Time for the eighth weekly tournament smorgasbord—remember, take what you want, but want what you take.

Ballots are due at midnight on Saturday, August 4. Newcomers who are wondering what the heck this is should check out Bracketology Central.

BRACKET 29
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
92. U2, “One” (1991)
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)

BRACKET 30
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)

BRACKET 31
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)

BRACKET 32
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)

When this week’s festivities are done, we’ll be halfway through the first round.

bracket 31 will be the death of me

BRACKET 29
1. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - Sounds a bit dated, but has to be one of the all-time best covers and the prototypical 60's folk-rock song.
2. U2, “One” (1991) - Partly inspirational, but also partly boring.
3. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - One of my favorite songs from a fellow Michigander (who has long since abandoned our fair state).
4. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - Doesn't do it for me.

BRACKET 30
1. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - Could be the one song that best defines the Sixties. The alternating guitar note thing is great.
2. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - One of my favorites as a kid. Now sounds a bit too affected.
3. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - Great howl, but the song is a little bit too simple and repetitive.
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) - One GMF song in the top 256 is enough for me, and this isn't it.

BRACKET 31
1. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - An EASY winner here, imo. Beautiful song.
2. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - Powerful emotion (and comically misunderstood by President Reagan in 1984).
3. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - I'm not a huge fan of this one. Distant third.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - Too long. I can't make it throught the guitar solo. I'd rather hear Sweet Home Alabama any day.

BRACKET 32
1. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - One of my favorite David Bowie songs when I hear it, but not one that I seek out very often.
2. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - I love the Ramones' straight-ahead punk rock sound, but their songs are pretty much interchangeable. This might be one of the catchier ones.
3. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - So do I.
4. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - Overplayed to death. Especially in Detroit! So I can't evaluate it objectively. All I know is to stay away.

BRACKET 29
1. U2, “One” (1991) - it would be easy to dismiss this song as just another ballad in U2’s catalogue, or perhaps blame it for the band’s continued (and arguably mediocre) career after Achtung Baby, as “One” reportedly was the song that sparked new life into the group during the tension-filled Achtung sessions in Berlin. Taken on its own merits, however, not only is it the band’s best composition, but one of the top five best songs of the 90’s, and a definite contender for greatest song of all time. The beauty of “One” is its simplicity; as the song unfolds, it seems so effortless, as if it wrote itself. The melody is timeless; Edge’s minimalist guitar playing is the perfect counterpart to the steady rhythm section; the lyrics are amazingly poignant and brutally honest, and Bono’s vocals carry such emotional weight that a lyric like “one life you’ve got to do what you should” seems more like a demand than a suggestion. The only strike against the song is the number of god-awful cover versions that have been attempted. The Mary J. Blige version is a travesty; she destroys the original melody with each trill, resulting in a version that is simply unlistenable. Cash’s remake is just plain putrid - an uninspired piece of shit bearing none of the emotionality and passion that the song requires. Countless other versions exist, but at the end of the day, the only one who can do Bono is Bono. And frankly, the bad covers are really just trivialities - mere blemishes that don’t take anything away from the real deal. One hundred crap-coated remakes could never tarnish the original four minutes and thirty-six seconds of pure splendor. Well done U2, well done.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - Dylan may have written it, but the Byrds made it into a great song. McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker tone never sounded so good.
3. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - “Breathe” was always my Fat of the Land single of choice, but there’s still no denying the beat – soooo sick! Sounds like the bastard offspring of the Sex Pistols and the Chemical Brothers.
4. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - in the late 90’s, the Spears-Madonna comparisons were coming fast and furious, but they could not be less warranted. Consider for a second that Britney never wrote her own songs (ok, maybe a co-credit here and there); she was a mere pop music puppet whose Swedish assembly-line songs were fluffier than a down-filled pillow. Props to Madge for at least showing some songwriting skill at a young age and not letting herself be whored out by the unfortunate processes that 80’s pop music often demanded. Nowadays, she's a Les Paul-playing poser, but at one time she used to be somewhat decent. It’s a tough bracket, so it gets 4th here.

BRACKET 30
1. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - as a kid, I loved this song, but never knew it was Bowie until I was 14 or so. It's still a gem.
2. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - Womp-bomp-a-loom-op-a-womp-bam-boom! Another manic 12-bar rocker. I still like “Long Tall Sally” better though.
3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)
4. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - there's nothing about this song that I like.

BRACKET 31
1. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - I can appreciate how different this song must've sounded back in 1964, but it hasn't aged as well as other British Invasion songs of the same period. The arpeggio riff gets annoying after a while; I find myself waiting for a change - anything - but it never comes. The vocals are impressive though, and this is the best song in a bracket of duds.
2. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - it’s decent for what it is - a patriotic rock anthem, but I could never relate to the sentiment; “Born in Canada” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. As a Bruce Springsteen song, it’s sub-par, but it’s still from the same guy who wrote “Born To Run”. It gets 2nd here.
3. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - the background vocals are cute, but the song doesn't grab me.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - my opinion of Southern rock is not what you would call “high”, and as such, the genre has never - and will never - take up much of my iPod’s precious real-estate (if 90's alt-rock is a permanent tenant, southern rock is a bum who sleeps behind the dumpster). Out of respect for the “classics”, however, I do have this song, so let’s cue up this little ditty and take a listen for the umpteenth time. Mmm hmmm. It’s just how I remember it. While the musicianship is impressive, the song itself is repetitive and has way too much slide-guitar for its own good. The lengthy solo is all virtuosity but zero emotion, and the lyrics reach for profundity but fall short. And that tempo change halfway through the song sounds way too contrived. Overall, this song does nothing for me. "Stairway" gives me chills every time I hear it; “Free Bird” is just dull.

BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - a rare instance of a cover blowing the original out of the water. Further proof of Otis Redding’s songwriting ability.
2. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - Ground control? This is Major Tom.... you know that strummed transition with the handclaps that follows "planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do"? It pisses me off. Over.
3. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - a good punk tune, but the Ramones did better than this.
4. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - it's funky, but not a favorite.

BRACKET 29
1. U2, “One” (1991) - Bono and friends detour from electronic dallying to teach the world about love.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - I appreciate this song for it's influence but I rarely listen to it. The Byrds strongest material would be on their later albums.
3. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - The Prodigy are about as cool as socks and sandals. The only reason they get away with calling themselves the Prodigy is because it's ironically inaccurate.
4. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - Let's call this episode Alvin and the Chipmunks meet the drum machine.

BRACKET 30
1. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - Bowie should have a country named after him. Probably Uruguay because that name is easily misinterpreted. Or maybe Australia because it sounds too similar to Austria.
2. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - Simplicity rarely sounds so meaningful.
3. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - Little Richard is fun and goofy and this is his most fun and goofiest.
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) - I think my CD's skipping.

BRACKET 31
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - Who knew folk could be so dark and brooding? Well folkies did, and thanks to the Animals now everyone else does too.
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - The Kinks used to cut the patch cords of opening bands they didn't like mid-concert. That puts them above Springsteen.
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - Springsteen's admonishment of American nationalism was interpreted as just the opposite. The only ones who caught the meaning were the ones who didn't need to hear it. The rest used this anthem to celebrate their favourite country.
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - Good song, a little on the kitsch side.

BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - If music were sports this steal would make the highlight reel. One of Redding's typical pleading ballads (for mercy from a lover) used as a feminist anthem. Cool tidbit: since Redding and Franklin were both on Atlantic both versions were recorded by the same people. They pretty much just switched the singers.
2. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - Bowie's early space anthem hinted at what was to come, but don't let that lead you to think it doesn't stand on its own.
3. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - Ramones songs are like Big Macs. Sure there might be little differences here and there but they're completely unintentional and only a byproduct of the speed with which they were produced.
4. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - Yawn.

