Board 8 > Rank the Tracks Week 45: Soundgarden's Superunknown (+ Supertramp results)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points. For albums with greater than 15 tracks, everything ranked below #15 will be given 0 points and the scale for the top 15 will be the same as a 15-track album. For albums with more than 20 tracks, you only have to list your top 15 (with 16-20, I still like having the average rank listed)
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, January 16 at 8:00 AM EST - though if you are for whatever reason listening to the album around that time, just say so in the topic and I can delay a bit
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle - the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).

Soundgarden's Superunknown track list:
1. Let Me Drown
2. My Wave
3. Fell on Black Days
4. Mailman
5. Superunknown
6. Head Down
7. Black Hole Sun
8. Spoonman
9. Limo Wreck
10. The Day I Tried to Live
11. Kickstand
12. Fresh Tendrils
13. 4th of July
14. Half
15. Like Suicide

User Cycle:
1/16: VeryInsane (The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico)
1/23: CasanovaZelos (Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes)
1/30: Seanchan
2/6: Giggsalot
2/13: RyoCaliente
2/20: darkx
2/27: neonreaper
3/6: Great_Paul
3/13: jcgamer107
3/20: ChichiriMuyo
3/27: ChainLTTP
4/3: BlueCrystalTear
4/10: MetalmindStats
4/17: HBJDubs
4/24: TheArkOfTurus
5/1: Snake5555555555
5/8: Jesse_Custer
5/15: ZaziGuado
5/22: firefdr
5/29: SpikeSetsFire
6/5: Johnbobb

Supertramp's Breakfast in America results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
Johnbobb (8)
CasanovaZelos (10)
SpikeSetsFire (12)
HBJDubs (12)
BlueCrystalTear (12)
neonreaper (14)
Seanchan (14)
MetalmindStats (14)
HasteDeux (16)
VeryInsane (18)
TheArkOfTurus (18)
Raetsel_Lapin (22)
darkx (22)

General Album Comments

Seanchan: Just did a first listen. There's a couple of really cool songs here! Goodbye Stranger just rips!

BlueCrystalTear: I've heard the big-name songs from this masterpiece many a time (I have the Supertramp compilation, which splits this with Crime of the Century), and some of those - especially "Goodbye Stranger" - never get old. They have fun hooks and it's pretty blatant why three of those were singles; the only non-single I enjoyed just as much was "Gone Hollywood" because of the insane harmonies. And there isn't a track I outright dislike on here - it's all good stuff. Rick and Roger were on fire for this one.

VeryInsane: Sounds about right, was surprised how much I instantly recognized despite having never listened to this album beforehand

Seanchan: This really is a pretty tremendous album. For me, it's the instrumentation that does it; the guitar solos, the sax, the harmonica, the piano. Just some really cool stuff!

darkx: I actually really love this album and, as I said when it was on the poll, had it on my shortlist of albums I was considering putting it on my own poll.

Breakfast in America track ranking

10. Casual Conversations (Track #9)
Score: 23 (Average Rank: 9.23/10)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): SpikeSetsFire, HasteDeux, HBJDubs, CasanovaZelos, BlueCrystalTear, Seanchan, darkx (#10)

9. Oh Darling (Track #5)
Score: 33 (Average Rank: 8.46/10)
Biggest Fan(s): HasteDeux (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper, TheArkOfTurus, Johnbobb, MetalmindStats (#10)

8. Lord Is It Mine (Track #7)
Score: 47 (Average Rank: 7.38/10)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs, MetalmindStats (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): VeryInsane (#10)

7. Just Another Nervous Wreck (Track #8)
Score: 62 (Average Rank: 6.54/10)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HasteDeux, CasanovaZelos (#9)

6. Child of Vision (Track #10)
Score: 85 (Average Rank: 5/10)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper, Seanchan (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#10)

5. Take the Long Way Home (Track #6)
Score: 85 (Average Rank: 4.85/10)
Biggest Fan(s): darkx (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): TheArkOfTurus (#8)

darkx: This is one of my favorite songs ever. I love listening to it while walking or driving on summer nights and just letting it make me feel nostalgic.

4. Gone Hollywood (Track #1)
Score: 86 (Average Rank: 5.07/10)
Biggest Fan(s): TheArkOfTurus (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): VeryInsane, darkx (#8)

3. Goodbye Stranger (Track #3)
Score: 116 (Average Rank: 3.54/10)
Biggest Fan(s): VeryInsane, BlueCrystalTear, Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HasteDeux (#8)

2. Breakfast in America (Track #4)
Score: 116 (Average Rank: 3.08/10)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, TheArkOfTurus, BlueCrystalTear, Seanchan, MetalmindStats, darkx (#4)

1. The Logical Song (Track #2)
Score: 153 (Average Rank: 1.85/10)
Biggest Fan(s): SpikeSetsFire, HasteDeux, HBJDubs, CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, MetalmindStats (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper, BlueCrystalTear, Seanchan, darkx (#3)

Here is Seanchan's message about this week's choices:

My theme is 2020 Pop Albums by female artists. I will never have anything this specific ever again but sometimes things just work out that way!

