Elvis Costello Fan Forum's Top 50 Elvis Costello songs!

Pretty self-explanatory
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BlueChair
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Elvis Costello Fan Forum's Top 50 Elvis Costello songs!

Post by BlueChair »

Finally, here are Elvis Costello's Top 50 songs of all-time as voted for by members of this very forum.

Special thanks to so lacklustre for his formula!

1. Beyond Belief
2. Man Out Of Time
3. I Want You
4. Alison
5. Radio, Radio
6. Brilliant Mistake
7. Almost Blue
8. Oliver's Army
9. Lipstick Vogue
10. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
11. Accidents Will Happen
12. I Hope You're Happy Now
13. Riot Act
14. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
15. Human Hands
16. Watching The Detectives
17. King Horse
18. Shipbuilding
19. God Give Me Strength
20. The Other End Of The Telescope
21. Battered Old Bird
22. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
23. High Fidelity
24. My Dark Life
25. Hoover Factory
26. Little Triggers
27. Watch Your Step
28. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
29. Indoor Fireworks
30. New Amsterdam
31. New Lace Sleeves
32. Sleep Of The Just
33. The Beat
34. No Action
35. You Little Fool
36. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
37. Everyday I Write The Book
38. So Like Candy
39. You Tripped At Every Step
40. All Thise Useless Beuty
41. Episode Of Blonde
42. The Favourite Hour
43. I'll Wear It Proudly
44. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
45. How To Be Dumb
46. Big Tears
47. Blue Chair
48. Possession
49. Baby Plays Around
50. Shot With His Own Gun

More details to follow
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miss buenos aires
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Post by miss buenos aires »

How did Broken get to #31?!?


















Ha ha, made you look.
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Poppet
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Post by Poppet »

yay blue, you did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(blue and i had a conversation about tallying the scores, and i got SO confuzzled! i was no help at all.)

:)
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Post by Jackson Doofster »

Not many of these wouldn't have made my 50....but what happened to 'My Little Blue Window' ???
"But they can't hold a candle to the reciprical war crimes which have plagued our policy of foriegn affairs."
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Post by selfmademug »

That's very cool! Lots to digest there. Great to see CCIU#4 squeaked into the top ten. I think RIOT ACT's high placement is the biggest surprise right off the bat...

Six of mine made it; nine did not. I suspect that makes me a bit of an oddball...
Last edited by selfmademug on Fri Mar 12, 2004 5:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by wehitandrun »

selfmademug wrote:I think RIOT ACT's high placement is the biggest surprise right off the bat...

Awww, Riot act!



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Post by selfmademug »

Not that I don't like it; I'm just surprised at its placement. That's why this is so cool!
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Post by wehitandrun »

I'm most surprised by Shot With His Own Gun being at number 50, I'd expect it to be out a lot of those songs.

No "Pads, Paws, And Claws"?!

I'm happy to see Big Tears make it, although I believe Tiny Steps is a notch up on that. But obviously that's just me.




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Re: Elvis Costello Fan Forum's Top 50 Elvis Costello songs!

Post by pip_52 »

21. Battered Old Bird

This seems surprising to me, but pleasantly so . . .
selfmademug

Re: Elvis Costello Fan Forum's Top 50 Elvis Costello songs!

Post by selfmademug »

pip_52 wrote:
21. Battered Old Bird

This seems surprising to me, but pleasantly so . . .
A cult fave! Same with LITTLE TRIGGERS, which was in my 15.
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Post by laughingcrow »

Im surprised about Favourite Hour even being in the top 50...glad to see Battered old Bird/Sleep of the Just/Human Hands in there though...

This is a really good list! Cheers for the perseverance Blue, and for the maths So Lack (and Mr A)...good stuff!
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Post by Paul B »

Wow, a few score draws, a few upsets. From a quick study it'd seem our top 50 draws very heavily on pre Spike material. While the 50 comprises mainly songs you'd hope or expect to see up there, Brutal Youth and beyond only gets around 4 placings. Surely plently of riches from later years easily rate over Big Tears (47), My Dark Life (24) or, dare I say it (and not sure I do as so many voted for it) Man Out of Time? Strange that really core stuff like Red Shoes (22) and Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (36) aren't nearer the top. The Other End of The Telescope (20) is higher than it merits in the exhalted company of Shipbuilding and God Give Me Strength - and higher than Red Shoes even. Guess it's popular. Interesting to get a snapshot of what is, for example Hoover Factory at 25, which is a nice thought, being as it is a beguiling and wholly self recorded b-side doodle. Other tragic upsets: You Tripped at Every Step at 39, no Juliet Letters, very little King of America (no Suit of Lights?), no 'For The Stars' (only kidding about that last one...)

