posted by davidt on Wednesday March 10 2004, @10:00AM
Bryan sends the link:

THE FINAL VOTE: THE SMITHS SAVE! - BBC 6 Music

Maudlin Mancunians The Smiths have topped BBC 6 Music's poll of Songs That Saved Your Life, but were strangely given a run for their money by cheery pop punk act Bowling For Soup.

As part of our campaign about mental health and music, 6 Music listeners nominated the song that meant most to them in their time of need. The Smiths have confirmed their well established place in the history books as a band that have a tremendous emotional pull, especially with the track I Know Its Over from their album The Queen Is Dead.
Comments from listeners nominating the band include: "The only music that can make laugh one day and cry another."
"That song is like a giant pair of arms coming out of the speakers to hug me."
"That song has saved my life on many occasions. Incredibly sad, but uplifting. Very cathartic.”

While the number one song might not cause any surprises, Morrissey & co. are closely followed in the poll by Texan punk popsters Bowling for Soup and Girl All The Bad Guys Want' - a track that couldn't be in greater contrast. 6 Music Programme Editor John Sugar says: "It just goes to show tracks don’t have to be slow and miserable for people to relate to. Often a cheery, upbeat track can leave you dancing round the living room and feeling much, much better".

Listeners nominating the song agree:
"It always makes me happy when I've been down- I played again and again after I had surgery and was down about it."
"Listening to them helped me through bereavement. All their music is very uplifting."
"Their music helped me be happy again and restart my life."

The Full Top 20
1. The Smiths - I Know it's Over 17.55%
2. Bowling For Soup - Girl all the Bad Guys Want 12.68%
3. REM - Everybody Hurts 10.41%
4. The Cure - Pictures of You 10.06%
5. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees 9.08%
6. Joy Division - Love Will Tear us apart 8.19%
7. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb 5.85%
8. Kate Bush & Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up 4.06%
9. Blur - This is a Low 3.43%
10= The Beatles - Good Day Sunshine
& Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge 2.49%
12. Tori Amos - China 2.27%
13. Portishead - Glory Box 2.24%
14. Al Green - Tired of Being Alone 1.79%
15. Mercury Rev - The Dark is Rising 1.65%
16. Lou Reed - Pale Blue Eyes 1.58%
17. Spiritualized - Stop Your Crying 1.3%
18. The Darkness - I Believe in a thing Called Love 1.05%
19. Faithless - Insomnia -1.02%
20. Polyphonic Spree - Light & Day 0.81%
---
charles byron sends the link to the article on the main BBC site:

Smiths song 'best for depression' - BBC News

A song by seminal 1980s band The Smiths has been voted the best track to listen to when you are down in the dumps.
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  • im suprised by the beatles track. surely it should have been "in my life" beautiful.

    anyone for king curtis's version of whiter shade of pale?
    rallen <[email protected]> -- Wednesday March 10 2004, @10:30AM (#89851)
    (User #4753 Info)
    the best form of revenge is to live well.
    • Re:erm by Johan de Witt (Score:1) Wednesday March 10 2004, @10:36AM
  • The all-time greatest song ever written by Morrissey (my opinion). I never understood why that song never made The Best of The Smiths I or II. Truly, truly, truly beautiful song, one that always gives me goosebumps. Thank you Morrissey for that gift.
    Robert Jakob -- Wednesday March 10 2004, @10:37AM (#89857)
    (User #10000 Info)
    It takes strength to be gentle and kind.
  • here [morrissey-solo.com]
    nonesoever -- Wednesday March 10 2004, @12:28PM (#89893)
    (User #8448 Info)
    "... turn popular song into sickness"
  • >> is that the competition was tough but we still easily won

    >> it makes me happy when we win these things

    >> thank God for a place called the United Kingdom...for where would the state of music be without them

    >> the smiths & morrissey are not a "cult" act and they never were...they are much bigger than that and the annals of pop reflect this fact
    Belligerent Ghoul -- Wednesday March 10 2004, @03:53PM (#89934)
    (User #9224 Info)
    There is a light that never goes out...
  • considering the title of this survey was a lyric from a Smiths song, I'm not sure that the results can be viewed in an entirely objective manner!
    John, England
    Anonymous -- Wednesday March 10 2004, @05:03PM (#89949)


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