Hot damn! Everybody let's play the GEORGE MICHAEL TRACKS POLL results thread

I had no idea this was going to place, but it picked up a lot of votes on the last day. I'm not hearing the special appeal of it tbh.

I checked to see whether it had even been mentioned on ILM before this poll, and suspecting that it hadn't, but I was pleased to see Josh In Chicago putting up a strong defence of it back in 2005.

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28. A Ray Of Sunshine
101 points, four votes, one number one vote
from Fantastic, 1983

I'm shocked to see Hand to Mouth so low. That's always been my favourite song on Faith.

Something to Save is just lovely. Probably my favourite vocal of his.

Happy and surprised to see Cars & Trains this high. Love the production and his delivery of some of the lyrics are so classic. "Johnny's gone and got himself a new man, he gets laid, every day". Brilliant stuff.

I don't remember anything about Ray of Sunshine. I don't know the Wham albums well apart from the singles.

It's fabulous. Whenever it comes on my headphones, I just can't keep from strutting.

I'm getting into Cars & Trains a bit more now. It's really nice actually - very slinky. I think it's the answerphone message at the beginning that put me off.

You're right anyway, the vocal is terrific. I love the "Oh, Johnny" at 1:56 - it's quite unGeorge. It reminds me of some other singer, but I can't quite my finger on who it is.

It's R Kelly! At 3:02 in Three-Way Phone Call. They're not actually particularly similar, but that little phrase led me into mind-mashing the two.

Slinky is definitely the word I'd use to describe Cars & Trains. If he ever bothers to make another album, I hope it's a whole album of songs like Cars & Trains and Precious Box. Those styles really suit him.

I'll have to re-listen to the Wham albums. Ray of Sunshine is indeed fantastic. That bass line is so good.

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27. Kissing A Fool
102 points, five votes
from Faith, 1987

Tasty Avalanches remix of Ray Of Sunshine

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=63SkCbwp1os

xp This is one of a couple of photos where George reminds me a little bit of Wayne Rooney. He's had better looks.

Oh wow, he really does look like him there. Scary.

Kissing a Fool was the last song I cut from my list. Voting in this poll made me realise just how much more I enjoy Listen Without Prejudice over Faith. I always thought Faith was my favourite album of his.

That Avalanches mix is killer, thanks. Loving the QPR shirt in the clip - Andrew inevitably rocking the authentic 80s short shorts too.

Much as I love it, Kissing A Fool should never have been a single. Baffling they didn't go with Hard Day; that seemed to be the more obvious choice and there were radio promos and remixes made (for US only?).

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26. Killer/Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
104 points, five votes
from the Five Live EP, 1993

Love "Kissing A Fool", his vocals are flawless. It was in my Top 5.

Personally I thought he looked better in the Wham! days. I was never into his daddy look from Faith onwards.

Had no idea this would place. I don't think I've heard it since 1993.

I always thought this whole EP was a joint George Michael & Queen effort, but I can't see what they'd be doing on it. I see it's down as being recorded live at Wembley Arena rather than Wembley Stadium - I assume he kept them well away from it.

Anyway I'm falling asleep here, and running out of battery to boot. I'll stop at 25 for now, and pick it back up tomorrow.

Sounds good. Great rundown so far. I've had so much fun listening to all his stuff again over the last couple of weeks because of this poll.

Yeah seconded.

It's fabulous. Whenever it comes on my headphones, I just can't keep from strutting.

Were you the number one?

Somehow I never knew "Killer..." was from a live EP and I had always thought the crowd noises were added for effect. I was out of the country in 93 and wasn't really following pop culture, but I heard it on the radio a lot. I voted for it.

Let us pause to remember Michael Buble's version of "Kissing a Fool."

A Ray Of Sunshine was my no.4 I think. The only thing that lets down the earlier Wham stuff is a certain thinness to the production. It doesn't have the craft that kicked in a year or so later, but it makes up for it by being full of life.

here's a choice youtube comment for "Killer..."

Anthony Lucasfor 2 months ago
I loved him in ER and Oceans Eleven. What an actor! And now I see he sings too.

enjoying the rollout so far, good work

thoughts:

Flawless is such a jam

Something to Save reminds me of the Smiths

Vocals on Shoot the Dog are genius

They really are. It almost feels pointless to say the vocals on x or y are brilliant, because I can't think of any track where he doesn't absolutely nail it. True Faith, maybe.

True that

does everyone who has voted for Flawless know the original?

I do not. Checking it out now. It's ... fairly similar.

