PSB IN SPOTIFY

[nonesuch]

25 LOVE IS A BORG.. 6.1

Resistance is futile

[NOBODY75]

I think it counts from the very beginning—accumulated listens. But like I said, I don't have Spotify, so I don't know exactly how it works. I didn't even know about those "looping" tricks. I thought it would be a good yardstick to see which songs were actually popular with people, beyond just the top 10—which were pretty much a given. For instance, the ranking of "New York city boy" doesn't seem like an anomaly to me. The top 10 or 12 seem obvious. I might have hesitated about "Being Boring" if I'd thought about it before looking at the list... but I'm glad it's up there.

[Nickname]

New York City Boy is a rework of a big hit "Turn the beat around" by Gloria Estefan, I'm sure David Morales has a big influence in the song as it sounds. It has a latin and happiness feeling PSB don't usually have in their songs sadly.

When the song is played on tours people recognize it, even non PSB fans. It's just perfect to be played on tour. It was played a lot on MTV, the video was quite expensive and good.

[Kompakt&Bijou]

Interesting. In a way, I'm glad that New York City Boy is the surprise 'hit' in this list because there wasn't much love for it in the Track-by-Track discussion recently nor in the least favourite track thread either (I must admit, it was my nomination there too). But I recently read an article by Gary Mullholland who lists it in his excellent book '500 Best Songs Since Punk and Disco' and theorises that many people (including Pet Shop Boys fans) don't like because it is TOO gay (especially the video). That gave me pause for thought and I have questioned my own dislike of it since. On this, perhaps the public are right and like you say, Nickname, it is actually a happy Latin track with a wide appeal.

[babi7808]

What makes the New York City boy video so gay?

[NOBODY75]

I think the male chorus in the refrain is what perhaps gives the song a gay vibe. I also think the video contributes to that impression. I’m straight and it doesn’t bother me, but that gay undertone might put other people off the song. However, its position on the Spotify chart doesn’t surprise me. What *does* pleasantly surprise me are the rankings for "Kings Cross" and "My October"... and what disappoints me is the one for "Vocal"... Given where other lead singles from recent albums have landed, the chart position of "Vocal" is the one I find hardest to explain.

[Nickname]

I don't think the song is gay but itself. I mean, it talks about a boy who goes to New York City. There is nothing gay on it in the lyrics.

The video is another story, specially when the boy goes to Studio 54, even before.

[Nickname]

I think the male chorus in the refrain is what perhaps gives the song a gay vibe. I also think the video contributes to that impression. I’m straight and it doesn’t bother me, but that gay undertone might put other people off the song. However, its position on the Spotify chart doesn’t surprise me. What *does* pleasantly surprise me are the rankings for "Kings Cross" and "My October"... and what disappoints me is the one for "Vocal"... Given where other lead singles from recent albums have landed, the chart position of "Vocal" is the one I find hardest to explain.

I always say "King Cross" is probably the best ballad on musical terms of the whole career of PSB. It's really anthemic.

"Vocal" is overrated. I understand why it works live but I think it works because the power of those electronic hooks more than the quality of the song itself. I'm not talking about lyrics but about the melody.

[NOBODY75]

I think the male chorus in the refrain is what perhaps gives the song a gay vibe. I also think the video contributes to that impression. I’m straight and it doesn’t bother me, but that gay undertone might put other people off the song. However, its position on the Spotify chart doesn’t surprise me. What *does* pleasantly surprise me are the rankings for "Kings Cross" and "My October"... and what disappoints me is the one for "Vocal"... Given where other lead singles from recent albums have landed, the chart position of "Vocal" is the one I find hardest to explain.

I always say "King Cross" is probably the best ballad on musical terms of the whole career of PSB. It's really anthemic.

"Vocal" is overrated. I understand why it works live but I think it works because the power of those electronic hooks more than the quality of the song itself. I'm not talking about lyrics but about the melody.

The Spotify stream counts make it obvious to me that people don't value it as much as I do; I consider the album version to be in my Top 5 *Pets* tracks of the 21st century

[MikeyC]

New York City Boy is a rework of a big hit "Turn the beat around" by Gloria Estefan, I'm sure David Morales has a big influence in the song as it sounds. It has a latin and happiness feeling PSB don't usually have in their songs sadly.

When the song is played on tours people recognize it, even non PSB fans. It's just perfect to be played on tour. It was played a lot on MTV, the video was quite expensive and good.

Turn the beat around was a huge, successful song from Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976. Gloria Estefan covered it in the ‘90s.

[Nickname]

New York City Boy is a rework of a big hit "Turn the beat around" by Gloria Estefan, I'm sure David Morales has a big influence in the song as it sounds. It has a latin and happiness feeling PSB don't usually have in their songs sadly.

When the song is played on tours people recognize it, even non PSB fans. It's just perfect to be played on tour. It was played a lot on MTV, the video was quite expensive and good.

Turn the beat around was a huge, successful song from Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976. Gloria Estefan covered it in the ‘90s.

Thanks, I didn't know it was a cover. Maybe Neil knew about the song but Chris and Morales were a bit younger for that and they probably knew the version of Gloria that was realized in the 90's with an amazing success. In fact, the video of the song was quite similar to the ending of Single-Bilingual's video but who knows?.

Anyway, all of them are great tracks.