Boardsies Greatest One Hit Wonder Song - Live Thread

sKeith

sKeith wrote: »

There's a game on Saturday. Are you signing up?

No can do. I have 3 weekends to clear out kitchen, tile floor and walls, paint it. Paint sitting room and give the entire house a deep clean. My hubby would go mental if I was stuck on my phone on Saturday.

Omackeral

Baker Street for the saxophone and all round cool vibe.

99 Red Luftballoons for capturing the mood of the time perfectly.

sKeith

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

No can do. I have 3 weekends to clear out kitchen, tile floor and walls, paint it. Paint sitting room and give the entire house a deep clean. My hubby would go mental if I was stuck on my phone on Saturday.

And I always thought you were a dedicated ww'er.

Kolido

So we have our finalists, Gerry Raferty and BOC will battle it out for the Boardsies greatest OHW

Eagle eye Cherry 4 - 9 Gerry Raferty - Baker Street

BOC - Don't Fear the Reaper 9 - 8 Nena - 99 Luftbalons

Squall Leonhart

Don't know if it's too early, but my vote is for Blue Oyster Cult. Absolute quality song. I like Baker Street as well, but think as a whole Don't Fear the Reaper is just a better song

Kolido

Final

Gerry Raferty - Baker Street

Released: 1978
Peaked US 2 / UK 3

Route to final

6 - 1 Jose Gonzalez
6 - 1 Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
7 - 2 O Zone - Dragostea Din Tei
7 - 4 The Primitives - Crash
9 - 4 Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance

Vs

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper

Released 1976
Peaked US 12 / UK 16

Route to Final

6 - 0 Semi sonic - Closing Time
6 - 4 Europe - The Final countdown
7 - 0 Boy Meets Girl - Waiting For A Star To Fall
7 - 0 Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
9 - 4 Chris Isaak - Wicked Games

Kolido

Vote opened until 1pm, please add a reason for your vote to count.

Pretzill

Taking the top comment from each youtube version says it all:

(Don't fear) The Reaper
"My neighbors love this song so much they threw a rock at my window so they can hear it better!"

Baker Street

I'm 45 years old and one of my first memories as a child is my father playing this song while we were getting ready to have a very large pool party. My father is now in his mid 70's and is suffering from Alzhimers this song takes me back to a time when my father was happy , smiling and healthy. He taught me what good music is and in turn my 24 year old daughter now loves the Stones , Marvin Gaye Gerry Rafferty , Crosby Stills and Nash and sings her heart out to every single word of these classics . There is so much more to music , more than the people that write the songs will ever realize.

Both iconic tracks really. But Baker Street edges it for me.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Don't Fear The Reaper because my neighbours love this song so much they threw a rock at my window so they could hear it better.

Both songs are great, but Don't Fear The Reaper has been one of those songs that has been present during some of the biggest highs and lows of my life, so it has more sentimental value.

Omackeral

Baker Street. Fits any era, the crescendo is tight AF and this scene from the Simpsons tops it all off. Love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQARCB9wKto

Electric Nitwit

I nominated Baker Street but here is where I crack, vote Don't Fear The Reaper

One of the best intros ever, and it never lets up. It's so damn good that even cowbells can't ruin it!

Aww we don't get a third place play-off? (I would probably go for Nena over Eagle Eye, just for appreciation of the meaning behind the song, plus I actually quite like the German language even if it's not usually the most "musical" language!)

Anyway, the final. Both top quality songs. "Iconic" is an overused word these days but you could make a case for either suiting the definition here. Epic sax riff vs epic guitar riff. Both decent lyrical pieces, even if BOC greatly underestimate the number of people who die everyday! So how does one choose between them?

As I mentioned earlier, I do feel like Baker Street drags a little bit in the first half of the song. The sax is obviously amazing, and the guitar solo in the second half of the song is also fantastic. But the two verses in the first half are the Achilles heel.

