Again we go, as the Libertines would say, up the bracket…

Ballots due by midnight Saturday, September 1…and just typing that reminds me that the end of the first round (at the end of September, on the 29th) is on the horizon.

BRACKET 45
39. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
90. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)
167. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)
218. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)

BRACKET 46
26. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
103. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964)
154. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972)
231. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966)

BRACKET 47
58. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)
71. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)
186. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)
199. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968)

BRACKET 48
7. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)
122. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)
135. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956)
250. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000)

BNIT reminder: Week 3 voting is still open; on Sunday (August 26) I will post both the results AND the matchups for the 12 songs in the semifinals.

BRACKET 45
39. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979): Like Never Mind The Bollocks, this album is a clear product of its time, and I can appreciate it's intent and the acclaim that its garnered as a result. On a personal level, however, neither the album nor this song offer anything that I can’t find in a handful of other, more musically accomplished bands. Despite that, the song still gets number one here (which speaks volumes about my thoughts on the other three songs in this bracket.)
90. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956): An uncanny similarity to "You Are My Sunshine". Again, I appreciate what he did for the genre, but I've just never been able to hop aboard the JC-wagon.
167. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956): Zero energy + lame lyrics = yawnfest.
218. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983): In my personal Hell, this is the song that would/will be playing.

BRACKET 46
231. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966): A prime example of the variety found in the songwriting arsenal of Lennon/McCartney (although this one sounds more Macca than JL.) Revolver-era Beatles never fails to astonish me.
154. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972): Music by and for art-house goons.
103. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964): I’m confused as to why this song has been hailed as one of Orbison’s best for so long; I really can’t find any value in it. The riff sounds way too much like “Day Tripper”, and what's with that ridiculous "mercy!"?
26. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964): It’s likely that my first encounter with this song was the a capella interpretation by Tom “can’t-carry-a-tune-in-a-bucket” Cruise in Top Gun. Enough said.

BRACKET 47
58. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971): It’s Saturday night and the kids are out. You and the missus are at home – alone - and night’s calling for something… scandalous. While the candles are being lit, you pour a snifter of cognac and saunter back into the dimly lit space where your lover waits. The fireplace crackles, and illuminates the shag carpet and the delicate visage of your lady, whose eyes are wide in anticipation of naughtiness. The crackling fire scores the scene, but the night needs a soundtrack - a bow and ribbon for your gift basket of seduction. The needle drops, and as the soothing sounds of “Let’s Stay Together” fill the sultry air, two unclothed bodies unite in the pursuit of sins of the flesh. As the moans get louder and the sweat begins to bead on your moustache, you think: those background vocals are a great touch! Before you know it, the song is done, you're done, and while laying in the sweaty aftermath in admiration of your lovers' body in all of its post-coital splendor, you watch as she runs a hand over the rug while her other hand remains on the carpet, and you make a silent nod of gratitude: thank you Al. Thank you.
186. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984): It's strangely comical how the title of Madge's first number-one hit would be the slant that publicists would employ a decade-and-a-half later for the two biggest female pop-stars of the new millennium. From the git-go, we all knew Christina wasn't, but with Britney we weren't quite sure. But... that didn't last long.
71. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961): Those "I wah-wah-wah-wah wonder" parts walk a fine line between charming and annoying. Today, annoying.
199. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (196 : The entire song is the refrain, and it’s not even a strong one at that. Sorry Dusty, but peddle your steaming soul-turds elsewhere.

BRACKET 48
250. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000): A slight apprehension ranking #250 over #7, but of the 14 songs in the AM top 256 from this decade, I consider this the second-best (“Seven Nation Army” being number one, which sadly did not win its bracket.) Anyway, I’m compelled to champion this one, but before that discourse it must be said that the album from which this song appears is absolutely brilliant. The production value of the Marshall Mathers LP is unsurpassed; it’s arguably the most well-produced album in the last decade of pop music, and aside from the perfunctory skits, it’s as strong as rap albums come, evidenced by a half-dozen excellent album tracks and three hit singles. Of those singles, “Stan” is a standout - a cautionary tale of fandom-gone-wrong that features a great sample, well-placed sound effects, and some of MM’s best rhymes. Pitchfork said it well: “’The Real Slim Shady’ made him profitable; songs like ‘Kim’ and ‘Kill You’ made him interesting.” It’s probably fair to say that “Stan” did both. Seven years removed; already a hip-hop classic.
7. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (196 : Apart from What’s Going On, this is Marvin at his best. A great slow-build intro with layered instrumentation, some nice string flourishes and gorgeous touches of falsetto (eg. "...losing yoouuu..." at 1'18".) Classic Motown.
122. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954): I don't know whether to be amused or disgusted by it, but I give two points for the lyric "...one-eyed cat peepin' in a seafood store..."
135. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956): #3 and 4 here are somewhat interchangeable, so I've let the AM rankings decide this one.

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) - It's becoming one of my least-favourite tracks on the album because it's so straightforward. It's like the Clash's Smells like Teen Spirit.
2. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) - The Man in Black's second-most popular song. The lyrics seem to mean a little more this time though.
3. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) - Nothing terribly notable about this track.
4. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) - More like shitcake in the sun.

