Vote Yo La Tengo!

#ALL50RTS 1. The Replacements - "Unsatisfied" (1984) This challenge ends on my birthday! And I'm ... unsatisfied? Not really - enjoyed all the "this wasn't a single?" and the deep cuts! Maybe at 19 I felt this more but at 60 I still love the guitars. 12 Points!

#ALL50RTS 2. Cheap Trick - "He's a Whore" (1977) Well, they did eventually "sell out" under duress to get their biggest hit stateside, but back in '77 they wrote this crunching critique. 11 Points!

#ALL50RTS 3. Bob Dylan - "Visions of Johanna" (1966) If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son. A song with 99 interpretations, but this ain't one. youtu.be/AwuCF5lYqEE?...

#ALL50RTS 4. The Clash - "Hateful" Hey, if you're gonna write a song about drug addiction and dead friends, at least give it a Bo Diddley beat and a catchy chorus! 11 Points!

#ALL50RTS 5. Charles Mingus - "Better Git It in Your Soul" (1959) Jazz Rocks! Or maybe it's gospel? This not only grooves, but has hootin' and hollerin' and handclaps. You should follow the title as instructed. 11 Points!

#ALL50RTS 6. Pavement - "Here" (1992) My bad jokes are almost over. Everything's ending ... soon.

#ALL50RTS 7. The Modern Lovers - "She Cracked" (1976) Maybe Jonathan didn't crack today, but I did! And I didn't get stoned. I may have eaten garbage though..yeah I did.

#ALL50RTS 8. They Might Be Giants - "Memo to Human Resources" (2004) This doesn't put the human in HR, but it does sorta put the human in They Might Be Giants.

#ALL50RTS 9. The Move - "(Here We Go Round) the Lemon Tree" (1967 b-side, 1968 album cut) Sure, it's a "meet cute" song about a suitor who throws stones at his love interest and snoops around in bright green underpants. I like how he says she's the one who's "round the bend".

#ALL50RTS 10. Belle & Sebastian - "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying" (1996) Perfect for bad parties or bad social media sites.

#ALL50RTS 11. Le Tigre - "Deceptacon" (1999) Recently, my wife hurt her wrist trying to stop herself from falling on a linoleum floor. Every time she mentioned it, I would sing "Your lyrics are dumb like a linoleum floor" because that's what supportive husbands do. Wait, did I take the Bomp?

#ALL50RTS 12. Shoes - "Curiosity" Nobody asked, but here's the best of Midwest power-pop. It generates the heat, the energy you need! This is from their last gasp in the majors before they headed back to Zion, IL to build their own studio and make even more records about devious chicks and stuff.

#ALL50RTS 13. Fairport Convention - "Genesis Hall" (1969) In the beginning there was hatred, and here we go again.

#ALL50RTS 14. Pixies - "Bone Machine" (1988) In the summer of '88, I drove to and from Harrisburg, PA every week for a couple of months. I listened to tons of stuff, probably 50-60 cassettes, but I kept shoving SURFER ROSA into the deck and this would come blasting out. Somehow I survived.

#ALL50RTS 15. Clem Snide - "Nick Drake Tape" (1998) Only 15 leaves left. I developed a bad habit of picking songs mentioning other great artists so I could kinda sneak 'em in there, but it does sound so good...

#ALL50RTS 16. Sleater-Kinney - "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" (1996) The queens of rock and roll flipping the script. You should probably give them anything they want. Sedation and sniffing glue are on the table.

#ALL50RTS 17. Warren Zevon - "Mohammed's Radio" (1976) R.E.M. leads me to Warren and this song which might provide some sentimental hygiene. Backing vocals from Stevie and Lindsey - Yes, the Magnet AND the Steel! Or these days, the Oil and the Water!

#ALL50RTS 18. R E.M. - "Laughing" (1983) Stipe has been accused of misgendering Laocoön by singing "Laocoön and her two sons", but I hear him simply singing "Laocoön had two sons". Better listen to it for the 5000th time to be sure. Once again, Michael gets the last laugh.

#ALL50RTS 19. The Kinks - "Strangers" (1970) Hello friends! We are not 8.142 billion, we are one. Brother Dave takes us down the road.

#ALL50RTS 20. Bettie Serveert - "Geek" (1997) Kid Carol takes on all comers!

#ALL50RTS 21. Tom Waits - "Singapore" (1985) I kind of wanted "Jockey Full of Bourbon", but Wiki gave mixed messages about whether it was a single. Went with this instead, which is weirder and sets the tone for this creepy carnival of an album.

#ALL50RTS 22. Guides By Voices - "Game of Pricks" (1995) And in this corner we have Bob Pollard, arriving with hundreds of good songs and he's free to write more! Too many, really. "I never asked for the truth, but you owe that to me" Please tell me this is the best one! (I had 35 possibilities)

#ALL50RTS 23. Ween - "The Mollusk" (1997) I like prog now. Cover art by Storm Thorgerson who, according to Dean, said “I want to make an amalgamation of all these fucked-up sea animals." Success!

