Best musical number refers to the whole ensemble. Music, choreography, scenery, etc etc.
Best song refers only to the song. As if you're listening to the CD soundtrack that I know the majority of us have. Not the dancing or anything visual. Just the song.
Best singer obviously refers to the best singer. I'm limiting it to cast members, so leaving off the fantabulous Hinton Battle, Marti Noxon, and David Fury.
Enjoy.
Poll #1420172
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 507
Best musical number?
Going Through the Motions
31 (6.1%)
I've Got a Theory 33 (6.5%)
The Mustard 15 (3.0%)
Under Your Spell 15 (3.0%)
I'll Never Tell 90 (17.8%)
The Parking Ticket 2 (0.4%)
Rest in Peace 26 (5.1%)
Dawn's Lament 0 (0.0%)
Dawn's Ballet 6 (1.2%)
What You Feel 15 (3.0%)
Standing 7 (1.4%)
Under Your Spell/Standing - reprise 21 (4.1%)
Walk Through the Fire 215 (42.4%)
Something to Sing About 19 (3.7%)
Where Do We Go From Here? 12 (2.4%)
Best song?
Going Through the Motions 20 (4.0%)
I've Got a Theory 24 (4.7%)
The Mustard 3 (0.6%)
Under Your Spell 54 (10.7%)
I'll Never Tell 19 (3.8%)
The Parking Ticket 3 (0.6%)
Rest in Peace 82 (16.2%)
Dawn's Lament 0 (0.0%)
What You Feel 12 (2.4%)
Standing 49 (9.7%)
Under Your Spell/Standing - reprise 91 (18.0%)
Walk Through the Fire 112 (22.1%)
Something to Sing About 26 (5.1%)
Where Do We Go From Here? 11 (2.2%)
Best singer?
Buffy/Sarah Michelle Gellar 9 (1.8%)
Giles/Anthony Stewart Head 262 (51.8%)
Willow/Alyson Hannigan 3 (0.6%)
Xander/Nicholas Brendon 1 (0.2%)
Anya/Emma Caulfield 16 (3.2%)
Tara/Amber Benson 158 (31.2%)
Spike/James Marsters 57 (11.3%)
Dawn/Michelle Trachtenberg 0 (0.0%)
Best costume?
Willow and Tara's Renaissance Faire garb in "Under Your Spell" 182 (36.0%)
Xander and Anya's swanky retro lingerie in "I'll Never Tell" 234 (46.3%)
Dawn's Pretty Pretty Princess gown in "What You Feel" 15 (3.0%)
Buffy's stylish red cowl neckline shirt in "Something to Sing About" 74 (14.7%)
"I'll Never Tell" vs "Mrs" from Selfless
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Comments
And for best singer, I voted for ASH, but I do have to say that I actually think SMG gives the best performance for me, just in terms of sounding like a non-singer who is forced magically into singing, and as an actress playing a role through song. She feels totally "Buffy" throughout OMWF, while ASH feels about 50/50 Giles/ASH.
And dude, drapey, red blouse owns not only THIS costume category, but possibly every costume match-up on the show. SO PRETTY. And coordinated with Spike!
I love all the costumes, but Anya and Xander's lingerie set is just so cute and pretty and fun. I have to give props to it.
I think Giles feels Gilesish, but a big part of it is that we've seen him sing before as Giles. And the first time it happened, it was a huge WTF moment for the rest of the gang, which hangs a lantern on the OOCness and makes it in character.
If Giles had busted out with that voice for the first time in this episode, I'd probably say it's way too much ASH bleeding through, but having heard it before, it's what I expect from Giles.
And I plead total fangirl failure on the last question. Are there quotes calling back to OMWF? (I've only see S7 once.)
I think I need to go watch again. Reading through the list of songs is reminding me how heartbreaking the ep is, if you know what you're looking at. Only Joss...
Ack! It's a flashback to OMWF. Anya sings after Xander falls asleep about how she's looking forward to marrying him. It's heartbreaking and fabulous and really really good.
OMWF often seems to be the episode that non-fans want to see but...I'm always reluctant to show it to them because they'd be missing so much context for it. It's really not a happy episode. It's kind of depressing, actually...
Buffy's red shirt is all well and good except when it's getting in her face when she's dancing like a spaz. Can't look at it seriously after that.
And it's seriously a toss-up between Tara and Giles - they're both terrific. But then I went with Tara cause she's pretty. :D
I voted Under Your Spell as best song without thinking, but actually, Under Your Spell/Standing reprise is probably better, cause it's got the chilling Tara and Giles duet-ness.
And musical number is obviously Walk Through The Fire, cause it's all ensemble-y and grand.
And it's seriously a toss-up between Tara and Giles - they're both terrific. But then I went with Tara cause she's pretty. :D
Hee. I just tend to favor female voices. And Amber Benson has a startlingly beautiful singing voice.
I voted Under Your Spell as best song without thinking, but actually, Under Your Spell/Standing reprise is probably better, cause it's got the chilling Tara and Giles duet-ness.
The reprise always gets stuck in my head. More than any other song from the episode.
Strangely, I've never gotten the appeal of ASH as a singer, at least not in this episode. I like him tons better when he's rocking out all acoustic with his guitar back in S4. Amber for me (though I agree with
Buffy looks awesome in this episode and she matches Spike! You can't beat that! Besides, the Cyd Charisse shed-the-jacket moment makes me happy.
I like ASH as a singer, and I love "Standing". But Amber Benson just has such a pretty voice. Very pretty.