BRACKET 46
1. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) - One of the best written and performed pop songs of the 60's. The Righteous Brothers usually seem like tools. With this song I actually care about them, and, just possibly, maybe even envy them.
2. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) - Never cared for the a capella harmony part. Just came out of nowhere and was really irritating.
3. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) - Roxy Music's a hard group for me to like. I respect what they do but it's just so...well.......gay.
4. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) - I know it's hard for Orbison to sound excited but couldn't he at least try a little harder?

BRACKET 47
1. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) - Soul funk's finest. Justifies the otherwise bland Dusty in Springfield album.
2. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) - Al Green could seduce a rhino.
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) - I can imagine 60's kids waiting in breathless anticipation for the thrill of hearing Del Shannon shriek a falcetto "why". I'd like to say that in 2007 we're not so pathetic but Linkin Park sells lots of records.
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) - This song was written by a pair of male mid-forties New York label schmucks. Nuff said.

BRACKET 48
1. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) - The moment where Eminem's public image changed from antisocial delinquent to misunderstood prodigy. I'll buy the former before the latter but it is kind of funny how quickly opinions change.
2. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) - It's Motown. Great Motown at that.
3. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) - Better than the watered down Elvis version.
4. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) - No pretensions with this bit of teenspolitation pop.

Bracket 45
1. THE CLASH, “LONDON CALLING”: Not my favorite Clash song (that would be either “Wrong ‘em Boyo” or “Death or Glory,” thanks for asking), but it’s the title track from my nominee for the finest album ever made. BTW, I just picked up the new Joe Strummer biography, Redemption Song, which is well worth your time.
2. VIOLENT FEMMES, “BLISTER IN THE SUN”: This is in honor of the kind of bands I liked in high school…saw them live in Milwaukee in 1988. Yes, of course Gordon Gano sounds terrible. He’s supposed to!
3. JOHNNY CASH, “I WALK THE LINE”: Ow ow ow. Wish this had an easier bracket. Best brush cymbal ever, plus some fun octave-jumping from verse to verse.
4. FATS DOMINO, “BLUEBERRY HILL”: Nobody ever seemed happier to be a rock star than Fats, and for a while there, dozens of second-stringers thought they were rocking out by imitating his triplets. Unfortunately, this song always reminds me of an old David Letterman bit with a non-singing dog (I can’t explain it any better than that; does anyone else remember that one?)

Bracket 46
1. ROY ORBISON, “OH, PRETTY WOMAN”: Anthony, I’m not sure why you take off points for the riff’s resemblance to “Day Tripper,” considering Roy’s song is a year earlier—the Beatles acknowledged that Roy was a huge influence. And the “mercy!” and the glottal trills are the sonic equivalent of a wolf whistle; they’re just fun goofiness…which I still think is underrated too often by critics. Anyhow, it’s good to hear Roy doing something other than a ballad. Plus, of course, he’s from Texas—born in Vernon, but most associated with the desert town of Wink.
2. THE BEATLES, “PAPERBACK WRITER”: Besides being a great song, it’s important to me for a couple of personal reasons: a) it’s the first Beatles song I remember falling for, and b) I wrote a master’s thesis on the kind of cheesy pulp fiction celebrated (?) in the lyrics.
3. ROXY MUSIC, “VIRGINIA PLAIN”: This must be the strangest lead vocal in the tournament, especially considering it’s Bryan Ferry (I’m not familiar at all with early Roxy Music). He sounds like a socially inept 14-year-old full of candy and helium. I kinda like it.
4. THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, “YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’”: Top Gun didn’t ruin this song for me. I’m older than that—Hall & Oates ruined this song for me.

Bracket 47
1. AL GREEN, “LET’S STAY TOGETHER”: After Otis, the greatest male soul singer of them all. Although I think Anthony may have him confused with Barry White.
2. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, “SON OF A PREACHER MAN”: England? I refuse to believe she’s not secretly from Alabama (I love Dusty, but I do wish I could have “I Only Want to Be with You” removed from heavy rotation in my head).
3. DEL SHANNON, “RUNAWAY”: Eh. Feels like denatured Gene Vincent (see below) to me.
4. MADONNA, “LIKE A VIRGIN”: Pretty much the same comment I made when “Like a Prayer” came up in the BNIT—there are some Madonna songs I like, but this isn’t one of them. I find her most irritating when she plays Nudge Nudge, as she does too often.

Bracket 48
1. GENE VINCENT, “BE BOP A LULA”: Not a great song, but in this group, I’m comfortable enough picking it. Outside hardcore 50s fans, few people remember Vincent now, which is too bad…speaking of the Strummer bio, there’s a great photo of him performing this song with his hair dyed Vincent-orange.
2. MARVIN GAYE, “I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE”: One of the all-time great vocal performances, plus lots of frilly Motown strings and horns, but it’s not actually that much of a song (almost nobody at Motown wanted to record it).
3. EMINEM FEAT. DIDO, “STAN”: Not a classic, but it’s very affecting, and that must count for something (unfortunately, “Lose Yourself,” which I think is his best by far, isn’t in the tourney).
4. BIG JOE TURNER, “SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL”: Anthony, I agree with you about the lyrics—although I strongly disagree that Turner and Vincent are “interchangeable,” I presume on the basis of being from the same decade…I wonder if critics of the 2050s will look back and call the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kanye West interchangeable. By the way, Big Joe’s nickname is no accident—I’m willing to bet that he was (physically) the largest person in the whole tournament, if not all of AM. Honorable mention goes to Fats Domino, Big Mama Thornton, and Cass Elliot.