As in: it's that track ft George Michael. He brings a hell of a lot to it in fairness - there's many a decent house track could turn into something spectacular with that degree of care & attention.

/It's fabulous. Whenever it comes on my headphones, I just can't keep from strutting./

Were you the number one?

No that was me. Played the first album to death when it came out. Only went back to it because of the poll and found the singles less likable than the other tracks. Hence no wham rap or bad boys on my list. Young guns placed as I love the ending. The beginning of NLTSITL is great too. Turrrn the music up...

I was a huge fan of The Ones' original version of Flawless before GM came out with his rendition. I didn't vote for it here because it's always felt more like theirs than his to me since I first fell in love with the original.

Same here.

at the time I thought it was a bit weird that GM did a cover of a house song, these days I just think his version is great in its own right

he's a good cover artist, look forward to seeing how high ICMYLM will place

I also appreciate it now, but it did feel weird at the time especially since The Ones' track had only been out for a year or two. He basically just put vocals over it, but then again why not. I'm sure there's other examples. Beyoncé's "Run The World" comes to mind.

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25. I'm Your Man
106 points, five votes
single, 1985

not anymore

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24. Hard Day
109 points, five votes
from Faith, 1987

This ended up being the only Faith cut to make my ballot

TOO LOW:

39. Star People
35. I Want Your Sex
29. The Edge of Heaven
25. I'm Your Man

TOO HIGH:

31. Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
26. Killer/Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

Not a massive fan of I'm Your Man. It's probably my least favourite Wham single.

Hard Day is a good one. Always thought it was his attempt to do something similar to Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche.

"hard day" is wayyyyyyyyyyyy too low

if you're gonna do it do it right

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23. Amazing
116 points, seven votes
from Patience, 2005

i think it's amazing!

wasn't able to post during the rundown yesterday so:

"i knew you were waiting (for me)": i didn't vote for this but i think i should've? i mean it's the emptiest glossiest waiting room narada michael walden production holding together a grooveless faux-gospel song and it's somehow totally thrilling regardless, prob, i'm guessing, bc of aretha and george
"older": didn't vote for this either and, like most of the singles from older, i'm stunned that it was a single and was successful in a ton of markets. to its credit i can't ever decide what the chorus is, there are like five. beautiful muted trumpet playing too
"star people": the original is still kind of inaccessible to me and feels weirdly mean, though it grooves; the single version is a rave up
"flawless": yesssss. love the original, was surprised when i listened to patience for the first time last week that it was that "flawless." tbh i was worried that no patience tracks beyond "amazing" would place.

Just caught up with this. If I had voted, "Spinning The Wheel" and "Nothing Looks The Same In The Light" could well have charted.

thanks ismael. father figure was my number one. those woozy synths are an instant trip back to childhood.

I would have also voted for 'Spinning That Wheel'

One thing this poll has made me realise is just how many classics this man has written. That he has a superb voice goes without saying, but as a songwriter I feel he should be held in higher regard than he is. I'm disappointed, in a way, that he hasn't written more of them over such a long career.

"Father Figure" was my #1 too & if I could have given it all my points I would have. I mishear it systematically as "to be walking naked / in your sight" & even now that I know it's otherwise I continue to mishear it this way intentionally. I don't know what to make of my experience of a song by a gay man as the most sexually profound song I know, something of my own queerness within heterosexuality I suppose. and that I listened to it so much when age 13, coming into my sexuality. but I...identify with this song.

What do you think about George's political engagement? I was a little bit surprised, running through the catalogue, at how big-themey he is. Religion appears a lot, there's economic stuff, they did miners' benefits ... even Young Guns or Wham Rap do kids' politics in their way. It seems a bit unfair that they had the reputation as being the epitome of vacuity.

For some reason I think Andrew Ridgely wrote 'Wham Rap'. I can't remember why - presumably I read this in an interview 30 years ago.

So surprised to see Everything She Wants at #2, didn't realize it was such a hit! Think it's the only song in the countdown that didn't have my vote. Great song though.

I Can't Make You Love Me wuz robbed...

Thanks for running a great poll Ismael Klata!

Missed the poll but will have fun listening, thanks!

I honor my big brother.

Happy birthday, bro.

Happy 59th Birthday. In terms of his non-Faith tracks, "Jesus To A Child" is one of his best ballads, you can feel the loss and heartbreak in his voice, along with "Praying For Time" which is more relevant today. "Fastlove" is his best uptempo track, very addictive. "Outside" is great as well.

Damn we did this poll just before he died? Jeez i was sure it was after.