SONG VS. SONG Poll

Very interesting how you chose the option to allow us to vote for both at the same time.

Jordan Cline

We sang Good Riddance at my 8th grade graduation. A group of 30+ 8th graders. I have to pick it, the shame demands it of me.

Apparently, 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' has become the go-to song for high school graduation, because someone I know who graduated high school back in the '90s had it as his graduation song, and I ended up having it as my high school graduation song in 2009. That said, it hasn't aged well.

The Valeyard

Can't bring me to vote for either of these, but basically I would always vote against Wonderwall, but not when the opposition is this boring.

Joss Strand

It seems to depend on where you live. In the USA it seems to be Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), UK and Ireland it's Wonderwall. Either way both are a pain in the ass at this point.

Stephen Bride

Huh, I'm in the UK, the North and go to Manchester fairly regularly, and I can't remember the last time I heard Wonderwall. I expect I'll start hearing it everywhere now, because life's like that.

Steve Harper

When I was studying in France c. 2008, every street musician and busker played Wonderwall.

Petty Officer No Class

I've lived in the UK all my life, and Manchester specifically for the last two years, and Wonderwall has been fucking inescapable.

Thomas Hale

Living in the UK, especially in the North part of it for Uni, I hear Wonderwall from every busker, every pub and every drunkard on the high street. Let's just say, it gets old.

Voted "Good Riddance"... only because I'd never heard of Wonderwall until you covered Oasis recently. (Technically had heard the song on radio etc, but never knew the song title/band; whereas "good riddance" started up in my brain as soon as I read the title.) Maybe I'm just too young to grasp the nuances of 90s pop? :P

"Good Riddance" -- whoda thunk it be perfect for the Seinfeld clip show twenty years ago?

Phoenician

Pretty straight forward choice really Master Todd, simply choose the song that sprouts a man bun and triggers a craving for chai lattes once you've digested their passable chorus gimmick for the umpteenth time of listening. :D EDIT: Ahhh I think there may be a point in Good Riddance's favor by ripping apart a music video that takes itself way too seriously for their level of camp. Nothing quite like the pretentiousness of the 90's, you just had to be there I guess.

Christian Thomas

How to choose?? Time of Your Life has all of those sappy yet socially acceptable feels that made it a lynchpin of mix radio stations across the midwest... but Wonderwall has a meme. A meme!!

A. Crone

I'm not terribly familiar with either of these songs, so I don't know how much my opinion is worth. I've gotta say I prefer Good Riddance. It's a more emotional song. The frontman for Oasis sounds somewhat disconnected from the very personal song he's singing. The frontman for Green Day seems far more emotionally open. I think both of the music videos kind of reflect what I just said as well.

Wonderwall is clearly the better song if that's what you're ACTUALLY asking. But if it comes down to which is the more quintessential WGWAG song it's definitely time of your life. That song gets all da girls when your 19 and playing it on a grassy knoll.

Green Day is one of my favorite bands, but I'm actually not too familiar with this particular song, so I guess it's Wonderwall for me.

Rustem Khafizov

Even though I’ve always felt like Billie Joe completely phoned the entire song in, “Good Riddance” is defenitly the more quintessential of the two to the 90s. Growing up, I heard that song practically everywhere while “Wonderwall” I didn’t hear as often, which disappointed me because I like that song much more since it feels like more effort was put into that song. Now, I come across “Wonderwall” way more on the radio than the latter on my local stations, so I think that’s time way of telling me that it has aged better than the latter. Anyway, here’s “Wonderwall”.

Good Riddance is the more earnest of the two, but Wonderwall simply has more going on and seems to be a WGWAG more by association than because of the song's actual makeup. I also think that Liam Gallagher is putting in more effort in the vocals; Billie Joe always seemed a little checked out on that song to me. So "Wonderwall" it is.

PS. I loved your Oasis Trainwreckords. It was spot on!

