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jenglisbe
junior
429 Posts |
 Posted - 01/03/2006 : 10:09:25 PM
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Ok, it looks like the next list Slant will do is the 'Greatest Dance Songs,' so let's go ahead and start predicting/discussing. Some burning questions:
1. Will Madonna songs make up 1/2 of the list or just 1/3? I bet $10 she'll nab the #1 song. Kylie will be near the top as well.
2. Will remixes be included, or just album versions?
3. Will the definition of 'dance' include urban club thumpers, or the classic definition of dance?
4. Will this list date back to disco, or just be from the last 20-25 years?
Some shoo-ins:
"Into The Groove" - Madonna
"Can't Get You Out Of My Head" - Kylie Minogue
"Groove Is In The Heart" - Dee-Lite
"Un-Break My Heart" remix - Toni Braxton (if eligible)
"Fantasy" remix - Mariah Carey (if eligible) |
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schrodt
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2006 : 10:41:55 PM
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Ohhh, so is that what that disco-ball "Coming Soon..." image is for?
I really feel like this Slant love for Madonna is nothing more than a lame-brained conspiracy. I believe Sal is the only one on the staff who expresses a distinct affection for her as an artist. And she has had a number of great dance songs (as well as great videos, hence the presence on THAT list). Besides, in case you haven't noticed, the world loves Madonna. What the hell is so surprising here? |
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sal
moderator
291 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2006 : 11:04:50 PM
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This list has been pretty much set for a while now, but I don't want to reveal too much about it because we're still working on content. I won't say which artists or songs made the cut but it will be interesting to see what people's guesses are.
What I can say is:
1. 1/3 of any list seems like a lot for one artist, even somebody of Madonna's caliber.
2. The list does include a few remixes (though, with one or two exceptions, most of them are considered the "definitive" versions).
3. Our defintion of dance is relatively broad but you'll have to wait and see. It's not just dance-pop.
4. The list spans disco to present.
That's all you're getting out of me. |
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jenglisbe
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 7:38:17 PM
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Will the list be revealed at once, or will you do a song a week or something? When will we see the first result?
Songs I am hoping to see:
"Thriller" - Michael Jackson
"Into The Groove" - Madonna
"Like I Love You" - Justin Timberlake
"When The Last Time" - Clipse
"Dreamlover" - Mariah Carey (Morales remix)
"Crazy In Love" - Beyonce |
Edited by - jenglisbe on 01/04/2006 7:40:28 PM |
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schrodt
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 8:32:18 PM
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| I think it would be very odd if it was released piece by piece. I mean, the songs are not exactly going to have full reviews to go with them. |
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sal
moderator
291 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 10:42:52 PM
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| The list will be revealed all at once. Soon, but I don't have an exact date. |
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schrodt
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 11:46:46 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sal
The list will be revealed all at once. Soon, but I don't have an exact date.
No time table? ^^ |
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sal
moderator
291 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 1:50:36 PM
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| Sometime this month. |
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jenglisbe
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2006 : 07:40:28 AM
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| The month is almost over... |
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ed
moderator
Iraq
447 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 12:17:59 PM
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| Sal, give jenglisbe our address so he can send us those $10. |
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Monsoon
newbee
1 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 4:20:21 PM
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Let me plant a big wet kiss of gratitude on the cheeks of Ed, Sal, Rich, and Eric. I *lurrve* the list and devoured the writing with gusto (it's been a thankfully slow day at work). I am sure the selection process was cut-throat with all the great dance songs out there. What did you have to leave out?
Are you guys ready for the onslaught of readers who must put in their two cents? There won't be shortage of people saying "what about...," and "you didn't include...."
Well, here are my two cents:
(1) What, a few Moroders but no Kraftwerk?
(2) No Pet Shop Boys, either? (excluding the Eighth Wonder song)
(3) Huh? No Depeche Mode?
(4) Where's Erasure?
(5) What did you do to Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy and Hit That Perfect Beat?
(6) While we're at it, what happened to the rest of the 80s synthpop groups like the Thompson Twins, Human League, Soft Cell.
