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This is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco
In 1977, the Sex Pistols burst on the scene with “Anarchy in the UK” and transformed pop music forever. Along with that song, every one of these singles helped reshape the culture’s style, language, and performance. This is the story of how music and the world change, how bands reach a peak and dominate the scene briefly before fading away, and about the undeniable power of certain songs (Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” for example). Here are punk and grunge, disco and rock, funk and electronica, rap and hip-hop. Every incisive, illuminating, and outspoken
essay defies the accepted view of music journalism. From Elvis Costello’s “Alison” and The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” to Bjork’s “Hyperballad” and Missy Elliot’s “The Rain”, it’s a truly provocative read.
essay defies the accepted view of music journalism. From Elvis Costello’s “Alison” and The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” to Bjork’s “Hyperballad” and Missy Elliot’s “The Rain”, it’s a truly provocative read.
- GenresMusicNonfictionReference
456 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 9, 2023
Books like this always divide opinion and the chances of agreeing with it all 500 choices will be remote. Just to say far too much Prince and why no Propaganda for example. Also towards the end Garry went off at a huge tangent!! I have his equivalent 500 Album book so will be interested to see how that turns out.
February 6, 2015
was dipping into this at the weekend, and already have a list of 15 singles to download.
..I did start off by dipping into this book, and it is a great one to dip into, but after a bit I read it from the beginning because Mulholland would set the scene for each year, give the singles he discusses some context, and also the comments often refer back to earlier comments. These context-setting pieces are funny, astute, sad, joyous and aware. For example 1984: Police were blank eyed paramilitaries laying into miners at Orgreave and backing up bailiffs as they cleared Greenham Common., and in 1985 he finds himself repulsed by Live Aid, not Geldof's intentions, or the money raised, more that the purpose of the exercise was to prove you could get Phil Collins to play drums on both sides of the Atlantic, and get Mick Jagger and David Bowies' colossal egos onto one video set without the mutual back slapping causing a tidal wave... He says 1985 remains the worst pop year I can remember..it was almost as if the entire music business had been waiting for their ultimate vindication - the world's most inescapable promotional video. His favourite year is 1979.
The writer is a passionate advocate for the single – ‘you don’t hum albums’ he says, and filled many gaps for me. I had much of the mainstream pop stuff – Blondie, Dexys, Specials etc etc (he likes pop, Abba features a lot), and the reggae, soul, and some dance, but he got me downloading R & B (‘ urban contemporary’, not what we knew as Rhythm and Blues in the 60s/70s), hip hop, rap, British indie, as well as dance records that I’d missed. About 50 songs – I am the online equivalent of fifty quid man*. I don’t always agree with him (eg Scritti Polliti’s The Sweetest Girl whilst intriguing to begin with soon got on my nerves), but these remained unskipped on my ipod on my walk home from the pub (4 miles through urban Birmingham, the odd bus and taxi going past): D’Angelos’ Brown Sugar (no, not that one), smooth, laid back; Soul Coughing’s Super Bon Bon (which I must have heard before as Mulholland tells me it was used on the Sopranos soundtrack in an early episode. It’s just right for that, very menacing, compulsive: Move up and let the man go through, let the man go through). Felix’s Don’t You want me (no not that one) and Phuture’s Acid Tracks kept perfect time with my drunk-walk, you put your foot down with each squelchy beat in the latter. There was the original of Dub Be Good to me by the SOS Band. Womack & Womack’s Love Wars, Blueboy’s Remember Me etc etc. I was also reminded of good one-offs like Betty Boo’s Where are You Baby, and how great Mary J Blige’s Family Affair was. And the sadness of ‘Gangsta Paradise’. I was introduced to the delirious Doowutchyalike (Digital Underground) and the more melodic Stereolab (Ping Pong). Mulholland’s enthusiasm is irresistible. To give you a taste, here’s some of his review of Madonna’s Ray of Light – I agree with every word, although not big Madge fans, Ray of Light has been a well-established favourite in the Beard Household for some time:
the sheer joy expressed in Madonna's best ever single... it's [her] giddy, newly light and natural vocals - complete with bravura operatic falsetto and those swooping psychedelic scales - and Bill Orbit's magnificent meld of jangle guitar..Hi-NRG disco, echoing repetitions, hard rock mud, and, of all things, acid house, that does the trick. By the finish you believe a woman can fly.
* fifty quid man - http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004...
