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Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

Second-to-last week of Round 1. Here we go!




WEEK 31

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s:
1930s:
1940s:
1950s:
1960s:
1970s:
1980s:
1990s:
2000s:

Also of note:
Two songs from the Beethoven bloc
Two songs by the Rolling Stones
Two songs by Grandmaster Flash


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.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
#460: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
#565: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
#972: "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
#122: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
#634: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
#903: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#86: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
#427: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
#598: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
#939: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
#505: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]
#520: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
#1017: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
#194: "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
#319: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
#706: "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
#831: "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#33: "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
#480: "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
#545: "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]
#992: "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#15: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
#527: "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
#1010: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#256: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
#257: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
#768: "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
#769: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

Matt Schroeder

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
#460: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
#565: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
#972: "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]

Looks like Manchester's 3rd greatest band will finally get a song through...

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5

#460: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
#565: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
#972: "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]
Pretty good bracket - but none of the placements are particular close for me.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4

#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
#122: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
#634: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
#903: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
Top three in this bracket are all very good. I don't remember the Jones song.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#86: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
#427: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
#598: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
#939: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
I thoroughly enjoy the Top 3 in this bracket

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
#505: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]
#520: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
#1017: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
Again, I enjoy the top 3, not so much the Supergrass song.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
#194: "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
#319: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
#831: "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]
#706: "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
I am not familiar with the 808 State song.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#33: "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
#992: "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
#480: "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
#545: "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]
I think that the Stones tune will be very competitive in upcoming bracketology rounds.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1

#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
#527: "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
#15: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
#1010: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]
I thoroughly enjoy the first two songs in this bracket - not so much the other two. The Message has grown on me but it is still far from a fave - I actually stopped listening to some radio stations in the early '80's because they played The Message too often for me.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#256: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
#257: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
#768: "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
#769: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]
Clearly my least favorite among these brackets.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Blue Monday" - New Order
2: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy
3: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four
4: "Money Honey" - The Drifters

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1: "Let It Be" - The Beatles
2: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip
3: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones
4: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash
2: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher
3: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash
4: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
2: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry
3: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC
4: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1: "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
2: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson
3: "Pacific State" - 808 State
4: "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1: "Day Tripper" - The Beatles
2: "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn
3: "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin
4: "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "You Get What You Give" - New Radicals

Its status as a one-hit-wonder (as unfortunate - incomprehensibly criminal, even - as that status may be) is a distant and inconsequential sidebar to the fact that it's one of the most remarkable pop songs of the last 15 years. On the surface, a feel-good summer smash (even though it charted highest during winter '98) propelled by the youthful exhuberance of frontman Gregg Alexander, but listen a bit deeper and you'll find a song that, musically, clearly doesn't fit the mold of a "hit", yet was a huge chart success. And deeper still is a song with a timeless message about living for what's important and being true to yourself, which is then segued seamlessly with a precocious satire of pop - more specifically, pop personalities - of the time (a controversial section which helped its success, at a cost of notoriety to the group, which may have even factored in their breakup). The song is perhaps elevated slightly by the fact that the band never released anything other than the lone album 'Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too', but there's no denying the extremely clever, intelligent lyrics, the fantastic diaphragmatic-breath-or-your-screwed vocals, and the jubilant melody. The Wikipedia page quotes three extremely diverse artists: The Edge ("I really would love to have written that"), Ice-T, who praised it during an appearance on Conan, and Joni Mitchell (who regarded the song for "rising from the swamp of McMusic, like a flower of hope"). If there's one thing that I hope is taken from this inconsequential cyber-ramble, it's that at least one person who reads this takes it upon themselves to check out the only New Radicals album in existence; in my opinion, one of the truly great "only-album-from-the-artist" albums. It's an atypical pop/rock LP, but an extremely rewarding and enjoyable one.

2: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
3: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp
4: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z)
2: "Fever" - Little Willie John
3: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters
4: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
2: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
3: "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]
4: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1: "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
2: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
3: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
4: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
2: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
3: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
4: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]
2: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
3: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
4: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1: "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
2: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
3: "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
4: "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1: "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
2: "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
3: "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
4: "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
2: "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
3: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]
4: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
2: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]
3: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
4: "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
"The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
"I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
"Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
"Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
"Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
"Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
"Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
"And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
"Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
"I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
"We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
"My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
"Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
"Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
"Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
"All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
"Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
"Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
"Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
"Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
"Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
"Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
"The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
"Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
"You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
"Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
"Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]
"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
"Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

Special feature this week: how much money you would have to pay me to never hear each song again.