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
You hear those little music stingers before commercial breaks on sports telecasts, and every once in a while you're compelled to do some research. Which lead me to Dua Lipa, then to listening to a bunch of her popular songs, and finally to Future Nostalgia.

I'd say it's kind of ridiculous how catchy this album is, except you've definitely heard snippets of practically half the songs on this album from radio play, commercials, and movie trailers. Nearly every song here is upbeat, high energy, and guaranteed to stick in your head. One of the topic regulars might have called this something like "the best pure pop album of the last decade". I've not the background to argue but there's every possibility that might be true.

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

Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?
It's not often I hear a song that just absolutely grabs me. But that's what happened when CasanovaZelos put the first song from this album, Spotlight, in their top 250 songs topic. The beat starts 30 seconds in and I was just enraptured. So much so that I had immediately had to listen to the rest of the album and found it just as engrossing.

There's a definite different vibe to this album than my other two choices, still clubby but more downbeat, more groovy. While those feel thoroughly modern, this one in many ways feels like an album out of time. I can tell you this came out in 2020, but you listen and can't help but think of the 70s and 80s. Jessie's sultry, breathy singing, the slower disco beats, the beats that sound like something from the Hotline Miami soundtrack... It all creates a vibe that I just really, really dug and I know for certain this will never get the widespread public renown and success that it deserves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgy-eAzARNE

Ava Max - Heaven & Hell
Listen, I'm going to level with you all, I picked this one to match my very specific theme, once I found out the first 2 came out the same year. I can't say "don't vote for this one" but I'll say that this is the least interesting of the three.

I'd heard a few of Ava's songs before and thought they were good, decent pop songs. I got around to listening to the full album and found that actually the whole thing is better than I expected...and also an excellent stylistic fit for my nomination trio. Ava's been compared to Lady Gaga and, sure, okay, maybe but she lacks some of the attitude and aura.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6LhCim5y_Y

CasanovaZelos posted...

Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper, BlueCrystalTear, Seanchan, darkx (#3)

So strong haha

bump

I should have typed up a bit more about Breakfast in America - I was a kid in the 80s and the main 3 singles from the album (Stranger, Logical, Long Way) were radio staples. A lot of people bought the album, but it felt like we didn't listen to it very much because it was always on the radio. It's a nice album to re-visit because the title track is a good song and not just a decent single, the big singles are fun and full of nostalgia, and Child of Vision is a really nice album cut that I didn't appreciate until I was in my 30s or so.

Did a first listen to Superunknown and felt a little mixed. Part of it is that after a few weeks of shorter albums, this one clocks in at 70 minutes...and feels it.

I know this is one of the "big 3" grunge albums with Nevermind and Dirt, right? If it is, this one definitely got the least breadth of radio play. I recognized 3 songs, which is far less than I did for Dirt or especially Nevermind.

Seanchan posted...

I know this is one of the "big 3" grunge albums with Nevermind and Dirt, right?

if we're naming legendary grunge albums, pearl jam's ten should also be included.

Grunge definitely has more than 3; I'd put it at at least six all-time essentials.
Nirvana - both Nevermind and In Utero
Pearl Jam - Ten
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Soundgarden - Superunknown
Hole - Live Through This

I don't believe the last one is as big as the other five, especially at release, but I'd also argue it has grown more significant with time.

1. 4th of July
2. Like Suicide
3. The Day I Tried to Live
4. Limo Wreck
5. My Wave
6. Fell on Black Days
7. Spoonman
8. Kickstand
9. Head Down
10. Superunknown
11. Black Hole Sun
12. Fresh Tendrils
13. Mailman
14. Let Me Drown
15. Half

I find it very hard to listen to this album ever since Cornell's passing. This was a staple album for me for years and years on end. The darkness, the mystery, the musicianship and songwriting are just about beyond anything in the grunge era if you ask me. It's as heavy as any doom or black metal album out there while also being far more accessible to the average listener which is a huge accomplishment.

tagging this, been a while since I've listened to this in full (probably when Cornell passed). Already think I know what my #1 will be.

(Also, the version I have here is the 20th anniversary remaster. Is that the one I should listen to? Or is it one of those "Loudness Wars" remasters?)

CasanovaZelos posted...

Grunge definitely has more than 3; I'd put it at at least six all-time essentials.
Nirvana - both Nevermind and In Utero
Pearl Jam - Ten
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Soundgarden - Superunknown
Hole - Live Through This

I don't believe the last one is as big as the other five, especially at release, but I'd also argue it has grown more significant with time.

Live Through This is underrated imo. Courtney as a songwriter could do circles around Kurt. Regardless of how I feel about her as a person I have to give it to her that she is (was?) talented AF. This is one of the albums I'm considering for nomination when my turn comes around. I also agree you can't leave out Ten. Even if you've never heard the album you've probably heard half of it on the radio. Heck, my local rock station actually did play the whole thing at least once when I was a kid.

