Bracket time.

We’re top-heavy this week with songs from the 1950s (and early 60s). Normally I try not to comment when presenting the brackets, but I wanted to mention it because I know some of you are not fond of this epoch in music history. (you know who you are…)

BRACKET 13
40. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
89. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003)
168. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)
217. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)

BRACKET 14
25. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
104. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)
153. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)
232. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964)

BRACKET 15
57. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
72. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)
185. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)
200. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965)

BRACKET 16
8. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958)
121. Blur, “Song 2” (1997)
136. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957)
249. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967)

Ballots due by the end of Saturday, July 7. And any new cats out there this week, remember that here at bracketology the patter is what matters, you dig?

(Sorry…trying to go with the 50s vibe…)

BRACKET 13
1. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) - This song taught me that heroin addicts still have souls
2. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) - Some honey and charm in Everly form
3. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) - It's pure pop cheese from the exploitation group of the decade but, hey, at least it's not Crazy in Love
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) - Gee, big surprise, the song from this decade is at the bottom of the bracket. It's got a cool horn part but the rest of it is butt stupid. This is the sonic equivalent of a major label exec defecating over the music community.

BRACKET 14
1. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) - Breakout hit from the fab four. It's not nearly at the same level as their later material, still, it's disposably fantastic.
2. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) - When I first heard this song in the Disney movie Flight of the Navigator I instantly realized I had just entered the world of rock and roll fandom.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) - This guy's creepy. I guess this song has it's place though.
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) - Guess I'm not much of a Supremes fan. Out of a bracket of silly pop songs this one is the silliest.

BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) - Hey! Some guts! And just when I thought this week was going to be all flowers and polka dots.
2. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) - Breakout hit for a band capable of simultaneously appearing friendly and dangerous. It all demonstrates why Pete Townsend was the rightful songwriter for the Who.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) - Can't this guy just go find another pre-teen to marry?
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) - I don't even know why this song has a listing on AM. I don't even think Missy likes it.

BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) - Go Johnny go! This song features some of the grooviest pre-Hendrix guitar licks.
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) - This is the "You really Got Me" of the 90's.
3. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) - Good song but strong bracket.
4. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) - It can't be good when a Simon and Garfunkel's live cover is better than the original.

Except for the first one, these brackets are all overloaded with great songs; the top four seeds this week almost amount to a history of rock from 1954-1964.

Bracket 13
1. BILL HALEY AND HIS COMETS, “ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK”: No denying this one—an ass-mover from the first rim shot to the last cymbal crash.
2. THE EVERLY BROTHERS, “ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM”: If you want to understand John and Paul, you’ve got to listen to Don and Phil. Beautiful.
3. BEYONCÉ, “CRAZY IN LOVE”: I’d love to be able to give some props to a fellow Houstonian; unfortunately, this song isn’t actually very good. She shore is purty, though.
4. JAMES TAYLOR, “FIRE AND RAIN”: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bracket 14
1. THE BEATLES, “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND”: This is an appropriate week for this song—all they did was put all the great rockers of the 1950s in a mixmaster and come up with the blueprint for the next 45 years of music. Essential.
2. JERRY LEE LEWIS, “GREAT BALLS OF FIRE”: Of his two classics, I actually prefer this one. Powerful, jittery, and demented.
3. THE BEACH BOYS, “I GET AROUND”: You know the B-side of this single was “Don’t Worry Baby”?...I can’t imagine there’s ever been better value for money in a 45.
4. THE SUPREMES, “STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE”: The Supremes’ best, and the only time I’ve thought Diana Ross didn’t sound bland; there’s real emotion in this song. Still #4 here, though.

Bracket 15
1. JERRY LEE LEWIS, “WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’ GOIN’ ON”: All of the top-ranked songs this week are difficult to hear with fresh ears, we’ve heard them so much, and I’m tempted to pick the Who or the Stones here. But I can’t shut out the Killer (if you can, listen to the Live at the Star-Club version).
2. THE WHO, “I CAN’T EXPLAIN”: My favorite of theirs…am I crazy, or is this a power-pop song about 15 years ahead of its time?
3. THE ROLLING STONES, “PAINT IT, BLACK”: It’s haunting and evocative, but I decided it’s a notch below the first two here because it sounds to me like they’re trying a little too hard. It’s a prelude to their masterpieces on Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed.
4. MISSY ELLIOTT, “GET UR FREAK ON”: Spitting…very clever. Makes Beyoncé look like Joni Mitchell.

Bracket 16
1. CHUCK BERRY, “JOHNNY B. GOODE”: This IS rock and roll. Period.
2. BLUR, “SONG 2”: Blur is my favorite band of the last 15 years or so, and I think it’s a shame that most Americans just know them because of this (actually very good) Nirvana pastiche. But Damon’s got nothing in his arsenal that can top Johnny B. Goode.
3. JACKIE WILSON, “(YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER”: It also kills me to put Jackie this far down…is there any other singer who sounds more fun?
4. THE EVERLY BROTHERS, “BYE BYE LOVE”: The bros. get back to their country roots…pretty good, but it’s got nothing on the other three (shame that “Wake Up Little Susie” isn’t in the tournament).

some people on this forum have no imagination. seriously. you all just blow off any song from the 90's or 2000's that comes up in its bracket.