I suppose Barry White would work too, but there’s no denying the sexy sounds of Rev. Green. On that note, how many “Lovage” fans do we have out there? Schleuse – you’re a Blur fan, correct? Any chance you’ve checked out the Damon Albarn cameo on Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By? Oh, and where does Sam Cooke rank on your list?

I’ve made no bones about the fact that these 50s rock tunes are starting to sound homogenous. Perhaps “interchangeable” was the wrong word.

And good call on “Day Tripper”; please forgive the musical oversight (I should know better). At any rate, the song still gets third in the bracket.

Albarn does pop up in the oddest places...I've not heard that, but I'll track it down. Thanks, Anthony.

Sam Cooke is wonderful, although (apart from "Change Is Gonna Come") I think of him as a dancey-party singer. My preferred...romantic (ahem) music is actually jazz. I'll leave it at that...we southern gentlemen don't kiss and tell...

BRACKET 45
90. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) - I'm surprising myself with this choice
218. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) - An absolute gem
39. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) - I think that this is a bit overrated, a decent song, but not my go-to song by the Clash, even on the album I usually skip it.
167. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) - Anyone else think of Happy Days when they hear this?

Name: schleuse
---
Again we go, as the Libertines would say, up the bracket…

Ballots due by midnight Saturday, September 1…and just typing that reminds me that the end of the first round (at the end of September, on the 29th) is on the horizon.

BRACKET 45
39. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
90. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)
167. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)
218. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)

BRACKET 46
103. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) - This is a really tough bracket.
231. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) - I heard somewhere that this has the most identifiable guitar riff in history.
154. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) - This song is brilliant! How do brackets like this keep happening?
26. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) - Lovely Wall of Sound production, but it can't compete here.

BRACKET 47
58. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) - Gorgeous.
186. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) - Nile Rogers is a genius.
199. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968)
71. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) - Doesn't do it for me.

BRACKET 48
135. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) - A standout.
7. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) - I think I'm the only one who prefers Gladys and the Pips' version.
122. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) - Still has a certain energy.
250. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) - Two people who are annoying come together to make what could possibly be the MOST annoying song ofthe decade.

BRACKET 45
1. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)
2. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)
3. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)

The "boom-chicka-boom" sound of Cash is probably most notable on this one. A simple evocation of the honest truth that, yes, Johnny could GET other women...but he didn't WANT anyone other than June. A universal truth that is perhaps the best ode to the marriage contract ever (Lennon's "Grow Old with Me" and Travis' "Forever and Ever,Amen" notwithstanding)
The Femmes' "Blister" is just a heck of a lot of fun to listen to and rock and roll is SUPPOSED to be fun. Clash after that with one of the more menacing guitar lines they've got in their catalogue. I love Fats and want to see him live someday..heck I have a 45 reissue of "Blueberry" b/w "Boll Weevil"...but I like this one a little less than the others, so...

BRACKET 46
1. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964)
2. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
3. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966)
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972)

The top spot was HARD. "Lovin' Feelin'" is IMHO the best Righteous Brothers cut ever and Orbison's "Pretty Woman" is his best rocker. Rocker...ballad..rocker..ballad. In the end, the Orbison growl takes it at #1. "Paperback Writer" is a second tier Beatles effort but I don't really know the Roxy Music song so PW gets #3.

BRACKET 47
1. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968)
3. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)

Debated for awhile on this one, too..but in the end I realized that EVERY time I hear "Runaway" on the radio I crank it...and usually play "air organ" on the dash when it gets to the solo. Petty endorses Shannon too which isn't a bad guy to have in your corner. Smoldering "Son of a Preacher Man" comes in next. I know Ray Charles took a lot of flack for marrying gospel's sound to "those sinful lyrics" but I think Springfield's close to sacrilege here. Sounds really heavenly, though. Kind of a theme, the other 2 are pretty much "sex/sexy" songs too. I give the Rev. the edge over Madonna because she doesn't have the great horn section behind her.


BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (196
2. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956)
3. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000)
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)

Gaye in a walkaway. (heh that rhymed) Marvin flatout TESTifies in this one. The dynamics of the Vincent tune grab me for #2 (the alternation behind the laidbook reverb vocal cool and the explosive drumming). "Stan" shows what Eminem's is capable of as far as writing a good storytelling lyric when he wants to. "Shake" is last mostly because I prefer the Haley cover to Turner's original. Like the energy of the quicker tempo with the Comets rendition.

And for the heck of it, my predictions on what will ACTUALLY win (as opposed to what wins for me):

BRACKET 45 goes to the Clash
BRACKET 46 to the Righteous Brothers
BRACKET 47 to Al Green
BRACKET 48 to Marvin Gaye

Be interesting to see if I'm correct there..

Sorry schleuse, I should've mentioned that the Albarn cameo is more or less a speaking role, not an actual song. Regardless, it's somewhat humorous in a tongue-in-cheek way; in fact, the entire Lovage album is like that.

