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Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

WEEK 22

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 2
1940s: 0
1950s: 3
1960s: 7
1970s: 7
1980s: 6
1990s: 5
2000s: 2

Also of note:
Two songs by the Beach Boys
Two songs by Talking Heads


Here are this week's brackets. Remember, you can also view the brackets on this site. Voting is now open, and you have until 11:59 PM Pacific time on this upcoming Saturday to vote. Vote either in this thread or e-mail me.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
#343: "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]
#682: "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
#855: "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
#16: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
#497: "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]
#528: "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]
#1009: "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
#110: "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]
#403: "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]
#622: "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
#915: "Regret" - New Order [1993]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
#216: "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
#297: "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]
#728: "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]
#809: "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
#222: "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]
#291: "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]
#734: "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]
#803: "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
#54: "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]
#459: "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]
#566: "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
#971: "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#160: "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]
#672: "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
#865: "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]
#507: "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]
#518: "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]
#1019: "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
Easy pick for #1, if only because the other three don't really deserve to advance. I don't know how I managed to avoid hearing this one until a couple years ago, when I first started following the AM lists. But this is a monster early-'90s alt-rock single, powered by a chorus with one of the most explosive hooks ever. Fan-damn-tastic stuff.
2. "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]
A surf single that's not about surfing, but just what IS it about? The Boys like to go into their room so that they can lock everything else out and be alone... Why do you need your alone time, guys? I can take a guess, but I'll move on.
3. "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
For my money, the Stones had much better, and much more interesting singles from this year, particularly the song that inexplicably got eliminated a couple of weeks ago (quel surprise!).
4. "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]
Interesting early rock & roll from one of Britain's biggest stars, but the song certainly doesn't make me want to do what the title tells me to do. And frankly, I've heard better odes to rock & roll than this one.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
I'll admit, I had never heard this song until about two years ago. Hell, I had never even heard of Joy Division until I downloaded this song. And my first reaction to hearing it was, "So?" Curtis's voice immediately struck me as intentionally affected, which was a major turn-off at that time.
For whatever reason, I kept coming back and listening to this song, in spite of the fact that I didn't really like it. I kept hearing that this was "the greatest indie song EVER," but I just didn't get it. One day something clicked, and I've been a major fan ever since. It's not the lyrics, because I still can't understand what Curtis is saying in the verses, and I can't be bothered to look up the lyrics. But this is truly a monster of a song. I think it's a bit high at #16, but if this makes it to the next round, I'll be a happy man. Joy Division deserves to have one move on.
2. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]
Massive single by the Heads, and one of my all-time faves. But I'm thinking more in terms of the fact that JD has gone oh-for-three so far in Bracketology, and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is the band's last chance. The Heads already have a couple in the next round. Let's put JD through.
3. "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]
And now a surf single that IS about surfing. Pretty trite lyrics, if you really think about it. Frankly, I haven't really enjoyed this one since I was a kid. I'll pass.
4. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]
As I've said before, I can respect Buddy Holly and what he did for rock music, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]
THE riff. Not even Puff Daddy's ham-handed wholesaling of the song for the "Godzilla" soundtrack could wane my love for this song. As I said last week, good songs can't last long enough. I would gladly listen to another 2-3 minutes of this. BUM-BUM-BUM, BUM-BUM-BUM!
2. "Regret" - New Order [1993]
Tough call for me between 2 and 3, but at the end of the day, I'll take this one. It's just sunnier and happier-sounding.
3. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]
Yeah, it's Bolan's biggest and best, but really it sounds like EVERY OTHER T. REX SONG. And this might be blasphemy, but I actually prefer the Power Station's remake.
4. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
Stacked bracket, if this classic indie anthem takes the bottom spot, but SHTB4. The Pixies define their template of soft-loud-soft-loud here, and I gotta give 'em props for all they did.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
Another stacked bracket, from top to bottom. I'm stunned that I'm not putting the Police in the top spot here, but this is just a monster. I love the fact that this song actually got straight-laced white people to shout out the n-word in packed clubs, when they would never say it outside of this song. And yes, I'm one of those people. For as misogynistic as this song seems for the first two verses, West shows his lyrical versatility in the third verse when he turns the "gold digger" roles around. Brilliant, hilarious stuff. And I don't even CARE that Kanye stole Ray's "I Got a Woman." Hey, he improved on the original!
2. "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]
The Police's first big hit was a deserved one. Absolutely infectious ode to the fabled "hooker with a heart of gold." I remember when I was in high school, one of my best friends, a Mormon girl, was so torn on this song. She loved it, but hated that it was about a prostitute! Quel horreur! I think in the end, she bought the album, which really speaks to how impressive the song is: it'll make a Mormon compromise her values.
3. "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]
Not my favorite, or even in my top three, from "Ten," but this is still one whale of a song, and one of the best songs that I've put in the #3 spot. When I first typed up this week's brackets, I accidentally made a typo on this song, and it took me a good ten seconds of staring at the song title before I realized that the song isn't called "Alice." *facepalm*
4. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]
Like I said before, completely stacked bracket if this jazz standard ends up here, but what a case for SHTB4.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]
I grew up with this song, and I will always think of the Fourth of July when this song comes on (if only because one of my first memories of the song was when I heard it on the radio as my family and I drove away from the fireworks display), but it completely blew my mind when, at age 18 or so, I discovered that all the iconic characters in the song (the marching band, the jester, Jack Flash sitting on a candlestick) are all based on iconic events from '60s pop music (the Beatles, Dylan, and the Stones at Altamont, respectively). At that point, this song — which was already one of my all-time faves — grew even more in my esteem. Brilliant lyrical interplay by Mr. McLean.
2. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]
Speaking of memories from my childhood, I'll always think of a Far Side cartoon when I hear this song. I can't seem to find it online, but maybe someone out there knows what one I'm talking about. True, it's kind of a corny song, but sometimes corny is a hell of a lot of fun.
3. "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]
Another song that I've heard many, many times over my life, but didn't really realize that I knew it until I picked up a copy of the "Moondance" album. That's not to say that I necessarily enjoy the song, but it's a nice, pleasant diversion.
4. "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]
Memories of Chappelle's Show... The Haters are shown a picture of the Osbournes and Silky Johnson says, "I heard that song the girl sings — 'Papa Don't Preach.' I got another song for you, bitch. It's called, 'Daughter Don't Sing.'"

