ROUND 2, WEEK 14

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.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles


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

Just a reminder: I'm going to be out of the country from July 20 to August 13, so this is going to be the last week of Bracketology until I get back home.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (When you first hear the name of this song, you'd expect it to be a ballad, but it's really about LSD.)
#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles (the song is was too funky to put any lower. All night long!)
#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson (Johnson couldn't sing for crap, but he could sure play.)
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor (It's a bueatiful cover of a great Prince song, but it's nothing compared to these other 3.)

How did all the rap end up in the same bracket????
CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson (The obvious winner in this bracket.)
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast (I put this song ahead of the other two because of it's message.)
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys(This song made it, but the Message didn't?)
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul (I can't take this damn bracket anymore!)

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie (Love it. So where were the spiders???)
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan (A lyrical materpiece.)
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles (They have better songs.)
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley (Good, but not better than My Girl.)

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses (My favorite song is in the strongest bracket of the week. Figures.)
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (An excellent song that would have won any other bracket this week.)
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles (The fact that this is third shows the strength of this bracket. Both of Revolver's best songs are in this week's brackets, unfortunately not both will make it through.)
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes (Something has to be fourth.)

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor
I like this version so much better than the original. Sinead's performance rivals that of Buckley in terms of emotionality. (HJG=7)

#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
Nice piano and keeps changing enough to make it interesting throughout. Ray delivers on the vocals. Not much lyrically as far as I can tell. (HJG=7)

#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
I never thoroughly enjoyed this song. The sitar and atonality are a bit off-putting for me. Very creative and innovative, but I will often skip this song. (HJG=11)

#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson
I haven't yet acquired a taste for Mr. Johnson. Perhaps after Todd does his reinterpretation, I will start to get a clue.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
I am predisposed to picking pop, and this song is great pop by Michael
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast
One of my top 4 faves from OutKast
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul
Good song, but not close to number 2 in this bracket for me
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
I still don't fully appreciate the Beasties.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
Rated a 6 on my arbitrary scale (where 1 is the best and songs can rate as low as 20 if I can't stand them). Clever, simple and enduring (at least for me). Gets props in Nick and Norah's Infinite Play List. I still get happy when I hold my wife's hand.
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
Gets a 9 on HJG's scale (anything less than 11.2 indicates that I typically enjoy the song. This song is quite enjoyable and demonstrates the glibness and coolness of Bowie, nice guitar and transitions as well. The vocals have a bit of an edge to them - but I'm not sure that said edge enhances the song for me.
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley
I really don't love the very soft first 20 seconds or so, but the rest of the song works well for me. Buckley's emotional range continues to bring me joy. The sparseness of the instruments really helps make the vocals all that more pronounced.
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan
Great lyrics, effective composition - but Dylan's vocals are especially annoying to me on this song.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
A Hendrix classic (HJG rating of 6)
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses
Clean and exciting guitar. Probably my fave from G&R (HJG=7)
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes
Diana delivers nicely hear. She's got a feeling that hurts so bad, and doesn't provide the emotionality of Buckley - but the harmonies are great. (HJG=7)
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles
Beatles do a pretty good job of story telling on this song. Nice use of strings with the vocals, excellent phrasing. (HJG=8)

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson
In a great bracket, this one, in my opinion, is head and shoulders above the rest. With such little production he channels so much raw emotion into the song. It's just plain amazing. Nobody can do what Robert Johnson does even with modern studio technology, much less with all solo acoustic.
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
Cool trippy philosophical song. Though the farther separated I am from college the less the whole 'Don't worry about personal goals, just sit back and like existing' thing appeals to me.
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor
Great perfectly produced pop song.
#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
Great song but a little formulaic. Something has to be fourth place in this bracket.




CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
Other than being an incredible pop song, it has some of the greatest lyrics in pop music history.
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast
Really intense song.
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
One of their better songs. The thing that keeps me most from liking the Beasties is some of their albums offer little variety, and a lot of their early voice has annoying whiny-sounding screaming. But Sabotage suffers from neither of these problems.
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul
Good song but outclassed in this bracket.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
Great harmonies and simple catchy melodies.
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
I like the riff and melody a lot. Bowie's voice can wear on me a bit.
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan
Nice folk song that offers up some of the greater questions surrounding human existence. But it pales in comparison to what Dylan hit on starting in 1965, and some of it's philosophy comes off as a bit naive, particularly compared to the stuff he wrote after he intellectually matured.
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley
Great song, a little weak in this bracket.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses
A beautiful emotional rock song with an amazing gutiar riff.
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles
Great lyrical pop song. One of those songs that redefines pop.
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
One of the great guitar songs.
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes
Nice pop song but a bit overly cute.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles : I consider those 4 songs as 4 songs you can not possibly dislike but rather far from my top 500. Among them, the Beatles takes the lead with a song totally out of its era ; many Beatles songs are great but sound like "60s music", this one is just ahead of its time. Much more than Setting Sun, it is the 3 first Chemical Brothers album which come straight from here, definitely one of the most innovative and still great to listen songs ever.
#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles : the 3 other songs are great for their singing mostly, and this one is both the most entertaining one and the one with the best music going with the voice, so 2nd place !
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor : what I like most here is that Sinead never feels the need to force her voice, she lets it go naturally and that's the best way she could have sung it
#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson : as much as I like some of his songs, it's not something I would be likely to listen

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast : one of my top 10 songs ever with 2 incredible verses (among the best verses in hip-hop history) followed by a manic solo : uplifting
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys : To answer to BillAdama, I would agree that Licensed to Ill and Check Your Head don't offer enough variety (but are incredibly different from one another) but one of the main reason why the BBoys are my 2nd favourite band ever is that they are the most versatile band I know : Paul's Boutique, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty are full of songs from different genres and styles (Hello Nasty probably being the best example). To come back to Sabotage, it might not be in my top 5 of them anymore but is still linked to lots of good memory which makes the difference here. Tough decision vs #3
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson : close to perfection indeed, but not enough to top 2 personal favourites.
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul : might be my favourite song that I have to put at #4 since the beginning of bracketology

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie : massive guitar, great vocal delivery, it was one of my favourite songs to play on Guitar Hero 1 (or 2?) and still has not really been topped among the "easy to play" ones. The soft parts are just introduction for the heavy ones, the one that matters most here !
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles : great pop song, one of the finest of Beatles early years
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan : tough for this one to end 3rd compared with some brackets of the previous weeks ; a very fine song but far from the top 2 anyway
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley : Grace is one my favourite songs ever, but I consider Jeff's other songs just to be good. Not enough for this great bracket.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles : used to be my favourite Beatles song, still one their most touching for me
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses : back to GH : when you can play the first 2 minutes in expert with not much effort and almost no mistakes, you start having a decent level I think !
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience : never forget how good Redding and Mitchell were, the drummer is responsible for a great part of the greatness of the song here !
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes : another SH2B4 to end this awesome week !

