IrishHuskie
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IrishHuskie
@irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
40 followers 11 following 1.2K posts
I like math, music, and memes. Occasionally I'll watch a movie or TV show and discuss it on the animation podcasts Mouse Madness or Cartoon Chatterbox: https://www.youtube.com/@mousemadness1258.
Be civil with me, and I'll be civil with you.
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Reposted by IrishHuskie
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#9: I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
9. I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1968) When it comes to soul and R&B in the 60's and 70's no one did it better than Motown. With such signed acts as Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, and The Temptations, Motown played a vital role in the racial integration of popular music. And they did it with a conglomerate of classic songs that remain well-revered standards to this day. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" might just be the greatest record ever to come out of Motown, and I think Berry Gordy and Norman Whitfield knew they had something special on their hands because they shopped it around to several of the label's acts and even had them record and release it. The earliest known recording actually belongs to The Miracles, which was recorded in 1966 but not released because Gordy thought it could be stronger. The first version to be released was from Gladys Knight & the Pips, who had their own #1 hit in 1973 with "Midnight Train to Georgia," a fantastic song that unfortunately will not be appearing in this countdown. Ultimately, it was Marvin Gaye's 1967 recording that caught on with the public, becoming a #1 hit for 7 weeks in 1968 and 1969. I've listened to several different versions of this song, and regarding Gaye's version, I have to say the public got this one right. Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is one of those songs that's so perfectly crafted and performed that I really can't do it justice by just talking about it. I've already talked about Gaye as a sex icon in an earlier entry, but this song shows his range as he plays the part of a spurned lover who heard from outside sources that his wife/girlfriend is cheating on him. He sells his heartbreak with his gusto and high notes, but I think that even he knows he'll be on the rebound soon. When he says "not much longer would you be mine," he knows that she's a goner the second she confirms her infidelity. The chorus of women behind him at the end of each chorus just reaffirm what he already said, as though Marvin has plans of his own. It's like he's saying "Yeah, I'm sad about this now, but just know that once you're gone, I'll be able to get any woman that I want. Because I'm Marvin fucking Gaye." The production is more of the classic Motown sound that dominated the airwaves in the 60's, and one listen will erase any doubts that they deserved to be as big as they were. The only downside to this song is that it's kind of short. It's barely over 3 minutes, which is not enough time to be listening to Marvin Gaye or Motown. Thankfully there is no shortage of covers you can check out, and if you want the experience to last, I recommend the Creedence Clearwater Revival cover from 1970. You won't have to worry about it being too short because this version is over 11 minutes long, and it features one of John Fogerty's best guitar solos. It is not better than the Gaye version, but the core song is so good that any version will do.
December 17, 2025 at 1:57 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#9: I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
9. I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1968) When it comes to soul and R&B in the 60's and 70's no one did it better than Motown. With such signed acts as Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, and The Temptations, Motown played a vital role in the racial integration of popular music. And they did it with a conglomerate of classic songs that remain well-revered standards to this day. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" might just be the greatest record ever to come out of Motown, and I think Berry Gordy and Norman Whitfield knew they had something special on their hands because they shopped it around to several of the label's acts and even had them record and release it. The earliest known recording actually belongs to The Miracles, which was recorded in 1966 but not released because Gordy thought it could be stronger. The first version to be released was from Gladys Knight & the Pips, who had their own #1 hit in 1973 with "Midnight Train to Georgia," a fantastic song that unfortunately will not be appearing in this countdown. Ultimately, it was Marvin Gaye's 1967 recording that caught on with the public, becoming a #1 hit for 7 weeks in 1968 and 1969. I've listened to several different versions of this song, and regarding Gaye's version, I have to say the public got this one right. Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is one of those songs that's so perfectly crafted and performed that I really can't do it justice by just talking about it. I've already talked about Gaye as a sex icon in an earlier entry, but this song shows his range as he plays the part of a spurned lover who heard from outside sources that his wife/girlfriend is cheating on him. He sells his heartbreak with his gusto and high notes, but I think that even he knows he'll be on the rebound soon. When he says "not much longer would you be mine," he knows that she's a goner the second she confirms her infidelity. The chorus of women behind him at the end of each chorus just reaffirm what he already said, as though Marvin has plans of his own. It's like he's saying "Yeah, I'm sad about this now, but just know that once you're gone, I'll be able to get any woman that I want. Because I'm Marvin fucking Gaye." The production is more of the classic Motown sound that dominated the airwaves in the 60's, and one listen will erase any doubts that they deserved to be as big as they were. The only downside to this song is that it's kind of short. It's barely over 3 minutes, which is not enough time to be listening to Marvin Gaye or Motown. Thankfully there is no shortage of covers you can check out, and if you want the experience to last, I recommend the Creedence Clearwater Revival cover from 1970. You won't have to worry about it being too short because this version is over 11 minutes long, and it features one of John Fogerty's best guitar solos. It is not better than the Gaye version, but the core song is so good that any version will do.
