Board 8 > Raetsel and the Alts finish ranking 784 songs [+ Bonus Songs]

(+) Yeah! (+)

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#74: DEMONDICE - Words That I Could Say To You (3:36):
https://open.spotify.com/track/0KnuM2F70nIxPT8R5Zjqku?si=6adb679d3fd64f59

Nominator: Murphiroth [0/32 Remaining]

Initial Score: 70.00
Revised Score: 86.44
FInal Score: 81.47 [Upgraded to 88.73]

(First Reaction: One of those songs that gets a good score, yet I have trouble finding even a single word to say about it.)

!Wistful & romantic night song. Probably her most beautiful track, at least of those I've heard.

[Final Thoughts: Unrequited love is usually a good topic for music. The intro is incredibly appealing to me, with the faint sounds of the bustling city and some low tones thrown in to create a sad & wistful feeling, conveying the sense of being alone even in the crowd. It's nice and some of the lyrics hit the right type of hopelessness that I'm drawn to: "I dont see potential for no happy ending" in particular works well for me.

I also like how seamlessly this transitions to the outro track, "Goodnight, Japan", though I feel both songs stand well enough on their own that I don't especially want to combine them into one long track. It's still nice when listening to them on the album together.]

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Elimination #6: Murphiroth

Lowest Ranked Song

HANABIE. - Sunrise Miso Soup [12.58]

Highest Ranked Song

DEMONDICE - Words That I Could Say To You [88.73]

Average Score: 59.95

Of the four albums you nominated--or three albums and an EP if you prefer to be more accurate:

HANABIE.'s album didn't work for me. For the most part, they were just more metal than I'd have preferred. While they had one track that I liked & a few that I kinda liked, they lost a lot of tracks early on. Sadly, I think their album may be the only one this ranking to not meet the "at least two 60 point songs" criteria. Not that I hated them, I didn't hate anything this year, but I'm afraid this album was a miss. Still, it was a side of Japanese metal that doesn't usually get nominated, so I'm

Serj Tankian's album was all over the place musically. It did have one low scoring song and a couple in the Wall of exactly 55 points, but it also featured one of the few songs to be un-eliminated (which practically became a meme of its own with how many times it continued to avoid elimination) and a decent amount of songs in the like, really like, and kinda love categories. With a mixture of ridiculous lyrics ("Gonorrhoea over time! Fuck that, it's bed time!"?) & intense lyrics dealing with subjects such as genocide, I was never sure what to expect from the album. Which I see as a positive and it certainly demolished the :two 60 point songs" criteria.

Mori Caliiope's EP was brief with only four songs, but it managed pretty well for itself. 2/4 songs in the Really Like tier is nothing to sneeze at, so while it was a short experience, it was quite a welcome one.

DEMONDICE's album was also pretty great. Featuring two songs at the "kinda love" level, including one that was briefly in contention for first place, it was one of the stronger albums of the topic. If only that song didn't have that siren holding it back, it'd probably be in the top 10,..

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Thank you!

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Average Score Chart

CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

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-and the last song:-

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#73: Bump of Chicken - Acacia (2:41):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoZ0Zwab6Oc

Nominator: Handsomeboy [3/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 59.33
Revised Score: 94.38
Final Score: 87.26 [Upgraded to 89.00]

(First Reaction: The video is adorable, but I'm still trying to be a bit less influenced into throwing infinity points out whenever a cute animal appears on screen. Thankfully, this is still good even if I separate the song from the video; in particular, "no matter what fate awaits us, Ill take your hand in mine and never let go", is a very sweet line. Not complicated, but as I've said, blunt and direct lyrics tend to fare better with me these days anyway.)

!The pure light from this song is *almost* enough to incinerate me. That's worth a boost to the 90 point song tier.

[Final Thoughts: Adorable, though like so many other songs that hit unexpectedly hard once, I'm not as blown away by this the third time around. I still kinda love it, which is way beyond where the song started, but it's not quite at that highest level this time around.[

[Later: This is one of those songs that I need to be in the right headspace for. The first verse in particular is so pure and bright that it can be one of the strongest experiences of the entire ranking... when I'm open to it. When I'm not, the score tends to drop a bit... not as drastically as the first reaction where I wasn't particularly into it, but it's still a bit away from being moved back up to the next tier.]

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Congratulations to our surviving participants:

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REMAINING SONG COUNT

Bane: 4/38 Remaining
BlackDra90n: 1/30 Remaining
cakophon: 1/20 Remaining
CPU: 1/30 Remaining
DoctorJimmy: 1/24 Remaining
Dragon66116: 1/12 Remaining
handsomeboy: 3/31 Remaining
Haste: 2/31 Remaining
hotdogturtle: 1/14 Remaining
Jesse_Custer: 6/29 Remaining
kateee: 2/21 Remaining
Mega Mana: 4/38 Remaining
Metalmind: 10/25 Remaining
NBIceman: 4/22 Remaining
NFUN: 1/31 Remaining
paulg: 5/52 Remaining
Player_0: 3/33 Remaining
Raka: 5/31 Remaining
rwlh: 2/24 Remaining
sergio: 1/13 Remaining
Snake: 2/32 Remaining
TheArkOfTurus: 3/17 Remaining
TunnelScene: 3/27 Remaining
UF8: 2/30 Remaining
Xtlm: 1/13 Remaining
ZaziGuado: 3/28 Remaining

Metalmind has, by far, the most songs going into the highest tier with 10; Jesse is the closest behind with 6.

And... I don't really have any other stats prepared at the moment, so... that's about it? On Saturday, we shall begin the highest tier, featuring an eclectic mix of songs that have always been near the top ; a few songs that had abysmal Final Scores and were jumped directly to the top many months ago ; and some darlings that I've just been refusing to eliminate for some time now. Honestly not sure what shall be the first to fall from this tier, so we'll find out together, I suppose.

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when did I lose another song??

Err... you didn't, which raises further questions about how that came out to 72 songs remaining. I'll have to do another audit when I get a minute.

As far as I can tell, this should be an accurate count of Remaining Songs. Two errors on the spreadsheet are noted and are being corrected at the moment:

Bane: 4

Dorian Electra - Give Great Thanks
ETID - Planet Shit
ETID - Post-Boredom
ETID - White Void

BlackDra90n: 1

Darko US - Donna

cakophon: 1

Katerine - Amiami

CPU: 1

Swamp Dogg - I'll Pretend

Doctor Jimmy: 1

Sonic Forces - Infinite

Dragon: 1

Phoebe Bridgers - Scott Street

handsomeboy: 3

Takoyami Toya - FACT
Takoyami Toya - Haiiro to Ao
Two-Mix - TRUTH

Haste: 2

Gustav Holst - First Suite
Masaharu Iwata - Holy Wilds

Jesse: 6

John Misty - Mr. Tillman
Future Islands - Seasons
LEN - Steal My Sunshine
Stereophonics - Dakota
Charlatans - And If I Fall
Villagers - Trick of the Light

kateee: 2

La Dispute - St. Paul
Turnover - New Scream

Mega Mana: 4

BER - The Night Begins to Shine
Friends of Distinction - Grazing in the Grass
Jeffrey Townsend - Gracie Films
Linkin Park - Points of Authority

[NOTE: The Public Song list displays Points of Authority as eliminated & In The End as not being eliminated. This shall be corrected soon.]

Metalmind: 10

Depeche Mode - Walking in My Shoes
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon
Heathers - Beautiful
Jennifer Paige - Crush
Mannfred Mann - Blinded by the Light [Full Version]
Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
Steely Dan - Deacon Blues
Tears for Fears - Standing on the Corner
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Brad Neely - Washington

[EDIT: I counted Deacon Blues, but forgot to type its name here. Fixed.]

NBIceman: 4

Dear Hunter - Blood
Dear Hunter - Cascade
Dear Hunter - March
Will Wood - Hand Me My Shovel

NFUN: 2

LEX - Retcon Artist
mozell - halca

paulg: 5

F-Zero - Digi-Boy
Ron Burgundy - Afternoon Delight
Silvagunner - Donkey Kong 25m
Stupendium - These Hallowed Wings
Warioware - Penny's Song [English]

Player_0: 3

Franchouchou - Kagayaite
Franchouchou - Yomigaere
Grimes - Flesh Without Blood

Raka: 5

Beetlejuice - Say My Name
Evita - Goodnight and Thank You
Spring Awakening - Totally Fucked
The Last 5 Years - I Can Do Better
Tick Tick Boom - Superbia

rwlh: 2

2Pac - Changes
Mountain Goats - No Children

sergio: 1

Shohei Tsuchiya - Suite Photoconductivity

Snake: 2

Cory Wong - Golden
Pale Waves - Noises

[Note: hollywood sucks does not have a score on the Public Song sheet, that will be fixed soon.]

Ark: 3

Guilty Gear - Drift
Mili - In Hell
Thank You, Scientist - Everyday Ghosts

TunnelScene: 3

DV-i - Telecompo
Eddie Jobson - Green Face
Radix - Moon of my own

UF8: 2

Enma Ruri - simulate
PSY.parADRUXX - InfinityUPDATE

Xtlm: 1

Distemper - Moscow Reggae

Zazi: 3

Death Cab For Cutie - What Sarah Said
Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill
The Rentals - Elon Musk is Making Me Sad

Total Songs Remaining: 72

Almost #1 :O

My two remaining songs are amongst my favorites I nominated so I'm so glad to see them up this high.

yeah, i love peacetime resistance mostly for the music, although i do like the lyrics as well.

thanks for discussing my noms! if you do another one of these, i won't nominate a bunch of super long jazz and jazz fusion songs, now that i know that's not really your thing haha.

I love Acacia a lot but yeah a big part of that is from the video.

Whew I've only got 5 songs left but I really like them a lot! And unsurprisingly they're all from musicals.

Mr_Lasastryke posted...

thanks for discussing my noms! if you do another one of these, i won't nominate a bunch of super long jazz and jazz fusion songs, now that i know that's not really your thing haha.

That'd be a long way off, so I don't think I can speculate basically a year in advance. I'd like to do something again (though definitely on a much smaller scale than this), but we'll see.

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And we're back. I'm going to (hopefully) get through 11 songs today, with the first six coming up now. Featuring double drops from Metalmind & paulg:

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#72: WarioWare: Get It Together! - Penny's Song (EN) [2:49]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqff8dht1Aw

Nominator: paulg [4/52 Remaining]

Initial Score: 100
Revised Score: 93.54
Final Score: 87.00 [Upgraded to 90.00]

(First Reaction: There are a few songs that manage to be bright in a very specific way that resonate in an almost painful way. This... rather has to get 100 points on principle, though I'm unsure if the feelings can really hold up to more intense scrutiny. This is more a song I should save somewhere special and only listen to on very rare occasions, to try and preserve the sensations instead of building up a resistance to the song from listening to it too many times.)

!So cute that it burns. A great song that I love, but definitely one I shouldn't listen to too often... feelings like these should be treasured, instead of spammed until I can no longer enjoy the song.

[Final Thoughts: It's adorable, but I'm not quite vibing with it so intensely that it completely obliterates me like it did the first time, As I feared, it's not quite something that holds up to repeated listens like this... still, I do kinda love the song and it was briefly in contention for first place.]

[Later: While I don't quite get obliterated by this song these days, it's cute enough that I want it to be at the highest tier anyway.]

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#71: Enma Ruri - simulate (4:18):
https://youtu.be/gSQ2CQngMkQ

Nominator: UF8 [1/30 Remaining]

Initial Score: 55.55
Revised Score: 70.00
Final Score: 70.00 ]Upgraded to 70.824] [Upgraded to 72.169] [Upgraded to 72.196] [Upgraded to 72.257] [Upgraded to 74.12] [Upgraded to 90.00000004]

(First Reaction: A much stranger song than I expected from Ruri--though I don't have any idea who cyan slime is, so it's possibly their influence on the song shining through that makes it so unexpected. I'm not really sure how much I enjoy the song--the odd ticking sounds and instrument choices feel almost dissonant and Ruri's higher pitched notes are rather unpleasant to me, but it's so far from what I expected to hear, that I am kinda drawn to it. Let's give it a rather odd score of 55.55, put it in the mid-to-upper 50s range for now and revisit it later.)

!I'm even more drawn to this tonight and jumping it up two tiers.

