hated that time period, you already understand what's entirely memorable about Madonna's music. You know the impact it had on the culture. You probably even have theories that she's one of the smartest women who's ever picked up a microphone, which is understandable since she's always been wiser than her years, knows music and listeners better than any artist who wasn't a producer, and so brave that no one's ever held her back.

And... you say her music isn't catchy or memorable? That is without question the laziest "criticism" I've ever seen anyone attempt to connect to this artist. But, it could work, if you really didn't like 80's pop that much. Somehow, I have the feeling I'm not meant to make that leap in logic but it's the only sensible one. Otherwise, your problem is with her image.

If you enjoy her music, more power to you!  I realized long ago that just because I don't like something doesn't mean that others are somehow lesser for liking it. To be fair I thought that one single of hers from a while back was catchy, even if it didn't stick with me.

But no, I don't really care for her music and I don't really have much of an issue at all with 80s music.

[Avaitor]

Hey, No-Personality, care to make a rating for this?

She & Him are usually too poppy and saccharine for my tastes (yes, yes, even compared to Demi), and my interest in Zooey died out the moment New Girl started, but I still love this.

[No-Personality]

Like I might have said elsewhere, I am so far away from stuff that's trendy that I'll only be aware of the biggest names (and even then, I can only name you 1 Justin Bieber song)... however, I can feel that this trend has been a bit doing itself to death. Of course, I did notice the "2010" note in the video title. I hope we're pushing away from that kind of sound now because - to these ears - Bat for Lashes, Santogold, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, even Katy Perry have already done it. I thought her vocals were dull (very country-ish at times) and the verses were almost non-existent, so... it was unpredictable. But not very satisfying. The piano and guitar were great though:

Hey, No-Personality, care to make a rating

Always.