Rate the songs! Jan. 19

[Dawn]

Another batch of songs to consider and rate. Our scale:

5.0 - A song you absolutely love, one of your absolute favorites
4.0 - While not quite top-tier, a song you enjoy a lot
3.0 - Not a favorite, but you basically like it
2.0 - A"meh" song, you could take it or leave it
1.0 - Yikes! Turn that song off!

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Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 4.5

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 5.0
(one of my absolute fave Monkees songs, and a great '60s anthem!)

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 3.5

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 2.5
(not a bad song in itself, but hearing it sooo many times on the oldies stations brings it down a notch or two for me.)

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 5.0
(I had this 45 back in the day. Always loved the wistful, mysterious quality of it.)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 2.0
(another song I liked more back in the day, but now I can take it or leave it.)

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 3.25

Dance With Me - Orleans 4.5

We Built This City - Starship 1.65
(I've seen this top "all-time worst song" lists. While I don't think it's quite that bad, I do think they jumped the shark with this one.)

Magic Bus - The Who 4.0

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 4.5
(probably my favorite by Donna)

Cool Night - Paul Davis 3.5

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver 3.25

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 4.0

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 2.0

[Ken]

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 4.8
Still love it!

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 5.0
An excellent tune and a huge fave of mine! I still remember watching the show after school when I was in Grade 6.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 3.5

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 4.5

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 5.0

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 3.5
I still don't mind hearing it, once in a while. My favorite track of Cyndi's has always been "Time After Time."

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 4.8

Dance With Me - Orleans 4.5

We Built This City - Starship 3.5
Dawn. I've also noticed that this shows up on many "worst" lists. I also don't think it's quite that bad of a song ("ducking head to avoid the flying tomatoes" lol!) I bought the 45 back in '85.

Magic Bus - The Who 4.0

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 4.2
Yup, I didn't mind this one!

Cool Night - Paul Davis 3.5

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver 3.5

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 5.0
I still remember listening to the 45 at a friend's house after school in 1975. I believe the record belonged to his sister. A fantastic song, I am a huge fan of the band!

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 3.5
I call this Chicago "lite" ;D
Yes the hits from the album were huge sellers for the band, no doubt about it, but David Foster's production softened the band's sound a bit too much, a little too glossy.

[edehl]

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 4.0 (Check out the video on YouTube. It's a psychedelic freak out!)

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 5.0
(Definitely one of the Monkees' best---- I once painted the lyrics to this song on a table that I had in my bedroom as a teenager. We WERE born to love one another, man.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 4.0 (Reminds me of when "new wave" first hit and everyone started getting the bangs and "tails" that defined the 80s so well. God bless Aqua Net Extra Super Hold.)

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 3.0

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 5.0
(ELO just gives me happy 70s feelings whenever I hear them---esp. this song!)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 1.5
(Cyndi is cool, but yeah.....I liked this song better back in the day.)

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 3.0 (I can never drive under the Colorado Blvd. overpass without singing this song.

Dance With Me - Orleans 5.0 (Mmmm......this is honey to my ears.)

We Built This City - Starship 1.0

Magic Bus - The Who 4.0

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 4.0

Cool Night - Paul Davis 4.5 (A great one from Paul Davis--- Sad to hear about his passing last year.)

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver - 3.0 (Although my fave renditions are from Strawberry Alarm Clock and Bob from Sesame Street. )

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 1.0 (I have never been able to stand this song.)

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 1.5 (I love Chicago from the 70s, but after that, they got less funky and jazzy, which I don't dig. Additionally, this song reminds me of too many lonely high school dances.)

[H2IZCOOL]

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 3.4
Good one, but a couple of notches below superstardom on my list.

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 3.8
Seemed to be a step above their usual style from a technical music standpoint. Lyrics-wise it wasn't anything different from literally hundreds of songs back in the day.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 2.9
OK.

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 3.1
A good song that was a great song to dance to back in the day. Its a curiosity in that it was so damn popular as a radio single (as opposed to a classic rock album cut or as an R&B song) and yet it never made the Top 20.

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 3.4
Listen to it by itself, and I love it. Listen to it on a greatest hits or other ELO album, and it does not stand out.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 2.3
Whatever. I was never a big Cyndi fan.

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 3.8
Great memories.

Dance With Me - Orleans 3.2
Good song, but so overplayed in the day.

We Built This City - Starship 3.0
While this song is not a masterpiece, I can't for the life of me understand why everyone hates it so much. It's a rock and roll anthem much like "Old Time Rock and Roll." Why all the hate?

Magic Bus - The Who 3.3
Good song but not my favorite from them.

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 2.2
It's disco. "Nuff said!

Cool Night - Paul Davis 3.7
Good song, but ot up to the level of -say- '65 Love Affair

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver 3.25
I like this better than the Original cast version, actually.

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 3.0
Probably my least favorite of their hits.

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 3.2
'80s Chicago wasn't the same as '70s Chicago, but, IMO that doesn't make it bad - just different. I kinda like some of the big "production number" sound that they developed.

[Dawn]

Jan 19, 2009 17:33:24 GMT -5 Ken said:

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 4.8
Still love it!