Wow, Anthony, you really did have comments ready. And this is tangential, but my favorite cover of “One” is a live performance from 1993, with Larry Mullen on bongos, Adam Clayton on bass, Mike Mills on lead acoustic and Michael Stipe’s vocals (heartrending in places, even if he does screw up the lyrics in the first chorus). Look for “One” by R.E.M. on YouTube…it’s not brilliant, but it’s fun, and any fan of 90s alt-rock should see it at least once—plus Adam has an amusing cigarette mishap.

Bracket 29
1. U2, “ONE”: Amazingly, it’s the only U2 song in the tournament—but it’s not a bad representation of what they’re about (“Sunday Bloody Sunday” is bubbling under). The best song in this bracket, by far.
2. MADONNA, “INTO THE GROOVE”: Ms. Ciccone’s best song prior to Ray of Light. Yes, she’s a vapid self-promoter…but this is the music business, not the Campfire Girls.
3. THE PRODIGY, “FIRESTARTER”: I know next to nothing about this song, but I think it deserves two points simply on the basis of the way this guy pronounces “fie-ya-stah-TAH” and “een-stee-gay-TAH” (hey HEY hey).
4. THE BYRDS, “MR. TAMBOURINE MAN”: My favorite band is R.E.M., so I feel bad about ranking the Byrds here, given Roger McGuinn’s influence on Peter Buck. But I think the main reason this song is ranked so high is because it helped to popularize Dylan (whose version I prefer, btw). I’ll probably be more generous when “Eight Miles High” comes up.

Bracket 30
1. LITTLE RICHARD, “TUTTI FRUTTI”: Not actually my favorite LR song, but the man deserves all the props I can give him. Wish there was a bootleg somewhere with the original lyrics…
2. GRANDMASTER FLASH, “THE ADVENTURES OF…”: Ladies and gentlemen, this is where sampling comes from—and nobody’s ever done it better. More of an experiment than a song, but I don’t hold that against it.
3. DAVID BOWIE, “CHANGES”: Bowie’s got two songs this week from what I consider his chrysalis period, before he’d really become David! Frickin’! Bowie! Good stuff, but not nearly as groundbreaking or interesting as the two songs I’ve ranked ahead of it.
4. BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD, “FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH”: Answer: not much. Terribly dated lyrics and unremarkable musically. A while back I complained that, while there’s a lot of good 60s stuff in the tournament, there’s a fair amount of mediocre stuff as well; this is the best example I can think of.

Bracket 31: All AOR, all the time.
1. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, “BORN IN THE U.S.A.”: Originally, I didn’t think I was going to pick this first, but I listened to it again, and, properly understood, it turns out it stands as one of the great anti-war songs. And no matter, at this point, who misinterpreted it and why—I still think he’s pissing on the flag in the cover art.
2. THE ANIMALS, “HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN”: Almost took this first. The swirling organ and Eric Burdon’s growling are easily worth the price of admission.
3. THE KINKS, “WATERLOO SUNSET”: Influential (it’s pretty much the template for Parklife), but doesn’t particularly move me.
4. LYNYRD SKYNYRD, “FREE BIRD”: The good old boys down here will kill me if they ever find out about this…way too pompous and not a patch on “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Bracket 32
1. ARETHA FRANKLIN, “RESPECT”: Perfection. On this site, this is the most acclaimed song sung by a woman, and deservedly so. Long live Aretha (and, of course, Otis).
2. RAMONES, “SHEENA IS A PUNKROCKER”: Spin magazine got it absolutely right when they named them the second-greatest band in rock history. They turned rawk back into rock and roll. This song isn’t their best, but it hardly matters—every one of their songs from the 70s still sounds like liberation to me. Would have won almost any other bracket, but it’s their bad luck to be up against Lady Soul.
3. JAMES BROWN, “GET UP I FEEL LIKE BEING A SEX MACHINE”: The best of the later James, but this is a brutal bracket.
4. DAVID BOWIE, “SPACE ODDITY”: Let’s see, this bracket has: feminist anthem, punk manifesto, some of JB’s funkiest stylings, and…the maudlin death of an astronaut. Sorry, David—not your best moment.

Thanks schleuse! - I'll be sure to check it out. My favorite version is the Zoo TV Live version (from Sydney) - great energy. Does anyone else know of any other great live versions of "One"?

BRACKET 29
1. U2, “One” (1991) - Bono at his very marveloust, one of the best of U2.. if not thé best.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - Hey Mr. Tambourine man! This is awesome. Not good enough to beat Bono, but Crosby is close. Dylan's version is better.
3. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - Not Madonna's finest, but pretty good nonetheless. In a very strong week, unfortunately, 3rd.
4. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - Prodigy will always be 'Smack my bitch up' for me, and it's just not my thing. #4 by far.

BRACKET 30
1. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - What can I say.. Little Richard nails the fun.
2. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - Cha-cha-cha-changes! David Bowie, almost, at his best.
3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) - Not quite as good as The Message, or White Lines for the matter, but pretty good.
4. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - This song just doesn't cut it.

BRACKET 31
1. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - The Boss with his other 'Born' song, and another great song it is.
2. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - Even die-hard Bob Dylan fans like myself have to admit the Animals improved on his version. Amazing song.
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - And yet another song I found on GTA, gotta love those classic radio stations.
4. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - Waterloo Sunset 4th.. only goes to show the strength of this week's brackets I guess.


BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - Perfect song from the greatest female artist of all time.
2. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - Ground control to Major Tom! Always linked to 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I prefer listening to this song for 2 hours over watching the movie.
3. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - Decent song, but too long.
4. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - To me, every single Ramones songs sounds the same. Great beat.. but it gets boring after a few songs.

Here's a good live version of One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qAuqq1LFnU

jonmarck, you are a bad very bad bad person

I just threw up all over my keyboard... then cried.

I'm only mildly insulted.

Well, now we know what would have happened if Weird Al Yankovic's parents had been Republicans...

B29
1. Firestarter (sent in the clown)
2. Mr. Tambourine Man (west coast revival)
3. Into The Groove (1980's nightshift)
4. One (great wedding song.. or sort of)

B30
1. For What It's Worth (paranoia smash.. heart it)
2. Changes (Ziggy ignites the spiders)
3. Tuttti Frutti (thus Satan invented Pat Boone)
4. On The Wheels Of Steel (skill exhibitionism)

B31
1. Waterloo Sunset (London's very own Monet)
2. House Of The Rising Sun (no chance, it's indestructible)
3. Born In The USA (it's not Taxi Driver, but it did trick Reagan)
4. Free Bird (Robin Wright on a balcony ledge)

B32
1. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (and always was)
2. Respect (word)
3. Sex Machine (up)
4. Space Oddity (does not deserve crybaby probes)

Farewell my summer Schleuse,

your rules still suck

BRACKET 29
1- U2, “One”
2- The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man”
3- The Prodigy, “Firestarter”
4- Madonna, “Into the Groove”

BRACKET 30
1- Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth”
2- David Bowie, “Changes”
3- Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti”
4- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel”

BRACKET 31
1- The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset”
2- The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun”
3- Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.”
4- Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird”

BRACKET 32
1- David Bowie, “Space Oddity”
2- Aretha Franklin, “Respect”
3- James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine”
4- Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker”

Well well well

BRACKET 29
1)U2 - One:Hated it at first but I saw the light - great lyrics,great songs
2)Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man:Better than Dylan's version(as most of their covers were) - an awesome pop single
3)Madonna - Into The Groove:I'm a little surprised it's one of her most acclaimed songs but still,I like it
4)Prodigy - Firestarter:Never liked Prodigy much...