Like for all those who put 'Jeremy' or 'Enter Sandman' at the bottom of its bracket. Like, you actually cant be serious.

And then it comes to this week. Fair enough putting Get Ur Freak On last. I mean yes that is utter shit. But for 'Crazy in Love' that is a good song. Some of you need to be a bit more open in your taste.

@ Richard: Enter Sandman is pop along the lines of Crazy in Love, only it's made by a "metal" band, which is why it's really, REALLY bad pop.
You're right though - imo crazy in love is a pretty good song

...anyway:

13:
1. Crazy in Love
2. All I have to do is dream
3. Rock Around The Clock
4. Fire & Rain

14:
1. I Get Around
2. I Want to hold your hand
3. Great balls of fire
4. Stop! In the name of love

15:
1. Paint it black
2. Get ur freak on
3. I Can't Explain
4. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

16:
1. Johhny B. Goode
2. Song 2
3. Higher and Higher
4. Bye Bye Love

1. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) - What can I say.. I'm a sucker for rock&roll. :)
2. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) - I like each and every cover of this song, and the original is even better.
3. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) - I'm not sure how much I like this song, but I do know it's better than 'B'. So 3rd it is.
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) - What's this doing here?

BRACKET 14
1. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) - Another one of the Beach Boys' greatest.
2. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) - Another overrated Beatles song. although it is one of their better ones, I don't think it deserves a place in the top 100. That being said, it does deserve a 2nd place here.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) - Quite a good song, but not good enough to beat the Beatles or come close to the Beach Boys.
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) - The Motown stuff is just not my thing.


BRACKET 15
185. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) - Very tough choice between the Stones and the Who here. Paint It, Black wins by a nose, with no particular reason.
200. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) - 2 minutes of pure excitement. To quote Axl Rose: "The best band to come out of (west) London ever. No questions asked, no corner given."
57. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) - Another JLL, which is a lot better than Great Balls of Fire, but once again he ends up third. The competition this time is much tougher.
72. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) - Once again.. what's this doing here?



BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) - How can anyone not like this song? With all it's overplayedness and copiedness, it's still original and amazing every time you listen to it. Go Johnny go!
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) - Another Fifa soundtrack coming along, great song by Blur. Wohoo!
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) - Another Everly Brothers, once again coming in third. This one isn't as good as All I Have To Do Is Dream though.
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) - Hey, I think this is the first bracket where the acclaimedmusic.net order is the same as mine. Decent song.

BRACKET 13 I actually love all these songs, so I'm gonna let my iPod plays decide:

89. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) 18 plays and admitedly this song brings back a bunch of good nostalgic memories for me from a couple years ago more so than anything else in the bracket.
168. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) 3 plays
40. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) 0 plays. I'm surprised I haven't listened to it in the 18 months since getting my new computer, because I do like this song, but I guess I don't seek it out for listening.
217. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) Not on my comp. I guess I haven't bothered to dl it since I moved to my new computer. And I always liked this song, but I guess I've had no problems living without it.

BRACKET 14
232. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) I'm just a big fan of the way they layer that "Round, round, round, round, I get around."
104. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) Goodness gracious, why'd you marry your 13yo cousin and make me feel bad about putting this above the Supremes?
153. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) A good song, but not the Supremes' best.
25. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) Most pre-Rubber Soul Beatles fails to excite me.

BRACKET 15
185. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) Just a cool song in its highest form.
200. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) The Who were way ahead of themselves here.
57. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) Cool piano part, but the lyrics are just a little too dated.
72. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) Missy has never really been my thing.

BRACKET 16
121. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) Honestly, this and Chuck are a tie, but I'll give it to Blur because of the fact that this was part of an amazing album, and not just an amazing single. Plus, I'm a child of the 90s and I'm more nostalgic for this than for Chuck Berry.
8. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) This song is awesome to the max because it has what is probably the coolest guitar solo in the history of rock and roll.
249. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) A really cool high energy song that is only #3 because of the competition.
136. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) Sorry Brothers, this one isn't my cup of tea.

Wow hard picks this week

Bracket 13
1)Bill Haley & The Comets - Rock Around The Clock:Well it's hard to go past this as #1 - love it
2)James Taylor - Fire And Rain:One of my favourite of all the singer-songwriter songs
3)Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream:Love the melody and harmonies - classic
4)Beyonce - Crazy In Love:Good song - wouldn't think of putting it ahead of those 3 though

Bracket 14
1)Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire:Pure rockn'roll excitement - about as good as it gets
2)Beach Boys - I Get Around:Well hardly complex,but a listening favourite
3)Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand:Not one of my favourites of theirs at all but I respect it's importance
4)Supremes - Stop! In The Name Of Love:Can't really stand this song at all

Bracket 15
1)Rolling Stones - Paint It Black:Surprised it's down at #185 - probably my favourite song of theirs
2)The Who - I Can't Explain:Prefer it on 'Live at Leeds' - sounds a bit cheesy but still classic
3)Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On:Don't find it terribly interesting - certainly not as good as 'Balls'
4)Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - Get Ur Freak On:Not my bag at all

Bracket 16
1)Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode:Well arguably the greatest rock n'roll song ever so unchallenged here
2)Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher:Dig the groove of this one - that's awesome
3)Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love:Great song - don't like as much as 'Dream' but still classic
4)Blur - Song 2:Overrated - it's easily #4. The other 3 are standards of rock n'roll that go down in history as classic whereas this is some simplistic 2 minute song banged up in about 5 minutes. Still enjoy it though...