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 5.0
An excellent tune and a huge fave of mine! I still remember watching the show after school when I was in Grade 6.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 3.5

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 4.5

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 5.0

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 3.5
I still don't mind hearing it, once in a while. My favorite track of Cyndi's has always been "Time After Time."

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 4.8

Dance With Me - Orleans 4.5

We Built This City - Starship 3.5
Dawn. I've also noticed that this shows up on many "worst" lists. I also don't think it's quite that bad of a song ("ducking head to avoid the flying tomatoes" lol!) I bought the 45 back in '85.

Magic Bus - The Who 4.0

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 4.2
Yup, I didn't mind this one!

Cool Night - Paul Davis 3.5

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver 3.5

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 5.0
I still remember listening to the 45 at a friend's house after school in 1975. I believe the record belonged to his sister. A fantastic song, I am a huge fan of the band!

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 3.5
I call this Chicago "lite" ;D
Yes the hits from the album were huge sellers for the band, no doubt about it, but David Foster's production softened the band's sound a bit too much, a little too glossy.

I need to check out more of Sweet's catalog, as I like what I've heard so far quite a bit. I remember hearing their songs a lot at the roller rink back in '75-'76.

You are absolutely right about David Foster and Chicago, Ken. His involvement made the band sound too generic, and it seemed to get more noticeable with each album in the '80s.

[Dawn]

Jan 19, 2009 18:28:19 GMT -5 edehl said:

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 4.0 (Check out the video on YouTube. It's a psychedelic freak out!)

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 5.0
(Definitely one of the Monkees' best---- I once painted the lyrics to this song on a table that I had in my bedroom as a teenager. We WERE born to love one another, man.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 4.0 (Reminds me of when "new wave" first hit and everyone started getting the bangs and "tails" that defined the 80s so well. God bless Aqua Net Extra Super Hold.)

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 3.0

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 5.0
(ELO just gives me happy 70s feelings whenever I hear them---esp. this song!)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 1.5
(Cyndi is cool, but yeah.....I liked this song better back in the day.)

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 3.0 (I can never drive under the Colorado Blvd. overpass without singing this song.

Dance With Me - Orleans 5.0 (Mmmm......this is honey to my ears.)

We Built This City - Starship 1.0

Magic Bus - The Who 4.0

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 4.0

Cool Night - Paul Davis 4.5 (A great one from Paul Davis--- Sad to hear about his passing last year.)

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver - 3.0 (Although my fave renditions are from Strawberry Alarm Clock and Bob from Sesame Street. )

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 1.0 (I have never been able to stand this song.)

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 1.5 (I love Chicago from the 70s, but after that, they got less funky and jazzy, which I don't dig. Additionally, this song reminds me of too many lonely high school dances.)

LOL about the Aqua Net! I must admit, I went through many a can of that stuff back in the day!

Same here about ELO! Their music is so great, and each one of the songs vividly brings back a memory of the time for me.

[Dawn]

Jan 19, 2009 19:59:00 GMT -5 H2IZCOOL said:

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 3.4
Good one, but a couple of notches below superstardom on my list.

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 3.8
Seemed to be a step above their usual style from a technical music standpoint. Lyrics-wise it wasn't anything different from literally hundreds of songs back in the day.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 2.9
OK.

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 3.1
A good song that was a great song to dance to back in the day. Its a curiosity in that it was so damn popular as a radio single (as opposed to a classic rock album cut or as an R&B song) and yet it never made the Top 20.

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 3.4
Listen to it by itself, and I love it. Listen to it on a greatest hits or other ELO album, and it does not stand out.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 2.3
Whatever. I was never a big Cyndi fan.

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 3.8
Great memories.

Dance With Me - Orleans 3.2
Good song, but so overplayed in the day.

We Built This City - Starship 3.0
While this song is not a masterpiece, I can't for the life of me understand why everyone hates it so much. It's a rock and roll anthem much like "Old Time Rock and Roll." Why all the hate?

Magic Bus - The Who 3.3
Good song but not my favorite from them.

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 2.2
It's disco. "Nuff said!

Cool Night - Paul Davis 3.7
Good song, but ot up to the level of -say- '65 Love Affair

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver 3.25
I like this better than the Original cast version, actually.

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 3.0
Probably my least favorite of their hits.

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 3.2
'80s Chicago wasn't the same as '70s Chicago, but, IMO that doesn't make it bad - just different. I kinda like some of the big "production number" sound that they developed.

I think a lot of the hate you read about We Built This City is more about the production style than the song itself. That song kind of epitomizes the "Big '80s" sound, and to some, probably signified a change in the wrong direction.

I have that Original Cast Hair album, but haven't played it in many years. From what I recall, though, Oliver's version was the better one.

[Dawn]

Time to see the results of our ratings:

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group 4.175

For Pete's Sake - Monkees 4.7

(Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 3.475

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 3.275

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra 4.6

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper 2.325

The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean 3.71

Dance With Me - Orleans 4.3

We Built This City - Starship 2.28

Magic Bus - The Who 3.825

Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 3.725

Cool Night - Paul Davis 3.8

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver 3.25

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 3.25

You're the Inspiration - Chicago 2.55

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Our top three: For Pete's Sake, Strange Magic, Dance With Me

Our bottom three: We Built This City, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, You're the Inspiration

Thanks for playing - see you in the next round, up shortly!