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles - These 4 songs against each other are pretty much a wash, so I'll give it to the one I can enjoy the longest (and the one that invented soul music).
2. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles - It is the Beatles' most far-reaching and experimental work, and I enjoy, even if I haven't listened to it for a long time.
3. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor - It might be the best pop song of the decade it kicked off, and Prince wrote it, so you know it's good.
4. "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson - As a song, it's utterly astounding, but as a recording, the old-timeyness just doesn't hold up, which is a shame. Had he been around 30 years later he'd have rivaled Hendrix.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson - A song that definitely deserves its AM ranking; it really is one of the best ever. It's catchy but dark, with amazing lyrics and a stunning vocal performance (that was done in one take!), and if you wanted to you could just dance to it and not notice any of those things.
2. "B.O.B." - OutKast - Really, this is just a ridiculous song. It's proof of how inventive and interesting the man known as Andre 3000 really is.
3. "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys - A great bass line and equally great video, but it isn't in the league of the top two. Few songs are.
4. "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul - It sounds like George Clinton meets the Revolution, with lyrically adept rapping, which is awesome, but SH2B4.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie - This bracket is weaker than the others; number one is a great song, but at best it's the third-best song on its album.
2. "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan - Yes, it's simple, but that's the point. It serves it purpose, which is to: A. ask important questions about racism and B. sell millions of copies.
3. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles - Not even close to their best early single, but its the Beatles, so you can't really complain.
4. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley - A very good song that works better in the context of Grace than by itself.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles - One of their defining records, thoughtful and melancholy while still as melodic as any of their best songs. It's defined the role of string instruments in pop music since it came out.
2. "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses - Far and away their best song, with a mind-blowing riff and solid structure (love that breakdown).
3. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The most overrated and overplayed Hendrix song.
4. "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes - Not a fan of the Supremes; I love Motown but I feel like the Supremes were more about "crossing over" and selling lots of records to everyone than making great music.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles: One of the most influential records of all time – and unlike some historically significant recordings, this one’s every bit as exciting as it must have been in 1959, thanks to Ray’s voice and piano and that still-jawdropping call-and-response.
2. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles: The perfect closer to their greatest album, with John and George Martin’s kitchen-sink craziness held in check by Ringo’s rock-solid beat.
3. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor: One of the best covers ever recorded, even though in retrospect its astonishing success may have been the worst thing that could have happened to her.
4. "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson: I hate to put Mr. Johnson in last place (particularly for what may be his finest song), but I just don’t have the same level of affection for it that I do for the other three tracks here.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson: This is a great – if oddly hip-hop-heavy – bracket, but MJ’s masterpiece towers over the rest. Even before his death triggered a wholesale re-appreciation of his music, this was probably the one track everyone could agree on, and it still packs a wallop no matter how many times you’ve heard it.
2. "B.O.B." – OutKast: A closer second to “Billie Jean” than you might think, an extraordinarily densely packed statement of purpose that’s a one-of-a-kind achievement even amidst Andre and Big Boi’s one-of-a-kind catalog.
3. "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys: I’ve said it many times: this exuberantly sloppy slab of bratty punk owes the better part of its popularity to The Greatest Music Video Ever Made (featuring Sir Stewart Wallace as Himself). But it’s a fun listen, regardless. (Bonus points for referencing the Buddy Rich tapes.)
4. "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul: A great, representative single that unfortunately brings up the rear in this company.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie: The more-or-less title track of Bowie’s most popular album gets the nod (in a bracket full of songs I like rather than love) mostly for its great Mick Ronson riff and for the “grew up hearing it on classic-rock radio” factor (although I’ve most often heard it coupled with “Suffragette City,” which would’ve been an easier #1 here).
2. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley: Everything on GRACE is all of a piece, but there are several tracks I like considerably more.
3. "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan: One of his most important songs, obviously, but again, there are quite a few songs on FREEWHEELIN’ that I’d prefer to see here.
4. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles: Just about the most historically significant record of the whole rock era, because of the floodgates it opened, but it’s a very, very easy #4 here.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Why couldn’t any of the first three songs in this bracket have been in the one above? It’s very, very hard to pick a #1 here, but Hendrix’s absolute assurance while breaking every rule about what makes a “good” pop song makes a convincing case.
2. "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles: Most of my favorite McCartney Beatle songs are on REVOLVER, and this brilliantly melodramatic slice-of-life (accompanied only, and magnificently, by strings) is one of them.
3. "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses: One of my favorite songs of the Eighties; it’s #3 here mainly because Slash’s contributions far outweigh Axl’s (there’s a hilarious McSweeney’s piece deconstructing the lyrics).
4. "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes: Again, a fine record but a remarkably easy #4.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20

Great bracket, all 4 in my top 1000...