BRACKET 13
1. Rock Around the Clock, always good, 24/7.
2. All I Have to Do Is Dream, dream dream dream (wow).
3. Crazy in Love, middle of the road song.
4. Fire and Rain ..... (forget about it).

BRACKET 14
Tough choice between the Beatles and the Beach boys.
1. I Get Around
2. I Want to Hold Your Hand
3. Great Balls of Fire, very good song but this bracket is difficult to win.
4. Stop! In the Name of Love. Stop! In the name of good taste.

BRACKET 15
1. Paint It Black, without question the bracket winner.
2. I Can’t Explain, I like other Who songs more.
3. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, swinging, good music.
4. Get Ur Freak On, Missy misses the point.

BRACKET 16
1. Song 2, this is the winner, coz it rocks!
2. Johnny B. Goode, great classic.
3. Higher and Higher, original, those high voices.
4. Bye Bye Love, I like this song, but the rest is just better.

Hey, Henrik; thanks for the link on the main page. That’s really cool!

I hope that many new voters come on board as a result of this; if you’re interested, I’d love to have you participate. We’re currently in the fourth of sixteen weeks it’ll take us to finish the first round: you can see the results so far on the Results thread.

And, like any good tournament, we’ve got some rules you oughta check out—especially the infamous “you-must-explain-your-rankings” rule. Details are are on the thread which I stupidly named "Week 1: The Name of the Game Is..."

Now…here’s something I’ve been waiting for a good time to post—in case you want to look ahead a little bit, here’s a list of all the artists with more than one song in the top 256…

11 SONGS
The Beatles.

7 SONGS
Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones.

4 SONGS
The Beach Boys, David Bowie, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Prince.

3 SONGS
Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Everly Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Little Richard, The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen, The Who.

2 SONGS
Chuck Berry, Blur, The Byrds, The Clash, Sam Cooke, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Crystals, Missy Misdemeanor Eliott, Eminem, Aretha Franklin, Grandmaster Flash, Buddy Holly, Michael Jackson, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Madonna, Oasis, Roy Orbison, Otis Redding, OutKast, Public Enemy, Ramones, R.E.M., Sex Pistols, Simon and Garfunkel, The Supremes, The Temptations.

You know, as soon as I posted that, I realized it would be easier just to re-present the rules here; so, thanks to the miracle of cut-and-paste, here they are again. I'll try to re-post them about once a month for the benefit of new voters...


We're starting with AM'S top 256 songs, in groups of four. The top vote-getting song in each group goes to the next round of 64 songs…then we go to 16, then the final four. We should have a winner around New Year’s Eve.

To keep things interesting (and to finish this by the end of 2007), I’m going to give you four brackets of four songs each every week. By October, we should be through with the first round, and after that, it’ll go pretty quickly.

Here are the rules:

1. I’ll post new brackets (groups of four) on Friday or Saturday. Voting is open for one week (plus a little), and it’ll close at midnight, U.S. Central time, the following Saturday (about 6 AM Sunday, GMT). Like polls elsewhere on the site, all ballots should be posted to the same thread.

2. Please rank the four songs in each group, from 1 to 4. Your top song gets four points, second place gets three, and so on. The song with the most points moves on to the next round. In case of a tie, the song which is ranked higher on a majority of ballots wins.

3. VERY IMPORTANT: You must EXPLAIN your choices. Explanations don’t have to be long—a couple of words is fine—but you have to give your reasons for your rankings. Ballots that are just lists with no explanation of your choices will not be accepted. (This, by the way, is why I’m really looking forward to this project.)

schleuse,
Perhaps you could create a main bracketology thread with links to each week's brackets (like the main thread for the 1990s poll)? That way, the link on the homepage would not have to be updated every week. It's just a suggestion.

B13:
1. All I Have To Do Is Dream
2. Crazy In Love
3. Rock Around The Clock
4. Fire And Rain

B14:
1. I Get Around
2. Great Balls Of Fire
3. Stop! In The Name Of Love
4. I Want To Hold Your Hand

B15:
1. I Can't Explain
2. Paint It, Black
3. Get Ur Freak On
4. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
(this is the definite what.the.hell.they.think.they.are.doing._.bracket of the game so far. each nominee of them outdoes a whole bunch of number 1's i've already picked up or going to name in the near future. it's like having continuously honoured one of the Tanners and now it's all about only one of four ALFs...)

B16:
1. Higher And Higher
2. Johnny B. Goode
3. Song 2
4. Bye Bye Love

That's an excellent idea, Henrik--it's just that, um, I'm not sure how to do that.

In fact, I tried inserting links in the above post (by pasting in a Word document with hyperlinks), but I couldn't make it work.

This is embarrassing.

Help?

test

Okay, that obviously doesn't work. Sorry, don't know then. :)

test - Guess this won't work either.. worth a shot..

May I suggest putting an Invisionboard forum or something here? There's free versions, and there could be different sections on the forum, as well as moderation to get rid of the people who come here to advertise their albums.

