The Three Best Songs by Electric Light Orchestra
For most American teenagers, turning on to Electric Light Orchestra in 1975 was just about right on time. Even though they’d put out four albums previously, it wasn’t until Face The Music that most of us has even heard of them.
Of course, it was Evil Woman that caught our attention. That huge orchestral chord, Jeff Lynne’s lament of the fool followed by Richard Tandy’s piano riff made for an absolutely perfect pop tune. To this day, I can remember sitting in my mom’s office in the front of the house, listening to Top 40 radio, the snow crashing down outside, hoping for a day off from school tomorrow.
Even though it takes far too long to get to the nougat in the middle — that would be the unmistakable guitar riff — Fire On High is one of the most intriguing instrumentals in the rock and roll canon. Remember when it was the theme song for CBS Sports Spectacular?
I’m a middle-era ELO guy — from Face The Music to Out of The Blue — so, even though I can almost listen to Don’t Bring Me Down for the shear disco fun of it, I’m partial to Sweet Talkin’ Woman.
They are the three best ELO songs.
“I Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” would have to be in my top three, because…er… I can’t get it out of my head once I hear it.
I’m a E.L.O. freak, I like them all but if I had to narrow it down to three they would be, (1)..”Mr. Blue Sky” (2)..”Don’t bring Me Down” (3)..”Showdown”
Colour me late-period ELO. Don’t Bring Me Down, Confusion, and that other one……
i never liked elo and i was 15 when this album came out but alot of friends did.if i had to pick one it would be Mr. Blue Sky
I’m with Oldetymer, exactly, except I may have switched out “Showdown” with “Turn To Stone”.
Lots of Good ones to choose from. I’ll say 1, Can’t Get It Out of My Head 2, Showdown 3, Roll Over Beethoven
i always loved ELO , was listening to them at 12. used to stay home from school to listen to “out of the blue” in its entirety.
jeff lynne is prob my fave producer after george martin. the production on out of the blue remains to this day amazing &
the lushness of it all would be hard to duplicate.
my fave elo trax are pretty obscure only because i have heard the other ones so much they have lost thier original shine.
top three : Secret messages , 21st century man , & getting to the point
But my favorite song is “Livin Thing”.
I was 8 yrs old when “Out of the Blue” came out. I didn’t know much about pop culture at that time because my parents were goobers.My older brother bought the album and played it on one of those huge wooden stereos that were brown and NEVER moved. I loved the cover art!!!!! Anything space or sciencefiction was An eye-opener 4 me. My favorite song(back ground music because I would build these pretty cool looking moonscapes with attacking aliens using blocks and characters made out of colored wire the phone guy would throw us) was “Turn to Stone” and “Sweet Talkin Woman”. By the way, if anyone is interested, listen to Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds. Really cool music and a great story too! Ok, so obviously, my vote goes to Sweet Talkin Woman.
I’m a mid-era ELO guy, too. My first concert was the spaceship one corresponding to the Out of the Blue album. My favorite album was A New World Record, but I pretty much listened until the last album – usually finding at least a couple of good songs on all the latter albums, too. Anyways, I think your top three song choices were good – in fact all the ones mentioned to date are good ones! These are hard choices, but these songs made the biggest impression on me at the time, and I think still meet the test of time as well as any: (1) Telephone Line, (2) Evil Woman, and (3) Do Ya.
Here are a few other great songs to mix it up a bit …. Twilight, Poker, and Tightrope.
I have never understood why people dislike ELO so much. I absolutely love them and think they are the number one sounding group, production wise. Great chord progressions and lyrical melodies have alot to do with it too I imagine.
my favorite is “Telephone Line” by far!
i think its just so cute
I just got into ELO last year. (I’m 19) Since then they have become one of my favorite bands(if not my absolute favorite). My favorite list goes as follows:
1. Turn to stone
2. Telephone Line
3. Ticket to the moon
4. Evil woman
5. Sweet talkin woman
6. Mr. Blue sky
7. So serious
8. Livin thing
9. Here is the news
10. Getting to the point
I feel like my top 10 is very different than everyone else’s for some reason. Anyways, ELO is the amazing.
telephone line. period.
ELO (mainly thanks to sir jeff lynn) were …in a word…fantastic. Now I could imagine some people not appreciating such musical genius in production, composition, songwriting, melody etc…but I cant agree with it. “well its subjective” one might argue…true it is…but that doesnt make ElO any less significant or genius..a lot of people today do not know what art is..music was always supposed to be an art, it isnt anymore, and while all people are entitled to “like” any “kind” of music they want, it doesnt mean its good “music’…much to the analogy of like potato chips, you might like it, but it doesnt change the FACT that its crap! So it is to my understand (and experience) that a lot of people…especially today, like crap…so really there’s nothing we (the ones who recognize true art) can do about the times and the people; except to be grateful we are not one of them. Oh I’m so happy I have good taste and can be influenced by inspiring, melodic, progressive, fun, trippy, cool music from the greatest era of music, rather than what (crap) younger people are subjected to today and think they “like”…sadly they have no clue (and im 29)..its there shame really. ELO…dont worry, the good ones have been filtered out for you and they are who count
My favorite songs by E.L.O are:
Turn To Stone
It’s Over
Secret Messages
I was 15 when Out of the Blue came out, and to this day it’s one of my all-time favorite albums. Three is tough, but if I had to pick my personal faves:
1) Mr. Blue Sky
2) Fire on High
3) Big Wheels