EXTENDED PLAYER COUNTDOWN

EXTENDED PLAYER COUNTDOWN

As a spin off from last year’s Long Player Countdown, the UTM team decided to look for the best Extended Players (EPs) of all time. EPs are mini-albums that contain around 4-7 songs. They are usually made by small bands as they are starting up or as a stop gap between albums. Some of the best (and sometimes most obscure) songs turn up on EPs. However often only a limited number of them are made making them something of a collectors item in later years. Many of the EPs that made the list are now out of print and thus very hard to find!

For EPs to be eligible they had to meet the following criteria.

Must be between 10 minutes and 35 minutes, any shorter and it’s a single, any longer and it’s an album.
Must not contain songs that have previously appeared on other released by the band unless it is an alternate version (e.g. remix, live version, etc). NOTE: It’s acceptable if the EP is released and then tracks from it later appear on an album.
Must only contain one version of each song. (I.e. a CD with 6 different remixes of the song is not eligible).

Nine Inch Nails were the winners with their 1992 EP "Broken" which was followed by Midnight Oil’s "Bird Noises" as well as Gelbison’s self titled release.

Amazingly Canberra artists managed to occupy 7 of the spots in the top 50, the highest of which went to Liquid’s "Abdul’s secret movie" coming in at #9. Other Canberra artists to make the list were Henry’s Anger, Sidewinder, 78 Saab, John Reed Club, Soulcrusher and Michael Cullen’s original band The Hardheads.

1. NINE INCHE NAILS - broken

2. MIDNIGHT OIL - bird noises

3. GELBISON - gelbison

4. SOUNDGARDEN - screaming life

5. RIDE - today forever

6. RADIOHEAD - My iron lung

7. MIDNIGHT OIL - Species Deceases

8. TRIFFIDS - raining pleasure

9. LIQUID - Abdul's Secret Movie

10. MOGWAI – Mogwai

11. CONTRIVE - prosper

12. AUGIE MARCH - waltz

13. THE ANIMALS - animals is here

14. DIATRIBE - diatribe

15. Iota - Iota

16. JEFF BUCKLEY - live at sin-e

17. TOOL - opiate

18. SLEEPY JACKSON - let your love be love

19. U2 - under a blood red sky

20. BLUE BOTTLE KISS - Somnambulist Homesick Blues

21. THE THE - shades of blue

22. REBEL ASTRONAUTS - Aeroplane Drops Parachute By Night

23. HENRY'S ANGER - interfere

24. TUMBLEWEED - theatre of gnomes

25. ASH - Trailer

26. THE REELS - 5 Great gift ideas from the reels

27. METALLICA - garage days re-revisited

28. AVALANCHES - El Producto

29. ABDOUJAPAROV - punk confetti

30. SOMETHING FOR KATE - Q&A

31. RATCAT - tingles

32. SIDEWINDER - t star

33. COG - just visiting part 2

34. 78 SAAB - Eastwards By Removal

35. TALL TALES & TRUE - superstition highway

36. LIVING COLOUR -biscuits

37. ZERO 7 - ep2

38. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - Why does the sun shine?

39. TEAM JEDI - ultra keen

40. JOHN REED CLUB - Death Metal

41. THE HARDHEADS - the bitter end

42. MALOWSKI - resistance EP

43. RESIN DOGS - From The Volkanic Lab

44. PURPLENE - SMH Days

45. SOULCRUSHER - absolute zero

46. ELVIS PRESLEY - the real Elvis

47. THE CHURCH - Remote luxuary

48. TISM - beasts of suburban

49. THE CURE - the walk

50. RIDE - ride