Best Song Survivor: 1990s Quarterfinal, Round Six

[dan_smee]

Yeah, I think the number of votes for one is just a bit silly. Not only the quality of the song, but the IMPORTANCE of the song in U2's career cannot be underestimated.

Also, its performance as a single is fairly outstanding, considering even the last 3 albums all had reasonably well performed first singles - third singles rarely do well for them.

 

[bonocomet]

Lemon, even though my vote would have went to at least 5 other songs on that list first... in a sane situation.

 

[digitize]

I'm actually somewhat tempted to vote against Lemon here. I like Lemon more than One, but not by much, and it's hard for me to not take in consideration One's massive importance and meaning to so many people. But I've often considered Lemon my personal favorite U2 song... this is so difficult. I'm not sure if One is just being voted off because of strategic concerns, but the possibility of that bothers me.

 

[Axver]

Great voting this round.

And who gives a shit about One - or any song's - "importance"? The question asks which song YOU LIKE the least, not which song you think is important. Voting on importance is just silly. Pride and SBS were pretty fucking important songs, more important than One in establishing U2's mainstream fame, but in the context of this tournament, where are they now?

 

[LemonMelon]

If you like Lemon more than One, vote off One. Who cares what you're supposed to think? If WOWY was up against Zooropa, I'd vote WOWY so hard it would break the button. Totally fine with the song though.

I'm not voting for One right now because I like it too much to do so and I'm not really a fan of strategic voting. I'll do it if it's my favorite vs. one of the weaker tracks, but if it's #4 vs. #5, fuck it.

 

[digitize]

Great voting this round.

And who gives a shit about One - or any song's - "importance"? The question asks which song YOU LIKE the least, not which song you think is important. Voting on importance is just silly. Pride and SBS were pretty fucking important songs, more important than One in establishing U2's mainstream fame, but in the context of this tournament, where are they now?

There's something about the importance of One that adds to how I think of it beyond how much I would enjoy it in a vacuum.

 

[LadySpinHead]

I think One is sublime, I don't care how "important" it is.

 

[digitize]

I'll vote for Hold Me, a song that I believe actually deserves to be votes off.

 

[intedomine]

Seems outrageous that One would be leaving this early...

..Tempted to vote for it for that reason! The only song I really wanna vote for is Gone, so One it is. Love an upset! Out goes a dinosaur!

 

[Axver]

There's something about the importance of One that adds to how I think of it beyond how much I would enjoy it in a vacuum.

I stand by my assertion that judging a song on anything other than its musical qualities is silly.

If you're going to do that anyway, you better down-rate Discotheque for its negative popular influence, give 11 O'clock Tick Tock a big boost for being central to U2's live reputation in the early years, rate Streets as the #1 U2 song ever no matter what you actually prefer, stick the boot into Boots harsher than Red Light because Boots did more important damage to U2's popular reputation than Red Light ever did ... you see where I'm going here. Take songs as you receive them, not on some bullshit rockist notions of "importance".

 

[digitize]

I stand by my assertion that judging a song on anything other than its musical qualities is silly.

If you're going to do that anyway, you better down-rate Discotheque for its negative popular influence, give 11 O'clock Tick Tock a big boost for being central to U2's live reputation in the early years, rate Streets as the #1 U2 song ever no matter what you actually prefer, stick the boot into Boots harsher than Red Light because Boots did more important damage to U2's popular reputation than Red Light ever did ... you see where I'm going here. Take songs as you receive them, not on some bullshit rockist notions of "importance".

It only makes even the slightest difference because of how incredibly close in quality I place One and Lemon. But my overall impression of One is enhanced because of what it means to so many people, and that's something that I have a hard time ignoring.

 

[LemonMelon]

rockist notions

Oh hai RYM

 

[LemonMelon]

I'll vote for Hold Me, a song that I believe actually deserves to be votes off.

Good call.

I can't believe one of two of the best songs here won't go through because of HMTMKMKM.

 

[Axver]

HMTMKMKM > Lemon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> One.

It only makes even the slightest difference because of how incredibly close in quality I place One and Lemon. But my overall impression of One is enhanced because of what it means to so many people, and that's something that I have a hard time ignoring.

Perhaps we're going to keep talking in circles to one another here, but this is just baffling logic to me. I might as well say that because I find One and UV so close in lack of quality, I'm voting for One because my overall impression is tarnished because it's more nauseatingly overhyped by so many people and that's something I have a hard time ignoring (which isn't true, but you see what I mean - in reality I voted for the one actually likely to get the boot this round).

Ultimately, isn't this about what the song means to you, not other people? This idea that music somehow gains or loses in merit to an individual listener because of other people's reactions is incomprehensible to me. What other people think of a song really shouldn't affect how much an individual likes or dislikes it.