1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles: It's my favorite Beatles song, just astonishing in its wide kaleidoscope of sound.
2. "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson: Pretty terrifying, the old-timiness doesn't bother me a bit.
3. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor: Perfect song, tough competition.
4. "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles: His best. Nasty bracket.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20

An even BETTER bracket, very painful to order.

1. "B.O.B." - OutKast: The best track of the 2000s is still blinding in its forward-thinking, maniacal fun.
2. "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys: This is really more rock than rap. My neck hurts just thinking about it.
3. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson: An absolutely perfect song, somehow ending up 3rd. I guess that's what happens in the later stages of this game?
4. "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul: It pains me deeply to have De La Soul last in anything, but this in about their 10th best track, so what am I gonna do.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20

A much blander bracket.

1. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley: His masterpiece, and a song I wish he'd had time to top.
2. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie: Bowie would never sound so loose and filthy again.
3. "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan: Lovely, important, a bit didactic?
4. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles: Not one of my favorites, even of their early stuff, but the energy is surely astounding.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19

Easily worst bracket of the week.

1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Sort of a default winner, though it sure gets a lot done in a little time.
2. "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses: After all the hard rock classics and bloated epics, it still comes back to this as their best. And it really doesn't sound dated.
3. "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes: I like the somewhat weird later Supremes better, though this is probably their best pre-66 single.
4. "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles: I like this more for its influence than its actual content.

TCHAIKOVSKY 20
1. TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS. Revolver is the Beatles’ finest album, but the most historically significant moment on it is the silence between the horns fading out on “Got to Get You Into My Life” and the seagulls (or whatever) starting up on this song. Before that silence, there were boundaries in pop music; afterwards, seemingly, there were none.
2. WHAT’D I SAY. Would have won most brackets. Perfectly structured, perfectly performed. Hard to believe it’s over five decades old.
3. NOTHING COMPARES 2 U. One of the most effective collaborations in music history. Sinéad could never have written a pop song this perfect, and Prince could never have sold a vocal performance this heartrending.
4. HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL. I won’t hear anything bad about Johnson, but this is yet another case of being a little bit too dissimilar to the others generically.

CHOPIN 20
1. B.O.B. Imagine a data file containing a bewildering array of great music, compressed for speedy downloading. This is what it would sound like before you unzipped it.
2. BILLIE JEAN. I still think it’s a *little* overrated, and B.O.B. is the obvious choice for me here. But it’s still both as effective and as much a historical watershed as the songs I’ve chosen #1 this week.
3. SABOTAGE. Yes, the video helped to put it over…but it deserves its fame.
4. ME, MYSELF AND I. Good song by a great act, but an easy #4 here.

HANDEL 20
1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND. Seems like this song gets slagged every time it comes up on the forum, and I’m not sure why. It’s magnificently put together and very effective, even if you subtract (which of course you can’t) the historical context.
2. ZIGGY STARDUST. Kind of the flagship song for glam rock generally…too often, people forget that it’s basically just a really gonzo romp.
3. BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND. I suppose this is the song that kicked Dylan’s career up a notch, but it’s relatively small potatoes for him.
4. LAST GOODBYE. Nice enough. For me, Buckley = like but don’t love