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sal
moderator
291 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 4:37:56 PM
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| Thanks for the kind words, Monsoon. I think Eric summed up our take on Kraftwerk pretty well when he said "Kraftwerk were working similar territory concurrently, but their electronic experimentalism was academicism first, music second" in his review for "I Feel Love." I can only speak for myself, but they just don't make me want to dance. Ditto for some of the other artists you mentioned. |
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Brian
freshman
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 6:59:53 PM
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It's a nice, robust list with personality and a wide view, and the write-ups I've read so far are great for the most part (though Ed's faint-praise apology for Moby makes one wonder if you really should have included him on the list after all).
It's interesting to note that the synthpop genre is represented by the songs that most clearly were able to cross over out of the pure Eurocentric dance club venues; something Erasure, Depeche Mode, Bronski Beat and the rest never really accomplished to the same degree. Which makes it consistent with the lack of any of the (loaded word alert) "industrial" groups that were staples of my brief and long-past clubgoing days: Nitzer Ebb, ClockDVA, Front 242, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Sheep on Drugs (who at least get nodded to with the inclusion of "Sex Drive"), etc. And as far proto-industrial goes, "Clear" is definitely more danceable than anything Kraftwerk or Throbbing Gristle ever recorded.
Good stuff! When's the party and who's DJing?
http://hellonfriscobay.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - Brian on 01/30/2006 7:31:26 PM |
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jenglisbe
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 7:11:32 PM
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No surprise Donna Summer placed so well; what is the general perception of her as an artist? Anyway, how many songs does she have on the list? "Macarthur Park" is my favorite, though is it really a dance classic?
I was surprised the "Dreamlover" remix made it on over some other Mariah remixes considering the review of Remixes ("Fantasy" and "Anytime You Need A Friend" were praised most). And who was the comment about 'influence-wielding' directed at?
And "Into The Groove" should have been Madonna's highest song in my opinion (and certainly above "Everybody"). Was "Ray Of Light" not deemed a dance song, or did I just miss it?
Where is CeCe Penistan's "Finally?" That's the most egregious omission to me...except that I think "Let's Hear It For The Boy" (arguably the first non-disco dance song) is also missing.
:ETA: I just realized Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is missing. Even current teens try to emulate the dance moves from that video! |
Edited by - jenglisbe on 01/30/2006 7:15:07 PM |
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sal
moderator
291 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 7:37:32 PM
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quote:
Anyway, how many songs does she have on the list? "Macarthur Park" is my favorite, though is it really a dance classic?
Donna has three songs on the list. If you click on the little records on the bottom of the page you'll find some stats and facts that we thought might be of interest to readers. "MacArthur Park" is indeed a dance song, albeit a narrative one. Whether it's a classic or not is completely subjective. It was her first #1 pop hit.
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I was surprised the "Dreamlover" remix made it on over some other Mariah remixes considering the review of Remixes ("Fantasy" and "Anytime You Need A Friend" were praised most). And who was the comment about 'influence-wielding' directed at?
I actually praised "Fantasy" and "Heartbreaker" the most, if I remember correctly, due to their more modern sound. However, within the context of doing this list and listening to (and re-appreciating, as was often the case) dance music that is quote-unquote dated I decided "Dreamlover" was the one worth championing. "Influence-wielding" is a reference to the general attitude that "Dreamlover" was an important, influential dance track.
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Was "Ray Of Light" not deemed a dance song, or did I just miss it?
I don't think "Ray Of Light" was on anybody's shortlist of Madonna songs for this list.
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I just realized Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is missing. Even current teens try to emulate the dance moves from that video!
This is a dance song list, not a video list though. I don't even think this song was in ever contention. |
Edited by - sal on 01/30/2006 7:39:21 PM |
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jenglisbe
junior
429 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2006 : 7:49:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sal
This is a dance song list, not a video list though. I don't even think this song was in ever contention.
I understand, but the dance is so associated with the song, that I think it can easily be considered a dance song. I know I've heard "Thriller" at more dances and in more clubs than pretty much any Michael song, though obviously that doesn't mean it should then be on your list. |
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Greatest Dance Songs