..I did start off by dipping into this book, and it is a great one to dip into, but after a bit I read it from the beginning because Mulholland would set the scene for each year, give the singles he discusses some context, and also the comments often refer back to earlier comments. These context-setting pieces are funny, astute, sad, joyous and aware. For example 1984: Police were blank eyed paramilitaries laying into miners at Orgreave and backing up bailiffs as they cleared Greenham Common., and in 1985 he finds himself repulsed by Live Aid, not Geldof's intentions, or the money raised, more that the purpose of the exercise was to prove you could get Phil Collins to play drums on both sides of the Atlantic, and get Mick Jagger and David Bowies' colossal egos onto one video set without the mutual back slapping causing a tidal wave... He says 1985 remains the worst pop year I can remember..it was almost as if the entire music business had been waiting for their ultimate vindication - the world's most inescapable promotional video. His favourite year is 1979.
The writer is a passionate advocate for the single – ‘you don’t hum albums’ he says, and filled many gaps for me. I had much of the mainstream pop stuff – Blondie, Dexys, Specials etc etc (he likes pop, Abba features a lot), and the reggae, soul, and some dance, but he got me downloading R & B (‘ urban contemporary’, not what we knew as Rhythm and Blues in the 60s/70s), hip hop, rap, British indie, as well as dance records that I’d missed. About 50 songs – I am the online equivalent of fifty quid man*. I don’t always agree with him (eg Scritti Polliti’s The Sweetest Girl whilst intriguing to begin with soon got on my nerves), but these remained unskipped on my ipod on my walk home from the pub (4 miles through urban Birmingham, the odd bus and taxi going past): D’Angelos’ Brown Sugar (no, not that one), smooth, laid back; Soul Coughing’s Super Bon Bon (which I must have heard before as Mulholland tells me it was used on the Sopranos soundtrack in an early episode. It’s just right for that, very menacing, compulsive: Move up and let the man go through, let the man go through). Felix’s Don’t You want me (no not that one) and Phuture’s Acid Tracks kept perfect time with my drunk-walk, you put your foot down with each squelchy beat in the latter. There was the original of Dub Be Good to me by the SOS Band. Womack & Womack’s Love Wars, Blueboy’s Remember Me etc etc. I was also reminded of good one-offs like Betty Boo’s Where are You Baby, and how great Mary J Blige’s Family Affair was. And the sadness of ‘Gangsta Paradise’. I was introduced to the delirious Doowutchyalike (Digital Underground) and the more melodic Stereolab (Ping Pong). Mulholland’s enthusiasm is irresistible. To give you a taste, here’s some of his review of Madonna’s Ray of Light – I agree with every word, although not big Madge fans, Ray of Light has been a well-established favourite in the Beard Household for some time:
the sheer joy expressed in Madonna's best ever single... it's [her] giddy, newly light and natural vocals - complete with bravura operatic falsetto and those swooping psychedelic scales - and Bill Orbit's magnificent meld of jangle guitar..Hi-NRG disco, echoing repetitions, hard rock mud, and, of all things, acid house, that does the trick. By the finish you believe a woman can fly.
* fifty quid man - http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004...
September 23, 2013
In my never ending quest to read everything about music, I have come across Garry Mulholland's lovingly crafted and very personal list of songs that he loves. I have also read the companion book, Fear of Music, which is equally wonderful.
This book is full of both standard classic songs and obscure eighties and nineties tracks that take some digging to find for those of us who thrive on finding everything new and wonderful in the world. Mulholland, who has worked as both a musician and a music journalist, sometimes can break your heart as he crafts loving paragraphs for songs that come from genres as diverse as 80s New Romantics and dirty 90s gangsta rap. It is a fantastic read, as I know how music moves me. It's always great to read how it moves others.
This book is full of both standard classic songs and obscure eighties and nineties tracks that take some digging to find for those of us who thrive on finding everything new and wonderful in the world. Mulholland, who has worked as both a musician and a music journalist, sometimes can break your heart as he crafts loving paragraphs for songs that come from genres as diverse as 80s New Romantics and dirty 90s gangsta rap. It is a fantastic read, as I know how music moves me. It's always great to read how it moves others.
April 14, 2013
Great stuff. One of those books you flick through when the opportunity presents itself. Every loo should have one.
January 5, 2025
Essays on an interesting collection of tracks, many of them unfamiliar due to the differences between British and North American popular music during the period covered. Although often insightful, and definitely knowledgeable about his field, the book ultimately suffers from the all-too-often-encountered critic’s need to show off and rely on flash to try and elevate the art they love, instead of a coherent explanation of why they love it. Still, it’s a keeper - I’m sure I will turn back to this in future to check what he said about a particular song.
March 22, 2007
This covers all the genres from hip hop to punk to BritPop. An extensive listing.
January 4, 2008
Sort of a combination of a journal/diary and a graphic arts book on the 45 single. Or better yet a memoir via one's record collection. Unusual book and really superb.
November 23, 2017
I love how he manages to frequently ignore his own better judgement.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews