# What is the best song that begins with the letter S? See rules in OP. Polls will appear in this thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music, mmm-song-poll\ **Created:** [October 28, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240 "2023-10-28T20:00:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/141 "2023-11-02T15:12:46Z")
Sammy the Snake > **[Sesame Street - Sammy The Snake](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpvnvudDGMw%2F)** > > The complete version of the classic song from "The Muppet Alphabet Album" (1971) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/142 "2023-11-02T15:23:06Z")
Earworm! Er, earsnake. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/143 "2023-11-02T18:24:19Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > And that’s all! Thanks for organizing these polls, @Mean_Mr.Mustard ; they’re pretty fun to read and participate in. Yep, I concur. I kinda wish he had started with A, and worked alphabetically, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/144 "2023-11-02T19:28:36Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > And that’s all! Thanks for organizing these polls, @Mean_Mr.Mustard ; they’re pretty fun to read and participate in. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Yep, I concur. I kinda wish he had started with A, and worked alphabetically, tho. Thanks, people. I think it’s more fun to do it randomly, but I’m always open to input. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/145 "2023-11-02T19:50:00Z")
Will there be a final list of winners? ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/146 "2023-11-02T20:05:36Z")
I’m thinking maybe a final championship poll featuring the winner for each letter. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/147 "2023-11-02T20:13:54Z")
Yeah, and then we’ll know the best song of all time! And we’ll all be happy about it. 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/148 "2023-11-02T21:03:03Z")
With no debate or discussion allowed ever! ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/149 "2023-11-02T21:07:15Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Yeah, and then we’ll know the best song of all time! As has been mentioned above, we’ll know the best song of all time up to the turn of this century, by male singers or male fronted bands. 😲 I think we could do with a few more 21st century nominations. I looked at my nominations in the four letters (S, C, L, F) that I’ve participated in, and while I am happy that out of 17 total suggestions I nominated 13 songs by female artists, but I only nominated two songs from this century. 😱 If I look a up above at the S finalists, all but one is in rotation on classic rock stations and that exception is fro the 40’s. 🧐 I don’t think it’s the nominations though, I think it’s the voting (and the voter demographics). We old geezers might want to look up and listen to a few of the newer nominations that we scroll through when we vote. Maybe adding the era (not exact dates) to the nomination? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/150 "2023-11-02T21:09:33Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > If I look a up above at the S finalists, all but one is in rotation on classic rock stations and that exception is fro the 40’s. 🧐 “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is by far the youngest, and that’s from 1991. Next youngest is “Sultans Of Swing”, 45 years old. Yeah, we’re geezers. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/151 "2023-11-02T21:58:42Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > As has been mentioned above, we’ll know the best song of all time up to the turn of this century, by male singers or male fronted bands. I can save you the trouble: Woolly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/152 "2023-11-02T22:00:13Z")
Who cares, really? Every art form has a golden age and pop music’s has come and gone. Try naming the greatest 21st century painters or composers. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/153 "2023-11-02T22:53:56Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I think it’s more fun to do it randomly, but I’m always open to input. I propose that the next category be a letter with a more limited range of songs, like J or Q/X/Z, or numerals. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/154 "2023-11-03T00:09:00Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is by far the youngest, and that’s from 1991. Next youngest is “Sultans Of Swing”, 45 years old. Yeah, we’re geezers. In the ‘F’ thread I nominated Flyswatter by The Eels, released in 2000, and no one has voted for it but me. I kind of suspect I’m the only one who has heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/155 "2023-11-03T00:49:26Z")
I have, and I was tempted to vote for it, but I decided it wasn’t _quite_ “best” enough. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/156 "2023-11-03T01:03:06Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Will there be a final list of winners? > [@WildaBeast](#): > > I’m thinking maybe a final championship poll featuring the winner for each letter. Yes indeed, this is the plan. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/157 "2023-11-03T01:07:37Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > I am happy that out of 17 total suggestions I nominated 13 songs by female artists, but I only nominated two songs from this century… I guess we are very different, but I don’t give a sliver of a thought as to whether I am voting or have voted for any females, recent songs, or tunes released by one-legged lumberjacks. I simply focus on and enjoy and value the song for its own sake. (this sounds like a criticism but I don’t mean it that way) mmm ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/158 "2023-11-03T05:46:09Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I guess we are very different, but I don’t give a sliver of a thought as to whether I am voting or have voted for any females, recent songs, or tunes released by one-legged lumberjacks. I simply focus on and enjoy and value the song for its own sake. I am the same. If I like it, I like it. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/159 "2023-11-03T06:26:26Z")
Hehehe, I approach these things with the attitude of “If I even happen to miraculously vote for the winner of one of these silly polls, I’ll be completely amazed. If I suggest one, I’ll probably implode.” I’ll probably suggest a post 2000 song or two myself for some character. But due to the slant of the board (hey, we’re participating in a dying art), the fractalization of the music industry, (dang, I kinda like the internet, satellites and terrestrial radio stations competing. Gimme all the genres!) and my tastes (if I love your band, you probably aren’t going to be swimming in cash); nah, they’re probably going to go down with the rest of my suggestions. But dammit, they are fun to read and vote in. If they start getting cited on Wikipedia or something, though, I’ll know we’ve crossed the line. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240/160 "2023-11-03T08:22:50Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > or tunes released by one-legged lumberjacks. I hope that I’d remember that. That seems notable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-song-that-begins-with-the-letter-s-see-rules-in-op-polls-will-appear-in-this-thread/992240.md?page=9)