ROUND 2, WEEK 11

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.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#60: "Loser" - Beck
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel


REMINDER: You must comment on ALL the songs in order for your ballot to count.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
Great, great, great pop, whenever I listen to it, waves of nostalgia wash over me. One of the few downright perfect pop songs.
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
As extremely overrated as this song it, its still in my top 300 songs, and its still a great pop song. But the 32nd best song ever???
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
Like Brown Eyed Girl, this song is a real nostalgia trip. Years ago it probably would have been number 1, but its still a great song.
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
As amazing as Hendrix is, this song still doesn't rise any higher than number 4. Too bad.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
The greatest song of the last decade by one of the greatest bands of the last decade. The entire thing builds up to a slow climax, with all the instruments slowly being added to the song, until the entire thing erupts. It's like Stairway to Heaven, if Stairway to Heaven was about friendship and life and growing old and was made 37 years later. Hell, it's better than Stairway, because these lyrics actually mean something to me.
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie
NOOOOO!!!! Why does this song have to go against "All My Friends"? Both of these songs make my top 10 songs of all time, but unfortunately Heroes is just a tad bit lower. In any other bracket, this song would win by a mile. It's Bowie's best song, and it's damn near perfect.
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground
Great song, its ability to transfix me never ceases to amaze me. The entire song is, in a way, hypnotizing.
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith
Maybe 14 year old me would have put this song first, but over the years my opinion of this song has kind of declined. But still, the song is really good and does reside in my top 500 songs. But it's no match for the top 3.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#60: "Loser" - Beck
One of the definitive 90's songs, it perfectly captures a zeitgeist that few songs have been able to do.
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead
One of Radiohead's best, and the second best song on OK computer. The ending of this song is so well done, it sounds like the whole thing is spiraling out of control, Thom Yorke, the music, everything.
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane
Easily my favorite jazz song, and it's the opening song on my favorite jazz album. And it's by one of my favorites jazz artists. But even that isn't good enough to boost this song higher, which cements my opinion that jazz is an album based genre.
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin
One of Aretha's best songs, but still no match for the top 3.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
Probably The Beatles second of third best song ever, and for the past 5 years has remained a constant fixture inside m personal top 20 songs of all time. All I'm thankful for, is that this song didn't wind up in the same bracket as All My Friends and Heroes. That would just be too much.
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Incredible song, and one of CCR's best. The song explodes with such a great energy.
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones
A song I've always found a tiny bit overrated, but still a really good song.
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel
I love Simon and Garfunkel, but this song just isn't strong enough for Round 2.

DAMN good brackets this week
BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 (Love it. It's MJ at his early best)
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison (This kills me deep inside. I love this song)
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Killer guitar solos. Could have won some of the brackets from last week)
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden (4th? How?)
MOPL (My Own Personal Listy): I Want You Back

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith (I love this song, but it's completely screwed over because of two other songs...)
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie (I honestly don't see why this is considered Bowie's best. He has better songs, Changes, Space Odity)
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground (Another song that I don't think is as great as it's said to be. Give me something from Loaded)
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem (I just don't like this song)
MOPL: Dream On

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead (My favorite Radiohead song)
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin (Love it. Go Aretha!)
#60: "Loser" - Beck (In the times of chimpanzees I was a monkey.)
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane (Decent)
MOPL: "Smooth", Santana

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles (My Favorite Beatles song)
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (My band does a good cover of this song)
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel (In a bracket with three songs in my top 100, this one gets the short straw)
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones (Has no shot against these 3)
MOPL: Strawberry Fields Forever

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. #32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5: Impossible to argue with, one of the greatest pop songs of all time.
2. #225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: An absolutely insane showcade of riffing and solo'ing and done in an extremely soulful manner.
3. #97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison: Kind of bland, but not a bad song. Maybe I've heard it a few too many times.
4. #353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden: Not really my thing.

The next bracket is so absurd. It makes the Brazil/Portugal/Cote D'ivore World Cup bracket look weak.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. #198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem: There might well be a day when this song sits at the top of my "Best songs of all-time" list. Seeing it performed live at Terminal 5, belting out the lyrics with my two best friends, and taking part in the crowd's shared euphoria might have been my very favorite musical experience.
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie: A T20 song for me, it could win pretty much any other bracket. "Heroes" vs AMF is just such a clash of titans.
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground: Amazing song from an amazing album, that unfortunately stands no chance.
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith: Not completely awful, but like most of what Aerosmith does it's pretty weak. In a bracket like this it's almost laughable.

