These are the groups for Day 3 of the People’s Pop Poll! Obviously it contains SPOILERS for the day’s matches so if you’d prefer to be surprised read no further! As usual, these are in order from the group with the most-streamed tracks to the one with the least.
Division 1 GROUP 3:
AC/DC – “Highway To Hell”: Classic single from the hard rockers’ LP of the same name, and once voted the 40th most Australian song of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l482T0yNkeo
BOB DYLAN – “Like A Rolling Stone”: A Billboard No.2 hit for the folkie-turned-rocker, and “the statistically most acclaimed song of all time”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0
BOB MARLEY – “Redemption Song”: Poignant acoustic closer from 1980’s Uprising issued as a single by the Legend legend late that year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv5xonFSC4c
LYNYRD SKYNYRD – “Sweet Home Alabama”: Irate defense of the rock band’s home state, rated the “#1 Southern Rock song” of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MhOZt5-Jl8
Division 2 GROUP 3:
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – “All My Friends”: Brooding midlife electro ballad from the New York post-punk revivalists’ Sound Of Silver. Topped Pitchfork’s 2007 list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDRLW748j68
M.I.A. – “Paper Planes”: Clash-sampling hit single from the British rapper’s second album Kala which topped the 2008 Pazz and Jop poll. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRjZoRtu0Y
RADIOHEAD – “Pyramid Song”: Mingus-inspired smash from the Oxford innovators’ 2001 LP Amnesiac, rated the 59th best song of the decade by Pitchfork. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M_Gg1xAHE4
THE WAR ON DRUGS – “Under The Pressure”: Motorik epic from the indie-rockers’ 2014 platter Lost In The Dream, rated the most acclaimed album of that year by Metacritic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkLOg252KRE
Division 3 GROUP 2:
MERIDIAN DAN ft BIG H and JME – “German Whip”: 2013 grime track by the Tottenham MC and friends, in praise of high-end German cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHZRHEJHS2k
MISSY ELLIOT – “We Run This”: 2005 hit by the rap superstar, whose album version includes a “manicure interlude”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2oIhJG7rXA
ROOTS MANUVA – “Witness (1 Hope)”: Acclaimed 2001 single by the UK hip-hop act, supposedly based in part on the Doctor Who theme. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDWgtB_MD24
THREE 6 MAFIA – “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)”: Electropop-infused 2008 single by the Tennessee hip-hop crew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDWgtB_MD24
Division 4 GROUP 3:
CAN – “I Want More”: Unusual disco excursion for the krautrock band, which provided them with their biggest and indeed only hit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yWItRfjg8w
DIANA ROSS – “Love Hangover (Special Disco Mix)”: 12” full length mix of the Supremes singer’s 1976 chart-topper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNt92c0OGN8
THE FLIRTATIONS – “Nothing But A Heartache”: Signature track by the South Carolina soul trio, has enjoyed a long dancefloor afterlife. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72mXxaHkHnE
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY – “Love Sensation”: Much-sampled 1980 disco classic written for the Salsoul star by Dan Hartman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKmw9UrX99s
Division 5 GROUP 3:
GRACE JONES – “Love Is The Drug”: Cover of the Roxy Music classic released as a single from the clubland legend’s Warm Leatherette LP in 1980. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdJiIP3KQfo
THE JAMMS – “It’s Grim Up North”: Municipally-themed single from the uncompleted LP The Black Room by this KLF alter-ego act. Not on Spotify. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwtSdJaPCSI
MALCOLM McLAREN – “Something’s Jumping In My Shirt”: From the pop provocateur’s ballroom-themed Waltz Darling LP, this Top 30 single also features model Lisa Marie on vocals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em5tC6WDpP8
MAN 2 MAN MEETS MAN PARRISH – “Male Stripper”: Hi-NRG duo Man 2 Man teams with electro producer Man Parrish in this steamy number. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9-xBZxqQi0
Division 6 GROUP 3:
BIG HARD EXCELLENT FISH – “Imperfect List Pt 1”: Scathing one-off single by artist Josie Jones and dancer Michael Clarke, with Andy Weatherall mixing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FuyCNb7P1E
GRACE PETRIE – “Black Tie”: Anti-transphobia lead single from the political folkie’s 2018 Queer As Folk LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzU7aIk1dGI
KATE TEMPEST – “A Hammer”: From the poet and performer’s Mercury-nominated Everybody Down song cycle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OjFHJeQzRM
LAURIE ANDERSON – “Poison”: From the New York artist and musician’s 1994 LP Bright Red and produced by Brian Eno. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lZ4pkFG4r8