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The CLUAS Archive: 1998 - 2011

CLUAS 1999 Readers' Poll - RESULTS!!!

Okay folks. This is it. Snuggle up close. The moment we like to think you've been waiting for is here. Yip, we have finally totted up your votes and, with the e-tallymen itching to leave the building, it's time to announce the results of the first ever CLUAS.com Readers' Poll.

Right below are the results of the various Music categories. But be sure to also check out these other categories:
Cinema results
Best of the 90s
The Miscellaneous Stuff (event of year, pub of year, etc.)

Best International Album of '99

1 'White Ladder' David Gray
2 'Soft Bulletin' Flaming Lips
3 'On how life is' Macy Gray
4 '13' Blur
5 'Supergrass' Supergrass

Okay, okay, okay. We know 'White Ladder' was released in late '98 so discount it if you want. But 1999 is the year that'll always be associated with it. What next for Mr. Gray? Apparently a cover version of Chris Rea's 'Driving Home for Christmas (Dublin-Holyhead remix)' is on the cards. Remember where you heard it first.

 

Best Irish Album of '99

1 'Dance the Devil' Frames
2 'Setanta Years' Divine Comedy
3 'Lost at Sea' Joan of Arse
4 'Amen so be it' Paddy Casey
5 'Live in Dublin' Aslan

Ouch! The CLUAS voters obviously thought quality Irish output was thin on the ground this year. A 'best of' album creeping in (Divine Comedy) and a live-set (ahem) by Aslan? But hats off to the Frames (who take the prize by a significant margin). 'Dance the Devil' is a damn fine Irish album on all counts. Finally, a Dublin outfit that find a sound that suggests it was recorded by a band from anywhere but Dublin.

 

Best International Band / Artist of '99

1 David Gray
2 Robbie Williams
3 Gomez
4 Fun Lovin' Criminals
5 Cornelius

I suppose it's no surprise to see David Gray on the top of the pile for Best International Artist. A phenomenon that'll intrigue social scientists for years to come. But what's that creeping in at no. 5? Cornelius - not only is he the greatest thing to come out of Japan since the Hiace but it is he who came oh-so close to showing up the Flaming Lips in the Olympia last August.

 

Best Irish Band / Artist of '99

1 U2
2 The Frames
3 Divine Comedy
4 Paddy Casey
5 Juliet Turner

One of the facts of life I suppose if you're an all-conquering local rock band on that world stage. You can go a year, release not a thing, play not a single home turf gig, and still be voted best local band of the year. Ah well, the Frames taking second place resonates a bit better. And 'tis warming to see Mademoiselle Turner nobble her way in there as well.

Worst Irish Band / Artist of '99

1 Westlife
2 B*witched
3 The Corrs
4 Boyzone
5 Cranberries

Sadly a difficult choice for the electorate, there being such phenomenal volume of tripe coming out of these shores in recent years. The honour finally fell on the shoulders of Westlife. What a way to end the decade for Irish music - 5 of the top 6 Irish acts in the world today are those listed to the left.

 

Best Gig of '99

1 Robbie Williams (Slane)
2 Wilco (Olympia)
3 REM (Lansdowne Road)
4 Flaming Lips & Cornelius (Olympia)
5 Gomez (Olympia)

With an alleged 80,000 attendees Robbie had to be a favourite to win this one, n'est-ce pas? What a pleasure though to have Wilco's Olympian night of glorious spittle snapping on his tail. REM's Lansdowne Road gig showed the spirit is still in their marrow, a fact not forgotten by a lot of CLUAS readers.

 

Best Song of '99

1 'Tender' Blur
2 'Blue' Eiffel '99
3 'I try' Macy Gray
4 'Pretty Fly for a White guy' Offspring
5 'Shot in the arm' Wilco

Albarn and the boys come up trumps. Offspring presence was a surprise that raised a few eyebrows in CLUAS Central but Wilco's presence gladly added a smile to those furrowed CLUAS brows.

 

Other results...

Also check out the results for the Cinema categories. Then there's the Best of the 90s as chosen by the CLUAS readers. And, of course, all the stuff we've lumped under 'Miscellaneous' (best venues, event of year, pub of year, etc.)