He/Him
That’s right voters - we’ve reached the end of the line for the Berserky picks! You all decided Queen @Filippa deserved to take up all of the Top 5 (though I still have some representation with the Wildcard!) and the Berserky GOLD is up!
Can you guess what it is before scrolling further?
Sadly I am taking the final Berserky 11s with me!
And they are for…..
#6
Wes - Alane
Picked By: Berserkboi
Credentials: #1 Austria, #1 Belgium, #1 France (10 Weeks), Certified DIAMOND in France for 1400000 Units SOLD, 18th Best Selling Single Of All Time in France, 3 rd Best Selling Song of 1997 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, #1 Netherlands, #2 Germany, #4 Switzerland
Average Score: 8.6090
Highest Score: 11 @soratami @daninternational 10 @berserkboi @Remorque @If You Go @WowWowWowWow @Filippa @Sprockrooster
Lowest Score: 5 @Ana Raquel
Very narrowly qualifying for the Lost Classics Rate - Alane falls just short of the Top 5, despite being the most consistent song at #1 during the voting period before our eventual winner got there! The reason Wes could have missed out on making it here is that his success with Alane almost crossed over into a Top 10 hit in the UK - with a #11 peak, though this gave an opportunity to participate in the Lost Classics Rate - so it all worked out well for him ;)
Alane felt like an undisputable cultural reset in Mauritius. I may have mentioned the many ways in which our society there had racial barrieirs within - but Alane was a song for which we all came together and pulled for all the success that was coming Wes’ way! AFRICA REPRESENT in the best possible way!!! So great seeing him share the stage with so many big stars of the time, and in some cases catching more accolades - a wonderful time to be alive!
Sung in Duala (a dialect cluster in Cameroon) - Alane is surprisingly not the only famous song in that language that has endured in global culture. Another track released in 1972 called “Soul Makossa” may not seem familiar right away to anyone but the chanted vocal refrain "ma-ma-ko, ma-ma-sa, ma-ko ma-ko-sa" being used in a Michael Jackson and a Rihanna song. I love finding things like that out about unexpected lingual success!
Alane was a genuine hit (as the credentials above prove) and probably one of the farthest reaching songs we have on the playlist, and I am glad you all decided to take it this far - though I must say I would have loved this winning but now I must on principle pull for the amazing Ti Sento as the only remaining Foreign Language entry of the rate!
Alane is always going to be Wes’ defining hit, but some may also recognise him for “In Youpendi” from The Lion King II Soundtrack, and maybe some of his work with Deep Forest if you are versed in more obscure factions of Pop a la Wowx4. Alane caused parent album Welenga to chart in the Top 10 in a few European countries, though sadly this was the only era of his career to have done so. His Wikipedia page tells me he has been working with electronic producer Paul Kwitek so hopefully we hear where this goes soon!
@jtm (9.9) has less Retro memories from this one! - I have a new fondness for this after this summer‘s excellent remix. @Ezz (8.5) blows my mind as this comment makes Alane sound like a discovery for them, maybe a UK #11 isn't all that memorable after all... Let me quickly try to get this in RETRO next! Also - hello again to Mia Frye! - Love the dance moves! This could become an earworm. @Epic Chocolat (9.7) is all for leaving perfection in its original form - It didn't need a remix, the original version suffice.
@WowWowWowWow (10) gives us a memory I now treasure! - When I was younger I had a videotape of the 1996 World Music Awards. Unfortunately on US TV they did not give the full performances of all acts, but there was a medley of three artists who won awards that night. Along with Wes we had "Where Is Your Love" by DJ Bobo and "Desátame" by Monica Naranjo. Wes was the one that stuck with me the most. Classic music video too. The whole package just makes me smile. Now this is the part where I admit that I never looked up what "Alane" actually means and if this is a "Papaoutai" situation where the song is actually about something really depressing I'm never going to forgive this rate for it. Oh and in this house we do not acknowledge the Robin Schulz version.
@DominoDancing (8) manages to make a compliment sound shady - a talent!! - Super catchy. Production is a bit generic.
@daninternational (11) makes an excellent Berserky 11 choice! - This is possibly the only song on the list I knew from my childhood in UK. In fact thanks to the recently released remix by Robin Schulz I've been listening to it a lot. It's a super infectious, happy song and well worth an 11 for the expert way it makes African music accessible to Western ears. Love it. @Filippa (10) fully supports the last Berserky song - I simply love it.
@berserkboi (10) is in his own team, obviously! - This song is pure joy, I am so glad it received the deserved success! @MilesAngel (8) is down to a Top 5 they've only given 10s and 11s too so this should make them very happy! - This is so joyous it never fails to put a smile on my face, but also has moments of beauty. @Sprockrooster (10) will continue to be a disappointed Berserky - Part of my holy trinity this rate and deeply saddened this is not my 11. GODDAMN! This will never be in a rate again and I only have to blame myself for not taking the opportunity now. But then again there are so many other worthy 11-contenders too. So much talent. This song is childhood in bopform. How can I possibly not get my life? In fact I am getting loose every damn time.