BRACKET 30
1)David Bowie - Changes:Put Bowie into new territory - a classic
2)Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth:One of the great protest songs - pity they were so shortlived
3)Little Richard - Tutti Frutti:The great giberish song - I think captures the 50s really well
4)Grandmaster Flash/Furious 5 - Adventures...:Didn't quite know what to do with this - somehow,it works - a pioneering hip-hop/sampling track but I don't know,it would just be hard for me to put it ahead of the other 3 realistically

BRACKET 31
1)Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird:Probably just offers a little more than the other 3 as far as listening goes
2)Kinks - Waterloo Sunset:A 60s pop masterpiece although sounds sort of,y'know...'old'
3)Animals - House Of The Rising Sun:Awesome song - I'll never tire of Burdon's vocals...
4)Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA:Well,first I'm not American - but I don't believe it is one of the best songs by the Boss

BRACKET 32
1)Aretha Franklin - Respect:Such a powerful song - one of those songs I'd almost put at #1 before even seeing what the other 3 songs are...
2)David Bowie - Space Oddity:A great song by rock's oddity
3)Ramones - Sheena is a punkrocker:When I first heard it,I thought it sounded like no other Ramones track - it's like punk meets the Beach Boys
4)James Brown - Get Up I feel like Being a sexmachine:Not one of my favourites from the godfather of soul probably...

BRACKET 29
1. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) That chiming rickenbacker is still one of the greatest sounds in rock history. Ringing guitars, glorious harmonies and a brilliant reinvention of an already great song make this a perfect 10.
2. U2, “One” (1991) I’ll start by noting that I hate this band, with most of my disdain reserved for their wretchedly melodramatic vocalist. He can’t just sing a line – he has to wail uncontrollably like every song will be his last. Understatement and reserve are words not in his vocabulary. That said, I will not deny that this is a musically powerful song that rises above the trite lyrics and the deficient vocalist.
3. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) Pleasant but predictable mid-eighties dance track. It’s nice enough, but I think it’s pretty astonishing that such a mediocre song ranks this high.
4. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) The success of this song completely mystified me then and it still does. No melody, an uninteresting beat and an ugly vocal – and not ugly in the good “mark e smith” sense, but in the sense that it makes me want to listen to anything other than this song.

BRACKET 30

1. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) the melody, vocal and guitar tone are perfect.
2. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) I have the same issue with this track as I do with so many other pre-beatles rock tracks: it sounds like novelty to me. It has a huge place in modern music of course, but it’s not something I ever feel compelled to hear.
3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) – basically the same comments I made about Little Richard could be applied here updated about 25 years with “pre-beatles” changed to rap/hip-hop.
4. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) A cloying, fey vocal over rinky-dink music hall. Not too good.

BRACKET 31
1. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) Rock music’s most perfect ballad. Nobody could touch Ray Davies in this period.
2. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) Very nice moody blues-rock with one of the finest vocalists of his generation.
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) Perhaps the greatest cliché of the rock era, but I can still get a chill or two from it and the guitar solo really rips.
4. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) I try not to make generalizations about my taste because they very rarely hold up to scrutiny, but I will always hate melodrama and bombast, and Bruce Springsteen reeks of those two qualities.



BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) I’m not a huge fan, but this is a very musically dynamic song that stomps all over the Otis original.
2. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) perfect bubblegum rock – perhaps not as great as I Wanna Be Sedated, but it’s not as overplayed, so this gets my nod as my favorite Ramones track.
3. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)
4. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) He never sounded more like Anthony Newley than on this very goofy novelty song.

BRACKET 29:
1. U2, “One” (1991)
2. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
3. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
4. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)

"One" is one of U2's most powerful and moving ballads, and the only song in this bracket I'd personally think of as a bona-fide classic.

"Firestarter" is good fun, captures a good air of unrepentan, anarchic menace, while just being a pretty bangin' dance tune.

The "Mr. Tambourine Man" cover is quite nice, though I'm as happy to stick with the original.

"Into The Groove" is no damn good - at their best, as on "Papa Don't Preach" or "Like A Prayer" - Madonna's early songs could transcend their cheesy '80s productions and shine on regardless. At their worst, as on "Into The Groove", they just aren't worth the suffering.

BRACKET 30:
1. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)
2. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
3. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)

"Changes" boasts some gorgeous, poetic lyrics for a pop song. Nice.

"For What It's Worth" is a lovely little head-bobbin' bounce of a song.

"Tutti Frutti" is always good for a giggle. WOOO!

TAOGFOTWOS is, um, innovative. I wouldn't have been too tempted to buy the single, truth be told.

BRACKET 31:
1. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
2. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)
4. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)

"Waterloo Sunset" is an absolutely gorgeous, beautiful song - the best of this week's 16.

As for the local lads, them Animals, that's a darn powerful rendition of HOTRS they knock out. Controlled, but emotive. Respect.

"Free Bird" is a wee bit bland.

But "Born In The U.S.A." is an ugly, ugly mess of hideous synths and drum machines.

BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)
2. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)
3. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)
4. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)

"Respect" is just pretty much greatness personified. Full of neat touches, and dripping with soul.

"Space Oddity" is great too, a very nice piece of music backed with strong lyrics loaded with subtext.

"Sheena Is A Punkrocker" is The Beach Boys on speed. Good freakin' fun, then.

GUIFLBASM is pretty darn funky, too. This was this weeks hardest bracket to rank, for me.

BRACKET 29
92. U2, “One” (1991) I'm a U2 hater, so it kind of pisses me off that I'm putting this here. It really is an amazing song though.
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) Yeah, it makes me want to burn something. Really great energy in this song.
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) I really love the Byrds. However, any song on Younger than Yesterday (Beside Mind Gardens) excites me more than this song. Is it ironic that this song can put me to sleep?
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) You know, whenever I listen to the Immaculate Collection, I can skip this one. It's catchy, but not like some of her other songs.

BRACKET 30

101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) The unintentional revolution song. Definitely a perfect piece of pop.
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) HOLY CRAP! I never realized this song was this song. It's awesome...completely awesome. I mean, we wouldn't have DJ Shadow if it weren't for this song.
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) A great Bowie song, but I think I've heard it too many times so I usually skip it now.
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) Horribly awesome...in 1955.

BRACKET 31
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) This is the Kinks' best pretty song, and wow it's pretty.
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) Tough to put this above the Animals, but honestly I love the boss so much now that I gotta give the Regan theme song a kick up.
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) Anyone else think of Casino when they hear this?
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) Yeah, it's great, but it's too much.

BRACKET 32
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) Mad respect for the queen.
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) Makes me want to dance like whoa.
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) Just heard this song for the first time...I thought. I definitely think I've heard it before, but I can't be sure. Man, that's two great discoveries in this set of brackets.
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) A very interesting and revolutionary song, but one that I don't listen to all that much these days.

BRACKET 29
1. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) Not my favorite Byrds song, but I don't like the others very
much.

2. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)- I like a lot of Madonna songs but this one is a little too cheesy.

3. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)- Just ok. I like a couple other of their songs better.

4. U2, “One” (1991)- Not a U2 fan and this is probably my least favorite of their hits.



BRACKET 30
1. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)- I kept changing my mind between 1 and 2 here. Both are two of my favorites of all time with songs I probably wouldn't put in my top ten of theirs. I'll go with the influence factor here and give top honors to Mr. Penniman.

1. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)- Even though it isn't even close to my favorite Bowie song it's still really good.

3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)- I haven't heard this song in a long time. It's ok. Nowhere near the top of my list when it comes to old school though.

4. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)- Cool timepiece, and it's still relevant but the song is just boring.


BRACKET 31
1. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)- Something Else really should be as acclaimed as Pet Sounds and this is it's God Only Knows.

2. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)- I don't like giving a cover this high of billing but they've got the best version so I'll concede.