That bracket is ridiculous. 3 of the songs are top 25 for me at the moment.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
Joy and fun beats out technical virtuosity by a hair. You can't listen to this song and not smile. It's that infectious. Just so, so happy.
2. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
And Jimi takes the silver. Feels bad to put a song this monstrous in the #2 spot, but I couldn't possibly have "I Want You Back" any lower.
3. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
Gloom and doom never sounded so fantastic. I don't know which is more memorable for me, the song or the video. It's one of the creepiest videos I've ever seen, but oh, what a monster of a song.
4. "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
And the easiest #4 of the week comes in the first bracket. I'm pretty sure I said it back in the first round, but this is not that great a song. Overplayed like no other; I think it's a law that all "oldies" radio stations in the U.S. have to play this song at least once an hour. Interestingly enough, it's also one of the more famous pop music victims of bowdlerization; some "puritanical" radio stations edit out the "making love in the green grass" line. But it's time for this one to go. Hell, it's past time.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie
For a long time, I was only familiar with the edited version of this song, which omits the first verse or so, so when I finally got my hands on a copy of "'Heroes'" the album, I was a little taken aback to hear the full version. I've always said that a great song can't last long enough, and hearing the full version of this song called that belief into question, but I've finally come around. It really is a great song. Full of hope, yet cynical at the same time.
2. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
I just love how this song builds and builds for the whole seven minutes. I know that a lot of people love the lyrics, but for me, it's all about the music. It's so simple and repetitive, but for some reason it's so hypnotic to me. Love it, love it, love it.
3. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground
It took me a long time for me to come around on this one. I didn't understand the acclaim for this song for a long time, but finally decided to give it a real listen. And the way the song rises and falls, just like a heroin rush (from what I've heard), is truly a stroke of genius. But does it make for the kind of song that I'd want to listen to on a whim? Not really.
4. "Dream On" - Aerosmith
Ah, Aerosmith. I'm always so torn on whether or not I like them. There are songs that I believe are truly great ("Sweet Emotion", the original "Walk This Way"), and then they have moments that just make me shake my head ("I Don't Want to Lose a Thing", "Crazy", "Cryin'"). I truly believe them to be a great hard rock/blues-rock band, but when they go commercial and/or slow, I can't stomach them at all. "Dream On" isn't nearly as good as their best work, but it's not nearly as bad as some of their other work. Still, it's a decent intro to a band that could be great and terrible, all within the same song.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane
Now, I'll admit that I'm not *that* big a fan of "A Love Supreme" the album. I know that it gets tons of acclaim, and jazz aficionados (and even a lot of jazz non-aficionados) rank it as one of the best albums of all time, but I guess I just haven't given this album a proper shake. Still, I would not be able to look myself in the mirror if I didn't have it in the top spot, especially against these songs.
2. "Loser" - Beck
I gotta say, this isn't as strong a bracket as it might originally appear. "Loser" is a very good song, but I don't think it's an amazing song. Yeah, it's Beck's "signature" song, and it's the one that everyone thinks of when they think of Beck. But is it Round 3-worthy? I don't think so.
3. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin
Aretha had so many great songs from this era, but in the grand scheme of things, this isn't one of her best from that time. Sure, the song itself is a good one, but I don't think that in this instance, Aretha's presence made it a terribly wonderful rendition. Good, but hardly great.
4. "Karma Police" - Radiohead
Someone needs to stand up and say no to the Radiohead mania. I'll be that person.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel
S&G was one of the best vocal groups ever, and this is maybe their best song. On top of that, it's one of the most beautiful sons I've ever heard. And the last verse has some of my favorite lyrics: "In the clearing stands a boxer/And a fighter by his trade/And he carries the reminders/Of every glove that laid him down/Or cut him 'til he cried out/In his anger and his shame,/'I am leaving, I am leaving'/But the fighter still remains" To me, this is a perfect song.
2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
It wouldn't surprise me one bit if this song got the win here. And while I can't say I have anything against it, I can find some (very) minor faults with it (e.g. the vocals during the verses sound a bit too laid-back). But it really is a great song.
3. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
It's an excellent song, and deserving of its acclaim, but it gets used in EVERY Vietnam War movie, and unfortunately, I find myself reaching for the fast-forward button more often than not when it comes on.
4. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones
Just can't really say I'm a fan of the Ramones.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18 : by far my favourite bracket this week
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem : one of my favourite songs of the decade, for the same reasons as Matt. Concerning SR point of view, it's not my very favorite musical experience, mainly because I was not with the friends I would have liked to, but saying that the crowd was in a shared euphoria is quite an understatement, one of my top live musical experience too, shortly behind Wake Up by Arcade Fire.
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground : hypnotizing, the repeted rushes are fabulous and the slow part quite amazing too
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith : sounds like easy listening compared to the other 3 which are all strange songs with massive crescendos, but it's a relic of a time where heavy guitars still had a lot to say. Great intro, great chorus, great solo, the recipe to transcend critics and massive success in a classic rock song seems to have been forgotten (even though I'm not sure that song had that much success by then...)
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie : it is quite interesting that my #1 probably owns a lot to my #4, however I can get why 'Heroes' is that much acclaimed but it does not do much to me, except for the way Bowie sings in the last third of the song. Still, it would have been at least #2 in any other bracket.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival : I mostly don't care much for CCR, but this (and a few others) are the exceptions
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles : I would go with Matt in this one, I often think while hearing it that it is great but could have been even better with a few changes, which seems a bit odd for a band that much attached to details as the Beatles
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel : cute songs but not among my favourite of its album
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones : I was one of the few to vote for "I wanna be sedated" against all odds, but this one is much less fun and efficient

