The Beatles

22nd Election Results! We’re Hangin’ Down at Dino’s

Finally, the dam breaks as our 22nd Election for the Hall of Songs yields multiple inductees.

Come along for a 30-minute ride as we discuss how the best songs of the early and mid 1970s fared in our most recent election. Among the nominees: “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Superstition,” “Dancing Queen” and “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Also, yes, we’re heading to Dino’s Bar & Grill.

Listen by clicking above, and subscribe at Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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Results here (spoilers!):

Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …

The Boys Are Back in Town / Thin Lizzy – 75% (1st round)
Born to Run / Bruce Springsteen – 68.75% (2nd round)
Wish You Were Here / Pink Floyd – 68.75% (2nd round)

Continuing to the next round of voting

Blitzkrieg Bop / The Ramones – 62.5% (1st round)
Sir Duke / Stevie Wonder – 62.5% (1st round)
Maggie May / Rod Stewart – 56.25% (2nd round)
Anarchy in the U.K. / Sex Pistols – 56.25% (1st round)
Dancing Queen / ABBA – 53.12% (1st round)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones – 50% (6th round)
Free Bird / Lynyrd Skynyrd – 46.87% (4th round)
More Than a Feeling / Boston – 43.75% (1st round)
Superstition / Stevie Wonder – 43.75% (5th round)
Sweet Emotion / Aerosmith – 40.62% (2nd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Jolene / Dolly Parton – 34.37% (4th round)
Don’t Leave Me This Way / Thelma Houston – 34.37% (1st round)
Thunder Road / Bruce Springsteen – 31.25% (2nd round)
Let’s Get It On / Marvin Gaye – 28.12% (4th round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 25% (8th round)
Tangled Up in Blue / Bob Dylan – 25% (2nd round)
Lean on Me / Bill Withers -25% (5th round)
Cherry Bomb / The Runaways – 15.62% (1st round)
Lowdown / Boz Scaggs – 15.62%
Desperados Under the Eaves / Warren Zevon – 12.5%
As / Stevie Wonder – 12.5%
Love Hangover / Diana Ross – 9.37%

21st Election Results! One of the Hosts Gets Into the Rant Zone

Well, it was bound to happen. The voting process in Hall of Songs finally resulted in some possible chicanery.

One of our hosts has to address it, and he does so with equal parts frustration and … well, you should listen.

Did any songs get into our prestigious hall of fame for songs? Listen to find out. But please, hit play on this one. It’s a ride.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …

Bohemian Rhapsody / Queen – 68.9% (1st round)
Take Me Home Country Roads / John Denver – 67.24% (1st round)

Continuing to the next round of voting

Born to Run / Bruce Springsteen – 58.6% (1st round)
Superstition / Stevie Wonder – 48.27% (4th round)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones – 44.82% (5th round)
Tangled Up in Blue / Bob Dylan – 44.82% (1st round)
Thunder Road / Bruce Springsteen – 44.82% (1st round)
Wish You Were Here / Pink Floyd – 44.82% (1st round)
Maggie May / Rod Stewart – 41.37% (1st round)
Free Bird / Lynyrd Skynyrd – 39.65% (3rd round)
Lean on Me / Bill Withers – 37.93% (4th round)
Sweet Emotion / Aerosmith – 36.2% (1st round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 34.48% (7th round)
Jolene / Dolly Parton – 34.48% (3rd round)
Let’s Get It On / Marvin Gaye – 32.75% (3rd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Ain’t No Sunshine / Bill Withers -29.31% (5th round)
Won’t Get Fooled Again / The Who – 29.31% (5th round)
Rocket Man / Elton John – 29.31% (4th round)
Midnight Train to Georgia / Gladys Knight and the Pips – 27.58% (3rd round)
Crazy on You / Heart – 24.13% (1st round)
Bridge Over Troubled Water / Simon and Garfunkel – 22.41% (5th round)
Waterloo / ABBA – 22.41% (2nd round)
Gloria / Patti Smith – 17.24% (1st round)
Walk on the Wild Side / Lou Reed – 13.79% (4th round)
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything / Barry White – 12.06% (2nd round)
Shining Star / Earth, Wind & Fire – 12.06% (1st round)
Help Me / Joni Mitchell – 10.34% (2nd round)
Get Down Tonight / KC and the Sunshine Band – 10.34% (1st round)
I’m Not in Love / 10cc – 10.34% (1st round)
Love to Love You Baby / Donna Summer – 10.34% (1st round)
That Lady / The Isley Brothers – 3.44% (1st round)
Can the Can / Suzi Quatro – 1.72% (1st round)

20th Election Results! Our Most Interesting Results Yet + At Least 1 Hall of Songs Inductee

In Hall of Songs, we attempt to determine the greatest songs of all-time through listener votes. But after our listeners elected no songs to our prestigious song hall of fame the last time out, what would happen after introducing a bunch of songs from 1974?

