37. Sheryl Crow: If It Makes You Happy
Sheryl Crow's first hit was the quirky, woozy, early AM party tune "All I Wanna Do", but on her debut album, and with subsequent releases she's proven to be a traditionalist at heart, sticking with generally classic rock arrangements with enough modern touches to make her seem both contemporary and old-fashioned. This is part of her appeal; most of her songs have a comfortable, semi-familiar ring the first time you hear them. "If It Makes You Happy" a 1996 hit from Sheryl Crow, seems destined to be her signature tune. It opens with a languid Rolling Stones country-rock groove that sounds like a semi-forgotten Exile on Main Street track; Crow drawls the lyrics before reaching a fairly melancholy chorus.
38. Sarah McLachlan: Possession
A cult figure in Canada since 1988, and one in America since the early 90's, McLachlan never quite became the household name some predicted, but she has played an important role in rock that goes beyond her own political folk/pop/rock. By organizing the Lilith Fair tour, a successful package tour that introduced a raft of women singer/songwriters to the world, many of whom have gone on to success, she established herself as important behind the stage as on it. Musically, she's a traditional singer/songwriter, but one blessed with an intelligent, literate gift with a song. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, from 1993, is generally considered her best; "Possession" a first-person account of a stalker, remains her most well-known song, and a fairly creepy one, sung almost like a lush love ballad, but with edgy trip-hop and rock influenced backing. The line "I'll take your breath away" is completely recontextualized, brilliantly.
39. My Bloody Valentine: Come In Alone
While Kevin Shields usually gets most of the credit for My Bloody Valentine's two dense, layered, textured shoegaze/dream-pop/noise-pop landmark albums, they could never have been what they were had it not been for Bilinda Butcher's vocals, who instantly changed My Bloody Valentine from an unfocused goth band into one of the essential bands of the late 80's-early 90's. Loveless, from 1991, remains a classic of the early 90's; Butcher's voice is integral, conveying mystery, allure, sorrow, without rising above the complex mix of overdubbed guitar, reverb, and feedback. Debbie Googe also deserves mention for her bass playing, which was melodic, metallic, psychedelic, funky, often all in the same track. Unfortunately, not much has been heard from either since Loveless; the band never made another album. "Come In Alone" is perhaps the most elegant and sensual track on Loveless, with Butcher's lilting vocal the perfect foil to Shield's guitar.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sean
Wanda Jackson.
I'm just gonna keep saying her name till somebody listens
2 - uao
That got me laughing, Sean. I just haven't heard Wanda Jackson enough. I'll check her out today, though.
3 - jones violet
Cat Power's "Good Woman" is the saddest song I know, also one of the best, but I can never listen to it because it just breaks my heart.
And yes, Pat Benetar! Glad to see her on the list.
What's your next list going to be?? :)
4 - Sean
Be sure to check out the stuff from the fifties. She went into a brief retirement and came back as a syrupy country singer. That stuff is ok but the stuff from the fifites is white hot rock and roll.
Great list by the way. I was very happy to see the Slits and X on there
5 - uao
Willdo, Sean, thanks for the tip. I realize now as I type this that she was nominated for Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction earlier this year. For that reason alone, her omission is glaring.
Thank god for peer-to-peer.
(note to RIAA, I meant peer-to-peer music fan consultation, not file swapping)
jones--
If I tell, it'll spoil the surprise. But some surprises will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. I'm taking a different approach to music these days.
6 - uao
I was winking with that RIAA comment, btw. But I won't say towards whom.
;-)
7 - BigLug
I suggest Aimee Mann: I would've put her in the top 25, but, unless I overlooked it, I didn't even see her man in the honorable mentions.
8 - Big Lug
er, "her man"? sorry, temporary dyslexia of some kind I guess, or my butterfingered typing skills.
9 - uao
Aimee Mann is one of a whole lot of singers who lurk around the nexis where rock, pop, r&b meet. I couldn't get 'em all in, but she does deserve a mention.
10 - godoggo
I'm pleased to find that there is now a Castration Squad Home Page. I actually never got a chance to hear them (til nowm I guess; we'll see if the video works on my antique Mac), but one cannot deny that they had a very nice name.
