BRACKET #26

#1 (61) INXS vs. #16 (964) FISHBONE

Australian rock band… “Don’t Change”, “What You Need”, “Need You Tonight”, “Suicide Blonde”

Ska/punk/funk/metal… “Party At Ground Zero”, “Sunless Saturday”, “Freddie’s Dead”, “Everyday Sunshine”

#8 (452) STEPPENWOLF vs. #9 (573) STEREO MC’S

Hard rock band who made their mark in 1968 with “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Born To Be Wild”. Others include “Rock Me” and “The Pusher”.

Alternative Hip-Hop/Dance… “Connected”, “Elevate My Mind”, “Deep Down And Dirty”, “Step It Up”

#5 (317) THE GO-GO’S vs. #12 (708) THE CRYSTALS

All girl new wave band… “We Got The Beat”, “Our Lips Are Sealed”, “Vacation”, “Head Over Heels”…

One of the biggest girl groups of the early 60’s… “Uptown”, “He’s A Rebel”, “Then He Kissed Me”, “Da Doo Ron Ron”.

#4 (196) ALANIS MORISSETTE vs. #13 (829) TIM MCGRAW

Alternative singer who blew up radio in the 90’s… “You Oughta Know”, “Ironic”, “Uninvited”, “Thank U”

Country dude… “I Like It, I Love It”, “Live Like You Were Dying”… others…

#3 (189) REO SPEEDWAGON vs. #14 (836) MISSION OF BURMA

70’s arena rockers… 80’s pop stars… “Ridin’ The Storm Out”, “Keep On Loving You”, “Take It On The Run”, “Can’t Fight This Feeling”.

Post-Punk… “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”, “Academy Fight Song”.

#6 (324) SARAH MCLACHLAN vs. #11 (701) THE BRAVERY

Singer/Songwriter… “Possession”, “Into The Fire”, “Building A Mystery”, “I Will Remember You”…

Post-Punk Revival… “An Honest Mistake”, “Believe”, “Time Won’t Let Me Go”, “Fearless”…

#7 (445) N.W.A. vs. #10 (580) JUICE NEWTON

The definition of Gangsta Rap… “Fuck The Police”, “Straight Outta Compton”, “Express Yourself”, “Dopeman”…

Early 80’s country pop… “Queen Of Hearts”, “Angel Of The Morning”, “Love’s Been A Little Bit Hard On Me”, “The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known)”…

#2 (68) GREEN DAY vs. #15 (957) RARE EARTH

Poppy punk… “Longview”, “American Idiot”, “Basket Case”, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”…

Early 70’s rock music with Motown soul… “Get Ready”, “I Just Want To Celebrate”, “(I Know) I’m Losing You”…

INXS... Always was a big Fishbone fan, but not against INXS...

Stereo MC's... A tough choice...

The Go-Go's...

Alanis... Can not vote for any modern country, it hurts my ears...

Mission Of Burma... This is tough, the early REO "Golden Country" etc... is very good, but the 80's power ballad REO also makes my ears hurt...

The Bravery...

N.W.A.... C'mon now, Juice Newton??? really???

Green Day... Wish there was a stronger #15 seed in this one. Just for the pure anguish of "21 Guns" I wanted to vote against them...

#1 (61) INXS

Why couldn't The National have drawn INXS instead of The Temptations?

#8 (452) STEPPENWOLF

A bit cliche but wins this matchup.

#5 (317) THE GO-GO’S vs. #12 (708) THE CRYSTALS

Cool vs lame

#4 (196) ALANIS MORISSETTE

Alanis Morisette is over-hated because her first album oversold. She's way better than most of the other acts who sold as well as her. Tim McGraw on the other hand is hated accurately.

#14 (836) MISSION OF BURMA

Post-punk > Bland mainstream

#6 (324) SARAH MCLACHLAN

The Bravery is a photocopy of similar acts.

#7 (445) N.W.A.