December 17, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by IrishHuskie
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
Elio (2025; rewatch)

Eh.

letterboxd.com/irishhuskie/...
A ★★½ review of Elio (2025)
It's not awful, but upon rewatch, this did almost nothing for me. Guarantee I won't remember what happened in a week.
letterboxd.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:11 AM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
Elio (2025; rewatch)

Eh.

letterboxd.com/irishhuskie/...
A ★★½ review of Elio (2025)
It's not awful, but upon rewatch, this did almost nothing for me. Guarantee I won't remember what happened in a week.
letterboxd.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:11 AM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
Can you pay me in advance?
December 17, 2025 at 1:08 AM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
Yeah, whenever I hear those opening notes, I never know which song I’m gonna get. It gives me a feeling of…I can’t think of the word, but I’m sure it’ll come to me.
December 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
I didn’t think it was possible to dress someone down when they were already naked, but that video proved me wrong lol
December 16, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by IrishHuskie
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#10: Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye ft. Kimbra
10. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra (2012) I was 16 years old the first time I heard "Somebody That I Used to Know." At this point in my life, I was still in my "all pop music sucks" phase; you know, the dark days. As soon as I heard this song, I instantly loved it, and I couldn't get enough of it. I wasn't much of a chart watcher back in those days, so I didn't realize the supposed gravity of a #1 hit, but I had heard enough dance pop over the last few years to get an idea of what a #1 hit sounds like. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that not only was this a #1 hit for 8 weeks, but it was also big enough to be named Billboard's biggest hit of the entire year. I couldn't believe it! A song like this, a soft indie-rock tune that wouldn't sound out of place if it were sung by Peter Gabriel, was the song that more people listened to that year than any other! The fact that it beat out that garbage summer song "Call Me Maybe" was just icing on the cake! ("Call Me Maybe" is a masterpiece, but back then I did think it was trash. Again: dark days.) I can probably credit "Somebody That I Used to Know" for helping me transition out of my hater phase. This was the song that made me realize that pop music could be a lot deeper and more diverse than I ever gave it credit for. Even the songs that I had dismissed as derivative slop during that phase, I actually found myself appreciating them a lot more once I approached them in earnest. There were still a lot of bad songs among that crop, but that was a conclusion I came to after seriously listening to them rather than just a gut feeling. "Somebody That I Used to Know" made me appreciate pop music much more after realizing what it could be, an appreciation that has only grown over the years if this list and my larger project are any indication. For that, this is one of the most special songs to me personally even without gauging its actual quality. And speaking of its quality...yeah, this is one of the best and most unique breakup songs I've ever heard. Breakup songs are a dime a dozen, but so few of them take the time to depict the breakup from both sides, painting a more vivid picture of the relationship and why things ultimately fell apart. Off the top of my head, the only other #1 hit I can think of that does this is Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves' "I Remember Everything" from 2023, a song that will not be appearing on this list but did come very close to making the cut. I absolutely adore that song's rustic atmosphere and the way the two reminisce about what they had and what could have been if they could have been what they wanted each other to be. But for me, nothing will ever beat Gotye waffling in vague terms about how the relationship wasn't working and whining that she didn't have to be so mean when she broke it off, only for Kimbra to come in and cut through all the bullshit, telling him to his face how he constantly screwed her over and gaslit her into thinking it was her fault. Kimbra's verse delivers a feeling of catharsis that very few other songs are capable of pulling off, and it is the piece that turns what would have otherwise been a pretty obnoxious song into the masterpiece that everyone knows it as. It's a shame that Gotye isn't better known in America beyond this one song, but if you had to be remembered for one hit, you could certainly do worse. That said, I do recommend checking out his back catalog because he is crazy talented. "Save Me" and "Eyes Wide Open" are my favorites; the latter especially deserved to be much bigger.
