Music

Dec 11 2024

Top Songs of 2024: Part Three (Songs 1-5)

Here they are: The Top Five Songs of 2024.

This is the third year for these rankings from me; prior to that, I did post on Facebook, but 2022 and 2023 had lists and you can read them here: Your Top Ten Songs of 2022, Top Ten Songs of 2023.

And, here are the links if you missed Part One or Part Two.

Boy, This Was Tough…

I came up with a Top Five a couple weeks ago. I figured that the Top Five wouldn’t change — and, despite some cool late entrants to my Song Database of Fire over the past few weeks, it didn’t — but that Number One likely would.

So I have deliberated, invited both of my music-loving daughters (ages 23 and 18, where does the time go?) to weigh in, and have made my decision. (Note that the decision was NOT done to appease either of my music-loving daughters.)

The Top Five Songs of 2024

5. Beach Bunny, “Vertigo”

Catchy tune? Check. “Beach” in the band name? Check. Neato animated video? Check.

Clocking in at a Usain Bolt-level 2-and-a-half minutes, it’s the first bit of new music released by Beach Bunny — the band started as Lili Trifilio’s solo project in 2015 — in three years. And, now that it’s just a three-piece, after the departure of lead guitarist Matt Henkels, the band does not miss a beat.

If this were the best song you heard all year, you had a good year. A solid #5.

4. Katrina Ford, “Cry Wolf”

Have you heard of Katrina Ford? Here’s the thing…you have probably heard FROM Katrina Ford. Ha!

Here’s a story from Stereogum. Wait, WHAT? Gotta give “Wolf Like Me” another listen, then. Like…how about now?

In any event, Ms. Ford dropped an album called H.E.A.R.T. earlier this year and we dig what we’ve heard. And we REALLY dig this song, which also falls into the “Criminally Underrated” category; fewer than 10K viewers of this, the official video. (Also, here’s a link to her YouTube channel. Subscribe, people. Seriously!)

3. Fat Dog, “Running”

Did I mention this year’s Top Five was tough? For instance, if I had put this song at #1, there would possibly be a few head nods: this band is out-of-control good. Energetic as heck, live shows are off-the-hook bonkers AND LEAD SINGER JOE LOVE GOES INTO THE CROWD IN THIS PERFORMANCE…WHAT?

Here’s an excerpt from a review from London’s Sunday Times’ Will Hodgkinson:

You had me at “rave, punk, klezmer, arabesque.”

Best Song of 2024? Maybe. This year, ranks third on my countdown.

2. Fontaines D.C., “Starburster”

I knew this song had made it when it randomly made background music in a feature on FOX NFL Sunday.

Fontaines, D.C. are seemingly everywhere in 2024. There’s a reason why: songs like this one and “Favourite,” which has also charted on US Alternative charts, are stellar.

Ireland, baby.

Anyway, they’ve performed on Jimmy Fallon, on Jools Holland, and they toured the US in the Fall. They are the real deal.

Without Further Ado…

1. Mannequin Pussy, “Sometimes”

To me, the only thing holding this band back from absolute mainstream success is the band’s name.

To be honest, that’s it. Songs like this one and “I Got Heaven,” which charted in the U.K., and “Loud Bark,” both off the I Got Heaven album, and you get the feeling these folks will be huge.

I immediately harken back to Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays when I hear lead singer Missy Dabice start singing. Then, hearing her her do the primal scream thing, I think…Courtney Love and Hole. There’s a lot packed into just over 3 minutes here; no song accompanied my car trips better than this one in 2024.

It’s my Song of the Year.

A couple versions here: first, live on KEXP.

And then, here’s the official video version.

There You Have It…

Our Top Songs of 2024. Here’s a link to the other two parts of our blog post:

Top Songs Part One

Top Songs Part Two

And…here are the past couple years:

Top Songs 2023

Top Songs 2022

Dec 09 2024

Top Songs of 2024: Part Two (Songs 6-10)

In Part One, we told you about the Honorable Mentions. Now, we crack the Top Ten with songs 6-10. But presented in reverse order because we grew up as the Casey Kasem generation.

