We Will Rank You

What's your most-loved and least favorite song on XTC's Skylarking? Dear Pod, we were in literal and figurative ecstasy talking about the ninth album by Swindon's finest. Jim's pick led to a new innovative countdown ranking system that we adored. Fun sharing how we all wrestled with tearing apart song combos and a track order that is such a huge part of why we love it so. Lots of our patented opinion clashing plus special guest ranker Tim Smith from Georgia XTC satellites Nigels With Attitude, Jellyfish and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds weighs in. We're taking a bit of a recording break for the summer season cauldron cycle, so enjoy our longest episode to date. In the meantime, our social media will still be just as fun as the pod, so please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

What's your most-loved and least favorite song on Big Country's The Crossing? Sam takes us to Scotland to rank their debut album. The rest of the hosts are fairly uninitiated which makes for interesting reactions all around. Jim and Adam silently celebrate their vaccinations by stupidly trying to record in the same room for the first time, so you might hear a slight echo echo in parts parts. HUP! Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

In a heated race, Blur emerged victorious in our first-ever request episode. Suggested by our friend Molly in Boston, the 1994 British classic beat out over 40 other suggestions in a public vote. The 16-track LP is the longest album we've ever done but we tore through it, despite some fun surprise interruptions. Lots of strong opinions and amusing tales, including the time Sam and Adam squeezed into a tiny club with the band to watch up-and-comers Oasis. Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

US:

END CREDITS SONG: Oliver's Army by Blur 

After a lot of cataloging and shelf inventory, Adam's promise to choose an record we have all owned was delivered with Sinead O'Connor and the beautiful 1990 "IDNWWIHG" album. As she once said, "It’s not for men to like; it’s a woman’s statement." Well, we don't like it. We LOVE it. Fitting that such a personal album resulted in the most personal moment we've recorded. Opening theme remixed by mashup legend DJ Riko. Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

Dan surprised us with a wildcard pick. Instead of choosing an album, he picked ten random hits from 1980 that we ranked and it was a BLAST! Rules are meant to be broken. Lots of heated placement debate and a fun recap of how we all started discovering popular music around 1980. Make sure to listen after the end credits for the answers and winners of our Vinyl Junkies Record Shack contest!  Pull up our logo and play along at home to see how you fare against our hosts! Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

Jim's lemony-fresh pick is by FAR the album that the four of us have all loved the most. That combined with Adam being the singer for a ridiculous Stone Roses coverband means that there was a LOT for us to say, resulting in our longest episode yet. However, it's a FUN one. For fans of podcasts that go track-by-track instead of our usual countdown, today is your lucky day for a special episode on this 1989 classic. Special guests include 33 1/3 Stone Roses author Alex Green from Stereo Embers podcast and F#!kin' In The Bushes DJ Daniel Sant! Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

FILE UNDER/SPOILERS:

BAND HISTORY: Alex Green, Stereo Embers podcast

Sexiest. Episode. Ever. Sam's funky pick takes us back to purple-tinged 1984. Definitely our most well-known album we've done to date, which leads to lots of fun pop culture referencing. Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

Finally, you can hear the long held secrets of how we met each other and started the podcast, followed by a quick recap of the five records we talked about before we decided to start recording our chats: Depeche Mode-Black Celebration, The Cure-Head On The Door, INXS-Kick, Tears For Fears-Songs From The Big Chair and the Pretty In Pink soundtrack. Our abridged life stories are fascinating but when we tackle the best and worst songs of five 1980s classics in an hour, sparks FLY. Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

What are the least-loved and most-loved lovesongs on Love's third record, Forever Changes? Listen closely and you'll hear Adam's grin, listening to his friends quote and sing songs they'd never heard just a couple of weeks before. Our first time talking about Americans and the sixties with THREE wide-ranging, virgin impressions of this 1967 folk-rock classic. Longtime Love guitarist Rusty Squeezebox was even kind enough to offer his opinion of the top tune.  Some technical gremlins kept this from being audiophile-perfect but it's still probably our most entertaining episode to date, thanks to some editing help from Jim's son. Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !

What are the best and worst songs on Radiohead's OK Computer? Between the four of us, we've witnessed quite a few memorable shows of theirs and were affected by this album in all kinds of interesting ways. By far our longest and most heartfelt episode to date. Just too much to say!  All seven of the albums we've ranked previously were from the 80s, so it's nice to finally march out into another decade, though our British streak continues with Dan's pick. Please tell us how YOU would rank tonight's tunes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter  @wewillrankyoupod !