[Final Thoughts: It's definitely different. There's some water sounds to it and I do like water (well... certain types of water at any rate) and it's so far out there that I'm never sure what the song's going for. I think I'll keep it in the Neo Cluster; I think I really like this song and I'm at least intrigued enough by it to keep it up this far on the list.]

[Later: Pleasingly strange.]

[Later: Going to add some extra to this score to get up to 72 points. I'm still not drawn towards the higher pitched notes she hits, but the song is so unexpected that I think I want to delay the elimination a bit longer.]

[Later: Flipping some numbers to rearrange the list.]

[Later that day: Changing some more values for organizational reasons.]

[Also that day: Ehh... actually let's go up to 74 points for a bit. This heavily distorted aquatic synth intrigues me, though it does get a bit too "wub wub" in places.]

[Later: The higher pitched notes are still not working for me, but I love the rest of the song enough that I think I want this at the highest tier anyway. Synthesized, distorted, painful drowning seems very helpful right now.]

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#70: Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight (4:54):
https://youtu.be/v7x32gwqEAc

Nominator: Metalmind [9/25 Remaining]

Initial Score: 99.67
Revised Score: 87.79
Final Score: 90.00000005

(First Reaction: One of the rare songs that I've listened to roughly infinity times and still absolutely love. The only bad thing I can say about it is that I love The Protomen's cover of the song EVEN MORE (especially with Last Stop as the intro):

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

I love spoken word intros and rain sound effects, so that opening is perfection ; the song usss lower tones for the backing music early on and I love low tones like that ; and, most relevantly, it has an actual dramatic build which feels like it ends with an explosive confrontation. Phil Collins' original song is a masterwork in building the dramatic tension, but there's no release and the song feels like it just kinda ends. The Protomen's cover gives us the eruption of emotion and resulting catharsis--and even lower tones when it hits that part and god, that song is absolute perfection from start-to-finish. (I will always be sad that the official release separates Last Stop & In the Air Tonight into two tracks, which actively hurts both of them. Last Stop is utterly worthless without In the Air Tonight & I want my spoken word intro and rain effecs, dammit.)

The original song is amazing and I absolutely love it, but I can't really give it the perfect 100 when I feel there's a better version of the song. Really, really close to the 100 points though...)

!I'd say it's remarkable that I managed to say roughly nothing about the actually nominated track even at the time I was able to type properly, but really, that seems par for the course for me/us. Thankfully this song is popular and well known enough that there's not really anything left to be said about it anyway. Tonight, I'm really in the mood for something fresher, that I haven't heard so many times... I love it, of course, but I kinda want to have it a step below the highest tier of songs.

[Final Thoughts: An all-time classic song that I'll always kinda love, but I've probably heard it enough times. I've listened it to a lot of times voluntarily, heard it on the radio and TV randomly even more than that, and also listened to The Protomen's cover of it a hell of a lot to! As fantastic as it is, it's getting a bit played out on my end...

Still, the darkness of finally confronting the person you seek vengeance upon... this song certainly goes places. And while I'm certainly not going to share any personal stories of vendettas I may or may not have, let's just say this song lends itself to some quiet reflection on certain things. I suppose I do still love this, but I think I'd prefer it to be near the start of the final tier than at the end... like I do love it still, but I think I've heard it enough for now that I'm more attached to most of the other songs at this level.]

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-continued-

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#69: La Dispute - St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues (3:47):
https://youtu.be/deXx9TcY1o0

Nominator: Kateee [1/21 Remaining]

Initial Score: 93.44
Revised Score: 83.44
Final Score: 90.01

(First Reaction: I'd say the brief amount of hope and optimism at the end of the song broke me, but I've been broken for a long time now.)

!Good song, quite emotional.

[Final Thoughts: Yes, I think I do love this song, though the mindset it puts me into is one of very quiet & personal reflection. Not sure I'll say much about it, though I am incredibly glad that it is here.]

[Later:

And just the other day I swear I saw a man there
Pulling weeds out of the concrete, sweeping up and patching cracks
I saw him lift a rag to wash the years of filth from off those windows
Made me wonder if there's anyone like that for you and me and
Anybody else who broke and lost hope

It's a nice thought.]

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#68: Ron Burgandy And The Channel 4 News Team - Afternoon Delight [3:09]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXPWe-pzCPk

Nominator: paulg [3/52 Remaining]

Initial Score: 46.03
Revised Score: 54.02
Final Score: 54.02 [Upgraded to 58.599] [Upgraded to 60.00] [Upgraded to 62.33] [Upgraded to 66.29] [Upgraded to 70.083] [Upgraded to 72.155] [Upgraded to 72.26] [Upgraded to 74.44444444~] [Upgraded to 82.23] [Upgraded to 90.02]

(First Reaction: I've never really cared for the original version of this song and this version isn't an improvement, nor is it absurd enough to really count as a parody and coast by on comedy value. I've also never seen the film, so maybe it'd be funnier with the added context? As is, this is... alright, I guess?)

I suppose saying I "never really cared for" the original is a very mean way of putting it. It's an alright song that I don't have an opinion on, but it's not bad; for a one-hit wonder that still shows up in pop culture as a meme song, I've never felt the need to avoid the song or change the station whenever it comes on. It's fine. I should probably give it more credit because it's had far more longevity than most songs could ever dream of, but I really don't want to try applying objective criteria to anything here.

That being said, we're still not ranking the original, and instead we have this strangely sincere cover which...

*goes back to listen to the original again*

...yeah, I think I actually prefer the nominated cover. I find the Anchorman cast's vocal performances to compare quite favorably against Starlight Vocal Band's and I enjoy the flute solo (even if it's a bit too short), so yeah, I'd say this is an improvement. Would I call it the definitive version of the song? Sure, why not.

[Final Thoughts: A fine score for a fine improvement of a fine song.]

[Later: Actually, I do kinda like this song tonight.]

[Later: Sure, I'll say I like this one. It feels like a tier above the other 58 point songs.]

[Later: Not a great song, but it is kinda starting to grow on me these days. Take a few extra points.]

[Later: Never saw the film, don't like the original song, and have no idea why this song keeps going further up the list. And yet, here it is, getting some more points.]

[Later: Okay, this obviously isn't going to drop below the 70 point mark for reasons I can't pretend to comprehend. So just go up there.]

[Later: Two more points for the flute solo.]

[Later: Bit of a boost.]

[Later: ...I don't know. The score just keeps going up. My reaction to seeing this song about to be eliminated could best be described as "hahahaha, like hell it is" which... okay??]

[Later: Apparently we're going up another tier??]

[Later: I'm not really sure how we've reached this point, but this has somehow endeared itself to me enough that it's reaching the highest level. Somehow.]

[Later: Even now, at the highest level, I find myself hesitating to actually eliminate this... but I'm out of places where I can send this song. There's just too many songs I prefer to feel good about moving it up, though I am strangely sad to see it go. I've been dragging it along for so many months that I'll rather miss this.]

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#67: The Cure - Just Like Heaven (3:20):
https://youtu.be/1ASpBpT8bRQ

Nominator: Metalmind [8/25 Remaining]

Initial Score: 88.90
Revised Score: 90.15
Final Score: 87.10 [Upgraded to 90.04]

(First Reaction: An all-time classic that I'll always love, but it's a bit played out by now. I've spent so much time listening to 80's pop stations that this song is one of those omnipresent songs that's always been around. I'm not tired of it, exactly, as I'm consistently happy whenever it plays (and it continues to be played a lot), but I'd like to hear something a bit different--a lesser-known song by the band or something... (I feel like I tried listening to one of The Cure's albums at some point based entirely on my fondness for this song, but I couldn't tell you which one or any of the songs on it.)

Still, great song, love it, yadda yadda yadda.)

!Great enough that I'll move it into the 90's tier, but there are definitely a few songs I'd take over it even in the "songs that I love no matter how often they are played" category".

[Final Thoughts: I keep going back and forth between high 80s and very low 90s for this track. It's... in an awkward place where I obviously love it, but there are also other songs that have been played a bunch which I love even more & I'm also often drawn towards new favorites. So I mean... I love it, but I think there's a bit of a gap between this song & the highest tier level.]

[Later: Yeah, I'll say I love this. It keeps fluctuating between these two tiers, but I feel comfortable putting this back up to the 90s.]

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gzj-ATZ-Dw

Any way we could check back on the rest of the writeups? The last topic got purged

you can check the last topic here - remove the space:

l ogfaqs.com/topic.php?id=80227540

Mr_Lasastryke posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gzj-ATZ-Dw

*insert "It's true, but he shouldn't say it*.gif here*

handsomeboy2012 posted...

Any way we could check back on the rest of the writeups? The last topic got purged

i'm afraid I don't have backups of the old writeups anywhere, but the unofficial archive should have everything that was posted. I didn't block any of the writeups from being archived this year.

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Six more songs to end the day, as I'm very bad at counting. Featuring two more eliminations:

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#66: Swamp Dogg, Guitar Shorty, Bon Iver - I'll Pretend (4:24):
https://open.spotify.com/track/3FwDtlpn9IDw3td9TBOg3n?si=79fb2ecf037d4b29

Nominator: CPU [0/30 Remaining]

Initial Score 82.36
Revised Score: 82.36
Final Score: 90.06

(First Reaction: Ooh, there's those deep, low tones that I live for. More of that please.)

!Low rumbling tones & blunt sadness about a relationship ending.

And when our old friends ask how am I doing?
I'll pretend I'm not losing my mind
Although they know I'm lying
They know I'm lying
I can't live like this

Certainly direct in a way I appreciate these days, yes.

[Final Thoughts: Low tones, blunt misery, and living a lie because you can't face reality. I'm surprised this song was ever below the 90 point tier as this is definitely the type of stuff I love.]

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Elimination #7: IhatethisCPU

Lowest Ranked Song

Floor Jansen - Let It Go [44.89]

Highest Ranked Song

Swamp Dogg, Guitar Shorty, Bon Iver - I'll Pretend [90.06]

Average Score: 63.72

Swamp Dogg's album was a bit of a mixed-bag. One song below 50 points & five at the "kinda like" level, then there was a massive gap as it went on to have two songs that I kinda loved and one that I loved without the "kinda" qualifier. That's definitely a lot of really high-scoring songs; even with the lower scoring songs factored in, the album has an average score of 76 points.

Your non-album picks were highly varied, which is appreciated though that makes it somewhat difficult to summarize them in a sentence or two. To a point that I think I've been sitting here for ten minutes without actually typing anything... not that I like keeping the farewell message so short, but I'm just not making any progress on it. Well, anyway, thank you very much for your continued participation!

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Average Score Chart

CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

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#65: Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You) (3:46):
https://open.spotify.com/track/522YBf6WqBwJVAe7oHLymu?si=Y-mAff0BR4CR9KE4b1GmFA

Nominator: Jesse Custer [5/29 Remaining]

Initial Score: 60.00
Revised Score: 83.37
Final Score: 63.37 [Upgraded to 64.4122] [Upgraded to 67.87] [Upgraded to 69.575] [Upgraded to 72.67] [Upgraded to 77.96] [Placed Into Void] [Upgraded to 83.37 {Upgraded to 86.37 moments later [and then to 87.47]}] [Upgraded to 90.14]

(First Reaction: An enjoyable song that shall join the clump of exactly 60 point songs. All glory to the clump.)

!I'm really digging this song's sound tonight and the lyrics are hitting much harder than usual... this song is definitely making a *big* jump from where it started.

[Final Thoughts: And we're back where we started, for the most part. I am unsure which lyrics were resonating and why they are no longer doing so, which is what happens when a year ago I only credited the score increase to "lyrics" and "sound". Either way, I do like the song--it's never fallen below the 60 point level, so tha makes it a pretty good song that is consistently enjoyable. I just don't know why it made such a spectacular jump to the top seventy songs when we didn't have anything specific to say about it. Ah well.]

[Later: I'm still not connecting with this as strongly as I once did, but I do like it a fair amount... going to add an extra point,delay the elimination a bit and see how I feel on another day.]

[Later: Still in the same spot. I don't love this right now, but I don't want to let it go.]

[Later: Going to add a couple more points, see how I feel about this in the future.]

[Later: And today I really like this again! Not "kinda love" like that second time, but really like & it's much closer to that Revised Score than it has been for a long time.]

[Later: Another song that I was oddly amped up to listen to again. Moving this up to 77 points.]

[Later: Moving this aside, like so many other songs.]