TCHAIKOVSKY 19
1. PURPLE HAZE. It’s not a particular favorite of mine, but it’s still an easy, easy #1 here.
2. SWEET CHILD O’ MINE. It might or might not be my favorite GnR song…unfortunately, it turned out that Axl’s “Where do we go now?” was not a rhetorical question.
3. ELEANOR RIGBY. It really is as musically and lyrically brilliant as everyone says it is—I admit it. It just leaves me kind of cold (yes, I know that’s the point).
4. WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO. The Supremes’ stock really seems to have been fading over the last 30 years or so…this is still an effective pop song, but I think it used to seem monumental.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles: This song is a tough one to beat, one of the first, and still one of the best examples of psychedellia in pop music.
#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson: A timeless classic, my favorite song of his.
#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles: Ray has better songs, although I still like this one quite a bit.
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor: Nice sounding enough, but not really my thing.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast: Pleny of people have opined that this bracket is absolutely stacked, and I agree. That said, I feel pretty comfortable putting B.O.B up here. There really is just nothing like it.
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson: One of the best pop songs ever made, completely untouchable.
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys: Absolutely incredible, and a big favorite of mine. Unfortunately it's up against two giants.
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul: I like this song quite a bit, but SH2B4.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles: Pretty weak bracket, so I might as well go with the song that broke The Beatles in the US.
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie: Close second, although I find it overrated. A stronger song off of Ziggy could have won this bracket.
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan: More of a song I appreciate than actively enjoy. We did get A Change is Gonna Come out of it though.
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley: The most accessible and radio-friendly track on Grace is imo not one of it's strongest.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles: Another very difficult bracket. I give my favorite McCartney song a narrow edge against a solid Jimi track.
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Either the first or second most recognizable riff in rock. Would have easily won the previous bracket.
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses: A very solid track, kind of a great uniter. The fact that even "pretentious" music listeners can dig this speaks volumes about it.
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes: Again, good song, but SH2B4.

Hmm, not too many ballots this week. That can only mean that one vote could swing things!


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor
One of the most beautiful songs ever and Sinéad's best song, and she didn't even write it! (Prince, you're a god.)
What stands out about this one for me is just how understated the thing actually is. Sure, there are moments when Sinéad really belts it out, but listen to the first verse again. The line "I go out every night and sleep all day" really stands out for me. Sinéad's voice is building through that whole line, but right after she sings "sleep," she takes a quick breath and cuts back for the last two words. It's a very tiny thing, but it gives me chills.
Speaking of chills, I dare you to watch the video for this song and NOT be moved. I know it's not going to win the bracket (Come back, Moonbeam!), but it's in my top ten of all time.
2. "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
As someone else noted, this is where soul music begins, and it's probably the more deserving winner of the bracket. Half a century old, and it's still exciting. I can't imagine someone listening to this one and not wanting to get up to dance. Or at least shimmy a little bit.
3. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
If it's not my favorite Beatles tune, it's top three. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's still fresh today. It sounds like Beck was trying to emulate this song when he made Odelay.
4. "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson
Just not my thing.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "B.O.B." - OutKast
This song was actually my first introduction to OutKast (I don't know how I managed to miss their first three albums), and for a long time it was the fastest rap song I'd ever heard (I'm not one for counting beats per minute, so it might still be). And on top of the lightning-fast raps, it's got a little bit of everything. A blistering guitar solo, a gospel choir, a beat that borders on drum-n-bass territory, an audience-friendly call-and-response chorus, and some mind-bending scratching.
2. "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul
Seeing as how I didn't really pay attention to popular music back in 1989, I can only imagine just how off-the-wall this must have sounded back then. Even today it sounds so unique. Sure, Public Enemy had already paved the way in terms of political consciousness, but was there any rap artist who had championed social consciousness the way De La did? I could listen to this one over and over again.
3. "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
I'm not sure I entirely agree with Harold that this is the greatest music video ever; it's hard to unseat Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." But it is definitely one of the best. For me though, that's what is definitely its undoing. The song is so closely tied to the video that it's hard for me to separate the two. Great, great song, but even when I listen to "Ill Communication," I can't help but think of Nathan Wind, Vic Colfari, Alasondro Alegré and Fred Kelly.
4. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
I might take some heat for putting this one at the bottom, but I've always thought that this song was overrated. "Beat It" is so much better.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley
Every time I listen to "Grace," I always find myself fast-forwarding to this track (or if I've passed it already, rewinding it back). I could listen to this one countless times without tiring of it. The lyrics straddle such a fine line between brilliant and cheesy, but it falls on the side of the former more often than not, and it succeeds. I could do without "You gave me more to live for/More than you'll ever know," but when he sings "Kiss me, please kiss me/But kiss me out of desire baby, not consolation," I feel like I've been punched in the gut. This is hardly a perfect song, but in this bracket, that's enough to let it take the top spot.
2. "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan
Dylan's first big hit, but it's never really resonated with me that much. Maybe I prefer other artists' versions, maybe I'm just not a fan of the song at all.
3. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
I'm just not really a big fan of the Beatles' early (read: pre-"Rubber Soul") stuff. It just sounds too squeaky-clean to these jaded ears. Oh, I'm sure that it might have sounded pretty revolutionary to the establishment back in 1963, but it sounds really juvenile, especially when compared to their later, better work.
4. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
I don't understand the acclaim for this one. Especially when Bowie had so much (to me, at least) better stuff. Just not that interesting.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The definitive Hendrix, and still the best of any kind of electric guitar work. Not much more to be said, really.
2. "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes
Not a terribly strong bracket, but of the three remaining songs, it's the one I'm most likely to listen to if it comes up on my radio.
3. "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles
Three Beatles tunes this week, and I've got all three in the #3 spot. Odd coincidence. It's a surprisingly bleak portrait of two individuals, and one of the Beatles' best, but it's not the kind of thing I'd put on repeat.
4. "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses
Wasn't a fan of GnR in Round 1, and I still am not.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20 [not my bracket at all]
#102: "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor - gorgeous, gorgeous stuff
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles - well, what can I say that hasn't already?
#27: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles - great track, full of verve.
#870: "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson - barely know it.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20 [any of these songs would make me lose my shit on the dancefloor. a screamer of a bracket.]
#356: "B.O.B." - OutKast - bombastic, exceptional, forward-thinking genius
#228: "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys - WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
#612: "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul - was released two years before I was born, still sounds fresh to this day.
#29: "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson - is probably my favourite track here but it'll walk this so I'm dumping it down in favour of Outkast

