The 2021 Talossan Music Top 20 [Final Voting]

[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).

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #5

Dire Straights - Telegraph Road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8bWGGA-5HM
Released 1982
From the album Love Over Gold

First nominated by Lüc da Schir in 2013
Previously #6 in 2015, #2 in 2017, #7 in 2018, #5 in 2019, and #4 in 2020.

Final Round Points - 27


Only Bohemian Rhapsody (7) has made it into the top 5 more times than this song. By standard deviation of number of points, this was the most divisive song, with two voters giving it second-place votes, but three voters giving it no points. The two second-place votes gave it the edge over The Devil Went Downt to Georgia in the tiebreaker and gave it yet another top-5 finish.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #4

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ
Released 1975
From the album A Night at the Opera

First nominated by Eðo Grischun in 2009
Previously #1 in 2015, #4 in 2016, #1 in 2017, #2 in 2018, #4 in 2019, and #2 in 2020.

Final Round Points - 29


Talossa's favorite song, Bohemian Rhapsody has been on the TMT20 podium more often than it hasn't been. It missed this year by a single point, but one first-place vote along with three mid-range votes is good for another 4th place finish.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

No song in the top 3 received a 12-point vote.

[Glüc]

Oof. Hoped the Dire Straitses would have shown up in a different order. I had Telegraph Road second, so my top 3 is out now.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #3

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbmS3tQJ7Os
Released 1969
From the album Let It Bleed

First nominated by Xhordan Plätschisch in 2018
Previously #14 in 2018, #3 in 2019, and #1 in 2020.

Final Round Points - 30


Everyone gave this song points, but no one gave it more than eight (the same outcome, in fact, as The Devil Went Down to Georgia, and the second-place song this year).

Third place is very respectable for a defending champion. In fact, it is the second-highest ever finish for such a song (behind, as usual, Bohemian Rhapsody, which won in 2017 and came in second in 2018).

[Glüc]

Ooh, that's a surprise. I knew we never had a consecutive winner, but I thought Gimme Shelter would break the curse.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

DRUMROLL PLEASE

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #2

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDG2m5hN1vo
Released 1977
From the album Rumours

First nominated by Glüc da Dhi in 2018
Previously #20 in 2018.

Final Round Points - 32


By standard deviation of the number of points given, this was the least divisive song in the Final. Every voter gave it between three and eight points. That was enough for a great finish, but not enough to win.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

2021 TMT20 #1

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIufLA7Bx2Q
Released 1978
From the album Dire Straits

First nominated by Erschéveþ da Schir in 2019
Previously #8 in 2019 and #8 in 2020.

Final Round Points - 36


Three top-3 votes, plus two mid-range votes, delivered this song the win.

I tried desparately to come up with a statistic for which Dire Straits would have Queen beat, but alas I am not sure it is possible (unless you ignore Under Pressure).

Total Top-20 finishes: 14 for Queen and 9 for Dire Straits (Bon Jovi is next, with 7).
Total Top-10 finishes: 10 for Queen and 9 for Dire Straits
Total Top-5 finishes: 9 for Queen and 5 for Dire Straits
Total Top-3 finishes: 5 for Queen and 2 for Dire Straits
Total wins: 2 for Queen and 1 for Dire Straits

The majority of Dire Straits' TMT20 success has come from Telegraph Road (it has made the Top 10 every year except 2016), so I guess it's surprising that Sultans of Swing was their first song to actually win.

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

Thanks to everyone who participated. I may be coming out with some more stats over the coming days.