10. Magdalena Bay, “Death and Romance”

If you’re Gen X, you’ve no doubt picked up an album and, when you see a song that isn’t your favorite off the album hit the charts, you’ve said “that’s not even the best song on that album!” Such may be the case here: IMHO, “Image,” with its nearly 1 million views on YouTube, isn’t even the best song I’ve heard from Magdalena Bay this year.

(Don’t get me wrong: “Image” is catchy as heck.)

But Magdalena Bay really spoke to me with “Death and Romance.”

You’ve maybe seen them on TikTok or elsewhere. Won’t be the last you’ve heard MB.

First, the “Official Audio” version.

Now, the Official Video version, 8 minutes of creativity.

9. Bartees Strange, “Sober”

My notes on this song, upon first listen, were as follows:

I’m a big fan of Mr. Strange, whose 2022 “Heavy Heart” clocked in at #2 on that year’s list.

“Sober” is one of the best songs I’ve heard this year.

8. Cardinals, “Twist and Turn”

Turns out a few Irish bands are making their marks in music. These chaps build a pretty good case for a Top Ten song with “Twist and Turn.” I especially like the back-and-forth between an acoustic coffee house sound AND a rock-percussion vibe…in the same song.

7. Alice Merton, “run away girl”

This is one of the best “pure-pop” songs I’ve heard in a while. And here are two versions from Alice:

First, the stripped down acoustic (“black sands”) version:

Next, the “visualizer” version, which is kindof a video except it’s Alice in a field. Which is fine, but also matches the radio version of the tune.

6. Omni (feat. Izzy Glaudini), “Plastic Pyramid”

When I first heard this, my initial reaction was (again from Excel) as follows:

Ah, Yes. I have “Roundabout” as one of the best songs ever — read here: Top Songs of All Time — but others find it to be (quoting a friend) “over-produced audio drivel.”

In that vein, Omni may not be your cup of tea. But it was mine — and it’s not even the zaniest song I heard in 2024, natch — and makes it in at #6. (And the video is nuts; congrats, Omni!)

Coming soon, Part Three…your Top Five.

Dec 07 2024

Top Songs of 2024: Part One (Honorable Mentions)

These are the Honorable Mentions: Songs outside the Top Ten but worthy of a listen. Let’s Go!

Here’s 2024’s Year-End Fiesta of Music. We’re talking about songs released in 2024 that went from “worth a listen” to “earworm city” to “wow, this is amazing.” You should know that these picks are subjective as heck.

A little about the format, which differs from past years. This year, ‘m doing THREE posts. First up is going to be a list of “Honorable Mentions,” which are songs just outside of my Top Ten. Second, songs 10-6 — we’re “countin’ ’em down” — and third will be songs 5-1.

I’ve had fun with these in past years and, as always, your mileage may vary.

Also, as usual, we’ll be casually referring back to a few items here or there from past posts. This is the…checks notes…third straight year we’ve done this; and the first year we’ll cross-post on Substack. If you want to see last year’s, here is a link: Top Ten Songs of 2023. And for 2022, here you go: Top Ten Songs of 2022.

The Honorable Mentions

HM(a): Pearl Jam, “Waiting for Stevie”

It’s a fun story: the band was going to hang out with Stevie Wonder, but Mr. Wonder was late, so they had some time to spend and decided to write a song.

The result is, according to me, the best song off of an above-average — but not S-Tier — Pearl Jam album, “Dark Matter.”

HM(b): Dexter and the Moonrocks: “Sad in Carolina”

In the circles in which I operate, this song might have had the most potential for being played into the ground. Or maybe it’s just that cognitive bias that causes you to see the same model of the car you just bought everywhere.

Anyway, this little ditty is kinda fun and kinda catchy and kinda rock all the same time. Points scored, though not enough to make this year’s Top Ten.