[Later: Moving this song back up to its Revised Score.I'm back to kinda loving it.

...Actually, I'm going to add a couple more points. This song isn't crushing, but the memories and feelings it brings about can be fairly strong in ways that I appreciate. I think I want this in the upper-mid 80s instead of the earlier levels.

....eh, take another point while I'm at it.]

[Later: Moving this one up another tier. There are just certain days where this track hits incredibly hard and it very much belongs at the highest tier available. It's not always there and can drop down to the early 60s on some days, but still, there are definite times that I absolutely love this and I want to give this a score that properly represents how much I love it.]

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#64: SiIvagunner - Donkey Kong Music - 25M (Beta Mix) [2:15]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JztUpiTOiZI

Nominator: paulg [2/52 Remaining]

Initial Score: 57.83
Revised Score: 57.83
Final Score: 53.299 [Upgraded to 55.48] [Upgraded to 66.49] [Upgraded to 90.33]

(First Reaction: Actually a pretty good mashup; I do like Yello for Dieter Meier's vocals and I have a fair amount of nostalgia for the original Donkey Kong, so combining them is rather fun.)

!Fun mashup.

[Final Thoughts: The surprise value of the song has worn off, but it's still pretty neat.]

[Later: Flipping the position of the last two eliminations of the day. I wouldn't say I enjoy this enough to delay the elimination entirely...

...actually, i would say that. That complicates things, give me a few minutes here. *shuffle, shuffle*]

[Later: Had this song stuck in my head fairly often the past few weeks, so I'm giving this a very substantial increase in points.]

[Later: We're not even close to this spot on the list (we're still ranking songs in the early 59 point zone), but I can't wait to listen to this song again and give it more points. I'm just going to move this up to 90 points NOW.]

===================

============================

#63: Linkin Park - Points of Authority (3:20):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK3hu3817lo&list=PLSZnrWBCBT3ng1xEWEkXC91StoZjD8BP3&index=4

Nominator: Mega_Mana [3/38 Remaining[

Initial Score: 78.00
Revised Score: 89.13
Final Score: 90.341

(First Reaction: A song about a very dysfunctional relationship that repeats itself a bit too often, but "You want someone to hurt like you" is one of the more... direct takes on the tendency to hurt others the way we've been hurt and that type of topic appeals to me at this exact moment for reasons I won't get into because, good Lord, there is no version of that conversation that can end well for any of us.)

...Yeah, trust me, you don't want a writeup here. Thanks for the song though! I love it and it's exactly what I need right now for *reasons*.

[Later, before the Final Score phase starts: I'm tempted to move this up to, like, 99 points or something because the highest tier needs more pain like this. I... will hold off on doing so, but I'm leaving a note that I considered adding another 10 points to this score.]

]Final Thoughts: The verses don't really appeal to me and there's a lot of repetition in the lyrics here, but that chorus is exactly what I want right now sooo... let's officially take it up to the 90 point tier. Not quite the 99 point behemoth that I apparently thought about turning it into, but definitely up there at that highest level.]

[Later: The chorus is definitely perfect, but I'm just not as into the main part of the song, so I think I'll let this go here.]

============================

-

====================

#62: Philippe Katerine - Amiami [4:11]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7nIIaqExWA

Nominator: cakophon [0/20 Remaining]

Initial Score: 90.00
Revised Score: 90.00
Final Score: 90.00 [Upgraded to 90.35]

(First Reaction: The lyrics aren't really to my taste, with all the sex & drugs, but I damned sure have no complaints about the actual song. Ahhh beach sounds and low tones, my old favorites. i think if people ask me what music I'm into, I could just show them this and say "listen to the intro before the vocals start. THAT. THAT IS WHAT I WANT". And really, I have no particular issues with his singing, so the lyrics aren't even close to being a deal breaker.)

1I refuse to allow this song to score less than 90 points. It's not perfect, but there aren't many songs that hit the right notes for me in the way this song does, so it's something that should be cherished.

[Final Thoughts: I think this is a song that serves as a very fine introduction to the highest tier. Mostly due to the intro, but the rest of his performance is fine enough that it's consistently enjoyable,]

[Later; I'll be giving this one a little boost over a few songs because that beach atmosphere that opens the song is simply magical.]

====================

Elimination #8: cakophon

Lowest Ranked Song:

Sabu - Choferito - Plena [42.11]

Highest Ranked Song

Philippe Katerine - Amiami [90.35]

Average Score: 62.48

You set out to nominate a variety of non-English songs and succeeded. From classical romantic duets, to experimental tracks, to bongo music, to the perfect beachside ambiance. Your nominations covered a large number of styles, feelings, genres, and countries. While it's not the best average--an unavoidable side-effect of such variety were the tracks placing across a variety of tiers--it's still very solidly in the "I like this" level of average because I did genuinely like the experience your set of noms provided. Thank you!

-------------------------------

Average Score Chart

CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
cakophon; 62.48
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

--------------------------------------------------

-and one more to get us back to an even number of songs remaining:-

========================

#61: Every Time I Die - White Void (3:34):
https://open.spotify.com/track/2ibes1ot9ij8pbx3de9Gg4?si=41d66d534d284220

Nominator: Bane [3/38 Remaining]

Initial Score: 60.00
Revised Score: 63.15
Final Score: 68.0006 [Upgraded to 70.70] [Upgraded to 73.1499] [Upgraded to 75.1499] [Upgraded to 82.29] [Upgraded to 90.50]

(First Reaction: Clumpy, clumpy, clumpy, all songs go into the clump.

PROS:

Most of the song relies on clear, melodic vocals that are rarely heard from this band.

"By the time I saw the light, I was dead" is a lyric I enjoy.

CON

The verse with the lyrics I most enjoy is the verse that drops the clear, melodic vocals. So the lyrics I like & the vocals I like are isolated in different parts of the song.)

!Some good lyrics & some good singing, I like it.

[Final Thoughts: Yeah, I like this.]

[Later: I think I'm going to move this one up a tier.]

[Later: Moving this one up to the 73 point category.]

[Later: Two more points here, I think.]

[Later: Moving this one up a tier. I'm really digging the clean vocals on the first verse here & the chorus.]

[Later: The parts with clean vocals are strong enough that I love this. It does get a bit harder than I'd like at times, but hey, I can work with this.]

========================

Points of Authority one of my fav Linkin Park songs, nice to see it get top Hybrid Theory spot.

White Void being one of the top Radical songs for you doesn't surprise me, Keith does some great singing on it. Along with the mentioned "By the time I saw the light, I was dead," I also love his delivery on the final bridge of the song. Fun fact: I was at the Every Time I Die show that they premiered White Void for the first time at, and it's also the ONLY Radical song I got to see them perform live as they ended not too long after the album came out sadly. My favorite album from them, and I'll never be able to see them perform any songs from it.

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

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

On first listen, I already like this cover quite a bit, and I appreciate how The Protomen took such an iconic song in their own direction, as you mentioned. Thank you for posting and talking about it!

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

An all-time classic that I'll always love, but it's a bit played out by now. I've spent so much time listening to 80's pop stations that this song is one of those omnipresent songs that's always been around.

...You know, I feel like this explains quite a bit of our common ground here and sort of in Rank the Tracks + Albums too. For myself, it's not much of an exaggeration to say I grew up on 80s pop.

And if you're looking for a lesser-known song by The Cure... I haven't exactly delved deeply into their discography myself, but I can share one that I'm fond of and that at least arguably qualifies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7U1k147Qk4

As for Eye in the Sky, I had no idea about that irony, and knowing you find it funny makes me feel free to do likewise! (As for why, if you were curious, I've just about only ever heard it separate of Sirius.)

(No, I don't know why I've suddenly decided to actively comment in this topic when I didn't last topic, either)

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

Fun fact: I was at the Every Time I Die show that they premiered White Void for the first time at, and it's also the ONLY Radical song I got to see them perform live as they ended not too long after the album came out sadly. My favorite album from them, and I'll never be able to see them perform any songs from it.

Sounds cool! ...The part about seeing the song live, that is, obviously. I'm also a bit disappointed about the band breaking up. I'm obviously not a super fan like you, but they've had a fair number of songs that I loved.

MetalmindStats posted...

...You know, I feel like this explains quite a bit of our common ground here and sort of in Rank the Tracks + Albums too. For myself, it's not much of an exaggeration to say I grew up on 80s pop.

And if you're looking for a lesser-known song by The Cure... I haven't exactly delved deeply into their discography myself, but I can share one that I'm fond of and that at least arguably qualifies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7U1k147Qk4

I mostly grew up on oldies, but I got super into 80s music for a while. During the best year of my life, I'd often turn on an 80s station whenever I was at a computer or doing anything else where I could use background music or whenever I wanted to listen to music. There's quite a bit of nostalgia associated with that era of music as a result; also, it just seems to be a style that I typically enjoy, as I would have just flipped to another station if I didn't like the majority of what was being played.

The Cure song is added to the post-ranking listening, thank you!

-

Three songs to start the day:

============================

#60: Franchouchou - Yomigaere:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7kAm5bCRT9PAR9Kpx8Kom1?si=8bd6183b55ce43f0

Nominator: Player_0 [2/33 Remaining]

Initial Score: 49.90
Revised Score: 49.90
Final Score: 90.75

(First Reaction: Nah, I'd rather wallow in despair for a few more centuries, thanks anyway.)

I'm not really in the mood for hopeful music right now which limits how much I can appreciate a song like this. It's perfectly fine; if I were in the mood for something like this message, having it delivered by zombies is probably one of the better ways of sending it ; the music and singing are good enough, I don't have anything really against the song. It's just not the type of thing I want to hear right now and, as always, I'm not pretending to be objective. Happy & optimistic songs need to do something to bypass my initial negativity about the concept and this never resonates with me or does something I'm really drawn into. It's a good message and competently delivered, but not one I want.

[Final Thoughts: Oh hey, I'm in the mood for this now. What fortuitous timing.]

============================

-

================

#59: Eddie Jobson - Green Face [4:22]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JE0g8sUPCQ

Nominator: TunnelScene [2/27 Remaining]

Initial Score: 70.00
Revised Score: 72.064
Final Score: 72.064 [Upgraded to 72.50] [Upgraded to 74.838\] [Upgraded to 76.44] [Upgraded to 77.80] [Placed Into Void] [Upgraded to 82.18] [Upgraded to 91.03]

(First Reaction: Progressive Synth Pop Concept Album Song. I like it quite a bit, though the story it's telling is a bit over my head since it's part of a concept album that isn't very well documented--it's Orwellian & probably pretty cool, which I suppose is enough to get the basic feel of the track. Wouldn't mind hearing more from the album at some point, though the reviews of it I find make it sound like no one really understands the story [which is also nice in its own way].)

!Sure, I could go for some confusing synth pop concept music right about now. 80's synths are usually pretty neat and this song is no exception.

[Final Thoughts: I understand none of this story, but i still really like it.]

[Later: Bit of an upgrade.]

[Later: Bit more of an upgrade. The \ doesn't have an impact on scoring, but may or may not be symbolic of something--the score doesn't look right without it.]

[Later: Two more points-ish.]

[Later: And another point or so.]

[Later: Moving this aside for a bit.]

[Later: And I think I'll take this one up a tier. I don't really get it, but it's interesting and has a pleasing 80s vibe to it that I dig.]

[Later: I think I'll be going ahead and taking this one up a tier. I like this blend of progressive & rock music with heavy synths; it's a little odd, but in an approachable mainstream way that wouldn't feel particularly out of place on a classic rock station. It's definitely the type of song I listen to and I feel good about moving it up to 91 points.]

================

-

==================

#58: Friends of Distinction - Grazing in the Grass (3:01):
https://youtu.be/cjYrski71II

Nominator: Mega_Mana [2/38 Remaining[

Initial Score: 86.77
Revised Score: 84.92
Final Score: 91.26

(First Reaction: Ah, now there's the version of this song that I know by heart. I don't think I've heard this song in a few years, but it was definitely a mainstay on the oldies station back in the day. And somehow the rapid-fire lyrics manage to be charming without feeling as repetitive as they are--the phrase "dig it" comes up 59 times in the song, but you know, I'm okay with it. It's impressive, charming, and nostalgic enough that I'm actually content with it.)

!A serene and beautiful hit of nostalgia.