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)- As sacrilidge as it is to say, I'd like this song a whole lot more if it weren't for the gaudy solo. It was cool the first time I heard it...the next thousand times? Just get it over with already.

4. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)- One of the weirdest protest songs ever! It sounds like it's a "rally around the flag" song but then you listen to the lyrics and you're like, wait whaaaaat? But, just like U2 the stadium rock jus doesn't do it for me.

BRACKET 32
1. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)- One of the best of The Ramones.

2.David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)- Pretty good. A sign of things to come to say the least. He still wasn't "Bowie" yet.

3. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)- So much overkill on this one, plus it's a cover. It's still good.

4. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)- Not much to say about this one.

BRACKET 29
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
92. U2, “One” (1991)
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)

I'll take the ringing Richenbachers of the Byrds for my top choice here. #2 is tough but I give U2 the slight edge over the enjoyable but fluffy Madonna cut, leaving The Prodigy back of the pack.

BRACKET 30
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)

No contest. The flamethrowin' Little Richard classic by a mile. After that, I'll go with Bowie and Buffalo Springfield reluctantly placing GF&F5 to the rear.

BRACKET 31
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)

This is REALLY hard. Choosing strictly on the basis of the great story, Animals come out on top here, followed by the soaring "Free Bird" and Springsteen mega anthem "Born...". I like the Kinks but I've never really thought "Waterloo" was all that great so it comes in last.

BRACKET 32
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)

Another walkaway..Queen of Soul this time. After that, Bowie with what's probably my favorite song of his, then James Brown and the Ramones. Another really good bracket...

BRACKET 29
The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
U2, “One” (1991)
The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)

This bracket wasn't all that, to be honest. I'm no fan of Madonna, and 'Urine Man is ok with Dylan, but this version isn't great. U2 isn't all that, and though I am quite tired of this song, it's ok. Firestarter is cool, but not what I usually put on. Still, it wins, but it couldn't have won any other bracket, I'm sure.

BRACKET 30
Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)
David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)
Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)

That's a great Buffalo Springfield song. I could listen to it over and over. Grandmaster Flash is nice as well. They just don't make music like that anymore. Changes isn't my favourite Bowie tune, but it's still ok, and Tutti Frutti is an important rock song, I guess, but it's just out of date.

BRACKET 31
The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)
The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)

Three really good songs on the top here. Waterloo Sunset is really good, and I used to listen a lot to it some five years ago. Free Bird is almost as nice, though a newer a discovery of mine. And House of the Rising Sun is great, but I've heard it a bit too much. That Springsteen song isn't great. He was amazing in the 70s, and still is good, but that ain't his best song, despite being his biggest hit.

BRACKET 32
Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)
David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)
Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)
James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)

I was a punkrocker in my youth (my stereo understood it, but everybody else thought I was a nerd), so that Ramones song has to win. Still love it, and I actually listened to it in my car today. The Bowie song in this bracket is much better. I quite like the Aretha song as well, though it is a genre I usually stay well clear off. And that James Brown song is just plain ugly.

One point to Rune for shortening Tambourine to urine. I will never hear that song the same.

BRACKET 29 - the weakest bracket by far.
1) "One" - U2, the best song of the group, but I regret not being able to vote another of the Bracket 31 songs over this one.
2) "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Byrds, good cover, but will forever pale to the Dylan original for me.
3) "Firestarter" - The Prodigy, I hate the Prodigy.
4) "Into the Groove" - Madonna, I hate this song even more.

BRACKET 30 - Solid bracket, but still nothing that really excites me.
1) "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield, a classic for a reason. Beautiful musically and lyrically.
2) "Adventures" - Grandmaster Flash, not my favorite song to listen, but certainly one of the most important recordings of the last few decades.
3) "Changes" - David Bowie, good song, that's about that.
4) "Tutti Frutti" - Little Richard. I loved this song when I was five. I'm older than that now.

BRACKET 31 - I would put all these songs in the round of 64.
1) "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd, this is mostly because I wasn't feeling the love from this forum that this song deserves. I know that it is now a cliche, but as with all cliches, it achieved that status for a reason, from the opening organ chords to the closing fadeout, the song delivers a musical tour de force of the rock and roll genre. The lyrical depiction of the traveling man harkens back to the days of the blues musicians, and when the song finally bursts open four and a half minutes in, it delivers us one of the most exciting instrumental passages in rock's canon. Sure, it's almost trite by now, but it still kicks ass.
2) "Waterloo Sunset" - Kinks, my close close close second. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this song; it is the perfect closer for Something Else. I love the interweaving vocal lines and the nature vs. city imagery, and I will forever be moved by Terry and Julie. Now, it will be because I didn't vote for them.
3) "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen, I am a huuuge fan of Bruce. I worship the man, really, more than I do most artists. But the keyboards haven't aged so well, and his acoustic version of it can't be misunderstood the way this one was. Sorry, Bruce.
4)"House of the Rising Sun" - Animals, pains me to do it, but the song doesn't move me the same way the other three do. Easiest choice of the bracket for me.

BRACKET 32 - Less exciting than the last.
1) "Respect" - Aretha Franklin, no way I could vote against a performance like this.
2) "Sheena is a Punkrocker" - Ramones, helped codify the sound and spirit one of the more unique subgenres in rock history.
3) "Get Up I feel, etc." - James Brown, yeah this song is really funky, but it unfortunately seems a lot longer than it really is, and I'm always kind of relieved when it ends.
4) "Space Oddity" - David Bowie, I really love Bowie, contrary to what my votes indicate here, but I think his strength is more in his albums and deeper cuts than anything else. This song has really cool, rich chord progressions, but I think it's overly melodramatic and gets old because of that. I promise I'll vote for "Heroes" when that comes up.

BRACKET 29

1. U2 “One” – You think this song would get old, but it’s so earnest and very singable. The 8+ separate videos the band did for each song probably made it seem a little less repetitive when it came out.
2. The Prodigy “Firestarter” – They were heralded and over-hyped as the torch-bearer of the electronica takeover, which I think took away from some of their acclaim. This song, while I haven’t heard it for a while, was an awfully dark and intense contribution to mainstream music.
3. The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” – I can never get over the dazed and confused lyrics, and I always thought the singing was goofy sounding. Definitely a song of its time but not much else.
4. Madonna “Into the Groove” – not the most memorable madonna tune of that era, just another 80s song to me.

BRACKET 30

1. “For What It’s Worth” – Some songs can capture a musical milestone, but very few evoke the history of the time a tune was released. Even if you were born way after the sixties, like me, this tune just let’s you imagine the counterculture, the lazily moving groove and guitar capturing everything from a protest march to a summer of love music festival.
2. “Changes” – Pretty close to #1, a solid Bowie song, a lot less distant than some of his acclaimed album tracks
3. “Tutti Frutti” – Also close to #1, another song like Jerry Lee Lewis, where a new art form is just exploding out of the radio. It’s hard for me to say why this is #3, I just can’t pit an essential song from each of the essential rock decades against each other
4. “Adventures…” – The Message is all I’ve ever heard of them.

BRACKET 31

1. “Waterloo Sunset” – I think I actually finally listened to this song for the first time due its very high ranking on the AM song poll! I believe it was the highest rank one I had never heard. Now I love it, although given this is an AM poll, it’s high ranking might be due to sentimental value.
2. “House of the Rising Sun” – Best use of an organ (or organ-sounding keyboard) on an oldies song. A song that just simmers and bubbles with barely controlled energy.
3. “Born in the U.S.A.” – Bonus points for having cynical lyrics that counter to pounding patriotic backup sound. Otherwise, I get a little wary of this as the refrain goes on and on and on.
4. “Free Bird” – I really don’t like Lynyrd Skynyrd, but I’ll take this over Sweet Home Alabama hands down.