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20 [good bracket, not too amazing]
#151: "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie - walks it. classic, stomping track that I grew up to.
#23: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles - primitive by their later standards but still awesome.
#279: "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan - not a Dylan fan at all but even I can see this is stirring material.
#919: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley - goodbye.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19 [holy balls what a bracket]
#347: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles - just exceptional. for a band that can draw upon the greatest songbook of all time, a track in their probable top 10 needs nothing more said.
#91: "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses - floorfilling, air-soloing, badass slice of rock 'n fucking roll. fire in the belly stuff.
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - harsh 3rd place but here we are
#219: "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes - as others have said, something had to come last. shame as it's a great track and would have won the opening one this week.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles:IMO the best rock record pre-1964. Unfortunately,it won't win.
2 - "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor:Beautiful song,incredible vocal performance.
3 - "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles:Always been a song I've respected more than enjoyed.
4 - "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson:Never really got into him,partly because the compilation I got is rubbish quality.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson:The winner by a mile,everyone loves it.
2 - "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys:With or without the video,a great song. Their best in fact.
3 - "B.O.B." - OutKast:Sure,I can see why it's had it's acclaim and all,but it's not really my thing. Too fast,too much going on,too hard for me to pick up the lyrics so I never connected much with it...
4 - "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul:I like the group,but this isn't a particular favourite of theirs.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley:Absolute masterpiece,my all time #1 song for a long time. Has slipped a little now,but will probably always be a constant in my top 50.
2 - "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan:Considering he was only 21/22 at the time,an impressive achievement
3 - "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie:Overrated,several better off the album but looks like it will ease in for another win here...
4 - "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles:The very definition of overrated.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
1 - "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience:Easy #1 here - one of the all time great guitar songs.
2 - "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles:One of my favourite Beatles tracks,not that I play it very often.
3 - "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses:Pretty great song,sort of tired of this band now though.
4 - "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes:OK song,just not quite good enough here...

Voting for this week is now over.