[Fianl Thoughts: I have no idea how this song was below the 90 point tier, but I'm fixing that immediately. I can dig it.]

[lAter: I'll just keep that typo for no valid reason. ...And that one, which was accidental, but looks like it's an intentional part of this and adds a certain distinction to the writeup.

*looks at the artist name* ...Neat! I wasn't even trying to make a joke there.]

==================

That Yomigaere writeup could work for half of the Franchouchou songs haha. Glad it found you at the right time!

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#81: Caligula's Horse - Salt [7:41[:
https://youtu.be/qxApCWfTvqA

Nominator: CJones [0/18 Remaining]

Initial Score: 62.81
Revised Score: 63.01
Final Score: 60.00 [Upgraded to 62.81] [Upgraded to 67.017] [Upgraded to 72.39] [Upgraded to 74.703] [Upgraded to 75.00000002] [Upgraded to something] [Something set to 80.114] [Upgraded to 80.1149] [Upgraded to 82.473] [Upgraded to 87.00]

This is the song that I predicted would rank the highest, so for once one of my predictions was actually correct. Easily my favorite of all the songs I nominated. Although I've never tried to commit suicide, I've certainly thought about it. No time recently though. I've generally been happier these last few years than I had been for a long time.

Yeah, Caligula's Horse is pretty great. I really like Bloom and Rise Radiant (the album Salt is from). I'm less crazy about In Contact (the album Graves is from). For as long as Graves is, it seems like not a whole lot actually happens. But I've only heard it a few times.

I agree with you assessment of Speed Dating an Arsonist. It's a great song with a really bad outro. It needs to be at least 30 seconds shorter. When I listen to Swagger and Stroll, I will frequently just skip past the end of Arsonist.

I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to my music, and I really appreciated hearing what you thought of it. Just listening to 700+ songs is a colossal amount of work, to say nothing of commenting on all of them, many at great length. I know the sort of music I listen to isn't generally too popular. If I really had wanted to be cruel, I would have nominated some Between the Buried and Me :P I actually seriously considered including some Gilbert and Sullivan, as I'm a big fan of their work. Considering how well the showtunes are doing, you might actually like some of that. G&S is basically the precursor to the modern musical.

I'll stick around and check out the rest of the list. If nothing else, I'm curious to see how long I maintain the top average score.

MetalmindStats posted...

On first listen, I already like this cover quite a bit, and I appreciate how The Protomen took such an iconic song in their own direction, as you mentioned. Thank you for posting and talking about it!

I forgot to mention it earlier, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

PIayer_0 posted...

That Yomigaere writeup could work for half of the Franchouchou songs haha.

Trust me, I noticed. </.<

That being said, I did wind up loving two of their very optimistic inspirational songs, so I'm not exactly complaining...

-

CJones posted...

Although I've never tried to commit suicide, I've certainly thought about it. No time recently though. I've generally been happier these last few years than I had been for a long time.

[...]

For as long as Graves is, it seems like not a whole lot actually happens. But I've only heard it a few times.

[...]

If I really had wanted to be cruel, I would have nominated some Between the Buried and Me :P I actually seriously considered including some Gilbert and Sullivan, as I'm a big fan of their work. Considering how well the showtunes are doing, you might actually like some of that. G&S is basically the precursor to the modern musical.

I'm glad to hear you're doing better! I've dealt with some stuff myself, though I'm also doing better these days. ...Yes, for me, this is better and I'm doing fine.

Well, Graves deals with fatherhood, so there may have been a bit of a bias there. That's pretty much always going to be a subject that causes emotional spikes which can cause erratic scoring; I remember it being overwhelming and a very positive emotional spike at the time, though I haven't gone back to the track in a while.

I may try a song or two by BtB&M later... defining the music as "cruel" certainly piques my curiosity. I have a harder time deciding on Gilbert & Sullivan--I'm vaguely aware of the duo as some of their work has been parodied and covered so many times in pop culture that it feels impossible to not be aware of them, but music that old tends to "miss" more often than not; I wouldn't be opposed to listening to something, but they're probably not something I'd go out of my way to find.

And you're welcome, and thank you for all the nice comments.

-

Apologies for the delay here... I decided to move two songs up the list at the last minute and haven't been able to sit down & listen to more to see what tracks took their places until a little bit ago. Seven songs, including our next elimination, coming up now:

-

========================

#57: Tokoyami Towa - FACT (3:15):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc05le75CfI

Nominator: Handsomeboy [2/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 82.17
Revised Score: 86.75
Final Score: 91.48

(First Reaction: Another day, another high-scoring BDSM-esque song. This one has a bit of a "dark synthwave" vibe to it and vtubers, and hey, I like those things. Cool song, nice darkness.)

!Cuffs, collars, and small cages--even if it's not exactly that type of song, there's certainly a lot of elements of it. Great sound and fun amount of darkness, I highly enjoyed this one.

[Final Thoughts: I'm pretty sure I love this song. Her voice is powerful and seductive enough that she can actually pull it off, I love screaming in the eternal darkness, and... well it's not dark synthwave but it is the type of song those words should actually mean. This song is an absolute hit.]

========================

-

============================

#56: Mannfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded by the Light (7:09):
https://youtu.be/Rpq35wyDi7I

Nominator: Metalmind [7/25 Remaining]

Initial Score: 89.64
Revised Score: 92.10
Final Score: 91.49

(First Reaction: Thank you for spending the extra time nominating the full version instead of the single/radio edit! I actually haven't heard this version of the song too often... it was quite mindblowing the first time the radio played this version instead. Hearing a song I loved that I thought I knew by heart suddenly segue into a trippy instrumental interlude was kinda freaky honestly. I've listened to the single version a lot--I found it right at the time I was getting into songs with slightly nonsensical lyrics & I've always loved this type of classic rock that I have nostalgia for, so it was in the right place & right time to basically be my favorite song for a short while.

Unfortunately, this isn't quite different enough to get past the "I played this on an infinite loop so many times that the magic is gone now" factor... the addiitions from the full version are appreciated, but it's still basically the same song. So I still love it, but I don't really want to move it any further up the list.)

!Undervalued this a bit originally because it was so overly familiar, but yeah, I do still love this song enough to keep in the 90 point tier.

[Final Thoughts: I honestly forgot this was nominated and was really pumped up when it was time to listen to it again. For as many times as I've listened to this, I'm still psyched up about it & the trippy instrumental is a fine addition to the song--gives it just that little actual twist that keeps it from feeling like something I've listened to a thousand times.]

============================

-

===================

#55: F-Zero GX - Digi-Boy's Theme [2:33]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SzpWkUAdnY

Nominator: paulg [1/52 Remaining]

Initial Score: 70.00 [upgraded to 100]
Revised Score: 100
Final Score: 91.58

(First Reaction: This song slaps, as all the hip cats say these days. I'll add it to the cluster of 70 point songs.)

Of all songs, this is the one that followed "Dux Mix 1"'s scoring trajectory: A pretty high initial score, though not one that's overwhelmingly fantastic... and then I find myself unable to get the song out of my head. Every day, I ask myself, "is this the day we get to Dux Mix/Digi Boy's Theme??" and the answer is always "no, you added way too many nominations to ever get to the ones you liked". But I'm cheating: I'm skipping directly to this song and immediately giving it a perfect score! I believe this is the second song to fall into the "I literally could not wait to listen to this song again" camp. Congratulations!

Ultimately, this song is just fun. It perfectly fits the "boy genius" aesthetic that it goes to, but there's this fun, confident energy to it that is absolutely addicting. I actually love this song and I look forward to seeing if my love for this song holds up under repeat listens.

[Third Listen: This song did not need to go as hard as it does.]

[Final Thoughts: Link replaced due to original video being deleted.

So...I love this song still, but it's not quite at that perfect score level. Still, definitely an absolute top-tier song, and a very welcome surprise. Though I suppose Dux Mix didn't win either, so this track really did follow its trajectory to a T...]

===================

-continued-

===================

#54: Shohei Tsuchiya - Suite Photoconductivity (26:17):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL0MhcalpOU

Nominator: sergio [0/13 Remaining]

Initial Score: 62.16
Revised Score: 87.49
Final Score: 90.12 [Upgraded to 92.16]

(First Reaction:

First Tune - Iron Fossil: Not bad.

Second Tune - Mist: It's definitely the type of atmospheric song I like, but it's a bit too short to really get drawn into and the transition to Third Tune is really abrupt, in a way that I find it really hurts the song. I prefer my "falling into the void of space" atmosphere tracks to not end midnote, and I *really* prefer they not segue into anything like Third Tune.

Third Tune - Bolt and Sword: Oh hey, a percussion based EPIC TRACK. Joy. */sarcasm*. Well, I don't hate it--I don't even dislike it all that much... there's a few subdued parts & an interesting bit around the 12 minute mark. The song kinda floats around the 35 to 47 point range. Not for me, very aggressively not for me, but not something I really mind. ...Apart from it crashing my ATMOSPHERE and being so much longer than the part I loved anyway.

Fourth Tune - Haze: Like Mist, but it has a bit more of a "sinking into the ocean" feel more than a space feel. The transition to Fifth Tune is seamless and it's got a bit of an ominous buildup, so Haze & the opening of Tyrant go well together.

Fifth Tune - Tyrant: It feels like you're being drawn towards almost certain death. Like you were sinking into the ocean & oh hey, there's a light--oh it's a giant anglerfish, I'm going to be eaten now. Not my favorite concept, but it has a good build to it & there's some interesting "hope spots" mixed in, so it's not overly bleak or epic. Probably a low-50s type of track, though it feels like it goes on a bit too long.

Sixth Tune - Guidance: Beautiful, though too short. It's very spiritual & heavenly, but in a good way. I actually rather like the light of this song. There's just not much time to bask in its radiance before things end.

...Now I kinda wish there was an edit with just 2-4-6 that cut out the actual battle music, but this is pretty nice. As far as long & epic journeys go, this is definitely one of the better ones, with the almost painful shift between parts 2 & 3 as the only real weakpoint (with 3 as the weak point of the entire song).

Now I kinda wonder if an edit that just cut out Third Tune would work. A battle theme with the First Tune, falling or sinking into the abyss for two tracks (2 & 4) which lasts a proper amount of time by combining those two/removing the second fight theme, and then an EPIC BATTLE at Track 5 before the deliverance of Sixth Tune.)

!I'm definitely more in the mood for this type of instrumental journey than I was the first time around.

[Final Thoughts: I wouldn't put this at the highest tier, but I really do kinda love this track. It's one of the best instrumental journeys I've ever heard & one of the few songs that could be described as "epic battle" that I well and truly love. Magnificent song.

...actually, ya know, let's go ahead and do it. I'm moving this up to the highest tier--I do love this song.]

[Later: Going to add a bit of a boost to the 92 point level with this track. Incidentally, I don't think I ever actually thanked you for nominating the full version since NFUN didn't have the nomination time to spend going all out. It was a gamble going for such a long song, but I think it paid off with one of the highest scoring songs of the topic.]

===================

Elimination #9; sergiocornaga

Lowest Scoring Song

Phillip Glass - Vessels [12.04]

Highest Scoring Song

Shohei Tsuchiya - Suite Photoconductivity [92.16]

Average Score: 55.80

As you mentioned during nominations, you mostly used your time to compliment other people's nominations. This was a bit of a mixed bag of results; the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack didn't work out entirely well for me (though I do like Prophecies & generally enjoyed the title track), though the added context it provided for rwlh's nomination was appreciated so it accomplished what it was meant tol. Meanwhile, Suite Photoconductivity's full version turned out to be one of the highest scoring songs of the topic & a perfect example of how to do a long musical journey in a way that I love and the topic is much better off that we got to see its full potential.

Of the three songs that were explictly just to showcase some things you enjoyed, King Noah was a true delight. There are so few songs that give me those tones that just reverberate through my soul the way the intro to that track does. Definitely a big highlight there. Thank you for your nominations & time!

-------------------------------

Average Score Chart

CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
cakophon; 62.48
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
sergiocornaga: 55.80
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

--------------------------------------------------

-

============================

#53: Tick, Tick...Boom! (Netflix) - Superbia (2:35):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URHGI7dilzU

Nominator: @Raka_Putra [4/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 56.71
Revised Score: 58.67
Final Score: 59.65 [Upgraded to 65.49] [Upgraded to 73.75] [Upgraded to 80.697] [Upgraded to 80.80] [Upgraded to 87.05] [Upgraded to 92.20]

(First Reaction: I wasn't a fan of the song until the end with it's comedic run-on lyric: "The 31st annual Face Awards presentation ceremony live via satellite in color, it's an 18-hour function with commercial interruption, from a marvelous; glorious; slam-bang glamorama!" There's something so goofy and fun about that part that it'll likely be one of the most memorable segments of the entire ranking.)