December 16, 2025 at 1:57 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#10: Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye ft. Kimbra
10. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra (2012) I was 16 years old the first time I heard "Somebody That I Used to Know." At this point in my life, I was still in my "all pop music sucks" phase; you know, the dark days. As soon as I heard this song, I instantly loved it, and I couldn't get enough of it. I wasn't much of a chart watcher back in those days, so I didn't realize the supposed gravity of a #1 hit, but I had heard enough dance pop over the last few years to get an idea of what a #1 hit sounds like. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that not only was this a #1 hit for 8 weeks, but it was also big enough to be named Billboard's biggest hit of the entire year. I couldn't believe it! A song like this, a soft indie-rock tune that wouldn't sound out of place if it were sung by Peter Gabriel, was the song that more people listened to that year than any other! The fact that it beat out that garbage summer song "Call Me Maybe" was just icing on the cake! ("Call Me Maybe" is a masterpiece, but back then I did think it was trash. Again: dark days.) I can probably credit "Somebody That I Used to Know" for helping me transition out of my hater phase. This was the song that made me realize that pop music could be a lot deeper and more diverse than I ever gave it credit for. Even the songs that I had dismissed as derivative slop during that phase, I actually found myself appreciating them a lot more once I approached them in earnest. There were still a lot of bad songs among that crop, but that was a conclusion I came to after seriously listening to them rather than just a gut feeling. "Somebody That I Used to Know" made me appreciate pop music much more after realizing what it could be, an appreciation that has only grown over the years if this list and my larger project are any indication. For that, this is one of the most special songs to me personally even without gauging its actual quality. And speaking of its quality...yeah, this is one of the best and most unique breakup songs I've ever heard. Breakup songs are a dime a dozen, but so few of them take the time to depict the breakup from both sides, painting a more vivid picture of the relationship and why things ultimately fell apart. Off the top of my head, the only other #1 hit I can think of that does this is Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves' "I Remember Everything" from 2023, a song that will not be appearing on this list but did come very close to making the cut. I absolutely adore that song's rustic atmosphere and the way the two reminisce about what they had and what could have been if they could have been what they wanted each other to be. But for me, nothing will ever beat Gotye waffling in vague terms about how the relationship wasn't working and whining that she didn't have to be so mean when she broke it off, only for Kimbra to come in and cut through all the bullshit, telling him to his face how he constantly screwed her over and gaslit her into thinking it was her fault. Kimbra's verse delivers a feeling of catharsis that very few other songs are capable of pulling off, and it is the piece that turns what would have otherwise been a pretty obnoxious song into the masterpiece that everyone knows it as. It's a shame that Gotye isn't better known in America beyond this one song, but if you had to be remembered for one hit, you could certainly do worse. That said, I do recommend checking out his back catalog because he is crazy talented. "Save Me" and "Eyes Wide Open" are my favorites; the latter especially deserved to be much bigger.
December 16, 2025 at 1:57 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
a man in a suit and tie is sitting in a chair and says " you 're fired "
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is sitting in a chair and says " you 're fired "
media.tenor.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:44 AM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
Slight correction: it was 25 years.

And yeah, it is a masterpiece in its own right. It might not have the grandeur of some of the Renaissance films, but there's a reason it won Mouse Madness (my Disney tournament) all those years ago.