I love Green Day, but I love Oasis more. Despite "Wonderwall" being incomprehensible and the ubiquitous WGWAG song, I love that whole album.

Good Riddance because dat violin backing.

sugarfrosted

shit this is a tough call. maybe wonderwall? just because it's a little more interesting as a song? but I dunno, how will I know how *actually* interesting Good Riddance is unless Todd features it?

matt

I vote for Good Riddance because what even IS a "wonderwall"

IcyKitty

It would seem to me that Good Riddance has had a longer lasting impact than Wonderwall in terms of radio airplay and the overall sense of nostalgia it seems to have for many people who grew up in the 90s. That said, I've always preferred Wonderwall simply due to the mystique of the lyrics and their meaning plus Liam Gallagher's snarly Lennonesque voice just does more for me than Billy Joe Armstrong's singing despite the emotion that Billy manages to convey within Good Riddance. If I'm being honest though, both songs are overrated.

Connor Vance Shelton

To give you an idea of how much of a "WGWAG" Good Riddance is-- based on how easy it is to play: the stage play for American Idiot. After the bows & curtains, the entire cast comes out. The ENTIRE cast. And each of them is carrying an acoustic guitar. They then play Good Riddance. So either every single of the dozens of cast members knows how to play acoustic guitar (and thus knows the song)-- or it's so easy that even someone who can't play an acoustic guitar can play it.

Lorne Kates was going to change this name for April 1st but clicked SAVE too soon.

Not sure what website he's referring to, but there was a similar poll in another post about a month ago here: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/song-vs-song-19088622">https://www.patreon.com/posts/song-vs-song-19088622</a>

Daniel Beckett

Good Riddance is definitely more WGWAG for me, though I like it less as a result. You couldn't walk 15 minutes in my old college without hearing a jackass trying to work this one out on guitar in a common area or outdoor mall.

Daniel Beckett

I truly despise both. I have to go with Good Riddance as "better" because Wonderwall was played approximately 1-2x per hour at my first job, so I have more personal history with it.

Max Eliaser

I'm not exactly a fan of either band, but I'll have to go with "Good Riddance" just because it isn't as vague as "Wonderwall" is. I do remember hearing "Wonderwall" at a tavern once, where it is being played by a WGWAG. Apparently, this is a common occurrence with that song. "Good Riddance" is a little easier to connect to.

Thomas Carmody

So I'm a bit confused: since WGWAG songs are considered negative, are we choosing the better song or the worse song? Or are we choosing the one we remember more? Or the one with more profound lyrics, or less? Or the one that White Guys With Guitars that we personally met would know how to play? In any case, "Wonderwall" gets my vote because, although "Good Riddance" was played over the speakers more, I've seen more people pick up a guitar and play "Wonderwall" and croon "I don't believe that anybody / Feels the way I do about you now" and "Maybe / you're gonna be the one that saves me / And after all / you're my wonderwall" to a girl. "Good Riddance" feels more reflective on life, at least to a high schooler, so guys would play it more for themselves, not necessarily for a girl.

I am a high school teacher. I have been to a lot of graduations. If there is one constant that I can count on in my life, it is Good Riddance.

overplay really destroyed good riddance for me. like i HATE hearing that song. It's good yes, but i kinda never wanna hear that song ever again, if possible. Even though i thoroughly like Green Day more than Oasis.

Dan Barber

What is this website Todd is working with? What is going on?

Gabriel Jones

Easy choice for me. I hate Wonderwall. I hate Oasis generally but I really, truly, completely HATE Wonderwall.

I'll Think of a Clever Display Name Later

I love Good Riddance, and don't even hate Wonderwall - I just never got what was so special about it. There are so many better Oasis songs and so many better guitar ballads than this bland piece of tripe.

Timur Hahn

Weird. When I think White guy with Acoustic Guitar, my mind immediately goes to Mr. Jones by Counting Crows, or Run Around by Blues Traveler or Roll to Me by Del Amitri or Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something or anything by Toad the Wet Sprocket.