BRACKET 32

1. “Respect” – Sockittome, this is wonderful. I get it mixed it up with “Think” though. Either way, I need to get Aretha respect (hee hee).
2. “Space Oddity” – Otherwordly and beautiful
3. “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” – Bad bracket, with two songs I hardly know
4. “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” – eh, James Brown has hooks you can get down to… it’s safer than moshing

BRACKET 29

1. U2, “One” (1991) **** : With this first place, I really want to celebrate the song and the songwriter rather than the performance. “One” is really a great composition, with a simple but moving melody, magic chord progression and good lyrics. But it was after hearing Johnny Cash’s cover, my favourite one (contrary to sir Anthony’s opinion that he expressed in such a thoughtful and refined manner), that I realized that. About Bono’s voice, see Damosuzuki’s comments.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) **** : the first song I covered with my old band in 1991 : of course it was a disaster.
3. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) ** : I had my share of these clone hits in the 80’s as a kid.
4. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) ** : What was that ? An earthquake ? An atomic bomb ? Are we all dead ? that is what Captain Haddock says after being knocked over by a tapir in french comic book Tintin. That’s what I want to say after hearing “Firestarter”

BRACKET 30

1. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) **** : Everything’s there : Still’s voice, and Neil’s guitar in the left speaker, already recognizable. The beginning of a great adventure.
2. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) *** : Him and Bowie tied for 2nd, but given my mission to promote pre-Beatles stuff...
3. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) *** : not my favorite early Bowie song but much pleasant anyway
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) *** : a survivor of 80’s DJing. A curiosity


BRACKET 31

ANY of these songs would have made #1 in the other brackets

1. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) ***** : Would there be a Manzarek without this song ? Transfiguration of an old irish ballad, this song passed from singer to singer in pure folk/blues tradition. And what a vocal performance ! One of my favorite songs ever.
2. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) ***** : my favorite Kinks song. Magic melody.
2. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) ***** : musically, Waterloo is far better. But it’s the boss and one of his best lyrics. There’s a good book (unfortunately in French) about this song and its misinterpretation. However, the outro’s a wreck…
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) **** : It’s a wonder “Free Bird” ends 4th in a bracket. Lost an opportunity to defend southern rock. A great song, a bit extreme, especially when they turn on the guitar tap.

BRACKET 32

1. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) ****: Same thing as “One”. The song is great (a favorite at acoustic guitar/singing sessions with friends), the production a bit messy
2. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) ****: This one is special to me cause there was a program in France in the 80’s called “Sex Machine” on national TV with Phil Manoeuvre. So GUIFLBSM is a dance floor classic here.
3. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) *** : great vocal performance, good lyrics, but nothing special to me
4. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) *** : a discovery. Fun and catchy rock n roll song.

I picked up on the sarcasm nicolas, and it made me reevaluate my comments on Johnny Cash’s version of “One”. Although not necessarily inaccurate, my remarks were a bit distasteful and insensitive, not to mention inconsiderate. I apologize to everyone for my insensitivity, and will try to use more tact with future comments.

My only excuse is that sometimes we encounter pieces of music, such as Cash’s version, which are so god-awful, boring and insipid, that it’s really difficult to come up with a better word to describe them. I will use this as a learning experience to improve my vocabulary.

nicolas - I’m glad that we agree on the merits of “One” as a song, regardless of the performer. :)

(“Sir Anthony”? I like the sound of that.)

I'd bet you'd like the nickname !

No offense taken and a good opportunity for those who don't know Cash's version of "One" to listen to it and make their own opinion that I'm sure will probably find a place between our 2 extreme ones.

Thinking of it,

hats off to Mr. Rick Rubin who had this great idea to give this ageing, dying country monument that was Johnny Cash those songs to cover mostly by people who were unknown to him : U2, Depeche Mode, Soundgarden, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Cave, Will Oldham...
Just the fun to imagine certain fan of the said artists or songs strangling in rage listening to that !
I just listened to the song and I can understand why you hate it : it's the contrary of Bono's version.
The wonderful bass voice of the man in black is broken and battered by life and illness, the instrumentation is sparse (but I love the sound), you can imagine he could have done only one take. But this is that awkwardness concealing a deep faith that I find particularly moving.

My bracket is coming, but I can't resist weighing in on The Great Johnny Cash "One" Controversy. ;-)

My own opinion is that, as great as the AMERICAN albums are as a whole, not every track works; there are certain songs for which I wish Rick Rubin had had the stones to say, "No, John - not that one."

Unfortunately, one of those songs is "One". It's not a bad recording, or painful to listen to (as is true of some of the tracks on Vols. IV & V, when Cash's voice was getting really ravaged - the cover of "If You Could Read My Mind" would have been better omitted from V); it's just that Cash doesn't bring anything new to the song. That's especially apparent when you compare it to the awe-inspiring version of Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat" on the same album, one of the most brilliant reinventions of a song I've ever heard (it's as if the callow young killer from "Folsom Prison Blues" was finally making his way to the electric chair after 45 years on Death Row).

In the case of "One", though, Cash's version sticks very close to the original, and despite the fact that, you know, he's JOHNNY CASH and thus brings that natural authority to everything he touches, there just doesn't seem to be much point to it. But, as always, that's just another opinion.

Harold – I couldn’t agree more.

The problem is that Cash fails to bring anything new to the song, whereas M.J. Blige brings way too much. When an artist attempts to cover a song, they need to walk that fine line of bringing enough of their style to it without compromising the original. Cash’s voice just sounds lifeless, and it’s in complete contrast to what “One” is about – it needs that voice to sing “Yes! We will rise above! We NEED to love each other!” Blige has the voice, but she tries to reinvent the wheel and overcompensates with too much personality and style, and ends up butchering the song in the process.

So, which artist in recent memory has covered a song, successfully? I’m quite fond of Ryan Adams’ version of “Wonderwall”. (even a not-so-modest Noel Gallagher said it was better than his own).

Have you heard Neko Case's "Bucket of Rain"? I just did recently, that's an awesome cover, and undeniably Neko.

BRACKET 29
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965): I'll take the Bob Dylan version any day for the unpolished immediacy that was largely lost on the Byrds reading.
92. U2, “One” (1991): Though, I often have difficulty relating to U2 frequently sanctimonius "neo-hymn-ery", this gem shows that in the right context Bono's overwrought delivery can be used to great effect (perhaps more than any other moment in their catalogue). The fact of an excellent Johnny Cash rendition certainly didn't hurt it's credibility either; this is my clear winner.
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996): The Prodigy is of little import, even given the most charitable assessment.
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985): Madonna's musical contributions has always been to liberally credited, through the filter of excellent branding and little else. This song, like the rest of her discography, demonstrates that good marketing can no more correct your terminal inability to write passably interesting music, than it can teach you to sing on key.

BRACKET 30
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955): Little Richard should be given the highest possible marks for his influence, but the formula is one that would be greatly improved upon in short order.
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967): A brilliant sanpshot of 1960's counterculture, which has sadly been relegated to an atmosphere number on every second major motion-picture soundtrack. With groups like this you always wonder if greater longevity would have cemented them as legends or exposed them as a passing moment in time. I wouldn't sacrifice the later output of their members to find out.
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971): A prime example of a song that's been utterly violated by history. A poignant statement of the moment mutated into an unwieldy axiom for a legendary career, then subsequently played to death in every conceivable radio format for 35 years. Despite some heavy-handed moments and later output easily surpassing it on merit alone, still the winner for this bracket and a classic without question.
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981): Influential, but not better than third against the above.

