The best songs you've received in a roulette

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I already had this idea brewing a week ago, and the discussion in wolfking's serendipitously swung in this direction a couple days ago, so this might be a good time to have a thread dedicated to it.  I know jingle had a whole thread years ago devoted to the top 50 songs he's received in roulettes that I skimmed a few months ago, but rather than just focus on mine, I think it would be more fun to have numerous roulette hosts participate. 

It's really too early for mine still, as I've only hosted a roulette once, and it's only half a year from the end of it, so I don't have a ton of perspective yet, but I'll give it a go anyway to get things started.  Despite running only one roulette so far, I had a lot of rounds, about half of them being multi-song rounds, one of which included a lengthy EP, so I do have a basis of approximately 650 songs sent to draw from.

---

Top 10 songs sent in my roulette:


Circus of Fools - "Eris (To the Fairest One)" - sent by TAC

This evoked a lot of elements of one of my favorite bands, Deadlock, with a monstrous guitar sound underpinning a delightful dual vocal approach, subtle electronics, and viola soloing. 

Dissona - "Another Sky" - sent by ariich

One of the most common templates for super-high scoring songs seemed to be this template of kitchen sink prog metal, but more melancholy than the stereotypical prog metal fare, with enough variety and less common elements to justify an extended running time, but not too bizarre to be off-putting. 

Dreamgrave - "Monuments" - sent by TAC

This hit the same kid in a candy shop aural ecstasy that Dissona did, but with more acoustic than electronic focuses. 

GUNSHIP - "Dark All Day" - sent by Crow

I'd heard their first album and this song, but it hadn't stuck yet.  Dunno why, this is the electronic/pop equivalent of the previous two metal songs.  Highest scoring song of my roulette. 

Kimbra - "Cameo Lover" - sent by SoundscapeMN

The perfect marriage of older and newer pop elements, this was way better than the previous album I'd heard from her. 

Psychonaut - "Violate Consensus Reality" - sent by Nachtmerrie

One of the strongest builds I've heard, this had the perfect atmosphere which explodes halfway through and remains riveting throughout.  The best song of the whole roulette, staving off a last minute push from a stronger EP for victory. 

Rannoch - "Despair" - sent by Nachtmerrie

The best-sounding and most interesting metal guitars of the roulette, this powerhouse of a song is exactly what I like from modern metal. 

Talk Talk - "Living In Another World" - sent by Sacul

One of those bands I'd always heard about and never got around to, the cyclical movement of the different sections is endlessly intoxicating, for some 80s pop perfection. 

The Black Queen - "Ice To Never" - sent by Sacul

I had no idea beforehand how versatile Greg Puciato is.  A soulful and industrialized version of synthwave was exactly the seeming contradiction I didn't even know I needed. 

The Far Meadow - "A Gentle Warrior" - sent by HOF

This was the first of a number of songs that made me realize that I'd been totally overlooking the lighter side of the more modern prog scene, modernizing the better elements of the old Yes sound.  Spectacular vocals and drum sounds in particular, this was the sort of feast for the ears to kick off my first round and make me glad I'd decided to run one. 

Honorable Mentions:

Arion "At the Break of Dawn" (soupytwist), Better Lovers "Sacrificial Participant" (twosuitsluke), Big Big Train "The Florentine" live (HOF), Black Peaks "Slow Seas" (Evermind), Camera Obscura "French Navy" (soupytwist), Caro Emerald "I Know That He's Mine" acoustic (Nachtmerrie), Carpenters "Superstar" (twosuitsluke), Cigarettes After Sex "K." (senecadawg2), Ereb Altor "With Fire In My Heart" (TAC), Ivar Bjornson & Einar Selvik "Skuggsja" (Lethean), Joan Baez "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Stadler), Kalandra "Borders" (Evermind), Katzenjammer "Demon Kitty Rag" (soupytwist), Loreena McKennitt "The Bonny Swans" (senecadawg2), Ours "Sometimes" (SoundscapeMN), Paramore "The News" (Tomislav95), Pepe Deluxe "A Night and a Day" (SoundscapeMN), Riverside "Left Out" (Buddyhunter1), Seven Spires "Gods of Debauchery" (soupytwist), Seventh Wonder "The Red River" (Tomislav95), Sieges Even "Tidal" (Puppies_On_Acid), Submotion Orchestra "Hard To Stay" (ariich), Svalbard "Open Wound" (Nachtmerrie), The Skints "Live East Die Young" (twosuitsluke), Yaatri "Vipassana" (HOF)

---

A playlist of these, the top 10 are alphabetical #1-#10, then the honorable mentions alphabetical #11-#35.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UWcwqU4bt9O5clhZOgRN9

---

Share your own top 10 songs received in your roulettes, or whatever number or format feels appropriate. 