In case any of you are interested, "Lovage" is a group made up of Mike Patton, Dan the Automator, Jennifer Charles, Kid Koala, etc. The aforementioned album, Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By, is a one-off LP from them. A very sexy album, but also quite cheeky. You sure won't find it on any acclaimed music list, but if any of you are looking for something good for you and your significant other to, ahem, "knock boots" to, I highly recommend it.

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) - Driving guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. Powerful. Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust!
2. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) - The guitar line is cool. So are the lyrics.
3. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) - OK riff, but not top 256 material.
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) - Good boogie woogie piano I guess, but sounds too old. Reminds me of Richie Cunningham.

BRACKET 46
1. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) - Nothing in this bracket excites me. I guess this is just the winner by default.
2. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) - Nice enough song.
3. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) - Puts me to sleep.
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) - I don't get it.

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) - Sublime soul classic.
2. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) - To me, this is just a really cool song. Great melody. Interesting sounds. I like it a lot.
3. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) - Great groove. But second best Pulp Fiction song in this bracket.
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) - Right.

BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) - As a Detroiter, I feel qualified to pronounce Marvin as by far the most worthwhile Motown act. Stevie is second. The rest is pretty much just pop.
2. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) - Great use of Dido sample. Great use of pen-scratching sound effect. Good story telling. Original. But second best Detroit track in this bracket.
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) - Just cool stuff.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) - The 4th place song.

BRACKET 45
1- Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun”
2- Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill”
3- The Clash, “London Calling”
4- Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line”

BRACKET 46
1- Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain”
2- Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman”
3- The Beatles, “Paperback Writer”
4- The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”

BRACKET 47
1- Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”
2- Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man”
3- Del Shannon, “Runaway”
4- Madonna, “Like a Virgin”

BRACKET 48
1- Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
2- Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula”
3- Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll”
4- Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan”

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) - One of the best of the best of the best.
2. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) - I like violent femmes. Original song.
3. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) - Great classic. Melody keeps in my head.
4. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) - I don't dislike it, but sure it's last here.

BRACKET 46
1. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) - Brian wins with a original song.
2. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) - It's not the Beatles best, but still the Beatles.
3. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) - My lovin'feelin' for this song was very long ago indeed.
4. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) - I don't hear anything special.

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) - cool and nice and groovy.
2. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) - I never mind to hear this. I wo-wo-wonder why.
3. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) - ok disco.
4. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) - it's ok. But it is dated.

BRACKET 48
1. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) - One of the best songs from this decade. The writing sound of the pen. Brilliant! The lyrics rhymes, the story line. Really fantastic.
2. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) - Two brilliant songs in this bracket. But I hope Eminem wins, modern classic against historic classic.
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) - Nice oldie.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) - I like it. It swings.

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979): gorgeous opener of one of my ever favourite albums. Love the strong rhythm (marking all the times of the bar “Instant Karma” style), love the bass line at the beginning, love the backward guitars in the middle section, love the “singin’ in the rain” clip, love the lyrics, love the attitude. And it’s not the best song from the album…
2. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983): irresistibly funny song with fresh street-musician sound. From a very good album whose stature continues to grow within the years.
3. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956): a classic, I like a lot the melodic shift when it changes to B7 and Em in the middle section (“all of those vows we made” line).
4. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956): the third Cash tune in Bracketology, and in my opinion the worse of the three. Anyway the lyrics about being true and the nice melody descending to the lower notes are remarkable.

BRACKET 46
1. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964): the third Spector’s best after “Be My Baby” and “River Deep Mountain High”. Again the Mann-Weill-Nitzsche-Levine-Spector team (almost factory-type) worked perfectly. The singers were only part of the machinery. But a crucial part this time.
2. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966): it fuses Dylan-influenced lyrics, Stones-influenced riffs and Beach Boys-influenced harmonies (brilliant “Frère Jacques” backing vocals!) in a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. And it shows that McCartney knew how to rock too.
3. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964): nice happy pop song from one of the saddest singers, love the middle section (that sadly only appears once during the song).
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972): groundbreaking and innovative at the time (particularly Eno keyboards) but last here.

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971): agree with Anthony, the best song for f…, well, for making love, winning this particular league to “Let’s Get It On”. But, Anthony, you will need more songs besides this 3’19” one if you don’t want your girl going to bracket 40 and singing: “I can’t get no satisfaction…”
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man”: so whitey English girls got soul too…
3. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984): in a word: provocative.
4. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961): nice melody line, but terribly dated.

BRACKET 48
1. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000): it’s my favourite song from the 00s, and the seven years passed by hadn’t dethroned it yet. Probably the best example of storytelling in music, it’s more a novel or a movie than a song. And the story cleverly told as fan mail and the perfectly build dramatic crescendo was astonishingly brilliant. It puts a lamp in my throat. Masterpiece.
2. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”: sorry, Marvin, the song is awesome and the vocal rendering is intense, but I think it has no chance with “Stan” in the same bracket.
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956): the slow tempo, the hiccups, the screams, the echo, the perverse vocal deliverance soaks such simple lyrics with hot sexual content.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954): another sexually-charged one with wordplay coming from blues tradition (“one-eyed cat peeping on a seafood store” . Sad to put it on #4.