HM(c): Jack White, “Archbishop Harold Holmes”

Another Jack White song made my Excel Spreadsheet — which is called “Song Database of Fire” — but this one, also off the “No Name” album, is even more “Classic Jack White” than the other “Classic Jack White” song.

Behold, “Archbishop Harold Holmes.”

HM(d): Tunde Adebimpe, “Magnetic”

Solo stuff from TV on the Radio frontman Tunde Adebimpe *just* dropped; gotta say I really LOVED the video, if for no other reason than I’m jealous of Tunde’s ability to grow a beard, and a gray one at that.

HM(e): The Wombats, “Blood on the Hospital Floor”

The Wombats — remember them? — are back! This song, too, just dropped within the last few weeks. It’s gold, Jerry, gold.

HM(f)*: Out Come the Wolves, “One in the Same”

This falls into my “Snoop On The Voice” category: I hit the subscribe button after the first couple chords.

The reason for the asterisk: this is completely under the radar. Like 79 subscribers to the band. 1000 views of the video.

I have a couple guesses as to why: the guys look middle-aged, the video looks lower-budget, and the song — to me — says Alt-Rock-But-Harder-Than-Usual.

I got it after the first view, and I still get it after the first dozen views. This is a good song.

HM(g): Squid, “Crispy Skin”

I’ve heard this song at least a half-dozen times in the three weeks since it dropped. I still have no idea if I’m listening to experimental prog rock from 1976 or a commercial for a Japanese furniture superstore.

Thanks?

HM(h): Katrina Ford, “World on a Wire”

This, our final Honorable Mention, falls into the category of “foreshadowing.” You will hear from Ms. Ford again in our year-end posts.

Stay tuned for the next two posts.

Dec 01 2023

The Top Ten Songs of 2023

We’re counting them down, just like Casey Kasem. We’ve done this before — here’s a link to last year’s post: Top Ten Songs of 2022 — and we like to think we keep up with the trends, within reason.

Please note a couple things from your friendly wannabe music critic:

I rarely listen to terrestrial radio for music. When I do, since I’m in suburban Chicago, it’s either the alternative station or the rock station or the…whatever that other combination alternative and rock station is. (That reminds me of a song from a band called Das Racist.)
I get most of my new music from a SiriusXM channel called “SiriusXMU,” with “Alt Nation” coming in second. (Yes, Pearl Jam Radio is one of the presets, too.) Shout out to Josiah.
I trend away from anything related to Taylor Swift. Nothing against those who love Taylor, but…I really can’t get into her music.
I listen to a good chunk of what I find on YouTube and what I see on Twitter.
Finally, I get music recommendations from a chap I call “Canadian Steve;” he’s the one who broke down Oasis for the blog. Sometimes it’s an email that should be a Substack, and sometimes it’s a WhatsApp message. Probably the guy more of a sense of what’s going on with the combination of Alternative, Rock, Pop Rock, Indie, and Everything Else than anyone I know.

Before we hit the Top Ten, here are the Honorable Mentions, ranked (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) for no reason.

HM(a). Queens of the Stone Age, “Emotion Sickness”

On my list of all-time favorite bands, QOTSA is up there. But, as we’ve pointed out before — notably in our piece on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 songs — “favorite” and “best” are often two different things. And that’s where I land on this particular QOTSA piece: one of my favorite bands hasn’t done its best work here. It’s a song that’s…fine. It sounds a little too much like other QOTSA stuff, and now they’re on the fine line between “Distinctive Sound” and “Every Song Sounds the Same.” But…well, we’re gonna keep listening to the album and here’s the track in question.

HM(b). Nilufer Yanya, “L/R”

This one gets an Honorable Mention mostly because I didn’t discover this song until 2023, but it was released in 2022. Nilufer Yanya is from England and of Turkish, Irish, and Barbadian descent. This song is pretty darn good and would have made last year’s Top Ten had I known it existed. (Shame on me.)