VERDI 5
1. BLUE MONDAY. $8000. I’d love to hear a good DJ do a mashup of this song with “Like a Rolling Stone.” (“How does it feel?”)
2. I FOUGHT THE LAW. $143. If I throw in the Clash cover, it would cost you $14,300.
3. MONEY HONEY $78. The more I listen to this, the stranger Clyde McPhatter’s vocals sound. It’s like Louis Prima on serious mood depressants.
4. THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN I would pay $12 to never hear this again.

HAYDN 4
1. AND I WAS A BOY FROM SCHOOL $930. The price is inflated because I’ve only heard it five or six times. But it’s crazy good fun, and it’s nice to know the nerd-rock banner still flies high.
2. HONKY TONK WOMEN $110. Price is deflated for the opposite reason. Of the Stones’ major singles, this is almost certainly the runt of the litter. Rule of thumb: the easier it is to parody Jagger’s performance, the more disposable the song.
3. LET IT BE. $33. Last week, we had an overrated Beatles song from George…and here’s one from Paul. It’s not bad, really, but its chronological placement in the Canon seems to me to be the main reason for its acclaim. (Paul’s ACTUAL most overrated Beatles song, as well as John’s, both lie just outside the tournament. Hint: they both appear on the same album as this one.)
4. PULL UP TO THE BUMPER. €3. No ghost in this machine.

SCHUBERT 12
1. I WALK THE LINE. $11,000. Second week in a row with a great Sun single from the MIB. No way a song with this many key changes should avoid coming off as twee, but Johnny’s earnest vocals hold it together. And seriously, how many great songs do we have about NOT philandering?
2. ROCK THE CASBAH. $750. The song that finally put the Clash in the US top 10, just as the band was disintegrating. Doesn’t reach the level of their 70s stuff, but it’s still a fun song, built on a wonderfully spiky guitar riff by Mick. Extra points for filming the video in Austin before Austin was cool.
3. WE ARE FAMILY. $190. The price would be higher, no doubt, if I were a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.
4. MY RED HOT CAR. $99.95.

MAHLER 1
1. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. $7500. Marvin recorded his version before Gladys and the Pips did theirs, but Gladys’ single came out first. I like to think this was just good sportsmanship on Marvin’s part…
2. ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN. $1050. Possibly Chuck Berry’s stupidest great song…and I mean that as a compliment.
3. HIGHWAY TO HELL. $666. A friend of mine (a music critic) has a 3-year-old daughter. “Highway to Hell” is her favorite song, and she sings a very energetic version of it in her high-pitched Arkansas accent. While throwing down metal hands. I will never be able to think of this song as anything other than cute ever again…but then, AC/DC’s always been kind of adorable, no?
4. CAUGHT BY THE FUZZ. £55.

BACH 6
1. DON’T STOP TIL YOU GET ENOUGH. $110,000. On the shortlist of the best dance songs ever, as far as I’m concerned this is the apex of MJ’s career.
2. RELAX. $10,000. FGTH were so drenched in hype, from record bans to runaway memes on goofy t-shirts, that it was hard for seeerious critics to take them seeeriously. But “Relax” is just a fantastic song, one of the 80s’ best. It will endure for a long, long time, towering above all limp imitators, joyfully spraying its fertilizing influence into every nook and cranny of smart dance music.
3. ALL SHOOK UP. $200. This is as good a signpost as any for where Elvis gave up all pretense of being a “white man with a black sound” and began a long descent into schlock. A little less cooing and vamping, a little more action, please.
4. PACIFIC STATE. $8.08.

BEETHOVEN 9
1. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL. $70,000. It’s a tossup between this and “Gimme Shelter” for the Stones’ best song. It certainly has some of the best, and creepiest, lyrics in history.
2. DAY TRIPPER. $33,333. Circumstances have put the Beatles behind the Stones in two of my brackets this week, but this is a great, great song—amazing melodic progression, Ringo cutting in and out very effectively, and many other cool embellishments. On the single, it was paired with “We Can Work It Out,” and I can only imagine how fantastic that must have seemed when it came out in ’65.
3. DAZED AND CONFUSED. $201.
4. COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER. $200.