BRACKET 45
218. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) What a perfect little ditty. I'm a little surprised "Add It Up" and "Gone Daddy Gone" aren't this high up as well.
39. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) London Calling is currently sitting as my #4 album of all time. Yet, the song never really caught me as anything exception, great or standout. Just another good song on a great album.
167. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) I love it, but I just haven't heard it that much and I usually don't actually have the desire to listen, I probably just don't skip it when it shows up on the iPod.
90. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) Like the Clash I love JC...but not really til the 60s.



BRACKET 46
103. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) Probably a winner by default. I think it would've come in 4th in the above bracket.
154. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) I'm not sure why early Roxy Music hasn't caught me that much. I had never heard this before and it is pretty cool, but nothing earth shattering. Maybe it's because I started with Avalon and if I don't feel like making out during a Roxy Music song it's not that much for me.
231. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) Every song on Rubber Soul is better than this song, so why'd this get all the love?
26. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) Bleh.


BRACKET 47
199. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) Absolutely incredible. It oozes soul and I've never gotten tired of it.
71. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) What is so captivating about this song? It's actually kind of goofy sounding and yet it's so endearing.
58. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) A great Al Green song. I'm surprised I'm putting it at 3.
186. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) This has never been my favorite Madonna song, even though it's a really good song. Would definitely not be in 4th on most brackets.


BRACKET 48
7. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) I don't think any male has ever had a better voice than Marvin and this was HIS song.
122. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) I've had this on my comp for abouta year and haven't listened to it until now. Why is that? This is a pretty awesome song and doesn't have the cheese factor I usually feel with 50s songs.
135. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) This does have that cheese factor the above song doesn't have.
250. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) Admittedly, I'm an Eminem hater. Maybe it's because I think there's a lot of better hip-hop artists out there that don't just seem like a gimmick to me. I've heard this once or twice. I never had to hear it again. Dido's hot though.

BRACKET 45:
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
2. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)
3. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)

Great songs, all. But "London Calling" sweats pure five-star classic quality from beginning to end.

As a youngster - on a different message board - someone once guaranteed me that the first Violent Femmes album would make my 'Top 10 Albums of the 80s' list, if I gave it a chance. He wasn't wrong.

I adore Johnny Cash, and there's no denying "Blueberry Hill" is a Hell of a song, either.

BRACKET 46:
1. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972)
2. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966)
3. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964)
4. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)

"Virginia Plain" is just an absolutely perfect psychedelic pop song. No two ways about it. "Paperback Writer", meanwhile, is a very, very good psychedelic pop song (love the freakin' subject matter).

Roy Orbison has a gorgeous voice, squeakin' out the other syruppy love ballad of '64 into 4th place.

BRACKET 47:
1. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (196
2. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)

This was a hard one, as I love my top three choices. 'Preacher Man' has always and will always be a favourite of mine. But "Let's Stay Together" just is soul. While "Runaway" boasts a gorgeous melody, vocal performance et al.

"Like A Virgin" is a piece of shit. Props for ushering unbridled sexuality into the mainstream, and all, but awful-sounding badly-written Minnie Mouse-performance of a God awful song. Acclaimed how?

BRACKET 48:
1. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000)
2. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (196
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956)
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)

"Stan" - awesome, creative, smart and funny piece of kit. Eminem's a legend.

'Grapevine' - cool, funky, nice.

'Lula' - rockin', boppin'.

'Shake' - one '50s rock-n-roller too many.

Had to give it some more though this week, difficult brakcets.

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) - The bass line in this song is something of a masterpiece on itself in my opinion, and then there's the great lyrics, the fantastic instrumental break.. it's just nearly perfect.
2. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) - A fantastic song as well, but not quite as great as London Calling.
3. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) - A bracket with 2 fantastic songs and 2 quite boring ones. I'm gonna stick to the AM order.
4. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) - See #3.

BRACKET 46
1. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) - Great song, Bryan Ferry at his very, very best. The whole last minute is pure magic.
2. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) - The most played song on US radio in the 20th century, and I have to disagree with you Anthony, even Tom Cruise couldn't ruin this Spector masterpiece.
3. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) - This song just makes you want to sing along, which is never a bad sign.
4. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) - Another annoying song by the Beatles, the first 2 seconds already make me want to turn it off.

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) - Funny, 2 of this bracket's songs were featured in Pulp Fiction, and Let's Stay Together is clearly the best of the 2. Bob Dylan's Stuck In The Middle With You (also in the movie) beats them both though.
2. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) - Great popsong from the queen of pop.
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) - Decent song, I like the clavioline, it's fun.
4. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) - Not that special. (The other song featured in Pulp Fiction, for the ones that wondered)

BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) - Fantastic song from Marvin, beats every other version of the song. It took Gaye 2 months to complete the recording, and it surely paid off.
2. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) - I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this is the best rapsong ever.. goddamn beautiful.
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) - Fun and a little more special than Big Joe's Shake, Rattle and Roll.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) - Fun, but that's about it.

I see someone beat me to the Pulp Fiction part. :(

BRACKET 45

1. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)
2. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)
3. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
4. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)

There’s not one song I genuinely enjoy in that bracket, though the Femmes song is the only one I actively dislike. I can’t bear to listen to the Clash anymore, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I dislike them, though I do think they’ve become a cliché. I walk the line and Blueberry Hill are solid classics, though I wouldn’t cross the street to hear either of them.