BRACKET 31
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967): In a word: gorgeous. In two: the winner.
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964): Who would have thought an "anthemic cautionary tale" was a possible stylistic/thematic hybrid?. Eric Burdon actually recorded a couple better versions long after fading into obscurity, once production technics caught up sufficiently to reflect the deceptive force of the simple arrangement. Close second.
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984): Full marks for the subversive patriotism; full deductions for having to listen to Bruce Springsteen's over earnest, blue-collar yawn inducers ever since. Down with Reaganomics, but up with better music than this!
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973): Brilliant through the first few minutes, but painfully protracted thereafter. Beats Bruce, but still a distant third.

BRACKET 32
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967): Oh, I do Aretha, I really do, but give me "Chain of Fools" any day. You've been the victim of to many empowered career-woman sitcoms and bad romantic comedies, thus becoming T-R-A-G-I-C-A-L-L-Y O-V-E-R-U-S-E-D (will that fit the chorus?).
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969): Thank god this masterpiece came along to wipe "The Laughing Gnome" and "Love You 'Til Tuesday" off the Bowie-map forever. Had those disturbing cockney Newley-isms been the general public's first taste of Bowie, Ziggy might have never had the chance to play guitar. The winner here, without a doubt.
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970): Really? I feel like being an ATM . . . or maybe a waffle iron. Throw a cape over this one, it can't go on.
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977): It's good to know someone is, certainly not these leather-clad bubble-gum merchants. Why, oh why God, do the Ramones continue to be the archetype for the tired power-pop people want to call punk nowadays? They've always sucked, and not in the cleverly ironic/minimalist sense of the word; in the utter trash way. You know who else was a punkrocker? Joe 'kin Strummer! Sod off Joey, no one wants to "walk around with you".

As it relates to the mis-ordered above post the actual bracket rankings are as follows:

BRACKET 29
92. U2, “One” (1991)
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)

BRACKET 30
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)

BRACKET 31
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)


BRACKET 32
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)

BRACKET 29 (not a good bracket)
1. U2, “One” (1991) (this would probably be a #3 in most brackets. Well produced, the Edge does his usual amazing job, builds really nicely (I like a song that builds in intensity - hence my love for Otis Redding and early Bruce Springsteen). But it is not their best by a long shot.)
2. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) (Good fun. I agree with who ever said that Breathe is better.
3. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) (Not my favorite from the Byrds. Rather hear the Dylan original, actually.)
4. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) (Madonna has put out plenty of trifles, and plenty of quite excellent pop songs. This is a trifle.)


BRACKET 30 (Fairly good bracket)
1. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) (Have you all heard the Flight of the Conchordes Bowie parody. It's quite funny. But he's such a unique, mesmerizing singer. I'll have trouble not putting him #1 on all brackets.)
2. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) (I was back and forth between GFatFF and this for #2. Then I realized that this will be the only Buffalo Springfield song in the torney, and I quite like them.)
3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) (I love what he did with "Good Times." But the original is the masterpiece. "Clams on the half shell, and rollerskates... rollerskates." Did I miss my chance to vote for Good Times in the tourney?)
4. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) (The biggest thing that this tourney has made me realize is tht I don't like Little Richard. He may be my #1 overrated artist before this is all through (excluding, of course, The Doors).)

BRACKET 31 (One great song, three less than mediocre ones)
1. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) (Outclasses the other songs here by a country mile. Is it sacrilige on this site to state that Ray Davies kicks Brian Wilson's ass? Just wondering.)
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) (Not a bad little rock song, once you get past the overplayed jokes about it.)
3. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) (Not my cup of tea. Feels totally inauthentic to me. And not in a good way. Cause sometimes inauthentic is great.)
4. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) (You know how above I said how I lked how early Springsteen songs build up in intensity. Well this one starts at too intense, and doesn't drop. It's a sledgehammer of a song... lyrically, musically, sonicly... and I like at least a bit of nuance in my songs. The fact that Reagan, et al., totally misinterpreted the song doesn't defeat my point, it makes it.)

BRACKET 32 (Very good bracket)
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) (Oh, okay. Here I've got no problem putting Bowie number 2. Because this is my FAVORITE James Brown song. Funk at its funkiest. Pure, unadulterated genius.)
2. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) (He's got some refining to go, but it's quite a debut.)
3. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) (More than a little overrrated, but only because it's (wrongly) considered the quintessential soul single of all time. It's very, very good. But it is not as great as everyone claims.)
4. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) (Hard to put the Ramones 4th, but look at the above songs.)

BRACKET 29
92. U2, “One” (1991)
I don't like U2 that much, and yes, Bono wails, but I think it works in this song. The Mary J Bliege version is horrible.
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
More action-packed than Zimmermans version.
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
Much prefer Breathe.
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)
Omg, it's 8.5 minutes of highly concentrated eightiesness! Half way through it I was already beginning to think that neon clothing is kind of neat

BRACKET 30
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
Tutti Frutti? Doesn't get much gayer than that. Good song though.
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)
If you can say "first place" without stuttering you'll get it. No... Ok, then.
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
Which is only third place
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)
Not my genre

BRACKET 31
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
I have heard around 20 covers of this song, and this one is still the best. An excellent song.
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
As captain Haddock would say: Shiver me timbers. This is a good ballad.
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)
Ok song, but it met its Waterloo
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)
Born in suckyland. (What I'm saying is, the song is of such low quality, that you would assume that someone born in a country designated "suckyland" could have made it, not that USA is "suckyland". Ok, the cleverness is gone now isn't it? Dammit.)


BRACKET 32
This bracket I just can't decide.

BRACKET 29
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - I really love the 12 string guitar part
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - Still a thrilling pop moment
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - I remenber being really freaked out by the video at the time, but in a good way
92. U2, “One” (1991) - Trite

BRACKET 30
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - This still sounds edgy, like cheap speed
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - Gorgeous
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) - A milestone, but it can't compete
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - I change the radio station if this comes on

BRACKET 31
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - The only possible time that The Animals could beat The Kinks
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - A close second
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - Not his best
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - I really hate this song!

BRACKET 32
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - She did it better than Otis did, but then again, she usually did everything better than everyone else
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - Just cos I love it
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - Cos it's better than Space Oddity, but not nearly as good as Sheena or Respect
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - My fav Bowie song when I was 12, I later discovered Station to Station, which put paid to that.

I have been away for a while so not voted, but thank god I got back in time to vote for my favourite song of all time, which is.....

Bracket 29
1. One - ....this. I have been a U2 fan since around 1984, when my friend made me listen to the live version of 'The Electric Co' on his walkman. I was 14 years old and I had never heard anything like it (the radio was full of Wham and Duran Duran at the time!). I still remember the intensity and the passion in the music and Bono's voice. I was hooked instantly and my Xmas list that year consisted of all of U2's then albums. When they played Live Aid in 1985 I taped it off the radio and must have listened to it a thousand times since. I was desparate to see them live and finaly got my chance (i.e. was allowed by my mum!) when the Joshua Tree tour came to Wembley in 1987. My first gig, and until I saw them at the 'secret' gig at the Astoria in 2000, my favourite gig. I have since see them about 20 times since and they have never let me down (not even with Pop!). All of this is irrelevant of course, but I couldn't help myself. As for the song, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it (in a B&B in Cambridge if you're interested!) and I can remember the moment to this day. I thought at the time that they had written the 'perfect song' - the lyrics, the melody, the simple chord structure, the pacing, the passion - it captured everything that makes the band great. They have never topped it of course (but then nor has anyone else!) but they remain today the most important band in the world, and will always be for me. Incidentally, Anthony, the worst cover version is the one I did myself at my wedding last year, but (un)fortunately nobody recorded it!
2. Into the Groove - you can't help but dance - perfect pop
3. Mr.Tabourine Man - a great version of a great song - just in a very tough group
3. Firestarter - I love this as well. Even though it reminds me of the day when England got beaten by Argentina in the World Cup (when Beckham was sent off) as I saw The Prodigy in New York the same night -full of miserable Englishmen!