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 - Probably the most purely fun song in the AM top 100 or so, or maybe ever.
2. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Really, this is the song that showed everyone who'd ever picked up a guitar that he was the benchmark by which all other guitar players would be measured.
3. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden - For all the doom and gloom it's an extremely well-written song, and if it weren't for the middle section it would fit in on Abbey Road or the White Album.
4. "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison - This song is to radio what "Law and Order" is to TV - it's always on.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem - It's outrageous the way this song just builds and builds (as has been mentioned before, many, many times). It's the "Common People" of the 00's.
2. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground - Not a song I listen to often, but it's nonetheless brilliant and probably the archetypal drug song.
3. "Dream On" - Aerosmith - Not as terrible as everyone says it is, and it's got some brilliant guitar work.
4. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie - SH2B4, but this is a great song. "Life on Mars" is much better though, so I can't say this is his best.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Karma Police" - Radiohead - The top two songs are both subtly great, and perfect pop songs, but I give the nod to the one with the great outro.
2. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin - A very understated song; yet the arrangement and backing vocals, like the rest of the song, are just sublime.
3. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane - Great jazz, but not quite as good as the top two.
4. "Loser" - Beck - I'm not a huge beck fan; this is pretty good though.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel - Matt's comments made me realize - this song has some darn good lyrics to go with its flawless melody and arrangement.
2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles - One of the Beatles' most praised songs, but that's just cause it's weird; it's very effective though too, though they have better songs on the two albums preceding it.
3. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Yeah it's the ultimate 'Nam song, but it's also CCR's best and most energetic.
4. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones - It's my favorite Ramones song but it doesn't hold up next to these 3.

I've noticed people are calling Brown Eyed Girl the most overplayed song, so I have to ask- Which is more overplayed, Brown Eyed Girl or Stairway?

Stairway to Heaven. But I've found that on local radio stations, More Than a Feeling and Carry on Wayward Son are far more overplayed.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
One of the best guitar songs ever.
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
Quite simply one of the catchiest pop songs there is.
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
Good song. I don't listen to the stations that overplay it, so I can't testify to that. What I think really makes this song is the string part.
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
Good song, out of it's league.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
One of the songs in the running for single of the decade.
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground
What really makes this a great song is all the pace shifts that are supposed to represent a heroin rush. The drum sounds like a racing heartbeat, and it all expresses the feeling of helplessness.
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie
Great song. One of Bowie's most accessible singles.
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith
Really good rock song with an epic feel, but outclassed in this bracket. It's weird listening to old Aerosmith songs. Compared to Steven Tyler's current voice you wouldn't even recognize it. Maybe it's because he embellishes his voice more now.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#60: "Loser" - Beck
One of those good songs with great lyrics. Fun to listen to, fun to sing along with. Still the best in a bit of a weak bracket.
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin
Good catchy song but not on the level of some of the other Aretha Franklin songs in the competition.
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead
Good song but shouldn't be considered one of their best. I don't even think it's in the best half of OK Computer.
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane
I like it but it feels a little homogenous.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel
This bracket is two of my favorite songs and two I don't care for. I'm going with The Boxer, because aside from it's musical beauty, it's got in my opinion the best lyrics in rock history. "Such are promises, all lives and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest". That's the kind of thing I'd put in my signature.
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
One of the great melodies in pop songs, great dreamy feel. The instrumentation is a little thin.
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
No band sounds more archetypally like "Rock and Roll" than CCR.
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones
Lots of dull repetition.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden

Both "Brown Eyed Girl" and "I Want You Back" are in my top 100, fantastic songs. People should really stop voting against things that are overplayed; how is that the song's fault? "Voodoo Child" is pretty awesome, certainly a lot more awesome than the interesting but outclassed "Black Hole Sun"

