#dylts

Erwin Beekveld - They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard 2005

"They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" is a video that was published on August 16th, 2005, by Dutch musician and photographer Erwin Beekveld, as a Flash-animation on the website Albino Blacksheep. In 2006, it was re-posted to Youtube, where it gained over 12.5 million views and 38,900 comments in the first seven years. The two-minute video composed of multiple fragments from the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings became an internet meme, and has obtained a cult status mostly among fans of this trilogy. It is built out of scenes from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In the video, actor Orlando Bloom is seen playing the elf Legolas, who repeats the line "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" He is occasionally interrupted by Gollum (played by Andy Serkis), and also by Marton Csokas as Celeborn, who repeatedly inquires the whereabouts of Gandalf.

The dialogue is rhythmically set to a techno version of music originally composed by Howard Shore for the movies' soundtracks, and contains among others the leitmotif of the song "Concerning Hobbits". The song caught the attention of participants of a discussion forum sponsored by the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics, in which the dactylic quality of the song's prosody was discussed at length. (Read it here!)

In the book Fan Fiction and Copyright: Outsider Works and Intellectual Property Protection, "They’re Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" is mentioned as an example for the amendment on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, an American law concerning the author's copyright on digital media. The amendment from 2010 made it legal, under certain conditions, to use fragments from movies and television shows in personal videos. Musicologist Michael L. Klein (Professor at the Temple University of Philadelphia) mentions "They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" in his book Music and the Crises of the Modern Subject as an example of a meme and mash-up as the pinnacle of creativity in the postmodern age.

In 2013, after Orlando Bloom finished filming his final scenes on the set of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, director Peter Jackson published a video in which Bloom, dressed up as Legolas, sings along with "They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard". In the next five days, the video received more than 6.9 million views and 7,200 comments. In an interview for Rude Tube in 2013, Beekveld says people love or hate him for making the video, due to its catchy tune, and that it made him very happy to see Bloom sing along with his remix eight years later, which he states is the ultimate recognition. On 30 March 2022, Beekveld died of lung cancer at the age of 52.

"They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" received a total of 82,5% yes votes!

Some pixel icons of three of the Virtues from my work-in progress video game... what silly guys

> Character(s) <

. Andromeda

. Neptune

Evanescence - Bring Me to Life 2003

"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rockband Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released as the album's lead single on January 13, 2003, following its inclusion in the soundtrack of the 2003 Marvel film Daredevil. Amy Lee wrote "Bring Me to Life" at age 19, after a then-acquaintance (who later became her husband) asked her if she was happy; Lee was in an abusive relationship and in turmoil, and was shocked the person saw through her facade as she felt she "was completely outwardly acting normal". "I felt like he could just see straight into my soul. That inspired the whole song", she explained. The song is about "open-mindedness" and "waking up to all the things you've been missing for so long". After the moment that inspired her to write it, she "realized that for months I'd been numb, just going through the motions of life." Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges share songwriting credits on the song, which includes guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones.

It is stylistically a nu metal and rap rock song. In order to market it, the label forced them to add the male rapping vocal, which Lee did not want, or the song and album would not be released. The male vocal was a compromise after the label originally demanded they include a rap on eight of the songs on the album. During an interview, Lee stated: "It was presented to me as, 'You're a girl singing in a rockband, there's nothing else like that out there, nobody's going to listen to you. You need a guy to come in and sing back-up for it to be successful.'"

"Bring Me to Life" peaked within the top 10 of more than 15 countries, and within the top 20 of several other countries, making it the band's most successful single to date. It was certified triple-platinum in 2019 for selling more than three million copies in the US. It won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance and was also nominated for Best Rock Song. At the 14th annual Billboard Music Awards, it won the award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 43 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list. The song was re-worked and re-recorded on Evanescence's orchestral-electronic fourth studio album, Synthesis (2017).

"Bring Me to Life" received a total of 92,8% yes votes! Previous Evanescence polls: #44 "Imaginary", #513 "Whisper".

NSYNC - It's Gonna Be Me 2000

"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by American boyband NSYNC. It was released as the second single from their third studio album No Strings Attached (2000). The song was written by Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson, and Rami Yacoub, and produced by the latter. During recording, Martin consciously wanted the lyrics to be sung in a specific way, NSYNC member JC Chasez told Billboard: "ET'S GONNA BAY MAY!" instead of "It's gonna be ME".

"It's Gonna Be Me" peaked at number one for two consecutive weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) one month after its retail release, and was certified platinum in Australia and Canada. "It's Gonna Be Me" also peaked at number one in Canada, and charted in the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, New Zealand, and Sweden music charts. The music video won Best Makeup in a Music Video at the 10th Annual Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Music Video Awards on May 16, 2001, which was attributed to makeup artists Screaming Mad George and Elan Bonglorno. In addition, it received the awards for Choice Music Video and Choice Summer Song at the 2000 Teen Choice Awards.

