60's (50's) poll format discussion

[DaveC]

OK I'm going to run a poll starting in February.

Should we poll the 60's in the same way as we did the 90's-70's (one year per month, 15 albums + 15 songs per year) or should we poll the 50's also?

I am happy to do either.

If we do want to poll both decades, here is a proposal as a starting point for discussion:-

Feb combined poll: 1950-1953: Result = top 20 songs & albums for these 4 years combined
Mar combined poll: 1954-1957: Result = top 20 songs & albums for these 4 years combined
Apr combined poll: 1958-1959: Result = top 10 songs & albums for these 2 years combined
May combined poll: 1960-1961: Result = top 20 songs & albums for these 2 years combined
Jun combined poll: 1962-1963: Result = top 20 songs & albums for these 2 years combined
Jul combined poll: 1964-1965: Result = top 20 songs & albums for these 2 years combined
Aug 1966: Result = top 15 songs & albums
Sep 1967: Result = top 15 songs & albums
Oct 1968: Result = top 15 songs & albums
Nov 1969: Result = top 15 songs & albums

December - Decade polls: 1950's albums/songs x 50, 1960's albums/songs x 120.
(Although the 50's decade poll could be run in May/June)

Let's sort out the poll format first, then discuss any possible changes to the scoring system.

Thoughts please.

[Dan]

I know the first half of the 60s don’t generally get as much love as the second half, but I’ve done some preliminary listening to albums and songs from the early parts of the 60s and have come across lots of stuff that sound promising. So at this point I personally don’t feel that we need to cram the 50s and 60s into one year. As has been mentioned in other threads, if there are people who are not that interested in spending time with music from the early 60s, then maybe we could try new polls or games to keep things interesting during the first half of 2015. Or people could… you know… use the time to pretend that they are still focused on their New Year’s resolutions / go out a bit more often / stay at home and watch more porn / make voodoo dolls of Bruce. Or whatever. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m keen to do the 60s poll the same way as we have done other decade polls during the past few years.

[Listyguy]

Even if we only do 50 albums from the 50s, we should definitely do 100 songs. Also, given we've been doing 150 songs/albums for the recent polls, I think we should keep that trend going for the 60's. Here's how we could to it:

May combined poll: 1960-1961: Result = top 20 songs & albums for these 2 years combined
Jun combined poll: 1962-1964: Result = top 30 songs & albums for these 3 years combined
Jul 1965: Result = top 20 songs & albums
Aug 1966: Result = top 20 songs & albums
Sep 1967: Result = top 20 songs & albums
Oct 1968: Result = top 20 songs & albums
Nov 1969: Result = top 20 songs & albums

Is 20 albums a year after 1965 excessive? Maybe, but a lot of those years are very deep to it could definitely work. And hell, we somehow found 15 albums from 1981 to put through, so anything's possible.

[Brad]

make voodoo dolls of Bruce.

lol!

I'm with you Dan - give the '60's the whole year then break up 1900-1959 next year!

[PlasticRam]

My vote is that we do just the 60s this year using the same style we did the 70s and so on. The only thing that's questionable about that is albums from 1960 to 1964, but I think the people that have done the most listening will have plenty of favorites from those early years, so I think 15 albums from those years too is a good idea. I myself will prolly start putting out albums lists from 1963 onward.

There are plenty of classic songs in the first half of the decade, so that won't be any kind of problem.

Edit: And actually looking at the AM list of 1960 albums for example, I might be able to listen to like 10 or 15 albums so I can put out a list of 5 albums.

[Miguel]

I completely agree with PlasticRam.

[Rob]

I'm all for doing just the sixties this year. I think the first half has enough going for it to make it work.

Another thing, during the seventies poll there was some controversy over the amount of songs/ albums that had to go through to the next round. Wasn't there a plan to pick the top 10 of each years, leading to 100 picks in total, and fill up the remaining 50 entries not with the five highest picks per year, but the 50 songs/ albums with the biggest score, regardless of year. I think that might work.