HM(c). Vacations, “Midwest”

For a band that calls its kind of music “Woozy guitar pop,” and is from Australia, why are they singing about places like Colorado? Dunno. Nice song here.

HM(d). Men I Trust, “Billie Toppy”

We like Canadians. You’ll see that below. In this case, a French Canadian band that released a song in September of 2022. It became an earworm for this reporter late last year and throughout a good portion of this year, too. Can’t chart it due to a technicality because it was last year, but oh well. We have our principles here. It’s a darn good tune.

HM(e). Maneskin, “Honey (Are You Coming?)”

What’s NOT to love about an Italian band with a Scandinavian name? This song is brand-spanking new…to me at least. But the radio station and Alt Nation are both giving it the “here’s the brand new song from Maneskin” treatment at the end of November, so let’s go with that. It’s a hoot. Big fun. Had to make the list as an Honorable Mention.

That’s enough of the Honorable Mentions, especially if we want to hit our December 1 publish date. Let’s go…Top Ten time!

10. Little Dragon, “Slugs of Love”

Clever dance-ish pop/alternative track from a band called Little Dragon. I dig, you may as well. Enjoy.

9. The Beaches, “Blame Brett”

Dave, what is it with you and Canadians? This all-female outfit from Toronto is back with its fourth album, Blame My Ex, and this particular track has picked up steam in the US, ending up on the playlist of at least one of the Chicago stations (and reaching 35 on the US Alt charts).

8. Noah Kahan, “Dial Drunk”

This song got some major airplay in 2023, and I’ll admit to being late to the party. But the lyrics! Dangit, this is a tragic story. Watch the lyric video and feel for the guy.

7. Lovejoy, “Call Me What You Like”

This song is pure fun. Lovejoy probably has the second-most mainstream success (or maybe third-most) of any song on this particular list — you’ll see when we talk up number one — and this song got all the way to number 5 on three charts, including LTU, which is “Lithuania.” There’s a joke there, possibly from the movie “Singles.”

6. Suede, “The Sadness in You, The Sadness in Me”

Pretty much every year I’ve been doing this, a song drops late in the year, stops me in my tracks, and makes the list. (Happened last year, take a look here: 2022 Top Ten.) Suede did the trick and I heard this song for the first time right before Thanksgiving and Oh. My. Goodness.

5. Brigitte Calls Me Baby, “Impressively Average”

There’s a band from Chicago channeling The Smiths? IN THIS ECONOMY?

4. Depeche Mode, “Ghosts Again”

What amazes me about Depeche Mode is how they can release something that sounds simultaneously like it’s fresh AND from 1990. Stunning in its beauty and its pain, this song is downright phenomenal.

Now…time for a female-dominated Top Three.

3. Cherry Glazerr, “Ready for You”

This song went into heavy rotation as soon as I heard it. It shall stay in heavy rotation likely for the next couple years.

2. Blondshell, “Salad”

I spent most of 2023 thinking it would be impossible to hear a better song this year. And, were it not for the top song (according to me), this could have been the year for Blondshell.

But let’s face it, this probably WAS the year for Blondshell. For instance, a network television debut on Jimmy Fallon’s program (below). Criminally underwatched — only 45K views? WHAT? — but a slick live performance. A tour (that I missed because I was traveling). A debut album that clocked in at Number 11 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 100 Albums of 2023. And freaking moxie, people.

“Look what you did, you’ll make a killer of a Jewish girl” is the line that caused the multiple rewinds of this song (thanks, SiriusXMU).

TBH, the lyric video is preferred in my book because you can see how good a songwriter Ms. Teitelbaum is. Three links below (Fallon, official video, lyric video).

https://youtu.be/nUiFV1v674Q?si=37_49w6ZCe2h3MPG

Also, before we get to the Number One Song (According to Dave) of 2023, might make sense to give you the last couple years’ picks. Eh? (Because everyone should have a ten-year plan, I’m already charting “Top Songs of the 2020s.” Set a calendar item for 12/1/2029.)