LISZT 1
1. SWEET JANE. $300,000. The single greatest thing Lou Reed did after John Cale left his orbit. I have very little to say about it—hearing this song is just one of my favorite experiences. Jane, ssshhhe iza….CLURK!
2. THE MESSAGE. $12,000. By a long shot, this is AM’s highest-rated rap song, and it should be: clever and powerful, with terrific performances. And, ironically, Grandmaster Flash had nothing to do with it…nor did most of the Furious Five!
3. THIS IS HARDCORE. $5000. The followup to Different Class was so spiky and un-user-friendly, Jarvis might as well have just mooned everybody on BBC1 and have been done with it. A shame, because it was a good album, and this is probably Pulp’s second-best song.
4. YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE. After Anthony’s encomium, I don’t have the heart to put a price on this one, which left me cold the first time I heard it and hasn’t grown on me at all. I find it neither catchy nor clever—the reverse, actually. But I’d love to have whatever Anthony would pay…

BEETHOVEN 2
1. UMBRELLA. $900. Prediction: this will be the youngest song in the round of 256. And, just on the basis of being a really, really good summer-defining hit, it’ll deserve it.
2. THE ADVENTURES OF GRANDMASTER FLASH ON THE WHEELS OF STEEL. $600 in a variety of randomly assorted currencies.
3. FEVER. $200.
4. ONLY YOU. $60. Sounds like it could have been recorded right on a Bronx street corner. But pure doo-wop isn’t really my thing.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
2. "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
3. "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
4. "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]

Easy win for "Blue Monday", very boring bracket otherwise.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
2. "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
3. "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
4. "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]

Easy win for Hot Chip, not really my favorite Beatles or Stones songs.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
2. "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
3. "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
4. "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]

Really easy win for Cash, the other 3 are a toss-up, all good in their way.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
2. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
3. "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]
4. "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]

My favorite Chuck Berry song wins this one. Supergrass would do so much better with their next album.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
2. "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]
3. "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
4. "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]

My #1's are all so clear this week.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
2. "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
3. "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]
4. "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]

Tough group, Loretta actually could win on days when I'm in the mood. Never thought "Day Tripper" was all that.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
2. "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]
3. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
4. "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]

A really strong Top 3. "The Message" is still chilling and brilliant, so an easy winner. And creepy Pulp ends up beating poppy VU. I'm with schleuse, "You Get What You Give" has never done a thing for me.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
2. "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
3. "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
4. "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]

It's very pleasing to be able to give Grandmaster Flash 2 #1s in one week.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976] – Yes, the lyrics are gleefully dumb (at one point “place” is rhymed with “place”) and thuggish and sexist. Yes, the whole thing is a baldfaced Springsteen rip. But it’s another one of those classic-rock chestnuts I’ve loved all my life. And those guitars still kick serious ass.
3. "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]: An iconic ‘80s record if ever there was one.
3. "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]: A longtime favorite oldie (by one of rock’s most horrifically tragic early casualties), but one that I’ve grown tired of hearing. (Has anyone heard the track from the last Art Brut album whose key line, hilariously, is “I fought the floor and the floor won”?)
4. "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]: Classic early R&B that brings up the rear in a good-but-not-great bracket.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]: As I’ve written before, what I love most about this classic single is the way the arrangement slowly builds, from a lone (more) cowbell to a roaring full band with horn section. Keith and Charlie never sounded so in sync as they do here.
2. "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]: Presumably, the AM entry for this track encompasses both versions – the tastefully understated single and the Spectorized album version that adds both a syrupy choir AND a notably sloppy and splattery lead guitar. Fortunately, Paul’s song is strong enough to survive just about anything, with help from Billy Preston.
3. "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]: I need to listen to them more. I like what they do, but they’re not a favorite.
4. "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]: With Jones, style doesn’t just trump substance, it annihilates it – the image is much more striking than the music it’s ostensibly there to accompany. Her well-chosen covers are more interesting than her originals.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]: You know, I’ve heard this song a million times but never really realized until recently how strange the chord structure is – each verse is in a different key. Cash’s lyrics and voice and entire persona are so utterly commanding, though, that he makes it sound not only natural but inevitable. It blows the rest of this bracket out of the water.
2. "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]: A great Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards production that quickly wore out its welcome at the time due to overexposure; it’s stood the test of time quite well.
3. "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]: I love the Clash, and I was happy that they landed a top 10 hit, but I’ve never much liked the song itself.
4. "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]: Electronica that’s more vibrant than usual, thanks in no small part to its shameless vulgarity (car? what car? I hear nothing about a car).