BRACKET 13
1. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) - Winner by default in weakest bracket yet, imo. Still, a good song.
2. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) - Nothing special for me.
3. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) - I don't think it holds up to Elvis, Buddy, Chuck, etc. I'm not giving points for historical significance (i.e., so-called first "rock" song).
4. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) - Puts me to sleep.


BRACKET 14
1. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) - pretty good for '57. This bracket is very close for me 1-4. Nothing stands out. All decent oldies.
2. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) - Not my favorite song from one of my favorite bands.
3. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) - I think you had to be there....I wasn't. MANY more Beatles songs are ranked higher on my personal list. Again, no points for historical significance (British Invasion).
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) - Good Motown pop hit.


BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) - Great Stones tune. Mentioned by Big Star in "Thirteen," which is WAY better than the 2267th song of all time!
2. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) - Better than Great Balls of Fire, but this is a tougher bracket.
3. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) - Not close to being my favorite Who song.
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) - Does nothing for me.

BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) - I'm giving this one points for musical innovation (which in my mind is different than historical significance).
2. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) - Simple yet effective.
3. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) - A fine tune, if a little predictable.
4. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) - Woo hoo!

Hey another James Taylor fan! Looks like we're outnumbered this week though...

One song that I figured would be a shoo-in is I Want to Hold Your Hand. It's really surprising that's getting it's butt kicked by The Beach Boys.

BRACKET 13
1. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) Due to it's place in hostpry and it's position in a weaker bracket, Bill and his Comets move on.
217. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) I need to look up Sweet Baby James and give it a fresh listen again, I always liked this and Country Road.
89. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) Good song, mediocre in the scheme of greatest all time songs.
168. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) Like the other Everly Brothers song more this week.


BRACKET 14
1. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) Tough bracket of week. All these songs are monumental but I'll give Jerry the nod after a listen to all 4.
2. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) Tough choice between this and the Supremes but I was raised more on 60's rock than motown, and this song is vintage Beach Boys.
3. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) Personal Supremes fav.-You Keep Me Hangin' On would have fared better. (But unfortunately, it dind't make the dance).
4. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) More of a later day Beatles fan, but jeez, I've got to give some love to a Beatles song eventually, just not this one, this week.

BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) Mysterious, despairing, sitar driven song still sounds great. Love it!
2. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) Shakin' not moving on past the Stones.
3. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) Like My Generation, 2 good songs but not my Who essentials.
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) #72 all time? Really. I'll be damned.



BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) Shouldn't we credit Marty McFly and Marvin Berry and the Starlighters as well(Back to the Future)?
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) I know Blur was huge in Britain, but they'd always been a hidden gem in America til' this came out. Love anything from Parklife, S/T album and the eerie 13. Not getting past Mr. B Goode thouugh.
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) Another bracket, maybe a different story. Favorite Everly Brothers song (& Simon & Garfunkel cover)
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) Not a top 60's R&B hit for me. But good, nonetheless.

BRACKET 13
1. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)
2. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
3. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003)

BRACKET 14
1. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964)
2. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)

four songs i love so much in this bracket. Hard choice

BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)
2. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965)
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)


BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958)
2. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957)
3. Blur, “Song 2” (1997)
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967)

Schleuse, it's all about brackets!

For example, if you want to link to this thread

If you write this
http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/730101

it will look like this
http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/730101

And if you write this
Bracketology: Week 4

it will look like this
Bracketology: Week 4

These songs can be listened complete and free in radio3net.ro

James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)
The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)
The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)
Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
Blur, “Song 2” (1997)

All about brackets…you couldn’t resist, could you? ;)

OK…this is a test:

Results

Week 1 (including the bracketology rules)
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

Excellent. Thanks very much, Henrik. I'll post a main bracketology thread toot suite.

You did something wrong there, those links all end up on the forum itself.

Rather than "http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/%E2%80%9Dhttp://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/730101%E2%80%9D"
It should be:
"http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/730101%E2%80%9D

I believe.

OK, let’s try this…

Results

Oops.

Results

Sorry to bore everybody with this maintenance work.

Was it anybody else, or do thinking about the older songs in this bracket just make you smile?

As good as the more modern songs were for their particular time, they just seem overproduced, agressive, and impersonal compared to extremely listenable and timeless 50s and 60s songs.

BRACKET 13

1. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - What harmonizing and unique delivery.
2. "Rock Around the Clock" - One of the few songs that started the whole rock n' roll thing
3. "Crazy in Love" Eh.. good singing, but I can't remember how catchy the melody was.
4. "Fire and Rain" Dated and so boring. James Taylor's music makes you feel so old.

BRACKET 14
Wow, these are all equally good
1. "I Get Around" - I think all Beach Boys songs branched out from this staple.
2. "Great Balls of Fire" - "Combines the best of emerging rock with country elements.
3. "Stop! In the Name of Love" - Classic Supremes.. a little bit overproduced and distant compared to other Supremes songs
4. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - Sorry, this song is last because its overplayed, simplistic, and has a status based on its Ed Sullivan hype rather than it being a good stand alone song.

BRACKET 15

1. "I Can't Explain" - Early song by my favorite classic rock band. Blows the others away.
2. "Whole Lotta Shaking Goin' On" - More Jerry Lee Lewis this week. Same charms as Great Balls of Fire
3. "Paint it Black" - I'm sick of this being the 'dark' song played in the credits of every movie. Still prefer it to Sympathy for the Devil any day
4. "Get Ur Freak On" Catchy enough, can't hold a candle to the others. Give it a few decades maybe.