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]
Is it so wrong that every time I hear the first few notes of this song, I secretly hope that the first words are, "Can I kick it? Yes, you can!" But even though it's Lou, I'll always end up singing the "doo, doo-doo, doo-doo" part every time it comes on.
2. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]
I've been getting more and more into Otis lately, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the man. What a voice. What power. Magnificent stuff.
3. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
Good stuff, but hardly my favorite from Roy's golden period. I'll take "Crying" over this one any day.
4. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]
The most iconic surf song ever, and the easiest song to play ever. I've never played a guitar, a bass, or the drums in my life, but I have no doubt that I could probably play all three parts after about an hour of practicing each. And for that, I can't respect it.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]
A few months ago, when netjade was doing the "I'm with Stupid" game, I don't remember anyone naming this one for "creepiest music video," but this one is right up there. All those overly-exaggerated smiles and the garish colors are positively nightmarish. But the song is truly sublime. One of the best of the post-Nirvana era.
2. "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]
PE was the best at making politically-conscious rap, and this is one of their best. I'm not really a huge fan of the rendition of this song done by PE and Anthrax, but fortunately that isn't the one being voted on here.
3. "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]
Hardly my favorite by the Heads, but easily beats the next song.
4. "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
For my money, "Moon Safari" is one of the most over-rated albums of all time, and this song, the album's big single, is barely tolerable. The album starts out so brilliantly with "La Femme d'Argent," but this song just brings the whole thing to a screeching halt. It's not that I hate this song, but it's such a change in tone that it colors everything else for me.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]
This one gets the top spot only by process of elimination. So much of Chuck's music sounds the same to my ears. Good stuff, but not great. And in this bracket, that's more than enough to move it forward.
2. "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]
When I was in my high school's jazz band, we did a version of this song that was almost identical to Stan Kenton's version (or at least, we tried to replicate that rendition), and I was enlisted to do the piano solo at the beginning. I've been a fan of the song ever since. I prefer the Kenton version to this, what is considered to be the seminal take on the song, but it's such a good one that I can't deny it.
3. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]
Their lips should have stayed sealed, and they should have not recorded it.
4. "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]
What I know is that this song sucks.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11

1. "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]
2. "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
3. "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
4. "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]

REALLY mediocre group, 1-3 are all good songs, not great.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1

1. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]
2. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
3. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]
4. "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" probably doesn't make my Top 10 JD songs, but I know it'll win this bracket. That said, I prefer "Burning Down The House". "Surfin' USA" is really not good at all, as much of a Beach Boys fan as I am. Oh so corny.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16

1. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]
2. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
3. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]
4. "Regret" - New Order [1993]

TOUGH bracket here! In the end the classic rock beats the indie, but barely.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10

1. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]
2. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
3. "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]
4. "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]

"Mood Indigo" wins this one pretty easily, mainly because the others aren't all that great. "Gold Digger" is not nearly the best on Late Registration, but I'm so sick of "Roxanne" and "Alive" it still gets #2.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10

1. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]
2. "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]
3. "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]
4. "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]

Maybe the worst bracket yet. "Blueberry Hill" isn't something I'd ever actively pick out to hear, but at least it's got Fats and all his charisma. "Papa Don't Preach" is a weak Madonna single, "Moondance" has always irritated me (SO MOR!), and "American Pie" is the worst kind of bullshit sanctimony.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
2. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]
3. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]
4. "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]

"In Dreams" is a glorious song, just beating out Otis in full-throttle weeper mode. Drums beat bass for No. 3.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15

1. "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]
2. "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
3. "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]
4. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]

"Bring the Noise" absolutely demolishes the rest here.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1

1. "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]
2. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]
3. "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]
4. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]

It's very bizarre to me to have 2 indisputably important classics at 3 and 4, but this is a personal poll, I guess. "Body and Soul" just missed my Top 1000, "Johnny B. Goode" didn't make my Top 2000 but is certainly a classic (would've topped Mozart 10 above), but what can you do? "What You Know" is one of the best singles of the '00s, with its regal synth line, cocky delivery, and fantastic responsorial whoops. And "Our Lips Are Sealed" is one of the most joyously infectious singles of the '80s. Sometimes I pick pop trash over important art. Great bracket, this.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Not much to get excited about this week. Couldn't really care less what song advances in about half of these brackets.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1: "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones
2: "Move It" - Cliff Richard
3: "In My Room" - The Beach Boys
4: "Cannonball" - The Breeders

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads
2: "Rave On" - Buddy Holly
3: "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys
4: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division: Two of my favorite bands are Interpol and Editors, yet the whole Joy Division thing still escapes me.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1: "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies
2: "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex
3: "Regret" - New Order
4: "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1: "Alive" - Pearl Jam: Been around here long enough and you'll know that 'Ten' is one of my favorite albums, so naturally I'd put this song at #1, even though it's about my 10th or 11th favorite song on the album. (Seems like a common trend -- one deserving of a cutesy bracketology acronym perhaps.) Even in '92, it never sounded 'grunge'. Nearly 20 years removed, it's clear that 'Alive' is, and has always been, a rock song.
2: "Gold Digger" - Kanye West: Even when he's being silly, K. West is still entertaining. But I prefer his more serious side.
3: "Roxanne" - The Police
4: "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1: "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna: My enjoyment of Madonna pretty much begins and ends with the album 'True Blue'. I don't know why, but for some reason, for me, nothing she did leading up to it or following it was ever as concise or compelling.
2: "Moondance" - Van Morrison
3: "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino
4: "American Pie" - Don McLean: The overwhelming criticism back in bracketology v1.0 led me to promptly reevaluate. The conclusion I reached: this song is overrated, and, well…kinda sucks.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris
2: "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding
3: "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison
4: "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden: Radio played the shit out of this song back in '94. They still do. Interesting, since it doesn't scream "hit", musically.
2: "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads
3: "Sexy Boy" - Air
4: "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
2: "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins
3: "What You Know" - T.I.
4: "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's: Now, I'm no expert on theory but I do know how to identify when something sounds like shit. This is it.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1: "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]
2: "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
3: "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
4: "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]

One of the most underrated Beach Boys songs, right up there with anything on Pet Sounds.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]
2: "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]
3: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
4: "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]

Top tier Talking Heads.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1: "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
2: "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]
3: "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]
4: "Regret" - New Order [1993]

Can't deny a great Pixies song, with T Rex close behind.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1: "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]
2: "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]
3: "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
4: "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]

Weak bracket, Alive isn't much more of a nostalgia song for me, but the rest are kind of annoying and it's way too hard to compare jazz to rock and roll.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1: "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]
2: "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]
3: "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]
4: "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]