Hate their lyrics, love their beats.

#2 (6 GREEN DAY

Love their early stuff, hate their whiny current stuff.

#1 INXS
#8 Steppenwolf
#12 The Crystals
#13 Tim McGraw
#14 Mission of Burma
#6 Sarah McLachlan
#7 N.W.A.
#2 Green Day

BRACKET #26
#1 (61) INXS
#8 (452) STEPPENWOLF
#12 (708) THE CRYSTALS
#4 (196) ALANIS MORISSETTE
#14 (836) MISSION OF BURMA
#6 (324) SARAH MCLACHLAN
#7 (445) N.W.A.
#2 (68) GREEN DAY

Go-Gos vs. Crystals is an inspired, and very tough, pairing. Those Spector singles are just too important and too amazing, though (even if there were actually two separate groups who recorded under the name!).

#1 (61) INXS
#8 (452) STEPPENWOLF
#12 (708) THE CRYSTALS
#4 (196) ALANIS MORISSETTE
#14 (836) MISSION OF BURMA
#6 (324) SARAH MCLACHLAN
#7 (445) N.W.A.
#2 (68) GREEN DAY

1. INXS (A few months ago, I might have said Fishbone, but I’ve been re-listening to a lot of INXS lately, and they were really, really good. Kind of shocked they’re a 1 seed, though.)
9. Stereo MC’s
5. The Go-Go’s (what Harold said, although I tipped the other way—the Go-Go’s meant a great deal to me when I were a lad.)
4. Alanis Morissette
14. Mission of Burma
6. Sarah McLachlan
7. N.W.A
2. Green Day

****

MOST UNDERRATED
N.W.A (UMT 445, AM 184); The Crystals (UMT 708, AM 297).

MOST OVERRATED
INXS (UMT 61, AM 809); Green Day (UMT 68, AM 247); Sarah McLachlan (UMT 324, AM 886).

NOT AM RANKED
REO Speedwagon, Juice Newton, The Bravery, Tim McGraw, Rare Earth, Fishbone.

CLOSEST
Steppenwolf (UMT 452, AM 546).

#1 (61) INXS
#8 (452) STEPPENWOLF
#5 (317) THE GO-GO’S
#4 (196) ALANIS MORISSETTE
#14 (836) MISSION OF BURMA
#6 (324) SARAH MCLACHLAN
#7 (445) N.W.A.
#2 (68) GREEN DAY

NWA vs. Juice Newton is the funniest pairing yet!

#16 Fishbone - INXS, worst #1 seed in the UMT
#8 Steppenwolf
#5 The Go-Gos
#4 Alanis Morrisette - She definitely had a different POV that was interesting to listen to
#3 REO Speedwagon - guilty pleasure
#6 Sarah McLachlan - but please, let's give "I Will Remember You" a rest for a little while...it's worked hard enough the last decade.
#10 Juice Newton - just another case of the Juice keeping us down
#15 Rare Earth - never got in to Green Day, but oddly enough I like Green Day imitators, MxPx

#1 (61) INXS
#8 (452) STEPPENWOLF
#12 (708) THE CRYSTALS
#4 (196) ALANIS MORISSETTE (Probably one of the few people who really loves both artists)
#3 (189) REO SPEEDWAGON
#6 (324) SARAH MCLACHLAN
#7 (445) N.W.A.
#2 (68) GREEN DAY

At this point in my research I have only done singles... At some point I am going to get to albums and the rankings will change dramatically.

Winners from bracket #26...

INXS 92.3% / Fishbone 7.7%
Steppenwolf 57,7% / Stereo MC's 42.3%
Go-Go's 76.9% / Crystals 23.1%
Alanis 88.5% / Tim McGraw 11.5%
REO 61.5% / MOB 33.5%
Sarah McLachlan 66.7% / The Bravery 33.3%
N.W.A 96.4% / Juice Newton 3.6%
Green day 92.3% / Rare Earth 7.7%