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]: This is a great bracket top to bottom, but Motown’s mightiest single still stands head and shoulders above the rest.
2. "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]: It may be true that Australia’s bad boys – now Australia’s bad late-middle-aged men – have essentially just recorded dozens of versions of the same song over the years, but some versions of that song still stand out, and this ode to the glorious clichés of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle is definitely one of them.
3. "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]: Berry was a bluesman who somehow had a knack for telling the rock ‘n’ roll kids what they wanted and needed to hear, in their own language, particularly on this truly iconic “this is YOUR/OUR music” record. It almost hurts to put it at #3.
4. "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]: Brilliantly punchy brevity-is-the-soul-of-wit Britrock, but no chance of being anything other than last in this group.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]: The lead track and first single of OFF THE WALL announced that the prodigy had matured into a full-fledged artist, and an argument can be made (not by me, but it can be made) that he never actually topped it.
2. "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]: How he could sound so effortlessly relaxed when he was already one of the most famous people in the world is beyond me. But he WAS the King.
3. "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]: Holds up better than you might think.
4. "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]: Again, I get it but it’s not for me.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]: One of their very best, which means it’s one of THE very best, highlighted by Keith’s spikiest guitar solo and the most appropriately demonic piano playing ever on a rock record, courtesy of the one and only Nicky Hopkins.
2. "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]: One of their best pure rockers, with an absolutely killer riff and some of Ringo’s most inspired drumming. The bridge of this record is just about as exciting as the Beatles ever got.
3. "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]: A highlight of their debut, and an enduring classic-rock staple.
4. "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]: I never really listened to Lynn’s signature track until this week. It’s a brilliantly detailed slice of iconic country songwriting, and it’s a shame it’s up against three favorite tracks by three favorite bands.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]: Did Reed realize he was writing such an instant classic when he first came up with that brilliant riff and those fascinating lyrics? Who the hell ever knows what he’s thinking? He probably sniffed and muttered, “Yeah, this one’s not too bad, I guess…”
2. "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]: The more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it not only for its historical importance but as a great record in its own right, with a sense of urgency that unfortunately hasn’t dated a bit.
3. "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]: One of the great one-shots of the alt-rock era – heck, one of the great one-shots, period. An endlessly listenable song. (FUN FACT: One of the members of the group was Danielle Brisebois, the former child star who played Stephanie on ARCHIE BUNKER’S PLACE; she’s carved out quite a career as a songwriter and producer, most notably cowriting Natasha Bedingfield’s ubiquitous “Unwritten.”)
4. "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]: The grandiose title track of their follow-up to DIFFERENT CLASS doesn’t top “Common People,” but few songs could. Like much of the best Pulp, it’s insinuatingly perverse and brilliant. SH2B4.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]: It’s one of the most acclaimed singles of the last decade for a reason. A fantastically effective pop song with an unforgettable vocal hook and a wonderfully old-fashioned bridge that really makes the whole track fly.
2. "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]: I had never heard this pioneering track – the original mash-up – until just last night. Man, does it live up to its reputation. “Hey, you think THIS is stealing? Wait ‘til I show you what Queen did to Chic!”
3. "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]: Another classic that I’d never paid close attention to until this week. I was stunned to realize that Peggy Lee’s version has an almost entirely different set of lyrics! Little Willie’s original is a much more traditional R&B song both lyrically and musically, and it’s every bit as good in its own way. (It’s apples and oranges, really.)
4. "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]: First-rate and obviously well-sung, but dated.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
#634: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
#122: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
#903: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
I love the way Hot Chip can put melancholy in such danceable tracks !

