The Old Acclaimed Music Forum
Go to the NEW FORUM
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.