Bracket 30
1. Tutti Frutti - great rock 'n' roll. So much energy and the best nonsense lyric of all time
2. Changes - not Bowie's best, but still a great song. The man's a genius.
3. For What It's Worth - I don't know this (shame on me)
4. The Adventures... - I don't know this either (more shame on me)

Brakcet 31
1. Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce is the only artist who I am as passionate about as I am for U2...but I will save my essay for Born to Run! It is now well understood that this is much misunderstood so I won't dwell on it. If you have never heard the acoutic version on 'Tracks' then you should do so...it makes much more sense then. Still a great song, whichever way you hear it
2. Waterloo Sunset - the imagery is great - every time I hear it I am there. Another genius.
3. Free Bird - this is much criticised but it doesn't really deserve it. One of the great instrumental solos and the song is pretty good as it is.
4. House of the Rising Sun - I think I have just heard this too many time

Bracket 32
1. Respect - even a million tuneless girls doing karakoe couldn't ruin it. What a voice
2. Sace Oddity - still sounds like it shouldn't have been written yet. Maybe he actually is an alien? As above, genius.
3. Get Up... - had the priviledge of seeing him live just before he died. One of the great performers.
4. Sheena is... - I don't dislike the Ramones but I don't really get why they are so praised

BRACKET 29
1. One - 1!
2. Mr. Tambourine Man - I also like Dylan's version.
3. Firestarter - high energy
4. Into the Groove - nice disco, but last here, not really special.

BRACKET 30
1. Changes - Not Bowie's best, but still very good.
2. For What It’s Worth - Classic.
3. Tutti Frutti - very nice and good song, but dated.
4. Wheels of steel - well, I guess it's an important song...

BRACKET 31
1. Waterloo Sunset - this is an easy choice, much better than the rest.
2. House of the Rising Sun - great!
3. Born in the U.S.A. - Reagan liked it, so it must be good! ;)
4. Free Bird - Nice, but must be last here.

BRACKET 32
1. Space Oddity - beautiful as the Universe.
2. Respect - I respectfully bow my head to this great song.
3. Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine - Nice song, not really sexy though, but funky.
4. Sheena Is a Punkrocker - To me Ramones sound the same all the time.

BRACKET 29
1. U2, “One” - I was unfamiliar with this song until I checked out jonmarck's link. I was blown away. "One bank, one card, one name known all over the world." The lyrics and performance moved me. ... Wait a minute ... What? ... That's not U2's version? brb ........ OK, well the U2 version ain't bad either.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” - The shimmery guitar thing and the harmonies make this one of the best covers ever.
3. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” - A lot of energy; hard to resist
4. Madonna, “Into the Groove” - This is the best Madonna song ever? I don't think so. Most of her better songs could have finished as high as third in this bracket.

BRACKET 30
1. David Bowie, “Changes” - Favorite Bowie tune for me. I think one of his best vocal performances.
2. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” - Fuck the war in Vietnam
3. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” - What a nutter. Another song with a lot of energy, but it sounds like an ice cream commercial.
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” - "The Message" it is not.

BRACKET 31
1. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” - I like the dark bluesy vibe.
2. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” - Reagan was a moron, and this song proves it. Oh yeah, and fuck the war in Vietnam
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” - I think there tends to be a bias (unintentional) against country music and Southern rock on this site. I personally like this song, but not enough to put it in the top two.
4. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” - This one's never really connected that strongly with me. Perhaps that makes me a bad person.


BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” - She makes it her own. What I like about Aretha is that she doesn't over emote (hint, hint Mariah and Christina) she just lets her voice speak for itself.
2. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” - Sure a lot of their songs sound similar, but that's punk, baby!!
3. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” - Funk fo yo gut. But it does get a little repetitive.
4. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” - How cheesy can you get? Strickly for sci-fi geeks, Trekkies and Star Wars nuts.

BRACKET 29
165. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996)
220. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985)
92. U2, “One” (1991)
37. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)

Never liked The Byrds, far too over-rated. U2 are ok when they're not being anthemic, which they are here. Madonna is great, and this is one of her greatest for me, but "Firestarter" takes the top of bracket 29 because I love it and the band.

BRACKET 30
229. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981)
28. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
101. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
156. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971)

I heard "Changes" on the radio a few hours ago, it was annoying. I don't usually like the folky american stuff, but "For What It's Worth" wasn't on the radio earlier. Little Richard normally would have won easily, but the Grandmaster Flash piece is one of my all-time favourites, singlehandedly inspiring my own plunderphonic music, and a great dance tune to boot.

BRACKET 31
197. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973)
60. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
69. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
188. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)

"Freebird" was the first record I ever bought, it's a great song, with a great extended triple guitar solo outro. "Waterloo Sunset" is great too, but not great enough to be first here. The Animals are ok, Bruce is terrible.

BRACKET 32
5. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967)
124. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969)
133. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970)
252. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977)

For once I find myself agreeing 100% with the AM rankings. But all four songs here are great, no rejects in this bracket.

BRACKET 29
1. U2, “One” (1991) - An easy #1; my favorite U2 song and one of my favorites, period. The slow build of the arrangement and of Bono’s vocal are so subtle that when both suddenly explode with passion toward the end it seems to come out of nowhere, but then you realize it was there all along. And the lyrics can be interpreted any number of ways - lover to lover, parent to child or vice versa, supplicant to God. A masterpiece.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - An equally easy #2. By marrying Dylan’s dense imagery (one verse’s worth, anyway) with one of rock’s all-time great guitar riffs, McGuinn and Co. really did create a whole new sound. One of the most influential singles ever.
3. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - An irresistible dance-pop record, to be sure, but out of its league here.
4. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - I get why this ranks so high, but the genre just generally doesn’t do much for me.

BRACKET 30
1. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - The darker side of the Sixties in a nutshell. All it takes is that first echoing Neil Young guitar ping to conjure up a whole era. Stephen Stills’ most perfect creation; as usual, it’s all about the arrangement, with brilliant guitar fills and backing vocals.
2. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - AWOPBOPALUBOPALOPBOPBOP! Really, what else is there to say? BAMBOOM!
3. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - A great song, but I think of it as that first song that comes before all those even better ones on HUNKY DORY. Now, put “Queen Bitch” or “Life on Mars?” here and we’ve got a bracket.
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) - #4 by default, as I’ve never heard it. When I bought the reissue of THE MESSAGE a couple of years ago, I was pissed that this wasn’t on it, but not enough to go hunting for an older version.

BRACKET 31
1. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - This is one of the best brackets yet, filled with classics from top to bottom. I wasn’t going to put this song at #1, but then that old “which one do I want to hear right now” test reared its head, so here we are. A magnificent reinvention of an old blues/folk standard, with truly demonic vocal and organ work; I can only imagine what this sounded like coming out of the radio in ‘64 following, say, “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine”. Must have scared the bejesus out of a lot of people.
2. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - They were on an incredible roll for a very long time, and this is probably Ray Davies’ best song (although there aren’t many mediocre ones from this period). One of the few great guitar riffs more notable for its beauty than its aggression, and it’s hard to believe that Dave Davies was responsible for this one -and- the ones on their early singles.
3. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - Most misunderstood song of all time? Possibly (although “Short People” comes close). A clarion call that still, after all these years (and my wavering Springsteen appreciation), forces me to listen all the way through. I don’t know that I like it more than #4, but Max Weinberg’s incredible drumming toward the end puts it over the top for me.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - It’s at #4 mostly because of overplay, and because in moments of weakness I’m willing to admit that maybe it doesn’t -need- to be 9 minutes long. But I’ll still probably never turn it off when it comes on.