RESULTS




TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (38 points, 5 first-place votes)
2. "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles (33, 3)
3. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor (29, 3)
4. "Hellhound on My Trail" - Robert Johnson (20, 1)

The Fab Four topples two very popular songs, and in convincing fashion. "Tomorrow Never Knows" will face off against David Bowie's "'Heroes'" and Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" in the third round.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "B.O.B." - OutKast (41, 6)
2. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson (36, 6)
3. "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys (27, 0)
4. "Me, Myself and I" - De La Soul (16, 0)

It's an upset because "B.O.B." is ranked 327 spots lower than "Billie Jean," but also because "Billie Jean" made the final four in the last Bracketology. For that reason, I nominate this as the upset of the tournament. "B.O.B." will face off against Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the Four Tops' "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" and Television's "Marquee Moon."


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie (38, 5)
2. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles (31, 4)
3. "Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan (27, 0)
4. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley (24, 3)

Seven points is not exactly a blowout, but it's the biggest win of the week. "Ziggy Stardust" never trailed in this bracket, and it will advance to Round 3, where it will meet Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," and the Who's "Baba O'Riley."


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (38, 6)
2. "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles (33, 4)
3. "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns n' Roses (33, 2)
4. "Where Did Our Love Go" - The Supremes (16, 0)


Guns n' Roses took an early lead, and the Beatles made a run near the end, but "Purple Haze" had more than enough to emerge victorious in this bracket. Hendrix will take on David Bowie's "'Heroes'," Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" and the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" in the next round.

I'm shocked Billie Jean didn't make it.
But aside from that, FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sweet Child O' Mine lost by 5 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ARRGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purple Haze wil pay.....

nice one B.O.B. but vs Smells Like Teen Spirit and Marquee Moon?

This is how to top 30 songs in AM's 2010 songs poll have done here:
[01] Bob Dylan | Like a Rolling Stone | In Round 3
[02] The Beach Boys | God Only Knows | Unknown (Up against There is a Light That Never Goes Out in Round 2)
[03] The Beatles | A Day in the Life | In Round 3
[04] Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run | In Round 3
[05] The Beach Boys | Good Vibrations | In Round 3
[06] The Rolling Stones | Gimme Shelter | I Round 3
[07] The Beatles | Strawberry Fields Forever | In Round 3
[08] The Kinks | Waterloo Sunset | Eliminated in Round 2
[09] Joy Division | Love Will Tear Us Apart | Eliminated in round 1
[10] Michael Jackson | Billie Jean | Eliminated in Round 2
[11] David Bowie | "Heroes" | In Round 3
[12] Nirvana | Smells Like Teen Spirit | In Round 3
[13] The Smiths | There is a Light That Never Goes Out | Unkown (Up Against God Only Knows in Round 2)
[14] The Clash | London Calling | In Round 3
[15] Marvin Gaye | What's Going On | In Round 3
[16] Pulp | Common People | In Round 3
[17] Jimi Hendrix | All Along the Watchtower | In Round 3
[18] LCD Soundsystem | All My Friends | Eliminated in Round 2 (By Heroes)
[19] Radiohead | Paranoid Android | In Round 3
[20] Led Zeppelin | Stairway to Heaven | In Round 3
[21] OutKast | Hey Ya! | In Round 3
[22] Otis Redding | (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay | In Round 3
[23] The Beatles | Let It Be | Eliminated in Round 2
[24] The Beatles | Hey Jude | Elinimated in Round 1
[25] The Rolling Stones | (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction | Eliminated in Round 1
[26] Marvin Gaye | I Heard it Through the Grapevine | Eliminated in Round 2
[27] Prince | When Doves Cry | Unknown
[28] Stevie Wonder | Superstition | In Round 3
[29] R.E.M. | Losing My Religion | In Round 3
[30] The Beatles | Tomorrow Never Knows | In Round 3

Only 19 of the 30 are already in round 3, at least one more will not make it though.

Wasn't Bracketology supposed to return last Sunday, or is it next Sunday?

It's going to have to be this upcoming Sunday. I got back home late Friday night, and I was still jetlagged pretty badly by the next day.