[Evermind]

finished in the Top 2
no songs in the Top 10

[LithoJazzoSphere]

You placed well through consistency rather than peaks.    You did have two in the top 35, and a bunch right below that. 

[Lonk]

so I do have a basis of approximately 650 songs sent to draw from.

Damn lol My roulette had less than 140 submissions lol

I guess for my roulette, in no particular order:

- Alcest - La Ou Naissent Les Couleurs Nouevelle (Puppies)
- Closure in Moscow - Better Way (Luke)
- Woods of Ypres - I was Buried in Mount Pleasant cemetery (Tomi)
- Avatarium - Moonhorse (Evermind)
- Fair to Midland - Dance of the Manatee (Reaper)
- Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe (Puppies)
- Abstract Illusions - Blomsterkrans (Wolfking)
- Jean-Luc Ponty - Eulogy to Oscar Romero (RomDrum)
- Slice the Cake - Stone and Silver Part 1 (Ariich)
- Flaming Row - Rage of Despair (Jingle)

[Metro]

Just off the top of of my head…

Anything by Moron Police
Anything by Pain of Salvation
Skeletons of Light - An Abstract Illusion
All a Man Can Do - Beyond the Bridge
Anything sent by Sacul

I’m sure there’s plenty I forgot

[Stadler]

Devin Townsend - Deep Peace (Live) (I think sent by Jinglev-clortho)
Ayreon - I forget the song, but I think it was also sent by Jingle.
Michael Kiske - Do I Remember A Life? (TAC)
Ben Folds Five - Battle of Who Could Care Less (I think that was Joe)
Romdrums I think sent one of his songs and it blew me away.

[twosuitsluke]

- Closure in Moscow - Better Way (Luke)

You damn right! What a song.

I'm going to answer this three fold. First will be my top 10 songs (which I'll probably compare with my top 10 scoring songs, to show how certain ones grew on me, post roulette), then my top 10 albums that featured songs I was sent in a roulette, and lastly top 10 bands I discovered via roulette.

Right, I'm off to revisit the threads and see what I come up with

[lonestar]

Damn...gonna have to do some digging on this one..

[twosuitsluke]

OK, I'll start this off with my top 10 songs I've been sent in my two roulettes. This is my top 10 as of today. Next I'll post my top 10 highest scoring songs, so you can see which songs stood the test of time, or continued to grow after the roulette was over...

Top 10 songs

1. Oceansize - The Frame (Crow)
2. Twelve Foot Ninja - One Hand Killing (Train)
3. Intronaut - Fast Worms (Train)
4. Seventh Wonder - Hide and Seek (Tomi)
5. Thrice - Words in Water (Crow)
6. Frost* - Dear Dead Days (splent)
7. Autonoesis - Moon of Foul Magics (TAC)
8. Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No (Sacul)
9. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Justice for Saint Mary (Sacul)
10. Black Crown Initiate - Belie the Machine (WebRaider)

Honourable Mentions:

Kamelot - March of Mephisto (Scar)
And So I Watch You From Afar - Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate (Scar)
The Comet is Coming - Blood of the Past (Sacul)
Brand New - Not the Sun (Crow)
Anamanaguchi - John Hughes (Buddy)
*Shels - The Conference of Birds (home)
Woods of Ypres - I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Tomi)
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Cubensis Lenses (Buddy)
Justice - Planisphere (Sacul)

I realised in doing this that almost almost all my favourites came from my first roulette. I think an element of this was that back in 2016 there were still loads of big DTF names I'd never heard, so the pool of songs to choose from was much larger.