BRACKET 32
1. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - Another easy #1, even in a good bracket like this. When Otis Redding heard it, he allegedly said, “That girl stole my song - it’s hers now.” It certainly was, and is. Sure it’s been played too much. That’s because it’s one of the most flawless singles ever recorded. Everything about it - the horns, Roger Hawkins’ drumming, those remarkable vocal backups, and of course the Queen’s own vocal and perfectly judged piano - is spectacular.
2. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - This song managed to tap into the Apollo zeitgeist and deservedly jump-start Bowie’s career, allowing everyone to pretend not to notice how weird it actually is - indelible melody aside, there really isn’t much that’s commercial about this record, and more power to it for that. Brilliantly sets the stage for the amazing decade of Bowie music that followed.
3. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - I hate to put the Ramones at the bottom of a bracket, but how can you deny this song? Implacable, indelible, inimitable, with wonderful chicken-scratch guitar. Get on up!
4. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - Sorry. I do love them, but I like a lot of their songs better. Should be one coming up in a future bracket, as a matter of fact.

I'm not sure if you folks noticed this but Greg Rumpf's picks aren't in order, you have to read the description to find out that he put the Animals first. I'm only mentioning this because it might not be clear and it looks like the Animals have a fighting chance at overtaking the Kinks (I've given up on Changes though).

thanks, jonmarck--I got it.

btw, depending on what happens in the voting today and tomorrow, you might be in for a surprise...

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

BRACKET 29
1. The Prodigy, Firestarter (1996), that siren of the beginning announces good things to come.
2. The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man (1965), even a Dylan song could be danced too.
3. Madonna, Into the Groove (1985), two points to that woman for her ability to please so many kinds of audiences
4. U2, One (1991), it bores me and tires me a lot, and I don’t trust Bono

BRACKET 30
1. Little Richard, Tutti Frutti (1955), one of the five or six foundations of that thing we love so much: rock and roll
2. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel (1981), a great leap in black music history
3. Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth (1967), it sounds very modern still, it doesn’t get old
4. David Bowie, Changes (1971), I prefer many other by Bowie

BRACKET 31
1. The Kinks, Waterloo Sunset (1967), perfect band with precious melodies, intelligent lyrics, a big influence for many but inimitable
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Free Bird (1973), I’m not interested but it’s a weak bracket
3. Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A. (1984), a big stadium chorus
4. The Animals, House of the Rising Sun (1964), yelling performance wrapped by a annoying guitar

BRACKET 32
1. James Brown, Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine (1970), the shorter ten minutes for me
2. Aretha Franklin, Respect (1967), power and black pride
3. David Bowie, Space Oddity (1969), and experiment advanced to its time
4. Ramones, Sheena Is a Punkrocker? (1977), like The Beach Boys with more sense of humour

BRACKET 29
1. U2, “One” (1991) - Fantastic song, only slightly improved by Bank of America
2. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985) - My favourite Madonna song
3. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996) - Was my #2 of 1996 but is only #3 in this strong bracket
4. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) - I know that this is like swearing in the church, but The Byrds are most overrated band of the 60s together with The Band.

BRACKET 30
1. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955) - I really think this is a stronger record than Johnny B. Goode
2. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967) - Ultimate use of two guitar tones
3. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971) - I like it, but it's not my favourite Bowie
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981) - Inventive and...?

BRACKET 31
1. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964) - I never get tired of it!
2. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967) - Beautiful, but a little thin compared to "House"
3. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) - For men with muscles and women who like muscles
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973) - Uh, ultimate use of 100 guitar tones?

BRACKET 32
1. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969) - This is my favourite Bowie!
2. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970) - Love it
3. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977) - Ramones at their best, but they don't play on the same league as Bowie & Brown
4. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967) - I do respect Aretha, but I'm not a big fan of "letter songs" and then it annoys me that there are so many covers in the AM top 11.

Bracket 29:

One - Not as good as "Bad" or "With or without you", but it's U2 so it's number one
Mr. Tambourine man - If only they had written this by themselves……..
Into the groove - Not her best but still a third place for the queen of pop
Firestarter - Simply not my kind of music, not bad though

Bracket 30:

For what it's worth - I can't explain why I like this song, I just do
Changes - Not his best but still better than the other two in this bracket
Tutti frutti - I know these '50's songs have been very important for the later rock music. But they still sound a little simplistic to me, I'm sorry
The adventures of granmaster flash on the wheels of steel - Usualy I listen to the songs before I make a list. But after 1 minute I knew this was an absolute number 4

Bracket 31:

Waterloo sunset - I needed a view listenings but in the end this is an absolute number one
House of the rising sun - My number one in the begin of the week, but after some listenings beaten by the kinks, and that's no shame
Free bird - Also great song great guitar performance
Born in the USA - Sorry Bruce you're placed in the wrong bracket

Bracket 32:

Space odity - Asolutely great.
Respect - A second place for the queen of soul
Sex machine - And the queen beats the king of soul
Sheena is a punkrocker - What's so good about them?

Hope it’s not too late, I’ve been out on holidays…

BRACKET 29
1. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (1985): well, JR, I must admit that I didn’t like Madonna at the time (1984-1985), I’ve always had some bias initially with mainstream acts. I’ve learned to love Madonna’s work over the years. It’s really hard to stay on top for 25 years on such complicated thing as pop music, it’s not product of coincidence. It takes a high amount of intelligence, cleverness, good look and, of course, talent. “Into the Groove” is by far the best of her early offerings (well, “Borderline” was very good too). Hats off to Ms. Ciccone, boys.
2. The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965): if there’s something you can call influential it’s the chiming 12-string guitar intro, it’s a style by itself (jangle pop, isn’t it?).
3. The Prodigy, “Firestarter” (1996): perfect background music for a movie action scene (yes, yes, I’ve seen “Charlie’s Angels”, I can’t hide it).
4. U2, “One” (1991): wow, some of you wrote a doctoral thesis about this “One”… (nothing wrong with that, of course). I will only say that it’s #9 on my favourite U2 songs, I mean, there are 8 U2 songs I prefer.

BRACKET 30
1. David Bowie, “Changes” (1971): it includes a perfect self-definition of an ever-changing David Bowie: “I turn myself to find me / but I never caught a glimpse”.
2. Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1955): if only for giving name to the classic Nick Cohn book “Awopbopaloobopalopdamboom”.
3. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (1967): “There’s something happening here / what it is ain’t exactly clear”, very few lines captured the essence of an era like this one.
4. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981): very few can improve or even equal the technical mastery of Grandmaster Flash on this one, but technical ability is not all.

BRACKET 31
1. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967): Davies’ truly masterpiece, everything’s great in here, the evocative lyrics, the languid mood but especially the terrific backing vocals, I can’t help singing along every time I hear it.
2. The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964): Dylan steal the Dave Van Ronk arrangements and The Animals added fury and grief to Dylan performance; neither Dylan nor Van Ronk could play it live after that.
3. Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984): really powerful, a song that only can be singed shouting and raising the fist. Sadly the keyboard sound hasn’t aged well (at least worst than the two 40 year-old previous ones).
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (1973): arena rock is not my favourite style, but great playing here, no doubt.

BRACKET 32
1. David Bowie, “Space Oddity” (1969): and another #1 for the Thin With Duke, the astonishing launching of an incredible musical career. So, let’s begin the launching: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, lift off…
2. James Brown, “Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” (1970): have you seen http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=WUgIQej9SMg: “When we say get up, what do we mean? Get up! Get up! Get up and dance!”
3. Aretha Franklin, “Respect” (1967): sorry, Aretha, don't take this #3 as a lack of respect, I simply prefer the two previous ones.
4. Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punkrocker” (1977): really sorry for putting one of my favourite Ramones tunes at #4, tough competition.

Sorry, the correct quote of Bowie lyrics is “I turn myself to face me / but I’ve never caught a glimpse”.