The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

Other than Pearl Jam, who else is there?
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tragabigzanda
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Last edited by tragabigzanda on Mon January 12, 2026 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Last edited by tragabigzanda on Mon January 12, 2026 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Kevin Davis
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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tragabigzanda wrote:But probably it's something from Rubbersoul or Revolver that bridges the gap between the early stuff and later stuff
I think this is probably the right approach. For some reason my mind is going to "We Can Work It Out" -- you get lead vocals from both John and Paul, and musical elements that look both backward and forward in their career. "Paperback Writer" also strikes me as a candidate. "Taxman" is a good choice too but for some reason it feels weird to pick a Harrison vocal.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Last edited by tragabigzanda on Mon January 12, 2026 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Kevin Davis
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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tragabigzanda wrote:
Kevin Davis wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:But probably it's something from Rubbersoul or Revolver that bridges the gap between the early stuff and later stuff
I think this is probably the right approach. For some reason my mind is going to "We Can Work It Out" -- you get lead vocals from both John and Paul, and musical elements that look both backward and forward in their career. "Paperback Writer" also strikes me as a candidate. "Taxman" is a good choice too but for some reason it feels weird to pick a Harrison vocal.
Yeah I had mentioned Paperback Writer earlier in the thread and would be on board with that.

I have the same hangup about George's vocal on Taxman, but that might be a diplomatic way to split the John/Paul difference of other candidates.

I don't love We Can Work It Out for this, it's lacking the edge of their "harder" stuff.
Yeah, fair. As an aside, John's faces to the camera in this video are hilarious:
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Team 'Paperback Writer'.
LoathedVermin72 wrote:soulseek 4 lyfe
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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tragabigzanda wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb
I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem
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Kevin Davis
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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tragabigzanda wrote:but now see, in picking a song with a Paul lead vocal, that unfairly cements The Beatles as "Paul's band." Whereas Taxman, with a George lead vocal, could be construed as indicative of theirs being a collective effort.

Good thing none of this actually means anything.
A couple of alternates then:

"Happiness as a Warm Gun," which contains lead vocals throughout from both John and Paul, is an excellent showcase for Harrison as a guitarist, and contains some backing vocals at the end that is reminsicent of their early days.

Or "Two Of Us," which is a John/Paul harmony duet (mostly) throughout, and despite being on their last album and having a wistful, exhausted feel to it, kind of resides in that "middle ground" musical space of 1966.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Happiness would be my pick.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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In My Life
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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epilogue wrote:
Jorge wrote:Yeah that probably works. Definitely something from Mule Variations which always felt to me like a good TW entry point
For Tom it has to be Hold On.

Come on Up is great and it works well enough but it doesn't have the lyrical storytelling of Hold On.
Way too mellow
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Jorge wrote:
epilogue wrote:
Jorge wrote:Yeah that probably works. Definitely something from Mule Variations which always felt to me like a good TW entry point
For Tom it has to be Hold On.

Come on Up is great and it works well enough but it doesn't have the lyrical storytelling of Hold On.
Way too mellow
Not sure mellow is the right word.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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But I also retract that endorsement for Hold On. There are better picks.

I think I'm throwing my weight behind Earth Died Screaming.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Norwegian Wood is the answer for The Beatles
Clouuuuds Rolll byyy...BANG BANG BANG BANG
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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Kevin Davis wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
Kevin Davis wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:But probably it's something from Rubbersoul or Revolver that bridges the gap between the early stuff and later stuff
I think this is probably the right approach. For some reason my mind is going to "We Can Work It Out" -- you get lead vocals from both John and Paul, and musical elements that look both backward and forward in their career. "Paperback Writer" also strikes me as a candidate. "Taxman" is a good choice too but for some reason it feels weird to pick a Harrison vocal.
Yeah I had mentioned Paperback Writer earlier in the thread and would be on board with that.

I have the same hangup about George's vocal on Taxman, but that might be a diplomatic way to split the John/Paul difference of other candidates.

I don't love We Can Work It Out for this, it's lacking the edge of their "harder" stuff.
Yeah, fair. As an aside, John's faces to the camera in this video are hilarious:
lol all they all hungover? george has to sit down a minute into that rager.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

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epilogue wrote:But I also retract that endorsement for Hold On. There are better picks.

I think I'm throwing my weight behind Earth Died Screaming.
I was trying to come up with something for Waits and couldn't come up with a song that accurately reconciled his "grim reaper" tendencies with his "grand weeper" tendencies. The one I kept coming back around to was "All the World is Green" but I'm not 100% satisfied with it.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

Post by Mike »

I'm feeling Tango till they're sore for Tom Waits. Jazzy/blues vibes from his earlier albums with the weirdness from the eighties and onward while showcasing his voice.
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Re: The Song that Best Represents a Band/Artist

Post by The Argonaut »

Mike wrote:I'm feeling Tango till they're sore for Tom Waits. Jazzy/blues vibes from his earlier albums with the weirdness from the eighties and onward while showcasing his voice.
This is a good choice, yeah
Please consider voting for me
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