END OF YEAR POLL – RESULTS
Well, slightly late, as expected, these are the results of the Poll. There were a lot of one-vote wonders, so I’ve just listed the main contenders in each category. I also apologise because when I did this I spent hours finding lots of nice pictures to illustrate all the top celebs involved, but I can't work out how to insert them (perhaps I should ask Gillian) so you'll have to use your imaginations.
A big thank you to everyone who took the time to vote (especially the shy and retiring e-mailers!). The results indicate that the NOOL community has some kind of handle on (a) what’s in with the kids and (b) the wider world of the er, world.
So, enough of my waffle – here we go:
Song Of The Year
It’s worth mentioning that Queens of the Stone Age missed out due to the horror of split voting, so the moral to any would-be songwriters is to just release one song a year and make it a bloody good one!
3= Three tunes shared third place:
Beyonce – Crazy In Love/Outkast – Hey Ya/Gary Jules – Mad World
Beyonce's song has been nominated for 3 Grammys, so someone obviously likes it, and so do you!
See, we don’t just like pale indie kids with guitars on this site…
Despite controversy over its release year, Mad World made the UK Christmas Number 1, so hopefully Mr. Jules will now be able to afford a new hat.
2 The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
Who said they were old news, washed up, etc? The indie Mork and Mindy returned with a funky little number to the massed sighs of relief of music journos everywhere who can now look forward to another chance to slag them off and pretend they never liked them anyway. But they just weren’t good enough for you lot, because this lot were:
1 Black Rebel Motorcycle Crew – Stop
The Jesus & Mary who? Top song of the year as voted by you lot. Hmm, sounds like a tip for greatness. Perhaps they might even have released an album this year, maybe…
Album Of The Year
Despite many people protesting that they haven’t bought any new albums this year, there was a healthy selection of new(-ish) stuff in this category, although no-one would have predicted the nail-biting fight for joint fourth:
4= Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress/David Gahan – Paper Monsters/Kraftwerk – Tour De France Soundtracks/The Postal Service –Give Up
Sad as I was about Four Tet’s failure to make the grade, I was pleased to see the Postal Service sneak in. B&S returned with one of their strongest albums and a certain Trevor Horn in tow, while David Gahan left his fellow bandmembers solo projects in his wake.
I don’t think I need to mention Kraftwerk, especially as I haven’t got a bloody ticket to see them. Boo.
3 The Raveonettes – Chain Gang Of Love
More Mary Chain inspired malarkey from seedy Scandinavia. Or something.
2 The Strokes – Room On Fire
Do believe the hype. The sound of unwashed New York survives to its second outing and was soooo close to being top, but like Jack’n’Meg they were beaten by:
1 BRMC – Take Them On, On Your Own
There seems to be a distinct fondness amongst NOOLers for scuzzy rock bands this year. Hooky might approve! Winners of the double then. They will be pleased. If they weren't too cool to be pleased about anything.
Reissue of the Year
Not a popular category with the hip now generation that makes up NOOL’s membership, only two artists were worthy of mention:
2 REM – In Time
Sadly no-one has told Mr Stipe that he won’t get any extra money for featuring in this poll.
1 Echo & the Bunnymen – Reissues
Winner by a country mile. I turned my nose up (having got them all twice and that Crystal Days thing too) but you went for them in your droves. And quite right too, because they don’t make ‘em like that any more.
Live Act Of The Year
You lot need to get out more.
2= Inspiral Carpets/REM
But sadly the winner by some way is:
1 Haven’t been to any gigs this year
Your homework for this year is to see at least one gig. Even if it’s Known Pleasures.
Hero of the Year
Another category which shows the NOOL microcosm split neatly in two:
2 My wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other
AAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! Don’t it make yer ‘art warm, jis to ‘ere abaaht it?
1 No heroes anymore
You didn’t bloody well like anyone, you miserable gits!
Villain of the Year
Only two contenders for this, and one of them was merely a poodley, arse-licking toady to the other. This category threatened to bring the poll to a swift and bloody end as the discussion turned nasty. (At least the email voters didn’t rant so much).
But it’s nice to see that although your lawyer/builder/music journalist of choice may have bugged you a bit, all eyes were fixed firmly on the world stage. The winner, of course, is Dubya.
Event of the Year
While family occasions (marriage, births, etc) were cheerily significant in many cases, this category gives us our only joint winners. Again, some voters turned to the wider world, but others sought comfort in their own ranks. I reckon that as long as BushBlair don’t invade any more countries looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction this year, the Community album will rightly be the biggie.
It’s up to you lot to reward all the hard work with your support (for the Community project, not the invasion of sovereign states).
1 = Son of Desert Storm/The Community Project (hurray)All-time favourite song
And so we come to the final category. This is another round where split voting left several potential brides at the porch (New Order, Radiohead and The Pixies in particular). But I know how the third placed song will please many of our members:
3 The Cure – Just Like Heaven
Mike and Tim will be impressed I’m sure.
2 True Faith
New Order suffered from having too many different tunes. I recommend block voting next time (or mu****le acc***ts). On any given day this may or may not win a similar poll for best NO song.
But for New Year cheer, you went for:
1 Love Will Tear Us Apart
A big round of applause to top ‘80s icon Paul Young for providing you with your all-time number one favourite.
And that’s it. Hope you’ve enjoyed the results – after all they’re your fault.