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith

Wow, what a bracket. "Heroin" and ""Heroes"" happen to be #72 and #73 in my all time top 500 (interestingly enough "Brown Eyed Girl" is #70 and "I Want You Back" #79, that's 4 songs in the 70s) and both of the other songs also make the top 500, albeit in the 300s.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane (The best jazz song ever. Period.)
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin (Easy #2 for Aretha, but there's a big gap on either side)
#60: "Loser" - Beck (Just.. incomprehensible what this is doing in the top 3000 at all. I don't mind Beck but "Loser" is.. nothing. The most head shaking entry on the entire website for me)
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead (I'm with you Matt! I don't actually prefer Loser but I figure I need to correct things a little)

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones

"Fortunate Son" and "The Boxer" are both excellent songs, "Strawberry Fields Forever" is probably one of my top 10 Beatles songs (*just* outside my top 500) and "Sheena.." is endlessly entertaining but not really very special.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20 (strong)
1. #225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience /
The intro is really magnificent, but after half a minute this song really rocks. Possibly the one song with my favorite guitar-work. Hendrix' voice also works well on this song.
2. #97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison /
Another great intro on the guitar, but totally different. Van's voice fits in even better on this one. Really relaxing atmosphere. I've loved this song for a long as I can remember, way before I got familiar with Van's other work.
3. #32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 /
Like some others, I don't get it's positioning. It's a lot of fun alright, and probably the best song of the Jacksons, but it's just not that good. Nice blend of pop and soul. And I like the simple keyboard melody. Let you go!
4. #353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden /
The beginning is not that good, but the chorus and the progression of this songs are really good. Still a level lower than the first two songs, but could have been number three on another day.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18 (strong)
1. #59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie /
I like the forward-driving rhythm that just never stops. One of my favorite post-glamrock Bowie songs. Since I listened to LCD-Soundsystem's new album I always think of one the songs on that album when listening to Heroes, and vice versa.
2. #187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground /
The build-up is more than just great. From nice and slow, to mesmerizing, to frenzied and noisy. And back and up again. One of the highlights of the famous album.
3. #443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith /
Probably my second favorite Aerosmith song, behind Sweet Emotion. Way more beautiful than the best songs of Guns'n'Roses and not nearly as whiney as Bon Jovi. Closer to Led Zeppelin. Or something.
4. #198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem /
Altough this one is good, personally I undoubtedly prefer a song like Losing My Edge. It's a bit too long, and it just doesn't grab me as much. I know it's a favorite on this board, sorry guys.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18 (average)
1. #709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead /
A very, very easy winner. Well, it's my favorite song, by my favorite band and one of my favorite songs anyway. Highly influenced by Lennon's wonderful Sexy Sadie, but more varied, more beautiful and more interesting.
2. #188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin /
One of my favorite Franklin songs. I like the soul and gospel touch here. The background voices are almost as important as Franklin's own voice (especially during the chorus), and that says a lot in her case.
3. #60: "Loser" - Beck /
Nice beat and good choice of instruments. The chorus does it all. Hard to classify in any genre, which is surely not a bad thing, of course. A little repetitive though.
4. #444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane /
Top class jazz, but, like almost always, jazz works better as albums than as songs. And that applies even more to Coltrane's A Love Supreme. Still a shame to put this last, it surely deserves better.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20 (strong)
1. #112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival /
One of the most important songs of CCR and maybe their most mature. The lyrics are pungent and the content is quite different from the usual CCR song. I like that as it really fits Fogerty's outstanding voice very well.
2. #17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles /
Lennon at his psychedelic best. The varying instruments really work well together, including the string-part. Ringo does a really good job as well.
3. #657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel /
One of the few S&G songs that I only really got to appreciate after quite a lot of spins. Nice arangements and some well found sounds. I like the rhythm as well. And the 'La-la-lai' part doesn't even annoy. I am sorry to put it here.
4. #273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones /
The best Ramones song I've ever heard, it's catchy. But not at all in the same league as the other three songs, as it is too simple, among other things. Somehow I can hear a lot of Beach Boys influences on this one. Maybe that's why I like it more than other Ramones songs.

Some songs are overplayed and somehow still remain fresh. THAT is a true sign of greatness. Anyway, anyhow...


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20

1. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5: A bona fide Motown classic, and still the best child pop performance there has been.
2. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Pure voodoo blues set to a psych-metal production.
3. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden - I'm more of a Badmotorfinger guy. Mixing psych with grunge here, plus that now rather dated production, just grates.
4. "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison: Pales so much in light of his best work, the constant overplaying has driven me to never want to hear this again. Can't be objective anymore, sorry.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18

Good lord, what a top 3.