A bracket full of classics that I've never loved. Blueberry Hill is a good song though.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
2: "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]
3: "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]
4: "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]

Orbison blows away the field, one of the greatest songs ever.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]
2: "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
3: "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]
4: "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]

Other than Nirvana, Soundgarden is probably the only grunge band that made it huge that still sounds fresh today and Black Hole Sun is their masterpiece.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]
2: "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]
3: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]
4: "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]

Tough choice btw 1 and 2. What You Know is top 10 in hip-hop, maybe higher but Our Lips Are Sealed is top 10 from the 80's.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL 11
1. CANNONBALL. Well, it would have won almost any bracket for me, but this is one of the easiest slam-dunks of the tournament to date. Yes, it’s gimmicky nonsense, but it’s the highest possible grade of gimmicky nonsense.
2. THE LAST TIME
3. IN MY ROOM. Two only slightly-better-than-average tracks from two titanic sixties bands…interestingly, each one is from early in their career before they’d fully ironed things out.
4. MOVE IT. It’s a better song than “Rock Island Line” (because ersatz-Elvis is better than ersatz-Kingston Trio), but it’s here for precisely the same reason that one was.

SIBELIUS 1. Wow…really, really strong bracket!
1. SURFIN’ U.S.A. Its Janus-like position, facing backwards to Chuck Berry and forwards to everything the Beach Boys later became, really can’t be overstated. But it’s first here also because it’s just an insanely fun song.
2. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART. Matt, I think your experience is typical; probably a lot of folks find this dreary and badly constructed on first listen (I did). Heard it last week for probably the 300th time or so, and I swear it just keeps getting better.
3. BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE. A couple of weeks after my own house burned down, I was in a bar (hardly surprising, really) and someone played this song on the jukebox. A friend asked if it freaked me out—and, surprisingly, it didn’t. For one thing, it’s just that good—maybe not on the level of the best tracks from Fear of Music and Remain in Light, but close. Plus, I now have a VERY keen sense of imagery of the lyrics, so I think I actually appreciate it more. Disclaimer: I realize this story may constitute an admission of mild insanity.
4. RAVE ON. I’ll confess: with “Peggy Sue” and “That’ll Be the Day” permanently seared into my brain, this is now probably the Buddy Holly song I’m most likely to dial up on iTunes for pleasure. But even so, I recognize it’s not on the level of his best stuff, and this is a killer group.

VIVALDI 16
1. WHERE IS MY MIND? The archetypal Pixies song. It’s hard to think of another band in my lifetime with a similar career path: an acclaimed, reasonably successful indie band which finally tore itself apart…and whose reputation has seemingly soared every year since then (‘course, it doesn’t hurt when your most famous champions have been Cobain and Thom Yorke).
2. BANG A GONG (GET IT ON). It doesn’t really pay to drill down deep into the T. Rex discography, but this is Marc’s signature tune for a reason. Simultaneously stupider and cleverer than Alice Cooper.
3. KASHMIR. Not actually that bad. At any rate, well into the 1990’s it was probably the only Led Zep song I could actually identify.
4. REGRET. A nice late-period New Order song, lost in the propwash of the three giants buzzing overhead.

RACHMANINOFF 10. Another good group.
1. ROXANNE. I have a soft spot for the Police; I don’t think this is even their best song, and I’m taking it here. Two random thoughts: 1. Everyone knows this song is addressed to a prostitute, but not many folks seem to notice that the narrator here is kind of pathetic and despicable (this, of course, is true of a LOT of Police songs). 2. Without taking anything away from the Pixies, it occurs to me that this is an early, particular brand of the soft-LOUD-soft-LOUD structure.
2. MOOD INDIGO. Especially since the “Unscrabble List” (remember that?), I’ve developed a new appreciation for the Duke. I mean, I love Miles and Coltrane and Cannonball and Monk, but their primacy on AM should in no way detract from Ellington, one of the greatest musical geniuses—in any genre—the last century produced.
3. GOLD DIGGER. If you had told me at the start of this decade that one of its best songs would “feature” Jamie Foxx doing an impersonation, I would have guessed it was going to be a long decade. And I would have been wrong. Also features one of Kanye’s funniest and most razor-sharp performances.
4. ALIVE. A good mission statement for Pearl Jam’s career—lyrics that are simultaneously defiant and petulant over pretty good swampy AOR. I’m the anti-Anthony, in this case…this is my favorite song on Ten, but still a very easy #4 pick for me.

MOZART 10
1. BLUEBERRY HILL. If Fats Domino fails to put a smile on your face as big as the smile on his own, then I suspect you’re overdoing the Botox. Trip-el-et, trip-el-et, trip-el-et.
2. MOONDANCE. Van is one of those artists—like the Smiths and T. Rex, come to think—who has a few songs I really like and a catalog I generally don’t much care for. This is the former; the very pretty title track to his most accessible album. And, at any rate, it’s miles above #3 and #4, below.
3. PAPA DON’T PREACH. Yeeccch. Now this is the sort of thing that can drive me nuts about Madonna—she releases a song which is not terribly interesting or engaging musically, then ups the ante by adding lyrics that are repellent to me, both tonally and politically. And the fact that I’m still putting it at #3 should give you an inkling of how I feel about Don McLean.
4. AMERICAN PIE. The middle of the road is his private cul-de-sac.

SCHUBERT 5
1. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE. A great minimalist piece from a decade that didn’t overvalue minimalism. It sounds like Lou’s vocals, the bass part, the sax part, and the backing doo-wop are all being performed on separate rooftops. In Hell’s Kitchen. At 5:00 am.
3. I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG
4. IN DREAMS. #2 and #3 here are lesser (but still good) efforts from singers who are usually treated as forces of nature rather than talented human beings.
2. WIPE OUT. I really like this song, and wish I could have bumped it up a place or two. This is hokey, but I’m serious: play this song while watching world-class surfers on TV. It’s a perfect evocation of what you’ll see.

BEETHOVEN 15
1. LIFE DURING WARTIME. Can’t fully be appreciated without hearing both the studio and live versions. The tension in this song is between the genuinely unhinged, paranoid lyrics on the one hand, and the groovy, propulsive keyboard-bass-n-drums on the other. In the original, on Fear of Music, David Byrne’s flat, un-affected vocals are the fulcrum between the two. But on Stop Making Sense, he lets it all go—his demented singing there is ideal for the words. Both versions work beautifully.
2. BRING THE NOISE. If a PE song can be underrated, this one is—probably their second best. Would have won most brackets.
3. SEXY BOY. Listening to this finally filled a hole from my years in the wilderness, away from music—I’d never heard Air before. Good fun, but not enough to rise above two of my all-time favorites.
4. BLACK HOLE SUN. With all due respect, how the hell is this song ranked in the top 500? I can think of songs I like a lot that are unpleasant, or derivative, or vapid…but not all three.