On March 15th, 2012, the Nairobi-blue blog on Tumblr posted a photograph of a calendar turned to April with a picture of Justin Timberlake captioned "It's gonna be May" taped over the final day. The following day, BuzzFeed reposted the image. The meme eventually caught on across the internet, which became an annually recurring joke throughout the month of April. As a more subtle way of referencing the meme, many people post the phrase "So About Tomorrow" alongside images of Timberlake.

"It's Gonna Be Me" received a total of 80% yes votes! Previous NSYNC/Justin Timberlake polls: #52 "Bye Bye Bye", #310 "Give It to Me".

Paramore - Misery Business 2007

"Misery Business" is a song by the American rockband Paramore, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Riot! (2007) and is considered the band's breakthrough hit. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 26 and at number three on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also was a commercial success in many countries including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.

In 2020, lead singer Hayley Williams finally revealed that it was about bandmate Josh Farro. She told Vulture, "When I was 13 or 14 and I had a crush on Josh, he didn't like me back. He would go hang out with his girlfriend, who I wrote "Misery Business" about because I was a dick." Williams no longer sings the line where she refers to the girl as a whore in the second verse of this song because of both the controversy it had produced and Williams since evolving in her views. Speaking on the controversial line, she said, "What I couldn't have known at the time was that I was feeding into a lie that I'd bought into, just like so many other teenagers — and many adults — before me."

"Misery Business" is a playable track in the games Guitar Hero World Tour, in which Hayley Williams is also a playable character, as well as Saints Row 2, Rock Band 3, and Metal: Hellsinger.

"Misery Business" received a total of 89,6% yes votes!

Sixpence None the Richer - Kiss Me 1998

"Kiss Me" is a song by American Christian alternative rockband Sixpence None the Richer from their self-titled third album (1997). The ballad was issued in the US in August 1998 and in international territories the next year. It was nominated for a Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Grammy Awards. "Kiss Me" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the country's sixth-best-selling single of 1999. Worldwide, the song reached number one on the Australian and Canadian charts as well as number four on the UK Singles Chart, entering the top 10 in 16 countries altogether.

In January 1999, Miramax used "Kiss Me" as the theme song of its teen romantic comedy film She's All That, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook. The film's box office success helped "Kiss Me" gain widespread mainstream attention and chart success. In Italy, the film was retitled Kiss Me. The song was also included on Dawson's Creek's first soundtrack in April 1999. The original music video pays tribute to François Truffaut's film Jules and Jim, made in black and white and recreating many of the classic scenes from the film. A second music video was released later, that feature the band sitting on a park bench, performing and watching footage of themselves on a portable television or projected on an outdoor screen. Two alternate versions of this video were made with them watching scenes from either She's All That or Dawson's Creek instead.

"Kiss Me" received a total of 85,3% yes votes!

Green Day - Holiday 2005

"Holiday" is an anti-war protest song by American rockband Green Day. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album, American Idiot (2004), where the song is a prelude to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". The song achieved considerable popularity across the world and performed moderately well on the charts. It reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. It debuted at number 11 in the UK and reached the top 20 in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway.

"Holiday" was inspired by the music of Bob Dylan. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong wanted to write something stronger than "American Idiot", with harsh language to illustrate his points. The song takes aim at American conservatism. Armstrong felt that Republican politicians were strategic in alienating one group of people — for example, the gay community — in order to buy the votes of another. He later characterized the song as an outspoken "fuck you" to then-President George W. Bush. The chorus's refrain — "This is our lives on holiday" — was intended to reflect the average American's apathy on the issues of the day. The song was included on the set list for the Revolution Radio Tour in 2016, where the songs lyrics were adjusted to protest against Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

"Holiday" received a total of 94,6% yes votes! Previous Green Day polls: #47 "Basket Case", #264 "American Idiot".

Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual 1965

"It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, after it had first been offered to Sandie Shaw. He intended it as a demo for her, but when she heard it, she was so impressed with his delivery that she recommended he sing it instead. It reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 10 in in the US, where it also reached number 3 on Billboard's easy listening chart. The song was first aired on pirate radio in the UK, as the BBC rejected it because of Jones' sexual image.

Jones's group, "Tom Jones and the Squires", were missing their regular keyboard player for the session, so Slade (a future member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, AC/DC, and The Firm with Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers) ran across the street to the "La Giaconda" coffee house, and recruited the then-unknown Reginald Dwight (who later adopted the stage name Elton John) for the one-day recording session. "It's Not Unusual" is the theme song of Jones' late 1960s–early 1970s television musical variety series, This Is Tom Jones.

The song enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, as it was used in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on several occasions. It typically features Carlton Banks, one of the lead characters, lip-syncing to the lyrics and performing comedic choreography (which came to be known as "the Carlton dance"). Jones made a guest appearance in the third season episode "The Alma Matter" as Carlton's guardian angel, who performed the song with Carlton's actor Alfonso Ribeiro.

Jones also performed "It's Not Unusual" in Tim Burton's 1996 science fiction black comedy film Mars Attacks, where the song is interrupted and he has to escape from the alien invaders.

This one is for my mom. 💚

"It's Not Unusual" received a total of 87,2% yes votes! Previous Tom Jones polls: #736 "Green, Green Grass of Home".