BRACKET 46

1. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966)
2. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
3. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964)
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972)

Paperback writer is one of the Beatles most dynamic songs – I really love the inventive, vibrant harmonies in particular. I prefer Orbison in his ballad mode, and I’ve always found that Righteous Brothers track to be a bit wet. I used to really love Roxy at one time, but I’m a little played out on them and the glam movement in general.


BRACKET 47

1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)
2. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)
3. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968)
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)


Al Green has one of the most perfect, soulful voices. Cliché alert: I could listen to him sing anything. Let’s Stay Together is a brilliant song, one of his very finest. Runaway is a fantastic song, vaguely mysterious with a hook that still sounds incredibly fresh to me. Dusty Springfield is not my thing, and I think Like a Virgin is one of the weaker early Madonna singles (I do think she had some great ones).

BRACKET 48

1. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956)
2. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)
3. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)
4. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000)
I really love Gene Vincent – aside from Buddy Holly and Elvis, he’s probably my favourite of the early rockers – perfect greaser music. I’ve never had much love for I Heard It Through the Grapevine as a song, but I do think Gaye’s version is the best one. Shake, Rattle and Roll is another pre-Beatles track that doesn’t thrill me much, and I do not care for that Eminiem track. I do think Lose Yourself was a great song.

Bracket 45
1)The Clash - London Calling:I was somewhat surprised to find it was considered a classic,before I came on this site,I never thought of that way.Takes this bracket fairly easily but the Clash aren't a band I make a habit of listening to too much
2)Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill:Haven't heard it for so long,but the fact I can remember it exactly means it's a memorable tune...
3)Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line:I just can't see how it broke new ground?
4)Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun:Fun,but not a classic - #4 here

Bracket 46
1)Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin':I can't understand people here saying some other version spoilt it for them - just listen to this song as it is and it's a true masterpiece,always amazes me. Dave Marsh did his 1001 greatest songs in R&R and had this #5.Brian Wilson's 2nd favourite song about my 5th or so...so daylight here
2)Roxy Music - Virginia Plain:Wow that's awesome - I've only just heard it.Not at all familiar with early Roxy Music
3)Roy Orbison - Oh,Pretty Woman:A fairly simple rock song,a nice departure from his usual style
4)The Beatles - Paperback Writer:Not a standout for them - probably not in their top 30(well not mine anyway)

Bracket 47
1)Al Green - Let's Stay Together:Anthony said it best here...don't think I need to say anymore
2)Del Shannon - Runaway:Cheesy I know but just so fun and brings up memories of hearing all that kind of music the first time
3)Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man:A strong song from Springfield - just sort of 7/10 stuff,nothing particularly bad about it,but nothing exceptional
4)Madonna - Like A Virgin:Well she sounded like her lungs were full of helium back then and I hate that

Bracket 48
1)Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine:Some of the best vocals I've ever heard,I've heard this song butchered many times,but no one will come close to this version - I slightly prefer his song 12 odd places lower - 'What's Going On'
2)Eminem feat. Dido - Stan:A definite peak of the 2000s as far as singles go - stunned me when I heard it
3)Gene Vincent - Be-Bop-A Lula:A great rock n'roll singer and song - hard to hate this sort of stuff...
4)Big Joe Turner - Shake,Rattle and Roll:Don't really go for this at all

BRACKET 45

1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) ***** : No matter how played it was on rock radios, this is still a big thrill
2. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) ****: like the man himself, this music is round, nonchalant (is it an English word ? ). I understand that some might find it boring (if you’re looking for action, raw energy, don’t stop here). And what a beautiful bridge ! I love fats because he brought a New Orleans touch to rock’n roll. But who cares now for those forgotten times ?
3. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) *** : Well I’m a JC fan but I don’t like this one with all these key changes just to show how great a bass singer he was.
4. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) : What ? (sorry I don’t know and can’t listen to)

BRACKET 46

1. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) : Well, this is one of the most played songs ever, but it still works : I prefer Roy’s ballads, but this one is an indisputable hit. The competition is not tough, so it is 1st
2. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) **** : Good riff, good lyrics
3. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) : good white r&b, for what I remember
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) : I don’t remember that song. I have the album, but I don’t listen to it too much (contrary to For your Pleasure)

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) **** : a soul classic. Al Green reaches maturity at that time
2. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)**** : a pop gem by one of the most unrecognized singers and songwriters of his time and forerunner of power pop (a term in fashion nowadays)
3. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) *** : sorry, good song, but to much related to Pulp Fiction’s soundtrack that I have overheard
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)* : Not Madonna-compatible

BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) ***** : it would be in my top 10. One of the first 60’s soul songs I heard when I was a teenager. The melody is subltle, it is really different. Once again, excellent cover by Creedence (but still far from the original)
135. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) *** : great guitar part
122. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) *** : good candidate for the first rock’n roller
250. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) : I will copy 100 times : I didn’t know this song. I have the impression that Eminem is huge but I still haven’t gone into his music. Good thing : I have new things to discover…

Nonchalant did make its way into English, and it's perfect to describe Fats (and especially appropriate for a New Orleans artist). Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Honorio made a most amusing typo:

Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000): it’s my favourite song from the 00s, and the seven years passed by hadn’t dethroned it yet. Probably the best example of storytelling in music, it’s more a novel or a movie than a song. And the story cleverly told as fan mail and the perfectly build dramatic crescendo was astonishingly brilliant. It puts a lamp in my throat. Masterpiece. ^^^^

Sounds painful

Pomtidom:
Just to clarify. "Stuck in the middle with you" is not a Dylan song it's by Stealers Wheel.