1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie: The best production, guitar, and vocal performance on any Bowie track. Absolutely faultless.
2. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground: It won't win this, but this is the best track on VU&Nico.
3. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem: Great song, though I think I love it most for subtly bringing Steve Reich influences into the open.
4. "Dream On" - Aerosmith: Probably their best, but had absolutely no shot in this group.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18

1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane: One of the greatest jazz tracks there has ever been, somehow Coltrane and his band blend one of the most purely impassioned pieces of spirituality with primal, smoking jazz. Glory be.
2. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin: More spirituality in this bracket, from someone who knows the topic. Though I still prefer Dionne Warwick's version.
3. "Loser" - Beck: Sounded great stuttering out of the airwaves in '94, still an interesting listen today.
4. "Karma Police" - Radiohead: "Sexy Thommy, what have you done? You've made a fool of everyone!" Maybe the 10th best track on OKC?

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20

1. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones: In a late '60s love-fest, I'm gonna go with easily my favorite Ramones track, which in itself is an early '60s love-fest.
2. "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel: Their best song I think, spine-tingling in its best moments.
3. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles: I suspect this will win this bracket running away, and while it's certainly great, it's never moved me emotionally at all. And I think it's supposed to.
4. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival: Great rabble-rousing, but I like Fogerty best when he's more contemplative, and CCR the band when they're more murky.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison--Best song of the group. This is largely due to the fact that Van Morrison is the performer.
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience--Great song, no matter who does it.
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5--Not as good as other Jackson 5 songs, but decent.
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden--I've just never been a fan of this song. They have much, much better options.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith--Great song. Tyler has some of the greatest vocals of all-time.
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie--Great song by a great artist.
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground--Although a good song, especially knowing what's behind it, they were never really a favorite.
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem--Fun song, but that's about it for me.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#60: "Loser" - Beck--One of the greatest songs ever. I can never be in a bad mood and listen to it.
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane--Sheer beauty.
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin--Fun song. Not sure it should be this high.
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead--I was never really a fan of this group.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival--Pure revolution. Always makes for a good song.
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel--It's the "lai, lai lais" that always get me.
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones--FUn song by a great group.
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles==I never really understood the hype around the Beatles and still don't. They have great songs, this just isn't one of the best.

Since Brown Eyed Girl is one of the songs this week, I might as well mention a little experience I had back in May. We were learning about the 60's in social studies, so my teacher played some 60's music, including Brown Eyed Girl.
Then, a few periods later, this girl who I', friends with went up to one of her friends and said, "you're my brown edey girl".
So, I told her what the song was about and she laughed.

BEETHOVEN 20
1. VOODOO CHILD (SLIGHT RETURN). This takes it by just a hair; it’s a case of a song I’ve loved for a long time edging out…
2. I WANT YOU BACK. …a song I’ve only recently really started to appreciate. (And I still have to mentally listen “past” the lead vocal to do so.)
3. BROWN EYED GIRL. Nice enough…I can take it or leave it.
4. BLACK HOLE SUN. I can leave it. I mean, it’s not terrible, but it sure ain’t a top 400 song.

TCHAIKOVSKY 18
1. HEROES. For once, AM’s songs list has it exactly right—this really is Bowie’s best song. Pitchfork used it to kick off their survey of the best 500 songs 1977-2007, and it couldn’t be a more appropriate choice.
2. HEROIN. It’s truly amazing what the artistic marriage between Reed and Cale accomplished, and this is one of the finest showcases for both of them. Throw in the career-defining performances by Morrison and Tucker, and…why am I voting for this at #2, again?
3. ALL MY FRIENDS. I really, really like LCDS, and I think this is a good song…however, I’m surprised that it placed so highly on so many EOD lists. I must be missing something…
4. DREAM ON. Possibly Aerosmith’s greatest track, but still an easy #4 pick here.

WAGNER 18
1. KARMA POLICE. Is it too mean of me to wonder whether this song is undervalued by my fellow Radiohead fanatics because it’s too catchy for OK Computer? It’s a beautiful, beautifully constructed, killer song.
2. LOSER. Last round I compared “Loser” to “Creep”…in retrospect, that’s not a great comparison. Unlike “Creep”’s relation to Radiohead’s later career, everything that Beck Hansen would go on to do in his career—both good and not so good—is prefigured in this song. It’s a good ‘un.
3. I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER. One of Aretha’s best, partly just because it ranges from gospel breaks to references to makeup. In other words, the sublime and the ridiculous—except that it’s all sublime.
3. A LOVE SUPREME PT. 1: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. As happens to me sometimes, I’ve got a truly outstanding jazz track by one of the genre’s true titans—and I have no idea how to compare it to the rest of the bracket, so I’m placing it here by default. Not fair, no…but then, I don’t think Love Supreme is Coltrane’s best, anyhow.