Of the "Big 4" Seattle Grunge bands Soundgarden is my least favorite (though they have the coolest name of the bunch). Still, I was excited to listen to this album since I know a lot of it but never owned it. The truth is, though, the tone is pretty much all over the place on this album. "Half" in particular doesn't even feel like it belongs on the album, or from the 90s. It felt like an experimental throwback you'd expect from an album 20-30 years its senior. Considering the fact that they really filled the album, they could have done without it and a couple other songs. Still, the top third of the album is good and still holds up today.

1 The Day I Tried to Live
2 Black Hole Sun
3 Spoonman
4 Fell on Black Days
5 4th of July
6 Kickstand
7 Let Me Drown
8 Limo Wreck
9 Fresh Tendrils
10 Head Down
11 Like Suicide
12 Mailman
13 Superunknown
14 My Wave
15 Half

bump

up

Superunknown remains the strongest in the Soundgarden library. The tracks many of us have heard thanks to radio, MTV, and even Road Rash still hold up to this day, and will forever be a staple in grunge history.

1. Like Suicide
2. 4th of July
3. The Day I Tried to Live
4. Black Hole Sun
5. Fell on Black Days
6. Limo Wreck
7. Spoonman
8. Superunknown
9. My Wave
10. Fresh Tendrils
11. Let Me Drown
12. Kickstand
13. Mailman
14. Head Down
15. Half

bump

up

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Bump

My ranking:
Black Hole Sun (#1831 all-time)
Spoonman (#2483 all-time)
Fell on Black Days
Superunknown
The Day I Tried to Live
4th of July
My Wave
Like Suicide
Mailman
Limo Wreck
Fresh Tendrils
Let Me Drown
Kickstand
Head Down
Half

surprised there hasn't been more rankings yet on this album. It's a little on the long side but it's definitely iconic

I'll have mine up later tonight

Johnbobb posted...

surprised there hasn't been more rankings yet on this album. It's a little on the long side but it's definitely iconic

I'll have mine up later tonight

I'll have mine up later tonight as well. Need to do that third listen whilst I watch them throwing the pigskin...

1: Fell On Black Days
2: Black Hole Sun
3: Spoonman
4: Limo Wreck
5: 4th of July
6: Half
7: Like Suicide
8: Mailman
9: Let Me Drown
10: The Day I Tried to Live
11: Fresh Tendrils
12: Superunknown
13: My Wave
14: Kickstand
15: Head Down

1. Black Hole Sun
2. Fell on Black Days
3. Spoonman
4. The Day I Tried to Live
5. My Wave
6. Let Me Drown
7. Superunknown
8. Kickstand
9. Fresh Tendrils
10. Head Down
11. Like Suicide
12. Mailman
13. Limo Wreck
14. 4th of July
15. Half

I didn't much care for the album. I found it to be bloated, both on the number of songs and the length of the individual songs. I was just done with this album way before it was over.

Johnbobb posted...

surprised there hasn't been more rankings yet on this album. It's a little on the long side but it's definitely iconic

I'll have mine up later tonight

had a death in my family so wasnt able to spend the time I wanted to write it up - this is an obvious amazing album and was on my shortlist to nominate for my week

neonreaper posted...

had a death in my family so wasnt able to spend the time I wanted to write it up - this is an obvious amazing album and was on my shortlist to nominate for my week

aw man, sorry to hear that

1. The Day I Tried to Live
2. Black Hole Sun
3. Spoonman
4. Like Suicide
5. 4th of July
6. Mailman
7. Fell on Black Days
8. Limo Wreck
9. My Wave
10. Head Down
11. Let Me Drown
12. Superunknown
13. Half
14. Kickstand
15. Fresh Tendrils

ranking this album is so damn hard. Every song is great. Hell I'd probably count half this album among my altogether favorite songs. It goes hard start to finish in a way very few of the other grunge albums even attempted (Dirt is probably the only other one that comes close as far as really capturing that dark, heavy garage sound that grunge became so known for). Chris Cornell hands down was one of the best vocalists of all time.

1. The Day I Tried to Live
2. Spoonman
3. Fell on Black Days
4. Black Hole Sun
5. Let Me Drown
6. 4th of July
7. My Wave
8. Superunknown
9. Limo Wreck
10. Like Suicide
11. Fresh Tendrils
12. Head Down
13. Mailman
14. Kickstand
15. Half

1. Head Down
2. Black Hole Sun
3. Superunknown
4. 4th of July
5. The Day I Tried to Live
6. My Wave
7. Like Suicide
8. Let Me Drown
9. Limo Wreck
10. Fell on Black Days
11. Spoonman
12. Half
13. Fresh Tendrils
14. Kickstand
15. Mailman

Contrary to last week's diversity, I found most of the songs similarly solid; because of that (among other reasons), they were difficult to rank. However, Head Down would at least have been in my top three regardless.

neonreaper posted...

had a death in my family so wasnt able to spend the time I wanted to write it up - this is an obvious amazing album and was on my shortlist to nominate for my week

Oh no, my condolences.

Forth of July
Black hole sun
Fell on black days
The day I tried to live
Head down
Like suicide
Half
Spoonman
Mailman
Superunknown
Let me drown
My Wave
Limo Wreck
Kickstand
Fresh Tendrils