TCHAIKOVSKY 1. Chalkovsky.
1. JOHNNY B. GOODE. A theory: if you look at the top five or six rockers of the 50s, Chuck is the most exuberant fun (hon. mention to Jerry Lee—but he’s scarier, and Buddy—but he’s wound a few turns tighter). I mean, the lyrics here are almost like a nursery rhyme, with Johnny’s mother telling him what a popular guitarist he’s going to be (compare this to what Muddy and Bo’s lyrical mothers say about their sons). And the iconic guitar part—which, yes, sounds like a lot of Berry’s other songs—manages to strike just the right tone of bouncy aggression. Beautiful, and essential. Deserves all the praise it gets.
2. OUR LIPS ARE SEALED. Fantastic bubblegum which was a useful corrective to my irony-drenched teenage self. One of those masterpieces of songwriting and performance which occasionally emerges from a band still barely competent on their instruments (see also: the first albums by the Clash and R.E.M.). Sealed the Go-Go’s legacy instantly…they could have gone the rest of their lives without creating anything else that even approaches this. So they did.
3. WHAT YOU KNOW. What I know about T.I. is mostly the police-blotter stuff and the collaboration with Justin Timberlake, but this is a great track. In fact, we’ve got two of the best rap songs of the 2000s this week…and I’m ranking them both #3.
4. BODY AND SOUL. I can see the influence, but doesn’t particularly press any of my buttons.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]: One of the best singles of the ‘90s, an indelible mix of surf rock, art-punk and pure daffiness. It’s kind of like listening to ENTERTAINMENT! and THE B-52’s simultaneously.
2. "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]: Possibly Brian Wilson’s finest pre-PET SOUNDS song. The modulation of the voices on each verse’s first appearance of the title phrase never fails to send a shiver up the spine.
3. "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]: Their first great riff. It gets overshadowed by its follow-up, with its even greater riff, but this one is every bit as much a classic in its own right.
4. "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]: Richard is a genuine icon in the U.K., one of the country’s biggest and most enduringly popular stars; he had a couple of brief windows of success here in the U.S. (1976’s “Devil Woman,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore” and “Dreamin’” in 79-80) but certainly nothing like back home. For all his popularity, his music’s pretty blah (of course, the two are probably not mutually exclusive), and this early hit is no exception.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]: Their only top ten hit (!), burbling with brilliantly memorable and danceable synth hooks and an emphasis on percussive beats that, turned up to 11, made the song a barn-burning highlight of STOP MAKING SENSE. For me, though, it’s Byrne’s unexpectedly prominent acoustic guitar strumming that makes the original so great.
2. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]: One of Buddy’s very best, and like all his classics it says its piece and gets out in almost no time flat. That opening hiccup (“We-eh-eh-eh-eh-ell…”) is a marvel.
3. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]: I’m pretty sure this is going to take the bracket, and the more I hear it the more I love it (true of JD’s output in general). The lyrics are uncommonly mature for someone so young, leaving you to wonder what Curtis might have had in store if he’d been able to conquer his demons.
4. "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]: In contrast to #2 in the bracket above, this one is glib and dated – and loses serious points for SO baldly ripping off someone else’s song.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]: Would I have this at #1 if David Fincher hadn’t used it so magnificently at the end of FIGHT CLUB? Yes, I think I would; I’d already loved it as a highlight of SISTER ROSA, particularly the Albinized drum fills coming out of the bridge.
2. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]: Speaking of drum fills… And speaking of monster, monolithic riffs as well. Page and company are at their most bombastic and majestic on this sweeping classic-rock epic, with John Paul Jones (as arranger) and John Bonham (as single-handed extended-coda justifier) outdoing themselves.
3. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]: What I said about “Summer in the City” last week is exponentially true of Marc Bolan’s entire electric oeuvre: it’s basically a folkie’s idea of what hard rock sounds like. But it worked, because he threw himself at it with such commitment and had Tony Visconti and (however unlikely) Flo & Eddie along for the ride.
4. "Regret" - New Order [1993]: A good, refreshingly upbeat single, but an easy #4 here.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]: A particular favorite of mine; as long-running and estimable as PJ’s catalog is, this startlingly impassioned portrait of trauma and the will to overcome it will always be their greatest achievement. The coda, with its nerve-rackingly extended Mike McCready solo and not one but two brilliant wordless Vedder moments, may be the most exciting and exhausting stretch of rock I’ve ever heard.
2. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]: Hate on the man all you want – he’s a douchebag. (He cops to it all the time, but the fact that he HAS to cop to it so much should be sending him a message he hasn’t gotten yet.) That doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the most talented artists to emerge in the past decade, and that his biggest hit is both catchy as hell and funny as hell (particular kudos to “You might see him on the TV, any given Sunday/Win the Super Bowl then drive off in a Hyundai”).
3. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]: One of jazz’s most elegant and memorable compositions. I’m not as familiar with this original recording as I should be, but I can’t put Ellington in last place. I just can’t.
4. "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]: Now, I have no qualms about putting these guys here. I like a good prostitute love song as much as the next person, and I love Copeland’s propulsive drumming, but it loses points for the band’s irritating penchant to drive a fadeout into the ground.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]: Overplayed in the extreme, yes, a fact compounded by the sheer length (and, I admit, self-righteous pretentiousness) of the thing. But some things are beyond criticism, and for me, McLean’s alternative history of rock-up-to-’71 is one of those things. I grew up listening to and loving this record, and I make no apologies for putting it here – although it wouldn’t have won any of this week’s other brackets.
2. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1956]: The Fat Man, the most relaxed and easygoing of rock’s founding fathers, made everything he recorded his own, including this hoary old standard that became his signature song.
3. "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]: The title cut and most enduringly popular track on my favorite Morrison album is actually my least favorite song on the record. That’s not necessarily saying much, though.
4. "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]: I really wish “Live to Tell” was in this tournament; that single is a masterpiece. This one, the other #1 hit from TRUE BLUE, holds up well enough but can’t escape last place here.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]: Again, it’s entirely possible that this song’s #1 ranking is due to its unforgettable use in a film (lip-synced by Dean Stockwell’s nightmarish Ben – “one suave fucker” – in David Lynch’s BLUE VELVET). But it’s one of Orbison’s most spectacularly assured singles (and, it goes without saying, brilliantly sung).
2. "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]: How DID this series of seedy character studies of the Warhol entourage become a cult icon’s only fluke hit single? Blame it on Bowie, and on that bass riff, and on the colored girls (Lou’s words, not mine). It really isn’t like anything else Reed ever did, even on TRANSFORMER itself.
3. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]: A case of SH2B3, as this was Redding’s first truly great record and one of his best. The defining example of how he could keep the tension in a song simmering and smoldering until erupting in a great-God-almighty explosive climax.
4. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]: One of the great rock instrumentals, to be sure, but in the wrong bracket to be higher than this.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]: Probably my favorite hard-rock song of the 1990s, and the obvious standout even on an album packed with first-rate tracks.
2. "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]: The great opening salvo and statement of purpose from the most important hip-hop album of all time. The lyrics salute Run-D.M.C. for being the first artists to prove “a DJ could be a band”; for the next few years P.E. demonstrated just what this new kind of band was capable of.
3. "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]: Pure French pop for all people, with a great melody and chord progression.
4. "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]: One of their best-known and most popular songs, but I’ve never really liked it that much. Maybe its post-apocalyptic narrative is too straightforward coming from a songwriter who isn’t usually quite so literal.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]: One of the records that defined rock and roll, pure and simple, both in its style and in the story it tells. Timeless stuff.
2. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]: A perfect single, as timeless in its own way as #1.
3. "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]: A very unexpected surprise for me. I had never listened to this one (or any T.I., for that matter) before preparing for this week’s round, and I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be as addictively melodic as it is. The lyrics are the usual I’ve-been-a-bad-bad-boy-and-I’ve-been-careless-with-a-delicate-Glock stuff, but musically it’s brilliant,
4. "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]: I confess with some embarrassment that I had never actually listened to this one before, either, despite its legendary status as The Record That Invented Jazz Saxophone. It IS great, but does it make me a bad person if I’d rather listen to #3 again?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963] More than any other Beach Boys song (and that says a lot) this is a song about blissful childhood innocence.
2. "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
3. "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
4. "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]
2. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]
3. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
4. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]
2. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
3. "Regret" - New Order [1993]
4. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]
2. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]
3. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
4. "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970] Strongest bracket this week.
2. "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]
3. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]
4. "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]
2. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]
3. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
4. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]
2. "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
3. "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]
4. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957] ROCK AND ROLL IS THIS.
2. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]
3. "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]
4. "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Whoops. Just realized I had the order correct, but the rankings wrong, on Schubert 5.

1. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
2. I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG
3. IN DREAMS
4. WIPE OUT

Hope that clears up any confusion (yes, I really had thought about putting the Surfaris at #2 before I came to my senses).

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
#343: "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]
Great rocknroll song.
#682: "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
I love the guitar part of this song, not too crazy about the lyrics. #170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
Good song, rather representative of a period.
#855: "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]
Okay song. Worst of these four. A little to oriented at making parents comfortable with buying it for their kids.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
#1009: "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]
Easily the best post-RIL Heads song.
#16: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
I'll be shocked if this doesn't move on.
#497: "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]
Nice harmonies. But boy am I glad the Beatles came along for the Beach Boys to raise their artistic standards to compete with.
#528: "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]
I didn't know pretty much that entire M Ward album is covers. At least, all the best songs on it. The original a good song, but for the standards of the greatest rock songs of all time it's pretty meh.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
#622: "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
One of the great songs by a great band.
#403: "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]
The Beatles and Zeppelin seem to be the only big bands that aren't freely available on Lala. Must be the only ones that bothered to file injunctions or something. Anyway, Kashmir is one of Zep's undeniable classics.
#110: "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]
Strong rocknroll song.
#915: "Regret" - New Order [1993]
Great atmosphere to this song but the vocal aspect is a little dull. I guess I feel that way about a lot of New Order.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
#728: "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]
Easy victor for this awful bracket. The title describes the song perfectly.
#809: "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]
A song that gets called overrated, but I think the grunge backlash has now made it underrrated. Pearl Jam, though Ten is their least instrumentally proficient album, were great a creating that intense, longing, disaffected but not to the point of depression mood.
#216: "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
Ugh, I'm tired. Just assume I said something mean and made the point to call him K Widdy while attributing this song's success to Ray Charles.
#297: "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]
The Police found a way to get me not to put Kanye in 4th place! I hate the way they affect a hint of a Jamaican accent to sound more raegaeish. I find everything about The Police except for the guitar offputting.



MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
#222: "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]
Good song, but the problem with a lot of the great blues guys is a lot of their songs re-use the same blues riffs.
#734: "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]
Has me wondering if I need to add True Blue to my collection.
#803: "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]
Love the whimsy of the melody.
#291: "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]
Nice song. Good, emotional lyrics.



SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
#54: "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]
Great song I suspect was only popular due to it's superficialities. (I guess Paper Planes is in the same camp.)
#459: "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]
#566: "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
Roy Orbison is a clearly talented singer but I'm not sure what I think of his songs.
#971: "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]
I have trouble believing now that surf culture was once popular culture.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#160: "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]
Listening to Bring The Noise makes you feel like Public Enemy invented awesome. They put all the current attention-whoring gangsta-posers to shame.
#865: "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]
Good song. Great video.
#672: "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
Serge Gainsbourg ruined Air for me.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]
What can you say about a song that invented a genre other than "Awesome"?
#1019: "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]
Great jazz.
#518: "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]
An awesome rap song. Now I need to look into T.I.
#507: "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965] - The first great riff from the band that was the greatest at riffage.
2. "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963] - A little dopey, but I don't doubt the sincerity of it and I can't deny the prettiness of it.
3. "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993] - Kim Deal is great, but that guitar line just ain't. Frankly I think it's dumb.
4. "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959] - Elvis was a hero to most, most blatantly to this guy.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980] - The very first post-punk song I ever heard is also the very best. Best part: Stephen Morris' propulsive drumbeat.
2. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983] - I don't think I realized how great this one was until about last week or so. David Byrne is all over the place, but the song stays together cohesively as a pop song.
3. "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963] - Fun but cheesy and derivative.
4. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958] - Not his best.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975] - When Robert Plant says this is the best Led Zeppelin song ever, he's very close to telling to truth.
2. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988] - I prefer the tunes on Doolittle, but Frank Black was just as good on this one.
3. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971] - Above-average glam.
4. "Regret" - New Order [1993] - SH2B4.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991] - Epic, everything that Pearl Jam represents and everything they were great at is in this one song.
2. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005] - The best part about this song is that Late Registration as a bunch of other ones that are just as good.
3. "Roxanne" - The Police [1978] - Tough bracket for this one, I considered it for #1. It's too bad every song about prostitutes nowadays references this one
4. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930] - Not even close.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