SIBELIUS 20
1. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER. It’s very difficult to write a great rock song about childhood (and all too easy to write an awful one). Lennon hit the bullseye here, though, and the secret is that he doesn’t forget how absurd it is, much of the time, to be a little kid.
2. SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER. I love the Ramones, and this isn’t even their best song.
3. FORTUNATE SON. I don’t much care for Creedence, but this IS their best song, by a long shot. So much late 60s stuff sounds pretty wet now, but not this.
4. THE BOXER. Immaculate, pretty, exquisite, and I can’t get all that excited about it.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Quite possibly the greatest guitar track ever, by the greatest guitarist ever. It’s basically a 5-minute continuous solo, but it doesn’t ever feel like wankery, because everything he did was so damn effortless.
2. "Black Hole Sun" – Soundgarden: The “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” of the 1990s – great band with a lot of first-rate songs, but with one that simply towers over the rest of their catalog and will forever define them.
3. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5: As I (and many others) have said before, a case can be made that Michael Jackson’s very first record was the finest he ever made. Infectious, irresistible, and brilliantly arranged and performed.
4. "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison: A classic, but also one of the most obscenely overexposed and overplayed songs of all time. Does anyone really need to ever hear it again?

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground: An amazing bracket (although I’ll cop to a steep drop between #3 and #4), but Lou Reed’s magnum opus (with John Cale’s roller-coaster viola coming as close to the scary rush of the title drug as most of us will likely ever want to get – but I guess that I don’t know) is very much first among equals here.
2. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie: As Bowie would be the first to acknowledge, it’s not as non-ironically inspirational as the many who’ve co-opted it would like to think – which kind of makes it MORE inspirational (even people who can be mean or drink all the time can be heroes, just for one day). Anyway, it’s the soaring music that makes it immortal, and there’s nothing ironic about that.
3. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem: The culmination of one of the greatest three-song sequences on any album, ever; I love the two preceding tracks more than this one, but that doesn’t make James Murphy’s slow-building epic reverie any less brilliant.
4. "Dream On" – Aerosmith: My classic-rock roots are showing yet again – I love this song. Yes, it’s portentous and more than a little cheesy, but admit it: you can’t help singing along or straining for that falsetto, either.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane: I know, I had “So What” at #4 a few weeks ago (and I feel bad about that), and if ever a jazz track was tied inextricably to its album, it’s the opening movement of Coltrane’s masterpiece. But #’s 2 and 3 here are not their artists’ best, and even if they were this is just so ridiculously majestic that it’s no contest.
2. "Karma Police" – Radiohead: It got more airplay than any other track on The Greatest Album of All Time, but it’s not close to the best. That’s not saying much, though, and the white-noise coda kills me every time.
3. "Loser" – Beck: Much like Radiohead, his first hit seemed to mark him as yet another alt-rock one-hit wonder – even more so, since it was more overtly a near-novelty record. The rest of MELLOW GOLD revealed his substantiveness and how “Loser” fit into it, but the song itself now seems tied to a particular era in a way the rest of Beck’s music doesn’t.
4. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin: Easiest #4 of the week. I love Aretha, but I’ve always preferred Dionne Warwick’s original. The Queen of Soul and Bacharach/David don’t really mix.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles: The brain and the heart battle it out for #1 here, and for me the brain gets the edge. Not that Lennon’s half of rock’s greatest two-sided single isn’t plenty heartfelt, but its brilliance lies in its sheer headiness, and the audacious production genius (all hail George Martin) required to create it in the first place.
2. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival: “SFF” ‘s lyrics have been endlessly debated; this one couldn’t be any simpler, by contrast or otherwise – poor kids die while rich kids play and John Fogerty’s pissed off. But it’s the hard-charging music, which matches Fogerty’s righteous anger, that makes it rock’s most enduring protest song.
3. "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel: One of Simon’s greatest creations, with an extraordinary arrangement (like everything S&G ever did, really) and a survivor’s tough-mindedness that cuts through his tendency toward preciousness.
4. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones: I keep putting Ramones songs in last place in this round; I really do love them, but I’ve never really been a huge fan of this one.

BEETHOVEN 20

1. JAckson 5 - I want you back - wickedly infectious and so very well sung.
2. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo child - I can only imagine this at the end of Electric Ladyland, but what an ending it is.
3. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl - I hadn't really heard this before, so I can't claim "overplayedness" as a factor - I just don't think the song's that good.
4. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun - outclassed simply, in a weakish bracket.