Not sure why, but this reformatted when it posted. Those arrows were pointing to "lamp" in my throat..

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I wanted to put "lump" instead of "lamp". I think that the Spanish expression "nudo en la garganta" relates well with the English "lump in my throat". Am I wrong? Is this a correct expression?
But anyway, it's true. Putting a lamp in your throat must be really painful

Actually I think "nudo en la garganta" translates to "gorilla in the nude".

I'm feeling very ashamed now, I call myself a fan and I always thought that was a Dylan song Steelers Wheel tried to remake as good as possible or something.. why do I have a song named 'Bob Dylan - Stuck In The Middle With You.mp3' on my computer..

I'm gonna go kill myself now, thank you.

That's why you shouldn't download! I don't know how many bands put their own stupid songs online under Weezer's name.

I got a shitload of music from a friend, whose taste is quite similar to mine, I think this was one of them.

The translator is google:

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979), each riff, each shout, I know it memory because it is one of the songs that I have listened more ever
2. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956), what simple and what pretty
3. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983), another simple and charming song
4. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956), will get upset Nicholas?: great voice. But Cash to never achieved to `five to star' song

BRACKET 46
1. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964), like is not In Dreams in competition, that is in top 10 of my life, I give the four points to Roy by his blessed voice and its glasses
2. The Righteous Brothers, “You' sees Lost That Lovin' Feelin'” (1964), without the production is wonderful, with Spector behind is huge
3. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972), passes the one to them of a Johnny Cash: they do not have a song to compete with the great ones. But they are perfect in two things: concept of group and aesthetic
4. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966), little compared with his landmarks

BRACKET 47
1. Dusty Springfield, “Is of to Preacher Man” (1968), thanks to Tarantino to recover this song. By your hairdo, Dusty, 4 points
2. Of the Shannon, “Runaway” (1961), frenetic and amused
3. To the Green, “Let' s Stay Together” (1971), almost as exciting as the voice of Marvin
4. Madonna, “Like to Virgin” (1984), best: the title

BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968), the line of low incial is gold; the voice of Marvin is a diamond; but in addition there are violins, choirs; and much class
2. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954), we never forget to these brave ones: they were able to change the sound of the cities
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop to Lula” (1956), new forms to sing: shouts and stammerings in a refrain for history
4. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000), I finish it hearing for the first time and it has really moved to me

Pomtidom, not intending to pile on here, but "Stuck in the Middle With You" is in RESERVOIR DOGS, not PULP FICTION. Sorry.

"shouldn't download," jonmarck?

The stereo store just called...your 8-track player and quad speakers are ready.

(I'se just joshin')

God, you're right, not a big Tarantino fan is the only (pathetic) excuse I can come up with for whole confusing mess.. let's just forget I said anything shall we?

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
2. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)
3. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)


BRACKET 46
1. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966)
2. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972)
3. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964)
4. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)




BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968)3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)


BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)
2. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956)
3. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000)
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) – A magnificent statement of purpose that kicks off one of the unquestioned all-time great albums. Everything about it is amazing, from the unstoppable martial beat to Paul Simonon’s finest bass line ever to those brilliant air-raid guitar squalls (backwards and otherwise) to Strummer’s animal howls. Pins you to the wall the first time you hear it, and every single time after that.
2. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) – Take one minimally strummed acoustic guitar, one artfully plucked acoustic (!) bass guitar, one rudimentary drum kit, one wan-voiced but dirty-minded singer-songwriter. Mix them together and you get probably -the- definitive adolescent-male sexual angst anthem; it’s like Willy and the Poorboys fronted by Philip Roth.
3. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) – The MiB’s persona was set in stone right from the beginning of his lengthy career, thanks largely to this classic.
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) – The most stately and elegant of the early rock masters, bringing effortless Nawlins cool to the standard that became his signature track.

BRACKET 46
1. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) – Legend has it that Spector, worried that radio stations wouldn’t want to play an almost four-minute song, listed the running time on the label as 3:05 instead of 3:45, gambling that by the time everyone figured out the ruse it would be too late to stop it from becoming a hit. As usual (then, anyway), his instincts were almost as spot-on as his brilliant production. This record may just be his finest.
2. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) – A gleaming slice of hard, shimmering pop-rock, almost unique (along with its B-side “Rain”) in their catalog. Brilliantly playful harmonies, stunningly vivid guitars and drums.
3. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) – The most original, exciting band of the early seventies; I wish they were represented in this tournament by more than this one song, which is endlessly listenable but far from their best.
4. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) – Talk about an anomaly in someone’s catalog. In truth, the role of streetcorner horndog doesn’t really sit well on Roy’s shoulders, even if the guy does reveal himself to be just as insecure as his other characters. Still a terrific record – but one which at this point I don’t really need to hear again.