#ALL50RTS 24. Lucinda Williams - "Metal Firecracker" (1998) Love exploding on the road. No matter how loud you turn up the ZZ Top, you can't forget everything.

#ALL50RTS 25. The Beatles - "Two Of Us" (1970) I know Paul said this was about him and Linda but you know it sounds like he was thinking of John a little bit, and there John is singing right along. Plus, John never said a bad word about this song. High praise indeed!

#ALL50RTS HM #5 Billy Bragg & Wilco - "California Stars" (1998) Workin' hard for the dream, I kinda slept on this one. Boys, you done him good.

#ALL50RTS HM #4 Fleetwood Mac - "The Chain" (1977) More like hanging by a thread, but this one is a true team effort!

#ALL50RTS HM #3 Talking Heads - "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" (1980) My brother told me one of his friends quoted this song as part of a presentation on Abe Lincoln. Yes, a very thin government man, and quite the tumbler I've heard.

#ALL50RTS HM #2 David Bowie - "Queen Bitch" (1971) Well, he always needs the help! 🙄 This also indirectly takes care of Lou Reed/Velvets. How could I do better than that?

#ALL50RTS HM #1 Sonic Youth - "Schizophrenia" Did you have hunch this was coming back? Take me home, crazy bones.

#ALL50RTS 26. Neil Young - "Too Far Gone" (1989) Recorded way back in the 70s, but officially unreleased until this countrified version. He was too far gone then and now sometimes I don't know where he is, but he's always interesting.

#ALL50RTS 27. Pretenders - "Tattooed Love Boys" (1980) Tattoo Two! This is a true story about Chrissie being raped by a biker gang and in her autobiography, she states: "...this was all my doing, and I take full responsibility..." 🤔 ANYWAY, this is an exciting tune with a groovy rhythm!

#ALL50RTS 28. The Who - "Tattoo" (1967) Go to the church of your choice and pray your Mom doesn't beat you for your lewd ink.

#ALL50RTS 29. Wire - "Ex Lion Tamer" (1977) Next week may solve some problems as I'll try to HM some great songs that you all picked... BUT NOW! There's this ripper.

#ALL50RTS 30. Old 97's - "Lonely Holiday" The dangers of sitting and stewing on your staycation.

#ALL50RTS 31. Leonard Cohen - "Alexandra Leaving" Based on the poem "The God Abandons Antony" by Constantine P. Cavafy and it's just a lovely hush of resignation. Sharon Robinson, who built Cohen's words into the songs on the album, duets and slips some sweet elegance into the old poet's drink.

#ALL50RTS 32. The Rolling Stones - "She Smiled Sweetly" Listen, we can talk all day about the best Stones non-single! But before we have any important conversations, be like Margot Tenenbaum and cue this up first.

#ALL50RTS 33. John Prine - "Christmas in Prison" Well, eternity and Mother Nature finally caught up with him, but he left us awash in wonderful songs.

#ALL50RTS 34. Linda Thompson - "Only a Boy" The problem is boys becoming typical men. Boyz II Men? Either way, it's the end of the road for you, mister.

#ALL50RTS 35. Yo La Tengo - "Drug Test" I don't really get high, but I guess I act like I do - this chronicles getting up at sundown, eating leftover steak for breakfast, and listening to The Grateful Dead, all of which seem pretty reasonable to me.

#ALL50RTS 36. The Handsome Family - "Darling, My Darling" Hey there love bugs, dig this tune about insect mating rituals.

#ALL50RTS 37. The Apples In Stereo - "Lucky Charm" As a well-behaved, kinda strange kid locked up in the phantom zone, I love this lo-fi sweet stuff.

#ALL50RTS 38. Mary Margaret O'Hara - "You Will Be Loved Again" Well, she hasn't released much, so you gotta cherish all of it.

#ALL50RTS 39. The Pogues - "Bottle of Smoke" The odds are against this foul-mouthed ripsnorter from getting any other votes, but ya never know what might happen down the stretch. youtu.be/csdCM3G2l8A

#ALL50RTS 40. The National - "Slow Show" I agree, it's nice to have a partner in life who laughs at my dumb jokes. First YouTube comment I saw: "This was my Mom and Dad's wedding song, so it holds a special place in my heart" Oh my, I am so very old.

#ALL50RTS 41. Nick Lowe - "Marie Provost" Well, Nick probably shouldn't have got all his "facts" from HOLLYWOOD BABYLON, but still, poor poor Marie.

#ALL50RTS 42. The Vulgar Boatmen - "Margaret Says" Kids say the darndest things...and the adults speak nonsense and go on long drives with the radio on.

#ALL50RTS 43. Tom Zé - "Ui! (Você inventa)" Good ol' Tony Joe being his typically inventive self here. youtu.be/eXyodOpsyjE

#ALL50RTS 44. Loudon Wainwright III - "White Winos" - Sorry for missing yesterday - I was drinking on the porch with my Mom.