Would the early and mid-1970s continue to be a black hole? Could a 1967 song finally sneak into the hall after several rounds of waiting? What does this all mean?!

Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following song on making the Hall of Songs …

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman / Aretha Franklin – 80% (8th round)

Continuing to the next round of voting

You Can’t Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones – 60% (4th round)
Let’s Get It On / Marvin Gaye – 56% (2nd round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 52% (6th round)
Ain’t No Sunshine / Bill Withers -52% (4th round)
Rocket Man / Elton John – 52% (3rd round)
Superstition / Stevie Wonder – 52% (3rd round)
Jolene / Dolly Parton – 48% (2nd round)
Won’t Get Fooled Again / The Who – 44% (4th round)
Lean on Me / Bill Withers – 44% (3rd round)
Midnight Train to Georgia / Gladys Knight and the Pips – 44% (2nd round)
Free Bird / Lynyrd Skynyrd – 44% (2nd round)
Bridge Over Troubled Water / Simon and Garfunkel – 40% (4th round)
Walk on the Wild Side / Lou Reed – 40% (3rd round)
Help Me / Joni Mitchell – 36% (1st round)
Waterloo / ABBA – 36% (1st round)
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything / Barry White – 36% (1st round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Rikki, Don’t Lose That Number / Steely Dan – 32% (1st round)
Cat’s in the Cradle / Harry Chapin – 32% (1st round)
Autobahn / Kraftwerk – 24% (1st round)
September Gurls / Big Star – 16% (1st round)
Rock Your Baby / George McCrae – 12% (1st round)
You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet / Bachman-Turner Overdrive – 12% (1st round)
Return of the Grievous Angel / Gram Parsons – 4% (1st round)
You Haven’t Done Nothin’ / Stevie Wonder – 4% (1st round)
Fire / The Ohio Players – 4% (1st round)

1971-74 Veterans Committee Meeting: Rod Stewart, The Isley Brothers + Our Personal Picks

Every couple months or so, we decide to nominate a few more songs for Hall of Songs induction. We call it the Veterans Committee.

For this episode, we entertain tracks released between 1971 and ’74, including a monster Rod Stewart hit, a psyched-out trip by the Isley Brothers, and a few more.

We also chat about some songs from this period that we just plain love. Yes, the Beatles find their way into this conversation.

Come back on January 30, 2022, for our episode on 1975. Then, we’ll start voting for the 21st class of the Hall of Songs.

19th Election Results! Did We Add to Our 42-Song Hall of Songs?

After our 1972 episode, we asked you to vote for the songs that you thought were Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Bill Withers, Elton John, Dolly Parton. These are names of people.

They’re also names of people whose songs are currently on the Hall of Songs ballot. Did any of their songs get into our prestigious Hall of Songs, joining 42 other tunes? Listen to find out!

Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following song on making the Hall of Songs …

Nope. Nothing.

Continuing to the next round of voting

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman / Aretha Franklin – 61.53% (7th round)
Superstition / Stevie Wonder – 61.53% (2nd round)
Jolene / Dolly Parton – 61.53% (1st round)
Let’s Get It On / Marvin Gaye – 53.84% (1st round)
Lean on Me / Bill Withers – 50% (2nd round)
Midnight Train to Georgia / Gladys Knight and the Pips – 50% (1st round)
Free Bird / Lynyrd Skynyrd – 50% (1st round)
Bridge Over Troubled Water / Simon and Garfunkel – 46.15% (3rd round)
Ain’t No Sunshine / Bill Withers – 46.15% (3rd round)
Won’t Get Fooled Again / The Who – 46.15% (3rd round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 42.3% (5th round)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones – 42.3% (3rd round)
Rocket Man / Elton John – 42.3% (2nd round)
Walk on the Wild Side / Lou Reed – 42.3% (2nd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

All Along the Watchtower / The Jimi Hendrix Experience – 34.61% (6th round)
Layla / Derek and the Dominos – 34.61% (4th round)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road / Elton John – 34.61% (1st round)
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) / Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band – 34.61% (1st round)
You’re So Vain / Carly Simon – 30.76% (2nd round)
Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone / The Temptations – 26.92% (2nd round)
Ooh La La / Faces – 26.92% (1st round)
Dixie Chicken / Little Feat – 23.07% (1st round)
Living For the City / Stevie Wonder – 19.23% (1st round)
I Can’t Stand the Rain / Ann Peebles – 11.53% (1st round)
Personality Crisis / New York Dolls – 7.69% (1st round)
TSOP / MFSB – 3.84% (1st round)

18th Election Results! No Spoilers! But the End is Near For a Few Big Names …

After our 1972 episode, we asked you to vote for the songs that you thought were worthy of the Hall of Songs. After that election … we have results. But we’re not giving anything away. Not this time! (You’ll have to listen to find out more.)

