# 世界で一番いいペア曲総選挙【4位】 - Show: アフター6ジャンクション 2 - Published: 2026-10-19 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/1505337177_a69a89f77247.html - Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TBS2711223666.mp3 - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. The fourth-place result in the 'World's Best Pair Song Election' (世界で一番いいペア曲総選挙) has been revealed: 'Easy Lover,' the 1984 collaboration between Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins of Genesis, claimed the spot with 21 votes. The upbeat, carefree track broke a run of ballads in the rankings, sending the studio into an uproar. The episode also explored why pair-song voting tends to produce a different pattern from ordinary 'best song' polls. ## What this episode answers ### What song was chosen #4 in the 'World's Best Pair Song Election,' and how many votes did it receive? 'Easy Lover' by Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire) and Phil Collins (Genesis), released in 1984, won 4th place with 21 votes. Philip Bailey had also appeared in the previous 'World's Best Song Election' with 'September,' making him a presence across both polls. ### How did the voting trend for 'pair songs' differ from that of the previous 'best song' election? Ballads dominated the upper ranks of the pair-song vote, with results showing that songs which don't impose any one person's taste — tracks where everyone's consensus overlaps — tend to rise to the top. ### What are the musical characteristics of 'Easy Lover'? Philip Bailey's soaring falsetto and Phil Collins's powerful, energetic vocal are paired as contrasting personalities; the fusion of Bailey's Black music background and Collins's rock roots creates a sound described as 'halfway between white music and Black music' — a combination the hosts agreed 'could never be born in today's era.' ### Why is Phil Collins considered a great musician? Phil Collins is often cited as possibly 'the most technically skilled vocalist who is also a drummer,' and Michael Jackson is said to have changed his own vocal style after being influenced by Collins's singing in the early 1980s — a cultural loop in which Collins, himself shaped by Black music, 'reverse-imported' that influence back to Michael Jackson and others. ### What reactions did listeners share about the song? Listeners described it as 'sharp from the very first note of the intro — as a DJ it works as a transition from any song, like a shot of adrenaline,' 'the song with the best-feeling drum fills in the entire world,' and 'a vocal battle that blasts the listener's energy through the roof.' One listener also noted they first encountered the song through the in-game radio of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, set in the 1980s. ## Article ## Voting Trends: Ballads Dominate Pair Song Rankings The 'World's Best Pair Song Election' has produced noticeably different results from the previous 'World's Best Song Election.' The upper ranks have filled with songs that don't push any one person's taste — tracks that land where everyone's consensus overlaps. Ballads have dominated, prompting one cast member to compare the phenomenon to 'everyone's favorite food being curry rice,' and another to joke that so many ballads in a row felt 'like watching a string of movies where the protagonist's lover keeps dying.' The hosts noted that the real pleasure of the project lies in seeing these patterns emerge organically from listener votes. ## #4 Revealed: Philip Bailey & Phil Collins — 'Easy Lover' (21 votes) Landing in fourth place with 21 votes is 'Easy Lover,' the 1984 collaboration between Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins of Genesis. Its arrival shook the studio: after a run of ballads, an upbeat, carefree uptempo number was the last thing anyone expected to land this high. Earth, Wind & Fire had already featured in the previous 'World's Best Song Election' with 'September,' so Bailey now holds a place in both polls — a notable distinction. ## The Musical Characteristics of 'Easy Lover' The song pairs two starkly contrasting voices: Bailey's sky-high, piercing falsetto alongside Collins's muscular, kinetic lead vocal. The blend of Bailey's Black music roots and Collins's rock background creates a sound the hosts described as 'somewhere between white music and Black music' — a fusion that, they agreed, 'could absolutely never be born in today's era.' Beyond the vocals, Collins's tight drumming and a razor-sharp guitar solo were singled out as standout elements, with the track summed up as 'a song with endless things to dig into.' ## Phil Collins: The Musician Phil Collins is often cited as perhaps 'the most technically gifted vocalist who is also a drummer' — a combination of elite-level skills that is genuinely rare. His influence reaches further than many realize: in the early 1980s, Michael Jackson is said to have changed his own vocal style after being struck by Collins's singing. The hosts traced an intriguing cultural loop — Collins himself drew deeply from Black music, yet found his approach 'reverse-imported' back into the work of Michael Jackson and other artists in the Black music world. He was celebrated as a truly great drummer-singer. ## Listener Reactions The episode drew a wave of messages. Makko Ari (ラジオネーム・まっこありさん) wrote: 'Sharp from the very first note of the intro — as a DJ, it works as a transition from any song. It's like a shot of adrenaline.' Musume no Namae wa Rachel (娘の名前はレイチェルさん) called it 'the song with the best-feeling drum fills in the entire world.' Takeru39 (タケル39さん) offered a detailed take: 'Philip Bailey's soaring high notes and Phil Collins's powerful voice clash as contrasting personalities, blasting the listener's energy through the roof — the ultimate vocal battle, a completely different beast from the kind of duet Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney made.' One listener also shared that they first encountered the song through the in-game radio of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories — set in the 1980s — framing the track as a living piece of that decade's culture. ## Takeaways - 'Easy Lover' by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins (1984, 21 votes) claimed 4th place — an 80s uptempo track fusing Black music and rock in a way the hosts agreed could never be replicated today. - The 'pair song' election revealed a clear lean toward ballads in the upper ranks, a different pattern from the 'best song' vote, as listeners' collective consensus gravitates toward agreeable, non-imposing choices. - Phil Collins was re-evaluated as a singular talent — arguably the world's greatest drummer-vocalist — whose style influenced even Michael Jackson's singing in a striking cultural 'reverse import.'