Rod Stewart in the 1980s poll: Singles (that reached the Top 40)

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (67 of them)

lyn collins sings backup somewhere on out of order!

balls, Sunday, 3 April 2011 16:20 (thirteen years ago) link

"People Get Ready" is a terrific vocal -- I would've voted for it.

Stewart's voice has endured in a way that Bob Dylan's or Lou Reed's hasn't.

This was true of Stewart in the 80's, but is decidedly not the case today. He sounds completely forced and strangled, desperately trying to will himself into his old voice, and it ain't working.

And "People Get Ready" seconded. His best vocal performance of the 80s...possibly his last great vocal performance ever.

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Sunday, 3 April 2011 18:04 (thirteen years ago) link

I also love how Beck's guitar is mixed to sound like a huge synth.

I would've included "People Get Ready," but it only got to #48.

Uteruses Before Duderuses (Johnny Fever), Sunday, 3 April 2011 18:12 (thirteen years ago) link

This was true of Stewart in the 80's, but is decidedly not the case today. He sounds completely forced and strangled, desperately trying to will himself into his old voice, and it ain't working.

May have to do with the choice of material. His voice is definitely not a good crooner voice, and decidedly doesn't fit with standards at all. Yet, it sells for some unexplainable reason.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 3 April 2011 21:35 (thirteen years ago) link

Young Turks, although I have a weird fondness for Baby Jane, as it was kinda ubiquitous on radio at a time when I listened to a LOT of radio. Tonight I'm Yours is only about half awful, too.

Anti-mist K-Lo (Phil D.), Sunday, 3 April 2011 22:43 (thirteen years ago) link

Young Turks - no question. It came on while I was driving earlier today and made me so happy. It's a quality jam.

ENBB, Sunday, 3 April 2011 22:45 (thirteen years ago) link

young turks is THE SHIT

ℳℴℯ ❤\(◕‿◕✿ (Princess TamTam), Sunday, 3 April 2011 22:50 (thirteen years ago) link

Tom and his crew have a go at "Baby Jane," which, to my surprise, hit #1 in England.

There's also some amazing choreography in the YT vid. It's like W Side Story all up in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSWp6c86Edg

ENBB, Monday, 4 April 2011 00:51 (thirteen years ago) link

i saw "Young Turks" on Pop-Up Video today and was informed that i should be very impressed at how ahead of the curve the video was for including breakdancing (a first on MTV at the time and i guess a couple years before a lot of people learned about it through Breakin').

bernard so icey (some dude), Monday, 4 April 2011 00:59 (thirteen years ago) link

I'm sayin!

ENBB, Monday, 4 April 2011 01:00 (thirteen years ago) link

'80s rod stewart is the first music i can remember listening to. i know a //rod stewart in the 1990s poll\\ ain't gonna happen, so i'll throw out 'rhythm of my heart' as the greatest song representative of his changeover (wtf happened to him 70s/80s? anyway). voted 'downtown train', mostly for not being produced as loudly has his other '80s output.

shaane, Monday, 4 April 2011 01:53 (thirteen years ago) link

Trevor Horn produced "Rhythm of My Heart," and sounds like it. My favorite nineties Rod is his version of "Broken Arrow," which clemenza mentioned upthread.

I may be fighting a losing battle with this one, but here goes: Rod's version of "This Old Heart of Mine" is charming as all hell. It totally works.

with you on that. i prefer it equally wrt the original, depending on my level of inebriation.

shaane, Monday, 4 April 2011 02:12 (thirteen years ago) link

It's one of the few covers which really does sound like the singers had a great time recording it.

Could it be that I'm the only person here who likes "My Heart Can't Tell You No"? I'd like it even more without the cheesy spanish guitar solo.

Uteruses Before Duderuses (Johnny Fever), Monday, 4 April 2011 02:16 (thirteen years ago) link

It's my least favorite of the ballads, but, really, I can defend every song here except "Passion," "Infatuation," and "Love Touch." I'm on record preferring his version of "Downtown Train" to Tom Waits'.

Baby Jane is wonderful listen to it again you'll see! PS surely you can forgive the horrid 80s production/arrangement by now.

Fruitless and Pansy Free (Dr. Joseph A. Ofalt), Monday, 4 April 2011 02:22 (thirteen years ago) link

forever young gives me the nostalgia goosebumps when i hear it

bird absolutely seen asses (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 4 April 2011 02:23 (thirteen years ago) link

really like 'my heart can't tell you know' but mostly for the production, much like his other 80's+ stuff. so many audio effects! i think the spanish solo is the least produced part of it.

shaane, Monday, 4 April 2011 02:23 (thirteen years ago) link

I can defend every song here except..."Infatuation"

I think that's one of the easiest to defend, tbh. The production squarely traps it in 1984, but lifts the song above a lot of what else is here at the same time. One of the finest sounding songs of 1984 imo. Plus it's just kind of cheeky.