Those who participated in my last roulette had to dig deeper to find something, and maybe that is partly responsible for how this all shook out.

I'll do another update tomorrow with my Top 10 roulette bands, or roulette albums.

[HOF]

Having not run a roulette, I wonder what I'd say the best song I've sent in a roulette is. This is a rough list off the top of my head:

The Blue Nile - Over the Hillside
Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight
Kip Winger - Resurrection
Journey - Mother, Father 
Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Kalypso (or maybe A Shelter of Reeds)
Big Big Train - Last Train (or Snowfalls)

[Crow]

the best song i've ever been sent in a roulette was Limousine by Brand New... a song I was sent in the first round of my first roulette 

Being Human by Bent Knee came a few rounds later and that's second place, easily. #3 is probably Spanish Sahara by Foals and then after that I get to the songs that weren't The One I Was Sent In A Roulette but something else from the same album/artist so

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Kalypso (or maybe A Shelter of Reeds)

"Slingshot Grin" was one of my last cuts before my 35.  That's one I keep listening to and like even more than I did in the round itself. 

[HOF]

"Slingshot Grin" was one of my last cuts before my 35.  That's one I keep listening to and like even more than I did in the round itself.

 

That was specifically chosen because it was matched with one of your sample songs, or I might have sent you one of the other too, but you also still might have liked that song more!

[jingle.boy]

Devin Townsend - Deep Peace (Live) (I think sent by Jingle)
Ayreon - I forget the song, but I think it was also sent by Jingle.
Michael Kiske - Do I Remember A Life? (TAC)
Ben Folds Five - Battle of Who Could Care Less (I think that was Joe)
Romdrums I think sent one of his songs and it blew me away.

Never have I ever sent Devy in a roulette. I’ll have to confirm if it was indeed me that sent you Ayreon.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

That was specifically chosen because it was matched with one of your sample songs, or I might have sent you one of the other too, but you also still might have liked that song more!

Yeah, that was for essentially my "miscellaneous metal/rock" round.  It didn't really match any of the three sample songs (maybe the duet quality of the Hallatar track), but just happened to work anyway.    I haven't made it to their albums yet, but either from listening to others you've sent in other roulettes or from streaming autoplays there are half a dozen others of theirs I like as well. 

[v_clortho]

Never have I ever sent Devy in a roulette. I’ll have to confirm if it was indeed me that sent you Ayreon.

I sent that.

[Cool Chris]

Ghost - Square Hammer, sent by Tomislav95.

My review at the time ie below. I even said later in the wrap-up that this was the best song I received. It was the one song I kept coming back to as the roulette progressed.

8   
1st listen: Eh, this is ok; 2nd listen: Pretty good; 3rd listen: I am digging this; 4,593th listen: Damn this is the catchiest song I've heard in a long time!

[Sacul]

I had forgotten how much you ended up liking dreamcrusher Talk Talk and The Black Queen, Lizzo. Such great albums those songs come from.

Anything sent by Sacul

8. Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No (Sacul)
9. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Justice for Saint Mary (Sacul)

Honourable Mentions:

The Comet is Coming - Blood of the Past (Sacul)
Justice - Planisphere (Sacul)

- Alcest - La Ou Naissent Les Couleurs Nouevelle (Puppies)
- Closure in Moscow - Better Way (Luke)
- Woods of Ypres - I was Buried in Mount Pleasant cemetery (Tomi)
- Avatarium - Moonhorse (Evermind)
- Fair to Midland - Dance of the Manatee (Reaper)
- Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe (Puppies)
- Abstract Illusions - Blomsterkrans (Wolfking)
- Jean-Luc Ponty - Eulogy to Oscar Romero (RomDrum)
- Slice the Cake - Stone and Silver Part 1 (Ariich)
- Flaming Row - Rage of Despair (Jingle)

Funny how I won that roulette but I'm nowhere in that list

the best song i've ever been sent in a roulette was Limousine by Brand New... a song I was sent in the first round of my first roulette 

Being Human by Bent Knee came a few rounds later and that's second place, easily. #3 is probably Spanish Sahara by Foals and then after that I get to the songs that weren't The One I Was Sent In A Roulette but something else from the same album/artist so

Did I send those first two by any chance? Sounds like something I'd submit


Hmnn this is a great topic, I'll prob make a list and post it tomorrow.

