For What It's Worth Should Have Been a Top 10 Hit

MikeInNV · #1 05-05-2016, 08:58 PM

http://stargayzing.com/13-songs-that...merican-radio/

Despite excellent reviews and performing the song on The Jay Leno Show, America’s Got Talent, and Good Morning America, Stevie Nicks’ best single in 25 years failed to make the pop charts and peaked at a disappointing #25 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The mid-tempo ballad is as emotionally immediate and as touching as Sara, Gypsy or any of Nicks’ finest songs. Yes, pop radio has changed a lot, but in no way more than its cold-hearted ageism. To wit: if For What It’s Worth was a Taylor Swift song it would have been a number one pop and Country song. Listen for yourself.

BlueLight · #2 05-05-2016, 09:14 PM

So true. It's a perfect song. When it was first released, my husband and I went on and on about how it would've been a huge hit, had it been recorded by a younger artist.

Macfanforever · #3 05-05-2016, 10:01 PM

I agree 1000 percent. As an old school country music fan. As I said before.Radio and country radio ditched IYD into the rubbish after they received it.The same with 24K .It should of gotten played on country radio and easy listening radio .People rather hear crap from Luke Bryan,Jason Aldean,Rascal Flatt Tires and other so called country artists and bands.Stevie is more country then these idiots.

In my other post
in the http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showthread.php?t=56016 thread .

As I said in the 20 Women Who Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from SisterNightroad..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

Yes .I'm all old school with music.Now its a big mixed up bag of everything.
The problem with Madonna is she got overexposed with the media like other artists and bands.I lost interest of Madonna probably by her second or third album. Also her crotch feeling in her vids turned me off too. Stevie and the Mac and some others kept their heads low from the overexposed dept.The problem with Stevie and the Mac is they never tried any thing different music then what they do play or the radio jocks and station program directors and music directors simply overlooked some of their country flavored tunes like Stevie's "After The Glitter Fades" and FM 's "Thats Alright" just name a couple .I was lucky here to have these tunes including L@L played on the local country station as I requested them during the request hour .Also it helped that I known the DJ there also he was a fan of Stevie's and the Mac..

I apologize on cross posting here but it was easier to do that then type all that here again.Lazy me.

WatchChain · #4 05-05-2016, 10:10 PM

I've said this in previous posts, but Stevie's COUNTRY songs are always my favorite of her work. Much like "That's Alright, "Rose Garden", "After The Glitter Fades", "Silver Springs" and "Sleeping Angel", "For What It's Worth" is a COUNTRY SONG at its core.

I also feel that "For What It's Worth" was harshly OVERLOOKED, even by Stevie fans. "For What It's Worth" has become one of my TOP 20 FAVORITE Stevie songs of all time. It's just BEAUTIFUL, such a melancholy tune! If I haven't listened to it for awhile, it can still bring tears to my eyes. There's such a quiet longing for something that never was in its message.

mitzo · #5 05-05-2016, 10:27 PM

I think it would be an unlikely hit and I am still puzzled it was even released as a single. Far too draggy and droning, and sung in such a low register she sounds just dead and boring. Sorry, I know many love this song. I do not.

Jondalar · #6 05-05-2016, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitzo

I think it would be an unlikely hit and I am still puzzled it was even released as a single. Far too draggy and droning, and sung in such a low register she sounds just dead and boring. Sorry, I know many love this song. I do not.

I agree. Poor single choice. Bland and uninteresting. Only some die hard Stevie fans would like it.

pryderi · #7 05-05-2016, 11:45 PM

To me it's a cross between Landslide and Hey There Delilah. One of my favorite tracks.

StreetAngel86 · #8 05-06-2016, 03:53 AM

WURD!

it is fabulous

Travis · #9 05-06-2016, 07:55 AM

Baffles me that some don't like it but, to each their own. Personally I love it, one of my two favorites from IYD.

louielouie2000 · #10 05-06-2016, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitzo

I think it would be an unlikely hit and I am still puzzled it was even released as a single. Far too draggy and droning, and sung in such a low register she sounds just dead and boring. Sorry, I know many love this song. I do not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I agree. Poor single choice. Bland and uninteresting. Only some die hard Stevie fans would like it.

This. All of it. To me, the song sounded like something resurrected from the Street Angel sessions which was deemed so lackluster that it couldn't even make that infamous album.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pryderi

To me it's a cross between Landslide and Hey There Delilah. One of my favorite tracks.

I get more of a Jane/Cheaper Than Free vibe from the song.

What Can money not buy?
I look at you and I start to cry
What's cheaper than free?
The forgotten chimpanzee.
With Good intentions, came through your door
the children of the world.

bombaysaffires · #11 05-06-2016, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

This. All of it. To me, the song sounded like something resurrected from the Street Angel sessions which was deemed so lackluster that it couldn't even make that infamous album.

I get more of a Jane/Cheaper Than Free vibe from the song.

What Can money not buy?
I look at you and I start to cry
What's cheaper than free?
The forgotten chimpanzee.
With Good intentions, came through your door
the children of the world.

o.m.g.

redbird · #12 05-06-2016, 05:13 PM

I love this song, definitely one of her best later album tracks. Simple and emotional, like a good country song should be. Her vocal could be better and I could do without the intro bell, but I think it came out so much more better than "Secret Love".

Macfanforever · #13 05-06-2016, 05:20 PM

Sorry but I do love Cheaper then Free.I thought it was cute.

michelej1 · #14 05-06-2016, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

What Can money not buy?
I look at you and I start to cry
What's cheaper than free?
The forgotten chimpanzee.
With Good intentions, came through your door
the children of the world.

Oh, this is priceless. But even though you made me laugh uproariously, I will not lump FWIW in with those garbage songs.

Michele

sorcerer999 · #15 05-06-2016, 09:17 PM

I downright loathed this song when IYD came out. In fact, for the first three years after its release, I would always skip it and go straight to the next song.

But something changed in 2014. I gave it another chance and really started to dig it. I guess this one was yet another Stevie Nicks "slow burn" for me. I prefer the scaled down "radio edit".

So while I can understand people not enjoying certain aspects of it - her low register, the phrasing, etc. there's still a sweet sentimentality to it in the music and lyrics that make me appreciate the things that I initially disliked about it before. Maybe it's an age thing, who knows.

Just my two cents.