I don't consider wonderwall to be a WGWAG ,I don't consider it good either,

I have never seen any guitarist brodude NOT play Wonderwall. Love the song, but it's soooo ubiquitous...

Humanoïde

Wonderwall took a while to become insufferable. Good Riddance was all over events (e.g. graduation ceremonies) right away, and therefore is more quintessentially 90s.

Pickle

For me personally, the Britpopness dilutes the WGWAGness of Wonderwall, making Good Riddance the more "quintessential".

Jacob Wick

If we think about this through the framework of guitar douches performing these songs to pick up chicks in the quad (as we should for all WGWAGS's), then I feel like Good Riddance becomes the better song purely because the lyrics feel written and structured in a way that means even the most meatheaded 90's douche should be able to pick up on the irony of the song, even if high school teachers didn't but that's a totally different discussion. Not to mention Billie Joe Armstrong's delivery is potent enough that the particularly talent-devoid can get away with a decent amount just by imitating him. With Wonderwall, the lyrics, while distinct in phrasing, always felt too emotionally basic for even decent guitar bros to ring much out of so, on the basis of what song stands up to jerk-offs trying to impress girls in some room out of the way in a frat party better, Good Riddance gets my vote.

More quintessential 90s WGAGS? Wonderwall. Actually the better song? Time of Your Life.

I feel like Good Riddance is more "listenable," by which I mean bland and doesn't stand out in regular radio play. I'm not a big fan of either, but Wonderwall is at least interesting. I'd call Wonderwall by far the better song.

SweetAgnostis

Never actually heard Wonderwall, do the unknown is preferable to the saccharine-sweet devil you know...

Marcus Arata

But "Wonderwall" has *cellos!*

Jon Heiman

Hey, at least neither of them are "Smooth".

Jon Heiman

When I was in college in the early-2000s, the go-to song was Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" instead.

Jon Heiman

I remember hearing &amp; seeing "Wonderwall" for the first time in early-1996. It didn't become a "thing" until maybe a decade after that--at least in my experience. It took me significantly longer to get sick of it than "Time of Your Life."

Jon Heiman

I feel like Good Riddance is more of a WGWAG song than Wonderwall is.

Ridd

Hate to break it to you, but neither. Both of the songs being by bands and wonderwall having full instrumentation. Shawn Mullens "lullaby" is the correct answer.

Zachery Egan

Wonderwall is the better song but I much more want a Good Riddance episode. Which way do I vote for that?

Honestly I voted Wonderwall purely based on title. Because Good Riddance is so...like the rest of the song has none of that emotion of anger in it to me which makes it seem like a really transparent graduation song. wonderwall sounds all nice and pretty and turns out to be super pissy and also kind of helpless? despite overplay it just has more depth

Wow this was hard! I went with Wonderwall because when I think WGWAG, I think lyrics that are simpler than the writers make them out to be. And Good Riddance feels a bit too verbose for that. Buuuut then I read these comments and I think "Well wouldn't the self-important freshmen outside the student center think it more impressive to sing the wordier song at people?" AGH I'm gonna mentally debate this for the rest of the week!

Good Riddance is the more quintessential song. Wonder wall is far and away the better song.

Matthew Abbott

Devil's in the details, folks. The question is "BETTER quintessential WGWAG song". They're both quintessential. But Good Riddance has more heart and feels more intimate than Wonderwall ever could (I think it's the violin that puts it over the top for me).

Charles Arthur

Wonderwall is possibly the first hit song I ever remember hearing on the radio, so it wins the sentimental vote from me. I generally prefer later Greenday

Michael Fitzgerald

Should be titled "which song after listening to it 300 gazillion times since the 90s do you ate less" lol

Toryana Frazier

For me it has to be Wonderwall, just from the fact it's literally the first song any 90s white guy with a guitar learned to play.

