MM 2025 Finals: Hail Hail vs. Animal

[LetMeSleep]

Both great but it's Animal.

[Anders]

and lets none of us fool ourselves into thinking that the hail hail riff holds a candle to animal

The "Hail Hail" riff is way more interesting. Has much more character to it. It's jagged, restless, and weirdly disorienting because there's no sense of key center (at least at first). That kind of harmonic ambiguity creates this anxious, unresolved feeling, like the riff is teetering on the edge of two keys but never committing. There’s a push and pull to it that never resolves cleanly, and feels like the song is constantly leaning forward, finally twisting into something sour. The "Animal" riff is much more traditional and diatonically in-the-box. There are things about "Animal" that are really cool -- I love how the chorus feels tightly wound and contained compared to the louder verses, and the way it fully unravels at the end is really satisfying -- but the main riff is whatever. I prefer the weird, crooked, unsettled energy of the "Hail Hail" riff.

Good final but "Hail Hail" gets my vote

Good post.

[stip]

He's wrong on the vote, but it was a good post. I wish I had the technical musical vocabulary to respond.

[CopperTom]

Have either of these songs won before?

[stip]

Hail Hail

[Anders]

Hail Hail is easily the best song. But I guess Animal will win on a pity vote, since it has never won before. Seems to be the way RM votes. Always wanting a virgin to get it.

[Got Some]

Animal. It's time.

X2

I would if voted Hail Hail is animal had won before

[epilogue]

Hail Hail is easily the best song. But I guess Animal will win on a pity vote, since it has never won before. Seems to be the way RM votes. Always wanting a virgin to get it.

There is a tendency to vote that way. This matchup isn't that for me though. Animal is a far superior song.

[lvc]

Animal at the tempo it has on the album (which I think they'd been trying to return to lately) has more balls than a chain gang.

Hail, Hail has more maturity, Jack Irons, and Stone dressed as a garbage man on Letterman.

This is actually a pretty tough call. But, you know, any song with the clout to knock off Strangest Tribe is a force to be reckoned with.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Hail Hail is easily the best song. But I guess Animal will win on a pity vote, since it has never won before. Seems to be the way RM votes. Always wanting a virgin to get it.

This means if they stop making new music, Get Right will win this in about 50 years!

[Kevin Davis]

and lets none of us fool ourselves into thinking that the hail hail riff holds a candle to animal

The "Hail Hail" riff is way more interesting. Has much more character to it. It's jagged, restless, and weirdly disorienting because there's no sense of key center (at least at first). That kind of harmonic ambiguity creates this anxious, unresolved feeling, like the riff is teetering on the edge of two keys but never committing. There’s a push and pull to it that never resolves cleanly, and feels like the song is constantly leaning forward, finally twisting into something sour. The "Animal" riff is much more traditional and diatonically in-the-box. There are things about "Animal" that are really cool -- I love how the chorus feels tightly wound and contained compared to the louder verses, and the way it fully unravels at the end is really satisfying -- but the main riff is whatever. I prefer the weird, crooked, unsettled energy of the "Hail Hail" riff.

Good final but "Hail Hail" gets my vote

Good post.

Agree, right down to the vote

[Anders]

and lets none of us fool ourselves into thinking that the hail hail riff holds a candle to animal

The "Hail Hail" riff is way more interesting. Has much more character to it. It's jagged, restless, and weirdly disorienting because there's no sense of key center (at least at first). That kind of harmonic ambiguity creates this anxious, unresolved feeling, like the riff is teetering on the edge of two keys but never committing. There’s a push and pull to it that never resolves cleanly, and feels like the song is constantly leaning forward, finally twisting into something sour. The "Animal" riff is much more traditional and diatonically in-the-box. There are things about "Animal" that are really cool -- I love how the chorus feels tightly wound and contained compared to the louder verses, and the way it fully unravels at the end is really satisfying -- but the main riff is whatever. I prefer the weird, crooked, unsettled energy of the "Hail Hail" riff.

Good final but "Hail Hail" gets my vote

Good post.

Agree, right down to the vote

Yes, Hail Hail is easily the better song.

[E.H. Ruddock]

[epilogue]

Everyone is entitled to their stupid opinions.

[Chris_H_2]

let's be honest -- hail hail stands out so much because it's one of two bangers on an otherwise lowkey album. put it on vs and it gets lost.

[Jorge]

It would probably be the best song on Vs (but it's not the best song on No Code)

[stip]

ive got at least 6 songs on VS ahead if hail hail

[Monkey_Driven]

and lets none of us fool ourselves into thinking that the hail hail riff holds a candle to animal

The "Hail Hail" riff is way more interesting. Has much more character to it. It's jagged, restless, and weirdly disorienting because there's no sense of key center (at least at first). That kind of harmonic ambiguity creates this anxious, unresolved feeling, like the riff is teetering on the edge of two keys but never committing. There’s a push and pull to it that never resolves cleanly, and feels like the song is constantly leaning forward, finally twisting into something sour. The "Animal" riff is much more traditional and diatonically in-the-box. There are things about "Animal" that are really cool -- I love how the chorus feels tightly wound and contained compared to the louder verses, and the way it fully unravels at the end is really satisfying -- but the main riff is whatever. I prefer the weird, crooked, unsettled energy of the "Hail Hail" riff.

Good final but "Hail Hail" gets my vote

Hail Hail is my vote as well

[The Argonaut]

My vote is for Animal. It's a great song! Hard-charging

[epilogue]

ive got at least 6 songs on VS ahead if hail hail

Let's see...

Small Town
Animal
Daughter
WMA
Dissident
RVM
Indifference
Hail Hail

I've got 7 above it, looks like.