[Henrik]

I'm all for doing just the sixties this year. I think the first half has enough going for it to make it work.

Another thing, during the seventies poll there was some controversy over the amount of songs/ albums that had to go through to the next round. Wasn't there a plan to pick the top 10 of each years, leading to 100 picks in total, and fill up the remaining 50 entries not with the five highest picks per year, but the 50 songs/ albums with the biggest score, regardless of year. I think that might work.

Yes, and why not do this for albums as well. That way, with more voters participating in the strongest years, we will likely get more than 15 albums from those years.

[Brad]

The early '60's is a tremendous place to tap into great jazz performances on album, for those of you who are looking to go that route.

[DaveC]

60's it is. Great to see such near unanimity.

I'm all for doing just the sixties this year. I think the first half has enough going for it to make it work.

Another thing, during the seventies poll there was some controversy over the amount of songs/ albums that had to go through to the next round. Wasn't there a plan to pick the top 10 of each years, leading to 100 picks in total, and fill up the remaining 50 entries not with the five highest picks per year, but the 50 songs/ albums with the biggest score, regardless of year. I think that might work.

Yes, and why not do this for albums as well. That way, with more voters participating in the strongest years, we will likely get more than 15 albums from those years.

Unless there is much objection, I will also do this.

Yet another thing: When there is confusion over release dates, I will count votes in more than one year (not from the same person ) and such songs/albums might then progress in the extra 50.

[bonnielaurel]

I'm also in favor of doing the 60s completely. Only before 1963 it's a bit harder to find 15 good albums a year, but certainly possible if you include jazz and other styles.

[Listyguy]

The one problem I see with the "next 50 best based on total points" is that the number of voters ALWAYS decreases as the poll goes along. I remember the early years of the 80's poll had a solid two pages of lists, while by 1989 it was maybe a page and a little. Of course you could argue that the appeal of the later years of the 60s relative to the early ones counteracts that, but I don't know if it will. Maybe we could do "next 50 based on points/number total voters for that year" instead?

[Jirin]

I'm in favor of the idea to have 10 get in per year then have 50 'wild cards'.

[PlasticRam]

The one problem I see with the "next 50 best based on total points" is that the number of voters ALWAYS decreases as the poll goes along. I remember the early years of the 80's poll had a solid two pages of lists, while by 1989 it was maybe a page and a little. Of course you could argue that the appeal of the later years of the 60s relative to the early ones counteracts that, but I don't know if it will. Maybe we could do "next 50 based on points/number total voters for that year" instead?

Well that would mean that every year was totally equal in vacuum, and in theory maybe early 60s could even beat the late 60s, as the late 60s would have so many classics that the votes are more split.

I'm still in favor of exactly 15 per year. If we did "next 50 based on total points", sure, an album like "Strange Days" by The Doors would prolly be in, but then it would basically just be the AM list with a couple of twists. 15 per year would be a more interesting list and who knows, maybe some bubbler from the early 60s could place high in the final list.

But then again as a final point I have to say that even if we did "next 50 based on total points", the early 60s picks are bound to be partially obscure and the final list compared to AM 60s list is gonna be more different than the final 70s list compared to AM 70s list. I'm just in favor of equality and the more extreme differences.

[Henrik]

My main argument for top 10 per year + 50 based on total points is that people will always vote for songs and albums under different years, and with this solution that isn't a problem anymore. But if there are more disadvantages than advantages on top of that, we could do for example top 13 + 20.

[Listyguy]

We could do something like Top 10 (or 13) from each year, then the next 10 (or 7) are pooled together after the 1969 poll and we can vote for our favorite 15 or 20 from that bunch, and the top 50 (or 20) out of that advance.

[slick]

I say do the 60's as an entire decade. I know there are a number of albums that I would enjoy listening to and I think with the amazing forum members we have even the boring years of the early 60's will still be fulfilling.