Other old LA punks: Alleycats/Zarkons and UXA (like their album a lot, kind of a mix of X, Pistols and Sabbath, with a touch of Doorsiness, although they were barely able to stand the one time I ever saw them).
Oh yeah, and punk/prog/reggae/funk LA allstars Twisted Roots. With the guitarist from the Germs (and some other band that lots of people like)! And the keyboardist from the Screamers! And that hot (in both senses) bassist who married Mike Watt, whatever her name is! And some chick named Maggie on vocals! And a drummer!
But I guess this would really be for a different list. Anyway, I love women. I really need to go get me one.
11 - Scott Butki
Ah, that's better now that you added them.
Thanks.
12 - Guppusmaximus
Come on, Uao.... Where's Patsy Cline??
Honorable Mention of The Carpenters? I guess I will be happy that you mentioned them...
13 - uao
Aww, Guppusmaximus. You know I can't put Patsy Cline on there. Because then people will say "Where's Aretha Franklin?" or "How come no Dolly Parton?"
I didn't know you were a Carpenters fan; I have very mixed emotions about them myself, and waffled on their inclusion, ultimately denying them on the grounds that they were less "rock" than anyone else on the list.
14 - Guppusmaximus
Uao,
Hey...Patsy Cline was Rock in my opinion(Rockabilly) so I don't think people would necessarily question it considering Dolly Parton was Country. Maybe you should've mentioned Mrs. Franklin because R&B was where rock started...
Why Yes, I am a Carpenters fan maybe not the #1 fan(Funny enough I'm a metalhead)Karen's voice was superb and she played drums while singing which in my book is definately ROCK!!
15 - uao
You know another metalhead who is also a Carpenters fan? Tony Iommi.
Maybe Pasty could have gone on, but then it opens the doors for so many others. If Aretha Franklin is included, someone will ask where is Diana Ross, which leads us to Carla Thomas, LaBelle, Mary Wells, et. al.
Then I'd have no room left for Ani DiFranco and LiLiPUT.
Real estate on my lists is very exclusive; Patsy'll have to be a good sport and wait until I get her on another. Same with Karen Carpenter.
But thanks for the ideas; the lists people come up with of names left off are often more interesting than the original list.
16 - uao
I meant "Patsy" not "Pasty" Me and my typing.
17 - BigLug
speaking of the Carpenters--guilty pleasure: "Rainy Days and Mondays" despite the fact, dammit, that they always get me down. Now don't get me started on Abba ...
18 - uao
My guilty Carpenter pleasures are their versions of Carole King's "It's Gonna Take Some Time", Herman's Hermits' "A Kind of a Hush" and Klaatu's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". I also like "Superstar", but I prefer Delaney and Bonnie's original "Groupie", 'cause it's dirtier.
As for ABBA, I'm a "Chiquitita" "Name of the Game" "On and On and On" and "Summer Night City" man.
But I don't like admitting this stuff when the place is crawling with music critics.
19 - BigLug
um, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by Klaatu (the second coming ot the Beatles)? Is that more of a delusionary pleasure? Not there's anything wrong with that ...
20 - uao
"Rainy Days and Mondays" fans ought not be snobs.
;-)
But you're right though; it isn't a guilty pleasure. It's just guilty. :D
21 - BigLug
I felt better when Elvis Costello had mentioned he's a big ABBA fan.
22 - Guppusmaximus
Yeah...Definately "Superstar" especially in that scene from Tommy Boy. You guys are reminding me of that exact moment where David Spade tells Chris Farley that he can change the station when that song comes on...:-)
23 - Baronius
Oddly, this isn't the exact list that I would have come up with - funny how that happens. But I'm glad that Tina Weymouth made it. I wonder if Sheryl Crow will be on this list in 20 years.
24 - BigLug
oops, very sorry uao: Carpenters did cover "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." Who'd would've thought I'd've thunk it?
Maybe I should've known better: back in the day when the Carpenters had just come onto the scene (as the kid's say), before anyone got a load of Richard's helmet hair or caught Karen's Mega-Meg White drumming skills, their version of the Beatles "Ticket to Ride" caught FM rawk's fancy, and for a while the song, and this mysterious unfrozen-caveman Carpenters group were the epitome on heaviosity.
Again, my apologies.
25 - godoggo
The "comments" count should be reimplemented. It was useful.