Besides, the Cyd Charisse shed-the-jacket moment makes me happy.
Yes. It's just spiffy. :)
Hinton Battle is just made of fantasticness.
I always skip "Standing" because it makes me so angry.
Hmmm. Somehow, with music, it's harder to separate out emotional reactions and make an objective assessment.
I don't know how to vote...
And I love Standing, despite my hating Giles' reason for leaving. It always makes me cry. And, while I hate why Giles left, I can't see it as out of character. It's dumb. But he has a habit of trying to leave Buffy to make her more independent.
Best Musical Number went to "I'll Never Tell." That was just...kind of awesome.
The best singer was a toughy--between Tony, Amber and James. I voted James. Seeing the poll results, he kind of needed it :P Funny Alyson's up there--she sang like five lines, right? A certain someone drew an arrow at her face on the cover of the album of OMWF, and put "WHY?" on it, allegedly.
I voted for Willow and Tara's costumes, but I really dug Sweet's swanky suits. Yes, I like alliteration :D
Oh, and I LOVE "I'm the Mrs." I wish that'd been in the original episode...
Well...Michelle had even less than that....
If I didn't include her, every other comment would be how I forgot Alyson.
You know, I ordinarily like James' voice, but I'm not a big fan of his singing on Rest in Peace. The song was a bit too high for him. Now his parts on Walk Through the Fire and Something to Sing About were just awesome.
I LOVE every single number in the whole show, especially "Under Your Spell" and "Walk Through the Fire." But voted for "Rest in Peace" because I feel like there's so much visual/physical meaning in it that doesn't come out in the music alone. (And, I admit it, because I am a headbanging child of the 90s and I have a soft spot for videos like that.)
I picked "Standing" as best song, because it breaks my heart every time. I hate that Giles left, I will always hate that he left... but "Standing" explains why he left better than any 8000 words of prose ever could, and I hate his leaving a lot less than I would without that song.
And I picked Xander and Anya's retro lingerie for best costume -- they both look great! I love Tara's Ren Fair gown, but Willow's always seemed weirdly baggy & not a good color for her.
Me too! :)
I picked "Standing" as best song, because it breaks my heart every time. I hate that Giles left, I will always hate that he left... but "Standing" explains why he left better than any 8000 words of prose ever could, and I hate his leaving a lot less than I would without that song.
Very true. I still do truly hate Giles' reason for leaving, but this song makes it so heartbreakingly poignant...you can't help but feel for Giles. He's trying to do what he thinks is best for Buffy. He just...kinda fails...
I love Tara's Ren Fair gown, but Willow's always seemed weirdly baggy & not a good color for her.
Willow often wears red or pink which...aren't really great colors for a redhead. I do love Tara's gown, though. Very pretty.
(In contrast, in the current poll results, "Walk Through The Fire" is a stronger favorite for Musical Number than Song.)
Best singer was between ASH and Amber. Eventually picked Amber.
Picked the RenFaire outfits for best costume. The RenFaire outfits and the Princess gown were the only two I thought of as "costumes". The other two were "clothes".
(And I prefer "I'll Never Tell" to "Mrs." It was one of the ones I was considering for "Best Musical Number".
The "Under Your Spell" scene kinda makes my head hurt when I try to figure out the logic of the "twirling then suddenly they're back in their bedroom with no break in the song". I just eventually decide not to think about it (much like the exploding lint device of Life Serial).
Under Your Spell/Standing (reprise) - because I'm a sucker for counterpoint
Amber Benson, although ASH comes a close second
Buffy's red shirt - the beauty is simplicity
I'll never Tell - because I adore this number
lol. Plus, ASH + Amber Benson = COMPLETELY AWESOME! :)
Never heard Mrs. so I had to with I'll Never Tell. Great poll.
Thanks for participating! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
How awesome- a journal dedicated almost solely to meta, fiction, miscellany, and WILLOW. I'm in love. Mind if I friend you?
And friending is welcome and awesome. :)
Rest in Peace
Giles/ASH
Willow and Tara's
I'll Never Tell
(linked here from Whedonesque) I'm a bit surprised that 'The Mustard' is beating out 'Standing' for best musical number. (granted I didn't vote 'Standing', but it's still surprising) Also, it was a really tough choice between 'I'll Never Tell' and 'Mrs.', but 'I'll Never Tell' is the one that's always stuck in my head. OMWF FTW! =D
lol! I hadn't even noticed that. I honestly was inclined to leave off both "The Mustard" and "The Parking Ticket" but past experience hosting polls tells me that I'd have every other comment pointing out my omission. I wasn't expecting anybody to choose either of them. Ah, fandom...
OMWF FTW! =D
Word. :)
I love all of the music but the most touching singing moments are Giles - "Standing" (the whole thing) and "Something to Sing About" especially that sad note SMG hits just as the Scoobies (Willow in particular) realize that they "saved" her from Heaven. Wow!
If there's ever need for proof that Joss Whedon is a genius - this episode, OMWF, is all you need.
I think the countermelodies (and the fact that the two strongest singers on the cast were involved) in "Under Your Spell/Standing (Reprise)" are what made it my choice for best song. It's a fantastic arrangement.
Great poll!
lol. Yeah, I was a bit surprised to see that. :)
The Standing Reprise is probably the song that's most likely to get stuck in my head, mainly because of the countermelodies. Plus, Amber Benson and ASH...you really can't beat that.
http://sueworld2003.livejournal.com/681
The results seem pretty much similar. Giles is the best singer and Walk Through the Fire trumps everything else. I think it's the fire engine. Fire engines are awesome.