[Crow]

you sent limousine yes, but i think? it was mikemangioy who sent bent knee

edit: i went back and checked and yes it was but also
i didn't realize spanish sahara was the exact same round as being human  damn my first roulette really was the best one huh

[twosuitsluke]

Lucas, you sent Being Human to me as well. It wasn't a top 10 song, but it ended up getting me into the band

[twosuitsluke]

OK, next up is my top 10 (actually 11) highest scoring songs in my two roulettes. As you can see, comparing to my list of actual favourite roulette songs as of now, some songs scores ended up going down over time, and others grew. It just shows that the score you get isn't always representative of the quality of the song. Some songs just benefit (or are harmed) by more than 5-6 listens...

Top 10 highest scoring songs

1. Frost* - Dear Dead Days - 9.5 (splent)
2. The Comet is Coming - Blood of the Past - 9 (Sacul)
3. Autonoesis - Moon of Foul Magics - 9 (TAC)
4. Oceansize - The Frame - 9 (Crow)
5. Woods of Ypres - I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery - 9 (Tomi)
6. Kamelot - March of Mephisto - 9 (Scar)
7. Seventh Wonder - Hide and Seek - 9 (Tomi)
8. Fun. - Take Your Time (Coming Home) - 9 (Crow)
9. Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No - 9 (Sacul)
10. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Justice for Saint Mary - 9 (Sacul)
11. And So I Watch You From Afar - Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate - 9 (Scar)

Again, the majority came from my first roulette. It's weird, even though the fun. and Woods of Ypres songs got 9s, I don't think I've even listened to them since 2017, when that roulette finished!

[jingle.boy]

Just off the top of of my head…

Anything by Moron Police
Anything by Pain of Salvation
Skeletons of Light - An Abstract Illusion
All a Man Can Do - Beyond the Bridge
Anything sent by Sacul

I’m sure there’s plenty I forgot

You're welcome.   

@Stads... I did indeed send you Ayreon - Rainbow Bridge.  Funny, because I used my 'wildcard' right off the bat in Round 1 to see if I should lean more prog, or more metal/heavy.  My other submission was Subsignal/Long Way Since the Earth Crashed.  I hope you went back and revisited that, as I think you might really enjoy them, particularly Arno Menses as a vocalist.

[twosuitsluke]

Another interesting tidbit I picked up on. The majority of the best songs I received in roulettes fall into the 9-10 minute bracket

[Stadler]

I sent that.

Then, I thank YOU, kind soul.  It was first on the list for a reason.

(I fixed the original post, but I can't fix the quotes.)

[King Postwhore]

And yes, I sent you Ben Folds Five.

[twosuitsluke]

I'll follow up with my other two 'Roulette Top 10s' today and tomorrow. Starting with...

Top 10 albums (I fell in love with post-roulette) featuring songs sent in a roulette

1. Maudlin of the well - "Bath" (Elite)
2. Agent Fresco - Destrier (Elite)
3. The Hirsch Effekt - Holon: Agnosie (Crow)
4. Oceansize - Frames (Crow)
5. Intronaut - The Direction of Last Things (Train)
6. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging in Me (Crow)
7. Autonoesis - Moon of Foul Magics (TAC)
8. Black Peaks - Statues (Train)
9. Cult of Luna - Mariner (Train)
10. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (Tomi)

Honourable Mentions:

Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed (WebRaider)
Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No (Sacul)
Thrice - Major/Minor (Crow)
Jolly - The Audio Guide to Happiness (Pt. II) (WebRaider)
Twelve Foot Ninja - Outlier (Train)
Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar (Crow)
Elder - Lore (home)
Ulver - Messe I.X - VI.X (Elite)
So Hideous - Laurestine (Train)
Soulsplitter - Salutogenesis (TAC)
Progenie Terrestre Pura - U.m.a (Crow)

Interestingly Elite sent me two songs that didn't score particularly well, but ended up featuring on the two best albums I discovered post-roulette, so thanks for that dude.

When I post my 'Top 10 Bands Discovered Via Roulette', Elite's name will be making an appearance again