The Top Song of 2022: Hemlocke Springs, “Girlfriend”

Yeah, this was the Top Song of 2022. Now, 2.9 Million Views Later…Still slaps.

The Top Song of 2021: Glass Animals, “Space Ghost Coast to Coast”

Before “Heat Waves” became a hit but actually after “Heat Waves” was released…

The Top Song of 2020: The Districts, “Cheap Regrets”

If pressed, this is the Best Song of the Decade (So Far). Released during the height of the pandemic — a pandemic that robbed us of so many live music experiences — were I to check my YouTube stats, this would no doubt be my most played since 1/1/2020. The video is awesome, the vibe is off the charts, the guitar is crazy good, the lyrics stick with you — “Didn’t know what a mirror was til I went to LA/Jacuzzis, an Uzi, a Land Rover ride/That’s what the money’s for/Bikinis, Bellinis, and pate” — and if any song cost-justified SiriusXM and my ability to rewind and hit play over and over in my Kia, this was the song.

Now, without further ado…

1. The Last Dinner Party, “Nothing Matters”

A debut single off a forthcoming album from a band that just launched getting this much street cred? Something MUST be amiss. The Guardian breaks down the brouhaha here.

But they toured, they opened for — Brits like to say “supported,” but that reminds me a little too much of David Brent supporting Texas (the band, not the state; IYKYK) — Florence and the Machine, and they’ve been really REALLY busy on that side of the pond. And the hype is, indeed, warranted.

The Last Dinner Party’s single, “Nothing Matters,” has everything you were looking for in a launch into the stratosphere. Justin Hawkins — who, we assume, STILL believes in a thing called love — hilariously breaks it all down (video below).

To wit, the video is macbre enough, and goofy enough, to work.

The song might be the catchiest thing you’ll hear this year. It’s already getting airplay in Chicago — edited, of course — and it’s just this band’s FIRST SINGLE.

Below, enjoy Justin Hawkins’ video (NSFW: Blue Language), then the band’s official video (NSFW: Blue Language), followed by a SFW performance for the BBC.

It’s the Song of the Year. At least, according to me.

There you have it. Let the debate begin!

Sep 08 2023

Breaking Down the Band: Three Fans Talk About The Best Shows, Albums, and Songs from Oasis, Radiohead, and Pearl Jam

As I was getting ready for Pearl Jam Week in Chicago, a couple things dawned on me. One: I’ve seen this band more often than any other band (north of ten times, lost count). Two: I have opinions.

So I thought I would take to the keyboard and throw down a few opinions. Then I thought of a couple other friends and their most-seen bands and I asked them to do the same. John Puccio will break down Radiohead and Stephen Barrigar does the same with Oasis.

Here goes. First up, Stephen with Oasis.

Stephen Barrigar

Artist – Oasis

Number of Times Seen in Concert

I’d have to guess 7. I saw them on the Definitely Maybe tour, when they didn’t know anything and couldn’t give a shit about the crowd. I saw them 3 times on the Morning Glory tour, when they were becoming rock gods and couldn’t give a shit about the crowd. I saw them once on the Be Here Now tour when they were rock gods and didn’t give a shit about the crowd. And then a couple times over the next ten-ish years. Noel Gallagher just had a tour this summer and while a bunch of my friends went, I’m of the mind I’m good. I’m too old and too grumpy and don’t really give a shit about the band anymore.

Here’s a link to them playing Glastonbury in 1994 before the debut album.

Best Song

I don’t know but sake of argument let’s say “Supersonic.” There’s something about it that is so confident. The video was made for 10 bucks, with all members of the band needing an eyebrow tweezing, some buddy who had access to a roof of a building and some stock footage… but at its core it’s great. .

(Although It’s basically a rip off of Marc Bolan at the height of his powers.)

Who am I kidding, their best song is “Acquiesce.” The B-side to the not-as-excellent “Some Might Say.” The video for “Acquiesce” is another fine example of Oasis not giving a shit about their fans. But if I had to describe Oasis with a song, it would be “Acquiesce.”