BRACKET 16
1. "Bye Bye Love" More Everlys! Gorgeous song with same charms as .."Dream"
2. "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher" The clipped steady backing vocals give support to this uplifting song.
3. "Johnny B. Goode" Can't say I ever want to listen to this very much, but another formative song for the rock genre.
4. "Song 2" This song doesn't belong here, it's not even the best among Blur songs. Too short, with a video that will probably outlast this song as far as relevance goes.

BRACKET 13
1. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock”
2. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain”
3. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love”
4. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream”

BRACKET 14
1. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
2. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love”
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire”
4. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around”

BRACKET 15
1. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On”
2. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black”
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”
4. The Who, “I Can’t Explain”

BRACKET 16
1. Blur, “Song 2”
2. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode”
3. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”
4. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love”

Despite the fact I check this forum semi-regularly, I’ve managed to completely miss out on this game up to this point. If a link hadn’t been placed on the main page I might have completely missed it. Great idea.

BRACKET 13
1. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) – an effortlessly melodic song, and it’s completely timeless: it sounds as fresh as the day it was released..
2. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) – A classic of its type, though I’ve always found it a little too cheerful.
3. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) – I’ll usually turn to Jackson Browne if I want 70s-era navel-gazing singer-songwriter types, but this is a very fine song.
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) A good modern pop song, but definitely the weakest track of this group I reckon.





BRACKET 14
1. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) – Well, it’s certainly not the most profound song they committed to history, but the harmonies on the chorus are wonderful and I still get swept up in it every time it plays.
2. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) – It’s fine, but I think it’s one of the lesser singles of the pre-pet sounds era.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) – a classic, but like so many songs of that era it feels like a novelty track to me. That’s my deficiency I suppose, but I just can’t get into it.
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) – The only Motown act that I actively dislike, and I particularly don’t care for this melodramatic number.



BRACKET 15
1. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) – a great bubblegum punk song. Not quite as immortal as I Can See For Miles, but very, very good.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) – Great classic, of course, but I don’t like this track as much as most of their other singles from this era.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) – See my comments from bracket 14 above.
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) – I’d never heard this track until I youtubed it a few minutes back – It’s pretty cool soundwise, and I like the fact that she seemed to be wearing a motorhead shirt in the video, but musically I just can’t get into stuff like this.


BRACKET 16 A very strong batch of songs here – the Blur track is the only one that doesn’t belong, I’d say.
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) This has to be #1, doesn’t it? It’s still the quintessential rock song of all time.
2. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) – Exuberant, melodic and as fresh-sounding as the day it was recorded.
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) My comments from the song above could just be copy/pasted here – just a perfect pop song.
4. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) – a mediocre novelty song in my estimation. It doesn’t belong in this company.

BRACKET 13
1. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970) - May Lester Bangs strike me dead, but I love this record and I always have. Yes, JT is kind of an uber-dweeb and has a lot of sorry music (his own and others) to answer for, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is an exquisitely arranged and performed pop single.
2. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954) - If historical importance were the main criteria, this would be an easy #1.
3. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) - I like it just fine, but it’s not my favorite Everly song.
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003) - Great horn sample. The rest doesn’t do much for me.

BRACKET 14
1. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964) - This is an incredible bracket, filled (coincidentally, I assume) with four all-time oldies classics. I happen to love this one more than the others - deceptively complex melodic twists and turns, wonderful harmonies.
2. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) - Two minutes of sheer rockabilly heaven. Long live The Killer!
3. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) - Again, I’m cheating a bit; I probably like #4 more, but I just can’t put a Beatles song in last place (I’ll leave that to others here, who know who they are). Anyway, this of course is the one that started it all, at least on this side of the pond. Holds up fairly well on its own merits, too.
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) - H-D-H, the Funk Brothers, and the girls all at their best. Encapsulates Hitsville, U.S.A. as well as any record could. It just brings up the rear here.

BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) - You know, I initially had this at #3; then I applied the “which one would I most like to hear right now?” test and surprised myself. Again, it’s all about the arrangement - verses all tension, choruses all release keyed by some of Charlie’s most explosive fills.
2. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) - See #2 above.
3. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965) - Keith Moon’s brilliant debut single. The other guys do an OK job as well.
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) - I don’t dislike it at all - it’s too freakin’ weird to hate - but I’ve always been mystified that it ranks so high. I much prefer “Work It”.

BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) - Historical importance meets undated musical brilliance. A truly timeless record.
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997) - It must kill Damon that this is the song Blur is best known for, but it’s a blast of pure demented rock ‘n’ roll fun. Woo hoo!
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957) - Another great debut single, but I wish “Wake Up Little Susie” was here instead.
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967) - I’ve never been a particularly big fan of this song. I get why it’s so beloved, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

BRACKET 13
1. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954): well, Elvis was more talented, better singer and more handsome too, but Bill Haley was first. Nice contrast between the one-note sax solo and the multi-note fast guitar solo.
2. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970): I can understand why many of you dismiss this song as representative of the bland movement of early 70 singer-songwriters, but I find “Fire and Rain” one of the most shivering songs about losing a loved one.
3. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958): the ultimate dreamy song, but I prefer Orbison’s “In Dreams” and Lennon’s “#9 Dream”
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003): I like this song a lot (great Chi-Lites sample!), although I usually don’t like Beyoncé. Well, when I say “I don’t like Beyoncé” I mean her music, obviously.

