Poll 2003-04 Results

From June 2003 to August 2004, visitors to this site were encouraged to vote in my second major Erasure poll. In that time, 260 visitors completed the poll and the results for these votes can be found below. The results are compared to the previous Poll 2000-01 I ran to gauge how views have changed since the last poll was ran. The following graphic key compare the results of this poll to the Poll 2000-01.

Charted Higher Charted Lower Non Mover New Entry

Sex

Answer Votes % Graph
Male
202 77%
Female
55 23%

For the second time running, the male fans outnumber the female fans by almost 4 to 1. Are the majority of Erasure fans really male, or is it that females have better things to do than online polls?!

Age

Answer Votes % Graph
Under 16
6 2%
16-21
29 11%
22-30
102 40%
31-40
86 34%
40+
33 13%

No change in the age group that most Erasure fans fall into, with 40% being aged between 21 and 30. There has been a significant increase (12%) in fans over 40 from the previous poll results. Perhaps this is due to more people in that age group becoming more competent with using the internet. Sadly there are still very few Erasure fans under the age of 16, although this comes as little surprise.

Sexuality

Answer Votes % Graph
Heterosexual
159 62%
Homosexual
73 29%
Bisexual
7 3%
Unsure
4 2%
None Of Your Business!
13 4%

The point of this new question was to silence the homophobes who seem to think only gay people like Erasure. With nearly 2 thirds being heterosexual it shows how ignorant some people can be. Statistics state that around 1 in 10 people are homosexual, which implies that that Erasure have a higher than average gay following. This is of course to be expected.

Favourite Erasure Album

Answer Votes % Graph
Erasure
51 20%
Chorus
50 19%
The Innocents
44 17%
I Say I Say I Say
39 15%
Cowboy
25 10%
Pop! - The First Twenty Hits
12 5%
Wild!
11 4%
Wonderland
10 4%
Loveboat
6 2%
Other People's Songs
5 2%
The Circus
4 2%
The Two Ring Circus
0 0%

A very close race was finally won by the Erasure album by a single vote from Chorus, which received a fifth of the total vote. Previous winner The Innocents dropped to third place with I Say I Say I Say coming forth. The Two Ring Circus failed to receive a single vote and for the second time comes bottom of the class.

Favourite Erasure Song

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Always
20
2nd
Rock Me Gently
17
3rd=
In My Arms
15
3rd=
Oh L'amour
15
5th=
A Little Respect
14
5th=
Blue Savannah
14
7th
Phantom Bride
11
8th=
Am I Right?
10
8th=
Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)
10
8th=
Love To Hate You
10
11th
Drama!
9
12th=
Home
8
12th=
You Surround Me
8
Total votes: 291

All change at the summit as the sublime Always rockets to the top of the chart. Rock Me Gently, a song that didn't even make it onto the chart last time, comes in second place to secure the runners-up spot. Previous winner A Little Respect plummets down the table to finish in joint fifth place. The biggest decline goes to Chorus, which finished in joint fifth place last time, but now fails to even make the top 15. Also rans in this category include Sometimes, Stop!, Breath Of Life and All Through The Years.

Favourite Erasure B-Side

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Don't Suppose
32
2nd
Tenderest Moments
17
3rd
Waiting For Sex
16
4th
Dreamlike State
15
5th
Tell It To Me
13
6th=
La La La
11
6th=
Let It Flow
11
8th
In The Name Of The Heart
10
9th
Over The Rainbow
9
10th
Tragic
8
Total votes: 235

The brilliant Don't Suppose retains it's crown and remains the most popular Erasure b-side. Six other songs find themselves back on the chart, with the overrated Tenderest Moments climbing to second place to replace Over The Rainbow which falls to 9th place. Tell It To Me is the highest new entry, deservedly finding itself in the Top 5. Generally speaking, Erasure's better b-sides are represented here, but I would have liked to have seen the awesome Tragic finish a little higher than 10th place. True Love Wars, Supernature and First Contact just failed to make the Top 10.

Favourite Erasure Sleeve

Rank Answer Votes
1st
I Say I Say I Say
82
2nd=
Chorus (Album)
17
2nd=
The Innocents
17
4th
Cowboy
14
5th
Wild!
11
6th
Crackers International
8
7th=
Always
6
7th=
Erasure
6
9th=
Am I Right?
5
9th=
In My Arms
5
9th=
The Circus (Album)
5
12th
Other People's Songs
4
Total votes: 227

For the second successive time, I Say I Say I Say dominated to become a very worthy runaway winner. I am a little surprised that the sleeves from that album's associated singles didn't perform better. Perhaps not enough people have seen them. I also don't see what warrants The Innocents coming in at joint second place. Sleeves that just failed to make the table above are I Love Saturday (both standard and EP) and ABBA-esque.

Favourite Erasure Music Video

Rank Answer Votes
1st=
A Little Respect
24
1st=
Am I Right?
24
1st=
Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me)
24
4th=
Always
23
4th=
Love To Hate You
23
6th
Sometimes
15
7th
Blue Savannah
11
8th
Rock Me Gently
10
9th
Take A Chance On Me
9
10th=
Drama!
7
10th=
In My Arms (US Version)
7
Total votes: 227

Well, it couldn't have been much tighter! A three way tie for first place on 24 votes, with a further two videos on 23 votes. A Little Respect and Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me) are both great videos, and although the Am I Right? video beautifully captures the spirit of the song, I don't feel it is really worthy of coming joint first in this category. Blue Savannah got more votes than it deserves down in 7th place, but mercifully the appalling Star video didn't register a single vote.