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#86: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
#427: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
#939: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
#598: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
Nothing bad here but nothing exciting either

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
#1017: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
#520: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
#505: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]

All those songs are classics, but right now I would enjoy Supergrass more than any other. So sure I heard it... is one of the closest to perfection song ever made, but I Should Coco is a wonderful and overlooked brit-pop album, full of instant doses of pleasure like that song.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#1010: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]
#527: "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
#15: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
Tough call between the first too here, but I will give my first vote to the wonderfully built This is Hardcore, with its beautiful chords and its crescendo. The Gainsbourg influence is heavy here I guess, but I see that as an honour for French artists godfather. P.S : I don't get Sweet Jane, at all

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#256: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
#257: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
#768: "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
#769: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
Great, emotionally precise single. (As if there was any chance of it losing on this board.)
#972: "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]
I have a soft spot for doo-wop, even if it's kind of cheesy.
#460: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
Straightforward rock and roll. That's not a bad thing, but it does make it limited in it's appeal.
#565: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
Cheesy hook.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
#122: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
The Stones do country so well.
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
Not bad for the swan song of the most popular rock band of all time.
#903: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
One of the most criminally underrated acts of the 80s.
#634: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
Good song, not great.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#86: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
Cash has so much charisma in his voice.
#598: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
Good fun pop song. Doesn't need to be eight minutes long at all.
#427: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
Combat Rock was a good album but not as good as their less mainstream oriented work.
#939: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
Another one of those way too stiched-together-sounding electronica songs.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
Motown was really an incredible record company. They didn't just bring out their performers' talent, they enhanced it with impeccable production quality.
#520: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
Chuck, THANK YOU for making popular music awesome.
#1017: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
One band I probably need to look into more.
It#505: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]
I strongly dislike the lead singer's voice. And their songs seem to all be "WE ARE SO F***ING TOUGH!" I just don't care for AC/DC at all.



BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
#706: "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
Unlike anything else I've ever heard. A perfect blend of ambient electronica and jazz. Why didn't I know this exists?
#319: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
Pre-MTV Michael Jackson is criminally underappreciated in his canon.
#194: "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
I heard this as part of a Weird Al polka meddley years ago. I always pictured it as a synth-pop song. I never imagined the song was awesome. (And listening to this now I'm surprised it was mainstream enough to get into a Weird Al song.)
#831: "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]
Post-gimmicky Elvis is overrated. At least at this point it had that energetic rock and roll feel instead of that glossy orchestral crap.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#33: "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
This has to be one of my 'Desert Island' songs. Not only is it perfectly produced and performed rock, it has some of the best lyrics in rock. It's too bad it's in the same 16th of the draw as Like A Rolling Stone. If they both make it to the third round that's going to be an impossible decision for me.
#480: "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
A great song from one of the great guitar rock bands.
#992: "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
A Beatles song. Nuff said.
#545: "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]
I'm a big fan of Loretta Lynn. She has a lot of charisma and talent. What I don't like as much is her country music marketing. "Look at me, I have such a meager upbringing! Isn't it so unlikely that I grew up to be famous?" There's this whole attitude in southern culture that anyone who doesn't have the same roots as them is less real a human being.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#15: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
This is a great song, a real expression of frustration. Remember that Puff Daddy song that took the chorus, except changed 'How I keep from going under' to 'Why they want to take us under?' When did rappers get together and decide to stop expressing actual emotions and instead get passive aggressive and self-persecuting? Some time around the mid nineties.
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
One of the best VU songs not on & Nico.
#1010: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]
Good song. Not great.
#527: "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
Counter-culture for sale, $9.99! "Fashion shoots with Beck and Hansen, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson, KICK YOUR ASS INTO YOUR MANSION!" *bleck*


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#768: "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
Swinging classic.
#256: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
This is in general a good song, but it's another one that really shouldn't sound so completely artificial. With Motown style production this song would be a lot better.
#769: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]
Okay song, kind of bland.
#257: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
Way too stiched together. Influential in a bad way.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

In my opinion,this week has 2 of the great dance records of all time - Blue Monday and Pacific State. What a pity the latter is getting an absolute flogging...