I haven't posted one of these in a while (largely due to the clutter of the AM Forums) but there's no way I'm letting Love Will Tear Us Apart get beat.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. Cannonball - The Breeders
2. The Last Time - The Rolling Stones
3. In My Room - The Beach Boys
4. Move It - Cliff Richards

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
2. Buddy Holly - Rave On
3. The Beach Boys - Surfin' USA
4. Talking Heads - Burning Down the House

One of my all-time favorite songs up against three songs I like, but aren't close to my favorites by their artists.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. Where Is My Mind - Pixies
2. Bqang a Gong (Get it on) - T.Rex
3. Regret - New Order
4. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

UPDATE REGARDING WEEK 22



I am currently in bed sick with a stomach flu, and I make no guarantees that I will be able to post Week 23 at midnight tonight. So I am making an executive decision to extend Week 22 for one additional week. Week 22 will now end at midnight PST on Saturday, December 19.

I have also decided to postpone week 23 until after the first of the year, as I imagine people will be very busy with the holidays (I know I will be).

So to recap: you have an extra week for this set of eight brackets. The next group of eight will not be unveiled until the first full week of 2010.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Cool.

Get well, Matt.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

That's it, I'm through with this.

Just kidding, get well!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

SR
I haven't posted one of these in a while (largely due to the clutter of the AM Forums) but there's no way I'm letting Love Will Tear Us Apart get beat.


'Burning Down The House' does seem pretty lightweight by comparison,but at the moment seems to have a very good chance of winning(unfortunately).

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Does anyone want me to do the same thing for Moderate?

I didn't think of it because the holidays are the one time in the year I have nothing but free time.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Thanks for all the well-wishes, everyone. I'm actually feeling much better today.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Glad you're feeling better, Matt...you've been doing a great job with this.

Looking forward to picking it up in '10.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Shameless bump.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971] - I really don't get how people don't like this song. I think it's just cause it's on every radio station that plays at least some music from its era. But it's very well done and not a very obvious pop hit.
2. "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970] - I generally don't like Van's post-"Brown Eyed Girl" tunes but this is tolerable, almost pleasant even.
3. "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986] - It's a little overexaggerated for me.
4. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962] - Blah.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972] - If you don't know anything else about Lou Reed, you know this song. You also know it really doesn't sound quite like anything else out there.
2. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963] - Roy's sense of songcraft really never fails.
3. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963] - Overplayed but fun.
4. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966] - SH2B4, and I don't really like Otis.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988] - It was a very close battle between 1 and 2, but I have to give it to Chuck D. and co. He spits one of the most badass verses ever on this one, and he can't be denied.
2. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994] - On the other hand, this might be my favorite grunge tune ever. It's a great tune in and of itself, but these guys just sludge it up a notch.
3. "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998] - A great song, but no match for #s 1 and 2.
4. "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979] - SH2B4 again, and it has to go to the song I hadn't heard before but liked immediately.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "What You Know" - T.I. [2006] - T.I. has been trying to top this one since the day he laid it down. He can't, and I don't know anyone else can either.
2. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957] - A classic, probably the most important song in rock, but its influence only goes so far.
3. "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939] - I could grow to love this with a few more listens.
4. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981] - Annoying.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1 - "In My Room" - The Beach Boys [1963]
2 - "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones [1965]
3 - "Cannonball" - The Breeders [1993]
4 - "Move It" - Cliff Richard [1959]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1 - "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division [1980]
2 - "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys [1963]
3 - "Rave On" - Buddy Holly [1958]
4 - "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads [1983]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1 - "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies [1988]
2 - "Regret" - New Order [1993]
3 - "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex [1971]
4 - "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin [1975]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1 - "Alive" - Pearl Jam [1991]
2 - "Roxanne" - The Police [1978]
3 - "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) [2005]
4 - "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington [1930]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1 - "American Pie" - Don McLean [1971]
2 - "Moondance" - Van Morrison [1970]
3 - "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna [1986]
4 - "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino [1962]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 - "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed [1972]
2 - "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison [1963]
3 - "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding [1966]
4 - "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris [1963]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1 - "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden [1994]
2 - "Sexy Boy" - Air [1998]
3 - "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads [1979]
4 - "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy [1988]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1 - "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry [1957]
2 - "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's [1981]
3 - "What You Know" - T.I. [2006]
4 - "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins [1939]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

Voting for (the extended) Week 22 is now over. As soon as I total the votes, the results will be posted. Week 23 will begin in 2010.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

This starting up again soon?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

I was wondering what was happening with this too. I miss it more than I thought I would.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

I was going to be starting back up this upcoming Saturday night. So get ready for that!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

RESULTS



HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Cannonball" - The Breeders (32 points, 4 first-place votes)
2. "In My Room" - The Beach Boys (32, 4)
3. "The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones (30, 2)
4. "Move It" - Cliff Richard (16, 1)

NOTE: "Cannonball" advances to the second round based on the "comments preferred" caveat. If uncommented ballots are taken out of contention, the final score is Breeders 25, Beach Boys 24.

In the next round: R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"; Prince's "Little Red Corvette"; Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools"



SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads (33, 5)
2. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division (32, 4)
3. "Surfin' U.S.A." - The Beach Boys (26, 2)
4. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly (19, 0)

In the next round: the Clash's "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"; Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning"



VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies (38, 7)
2. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin (29, 4)
3. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex (25, 0)
4. "Regret" - New Order (18, 0)

In the next round: Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On"; the Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You"; David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes"



RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Alive" - Pearl Jam (28, 5)
2. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West (Featuring Jamie Foxx) (26, 1)
3. "Roxanne" - The Police (23, 2)
4. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington (23, 2)

In the next round: the Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)"



MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino (28, 4)
2. "American Pie" - Don McLean (25, 4)
3. "Moondance" - Van Morrison (25, 1)
4. "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna (22, 1)

In the next round: Suicide's "Frankie Teardrop"



SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed (31, 6)
2. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison (28, 3)
3. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding (24, 0)
4. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris (17, 1)

In the next round: R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"; Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City"; Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"



BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden (28, 5)
2. "Bring the Noise" - Public Enemy (28, 4)
3. "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads (22, 1)
4. "Sexy Boy" - Air (22, 0)

NOTE: Once again, we go to the "comments preferred" rule, but after removing the uncommented ballots, the score remained tied: Public Enemy 23, Soundgarden 23. Thus, we go to the most first-place ballots, and Soundgarden wins there, 5 to 4 (4 to 3 on uncommented ballots).

