The 2021 Talossan Music Top 20 [Final Voting]

[Glüc]

Also, fwiw, I think Gimme Shelter is the overwhelming favourite. Mostly, because I can't think of any other finalist that feels like a genuine contender for the number 1 spot atm.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #12

Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZHPOeOxQQ

Released 1986
From the album Slippery When Wet

First nominated by Ian Plätschisch in 2017
Previously #4 in 2017, #5 in 2018, #10 in 2019, and #11 in 2020

Final Round Points - 18


Received one 12-point vote (from me), but the only other two voters to give it points put it in their bottom half.

This is the fifth consecutive year in the top 20 for this song, but its position has declined each time.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #11

Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston
https://youtu.be/pMgHX2dhVlE

Released 2005
From the album The Warrior's Code

First nominated by Ian Plätschisch in 2021

Final Round Points - 19


Recieved a second- and third-place vote, but only one point from the other four voters.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

Fun fact: half of the songs in the Top 20 of the 2015 contest are no longer around (that is, they were eliminated in round one at some point between 2016 and now). This includes five of the top ten and three of the top five.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #10

Gaelic Storm - One More Day Above the Roses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1E9O7niZAM

Released 2012
From the album Chicken Boxer

First nominated by Ian Plätschisch in 2015
Previously #12 in 2016 and #15 in 2018.

Final Round Points - 21


This song has been in and out of the Top 20 before, but this is its highest ever finish and first time cracking the top 10. Received a second-place vote (from me) and a top-half vote from another voter known to also like this song, but a few additional points from two other voters put it over the top.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #9

Whiskey Myers - On the River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab3sWMXI12U

Released 2016
From the album Mud

First nominated by Xhordan Plätschisch in 2019
Previously #16 in 2019.

Final Round Points - 21


This song is both the most recently released song in this year's Top 20 and the highest-ranking song this year released in the 21st century. In fact, it is the second-most recently released song to feature in the Top 20 in any year, behind only "High Hopes" (released 2018 and #13 last year), which only earned a nomination in the TMT20 by winning the 2019 special edition focusing on newly released songs.

Received the same number of points as "One More Day Above the Roses," but received a first-place vote and thus won the tiebreaker.

[Glüc]

This song is both the most recently released song in this year's Top 20 and the highest-ranking song this year released in the 21st century. In fact, it is the second-most recently released song to feature in the Top 20 in any year, behind only "High Hopes" (released 2018 and #13 last year), which only earned a nomination in the TMT20 by winning the 2019 special edition focusing on newly released songs.

I suppose it is quite telling that the most recently released song in the TMT, and the highest ranking post 1982(!) still sounds like it could have been released 4 decades ago (still a good song though).

[Glüc]

I'm glad Once in a Lifetime is still in. Don't expect that to last that much longer though.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #8

Bob Segar - Old Time Rock and Roll
https://youtu.be/W1LsRShUPtY

Released 1979
From the album Stranger in Town

First nominated by Ian Plätschisch in 2021

Final Round Points - 23


The highest ranking new nomination.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #7

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGofoH9RDEA

Released 1980
From the album Remain in Light

First nominated by Glüc da Dhi in 2017
Previously #9 in 2017 and #13 in 2018.

Final Round Points - 23

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

These two songs had the closest tiebreaker of the final. Both received a total of 23 points and one first-place vote. However, Once in a Lifetime also got a 7-point vote, while the highest other vote for Old Time Rock and Roll was for six points. Under last year's Final Round first tiebreaker rules (average of Rd 2 and 3 PPV), Bob Segar would have won.

Unfortunate, since Once in a Lifetime was the only song in the final that I don't like  :P

[Glüc]

12 - Once in a Lifetime
10 -
8 - Haifisch
7 -
6 -
5 -
4 -
3 - On the River
2 - Roam
1 -

Too bad about Once in a Lifetime and Haifisch, though I was positively surprised about them reaching the final in the first place. All 0-pointers are out already so I can't really complain.

[Glüc]

Probably mentioned this before in an earlier edition, but for anyone who (unlike Ian apparently) does appreciate the music of Talking Heads, it's well worth watching the entire Stop Making Sense film. Nearly every performance on there (except maybe Psycho Killer) is better than the studio version. It's an overall brilliant performance, probably the best full concert movie of any artist out there.

youtube playlist link

[Glüc]

Predictions holding up reasonably well so far (probably mostly through luck), but it gets increasingly difficult

6 - The Devil Went Down to Georgia - too much love/hate I suspect. Not enough broad support.
5 - Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits tracks getting in each others way. Not sure which will end up higher.
4 - Bohemian Rhapsody - Has been losing steam in recent years and didn't have a great run up to the final.
3 - The Chain - Too few top-3 spots. Expecting a lot of mid-range scores.
2 - Telegraph Road - See Sultans.
1 - Gimme Shelter - Favourite by process of elimination

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #6

The Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down to Georgia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RUg-NkjY4
Released 1979
From the album Million Mile Reflections

First nominated by Ian Plätschisch in 2017
Previously #6 in 2017, #16 in 2018, #6 in 2019, and #5 in 2020

Final Round Points - 27


Only Bohemian Rhapsody (7) and Telegraph Road (6) have made it into the top 10 more times than this song.

6 - The Devil Went Down to Georgia - too much love/hate I suspect. Not enough broad support.

Right position, wrong reason. This song received points from all six voters, but the majority ranked it in their bottom half and no one gave it more than eight. By standard deviation of number of points, it was the third-least divisive song (behind Seven Nights in Eire and a song that hasn't come up yet).