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 - "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
2 - "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
3 - "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
4 - "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1 - "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
2 - "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
3 - "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
4 - "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 - "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
2 - "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
3 - "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
4 - "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1 - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
2 - "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
3 - "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
4 - "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
2 - "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
3 - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
4 - "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 - "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
2 - "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
3 - "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
4 - "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1 - "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
2 - "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
3 - "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
4 - "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]

Greatest round 1 bracket of all time without question

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
2 - "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
3 - "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]
4 - "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
#460: "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
#565: "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
#972: "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]

I think all of these songs are ranked properly.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
#634: "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
#122: "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
#903: "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]

I was disappointed at Let It Be's high finish in the songs poll. In my opinion it's not even in the Beatles top 50, with almost no emotional or lyrical significance to me. The other three songs are quite solid, with "Boy From School" being the best song Hot Chip's ever done.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#86: "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
#427: "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
#939: "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
#598: "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]

Never knew there was any acclaim for "We Are Family." Top two are miles ahead of the bottom two.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
#1017: "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
#520: "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
#505: "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]

"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" is the lord and master of this group, but "Caught By the Fuzz" is growing on me.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
#319: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
#706: "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
#194: "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
#831: "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]

Wow, "Pacific State" is great! Best discovery of the week. Unfortunately it still gets rolled by my favorite Michael Jackson song, which is possibly the best dance/pop song ever made.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#33: "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
#992: "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
#480: "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
#545: "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]

Interesting bracket here, with three gigantic bands. "Sympathy For the Devil" is my second-favorite Stones song, "Day Tripper" used to be one of my favorite Beatles tunes but is on the decline, and I've never really liked "Dazed and Confused." "Coal Miner's Daughter" got turned off after about thirty seconds.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
#15: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
#527: "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
#1010: "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]

Best bracket ever? Any of these four would finish first or second in any of the other brackets this week. "Sweet Jane" is an absolutely perfect rock song, defeating Grandmaster Flash's hip-hop opus.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#257: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
#768: "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
#256: "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
#769: "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]

Grandmaster Flash's second-best song this week does what The Message could not: dominate its bracket.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

Got it in with a scant 18 minutes to spare.




VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy [1976]
Close one, but I gotta go with the guitar classic.
2. "Blue Monday" - New Order [1983]
I do enjoy it, but I really don't understand why it's so acclaimed, nor do I understand how it became such a big-seller in the U.K.
3. "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four [1966]
Definitely enjoyable, but it can't really stack up against the other two songs here.
4. "Money Honey" - The Drifters [1953]
Corny. Fun, but corny.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Let It Be" - The Beatles [1970]
VERY close call for me between the top two here. This one has an almost religious quality to it though, and it's so pretty. Just one question: has anyone ever bothered to count how many times Paul sings the phrase "let it be"?
2. "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones [1969]
Down-n-dirty rock-n-roll. Fantastic stuff. I even love Elton's rendition of it off "11-17-70" (which is a very underrated live album, by the way).
3. "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones [1981]
Pleasant enough dance-pop, and it's got a great funky beat. But given my choice of Grace Jones tunes, I'll take "Slave to the Rhythm."
4. "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip [2006]
Aside from the song "Playboy," I just can't seem to "get" Hot Chip.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash [1956]
Winner by default, if only because the other three here are mediocre at best.
2. "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash [1982]
I've said before that I prefer the Clash when they were making more "mainstream" music (like this or "Should I Stay or Should I Go"), but I'm not really a big fan of this song. Good, yes. But not great.
3. "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge [1979]
A nice little diversion, but hardly a serious contender in this weak bracket.
4. "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher [2001]
Really? Why?