Beyond Belief at number 1 is an unimpeachable choice. If you had to choose, it probably is Elvis's best song and recording, Though that's not to say that a lot of his body of work isnt singularly compelling, moving, stunningly beautiful, scary, challenging, hysterical (in the I Want you sense as well as the God's Comic sense) and groovy.
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Post by wehitandrun »

I'm happiest about Episode Of Blonde, which was my number one pick.

Battered Old Bird was number 2. :D

I'm somewhat offended about Radio Radio being that far up... especially when my wonderful Hurry Down Doomsday wasnt even there. =[



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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Paul B wrote:Beyond Belief at number 1 is an unimpeachable choice. If you had to choose, it probably is Elvis's best song and recording, Though that's not to say that a lot of his body of work isnt singularly compelling, moving, stunningly beautiful, scary, challenging, hysterical (in the I Want you sense as well as the God's Comic sense) and groovy.
Funny, cos this is the real surprise for me. It might just make my top 50, but number 1? It's good to listen to, but it doesn't do a lot for me in terms of adoration of the song. Great vocal line and very well recorded. I've always thought it was very original but rather limited, and not a particularly impressive example of his abilities as a songwriter. The documentation provided by the Land of... IB reissue shows its genesis from mess to impressive finished item, but it still sounds to much like something that started out as a mess, rather than a brilliant song. Isn't this reflected, too, by how little he plays it live?
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Post by PlaythingOrPet »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Isn't this reflected, too, by how little he plays it live?
So Pump It Up should in theory be #1? Wow, people really are sick of it.

Nice to see Hoover Factory, Favourite Hour, Riot Act and New Amsterdam all hiding in there, but Alison at #4?!!! Ahead of Brilliant Mistake?!!!
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Post by cbartal »

I saw him tap a few bars of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You are" on a Hammond Organ during the solo GCW Tour...

Thought for sure that that would make the list.
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Post by crash8_durham »

Congrats Blue Chair. I am sure that was a lot of work. Great Job.
:D
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Post by seanpointblank »

What, no 'The Only Flame in Town' at #1?!
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Post by Jackson Doofster »

I'm with Otis with regards to 'Beyond Belief'. A good song, but I wouldn't have put it in my top fifty either.

But hey, what do we know ?

Only a handful of mine made the top 50...and you know what....

I quite like it that way :D 8) :D 8)
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Post by Jackson Doofster »

other notable absentees:

Jack of All Parades (amazing that isn't there!!)
London't Brilliant Parade
Hand in Hand

:? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :shock: :shock: :shock:


that's polls for you
"But they can't hold a candle to the reciprical war crimes which have plagued our policy of foriegn affairs."
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Post by selfmademug »

Jackson Doofster wrote: Jack of All Parades (amazing that isn't there!!)
I voted fer it!

I have a theory about BEYOND BELIEF (which he does play relatively regularly, Otis, though I'm going by memory and you are Dr. Setlist, so you probably have more empirical evidence!). It is a hard song to learn, meandering in tune and packed with obscure rhymes, and both these make it very fun to sing or follow once you know it. I think that endears songs to people a lot-- it does for me. It's why CAN YOU BE TRUE is in my top 15. But that appeal doesn't always last-- off IB I voted for the one-two punch of HUMAN HANDS and KID ABOUT IT.

Doof how many of yours are in the top 50? I mentioned 6 of mine were. I'm curious...

Blue this was such a cool thing to do. You rock. Obviously.
Last edited by selfmademug on Sat Mar 13, 2004 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by VonOfterdingen »

Great list, great job,

...but no God´s Comic !!??
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Post by selfmademug »

The one missing that surprised me was BLACK SAILS IN THE SUNSET.
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Post by so lacklustre »

Of the tracks mentioned but not in the top 50 here is how they did:

Jack of all Parades - 52nd
Black Sails - 59th
London's Brilliant P - 62nd
God's Comic - 93rd
My Little Blue W - 121st
Tiny Steps - 151st
Hand In Hand - 161st

Pads... & The Only Flame didn't get a vote between them.
signed with love and vicious kisses
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Post by selfmademug »

Thanks, SLL!

How many people submitted lists?

I don't s'pose 5IVE GEARS IN REVERSE got any votes besides mine?? Such a sexy song, I've always thought.
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