Best Album

Definitely Maybe (1994) by a nose over (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995). Both albums are amazing, 5 stars, and must-owns if you enjoyed music in the mid-90s, but the top seven of DM:

“Supersonic”
“Live Forever”
“Slide Away”
“Rock n Roll Star”
“Cigarettes and Alcohol”
“Columbia”
“Shakermaker”

Are slightly better than MG:
“Champagne Supernova”
“Don’t Look Back in Anger”
“Some Might Say”
“Wonderwall”
“Roll With It”
“She’s Electric”
“Morning Glory”

Most Cliched Song (Or Overplayed Or Overrated)

“Wonderwall.” Good song, yes, but considering what was available, really, this is the song that broke them in America? His voice is super nasally, it’s just not great. Here’s a test I like to do: try listening to anyone sing it in karaoke. Even the most crap song is fun karaoke; except everyone tries to sing “Wonderwal”l like Liam sings “Wonderwall.” It’s unbearable. “Said maybeeeeeee, gonna be the one that saves meeeeeeeee.”

Not that I’m saying ugh, but I’m kinda saying ugh. And it’s definitely overplayed and overrated compared to the rest of the album.

Most Underrated Song

“Fade Away,” the unappreciated B-Side to “Cigarettes and Alcohol,” remains an excellent mix of noise, guitars, and messed up drumming. Honestly, listen to the speed of the drumming, it’s like he’s purposely trying to go faster than the lyrics.

Most Underrated Album

Definitely Maybe only went to #58 in the US and eventually would sell 1 million copies – what? That’s crazy. Get your shit together America, were you too busy buying “Bad Dog” t-shirts and listening to Deadeye Dick?

Best Song Released in the Past Ten Years

Well the band broke up 15 years ago, so we’re still waiting on the will they or won’t they, but here’s something from High Flying Birds that is good. What a Life.

Best Song from Their Worst Album

“D’you Know What I Mean.” In a collection of ridiculous coke-filled (supposedly) 5+ minute songs, “D’You Know What I Mean” remains a superb wall of guitars and swagger that the summer of 1997 needed. What a banger! This is the kind of video you release if you believe you are the biggest band in the world.

Be Here Now (1997) remains a perfect music example of being surrounded by “yes” men. Noone said, hey Noel, maybe not so many 7+ minute songs. “Hey Noel, everything is great and all, but where are the singles?” It actually makes me a little mad, because they released D’You Know What I Mean and I couldn’t be more excited. Radiohead had just released OK Computer and now here is another UK band about to release a juggernaut third album and it ended up being a turd.

Song of Theirs You Need to Hear Live

Winter 1995, they came out in a club of about 300 people and hit us with “Rock n Roll Star.” And my friends and I lost our shit.

Best Cover Version of One of Their Songs

After me shitting on “Wonderwall” above and saying it’s meh, it’s kinda funny that I come back with a cover of “Wonderwall” as the cover. Ryan Adams’s version of “Wonderwall” is significantly stripped down and, dare I say, superior to the original.

Best Song That They Cover Live

I don’t know of any song they cover live, but isn’t “Whatever” just a ripoff of any Beatles song.? I do love this sound bite from George Harrison about Liam.

Best Concert

For me nothing will beat the first show, but I would assume that people who went to see them at Knebworth in 1996 are pretty happy about that decision.

John Puccio

Artist – Radiohead

Number of Times Seen in Concert

Eight, including the last time Radiohead performed live, five years ago in Philadelphia.

Best Song

Bodysnatchers is a song I described in ranking the Ten Greatest Songs of All-time. I stand by what I wrote in this space two years ago:

It begins with a sustained hard rhythm. The tempo steadily increases as the cacophony builds, the beat shifts, shifts again until it reaches a frenetic climax that leaves you exhausted. It’s then you realize, this song is the sonic equivalent to the greatest fuck you ever had.