Can you guess what it is before scrolling further?
Sadly I am taking the final Berserky 11s with me!
And they are for…..
#6
Wes - Alane
Picked By: Berserkboi
Credentials: #1 Austria, #1 Belgium, #1 France (10 Weeks), Certified DIAMOND in France for 1400000 Units SOLD, 18th Best Selling Single Of All Time in France, 3 rd Best Selling Song of 1997 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, #1 Netherlands, #2 Germany, #4 Switzerland
Average Score: 8.6090
Highest Score: 11 @soratami @daninternational 10 @berserkboi @Remorque @If You Go @WowWowWowWow @Filippa @Sprockrooster
Lowest Score: 5 @Ana Raquel
Very narrowly qualifying for the Lost Classics Rate - Alane falls just short of the Top 5, despite being the most consistent song at #1 during the voting period before our eventual winner got there! The reason Wes could have missed out on making it here is that his success with Alane almost crossed over into a Top 10 hit in the UK - with a #11 peak, though this gave an opportunity to participate in the Lost Classics Rate - so it all worked out well for him ;)
Alane felt like an undisputable cultural reset in Mauritius. I may have mentioned the many ways in which our society there had racial barrieirs within - but Alane was a song for which we all came together and pulled for all the success that was coming Wes’ way! AFRICA REPRESENT in the best possible way!!! So great seeing him share the stage with so many big stars of the time, and in some cases catching more accolades - a wonderful time to be alive!
Sung in Duala (a dialect cluster in Cameroon) - Alane is surprisingly not the only famous song in that language that has endured in global culture. Another track released in 1972 called “Soul Makossa” may not seem familiar right away to anyone but the chanted vocal refrain "ma-ma-ko, ma-ma-sa, ma-ko ma-ko-sa" being used in a Michael Jackson and a Rihanna song. I love finding things like that out about unexpected lingual success!
Alane was a genuine hit (as the credentials above prove) and probably one of the farthest reaching songs we have on the playlist, and I am glad you all decided to take it this far - though I must say I would have loved this winning but now I must on principle pull for the amazing Ti Sento as the only remaining Foreign Language entry of the rate!
Alane is always going to be Wes’ defining hit, but some may also recognise him for “In Youpendi” from The Lion King II Soundtrack, and maybe some of his work with Deep Forest if you are versed in more obscure factions of Pop a la Wowx4. Alane caused parent album Welenga to chart in the Top 10 in a few European countries, though sadly this was the only era of his career to have done so. His Wikipedia page tells me he has been working with electronic producer Paul Kwitek so hopefully we hear where this goes soon!
@jtm (9.9) has less Retro memories from this one! - I have a new fondness for this after this summer‘s excellent remix. @Ezz (8.5) blows my mind as this comment makes Alane sound like a discovery for them, maybe a UK #11 isn't all that memorable after all... Let me quickly try to get this in RETRO next! Also - hello again to Mia Frye! - Love the dance moves! This could become an earworm. @Epic Chocolat (9.7) is all for leaving perfection in its original form - It didn't need a remix, the original version suffice.
@WowWowWowWow (10) gives us a memory I now treasure! - When I was younger I had a videotape of the 1996 World Music Awards. Unfortunately on US TV they did not give the full performances of all acts, but there was a medley of three artists who won awards that night. Along with Wes we had "Where Is Your Love" by DJ Bobo and "Desátame" by Monica Naranjo. Wes was the one that stuck with me the most. Classic music video too. The whole package just makes me smile. Now this is the part where I admit that I never looked up what "Alane" actually means and if this is a "Papaoutai" situation where the song is actually about something really depressing I'm never going to forgive this rate for it. Oh and in this house we do not acknowledge the Robin Schulz version.
@DominoDancing (8) manages to make a compliment sound shady - a talent!! - Super catchy. Production is a bit generic.
@daninternational (11) makes an excellent Berserky 11 choice! - This is possibly the only song on the list I knew from my childhood in UK. In fact thanks to the recently released remix by Robin Schulz I've been listening to it a lot. It's a super infectious, happy song and well worth an 11 for the expert way it makes African music accessible to Western ears. Love it. @Filippa (10) fully supports the last Berserky song - I simply love it.
@berserkboi (10) is in his own team, obviously! - This song is pure joy, I am so glad it received the deserved success! @MilesAngel (8) is down to a Top 5 they've only given 10s and 11s too so this should make them very happy! - This is so joyous it never fails to put a smile on my face, but also has moments of beauty. @Sprockrooster (10) will continue to be a disappointed Berserky - Part of my holy trinity this rate and deeply saddened this is not my 11. GODDAMN! This will never be in a rate again and I only have to blame myself for not taking the opportunity now. But then again there are so many other worthy 11-contenders too. So much talent. This song is childhood in bopform. How can I possibly not get my life? In fact I am getting loose every damn time.