That said, we will say that a few songs that we expected better of are either off the ballot or very close to their end. Which songs? Again, you’ll have to listen.

Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following song on making the Hall of Songs …

Let’s Stay Together / Al Green – 66.67%

Continuing to the next round of voting

Superstition / Stevie Wonder – 56.67% (1st round)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones – 53.33% (2nd round)
Won’t Get Fooled Again / The Who – 53.33% (2nd round)
Rocket Man / Elton John – 53.33% (1st round)
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman / Aretha Franklin – 50% (6th round)
Ain’t No Sunshine / Bill Withers – 50% (2nd round)
Layla / Derek and the Dominos – 46.67% (3rd round)
Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone / The Temptations – 46.67% (1st round)
You’re So Vain / Carly Simon – 46.67% (1st round)
All Along the Watchtower / The Jimi Hendrix Experience – 43.33% (5th round)
Walk on the Wild Side / Lou Reed – 43.33% (1st round)
Bridge Over Troubled Water / Simon and Garfunkel – 40% (2nd round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 36.67% (4th round)
Lean on Me / Bill Withers – 36.67% (1st round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Baba O’Riley / The Who – 33.33% (2nd round)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes / Crosby, Stills & Nash – 30% (4th round)
You Are the Sunshine of My Life / Stevie Wonder – 30% (1st round)
Thirteen / Big Star – 26.67% (1st round)
I Can See Clearly Now / Johnny Nash – 23.33% (1st round)
Suspicious Minds / Elvis Presley – 16.67% (4th round)
The Harder They Come / Jimmy Cliff – 16.67% (1st round)
Go All the Way / Raspberries – 13.33% (1st round)
Back Stabbers / The O’Jays – 10% (1st round)

17th Election Results! The Most Surprising Cut Yet

Yes, there are new inductees in the Hall of Songs. Maybe they’re the songs you most expected after listening to the 1971 episode.

But the big news is what’s on the other side of the ballot: Tim and Chris discuss some shocking cuts — songs that didn’t get enough support to stay on the ballot any longer.

Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …

What’s Going On / Marvin Gaye – 66.67%
Stairway to Heaven / Led Zeppelin – 66.67%

Continuing to the next round of voting

Layla / Derek and the Dominos – 54.16% (2nd round)
Let’s Stay Together / Al Green – 54.16% (1st round)
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman / Aretha Franklin – 50% (5th round)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want / The Rolling Stones – 50% (1st round)
Ain’t No Sunshine / Bill Withers – 50% (1st round)
All Along the Watchtower / The Jimi Hendrix Experience – 45.83% (4th round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 45.83% (3rd round)
Bridge Over Troubled Water / Simon and Garfunkel – 45.83% (1st round)
Won’t Get Fooled Again / The Who – 45.83% (1st round)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes / Crosby, Stills & Nash – 41.67% (3rd round)
Baba O’Riley / The Who – 41.67% (1st round)
Suspicious Minds / Elvis Presley – 37.5% (3rd round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Wichita Lineman / Glen Campbell – 29.16% (1st round)
Angel From Montgomery / John Prine – 29.16% (1st round)
Imagine / John Lennon – 29.16% (1st round)
Fire and Rain / James Taylor – 25% (2nd round)
River / Joni Mitchell – 25% (1st round)
Family Affair / Sly and the Family Stone – 25% (1st round)
Without You / Harry Nilsson – 25% (1st round)
Life on Mars? / David Bowie – 25% (1st round)
Ohio / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 20.83% (2nd round)
Hey Jude / The Beatles – 12.50% (4th round)
No Matter What / Badfinger – 0% (1st round)

Bonus: The Hall of Songs All-Time Greatest Albums Are …

In this very special bonus episode, Tim and Chris put their heads together and come up with their shared top-10 albums of all-time, in advance of the WXPN (AAA public radio station 88.5 FM in Philadelphia) 2021 All-Time Greatest Albums countdown. (Tim and Chris are both members of this station, whose 2020 songs countdown led to Hall of Songs.)

Plus, the pair invite Ted Koerth, a friend of the podcast and a pretty knowledgeable guy himself, so they can all reveal their personal top-10 albums. And we’ll talk at length about the XPN countdown – what we expect, predictions, and other thoughts.

It’s a fun conversation that you’ll not want to miss.

1971 Hall of Songs Nominees: The Greatest Year in Music History?

We had to narrow down an insane pool of contenders from 1971 to 12 nominees for the Hall of Songs.

This is the year of landmark releases by Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, the Who, and Sly and the Family Stone. Plus there’s Harry Nilsson, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and David Bowie. And that’s just scratching the surface.

In this episode, you’ll hear the 12 songs we feel are the best of an incredible year of music.

After listening, VOTE for the greatest songs of all time! Songs from 1971, plus tunes from 1970, ’69, ’68 and ’67 are up for a shot to make the Hall of Songs! Vote now and come back on December 3 to find out which song or songs get in!

Our 1971 nominees:

“Angel From Montgomery” as performed by John Prine
- Written by John Prine; recorded winter 1970; released January 1971
“What’s Going On” as performed by Marvin Gaye
- Written by Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson and Marvin Gaye; recorded summer 1970; released January 1971
“Ain’t No Sunshine” as performed by Bill Withers
- Written by Bill Withers; recorded spring 1971; released May 1971
“River” as performed by Joni Mitchell
- Written by Joni Mitchell; recorded spring 1970; released June 1971
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” as performed by The Who
- Written by Pete Townshend; recorded May 1971; released June 1971
“Baba O’Riley” as performed by The Who
- Written by Pete Townshend; recorded April 1971; released August 1971
“Imagine” as performed by John Lennon
- Written by John Lennon; recorded spring 1971; released September 1971
“Family Affair” as performed by Sly and the Family Stone
- Written by Sly Stone; recorded spring 1970; released October 1971
“Without You” as performed by Harry Nilsson
- Written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans; recorded summer 1971; released October 1970
“Let’s Stay Together” as performed by Al Green
- Written by Al green, Willie Mitchell and Al Jackson Jr.; recorded summer 1971; released November 1971
“Stairway to Heaven” as performed by Led Zeppelin
- Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant; recorded December 1970; released November 1971
“Life on Mars?” as performed by David Bowie
- Written by David Bowie; recorded summer 1971; released December 1971

Listen to the full episode for more, and then vote for the songs that you think are the greatest of all-time. Scroll down or click here to vote. Then, come back on November 19, 2021 to find out the voting results, and November 21, 2021 for our discussion on 1971.

16th Election Results! Vengeance and Vindication

It’s a thrilling episode of Hall of Songs, in which Tim and Chris discuss the results of the latest round of voting.

One song definitely gets into the Hall, and that makes one of us very happy. Any more songs? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Okay. Don’t scroll if you want to be spoiled.

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Alright. Let’s congratulate the following songs on making the Hall of Songs …

My Girl / The Temptations – 66.67%
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay / Otis Redding – 66.67%
Let It Be / The Beatles – 66.67%

Continuing to the next round of voting

Hey Jude / The Beatles – 53.33% (3rd round)
Suspicious Minds / Elvis Presley – 53.33% (2nd round)
Layla / Derek and the Dominos – 53.33% (1st round)
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman / Aretha Franklin – 43.33% (4th round)
All Along the Watchtower / The Jimi Hendrix Experience – 40% (3rd round)
Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles – 40% (2nd round)
Fire and Rain / James Taylor – 40% (1st round)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes / Crosby, Stills & Nash – 36.67% (2nd round)
Ohio / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 36.67% (1st round)

Eliminated from the ballot

Paranoid / Black Sabbath – 33.33% (1st round)
I’ll Be There / The Jackson 5 – 30% (1st round)
Move on Up / Curtis Mayfield – 30% (1st round)
Sympathy For the Devil / The Rolling Stones – 26.67% (3rd round)
Big Yellow Taxi / Joni Mitchell – 26.67% (1st round)
Lola / The Kinks – 26.67% (1st round)
Proud Mary / Creedence Clearwater Revival – 23.33% (2nd round)
Fortunate Son / Creedence Clearwater Revival – 23.33% (2nd round)
Heartbreaker / Led Zeppelin – 23.33% (2nd round)
A Day in the Life / The Beatles – 20% (4th round)
Iron Man / Black Sabbath – 20% (1st round)
Sweet Jane / The Velvet Underground – 20% (1st round)
War / Edwin Starr – 13.33% (1st round)