Oh hai RYM

I thought I'd reply to one RYM-ish argument with another.

 

[digitize]

Let's not keep talking in circles, then. What creates an overall impression of a song can be different between people.

 

[Nick66]

I stand by my assertion that judging a song on anything other than its musical qualities is silly.

If you're going to do that anyway, you better down-rate Discotheque for its negative popular influence, give 11 O'clock Tick Tock a big boost for being central to U2's live reputation in the early years, rate Streets as the #1 U2 song ever no matter what you actually prefer, stick the boot into Boots harsher than Red Light because Boots did more important damage to U2's popular reputation than Red Light ever did ... you see where I'm going here. Take songs as you receive them, not on some bullshit rockist notions of "importance".

This is silly. People vote for or against songs for all kinds of reasons other than its artistic merits. How many people are voting for "One" just because they're sick of it? Either people admit stuff like that factors into their voting, or they lie about it. But it does. Not to mention all the strategic voting that goes on. If a song's importance or cultural value makes someones appreciation for it go up, thats perfectly valid. Just like associating a song with a good memory makes your appreciation for it go up, irrespective of its artistic merits. Music is subjective, and people like or don't like stuff for all kinds of personal reasons you cant fathom. Maybe your spouse loves the song. Who knows. I did the deciding vote to keep The Wanderer alive a while ago just to annoy people.

Yeah. What you just said there sounded a little fascist to me. Crikey.

 

[corianderstem]

How long have we been doing these survivors? We have the same conversations every gol-danged time.

Everybody votes for different reasons:

I'm sick of this song!

I really don't like this song.

That song slept with my mom.

This song is overrated.

I vote contrary to The Hive.

I'm voting strategically, because blerg blah thhhhhbt.

 

[the tourist]

One is my least favorite song on Achtung Baby. So I have no qualms with voting for it. One of the only songs I find myself wanting to skip when I listen to the album. Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me is the song that got me into U2 to begin with and I still find it to be a top 5 of mine from the 90s. One can simply go away. Like with Please before it, I simply don't understand the appeal.

 

[Nick66]

How long have we been doing these survivors? We have the same conversations every gol-danged time.

Everybody votes for different reasons:

I'm sick of this song!

I really don't like this song.

That song slept with my mom.

This song is overrated.

I vote contrary to The Hive.

I'm voting strategically, because blerg blah thhhhhbt.

Exactly. Worrying about why people vote the way they do is just inane. Dig wisely doesn't have rules for what criteria people should use in voting, because even if he did people would ignore them. People pick Presidents for stupider reasons than those some people are using in voting for and against these songs. Who cares?

 

[corianderstem]

I'm voting against Zooropa next, because I'm pretty sure it's secretly a Kenyan Muslim and IT MUST GO.

 

[LemonMelon]

I think that, as a general rule, doing anything purely because you're supposed to is the worst reason to do anything.

But it's a song survivor on a U2 message board, so, like, you know, whatever.

 

[corianderstem]

Pretty much. I think the strategic voting thing is really dumb, but like, you know, whatever. It's just a fun poll on an internet message board. If it bugged me that much, all I have to do is just go do something else.

 

[Axver]

Yeah. What you just said there sounded a little fascist to me. Crikey.

You just keep giving. Crikey.

 

[OpenG180]

You just keep giving. Crikey.

I'll have to google to find out what a crikey is.

 

[OpenG180]

From what i've learned it's 'australian' to blimey or something.

Well, each day we learn something new.

 

[Vlaco]

HMTMKMKM again.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

This is silly. People vote for or against songs for all kinds of reasons other than its artistic merits. How many people are voting for "One" just because they're sick of it? Either people admit stuff like that factors into their voting, or they lie about it. But it does. Not to mention all the strategic voting that goes on. If a song's importance or cultural value makes someones appreciation for it go up, thats perfectly valid. Just like associating a song with a good memory makes your appreciation for it go up, irrespective of its artistic merits. Music is subjective, and people like or don't like stuff for all kinds of personal reasons you cant fathom. Maybe your spouse loves the song. Who knows. I did the deciding vote to keep The Wanderer alive a while ago just to annoy people.

Yeah. What you just said there sounded a little fascist to me. Crikey.

Damn good post.

 

[Mauwer]

Voted One to save Lemon

Cheers, Mauwer

 

[Nick66]

You just keep giving.

All. But you want more.

 

[namkcuR]

I'd like to change my vote to nothing at all, please. I said earlier that it didn't feel good voting against One, and the truth is that I love all of these songs and don't wish to vote against any of them.