#o23

No Doubt - Just a Girl 1995

"Just a Girl" was released as the lead single to American rockband No Doubt's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). The ska punk, pop-punk, alternative rock, and new wave song with sarcastic lyrics was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and produced by Matthew Wilder. Lyrically, "Just a Girl" is about Stefani's perspective of life as a woman and her struggles with having strict parents. "Just a Girl" was the first song Stefani wrote without the assistance of her brother Eric.

"Just a Girl" received positive reviews from music critics, who commended the feminist lyrics and Stefani's vocals. The single is typically regarded as being the breakthrough that popularized No Doubt. It became their first charting single in the US, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and entering the Alternative Songs, Hot Rock Songs, and Mainstream Top 40 component charts. It also reached the top ten in several other countries, including Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, and the UK. On the 1996 year-end chart in Australia, "Just a Girl" was ranked as the 22nd most-successful song of the year. In New Zealand, "Just a Girl" peaked at number nine and was 1996's 25th best-selling single.

The song was featured in '90s cult hits Clueless (1995) and Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion (1997) — movies that served as power-players for unlikely female heroes. Stefani's aim at a male-centric world ended up being one of the most prominent feminist anthems of the '90s — it's a song that stands out now as the music industry's misogynistic outlook continues on. The song also appears in the film Captain Marvel (2019). In March 2023, the song was covered by Florence and the Machine for Showtime Networks' series Yellowjackets; their version appears in the trailer and soundtrack for the second season.

"Just a Girl" received a total of 84,3% yes votes! Previous No Doubt polls: #265 "Sunday Morning".

Powfu featuring Beabadoobee - Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head) 2020

"Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)" is a song by Canadian rapper and singer Powfu featuring Filipino-English singer-songwriter Beabadoobee. Originally released on the Some Boring, Love Stories, Pt. 2 EP in February 2019, the song's commercial release was delayed by a year due to the clearance of the sample of Beabadoobee's 2017 song "Coffee". It was released to streaming and download services in February 2020. On May 28, 2020, a later version featured on his EP Poems of the Past, which included the original version, was released featuring American pop punk band Blink-182. In 2021, it won the Viral Song Award at the SOCAN Awards, and Most Performed Songs of the Year at the BMI Pop Awards.

"Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)" received a total of 48,4% yes votes.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away 1991

"Give It Away" is a song by American rockband Red Hot Chili Peppers, released as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). The song went on to achieve international fame, reaching number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in late 1991, giving the band their first ever number one single. It also became the band's first top ten hit in the UK, where it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart; this did not occur until February 1994, nearly two and a half years after it was first released in the US.

The accompanying music video, which was directed by French film-maker Stéphane Sednaoui, was put into heavy rotation on MTV and added to the band's success. The video was nominated for three awards at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Alternative Video, Breakthrough Video, and Best Art Direction; it won the latter two. Since its release, "Give It Away" has gone on to receive numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award for the Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocals in 1992.

"Give It Away" received a total of 57,3% yes votes. Previous RHCP polls: #92 "Otherside".

Bette Midler - The Rose 1979

"The Rose" is a pop song written by Amanda McBroom. It was first recorded by Bette Midler for the soundtrack of the 1979 film The Rose, in which it plays under the closing credits. Released as the second single from The Rose soundtrack album, "The Rose" hit number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it was number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for five weeks running.

Midler won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The film, loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin, was nominated for four Academy Awards in 1980, including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bette Midler, in her screen debut). "The Rose" however did not receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Despite not having been recorded prior to the soundtrack of the film The Rose, the song had not been written for the film. According to McBroom, AMPAS inquired of her if the song had been written for the movie, and McBroom answered honestly that it had not. McBroom did however win the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "The Rose".

"The Rose" received a total of 56,6% yes votes.

Chris de Burgh - The Lady in Red 1986

"The Lady in Red" is a song by British-Irish singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh. It was released on 20 June 1986 as the second single from his eigth studio album Into the Light. The song was written in reference to his wife Diane, who used to come and watch him perform at his parents' hotel. He said that the song was inspired by the memory of when he first saw Diane, and how men so often cannot even remember what their wives were wearing when they first met.

It was a massive hit across the world, quickly becoming de Burgh's best-selling single and his signature song. It reached the number one position in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Norway, and the Flanders region of Belgium. It reached number three in the US during the spring of 1987. The song also propelled its parent album Into The Light to the number two position in the UK and success in other markets. The song tends to divide public opinion and it was voted the tenth most annoying song of all time in a poll commissioned by Dotmusic in 2000.

The song is briefly featured in a scene of the 2000 film American Psycho where Patrick Bateman is listening to the song while in his office, and in the 1988 Academy Award-winning film Working Girl during a slow dance scene. The song is featured in the 2004 film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, acting as the theme music for the character Fran Stalinovskovichdaviddivichski, who wears a red warmup suit. It is also featured in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine, during the scene when the dog variant of Deadpool named Mary Puppins first appears.

"The Lady in Red" received a total of 55,8% yes votes.

Ein nettes Hörspiel. Erneut geht es um wirtschaftliche Interessen, Lobbyarbeit und homöopathischen Behandlungsmethoden. Letzteres ist witzig. Da fehlt eine passende Belehrung  Zweifel an Homöopathie. Naja. Auf jeden Fall netter Schulunterricht und eine Erinnerung an traurige Wahrheiten ist nie verkehrt...

Teilweise interessante Fakten (wenn noch nicht bekannt), anderseits wenig reflektiert. Es bleibt im Mainstream. Wirklich unangenehme “Wahrheiten” kommen nicht zur Sprache.

Die Mädelsgeschichten sind erträglich. Das Hörspiel krankt sonst aber an langweiligen Handlungen und auftretenden Personen.

Schade, verschenktes Potential.