Hannah Farmer

Going with Wonderwall. Mostly because Good Riddance was my high school graduation song (and everyone else's), which makes it resonate more as an early 2000's song. Wonderwall, though? I haven't heard that song played seriously since the '90s.

Celery

Also, to be fair, I think there are multiple species of WGWAAG - I usually divide it into four categories, and each of those songs belongs to a different one. Wonderwall is the Asshole Frat Bro With A Guitar, who is just trying to pick up women. (Wagon Wheel is popular for that too.) Time of Your Life is the Sensitive Guy with a Guitar, who just wants people (read: women) to know how emotional he is. There's also Smart/Funny Guy with a Guitar, who is more likely to break out something by, say, Tenacious D or Rush or something because it interests him, irrespective of anyone in the room caring. And then there's the rara avis, the Actual Musician with a Guitar, who probably has some talent and actually plays what the room wants to hear. (I like to think I'm an AMG, but I'm probably deluding myself, alas. But I do know a few legit musicians who fit into that category.)

Harpo1987

The difference between the votes and comments here is amazing.

Zachary McAnally

Oasis is the first butt rock band and green day is actually good

Riley Hopkins

Nope. That's just the kind of music I'm imagining when I'm trying to come up with the quintessential 90s wgwag.

Damn that's a tough one but I'm going to say Wonderwall if for no other reason that Time of Your Life never became its own meme.

DrexFactor Poi

Am I the only one who thought of Edwin McCain when I heard “quintessential 90s White Guy with Acoustic Guitar song”?

I'm honestly going to vote for Good Riddance out of familiarity, and it just makes more sense to me personally. I really don't have a definitive reason as to why on these particular songs other than Good Riddance seems to have stuck with me since I was in middle school and Wonderwall, no matter when or where I've heard it, doesn't stay in my head like at all for whatever reason and doesn't leave an impression on me.

My gut instinct is Wonder Wall but Good Riddance just has a more of a stripped down sound and you can practically smell the Axe of the college freshman playing it.

Better how? When I think WGWAG it's usually for something awful or something I am so sick of hearing. So do you mean a better FIT for that negative connotation? Or do you just mean a better song in general. Cause I enjoy Good Riddance 1000x more than Wonderwall. Wonderwall isn't bad but I get sick of it easy.

This was a tough one. Just went with my gut. You're welcome, Green Day. :/

Christie Lewis

While my enjoyment of both of these songs has waned in recent years, Good Riddance has much better staying power. Honestly, I think it comes down to the vocals. Billie Joe's singing feels so much more personal and connected to the song.

Terrence Kuhns

As a White Guy With An Acoustic Guitar (TM), I refuse to play both these songs (along with Hey There Delilah, which might be even more grating, and a few others). That said, when I'm playing with or in front of people, I never get requests for Time of Your Life, but Wonderwall gets requested all the time. It's also even easier to play and sing, so it seems hackier to me.

Harpo1987

It's "anyways, here's Wonderwall," not "anyways, here's Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

When it's a question of WGWAGs always go with the simpler song. Simpler lyrics, simpler music, simpler improvisation.

Alan Kase

Good Riddance is too straight forward in my opinion. Wonderwall is more vague, and thus more open to interpretation. But both are subject to overplay, so any having problems with these songs on that front is understandable.

Ultranatic Productions

Those are both excellent songs, but I have a lot of very strong, very positive memories associated with Good Riddance, whereas I actually managed to avoid Wonderwall until about a year ago, so I don't really have a strong attachment to it. Plus, Good Riddance has better lyrics - they make more sense, they're more focused, and "I hope you had the time of your life" just hits me harder than "You're my wonderwall".

Gordon Stearns

Wonderwall is the song frat guys break out more at parties, Good Riddance is the song played at high school graduations despite being sarcastic.

Jane Altoids

Is it bad I voted for Good Riddance just because if I hear wonderwall 1 more time I might go on a killing spree?

Wonderwall has all the extra instrumentation. Good Riddance is more unplugged. Does that make it more quintessential?

ArthurCrane