When I re-listened to Don't Fear the Reaper last night, I found it held up better as a full package. The solo in the middle is just the right length; any longer and it would have been a bit noodly and indulgent, and would have killed the flow of the song. But they know when to show off and when to rein it in.

Overall I get the sense that Don't Fear the Reaper has been the most consistently admired, and least objected to, song through the later rounds. It would probably be the best consensus winner.

So with apologies to the late Mr Rafferty, my vote is for Don't Fear the Reaper.

Electric Nitwit

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Overall I get the sense that Don't Fear the Reaper has been the most consistently admired, and least objected to, song through the later rounds. It would probably be the best consensus winner

Just analysing the tournament, it's had a much tougher run to the final too. And three clean sheets!

Necro

Kolido wrote:

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper

It's something I'd listen to much more often.

Also the epic intro to The Stand mini TV series. End product wasnt fab but it was a great great start.


Baker Street has the sax but the cow bell trumps the sax in this battle for me.

quickbeam

This is a really tough decision. No doubt Reaper had a tougher route but both are so good. I'm dithering.

Necro

quickbeam wrote:

This is a really tough decision. No doubt Reaper had a tougher route but both are so good. I'm dithering.

Just vote for The Lost Boys :pac:

sKeith

Dont fear the reaper

Awesome tune.....

I'd be happy for it to win.

Baker street is sweet tune too.

Was a tuff decision to make, but don't fear the reaper just pips it, imho.

Zaph

Don't Fear the Reaper. Great intro followed by a great song, and Baker Street is just dreary.

Don’t fear the reaper.

I’m not really a fan of Baker Street. Only good things about it is it’s the home of Sherlock Holmes

Big Vern

Baker Street for me.

Love the saxophone in it and its a catchy song.
I remember a cover version of it by a band called Undercover been a minor hit in the early 90's.

Dont fear the reaper is ok, but i much prefer Baker St.

quickbeam

Okay, decision made. I can't listen to both like I'd like to before casting the vote, but I looked up the lyrics and sang along in my head, and Baker Street gave me more of the feels, so I'm going with that, though I'd be just as happy for Reaper to win, as I think it probably will, looking at the scores.

TLDR: Baker Street please.

Declan A Walsh

It's a tough one here for me, choosing between the two. They are both iconic (there's that word again!) songs for various reasons. As it happens, there were some songs along the way to this final that I did prefer, but these two are better than many of the entrants. If the other two semi-finalists had come through, I probably wouldn't bother voting!

I have to break it down to figure it out!

Baker Street: great saxophone breaks, including the intro, good flutework, slightly melancholic melody, great guitar solo near the end and wonderful vocals and lyrics from Gerry Rafferty.

Don't Fear The Reaper: great recurring guitar riff (trying to avoid that "i" word!), good vocal harmonies, dramatic guitar solo and happy sounding melody. That's how I hear it, anyway!

Stripping the songs back to the actual lyrics and the melody, I will have to give my vote to..... Baker Street.

tusk

Baker street is just way better...

I made a mistake voting for save tonight in the last round. As soon as i started singing baker street in my head the regrets started pouring in.

BAKER STREET

OAOB

Baker Street

Both good songs but the sax section is one of my favourite pieces of music and instantly recognisable

Tammy!

I'd be happy for either of these to win. I think they are equally good songs.

Going with Baker Street because it's stuck in my head all morning in a good way. If it was tomorrow id probably go with Don't Fear the Reaper.

deconduo

Reaper for me, I like the song as a whole a smidge better than baker Street

The Reaper Song It is superior to boring old Baker Street.

Ectoplasm

Don't Fear the Reaper for me. It is a better song and lyrically appeals to me more. The standout for Baker Street is really the sax and that's not enough to make it the winner.

Ficheall

Haven't counted yet, but Baker Street if it still matters

Mam of 4

Baker Street for me , love the song , glad someone nominated it , quite happy here singing it in my head !