!Pretty fun song. I like how overly energetic and enthusiastic the cast is for the Face Awards.

[Final Thoughts: May you find something or someone in your life that brings you as much joy as the mere thought of the Face Awards brings these people.]

[Later: That line is so wildly enjoyable that I do like this... going to go ahead and move this towards the middle of the next tier.]

[Later: Yeah, I really like this.]

[Later: Actually, I think I kinda love it?]

[Later: Minor boost.]

[Later: Someone may be interested in knowing that there is a version of this song without the spoken dialogue scene interrupting the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLtH4ahLGG0

But now the song feels wrong without "Oh no, he's keeping the Godspell" and the extended instrumentals don't feel like they add anything to the song... so I much prefer the abridged version with its interrupting scene and dialogue.]

[Later: Sure, let's bring this song along for the ride too.]

[Later: I do also find it interesting that Superbia is an unfinished play, so it's neat getting to listen to something from it. I also like "fiction within fiction", so there's a bit of fun in that the actors are playing actors who are playing characters.]

============================

-continued-

thanks sergio

================

#52: Radix - Moon of my own [3:05]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCcSZVuNTro

Nominator: TunnelScene [1/27 Remaining]

Initial Score: 67.14
Revised Score: 74.29
Final Score: 76.54 [Upgraded to 77.25] [Placed Into Void] [Upgraded to 79.30] [Upgraded to 82.97] [Upgraded to 92.22]

(First Reaction: A triumphant victory song that works as a nice congratulations tune. I like it.)

!Still feels like a happy, triumphant victory celebration with just a hint of twinkling stars to it. It's pretty neat.

[Final Thoughts: Triumphant and twinkling. Feels like it could be a credits song for one of the Mega Man Complete Works games, somehow; they're not in the style at all, but I can picture Mega Man running along a twinkling background as credits scroll past.]

[Later; A bit of a boost for reorganization. It's a nice, happy little tune that I want to take up to 77 points.]

[Later: Moving this song aside for a while... will figure it out later.]

[Later: I think I'll go with 79.30 for this song. I do really like it and it serves as a very satisfying conclusion to the playlist, but while I do really enjoy it, I think it's one of those songs that falls just before the next tier.]

[Later: Really moving this one up at the last minute and probably going to mess something up as a result... I got everything with less than 80 points fully ready to be eliminated last night, but today this is stuck in my head and I'm saying "noo, not my Mega Man in space song1 We can't eliminate that yet!" so now I'm moving this up... which wouldn't normally be an issue, but I just updated a lot of stats that need to be corrected and I need to change so many things. But that's my own fault and I'm not going to penalize the song just because it would be more convenient to leave it with a lower score.]

[Later: I think I'll go up to 92 points with this. It's just a twinkly, shiny, victory lap. It's quite nice.]

================

-

...and I don't want to eliminate the song that was thrown in as a replacement elimination either... which means I need to shuffle things around.

*shuffle, shuffle*

Okay, our new 51st place and last elimination of the night:

========================

#51: Tokoyami Towa, Hoshimachi Suisei - Haiiro to Ao (Cover) (5:35):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0firv69LkgI

Nominator: Handsomeboy [1/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 80.14
Revised Score: 93.00
Final Score: 90.76 [Upgraded to 93.01]

(First Reaction: I honestly wasn't into this song during the first verse, but it really turns around once it hits the chorus. It's so powerfully emotional & their voices blend together so well that the song is fantastic, more than making up for the slightly slow start.)

!Painful nostalgia for youth and old relationships. Definitely my type of lyrics and a very good performance by two artists who work well together.

[Final Thoughts:

I wonder if youre somewhere out there
Looking at the crescent moon before sunrise too
For no reason at all my chest hurts
Faces blur, colors run

Right now Im shouting out of sadness
Is it really too late for everything?
If I could start walking again from the beginning
I would want to cross paths with you again

It's always the simple lyrics that hit the hardest.. I love the lyrics and the way their voices combine in the chorus.]

[Later: I think I'll go ahead and put this back up to its Revised Score. Plus a tiny fraction more to avoid a tie.]

====================

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#147: Eminem - Rabbit Run (3:10):

i think my personal favorite part is that repetition of "sometimes" when he's talking about being stuck and how it gets across how the same struggle comes up constantly and all he can do is just see the "race" through over and over

i think this was also one of the first songs i came across really early on that didn't follow the standard structure of verse-chorus-verse and put in my mind that idea that you could even do that to fit the meaning of the track

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#132: Grimes - Kill V. Maim (4:06):

prob my fav Grimes track though i actually don't remember if i've ever read about the supposed meaning of the song before

not that it ever mattered to me because it was just so fucking catchy from the moment i first heard it

Heck yeah Superbia/Sextet!

Jonathan Larson wrote Superbia in 1985-1991 according to Wiki so it's pretty astounding how the lyrics feels so relevant to today's obsession with social media and gratuitous awards.

And I don't remember exactly when the nomination phase was, but, initially, the clean version wasn't released. I totally agree that nowadays I also prefer the fan-edit version.

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#57: Tokoyami Towa - FACT (3:15):

Towa probably has my favourite singing voices among vtubers. It's a shame she won't use that in streams anymore because it got flamed badly in early days for not being cutesy-enough and she decided to switch to a higher pitched voice (which is also good). And she doesn't sing very often!

I like this the best among my nominations in this topic. It fits her appearance very well... but not her actual personality it would seem.

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#51: Tokoyami Towa, Hoshimachi Suisei - Haiiro to Ao (Cover) (5:35):

Their voices work soooooooo well together. Here's another cover with them both:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QH4fuFbY0E

Funnily enough Suisei started with a cutesy high-pitched voice and lowered it after being told it would hurt her throat if she kept doing it.

I'm glad you appreciated my offerings! Thanks for the extreme attention you give to every track.

NFUN posted...

thanks sergio

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#128: OblivionFall - Welcome to the *** Zone (2:37):

lmao i've been waiting for this one ever since the beginning of the topic and i saw that it wasn't in the bottom five. i'm actually kind of disappointed this was as far as it got in that case since it really comes off to me as a hate it or love it thing. there's like two (or three?) "sequels" but they don't really match the sheer fucking stupidity and are considerably less entertaining in my opinion. and yeah, the instrumental is really good

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#123: DEMONDICE, Romonosov? - Speak of Devil (4:12):

whoa i think this is my fav song of hers so far

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#115: KennyHoopla - hollywood sucks (2:34):

what the fuck. this is so good. now spending the rest of the night listening to more from him

kateee posted...

what the fuck. this is so good. now spending the rest of the night listening to more from him

Yeah he's got so much good stuff. How Will I Rest In Peace if I'm Buried by a Highway was my introduction and it definitely blew me away.

handsomeboy2012 posted...

Their voices work soooooooo well together. Here's another cover with them both:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QH4fuFbY0E

Also added to Za'List, thank you.

kateee posted...

i'm actually kind of disappointed this was as far as it got in that case since it really comes off to me as a hate it or love it thing.

I mean, I do kinda love it...

kateee posted...

whoa i think this is my fav song of hers so far

I know, right? So many great moments on that track, besides the ones I specifically referenced... I just have a hard time getting past the siren; I did consider going back and retroactively moving it up to this tier, but I can't quite convince myself to do so.

-

Four songs to start the day off, featuring the next elimination & a double drop from Metalmind:

-

========================

#50: Two-Mix - TRUTH ~A Great Detective of Love~ (5:36):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojW1JdMysmk

Nominator: Handsomeboy [0/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 53.41
Revised Score: 53.37
Final Score: 92.54 [Upgraded to 93.04]

(First Reaction: It's close to greatness, but feels like it's missing a spark. It's nice hearing a new (to me) song from Two-Mix after listening to their Gundam Wing songs so many times & references to twinkling stars give me the night sky that I love, but there's no killer moment that throws me into ridiculous fantasies or hits me emotionally. It certainly has all the elements of a great song, they just never fully gel for some reason.)

I hadn't realized that this song's singer, Minami Takayama, also provided the voice of the main character. That's pretty impressive. Also, something funny is that she performed a version of this song in character and it is a glorious trainwreck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbU7ajTwGJQ

I have to give her a lot of credit for fully committing to the bit there. It's really difficult to sing while doing someone else's voice and I've heard it can be challenging for trained singers to intentionally sing terribly. She's really quite talented.

As for the song itself: I do like the sax here, that's definitely the type of sax solo I enjoy. I'm still not really able to get into most of the song itself though... it's good and I like it, but I'm not really connecting with it or feeling too strongly about it.

[Final Thoughts: Well... this song hit unexpectedly hard tonight... I don't really want to talk about it right now, but this song is moving *way* up for causing such an intense emotional spike. And that type of sax is exactly what I love... oh yeah, I'm jumping this all the way to the top.]

[Later: And an extra half-point to this, so it can reach the 93 point level.]

========================

Elimination #10: handsomeboy2012

Lowest Scoring Song

Rhythm Heaven Megamix - Final Remix [49.50]

Highest Scoring Song

Two-Mix - TRUTH ~A Great Detective of Love~ [93.04]

Average Score: 69.36

You nominated a pretty good variety of tracks: From more cantopop classics to novelty gag tracks that accidentally pushed my nostalgia buttons. From singing sheepgirls to operatic music. And for such a large variety, the mixture generally paid off: Three songs at the highest tier, three more at the second highest, and a large number in the "liked" range. In fact, if it weren't for that one low scoring song dragging the average down, you'd have an almost unbelievable 70+ point average

I do find it interesting that you managed to find two food related songs with high scores. The peanut commercial (which is still a very catchy tune) and "Shishiwata Cooking" though I'm not sure if the latter should count... there is cooking, but the selling point is the humor and the way the two singers play off of each other, to a point that I actually forgot it could even be considered a food song.

Anyway, while it's hard to summarize such a varied list of nominations quickly, I think the high average score should speak for itself. I really liked the majority of what you nominated. Thank you very much!

-------------------------------

Average Score Chart

handsomeboy: 69.36
CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
cakophon; 62.48
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
sergiocornaga: 55.80
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

--------------------------------------------------

-

============================

#49: Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon (4:11):
https://youtu.be/qQU5nS8G7K8

Nominator: Metalmind [6/25 Remaining]

Initial Score: 84.63
Revised Score: 93.00
FInal Score: 93.048

(First Reaction: I love the Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham era of Fleetwood Mac and this song is no exception. With lyrics inspired by a witch filled with plenty of non-human imagery ("She's like a cat in the dark and then she is the darkness"), we've got a song by a band I love with lyrics and subtext that are rather perfectly tailored to me. And oh so many tangents I could go on: I could talk about "Triad: A Novel of the Supernatural", the book that inspired Nicks to write this song (though the song has roughly nothing to do with it). I could talk about the Goddesss Rhiannon that inspired the name of the character in Triad and which would go on to inspire Nicks when she later learned of her stories. Heck, I could ramble forever about loving the band in general & how shocked I was that I actually enjoyed Hamilton more as an album than Rumours.

(There's also the comedy option of talking about cars as the reference to skylark's was actually inspired by Lindsey owning a Buick Skylark, a detail that no one ever needed to know, but is now here as though it somehow helped my appreciation of this song or contributed to the writeup in any way.)

Ultimately though, I've listened to this countless times and it's never been my absolute favorite song or even my favorite song by the band. It's fantastic and I love it, but I crave something newer. )

!Band I love with lyrics that highly appeal to me, so let's just say this song is a pretty obvious ticket to the highest tier of regular songs.

[Final Thoughts: Yes, I love it when bands I love do things I love and also someone references a cat.]

============================

-continued-

============================

#48: Will Wood and the Tapeworms - Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In! (5:51):
https://youtu.be/P7-me9bvcDM

Nominator: NBIceman [3/22 Remaining]

Initial Score: 64.10
Revised Score: 82.17
Final Score: 90.759 [Upgraded to 91.949] [Upgraded to 92.24] [Upgraded to 93.05]

(First Reaction: That was certainly an experience.)

