TALKING HEADS. Tough call…let me put it in terms of my favorite albums by both acts: Remain in Light > Purple Rain > Fear of Music > 1999. And the Heads were just a bit more consistent over the productive part of their career.

MICHAEL JACKSON. Kind of a meh matchup for me. Off the Wall > Thriller > Disintegration.

ELVIS COSTELLO. EC is the better songwriter and the more interesting artist. And he’s doomed, I fear. Bruce is already ahead in AM 10-6 (now 10-7), and, based on their voting patterns, I picture the email voters as townies smoking weed next to the dumpster behind a Sunoco station in Wilmington, Delaware (I say this, of course, with all due respect). In other words, Bruce people.

THE CLASH. In my book, the Clash are still responsible for The Finest Album Ever. I love the Ramones, but really, their best argument here is that the Clash wouldn’t have existed without them. Which is not much of an argument if you think about it.

PUBLIC ENEMY. This one’s for Mr. Scott-Heron. (Yes, I would have voted for them anyway.)

R.E.M. I knew the Smiths were probably going to be the first artist who would make The Finest American Band sweat. Sure enough, it’s 9-7 on AM so far (now 10-7), and I have no clue how the emailers will break (my guess is they’ll help me out here). I happily concede that the Smiths are a very worthy opponent…as I said last week, one of the two best British bands of the 80s (alongside New Order).

PIXIES. I smell blowout.

BEASTIE BOYS. I hardly ever pick bands just because I’d like to see them have a fighting chance, but I guess I’m doing so here. It’s another nearly impossible choice, which frankly it should be at this stage of the game.

R.E.M.
The Clash
Pixies
Talking Heads
Elvis Costello
Prince
Beastie Boys
Public Enemy
Nirvana
Ramones
The Smiths
U2
Michael Jackson
The Cure
Bruce Springsteen
Madonna

Talking Heads
Michael Jackson
Elvis Costello
Ramones
Public Enemy
R.E.M
Pixies
Nirvana

Prince
The Cure
Bruce Springsteen
The Clash
U2
The Smiths
Madonna
Nirvana

Prince
MJ
Boss
Clash
U2
REM
Pixies
Nirvana
As you can see, I am not a Taliban (But some people here are)

I like what the Beastie Boys have done since they migrated out of their 'I HATE YOU MOM' phase.

Paul's Boutique makes up for whatever phase they might have been in before or after.

Edit: Reading my own comment again, it sounds a bit wanky. I only meant to say that I really, REALLY like Paul's Boutique.

Why is there such an 'us and them' attitude on this forum towards the email voters? They're just music fans the same as us,and their opinion has no less value. Just saying...

Lots of favorites today! I just updated my all-time albums list, so I'll include some stats from that.

Prince: Highest album: 1999 (#1). 3 albums in my top 10, another 6 in my top 50 and another 4 in my top 100. He's just about invincible in my list.
The Cure: Highest album: Disintegration: (#4). Stay tuned for a review of the best concert of my life! 6 albums in my top 100.
Madonna: Highest album: Like a Prayer (#7). 2 albums in my top 10 and another 2 in my top 100.
The Smiths: Highest album: Strangeways, Here We Come (#58). 2 albums in my top 100 and another 2 in my top 500.
Michael Jackson: Highest album: Bad (#53). 1 album in my top 100, 2 more in my top 200 and 2 more in my top 500. He's a great pop act, but my love for him is waning with time. I know he'll beat The Cure, but he has no business doing so.
Talking Heads: Highest album: Speaking in Tongues (#108). 2 albums in my top 200 and 2 more in my top 500. Great band that I appreciate more and more.
U2: Highest album: Zooropa (#270). 4 albums in my top 500.
Elvis Costello: Highest album: This Year's Model (#112). 2 albums in my top 500.
Ramones: Highest album: Ramones (#189). 2 albums in my top 500. Great matchup of punk legends. My vote makes it clear which side my bread is buttered.
The Clash: Highest album: London Calling (#204). 3 albums in my top 500.
Nirvana: Highest album: Nevermind (#253). 2 albums in my top 500.
Beastie Boys: No albums in my top 500, but lots of singles I like.
Public Enemy: Highest album: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (#453). 1 album in my top 500.
Pixies: No albums in my top 500.
R.E.M.: No albums in my top 500.
Bruce Springsteen: No albums in my top 500.

RESULTS:
Prince 79.4% / Talking Heads 20.6%
Michael Jackson 52.9% / The Cure 47.1%
Bruce Springsteen 61.8% / Elvis Costello 38.2%
The Clash 67.6% / Ramones 32.4%
U2 67.6% / Public Enemy 32.4%
R.E.M. 58.8% / The Smiths 41.2%
Pixies 52.9% / Madonna 47.1%
***TIE Nirvana & The Beastie Boys 50% each ***

AM/EMAIL Splits:
Clash (17-4AM) / Ramones (7-6E)
Pixies (15-6AM) / Madonna (10-3E)
Nirvana (13-8AM) / Beasties (9-4E)

Never said it did have less value...was just trying for some good-natured ribbing. Sorry if it was too snarky.

The occasional frustration about the AM/email split comes from two things:

1. Collectively, the two groups have significant, and often predictable, differences in taste.

2. The two groups don't interact at all (unless it's through Slick as an intermediary). It's a bit as though the only two states whose votes counted in a presidential election were California and Texas, but California and Texas don't talk to each other at all.

Me, I would be very curious to open up a dialogue somehow between the two groups. Bring 'em over, Slick!

I think some of the difference between AM and email voter tastes is a difference in diversity of exposure.

I like those email voters. They probably don't wear glasses, and they don't walk with their heads (as we say in France, hey nobody mentioned my "as we say in French" in the thanks we get it forum !!). And I'm happy that Bruce passes.

PS : I don't think Bruce and Elvis E are so different. I know many people, here and elsewhere, who love them both (I like Costello the artist, but for mysterious reasons I'm not a fan of his records). One is just more popular than the other that's all( which means more people identify with him, even across the atlantic). And i don't think either that, were I American, I'd live and vote like a Texan.
Many Californian people come from Texas.

oh and 1 more thing : among Bruce fans you can even find smart and educated people

Over the past 20 years the migration has been more decidedly from California to Texas, in large measure because of housing affordability issues in California's more desirable coastal communities.