Best of the Rest of the Top 40: All-Time (Tiebreaker)

Cafe Society
1

Well, over the past few months, we’ve voted on the best not-quite number-one song of each year since the modern pop music era began, then the best of the decade, and finally whittled that down to a list of seven nominees to select the ultimate winner of this series of polls.

And, in an eventuality I did not expect, we are now deadlocked - Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, both very deserving songs by any measure, have been in a dead tie for the last several days and there’s no sign of the deadlock breaking any time soon.

So, for the first time in this series, it’s time for a tiebreaker, so we can pick a clear winner to face the winner of the #1 series polls in the Rocktimate Rockdown of Rocktimate Rockstiny.

What’s your favorite?

Previous polls: 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s All-Time

Best #1 single polls: 1955-56 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s All-time

2

“Like A Rolling Stone.”

Sorry, I love “Bohemian Rhapsody” but to me it did not have the cultural impact that Dylan’s song did.

ETA : Is “Like A Rolling Stone” now officially the winner?

3

Queen, I hate Bob Dylan.

4

Dylan, cuz Queen suks.

5

Dylan, just by a skosh.

6

In Hell, all the radio stations have a 24 hour Bob Dylan format.
Bohemian Rhapsody.

7

When doing impressions of other singers, the great Christina Bianco often throws in a joke where Patti LuPone emphatically strings syllables together without actually hitting a recognizable word along the way. On a related note, I’m voting against Dylan.

8

I don’t know why everyone’s ragging on Dylan’s singing voice here - Like A Rolling Stone features some of his cleanest vocals.

That being said, I went with Queen as well. I absolutely love both these songs, but while Dylan’s is more lyrically moving, Bohemian Rhapsody is just such an experience and I’ve loved it since the very first time I heard it (which, to show my age, was in that famous scene from Wayne’s World). You can’t not headbang during the solo.

Assuming that another day passes and it’s still in the lead, Bohemian Rhapsody will be deemed the Official SDMB-Approved Best of the Rest Winner.

9

I like Queen much more than I like Dylan, but I think “Like a Rolling Stone” is a much better song than “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

10

Queen just has to win this! I did not mean to disrespect Bob Dylan, but Queen’s song is superior. Although if Dylan does win it will go head to head with the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction”. Rolling Stones band vs. Rolling Stone song. Then I won’t have to vote for Bo Rap for a third time.

11

Queen. Too long to ever get on the radio and too complicated musically to ever be “popular” - but they did it anyway and it turned out pretty darn well.

12

Dylan. Too long to ever get on the radio and too complicated lyrically to ever be “popular” - but he did it anyway and it turned out pretty darn well.

13

Queen, not because Dylan is a tedious, pretentious, whining wanker (although he is and always has been) but because BoRhap is a great performance (naff lyrics, though I guess that’s Opera for you).

14

“Suck it, ex-rich bitch” is “complicated”?

15

Have to go with Queen. The operatic nature of the song and the lyrics are so unusual for rock music; the groups vocals are amazing and there are some compelling guitar riffs. While Dylan’s song is a nice ballad, I don’t reach to turn up the volume when I hear it.