!I have no idea what to make of this. It's not something I'd say I really like, but also I've been anxiously awaiting the chance to hear it again? Not strongly enough that I break my plans and listen to it early, but strong enough that I've been looking forward to hearing it much more than anything at the 60 & 70 point tiers. Which feels significant. That's definitely an 80 point reaction, so it should be at the 80 point tier? I guess? Let's try it at the early 80's and see how it feels there.

[Final Thoughts: I think I love whatever this is. Probably. It's definitely on a massively upward climb, perhaps ironically considering the lyrics.]

[Later: Going to add another point to slightly delay this while I think if I want to move it any further.]

[Later: I'm very tempted to move this up again, but I... actually, perhaps I will... alright, that kinda messes with everything, but apparently this is being pushed back until the next day's eliminations.]

============================

-

============================

#47: Jennifer Paige - Crush (3:21):
https://youtu.be/hYGJel4SsAs

Nominator: Metalmind [5/25 Remaining]

Initial Score: 90.00
Revised Score: 92.1699924
Final Score: 93.00 [Upgraded to 93.06]

(First Reaction: I had no idea what her name was, but when I saw the song title, I was really hoping it was this song. And it was! Yay.)

!This song is sightly below a song I've scored at "92.17" points, but it's really close. Kinda confusingly and overly precise it is so close. </.<

One of the best pop songs ever created and one that I'm still not even close to being tired of, no matter how often it plays.

[Final Thoughts: I love this song and I'm always hyped to hear it played. I don't think there's a lot here to analyze-, musically or lyrically--it's just a fantastic pop song--but it is FANTASTIC and I love it and it's here at the highest available tier.]

[Later: Generic minor boost for organizational purposes.]

============================

Having participaed in many of these topics I think I would rather have one song placed very high than a high average score! A good result nonetheness.

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#50: Two-Mix - TRUTH ~A Great Detective of Love~ (5:36):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojW1JdMysmk

...I hadn't realized that this song's singer, Minami Takayama, also provided the voice of the main character.

She once appeared as herself in the anime and had a concert. So she was voicing two characters at once in the same episode... and had to sing both normal and terrible versions of one of her songs because it was about a concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-m3U0GAhOg
(just a short episode clip)

The audience then wondered why the singing was so bad because 'the voice clearly belongs to Takayama'

handsomeboy2012 posted...

She once appeared as herself in the anime and had a concert. So she was voicing two characters at once in the same episode... and had to sing both normal and terrible versions of one of her songs because it was about a concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-m3U0GAhOg
(just a short episode clip)

The audience then wondered why the singing was so bad because 'the voice clearly belongs to Takayama'

That's great! I love meta jokes like that.

-

Six songs to end the day early, featuring a double drop from Jesse & the next elimination:

-

============================

#46: Villagers - A Trick of the Light (4:08):
https://open.spotify.com/track/1rCPg5GOtes0FIo1BzgvUi?si=cdKQ_EYDRsyNxe3RUShPrQ

Nominator: Jesse Custer [4/29 Remaining]

Initial Score: 60.20
Revised Score: 83.64
Final Score: 91.4999 [Upgraded to 92.87] [Upgraded to 93.07]

(First Reaction: A pleasant song. It has a smooth, almost classic feel to it, making it almost nostalgic in spite of how new it is (and I almost went back to find another word instead of using almost so many times that it's starting to lose all meaning, but I didn't).

I'm not really into the lyrics. Too much talk of light and faith... it's not exactly a negative, but well... darkness is a positive, so talk of light is--at best--a null value.)

!+2 tier levels.

[Final Thoughts: It's nice to finally find a song that make the jump from the 60s to the 80s & still feels like it actually deserved to have made said jump. I was getting kinda sad dropping songs back down to the tiers they came from, but if anything, this song is actually even better than the 80 point tier! It says a lot that the song goes for the exact opposite of what I want (referring to self in masculine terms, faith, light, the sun; blech) & still manages to be something that I love. I'm definitely going to check out another song or two from the album later.[

[Later: I think I want to briefly delay this elimination.]

[Later: And a final, minor boost for organization purposes.]

============================

-

============================

#45: Stereophonics - Dakota (4:56):
https://open.spotify.com/track/3qaSqrrevBrb84xl5JlptU?si=jukmvoo1TyGELEzsa_8lkw

Nominator: Jesse Custer [3/29 Remaining]

Initial Score: 61.20
Revised Score: 80.00
Final Score: 93.12

(First Reaction: I'm always down for reflecting on past relationships, but this is a bit too upbeat in tempo to really punch me in the emotions.)

!This song hits a lot harder tonight, so it's jumping up two full tiers. For now, at least.

[Final Thoughts: I do not wish to go over my past relationships yet again. With apologies for those who weren't here at past topics, let's just say songs about dead relationships have played incredibly well (including one winning the second year's ranking) whenever they resonate with me enough to trigger flashbacks. And the lyrics to this song are very much resonating as of late. Even little things like:

Drinkin' with you
When drinkin' was new

I was never big into drinking, never had enough to get more than a minor buzz & haven't touched the stuff since the last time I saw him. So many stupid little memories... the cheap bottle of wine he kept in the freezer for special occasions, that neither of us could actually stand when we finally tried it; making up stupid little drinking games to old cartoons... not important memories, just... stupid little things that I haven't thought of in a long time. The song itself isn't perfect--thematically, I get repeating the same line over and over for the outro, but I'll almost never actually like that writing technique--but it's good enough that I've never minded it.]

============================

-

============================

#44: Heathers: The Musical - Beautiful (8:34):
https://youtu.be/FfDYll-45bQ

Nominator: Metalmind [4/25 Remaining]

Initial Score:53.16
Revised Score: 57.64
Final Score: 74.7047 [Upgraded to 78.94] [Placed Into Void] [Upgraded to 79.72] [Upgraded to 81.6092] [Upgraded to 92.25] [Upgraded to 93.14]

(First Reaction: It's an improvement over a lot of musical intro songs as it does a great job introducing all the characters and things actually happen during it, it's held back by my inability to relate to or care about high school drama since... well, let's not revisit that topic right now. Without any connection or interest in high school, it makes it hard to feel much of anything towards the story being told thus far or the characterization of anyone. It's performed well, it develops the plot & introduces Veronica's talent for forgery that the story will revolve around, it never feels repetitive or drags even with an 8 minute runtime, and... I don't really feel anything towards anyone or any of the lyrics. Seems like the type of thing that would get rave reviews from someone other than me though.)

High school drama's just not one of my things, I'm afraid. There are definitely some high points in the lyrics though--reminiscing about early childhood is always nice and everyone having a breakdown towards the middle of the song definitely delivered the pain I seek:

Somebody hug me!
Somebody fix me!
Somebody save me!
Send me a sign, God!
Give me some hope, here!
Something to live for!

That's definitely something I can work with, yes. I'll also add a shout-out to the incredibly dark humor here and say the kidnapping joke was fairly funny. This song serves as a great introduction to the cast and way to illustrate the type of comedy the show is going for. I'm just not really into high school drama which leaves me unable to truly appreciate the song.

[Final Thoughts: Okay, I don't know how the hell this song was ranked so low originally. I don't think this even a case of the song suddenly clicking with me because as soon as i saw this song in the mid-50's, I actually said "what the fuck?" and thought it was a typo on the spreadsheet. But apparently EVERY page displays that ridiculously low score? Whatever, I'm jumping this song up two full tiers immediately and will worry about it later.]

[Later: Adding a few more points to the score.]

[Later: Moving this aside, like everything else.]

[Later: I really, really like this and honestly have no idea how it was ever below 70 points (seriously, I have no memories of ever not really liking this) but I think it's just a smidge below the next tier.]

[Later: Ehhh... I think I will take this up a tier after all, actually.]

[Later: And going up one final tier.]

[Later: Rearranging the list, so let's take this somewhere in the 93 point area.]

============================

-continued-

====================

#43: The Mountain Goats - No Children (2:48):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqGKZ3fzN1M

Nominator: rwlh [1/24 Remaining]

Initial Score: 83.14
Revised Score: 83.14
Final Score: 67.548 [Upgraded to "something"] [Upgraded to 83.14] [Upgraded to 92.99999999] [Upgraded to 93.18]

(First Reaction: I may wind up moving this song up to the highest tier on a relisten, but I want to give it a second listen on a different day before I fully commit to the idea. Still, this song does rather perfectly encapsulate certain feelings while being catchy as heck, so it's pretty well guaranteed a great score (even if perhaps not a perfect one, again, we'll find out later.)

!Great lyrics and a fun sound. I do kinda wish there was a harsher edge to this as i prefer some anger to go with my depression these days, but it's still a very high ranking song that I kinda love.

[Final Thoughts: As funny as it is sad, but I'm not really feeling it this afternoon. Points for "I hope I never come back to this town again"--it's lacking any real anger towards the town, but it's at least on the right track. Also "I hope it stays dark forever" is also the type of thing that always scores well. But... I think this is just something i like, as opposed to love (or even "really like").

[Later: I had this song ready to be eliminated, but I think I'm going to change my mind and delay that for a bit...]

[Later: Let's just move this song back up to where it came from. I do kinda love it and I don't want to cut it anytime soon.]

[Later: There's so many great lyrics in this song. Besides the lines I already quoted, the final stretch is perfection:

And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out
You'd stay the hell out of my way

I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand
And I hope you die
I hope we both die

Let's go up to almost 93 points for this. While it's not exactly my favorite song musically, it's probably in the discussion for being my favorite lyrically.]

[Later: Tiny nudge to this song's score so that it can enjoy being at 93 points.]

====================

-

================

#42: DV-i - Telecompo, Health + Human System Division (Intro) [2:12]:
https://youtu.be/HnNyV6LvnIY

Nominator: TunnelScene [0/27 Remaining]

Initial Score: 90.00
Revised Score: 96.00
Final Score: 93.047 [Upgraded to 93.20]

(First Reaction: Music that is both relaxing and futuristic in ways that I find highly appealing. It's a bit on the short side and I actively want to continue with more music like this, but I love what is presented here.)

!Ah, finally a song here at the top of the list hat is even better than I remembered it being! So relaxing. So beautiful. This song is definitely being moved up the list a little closer to first place. It's not quite there yet, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I did have it win in the end.

[Final Thoughts: It's like being a robot and going through your startup routine. Very futuristic and computer start-up-y, but also gentle and relaxing because you are supposed to be a helpful robot. It's a very interesting type of aesthetic and I love it.]

[Later: One of the few songs that I loved from the very first time I heard it, which never dropped down a tier. The song places me in a very interesting headspace; I can't say I've ever felt what it was to be a "helpful robot" before, so that's certainly a unique experience that should be treasured. While there are now some other songs I've learned to love more than this, I'll always treasure this experience.]

================

Elimination #11: TunnelScene

Lowest Scoring Song

Hajime Wakai - Area 6 Ver. 2 [53.80]

Highest Scoring Song

DV-i - Telecompo, Health + Human System Division (Intro) [93.20]

Average Score: 66.03

I'm sorry about that block of songs starting at that 55 point level; there were quite a few of your nominations that were at that "kinda like" level and losing so many songs in a row may have been a bit cruel... on the plus side, you didn't nominate anything that I didn't like & there was eventually a big jump in scoring, with three songs that I loved and two that I kinda loved.

[Also while there was an entire album of Bjork's songs nominated and three people submitted songs of hers, you chose the best one. That's an oddly specific achievement.]

I am grateful you took your time to introduce me to some new artists and there are definitely some that I'll check out more work from. I've actually had DV-i's "Secret Sky" set playing while I was typing this up--pretty neat, though thus far none of it has compared to the song you chose. Either way, you always nominate really interesting songs and while they don't always work for me, you also always find some that I truly love which are unlike anything else that gets nominated. I don't think I can ever thank you enough, but once again, thank you.

Ooh, now the DV-i video I have going is getting interesting!

https://youtu.be/-YAWcks7kOg?t=952

[skip to 15:52 if the link doesn't work]

I knew they're play something I loved if I waited long enough this video!