Uteruses Before Duderuses (Johnny Fever), Monday, 4 April 2011 02:37 (thirteen years ago) link

Infatuation is awesome and so is the video. Over the top and knowing it.

EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 April 2011 02:51 (thirteen years ago) link

found the chick in the out of order videos saga so fucking hot when i was 14.

balls, Monday, 4 April 2011 03:08 (thirteen years ago) link

"Infatuation" the only really good song here IMO so it got my vote.

"People Get Ready" technically a Jeff Beck record with Rod singing. I think this is Beck's highest charting single in the US, maybe the only one. ("Hi, Ho, Silver Lining" did nothing stateside).

I think "Love Touch" would be better regarded if it weren't the theme from an awful movie. I think it's a reasonably good song, and don't get why this one is so often singled out for derision.

Reportedly, Rod Stewart didn't realize until after it was released that "Forever Young" was a complete knock-off of the like-named Bob Dylan tune. He quickly acknowledged that he forgot he had heard this somewhere rather than dreaming it up himself, and had the songwriting credit corrected.

Any of his first four albums would trounce an album of his '80s hits.

Lee626, Monday, 4 April 2011 07:44 (thirteen years ago) link

Wish "Oh God I Wish I Was Home Tonight," the umpteenth rewrite of "Maggie May and it missed the top 40, had made the cut.

Could it be that I'm the only person here who likes "My Heart Can't Tell You No"?

I have a soft spot for it, but that's in large part due to "nostalgia goosebumps," as Whiney put it.

da croupier, Monday, 4 April 2011 11:11 (thirteen years ago) link

Pondering list, until found last entry, easy: Downtown Train.

Mark G, Monday, 4 April 2011 11:12 (thirteen years ago) link

Just saw the credits for Out of Order -- whoa. Andy Taylor's all over it.

you've never read xgau's review then?

Out of Order [Warner Bros., 1988]
You know what "Produced by Rod Stewart, Andy Taylor & Bernard Edwards" means? It means he's elected to replace Robert Palmer in Power Station. And you know why Jim Cregan, David Lindley, and Lenny Pickett are on the record? Because he didn't have the guts to go all the way. C

da croupier, Monday, 4 April 2011 11:23 (thirteen years ago) link

I remembered the C review but not the review itself.

"Love Touch" isn't more offensive than the really minor stuff on this list like "What Am I Gonna Do" -- it's the synth-calypso program that makes this flirt with the execrable.

"Young Turks" is practically the national anthem of Peru. You hear it constantly, everywhere, and everybody knows the chorus.

sleeve, Friday, 8 April 2011 14:30 (thirteen years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Friday, 8 April 2011 23:01 (thirteen years ago) link

You know, the guy gets a lot of guff for going the standards route, but hasn't he always been big on interpretation? Was listening to some of his early solo stuff, and there are plenty of duff or overblown covers - of contemporaries, of traditional songs - that seem like something 2011 Rod would be laughed at for.

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 8 April 2011 23:03 (thirteen years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Saturday, 9 April 2011 23:01 (thirteen years ago) link

Not suprised Young Turks won. Suprised by the margin (and the total number of votes!).

That's why they call me (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 9 April 2011 23:07 (thirteen years ago) link

"Baby Jane"!

Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 9 April 2011 23:09 (thirteen years ago) link

color me stunned @ #2

balls, Saturday, 9 April 2011 23:18 (thirteen years ago) link

and "Tonight I'm Yours" is not exactly one of his most played minor hits either.

Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 9 April 2011 23:24 (thirteen years ago) link

baby jane is easily one of his best known songs in the UK. it was huge.

Algerian Goalkeeper, Saturday, 9 April 2011 23:31 (thirteen years ago) link

Damn! Missed this poll!

Love this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VaazQfxGso

A Really Mature Round for the Position He's In (Eazy), Sunday, 10 April 2011 05:11 (thirteen years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

"Young Turks" for the lyrics alone, and the verse and chorus are impeccable.

ain't nothin but a brie thing, baby (Neanderthal), Monday, 22 April 2024 16:57 (three weeks ago) link

tonight-igh-ight

the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 22 April 2024 17:02 (three weeks ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.