Favourite Erasure Cover Version

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Solsbury Hill
43
2nd
Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me)
23
3rd
Goodnight
19
4th=
S.O.S.
17
4th=
Take A Chance On Me
17
6th=
Lay All Your Love On Me
14
6th=
Voulez-Vous
14
8th
Rapture
13
9th=
Can't Help Falling In Love
10
9th=
Heart Of Glass
10
Total votes: 239

The release of the Other People's Song album has transformed this category, with Solsbury Hill now the new favourite cover version. All four ABBA-esque covers still make it into the top 10 in a similar order to how they charted in the last poll. Also rans included Magic Moments, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', River Deep Mountain High and Supernature.

Favourite Erasure Remix

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Always – Microbots Trance Dance Mix
7
2nd=
Blue Savannah – Mark Saunders Mix
6
2nd=
Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) – Tin Tin Out
6
2nd=
Oh L'amour – Matt Darey Mix
6
2nd=
Ship Of Fools – Shiver Me Timbers Mix
6
2nd=
Victim Of Love – Vitesse Mix
6
7th=
Am I Right? – The Grid Mix / Dave Bascombe Mix
5
7th=
Hideaway – Little Louis Vega Mix
5
Total votes: 157

This is the first time this category has been in the poll, with the first winner being the Mircobots Trance Dance Mix of Always. The sheer number of remixes out there meant a wide variety of votes, which resulted in the winner only requiring seven votes to come out on top. Criminally the Little Louis Vega Mix of Hideaway and The Grid Mix of Am I Right? only scraped into the top 10, when I feel these are easily the best Erasure remixes out there. Many of you didn't place a vote stating a dislike for remixes in general.

Least Favourite Erasure Album

Answer Votes % Graph
Loveboat
63 26%
Wonderland
38 16%
Other People's Songs
32 13%
The Two Ring Circus
22 9%
Pop! - The 20 Twenty Hits
17 7%
The Circus
14 6%
Wild!
13 5%
Erasure
13 5%
I Say I Say I Say
11 5%
Cowboy
9 4%
Chorus
6 2%
The Innocents
3 1%

This new category saw Loveboat win the unenviable honour of being voted the least popular Erasure album. Wonderland comes an undeserved second place with covers album Other People's Songs coming third. It is interesting to note that although The Two Ring Circus failed to get a single vote in the favourite album category, it wasn't voted the least favourite album.

Least Favourite Erasure Song

Rank Answer Votes
1st
La Gloria
30
2nd
No G.D.M.
23
3rd
Sixty-Five Thousand
17
4th
Sexuality
6
5th=
91 Steps
5
5th=
Drama!
5
5th=
Freedom
5
5th=
Joan
5
5th=
Vitamin C
5
Total votes: 208

Unlike in the previous poll, votes for 'none' were ignored which resulted in La Gloria being voted the least popular Erasure song. Drama! and Freedom are the only singles to make it into the top 10. I am surprised to see Joan coming joint fifth, as I think it is a fine song. The likes of 2000 Miles, Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor, Piano Song - Instrumental, Pistol, Star and Video Killed The Radio Star all got 4 votes each.

Song That Made You A Fan

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Oh L'amour
43
2nd
Sometimes
29
3rd
A Little Respect
23
4th
Always
20
5th=
Chains Of Love
15
5th=
Love To Hate You
15
7th
Stop!
9
8th=
Blue Savannah
8
8th=
Chorus
8
10th=
Ship Of Fools
7
10th=
Who Needs Love (Like That)
7
Total votes: 228

Despite flopping in the charts upon it's original release in 1985, it seems Oh L'amour did indeed make many life long Erasure fans. Most of Erasure's hit singles are found here, but sadly since 1994's Always, it seems that Erasure's singles have failed to win over many new fans. Victim Of Love and Drama! just failed to make the grade.

Song That Should Have Been A Single

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Phantom Bride
38
2nd
Alien
22
3rd
Save Me Darling
19
4th=
Waiting For The Day
13
4th=
Brother And Sister
13
6th
Hideaway
11
7th
Home
9
8th=
Angel
7
8th=
Perfect Stranger
7
10th=
Rock Me Gently
6
Total votes: 268

Yet again Phantom Bride scopes the award of being the best single that never was. Rumour has it this song was scheduled to be released as a single, but these plans were later shelved. Alien would certainly have been a good single as too would have been likes of Save Me Darling and Waiting For The Day. Also rans include All Through The Years, Catch 22, Heart Of Stone and Love Is The Rage.

Favourite Other Bands / Artists

Rank Answer Votes
1st
Depeche Mode
93
2nd
Pet Shop Boys
67
3rd
New Order
25
4th
Madonna
24
5th
Yazoo
22
6th
U2
20
7th
The Cure
16
8th
O.M.D.
13
9th
Queen
12
9th=
Duran Duran
12
11th=
Kylie Minogue
11
11th=
The Beatles
11
11th=
A-ha
11
Total votes: 1076

The top three remain unchanged and come as little surprise. The usual suspects are all in there, with the following artists also gaining a significant number of votes: Tori Amos, The Smiths, The Human League, George Michael, Alphaville, Radiohead, Abba, Moby, Mike Oldfield, The Lightning Seeds, Björk and Alison Moyet.