Let's Actually Listen to Spotify's Top 100 Songs

[Kevin Davis]

From this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=17609&p=1826792#p1826792

In this thread, music lovers bound by a common once and/or forever love of the aging rock band Pearl Jam will commune to discuss and render what are certain to be the definitive verdicts on Spotify's 100 most popular songs, many of which are popular songs from the last 5 or so years. Unlike many such past exercises, this is a "Let's-Actually-Listen by Committee," so anyone can feel free to move the exercise along to the next song -- just make sure you give each song a day or two before moving on.

The list:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... on_Spotify
(if anyone can find this in a format that copies/pastes cleanly -- I admittedly didn't spend much time searching -- I can copy it into this post as a spoiler)

First song coming shortly.

[Kevin Davis]

#100 - Charlie Puth, "Attention"

[Jorge]

I like the bass line in the choruses and the syncopation in the verses. I usually don't like the JT-style breathy falsetto singing, but it's used in an interesting way here: he sounds weak and frail for most of the song, like he's constantly on the verge of running out of breath, but then it pays off near the end where the music stops, he takes a breath, and he finally sings the final chorus with the full power of his voice. Decent start

[BurtReynolds]

Unfortunate last name.

[Kevin Davis]

I really like the dynamic shifts in this song, especially how scaled down the choruses are compared to the verses -- a small subversion of my expectations that really made the song enjoyable for me. I also really like the simple but melodic guitar part playing through the verses. That said, I find Puth's voice grating, and I have a natural aversion to songs about nightlife drama. B minus

[stip]

Agreed that relationship drama songs (especially with that video) don’t do much for me. I liked the music but that also felt a bit like a frankensong - a bunch of component parts that could have belonged to any number of songs that were pulled out of a bag and assembled into something familiar.

C+

[Higgs]

That little wail at the start really sets me off on the wrong foot here. Not a fan of auto-tune as a general rule as well, so that probably doesn't bode well for this whole top 100, but anyway.

I do enjoy the bass line and the syncopated guitar thing going on though.

Old fart alert - the line about 'going around to all the parties in LA 'cause she knew he'd be at one' immediately loses my interest in the song. I'm deeply shallow like that.

I enjoyed the last few seconds of the clip where it showed him recording his initial vocal melody for the song when struck by inspirado in Japan. He sounded not unlike the final version of the song, so additional marks there.

Overall, eminently forgettable but not terrible. I think a straight B is about right.

[Birds in Hell]

I liked the restrained instrumentation, and I didn't even mind the guy's voice.

A good start!

[washing machine]

This, like many more I'm sure, is one of those "oh that song" moments for me. It's also a song that sounds like a lot of other songs. I honestly expected to hear the Watermelon Sugar chorus, but that's a different artist who is probably also on this list.

I don't enjoy this song at all, but the bass line is hooky I guess. The song feels hollow and unoriginal with little to redeem itself, if anything.

Maybe I just haven't had my coffee yet?

[Jorge]

You're not gonna find many songs on this list that use palm muted guitar arpeggios as the opening instrumental hook

[BurtReynolds]

His voice sounds flat and overproduced at the same time, until the last part where he's actually singing. Weird choice.

[tree_]

generic, no teeth, utter garbage

[Strat]

I have a feeling this song is going to sound lke 80% of the songs on this list

[Strat]

Michael Jackson would have made this a banger of a song. The guitar stuff is tasty, has some soul/funk to it that i liked.

Everything else is forgettable.

[Jaeti]

I'm fully prepared to really like a lot of the songs on this list, but this is not one of them. I guess I kind of like his phrasing in the chorus...?

[Strat]

washing machine was correct even though he deleted his post.

[washing machine]

washing machine was correct even though he deleted his post.

It read as mean after I posted it, but I was going for funny. Not worth hurting Jorge's feelings.

[Strat]

washing machine was correct even though he deleted his post.

It read as mean after I posted it, but I was going for funny. Not worth hurting Jorge's feelings.

He doesn't have any!!!

[tree_]

I don't see why we can't run like 5 of these at a time. It's not like any of these will deserve deep contemplation or anything

[dad]

charlie puth has perfect pitch.