Honorable mention: Fake Plastic Trees. For a band not known for their lyrics, this song is a haunting, poetic gutpunch. Gravity always wins.

Best Album

Why not ask me which is Bernini’s best sculpture!?!?

Difficult to say definitively, but you can narrow it down to four:

The Bends (1995) the perfect rock album;
OK Computer (1997) the perfect concept album;
Kid A (2000) their most important/influential album and:
In Rainbows (2007) the quintessential Radiohead album. The LP where the band reached the peak of their powers and brought everything together.

So for that reason, I’d say In Rainbows is Radiohead’s ‘best’ album. There is not one weak track on the LP and its 2nd disc is also full of some amazing songs.

But there is no wrong answer among these four. They are differently exceptional. It all depends on your taste and what you value most. The first two are far more “accessible” to the masses.

The sonic complexity of the later two require multiple listens to be fully appreciated. Many people can’t get past the clicks, blips and squishes. Radiohead can sound weird to the uninitiated. But that’s their loss. Having a Radiohead song unlock and reveal itself on that 3rd or 4th listen is a pretty remarkable thing to experience. And yes, I realize that sounds strange, but it happens! I digress…

PS: Apollo & Daphne is probably Bernini’s greatest work.

Most Cliched Song (Or Overplayed Or Overrated)

Karma Police is easily the most cliche Radiohead song. But it is an excellent track, so I wouldn’t say it’s overrated. Definitely was overplayed back in the day.

Most Underrated Song

Another easy one for me: Palo Alto. If this song was included on OK Computer (as it should have been) and/or released as a single with a video, it could have been a late-90s rock anthem. But it wasn’t, so few people know it. Thanks for asking, thanks for asking…

Most Underrated Album

Amnesiac. Unfairly overshadowed by Kid A. At its heart, it’s really a jazz album more than anything else. This band has no boundaries. Don’t believe me? Listen to Life In a Glass House.

Best Song Released in the Past Ten Years

Present Tense. A song that can actually be classified as ‘hopeful’ – a rarity in the catalog.

Best Song from Their Worst Album

Creep is universally loved, even by philistines who hate Radiohead. If in 150 years Radiohead is remembered, it will be for this song. Ironically, it’s on their first and worst album Pablo Honey.

Song of Theirs You Need to Hear Live

The National Anthem and Paranoid Android are borderline religious experiences.

Best Cover Version of One of Their Songs

Creep has been covered countless times in countless ways. I like the Postmodern Jukebox version. But what if Frank Sinatra sang it???

https://youtu.be/U4FjlynlHaI?si=M4Lt0XazaVlRqTUT

Best Song That They Cover Live

I’m not sure I have ever heard Radiohead cover another artist live. But they did cover Carly Simon’s Nobody Does It Better back in the 90s, and it’s really good.

Best Concert

The next one. If there is a next one.

Dave Van de Walle

Artist – Pearl Jam

Number of Times Seen in Concert

I guess 10, but that might be an exaggeration. There was Chicago at (The Stadium Formerly Known As) Soldier Field (more on that below), and United Center (maybe just once before 2023). 4 of 5 Wrigley Field shows. Once in Troy, Wisconsin. Once in the outskirts of Indianapolis – great show, traffic management makes Burning Man look okay by comparison – and once in Saint Louis. Oh and Summerfest in Milwaukee.

Okay, maybe it is 10. Fitting, right? (But that was before this week. So now it’s 12.)

Best Song

This will surprise no one who knows me: the list starts and finishes with “Corduroy.” I wrote about it when we did our bit on Rolling Stone’s list of the best songs ever. I stand by my decision. But I respect those who have other opinions: tons of iconic songs could be considered their best-ever.

(If you have a few hours to invest, here’s the complete Rolling Stone list.)

Best Album

Vitalogy (1994) gets mentioned as their best – I see the argument – but for my money it’s a tie between Ten (1991) and Vs. (1993). And those two are up there for a cross between sentimentality – Ten dropped my Senior year of college; Vs. was released on the very day I started my first-ever Chicago gig – and pure numbers, as Ten had six singles that charted in the Top 40 on the US Mainstream Rock charts while Vs. had five.