TCHAIKOVSKY 18

1. VU - Heroin - The song that got me into thinking that music could be more than merely pleasant to the ears - the lyrics are first rate, simultaneously drawing you in, and horrifying. Best song by one of the best bands on the planet.
2. Bowie - "Heroes" - Would be #1 in about 98% of brackets. Probably the catchiest that Berlin Bowie gets and my word it's a great singing performance.
3. LCD Soundsystem - As Harold says, North American Scum leads perfectly into Someone Great which leads perfectly into this powerhouse. In the era where no one really has the balls to have an 8-song-6-minutes-each album when they can make millions making a simple 3 minute radio hit, it's just so refreshing to see James Murphy and co. really pushing the boat out as music goes.
4. Aerosmith - Dream On - I listened to it, and really liked it, but then again I like the above three a lot more.

WAGNER 18
1. Beck - Loser- The ultimate cool song, I just laugh when he says "yo" bjust before the chorus. Not his best, but certainly his greatest.
2. Aretha Franklin - I say a little prayer for you - everyone grows up knowing this song, a testament to just how powerful an icon Aretha is.
3. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement - the most relaxing album starts with an excellent song. The mere fact that it's #444 on a list which dicsriminates towards singles is astonishing.
4. Radiohead - Karma Police - for me the better songs on OKC are - Exit Music, Paranoid android, let down, climbing up the walls, Lucky, No surprises. I really don't understand what the fuss is about regarding this song.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. Beatles - SFF - Great song, it's John Lennon at his peak.
2. CCR - Fortunate Son - great explosive song. Excellent lyrics.
3. S&G - The Boxer - It's one of those songs where you have to listen to the lyrics to get the full kick. As said above, great lyrics they are.
4. Ramones - Sheena is a punk rocker - on the side of the ramones that I can handle but even still, I'm yet to get the appeal of Ramones.

Best #1 song - Heroin
Worst #1 song - Loser
Best #4 song - Karma Police
Worst #4 song - Sheena Is A punk rocker

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5

I Want You Back is the Toy Story of singles, enjoyable by listeners of all ages. Everything comes together on this track to produce a truly joyous listening experience.

#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

I don't really enjoy listening to this song much, but I remain in awe of its guitar work.

#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden

It's cool that a Soundgarden song made it this far; it's unfortunate that it's this one. "Black Hole Sun" isn't even in the group's top ten, yet it somehow is by far their biggest hit and signature song. Everyone who thinks this is the group's best song needs to spin "Jesus Christ Pose" immediately.

#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison

I wish this song hadn't been played to death by every crappy hotel and restaurant performer so I could properly evaluate it. Everyone on this site knows Van Morrison reached far greater heights a year later on Astral Weeks.



TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18

#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground

This is the kind of bracket that truly frustrates me. Why are three all-time greats stuck together when tons of ho-hum winners have gone through this round? I saw it coming by looking at the bracket months ago, but that makes it no less frustrating. "Heroin," by the way, is my all-time number 7, a track that manages to be both harrowing and beautiful.

#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem

Here's an original opinion: this is one of the best songs of the decade. The production is absolutely perfect, building from the simple yet infectious intro keyboard riff to a magical wall of sound.

#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie

Fripp, Eno, and Bowie are like the 70s rock all-star team. All of them are at their best on this single track.

#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith

Beyond cliche at this point, "Dream On" is now past the point where I would call it a good song and has become downright annoying.


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane

The coolest thing left in this tournament, "Acknowledgement" is on a higher plane of greatness than most of the other tracks in the competition. Coltrane is so locked in that every note of sax is perfect, and the chant at the end manages to be catchy in an odd sort of way. An all-time top 50 track.

#60: "Loser" - Beck

Too bad it had to face "Acknowledgment." "Loser" would win about 90% of all round two brackets, it's an absolute jam that sounds as cool today as it did in 1994.

#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin

I wonder how Aretha got so many songs into the second round. This song isn't bad, but isn't exceptional either.

#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead

This song, its album, and Radiohead in general have been steadily declining for me in recent months. I attribute this mainly to the fact that I am no longer emotionally affected by them.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival

One of the few classic rock songs deserving of its title, "Fortunate Son" is a smashing success in every aspect a single could succeed at: it's short, meaningful, urgent, and well-performed.

#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones

The best Ramones song by a long shot, "Sheena" seems like a culmination of everything the band was going for.

#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles

An excellent song, but I rarely spin it anymore.