In the next round: the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"



TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry (34, 7)
2. "What You Know" - T.I. (24, 3)
3. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's (23, 0)
4. "Body and Soul" - Coleman Hawkins (19, 0)

In the next round: Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime"; Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

STATISTICS

TOP TWENTY BEST-PERFORMING SONGS

1. "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (3.905 points per vote)
2. "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys (3.9) tie
2. "A Change Is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke (3.9) tie
4. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (3.882)
5. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops (3.8)
6. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana (3.778)
7. "Like a Rolling Stone" - Bob Dylan (3.765)
8. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (3.750)
9. "House of the Rising Sun" - The Animals (3.727)
10. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks (3.7)
11. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (3.667) tie
11. "Georgia on My Mind" - Ray Charles (3.667) tie
13. "Ms. Jackson" - OutKast (3.65)
14. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (3.615) tie
14. "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads (3.615) tie
16. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie (3.611)
17. "Once in a Lifetime" - Talking Heads (3.6)
18. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder (3.588)
19. "Beat It" - Michael Jackson (3.583)
20. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles (3.571) tie
20. "London Calling" - The Clash (3.571) tie
20. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (3.571) tie
20. "Paranoid Android" - Radiohead (3.571) tie


TOP TWENTY WORST-PERFORMING SONGS

1. "God Bless America" - Kate Smith (1.077)
2. "Chime" - Orbital (1.176)
3. "Back in the Saddle Again" - Gene Autry (1.214)
4. "Young Blood" - The Coasters (1.235)
5. "Hong Kong Garden" - Siouxsie and the Banshees (1.286)
6. "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" - LCD Soundsystem (1.3)
7. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens (1.333) tie
7. "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" - Queens of the Stone Age (1.333) tie
9. "You're No Good" - Linda Ronstadt (1.35)
10. "Just the Way You Are" - Billy Joel (1.353)
11. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" - Culture Club (1.375)
12. "Hot in Herre" - Nelly (1.4) tie
12. "I Want It That Way" - Backstreet Boys (1.4) tie
14. "The Only One I Know" - The Charlatans (1.412)
15. "Strings of Life" - Rhythim Is Rhythim (1.429) tie
15. "I'm Sorry" - Brenda Lee (1.429) tie
17. "It's Too Soon to Know" - The Orioles (1.450)
18. "Move It" - Cliff Richard (1.455)
19. "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston (1.467)
20. "Maneater" - Nelly Furtado (1.471)


TOP TWENTY WORST-PERFORMING SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND

1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (2.667) tie
1. "God" - John Lennon (2.667) tie
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (2.667) tie
4. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas (2.714)
5. "I Feel Love" - Donna Summer (2.75) tie
6. "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell (2.75) tie
7. "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul (2.765)
8. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell (2.769)
9. "Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley (2.778)
10. "Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino (2.8) tie
10. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden (2.8) tie
10. "Alive" - Pearl Jam (2.8) tie
13. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (2.810)
14. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club (2.812)
15. "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles (2.818)
16. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (2.842)
17. "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield (2.846) tie
17. "Just What I Needed" - The Cars (2.846) tie
19. "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan (2.85)
20. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (2.857)


TOP TWENTY BEST-PERFORMING SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "All the Young Dudes" - Mott the Hoople (3.077) tie
1. "She's Not There" - The Zombies (3.077) tie
3. "Ain't No Sunshine" - Bill Withers (3.071)
4. "All Apologies" - Nirvana (3.062)
5. "No Woman, No Cry" - Bob Marley & the Wailers (3.059)
6. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who (3.053)
7. "Rid of Me" - PJ Harvey (3.036)
8. "Try a Little Tenderness" - Otis Redding (3.0) tie
8. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - Elton John (3.0) tie
8. "Got My Mojo Working" - Muddy Waters (3.0) tie
8. "Where the Streets Have No Name" - U2 (3.0) tie
8. "Desolation Row" - Bob Dylan (3.0) tie
8. "Oliver's Army" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions (3.0) tie
8. "Atmosphere" - Joy Division (3.0) tie
15. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (2.952)
16. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince (2.95)
17. "Family Affair" - Sly & the Family Stone (2.941) tie
17. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys (2.941) tie
17. "Ace of Spades" - Mötörhead (2.941) tie
17. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (2.941) tie


TWENTY LOWEST-RANKED SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads (ranked #1009)
2. "Frankie Teardrop" - Suicide (#990)
3. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan (#920)
4. "River Man" - Nick Drake (#890)
5. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell (#882)
6. "Ashes to Ashes" - David Bowie (#878)
7. "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles (#873)
8. "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson (#870)
9. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes (#851)
10. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (#824)
11. "Just What I Needed" - The Cars (#818)
12. "Alive" - Pearl Jam (#809)
13. "Pale Blue Eyes" - The Velvet Underground (#801)
14. "Paper Planes" - M.I.A. (#793)
15. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma (#772)
16. "Rebellion (Lies)" - Arcade Fire (#760)
17. "God" - John Lennon (#714)
18. "Karma Police" - Radiohead (#709)
19. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (#696)
20. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who (#695)


TWENTY HIGHEST-RANKED SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones (#2)
2. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division (#16)
3. "River Deep, Mountain High" - Ike & Tina Turner (#22)
4. "Tutti Frutti" - Little Richard (#28)
5. "Light My Fire" - The Doors (#34)
6. "Hey Jude" - The Beatles (#35)
7. "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" - Bill Haley & His Comets (#46)
8. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis (#64)
9. "Get Ur Freak On" - Missy Elliott (#70)
10. "That's All Right (Mama)" - Elvis Presley (#72)
11. "When a Man Loves a Woman" - Percy Sledge (#73)
12. "No Woman, No Cry" - Bob Marley & the Wailers (#75)
13. "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (#79)
14. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley (#83)
15. "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees (#98)
16. "Crazy in Love" - Beyoncé (Featuring Jay-Z) (#105)
17. "Maggie May" - Rod Stewart (#107)
18. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (#109)
19. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex (#110)
20. "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" - Underworld (#113)

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 22

MORE STATISTICS

Because I didn't post any of these kind of statistics for the past few weeks of Bracketology, I've included them here.