BRACKET 14
1. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964): legendary introduction (“round, round, get around, I get around”), awesome harmony vocals, great interaction between Mike Love verses and Brian Wilson choruses and simple but effective instrumental backing that made one of the most perfect pop songs, my favourite of the pre-Pet Sounds period.
2. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963): when Dylan offered to the Beatles a marijuana joint he was surprised that it was the first time for them, he misunderstood the lyrics “I can’t hide” for “I get high”, or so the legend goes like that.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957): really powerful, Jerry Lee at his best.
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965): nice Motown product, but not its strongest.

BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966): a great song from the period when the Stones were trying to innovate and not being formulaic.
2. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965): inside my chest there will always be a mod heart beating.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957): another fiery and brutally sexual performance from “The Killer”
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001): imaginative beat but little more.

BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958): pure legend.
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997): a song that defines the 90s sound.
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957): vocal harmonies so tight and so natural at the same time.
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967): nice piece of soul, but #4.

BRACKET 13:
1. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (195
2. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003)
3. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
4. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)

A really weak bracket, in my opinion. "All I Have To Do Is Dream" is a very pretty song, though - always nice to hear in a restaurant or whathaveyou, but not something I feel the compelling need to own, all the same.

"Crazy In Love" is pretty cool - but it doesn't even need Beyonce - it's the sample, and Jay-Z's contributions that make the song.

"Rock Around The Clock" is not a song that has aged well, 50 years on. And "Fire And Rain" I'm listening to for the first time as I type this. It may well be the last time, too.

BRACKET 14:
1. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964)
2. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)
4. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)

100% better bracket! "I Get Around" boasts a brilliant melody, a fun lyric and good harmonies, and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" exceeds itself - it's an unassuming classic far greater than its parts.

"Great Balls Of Fire" stands up just fine, thanks to good old Jerry knockin' 'em dead - and "Stop!" is perfectly pretty.

BRACKET 15:
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)
2. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965)
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)

"Paint It Black" is brilliant, nasty, nihilistic rock 'n' roll - the Stones at their best. "I Can't Explain" is much more 'ordinary', but a perfectly sound rock song.

WLSGO is OK, and Missy Elliott is shit. Absolutely fuck all to say (oh you can go twenty rounds, can you? HOLLA! ), even musically, the 'legendary' Timbaland fails to impress me none.

BRACKET 16:
1. Blur, “Song 2” (1997)
2. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957)
3. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (195
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967)

"Song 2" is incredible - allegedly written as a sort of 'grunge parody', it stands tall and fine among the finest anthems the scene produced!

"Bye Bye Love" - or: a couple of youngsters having a go at being Buddy Holly, is a fine effort. I'm a sucker for miserable lyrics tied to joyful melodies.

"Johnny B. Goode" is sound rock 'n' roll, and "Higher And Higher" is nice enough, if erring a bit onto the cheesy side of feel-good pop...

Muchas gracias Honorio por la traducción. Thanks to Honorio by the translation.

BRACKET 13
1,- Beyoncé, Crazy in Love (2003), a songs that will remain as a perfect definition of how were the first years of the 21st century
2,- James Taylor, Fire and Rain (1970), pretty ballad but we all need something more.
3,- The Everly Brothers, All I Have to Do Is Dream (1958), too simple, doesn’t touch me.
4,- Bill Haley and His Comets, (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock (1954), I respect Haley as a pioneer but I’m no longer willing to listen to him.

BRACKET 14
1,- The Supremes, Stop! In the Name of Love (1965), it’s not the most recalled of The Supremes but they were so fantastic...
2,- Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957), his second best rock 'n' roll
3,- The Beach Boys, I Get Around (1964), a pleasant listen while we wait for Good Vibrations
4,- The Beatles, I Want to Hold Your Hand (1963), the guitar intro is cool but the song is nothing special.

BRACKET 15
1,- Jerry Lee Lewis, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On (1957), his best rock 'n' roll
2,- The Who, I Can’t Explain (1965), showing the way to, by example, Blur.
3,- Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, Get Ur Freak On (2001), brand new ways to make pop music, but this bracket is so tough.
4,- The Rolling Stones, Paint It, Black (1966), they’ve got at least 30 songs that I like more than this one.

BRACKET 16
1.- Jackie Wilson, (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (1967), if the unpleasant Van Morrison devoted a song to him, there will be something.
2.- Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode (1958), one of the five or six foundations of that thing we love so much: rock and roll.
3.- Blur, Song 2 (1997), so powerful that don’t seem like Blur.
4.- The Everly Brothers, Bye Bye Love (1957), this country-pop groove becomes boring.

My first ever post to this or any other online forum so please excuse any incorrect etiquette!

What a great idea this is - a chance to argue about music with other people who seem to actually have interesting opinions. Well done schleuse for setting it up (and to Henrik for the best music site there is while I am at it)

Anyway, my votes for week 4 are:

Bracket 13
1. All I Have to Do Is Dream - great harmonies, great love song, still sounds great today
2. Rock Around the Clock - can still get everyone dancing at weddings (age 4 to 84) and there won't be many current songs which will do that in 2060!
3. Crazy In Love - never been a big Beyonce fan but this is a decent pop song
4. Fire and Rain - this is probably herecy to some people but I could not remember how this goes!