#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel

I really like this song--it's perhaps the best by S&G--but it is the victim of another strong top-to-bottom bracket.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#225: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ Electric Ladyland is an absolutely amazing album, and for this to follow All Along the Watchtower just kills me. The wah-wah intro is one of the greatest moments of modern rock, and it also features some of Jimi's most excellent solos.
#32: "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 ~ You know, before I knew what this sounded like, I always thought that I was hearing ABC, which has been a lot more overplayed. Now I know this is so much better than ABC. Michael's bum notes kind of ruin it, but it's a hard task to completely ruin a song this joyful.
#97: "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison ~ It's alright, and probably one of Van Morrison's best, but he never really gripped me as a songwriter or a performer.
#353: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden ~ It's not a bad grunge song, but grunge doesn't really grasp me, and it's in quite a strong bracket.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie ~ I never used to think that this was that brilliant, but it was really made to be heard in its original full length, with Bowie's vocals in the second half being especially heart-wrenching and sincere. It is with hearing that that it all clicks into place: this is a GREAT song.
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem ~ I haven't warmed up to LCD Soundsystem that much, but this is certainly a pretty good song.
#443: "Dream On" - Aerosmith ~ Easily one of Aerosmith's greatest. Here, they make something fit for classic rock stations, unlike their later risible "cock rock", especially Dude (Looks Like a Lady) and Big Ten Inch Record.
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground ~ I really don't see why The Velvet Underground are so acclaimed. In fact, things like Heroin are, in fact, quite bad.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane ~ A Love Supreme does work best as an album, yes, but does that mean the individual tracks themselves can't be the best out of this bracket? Its bassline/theme is one of the most iconic and monumental in jazz, whichever mode it's being played in.
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead ~ It's not my favourite from OK Computer, but it certainly shines in its relatively bleak middle, amongst Let Down, Electioneering and Climbing Up the Walls.
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin ~ The best interpretations are ones that actually improve apon the original. This arrangement easily beats the Dionne Warwick by really emphasising the power of Aretha's passion for her lover, while Warwick's just sounds like the soundtrack for any stroll in the park - like all of her Bacharach/David songs, then.
#60: "Loser" - Beck ~ It's a good song, but I've never really found anything from Beck pre-Odelay to be particularly fascinating.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
#273: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones ~ I just love this one. A perfect showcase of how the Ramones didn't invent punk with the revolutionary intention that people like The Sex Pistols did, but just because they loved rock and roll, and wanted some extra rock.
#657: "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel ~ Really beautiful folk, with some powerful poetry and melodies as well.
#17: "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles ~ One of the greatest Beatles songs, in that it hardly sounds like The Beatles at all.
#112: "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival ~ I still like this song - this is a pretty strong bracket - but it just doesn't seem to be as powerful or anthemic as everyone claims it to be.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience:Great guitar work,one of the great album closers
2 - "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5:Brilliant pop song,sort of a guilty pleasure as is all their other singles...
3 - "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison:Known it about as long as I've known music,never stood out as anything particularly amazing.
4 - "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden:OK song,definitely not up to the level of the others here though

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
1 - "'Heroes'" - David Bowie:Surprisingly,this is the easy winner for me despite great competition. A masterpiece,his finest ever performance
2 - "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground:Not my favourite off the album,but it's the best - classic.
3 - "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem:I've warmed to it a bit over the last couple of years. The ranking on here is probably about right,a lot of people think it should be higher but I'd disagree.
4 - "Dream On" - Aerosmith:Unfortunate bracket to be in,their best song and a classic rock standard

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1 - "Karma Police" - Radiohead:Not in my top 3 or 4 on the album,but good enough to win this bracket
2 - "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin:One of my favourites of hers,great song
3 - "Loser" - Beck:Don't play it very often,always thought it was a bit overrated.
4 - "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane:I just can't compare jazz to other genres. Since I never listen to it,it has to be #4

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones:Fun song,my favourite of theirs
2 - "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel:Wonderful arrangement and lyrics,classic
3 - "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles:Doesn't get many plays these days(nor does much of their catalogue) but it's obviously great.
4 - "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival:I like CCR but this track has never really done much for me...

Hey gang. Just got in. Voting for this week is now over.

Four brackets, and all four were VERY close. But your winners for Week 11 hail from Gary, IN, London, Los Angeles, and Liverpool.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 (52 points, 7 first-place votes)
2. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (50, 6)
3. "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison (35, 3)
4. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden (23, 0)

In the next round: Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"; Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years"


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie (51, 6)
2. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground (48, 4)
3. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem (44, 5)
4. "Dream On" - Aerosmith (27, 2)

In the next round: TBA


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Loser" - Beck (39, 4)
2. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane (38, 6)
3. "Karma Police" - Radiohead (37, 5)
4. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin (36, 0)

In the next round: Aretha Franklin's "Respect"; Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"; the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Hey Joe"


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles (46, 5)
2. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (43, 5)
3. "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel (40, 3)
4. "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" - The Ramones (31, 3)

In the next round: Radiohead's "Paranoid Android"

Well, that'll teach me to put Loser in the place I actually thought it deserved. So close..