WEEK 16 RESULTS

1. SR - 7/8 (87.5%)
2. Nassim - 6/8 (75%)
3. Harold Wexler - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. Lanka - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. Matt Schroeder - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. Midaso - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. schleuse - 5/8 (62.5%)
8. Brose - 4/8 (50%)
8. sonofsamiam - 4/8 (50%)
8. Anthony - 3/6 (50%)
8. Jackson - 2/4 (50%)
12. BillAdama - 3/8 (37.5%)
12. Greg - 3/8 (37.5%)
12. Moonbeam - 3/8 (37.5%)
15. The Lonegunmen - 1/7 (14.29%)


WEEK 17 RESULTS

1. Alex D - 8/8 (100%)
2. nicolas - 6/8 (75%)
2. Harold Wexler - 6/8 (75%)
2. Anthony - 3/4 (75%)
5. sonofsamiam - 5/8 (62.5%)
6. Greg - 4/8 (50%)
6. Matt Schroeder - 4/8 (50%)
6. Midaso - 4/8 (50%)
6. Moonbeam - 4/8 (50%)
6. pop elton - 4/8 (50%)
11. BillAdama - 3/8 (37.5%)
11. VanillaFire1000 - 3/8 (37.5%)
13. Jackson - 2/8 (25%)
13. schleuse - 2/8 (25%)
15. Nassim - 1/6 (16.67%)


WEEK 18 RESULTS

1. Harold Wexler - 5/8 (62.5%)
1. pop elton - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. Brad - 4/8 (50%)
3. Henry - 4/8 (50%)
3. Nassim - 3/6 (50%)
6. Lanka - 3/8 (37.5%)
6. John - 3/8 (37.5%)
6. Matt Schroeder - 3/8 (37.5%)
6. Midaso - 3/8 (37.5%)
6. schleuse - 3/8 (37.5%)
6. sonofsamiam - 3/8 (37.5%)
12. Moonbeam - 2/8 (25%)
13. BillAdama - 1/8 (12.5%)


WEEK 19 RESULTS

1. schleuse - 8/8 (100%)
2. Midaso - 6/8 (75%)
3. Moonbeam - 2/3 (66.67%)
4. Alex D - 5/8 (62.5%)
4. Jackson - 5/8 (62.5%)
5. Anthony - 4/8 (50%)
5. Harold Wexler - 4/8 (50%)
5. Matt Schroeder - 4/8 (50%)
5. pop elton - 4/8 (50%)
9. VanillaFire4000 - 3/8 (37.5%)
10. BillAdama - 2/8 (25%)
10. Nassim - 1/4 (25%)
10. sonofsamiam - 2/8 (25%)
10. thepris - 2/8 (25%)
14. John - 1/8 (12.5%)


WEEK 20 RESULTS

1. Harold Wexler - 7/8 (87.5%)
2. Matt Schroeder - 5/8 (62.5%)
2. VanillaFire4000 - 5/8 (62.5%)
4. John - 4/8 (50%)
4. Anthony - 2/4 (50%)
4. schleuse - 4/8 (50%)
7. Moonbeam - 2/5 (40%)
8. Jonathan - 3/8 (37.5%)
8. Midaso - 3/8 (37.5%)
8. sonofsamiam - 3/8 (37.5%)
8. thepris - 3/8 (37.5%)
12. BillAdama - 2/8 (25%)
12. Henry - 2/8 (25%)


WEEK 21 RESULTS

1. John - 6/8 (75%)
1. Matt Schroeder - 6/8 (75%)
3. Jackson - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. Midaso - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. sonofsamiam - 5/8 (62.5%)
6. Anthony - 3/5 (60%)
7. BillAdama - 4/8 (50%)
7. schleuse - 4/8 (50%)
7. VanillaFire4000 - 4/8 (50%)
10. Harold Wexler - 3/8 (37.5%)


WEEK 22 RESULTS

1. Harold Wexler - 6/8 (75%)
2. SR - 2/3 (66.67%)
3. Anthony - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. BillAdama - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. John - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. Midaso - 5/8 (62.5%)
3. schleuse - 5/8 (62.5%)
8. Matt Schroeder - 4/8 (50%)
9. Alex D - 2/8 (25%)
9. sonofsamiam - 2/8 (25%)
9, VanillaFire4000 - 2/8 (25%)




UP-TO-DATE CUMULATIVE RESULTS

OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE)
1. Michael - 15/19 (78.95%)
2. Honorio - 6/8 (75%)
2. Mindrocker - 6/8 (75%)
4. SR - 63/91 (69.23%)
5. Alex D - 74/111 (66.67%)
6. nicolas - 85/128 (66.41%)
7. Harold Wexler - 116/176 (65.91%)
8. Greg Rumpff - 5/8 (62.5%)
9. Midaso - 105/176 (59.66%)
10. Penguin - 19/32 (59.38%)

OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE) (MINIMUM 25 BRACKETS)
1. SR - 63/91 (69.23%)
2. Alex D - 74/111 (66.67%)
3. nicolas - 85/128 (66.41%)
4. Harold Wexler - 116/176 (65.91%)
5. Midaso - 105/176 (59.66%)
6. Penguin - 19/32 (59.38%)
7. brose - 75/128 (58.59%)
8. Anthony - 59/101 (58.42%)
9. Matt Schroeder - 100/176 (56.82%)
10. Lanka - 49/88 (55.68%)

OVERALL TOP TEN (BY NUMBER CORRECT)
1. Harold Wexler - 116
2. Midaso - 105
3. Matt Schroeder - 100
4. schleuse - 96
5. sonofsamiam - 90
6. BillAdama - 89
7. nicolas - 85
8. brose - 75
9. Alex D - 74
10. SR - 63

OVERALL BOTTOM FIVE (BY PERCENTAGE) (MINIMUM 25 BRACKETS)
1. Moonbeam - 49/140 (35%)
2. The Lone Gunmen - 21/54 (38.89%)
3. pop elton - 57/142 (40.14%)
4. Rune - 23/57 (40.35%)
5. VanillaFire1000 - 52/119 (43.70%)

Moonbeam, you've left that dreaded 33% in the dust!