Bracket 14:
1. Great Balls Of Fire - the greatest piano rock 'n' roll song of all time (and as a piano player, it is probably my most requested song!)
2. I Get Around - one of the best vocal openings to any song ever
3. I Want to Hold Your Hand - always surprised how high this finishes in polls - not in my top 20 Beatles songs
4. Stop! In the Name of Love - great song but outclassed in this tough group

Bracket 15:
1. Paint It Black - the driving beat and Jaggger's voice send shivers down my spine
2. I Can't Explain - not one of their best but still good enough for second in a weak group
3. Whole Lotta Shakin' - pales in comparison with 'Great Balls' but still a great r'n'r tune
4. Get Ur Freak On - I like Missy but this song has just been played to death (and is well overrated)

Bracket 16:
1. Johnny B Goode - no competition, the greatest opening riff ever, the song everyone who ever picks up a guitar learns, without this - would there be anything else?
2. Song 2 - I am a huge Blur fan but I never loved this as much as the rest of the world. Great song but not in the same league as JBG
3. Bye Bye Love - good song but they were better with ballads
4. Higher and Higher - nothing against this, just not one of my favs

BRACKET 13
1. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)
Wonderful!
2. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
Must have been amazing at the time, but has now been surpassed by quite a few.
3. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)
Nice song, but I can't understand what it's doing in the top 256.
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003)
So overrated. Jay-Z's rap sucks!

BRACKET 14
1. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)
Jippiii! You can't see The Supremes, but I can them.
2. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)
Uuuuuuuuuummm - feels good!
3. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964)
Great feel-good song.
4. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
If this is considered one of Beatles' best, then why isn't, say, Beach Boys' "409"? So very distanced in this group.

BRACKET 15

1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)
This one really stands out from Stones' canon with its Spanish guitar. Great!
2. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)
Irresistible beats. Best of Timbaland.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
Another great classic Lewis shaker.
4. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965)
I wish they had continued like this and not done those operas...still number four here, someone has to be.

BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958)
Must have been amazing at the time, and still not surpassed!
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997)
The song that made the world (and me) realize that there was more in Blur than in Oasis.
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957)
I love this song. It hurts to put it at #3.
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967)
Not a favourite.

Bracket 13
89. Beyoncé, "Crazy in Love" - This song just does it for me, really low-brow
168. The Everly Brothers, "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The harmonies are beautiful
40. Bill Haley and His Comets, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" - It's too nostalgic, I'm probably way too young to get it, but it's not at all exciting to me
217. James Taylor, "Fire and Rain" - I HATE James Taylor

Bracket 14
153. The Supremes, "Stop! In the Name of Love" - Those welcome Motown chills down the spine!
25. The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - It's that bright eyed aggression
104. Jerry Lee Lewis, "Great Balls of Fire" - This is great rock
232. The Beach Boys, "I Get Around" - What is it with the Beach Boys, no seriously, I don't get it! I understand Pet Sounds and Surf's Up are excellent pop, but this is not really that great, and it can still make grown men week at the knees!?

Bracket 15
200. The Who, "I Can't Explain" - WOW!
72. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, "Get Ur Freak On" - This track is insanely good, I'll even admit it was my ringtone at the time
185. The Rolling Stones, "Paint It, Black" - Brian Jones on sitar, hard to beat...
57. Jerry Lee Lewis, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Great, but less so than the rest of the bracket

Bracket 16
249. Jackie Wilson, "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Pure aural joy
8. Chuck Berry, "Johnny B. Goode" - Probably better than the Jackie Wilson song, but I just love that more than this.
136. The Everly Brothers, "Bye Bye Love", Not my favorite Everly's song, but still great
121. Blur, "Song 2" - A thorn in the side of Blur fans. My FAVORITE band remembered by most of the world for two minutes that was so throw away they didn't even bother to name it (or for Damon to write proper lyrics)!

Y'all are surprising me this week...not that I'm complaining.

It's not just that the Beatles are about to go 0-for-3 so far--it's the James Taylor thing (he's in third right now, but I was sure he'd be a distant fourth). I guess I thought the early-70s singer/songwriter thing was deader than Richard M. Nixon.

I wish we had some Joni Mitchell or Carole King in the tournament so I could vote alongside you guys...

BRACKET 13
1. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954)- When I was a kid, THIS was the definition of Rock 'n' Roll for me. Still like the off-beat verses and the drums in particular.
2. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003)- I'm not really fond of Beyonce. For me she is maybe more talented than Britney Spears, but I never get the feeling that she's really into music. But in this case the uptempo bridge is enough to secure a second place in this quite weak bracket.
3. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)- "Songs our daddy taught us" is still my favourite title of any record. But that's all I can praise about the Everly Brothers.
4. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)- Definitely not my cup of tea.

BRACKET 14
1. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)- One of my absolute favourites, not only by The Beatles. Love the hand-clapping and everything...
2. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)- Good production. I like the wall of sound and the pushing beats in particular.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)- Would have been No.1 in Bracket 14...
4. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964)- One of the better Beach Boy-tracks. For me THAT is Easy Listening. There is a horrible german cover-version named "Braun, braun, kaffeebraun" (=brown, brown, coffebrown" by a band called "Die Strandjungs" (=translation for The Beach Boys). That's why I never could listen to the song "seriously"...


BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)- One of my favourite songs of all times. I can't describe it, but in my opinion this song is simply on another level...
2. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)
3. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965)- It's o.k., nothing more.
4. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)- I don't like it; I prefer "Great Balls of Fire. I always asked myself, what it is, that justifies such a high ranking...


BRACKET 16
1. Blur, “Song 2” (1997)- "Johnny B. Goode" may be much more important, but I'm way more happy, when they play "Song #2". Be it at a party or in the radio...
2. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958)- A classic, that's undeniable.
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957)- The best "Everly Brothers" track in my opinion, but still a bit annoying (sometimes even a LOT).
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967)- Not a Jackie Wilson fan either...

BRACKET 13
1. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” - Started it all (sorta) and it does have a great rhythm.
2. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” - One of the best current R&B artists.
3. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” - Least dull of his recordings. This one's actaully not dull at all.
4. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” - Not one of their best.

BRACKET 14
1. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” - One of the best examples of early rock and roll. Sets the house on fire.
2. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” - The ultimate plea from one of the ultimate girl bands. How could any guy refuse?
3. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” - The boys in their heyday. Tough bracket, though.
4. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” - I'm a big Beatles fan, but I prefer their post '64 stuff. That said, this is probably the best fourth place song in any bracket so far for me.

BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966) - This one and "Sympathy for the Devil" are dark masterpieces.
2. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” - I like "Balls" better. I mean "Great Balls of Fire," not testicles.
3. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” - Inventive hip hop.
4. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” - Who can?

BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” - Others crown Elvis, but Chuck's the king to me. His version is almost as good as Michael J. Fox's
2. Blur, “Song 2” - Irresistable
3. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” - Great little song, but some brackets are tougher than others.
4. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” - Good, not great.

BRACKET 13

all i have to do - just a beautiful song: 4 points
fire and rain - I like the singer-songwriter genre, so 3 points for JT
rock around the clock - Has rocked a little too much around the clock, 2 point is enough for me
crazy in love - 1 point for this song, it's not bad but simply not as good as the other three

BRACKET 14

i get aroun - Best pre-pet sounds song.
stop, in the name of love - Strange, I like it and I can't explain why. Must have something to do with taste.
i want to hold your hand - I like the beatles more for their later work
great balls of fire - Good music when you're in the right mood

BRACKET 15

paint it, black - Masterpiece by the stones, in their long career they only did it one time better
i can't explain - Same as the beatles: I like them more for their later work, but it's better than the other two
whole lotta shakin' goin on - A little too much Rock & Roll this week
ger ur freak on - Not the kind of music I like to listen to

BRACKET 16

johnny b. goode - This song has lost nothing of it's power in almst 50 years
song 2 - Just like to hear it, taste again I guess
higher and higher - Nice song to hear so now and then but not too much
bye bye love - Good enough for 1 point

BRACKET 13
1. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)- Not only Taylor's best song but I think it blows away any other
song from the soft-rock genre.
2. The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)- 3. Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (1954)- Ahead of it's time but it just sounds so dated.
4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (2003)- Will this song be revered 30 years from now? I don't think so.



BRACKET 14
1. The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)- One of the best girl group songs.
2. The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)- I think this song means more to those who were around when Beatlemania hit. To me it sounds nothing like the rest of the Beatles catalog even most of their early stuff.
3. The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (1964)- This probably sounded dated to a lot of people in 64.
4. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)


BRACKET 15
1. The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black” (1966)- A great song.
2. The Who, “I Can’t Explain” (1965)- I love the sound of the guitars on this song.
3. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)- That hook is awesome.
4. Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)- I really am not a big fan of The Killer but this is a good song. It's just overmatched.


BRACKET 16
1. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (1958)- All of these 50's songs bring memories of movies and TV shows. I think I'd appreciate the songs a lot more if that wasn't the case.
2. Blur, “Song 2” (1997)- Woo hoo.
3. Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (1967)- I love Jackie Wilson but not this song.
4. The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love” (1957)- Just OK

Bracket 13
217. James Taylor - Fire and Rain
- In a weak field, this was the best of the lot
40. Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around the Clock
- Again, not such a fan, but it's alright
168. The Everly Brothers - All I Have to Do Is Dream
- It's a really boring song. I don't get it.
89. Beyonce - Crazy in Love
- I can't stand Beyonce.

Bracket 14
232. The Beach Boys - I Get Around
- A magnificent tune, as always.
25. The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand
- Not Beatles' greatest moment, but a really nice song.
153. The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love
- Not bad, but The Supremes aren't really for me.
104. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
- I'm too tired of this song.

Bracket 15
185. The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
- My favourite Stones' tune. I love it!
200. The Who - I Can't Explain
- I saw The Who in concert earlier this week, and they opened with this. Glorious!
57. Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On
- Better than the last JLL song, but not my game.
72. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
- Oh no, this is just awful.

Bracket 16
121. Blur - Song 2
- I'm a bit tired of it, but it's still a great song.
249. Jackie Wilson - Higher and Higher
- I'm actually quite new to this, but I think it's nice.
8. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode
- Not bad.
136. The Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love
- I don't really like The Everly Brothers.