-

-------------------------------

Average Score Chart

handsomeboy: 69.36
TunnelScene: 66.03
CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
cakophon; 62.48
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
sergiocornaga: 55.80
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

--------------------------------------------------

-

========================

#41: Every Time I Die - Post-Boredom (3:16):
https://open.spotify.com/track/2mQ0iTpQxuhBJIuFNUFGD0?si=09d50b613f8f4072

Nominator: Bane [2/38 Remaining]

Initial Score: 100
Revised Score: 92.00
Final Score: 93.31

(First Reaction: *laughs* Ooh, the perfect score list is going to be very interesting this year.)

!Exactly what I was looking for when the ranking started, though not quite my absolute favorite at this exact moment... clean lyrics, great angry energy, one of the band's best and definitely something that deserves to be at the highest tier. Just not my absolute favorite.

[Final Thoughts: I find it odd that I love this song (it has never been in the danger of dropping below the highest tier), but I have very little to say about it. It is simply the defining example of angry metalcore that I like; it is angry, depressing, somewhat shout-y, -but-- very clear and easy to listen to. Same with the band; it's loud and angry, but it's not going to ram your head through the wall or bust your skull open. It is as though they wish to be angry alongside you, instead of being so angry they crush you as well.

...or something.]

[Later:

I broke my own heart, I'm trying to convince myself
That I can suffer if I want, motherfucker

"I'll suffer if I want, motherfucker,," is perhaps a *bit* more direct than I'd say myself, but considering how many times I've said I didn't want optimistic or inspiration, I rather get the sentiment.]

========================

No Children might be my favorite song lyrically. It's just so bleak and uncompromising. I love it. Glad it resonated with you.

You know what Ill just recommend the song (good version) for your list, if you havent heard of it before
https://youtu.be/MtrzrXcHvJU

Yea, Post-Boredom is one of their most accessible songs I'd say. It fees like they went "yea, we can totally make a radio friendly-ish song and still keep the bite and charm of the band intact" and so they did. Something I think is neat about the song, it doesn't have a completely typical "verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus" song structure, they throw in another little verse after the bridge at the end. Some other lines that I like from it is the whole "I gave you nothing, you want more? You'll get more nothing" and "I've done it all wrong for so long it feels okay.
From up here the parties and funerals, they look the same."

Fun to see it start at 100 lol

Heathers is great

handsomeboy2012 posted...

https://youtu.be/MtrzrXcHvJU

Added to the post-ranking list, thank you.

-

Three songs to start with and we'll see how many songs get posted later this afternoon.... [minor spoilers] there's a notable jump between the songs in #34th and #33rd place and then things get awkward as I'm presently refusing to cut anything else. So I need to take a break for a few hours and try reevaluating things... may-or-may-not just call the day after 33rd place, because apparently there's a symbolic tier change at that point if not a literal one?

Actually, that sounds good. I could use a bit of extra time so I don't make a rash decision about cutting anything.

-

Aaanywho, three songs featuring two from Jesse as we start things:

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#40: LEN - Steal My Sunshine (4:25):
https://open.spotify.com/track/4agp6oHofabdUedr0B1krj?si=hyTOt7S3QPWj80tQ2p-IxA

Nominator: Jesse Custer [2/29 Remaining]

Initial Score: 72.00
Revised Score: 92.00 [increased to 95.00]
Final Score: 93.32

(First Reaction: I don't recognize most of the song, but that "If you steal my sunshine" line is incredibly familiar. I am unsure if this song was so overplayed that even I couldn't avoid it, if the song was featured in some popular media I saw,, or if the chorus is sampled somewhere else... either way, I simultaneously know & do not know this song, which is an interesting feeling.

Song is addicting and a reference to sticky paws makes it fairly easy for me to willfully misinterpret the song as being furrier than it is, which certainly doesn't hurt... I wish the outro were removed, it's presumably the lead-in to the next song and has nothing to do with the song. It's like the song ended and then decided to make me listen to part of another song, which would probably work if I were listening to the whole album, but is rather arbitrary and off-putting when judging the song by itself. Not a dealbreaker though--I can just stop the song myself when it actually ends and the outro is both brief & inoffensive enough that I'm not going to hold it's existence against the song... though I will complain about it to pad out this writeup.)

!I was about to take a break from ranking songs today because I'm just not in the mood to do work, but when I saw this song was coming up, I dropped everything so I could keep going and listen to it instead of being lazy. Not many songs that I was hyped up enough to listen to again that I actively changed plans to listen to them.

[Later: This song came on the radio and I didn't change the station because I actively wanted to listen to it again... I've been trying to avoid giving extra listens to songs to avoid contaminating the rankings, but as this is apparently one of the songs I can't stop listening to, I'm moving it up a few points.]

[Final Thoughts: Doesn't transition to the next song as smoothly as I thought it would, which makes the outro even more inexplicable. I do love the song and I keep getting more excited to listen to it again each time, but I think the ending leaves something to be desired.]

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#39: Father John Misty - Mr. Tillman (3:03):
https://open.spotify.com/track/6wOk4I34MXPyqEfzoQZBNL?si=E_kKDXE8SpahAB5fjDEfOA

Nominator: Jesse Custer [1/29 Remaining]

Initial Score: 63.41
Revised Score: 63.60
Final Score: 65.00 [Upgraded to 67.06] [Upgraded to 73.80] [Upgraded to 80.44] [Upgraded to 83.44] [Upgraded to 87.10] [Upgraded to 90.05] [Upgraded to 92.23] [Upgraded to 93.35]

(First Reaction: Hey, I've wanted to listen to more of his work for a while now. The one song nominated by him at the first topic didn't do amazing, but there was a point (shortly before the second ranking topic, I think) where I became obsessed with it & his performance of Bored in the USA on Letterman; I was playing both songs multiple times a night.

I'd say this song isn't as gripping as those, but it took me a year to get attached to those two songs, so perhaps I'll fall in love with this later. Hopefully in time for it to actually get a good ranking this time.)

!Nothing to add. I definitely want to listen to more of his work & like this, but i'm not really getting obsessed with it like some of his other songs. (Though, again, it took long after the ranking for me to become obsessed with said other songs to begin with.)

[Final Thoughts: I like this.]

[Later: Not letting this fall before the 67 point mark.]

[Later: Nor before the 70 point mark.]

[Later: i'm starting to kinda love this. Also, it's funny that I had no idea who Jason Isbell was when this started and can appreciate the name drop now.]

[Later:

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57yHnFN0J-M

Father John Misty - Bored in the USA [Live on David Letterman]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvJKk94e6J8

In case anyone wanted links to the two other songs referenced. Anyway, have three more points while I'm here, at the last minute, as usual.]

[Later: I'm going to move this one up to the final tier. The humor is fairly amusing, but the chorus is catchy and provides a line that gives me that dissociation from reality that I'm looking for: "I'm living on a cloud above an island in my mind" ; not just trapped in a world in his mind, but floating beyond his imaginary mindscape... that's some next level dissociation right there.]

[Later: Two extra points.]

[Later: And one last extra point because I'm really into the chorus.]

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-continued-

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#38: Evita (Film) - Goodnight and Thank You (4:18):
https://open.spotify.com/track/6mReqk8kBcxkCtlnO4hDcA?si=c223034283fe4548

Nominator: @Raka_Putra [3/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 57.49
Revised Score: 62.77
Final Score: 73.649 [Upgraded to 74.03] [Upgraded to 77.59] [Placed Into Void] [Upgraded to 81.10] [Upgraded to 91.00] [Upgraded to 93.49]

(First Reaction; 1.I can no longer picture Antonio Banderas as anyone other than Puss-in-Boots and I'm not sure how bad I should feel about that.

2.A historical musical drama starring Madonna? I can't speak of the film's quality, but I'm surprised such a thing was ever greenlit or that it actually performed fairly well at the box office.

3.I wouldn't have thought I'd be into Puss-in-Boots musically narrating Madonnna sleeping her way to fame, but the song actually works? It's not the type of thing that lends itself to alternate interpretations or is relatable, but it tells a reasonably complete story in its runtime & it's performed well, while being reasonably catchy.)

!It's interesting... I've actually been looking forward to hearing this song again for quite a while now. It is incredibly memorable, oddly compelling, and an intriguing combination of artists... but for all the positive traits, I think I still only want to move this up one tier. I like it, I definitely do like it enough to reach the 60's, but... as compelling as it is, I do just "like" it.

[Final Thoughts: A song on a steady upward climb, jumping up a tier with each listen.]

[Later: A tiny extra boost to the song.]

[Later: Three and a half more points; moving this one up quite a ways.]

[Later: Moved aside for a bit.]

[Later: Taking this one up a tier as well.]

[Later: I do love this song. I came closer to eliminating it quite a few times, but I think I'll take the final step of moving it up to the final tier.]

[Later: Two and a half-ish extra points. It is an oddly catchy and memorable song that I can't get out of my head, along with a decent story & sense of progression to it.]

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Five more songs to end the day early, featuring two more eliminations:

============================

#37: The Dear Hunter - Blood (4:33):
https://open.spotify.com/track/34G89PKVt2SOnWKbe0LQqK?si=4ab07e66840e48aa

Nominator: NBIceman [2/22 Remaining]

Initial Score: 66.19
Revised Score: 69.94
Final Score: 67.15616 [Upgraded to 69.94] [Upgraded to 72.97] [Upgraded to 81.04] [Upgraded to 91.30] [Upgraded to 93.30] [Upgraded to 93.52]

(First Reaction: Okay, I like it--I really do like it---but Hunter feels so...stupid this chapter that I can't stop laughing at him and making terrible Simpsons memes of him )

!Life ProTip: If an angry mob is attempting to kill you, do not repeatedly shout "I'M A KILLER, I'M A KILLER, I'M A KILLER!!!!!".

I'm laughing at this song, but I really don't think that's the vibe they were going for here... I enjoy it, but very much for the wrong reasons.

[Final Thoughts:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/5/9/AAakf6AAELtv.jpg

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/6/0/AAakf6AAELtw.jpg

I know it's not trying to be a comedy, but I am thoroughly entertained.]

[Later: Going to go ahead and move this back up to its Revised Score.]

[Later: Well, I'm oddly drawn to this song tonight, so let's move it up a fair ways into the next tier.]

[Later: Moving this up a bit further...

...ah, who am I kidding, I kinda love this. The chorus is hilarious (though it's not really meant to be) and there's enough painful regret in the verses to appeal on a more serious level as well. Going to just take this up a tier now.]

[Later:

No, I won't carry on living this life that I stole
It just isn't worth it

Not his most complex lyrics, but they do appeal to me quite a bit.]

[Later: Okay, I'm pretty sure I love this now.It's largely that quoted line pushing it over the edge, but I want to take this up another tier.]

[Later: Two more points.]

[Later: Generic boost.]

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#36: LEX the Lexicon Artist - Retcon Artist (5:21):
https://open.spotify.com/track/5J1kgHyIjj1kVkh1w5Hwbr?si=44365f4714204734

Nominator: NFUN: [1/31 Remaining]

Initial Score: 64.71
Revised Score: 97.48
Final Score: 82.66 [Upgraded to 87.00] [Upgraded to 91.006] [Upgraded to 93.44] [Upgraded to 93.54]

(First Reaction: Now this is *tries consulting a thesaurus for another word for intriguing*... intriguing, forget it, I'll just keep reusing the same words. With all the regrets and references to alter-egos, you could say this is the perfect example of the type of lyrics I'm looking for. Her lyrics are somehow, simultaneously, incredibly relatable but also incredibly specific to her life and difficult to relate to, in an incomprehensible way. I like this song.)

!This level of regret and dissociation of alter-egos... yes, I think I will move this song up near the top of the list. It's offering feelings that no other song is offering and will make a fine addition to the highest level.

[Final Thoughts: This song hits all the marks lyrically: Pain, regret, an inability to forgive yourself, nerdy references, alter-egos... this is definitely one of the biggest hits of the topic lyrically and I kinda love it. I think I over-corrected a bit much moving it to the highest level, but I still have a lot of positive feelings towards the track.]

[Later: Moving this one up a tier at the last minute. All this talk of alter egos is exactly what I'm looking for and while the Revised Score was a bit excessive, it's also stupid to let this song score less than 90 points.]

[Later:

How could I have ever known that it would end up this difficult
Preventing my alter ego from becoming the main
And taking over a conscience that it can hardly sustain

Let's just say this song is relevant to my interests, yes. One last little boost for organizational purposes.

[Fluttershy's Note: ...Should we be worried that your internal monologue is imitating Beast Wars' Megatron's voice at this point?

Probably not? It's fine. Probably.]