Most Cliched Song (Or Overplayed Or Overrated)

This is a tough one for me. The only song of theirs that I truly, truly dislike is “Last Kiss,” and that’s not even their song. So I run to the bathroom if they play that live.

Overrated? Not sure. Cliched? Not sure there, either; “Alive” kinda became a cliché right after the death of Kurt Cobain, but it’s actually my “gateway” PJ song and takes me back to college.

So I’m going to go with “Overplayed.” And not in a bad way: “Even Flow” has been played more often in concert, according to stats from setlist.fm, than any other PJ song.

This video remains cool as heck. I’ll go with “Even Flow.”

Most Underrated Song

In 2006, the band released the self-titled “Avocado” album and the sublime “Army Reserve” never gets radio airplay, it seems, but it’s outstanding.

Most Underrated Album

Yield (1998) is a sentimental hit for me because it was one of the cassettes that was in the car when we brought our eldest daughter home. But it’s also an album that is top-to-bottom rock-freaking-solid. (Enjoy “Do the Evolution.” “Admire me, admire my home/Admire my son, he’s my clone.”)

Best Song Released in the Past Ten Years

Gigaton (2020) won the Bad Timing Award for 2020 – tying with every NCAA basketball program – as it was released on March 27, 2020. “Dance of the Clairvoyants” is a great, dance-ish, rock-and-roll tune.

Best Song from Their Worst Album

No Code (1996) is considered their worst album and it’s…not bad. And, to be honest, I would actually consider “Hail Hail” one of their most underrated songs. (But it’s not completely underrated, as evidenced by the fact that David Letterman had the band perform it during his “commercial-free” program in the 90s. (British folks would respond with “oh, so a typical BBC program.”)

It’s darn amazing in the 21st century, too, here’s a version from a concert in Vienna.

Song of theirs You Need to Hear Live

“Better Man.” Not really because I like the song, but because there’s something about the crowd singing most of the first couple verses while Eddie lets them take center stage.

Best Cover Version of One of Their Songs

Did you know that Aaron Lewis from Staind once covered Black? It’s darn good. And it happened ages ago, during something called The Family Values Tour.

Best Song That They Cover Live

The band loves The Who. Baba O’Riley, live, often when the lights are up and it’s just about time to go home, is an experience.

Best Concert

This one is a tie: (1a) Soldier Field, July 11, 1995 (!). Before Soldier Field became That Spaceship from V That Landed On Top of Soldier Field. Cure Stefon from Saturday Night Live.

“This show had everything.

The stage from the last show Jerry Garcia ever did, complete with discarded joints
Security shooting water from water cannons at spectators because it was 100 degrees
Eddie telling the crowd that the billboards for the Alternative station that read ‘This Is Not For You’ were ironic because the song ‘Not For You’ was ‘not for them.’”

(1b) Wrigley Field, August 20, 2016. The first of two sold-out shows in a stadium that would become Eddie’s home away from home during the Cubs’ World Series run that Fall. Again, here’s Stefon. “This show had everything:

Me getting a fist bump from Tom Ricketts (after seeing him come up the aisle and saying ‘Hey, Tom, how bout a fist bump?’)
Me bawling while superfan Steve Gleason takes the stage to tell us ‘I feel fucking awesome’
Dennis Rodman.”

Also, the winners of the Great Timing Award for 2016 would be absolutely everyone associated with this show and the Just Play Two movie that came out, documenting the shows and the Cubs’ World Series Championship (which, we need to remind you, definitely happened).

Humblebrag: my wife and I were at Game Five (our view for part of the game is below). So was Eddie, who didn’t really sing the 7th Inning Stretch, but turned it over to a tape of Harry Caray singing the 7th Inning Stretch.

There You Have It…

Three iconic bands. Two experts and…well, me. Your thoughts are welcome.