December 15, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by IrishHuskie
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#11: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
11. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (1985) This is one of those songs where I'm just in awe every time I hear it. A song like this feels too good to be popular, let alone a #1 hit. And yet, for two weeks in 1985, the public decided that the biggest song in the country should be a new wave synth-pop jam about corruption and the human desire for control and power. The American public is cool sometimes. Everyone praises "Hey Ya!" for the dissonance between its upbeat music and downbeat lyrics, but "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is the best example of this dissonance I have ever heard from a pop song, and possible any song for that matter. The best word I can think of to describe how it makes me feel is "cold." And not in the sense of being emotionally distant, but like I need to put on a jacket. It feels like walking through a city at night in the middle of winter, where everything seems to be at a standstill, yet you can't shake the feeling that things could suddenly come alive at any moment. This song came out during the Cold War, when the world's largest superpowers wielded weapons of mass destruction that both sides knew the other could use to launch the world into war once again. In that sense, it acts as a perfect soundtrack to that moment in time. I imagine most ordinary people in 1985 would go about their days living their perfectly normal lives, while subconsciously sensing that the world as they knew it could come crumbling down as the world leaders' lust for power reached a breaking point. And as we currently live in a world where the President seems to threaten war every time someone looks at him wrong, that underlying tension persists even today. In that sense, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is timeless, for better or for worse. It's pleasant enough to listen to casually, but one deeper listen can evoke feeling much larger than its production portends. For me, that's the sign of a masterpiece. And also it just sounds great.
December 15, 2025 at 1:53 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#11: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
11. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (1985) This is one of those songs where I'm just in awe every time I hear it. A song like this feels too good to be popular, let alone a #1 hit. And yet, for two weeks in 1985, the public decided that the biggest song in the country should be a new wave synth-pop jam about corruption and the human desire for control and power. The American public is cool sometimes. Everyone praises "Hey Ya!" for the dissonance between its upbeat music and downbeat lyrics, but "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is the best example of this dissonance I have ever heard from a pop song, and possible any song for that matter. The best word I can think of to describe how it makes me feel is "cold." And not in the sense of being emotionally distant, but like I need to put on a jacket. It feels like walking through a city at night in the middle of winter, where everything seems to be at a standstill, yet you can't shake the feeling that things could suddenly come alive at any moment. This song came out during the Cold War, when the world's largest superpowers wielded weapons of mass destruction that both sides knew the other could use to launch the world into war once again. In that sense, it acts as a perfect soundtrack to that moment in time. I imagine most ordinary people in 1985 would go about their days living their perfectly normal lives, while subconsciously sensing that the world as they knew it could come crumbling down as the world leaders' lust for power reached a breaking point. And as we currently live in a world where the President seems to threaten war every time someone looks at him wrong, that underlying tension persists even today. In that sense, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is timeless, for better or for worse. It's pleasant enough to listen to casually, but one deeper listen can evoke feeling much larger than its production portends. For me, that's the sign of a masterpiece. And also it just sounds great.
December 15, 2025 at 1:53 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
If you told me before the season started that the Bears would finish with a better record than the Chiefs, I would have laughed in your face.
December 14, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by IrishHuskie
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#12: Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns N' Roses
12. Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses (1988) This is the most boring song of the entire list. I don't mean that the song itself is boring; it's on this list, after all. Rather, it's boring in the sense that I literally have nothing unique or interesting to say about it. "Sweet Child o' Mine" is one of the most universally beloved rock songs of the 80's, and one listen will instantly reveal why. The simple yet heartfelt lyrics of the joys of love are backed by one of the most iconic guitar riffs ever written, all culminating in an outro that shows off the chops of both Slash and Axl Rose. Not that I have to convince you to listen to it yourselves; the fact is that if you haven't heard this song, you've literally been living under a rock your whole life. I hope it's comfortable under there; I hear those things aren't very spacious. Guns N' Roses have had a ton of good songs, some even better than this ("Welcome to the Jungle" and "November Rain" come to mind), but this one has such a universal appeal that it's no wonder this was the one that made it to #1. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only people who don't like this song are the members of Guns N' Roses themselves. In a 1990 interview, Slash was quoted as saying "...I like it, but I hate what it represents." Honestly, I can only feel so bad for them. If they didn't want it to be a hit, they shouldn't have made it a masterpiece.