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#35: Darko US - Donna (4:48):

https://youtu.be/nP9M-ioH6f8

Nominator: BlackDra90n [0/30 Remaining]

Initial Score: 61.386

Revised Score: 73.37

Final Score: 78.34 [Placed Into Void] [Upgraded to 80.16] [Upgraded to 85.16] [Upgraded to 92.02] [Upgraded to 93.56]

(First Reaction: The singer dials things back a bit, reveals that he can sing clean vocals when he wants to, and goes with a more sad vibe. I think these type of sad lyrics would have played incredibly well last year, but I've moved on a bit emotionally and don't really need angry sad songs about dead relationships... though I do still like them. I think this is probably a solid 60-point tier song that I like, which probably would have been a mid-70s "song I quite liked" had I heard it at the point that I really needed songs like it.)

!...Well, I'm back into this type of angry-sad. Yay?

[Final Thoughts: "I'd choke right on that misery" is definitely the type of blunt despair I'm drawn to and this type of angry sadness that maintains an easy-to-listen-to vibe is definitely the type of genre I'm listening to as well. A great pick.]

[Later: Moving this song aside for a bit.]

[Later: I suppose the song is probably more about someone dying than someone leaving, though I feel the lyrics work for either interpretation. Either way, I do kinda love this; this specific combination of anger and sadness is quite pleasing.]

[Later: Five more points. I could make use of this very specific blend of misery and rage.]

[Later: And I'll go ahead and bring this one to the final tier as well. As I said, I can certainly use this type of rage-filled despair.]

[Later: An extra point and a half-ish to move this up the list a bit more.]

=========================================

Elimination #12: BlackDra90n

Lowest Scoring Song

We Butter The Bread With Butter - 20 km/h [50.95]

Highest Scoring Song

Darko US - Donna [93.56]

Average Score: 62.49

You nominated a good variety of metal songs this year,. Both in terms of lyrics such as the comedic (20 km/h), the emotionally painful (Donna), and the intriguing but going completely over my head stories like Sun Killer [and probably several other Spiritbox songs, if I'm being honest) ; and in terms of musical styles, from overwhelmingly intense like Baba Yaga [in a good way, in that specific case] to surprisingly reserved like Donna, which is kinda my go-to example for everything by virtue of being a tier above all the others.

The Spiritbox album performed fairly well. While it didn't get any songs onto the highest tier, it did get one at the "kinda love" level and three in the really like category, which is pretty incredible. I also think nominating the various Hypa Hypa songs was quite neat; I was skeptical about allowing so many variations of the same track, but I think they each had a fun spin on the concept & it was enjoyable hearing them.

So while nothing was quite at the level of "greatest album of all time" like your nomination from last year, all-in-all, so I'd say this was an enjoyable set that didn't have anything I disliked. And to be fair, that album didn't really click in full until after the ranking ended... it's so weird seeing songs that I played on an endless loop getting less than 70 points. Anyway, thank you very much!

-------------------------------

Average Score Chart

handsomeboy: 69.36
TunnelScene: 66.03
CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
BlackDra90n: 62.49
cakophon; 62.48
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
sergiocornaga: 55.80
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

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#34: Turnover - New Scream (4:14):
https://youtu.be/z7bOAE_s8UI

Nominator: Kateee [0/21 Remaining]

Initial Score: 82.30
Revised Score: 93.78
Final Score: 94.39

(First Reaction: Considering the song title, I was expecting death metal screaming... I wasn't expecting a quiet reflection on aging, depression, and the impermanence of all positive feelings in the world. Not a complaint--I'm definitely looking for songs like this one, it was just a surprise.)

!This song is both better & sadder than I remembered it being.

[Final Thoughts:

Can I reset my brain?
If not I'll go insane
I swear to God that I don't think I can go another day

Ah, there's that good despair that I seek. I'm always surprised by this song; it's not one that I really remember or something that gets stuck in my head, but it's always the exact type of quiet sadness that I love and a surprising treat whenever it comes up.]

============================

Elimination #13: kateee

Lowest Scoring Song

Maximum the Hormone - Bikini Sports Ponchin [55.00]

...That doesn't feel right. The chorus is too catchy, even if the verses & lyrics are a bit of a miss. Go up to 58.001 points.

New Lowest Scoring Song:

Maximum the Hormone - Bikini Sports Ponchin [58.001]

....Well that didn't change much, but I feel better about the score anyway.

Highest Scoring Song

Turnover - New Scream [94.39]

Average Score: 70.59

Wow, the first average of the topic to break the 70 point barrier! That's impressive. Also, if you were wondering, it'd still be above 70 points even if I didn't retroactively add three points to Bikini Sports Ponchin, somewhere around 70.4-ish.

*Googles "New Scream"'s lyrics to check something and Google suggests searching for "Dizzy on the Comedown"*

Wait, those were the same artist?! ...I mean... yes, I definitely noticed you and Dragon nominated completely different songs by the same artist. I notice things. </.<

*coughs*

Aaaanywho..., I was pretty excited to see you try nominating something again and your list didn't disappoint. It covered pretty much everything that I could ask for; Depression, soul-crushing optimism, a broader look at some hip-hop (including a new Eminem song and he always plays well at these topics), a bit of comedy, you even managed to find time for some "consumed by the Elder Gods" type madness in Vinum Sabbathi. So... you gave me what I wanted and I really liked it! Perhaps not the most complex or meaningful analysis of your list, but seriously, that is an absolutely insane average that speaks to just how high quality every song you chose was. Thank you!

-------------------------------

Average Score Chart

kateee: 70.59
handsomeboy: 69.36
TunnelScene: 66.03
CJones: 65.00
hotdogturtle: 64.25
CPU: 63.72
BlackDra90n: 62.49
cakophon; 62.48
Lasa: 59.49
Kopazzynth 58.99
Murphiroth: 55.95
sergiocornaga: 55.80
Shonen_Bat: 55.13

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-continued-

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#33: Thank You, Scientist - Everyday Ghosts (10:03):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Vznh_e5LE

Nominator: Ark [2/17 Remaining]

Initial Score: 72.02
Revised Score: 58.24
Final Score: 54.48 [Upgraded to 55.00] [Upgraded to 58.24] [Upgraded to 65.63] [Upgraded to 74.48] [Upgraded to 75.41] [Upgraded to 88.307] [Upgraded to 91.01] [Upgraded to 93.36] [Upgraded to 95.34]

(First Reaction: I really liked this, but something came up immediately after I finished listening to it and it's now been a good 15 minutes since the song ended and trying to do a writeup now feels slightly silly.)

!The unfortunate thing about these non-writeup first reactions is that I'm often left with absolutely no clue what I really liked in the first place, since there is no record of such things & my opinion can vary wildly day-to-day that it's... fairly uncommon for me to have the same opinion on a song after several months have passed. This is clearly a well-made track, but it feels like it drags a bit in places (particularly the instrumental near the end of the song) & there's not anything here that I'm especially into lyrically (nothing I mind either) which kinda feels like a high-50's type of reaction.

...Apparently I really liked it at one point though.

[Final Thoughts: I really wish whichever version of me liked this song actually said something because I legitimately have no clue. This type of inspirational "keep your head up, don't change, feel the fire still inside" cheering is not something that typically works for me... there are definitely songs on this list that I find inspiring, but it tends to be for really absurd reasons rather than the song actively trying to inspire hope or anything.

And this song is fine? Better than fine, I suppose. It's not my favorite epic prog metal tune, but it's neat enough. Everyone performs well on it and I don't have any tangible complaints with it. I just don't get why it was so far up the list--this was just outside the top 100 on the first listen and now it's pretty far down the list. And there's no indication as to why.]

[Later: I can't decide if I want to keep this in the Wall or move it up slightly... I'm going to move this further up the Wall and revisit it in a day or two. The score's still at 55, but... I just need a moment to think about it.]

[And Again: Yeah, I feel good about moving this back up to the Revised Score. It's still not at that very high Really Like tier like it started at, but it's at least much closer to the 60 point mark than I've had it recently.]

[And Later: I do not remember it taking almost two minutes before the vocals join in. I'm not disappointed by the long opening,, I just really have no recollection of that even being a thing. Either way... I've had a rough morning, so the line "Breaking your back for a million assholes" is actually something I like hearing right now. ]

[Later: Ah. There's the emotions I wasn't getting the last several times.

Sometimes I struggle with who I am
Never forget the fire I still feel inside
The only reason I survived

It's not perfect, but this song comes close to sparking some very strong feelings... during part of the chorus. The rest of the song is fine, but it doesn't really spark the same type of memories or follow through with those to really capitalize on things. Still, the song did almost wreck me emotionally and I now know why it was so highly ranked to start with. I'm going to move this back up to the 70 point tier.]

[Later: One more point; I don't want to eliminate this right now.]

[Later: And a ludicrously massive jump for this song. I'm suddenly really, really, super into this one. I'm not quite ready to move it all the way up to the highest tier, but it's ridiculously close and I'll think about it when we eventually get up this far.]

[Later: The prolonged instrumental focused on the electric guitar is a bit much... but this actually works pretty well for me at times and I think I want to move this one up to the 90 point level. It's not perfect, but there are days where that chorus is borderline perfection, and I feel I'd be doing a disservice if I allowed the song to fall before the highest tier.]

[Later: Two more points. I do really love that chorus.]

[Later: I do really, really love the first half of this song... but then we get the extra instrumental, the very repetitive "keep your head up" sections, and while those parts certainly don't hold the song back -much- it makes it a bit easier to eliminate this song than anything left now that we're in the endgame. Still, two more points on the way out, because this is a really rough elimination to make.]

========================

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Which brings us up to songs with 96+ points and a new sub-tier because I... again, don't particularly know what the next song to fall is. I listened to a good ten songs in a row and my reaction was refusing to cut any of them... which... complicates things when we're kinda at the end & I can't just keep delaying things forever. Hopefully tomorrow we'll post 12 songs to get back on track, but for now, congratulations to anyone who made it to this bizarrely specific sub-tier.

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

You nominated a good variety of metal songs this year,. Both in terms of lyrics such as the comedic (20 km/h), the emotionally painful (Donna), and the intriguing but going completely over my head stories like Sun Killer [and probably several other Spiritbox songs, if I'm being honest) ; and in terms of musical styles, from overwhelmingly intense like Baba Yaga [in a good way, in that specific case] to surprisingly reserved like Donna, which is kinda my go-to example for everything by virtue of being a tier above all the others.

The Spiritbox album performed fairly well. While it didn't get any songs onto the highest tier, it did get one at the "kinda love" level and three in the really like category, which is pretty incredible. I also think nominating the various Hypa Hypa songs was quite neat; I was skeptical about allowing so many variations of the same track, but I think they each had a fun spin on the concept & it was enjoyable hearing them.

So while nothing was quite at the level of "greatest album of all time" like your nomination from last year, all-in-all, so I'd say this was an enjoyable set that didn't have anything I disliked. And to be fair, that album didn't really click in full until after the ranking ended... it's so weird seeing songs that I played on an endless loop getting less than 70 points. Anyway, thank you very much!

I honestly didn't expect a Darko song to be my highest ranking song, especially not #35. Pleasantly surprised haha, I really thought it was gonna go out right after the first set of deathcore songs.

I definitely did try to nominate a bit more variety this year, fully knowing that it wasn't going to place as high as last year, so I'm glad you appreciated it. I think I have a better idea of what kind of metal songs you might like though so maybe I'll try for a higher placement next time this happens, if it happens again.

Had tons of fun with this, always appreciate the massive amount of work it takes to do something like this.

el psy kongroo

Goodnight and thank you, Raetsel Lapin.

Wow. Everyday Ghosts was very close to being stuck below 55 (without that very slight upward revision, that is), and here it is at 95!

I'm astonished that two of mine are still alive. There were only three remaining when hadn't even reached the 70+ scoring tier yet. Are you sure this isn't a mistake? =p

Raetsel_Lapin posted...

#33: Thank You, Scientist - Everyday Ghosts (10:03):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Vznh_e5LE

Very happy to see you enjoyed this (eventually!) It was kind of hard to choose a song from this album from me (I would have gone with Life of Vermin had I not already used that in an FL81) , though, but I adore the entire album.

Anyway, I like that the only two of my nominations alive are the two video game I nominated, doubly so because I don't think our taste in VGM is compatible, most of the time.