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye [1968]
Great song, but at #8, it's a bit too high.
2. "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC [1979]
http://ambracketology.com/jesus.jpg
I'm going to burn for that...
3. "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry [1956]
Great song from an era that I don't ever give enough credit (the '50s), but just up against two songs that I prefer a little more.
4. "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass [1995]
Goin' chalk here. SHTB4, but this is a fairly easy pick in this bracket.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Pacific State" - 808 State [1989]
I don't care if I'm the only one who puts this at the top spot. I love this song. So chill. So many trip-hop acts owe a debt of gratitude to this song.
2. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson [1979]
Great, great song. Considering my general distaste for disco, that's saying something. This is about as close to perfection as pop songs get.
3. "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley [1957]
Not a fan of the King.
4. "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood [1984]
Even less of a fan of FGtH.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
So much has been said about this song. I can't really add much now. It's just a classic.
2. "Day Tripper" - The Beatles [1965]
Great song; it's just up against a legendary track.
3. "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin [1969]
I don't know why it took me so long to ever get into this song. For so long, I just listened to about five or six different Zepp songs (of which, this wasn't one of them). Finally I decided to listen to this one, and it's startlingly psychedelic. Still, this is a tough bracket.
4. "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn [1971]
Never been a big fan of "twangy" country music, and the opening notes of this one just instantly turn me off.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp [1998]
I don't care if I'm the only one who puts this in the top spot. I love this song too. If I could write music, this is the song that I wish I had written. Symphonic and sexy at the same time, but the second-to-last line is what seals this song's greatness (for me, at least). Cocker's greatest touch is knowing that all this eroticism is a lot of fun, but it's oh so empty. What DO you do for an encore?
2. "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1982]
The song that showed that rap could be political and not just about having fun and partying. At #15, it's a bit too high, but not by much.
3. "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals [1998]
I don't like that I'm putting this one in the #3 spot, but this is a stacked bracket (for me, at least). One of the best songs of the late '90s, I still wish the New Radicals could have done more than just this one. Fantastic stuff.
4. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground [1970]
SHTB4, but what a 4.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Fever" - Little Willie John [1956]
Winner by default. Like the bracket above, the rest of the songs here are mediocre at best.
2. "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters [1956]
Try to forget that this song has been used in countless movies about the '50s, and listen to it on its own merits. It's not half bad. A little hokey, but still pretty good.
3. "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five [1981]
Without a doubt, the longest song title in Bracketology. And an excellent example of turntablism as an art form, but the song as a whole leaves me kind of cold.
4. "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) [2007]
And then there was Rihanna. How this song became such a massive hit is beyond me. Pass.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

Voting for this week is now over.

I realize that I've slacked off quite a bit in posting the results for the last few weeks. I will post them all tomorrow.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 31

RESULTS


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Blue Monday" - New Order (39 points, 7 first-place votes)
2. "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy (32, 4)
3. "I Fought the Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four (24, 0)
4. "Money Honey" - The Drifters (15, 0)

In the next round: the Human League's "Don't You Want Me"; the Kinks' "Lola"; Charlie Parker's "Koko"


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Let It Be" - The Beatles (38, 6)
2. "Honky Tonk Women" - The Rolling Stones (35, 2)
3. "And I Was a Boy from School" - Hot Chip (29, 4)
4. "Pull Up to the Bumper" - Grace Jones (18, 0)

In the next round: Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay"; the Beach Boys' "I Get Around"; Nick Drake's "River Man"


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash (43, 8)
2. "Rock the Casbah" - The Clash (36, 4)
3. "We Are Family" - Sister Sledge (23, 0)
4. "My Red Hot Car" - Squarepusher (18, 0)

In the next round: the Beatles' "In My Life"; the Who's "I Can't Explain"; My Bloody Valentine's "Only Shallow"


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye (44, 9)
2. "Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry (33, 1)
3. "Highway to Hell" - AC/DC (24, 1)
4. "Caught by the Fuzz" - Supergrass (19, 1)

In the next round: James Brown's "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine"; Sly & the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music"; Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car"


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson (36, 4)
2. "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (28, 3)
3. "Pacific State" - 808 State (25, 3)
4. "All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley (21, 1)

In the next round: Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"; Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"; the Chemical Brothers' "Block Rockin' Beats"


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones (38, 8)
2. "Day Tripper" - The Beatles (31, 2)
3. "Dazed and Confused" - Led Zeppelin (27, 1)
4. "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn (14, 0)

In the next round: Prince & the Revolution's "Purple Rain"; the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes"


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground (36, 5)
2. "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (32, 3)
3. "You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals (28, 2)
4. "This Is Hardcore" - Pulp (24, 2)

In the next round: Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"; Pixies' "Debaser"; Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris"


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Umbrella" - Rihanna (Featuring Jay-Z) (37, 6)
2. "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (32, 3)
3. "Fever" - Little Willie John (32, 3)
4. "Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters (19, 0)

In the next round: Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"; the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"; Big Star's "September Gurls"