December 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#12: Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns N' Roses
12. Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses (1988) This is the most boring song of the entire list. I don't mean that the song itself is boring; it's on this list, after all. Rather, it's boring in the sense that I literally have nothing unique or interesting to say about it. "Sweet Child o' Mine" is one of the most universally beloved rock songs of the 80's, and one listen will instantly reveal why. The simple yet heartfelt lyrics of the joys of love are backed by one of the most iconic guitar riffs ever written, all culminating in an outro that shows off the chops of both Slash and Axl Rose. Not that I have to convince you to listen to it yourselves; the fact is that if you haven't heard this song, you've literally been living under a rock your whole life. I hope it's comfortable under there; I hear those things aren't very spacious. Guns N' Roses have had a ton of good songs, some even better than this ("Welcome to the Jungle" and "November Rain" come to mind), but this one has such a universal appeal that it's no wonder this was the one that made it to #1. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only people who don't like this song are the members of Guns N' Roses themselves. In a 1990 interview, Slash was quoted as saying "...I like it, but I hate what it represents." Honestly, I can only feel so bad for them. If they didn't want it to be a hit, they shouldn't have made it a masterpiece.
December 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by IrishHuskie
irish-huskie-2596.bsky.social
#13: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
13. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones (1965) Three notes. That's all the riff consists of. And yet those three notes form the backbone of one of the most important songs in American history, courtesy of a band that's not even American. The British Invasion of the 1960's remains one of the most influential pop culture phenomena ever, and the Rolling Stones were vital contributors to it, possibly the most vital. There was that one other band that came before them; I forget what they were called, but I think they were named after insects or something like that? Did they ever do anything noteworthy after 1964? Probably not, I bet. All jokes aside, I do think that "Satisfaction" is the quintessential song of the British Invasion, and not just because it was one of the biggest and most enduring hits to come out of it, but also because of what it meant at the time. The British Invasion was a cultural movement just as much as it was a musical movement. In case you didn't know, the mid-1960's was a politically fraught period of American (and, indeed, world) history. A massive counterculture arose in opposition to things like the Vietnam War, the rising cost of living, and political corruption, while celebrating personal freedoms and sexual liberation. The music of the time both reflected and influenced the counterculture, and "Satisfaction" serves as somewhat of an anthem of that time. It's not nearly as detailed and eloquent as Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" from the same year, but that song only made it to #2; the Stones made it to #1. Part of what makes "Satisfaction" stand out so much is that it is a fairly simple song. The lyrics are not complex at all; they're just a list of things that make Mick Jagger unsatisfied. In particular, he expresses his dissatisfaction at rampant commercialization (which I sympathize with) and his own sexual frustrations (which I sympathize significantly less with). The lyrics are blunt and direct with not even a hint of subtlety, but that's what makes it work. It cuts right to the chase and speaks directly to the participants of the counterculture in as straightforward a way as possible. This wasn't the first song to do this, but it was the first one to make such an impact, and its effects would not take long to be seen in the pop music landscape going forward; "Eve of Destruction" would climb to the top of the charts just 2 months after "Satisfaction" dropped off. But none of this would matter if the song itself weren't a banger in its own right, and that's the other part of what makes it work. The message of the song wouldn't mean anything if people didn't pay attention to it, and the Rolling Stones made damn sure that everyone noticed it. That memorable riff, that driving beat, and those undeniably unique vocals all combine to create an experience that the listener will never forget, and that's the most important thing a song like this can accomplish. "Satisfaction" is a great song, but more importantly, it's an anthemic song. It's the centerpiece of one of the greatest musical movements of all time, and for that, it earns its spot in my top 25.
December 13, 2025 at 2:56 PM