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) – A perfect record that unfolds easily, beautifully, with Green’s masterful vocal complemented by Willie Mitchell’s no-fuss-no-muss arrangement and production. Next time you hear it, pay attention to how unconventional Al Jackson’s drumming is – he never quite hits the beat where you expect him to, yet it always sounds just right. That’s soul, just as much as Al’s splendid verbal asides.
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) – This is soul, too, British blue-eyed division but every bit as authentic. I can’t understand those who say this song (and its timeless album) are dated. OK, maybe a little bit (I’ll concede that the world didn’t really need another cover of “Windmills of Your Mind”). Here, she brings such easy style to the song that you’d swear she lived it herself.
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) – A great oldie, memorable even more for that exceedingly odd keyboard solo than for Del’s impassioned vocal.
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) – I never really thought this was a great record, as significant as it was in defining her image. Give me Jim Broadbent’s hilarious rendition in MOULIN ROUGE any day.

BRACKET 48
1. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) – I never, ever imagined that I wouldn’t rank “Grapevine” #1 in a bracket. But here we are. In an earlier AM poll I selected “Stan” as my favorite track of the current decade, a position it still holds, and I’m picking it here too. I think it’s easily the peak of Mr. Mathers’ estimable career, and it’s one of the most harrowing and brilliantly detailed story-songs ever written. It’s the finest commentary, ever, in any medium, on the relationship between artist and fan. “It was you – damn.”
2. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) – It’s attained an almost-mythic status over the decades that, in truth, no three-minute pop single could ever live up to. It’s not as great or as important as “Like a RS” or “Satisfaction” or “Teen Spirit”. So take it for what it is: quite possibly Motown’s greatest track, impeccably produced by Norman Whitfield and passionately sung by a man incapable of giving a weak performance. No more, no less.
3. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) – Vincent embodied almost everything that the enemies of rock ‘n’ roll assumed was true of the music as a whole – this really -was- primitive, almost uncontrolled noise, full of frankly sexual menace. And all the better for it.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) – What a great bracket this is! Big Joe’s classic represents prerock R&B at its salacious best. Everybody quotes that astonishing seafood-peepin’-cat single entendre, but the whole song is like that.

BRACKET 45
1. “Blueberry Hill” – Love that guys voice, even more poignant given how he evokes New Orleans
2. “London Calling” – The rest of the album has more interesting moment, but this is still a good call to arms
3. “Blister in the Sun” – Catchy and minimal, hard to believe it was a major hit in the synth-drenched eighties
4. “I Walk the Line” – Not really bad enough to be last place, it just kind of sounds like generic Cash instead of something unique.


BRACKET 46
1. “Oh, Pretty Woman” – Orbison’s voice and dark persona added an interesting tone to most of the soapy, sweet, and safe sounds of the 50s. The sung dialogue at the end is really a phenomal moment in pop.
2. “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’’ – Thunderous orchestral brilliance. It’s weird with all sorts of production techiniques in modern times and heavy sampled beats, nothing sounds so big as this.
3. “Paperback Writer” – I’m surprised this Beatles song gets any attention. I don’t even know how the melody goes, and that’s really hard to forget for almost any other Beatles hit.
4. “Virginia Plan” – I’ve wanted to get into this band more but I don’t know this song.

BRACKET 47
1. “Runaway” – I’ve dying to hear some DJ or mashup artist use the incredible keyboard (Moog, Mellotron, what is he playing?) break in the middle of the song as some sort of utlimate loop. Put together with Del Shannon’s vocals, a masterpiece. Hats Off to Larry should get some recognition too.
2. “Son of a Preacher Man” – Beautiful but gritty, I should probably grab this one on iTunes
3. “Let’s Stay Together” – Smooth sounding, but lacks a melodic urgency compared to higher songs.
4. “Like a Virgin” – All this pure natural singing in this bracket makes an otherwise 80s pop gem sound awful.

BRACKET 48
1. “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” – This song is so legendary I remember learning how to sing it in elementary school, along with such staples as This Land is Your Land and a bunch of other songs that weren’t as cool.
2. “Shake Rattle & Roll” – I might have heard the Bill Haley & Comets version a lot more than this one, but it’s still fundamental to the early rock canon.
3. “Be Bop a Lula” – Was this the first use of nonsensical lyrics in the chorus and song title?
4. “Stan” – OK, I’m trying to give credit to this 21st century songs, but I can’t, even in a weaker bracket like this one.

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) (He's a wonderfully expressive singer, it's too bad that I can never understand Joe Strummer's lyrics. I'd probably like this song even better than I do already.)
2. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) (This tourney has not done good things to my relationship with Johnny Cash. I thought I loved him, until I sat and thought about whether I actually like his biggest hits all that much. I do like this song, but not all that much.)
3. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) (I'm surprised by the venom expressed by other posters for the Femmes and this song. I mean it is a bit of a throw away, but I would have thought undeniably fun.)
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) (Good voice, but turgid song. Funny to think that this came out the same year as I Walk the Line. I am much more of an R&B fan than Country, but I Walk the Line's chunk-achunk background sets a much better groove than Fats and his band on this number.)

BRACKET 46
1. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) (I am not a Roxy Music/Brian Ferry fan. In fact I pretty much dilike most of their other work (that I've heard). This song is a diamond in the rough.)
2. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) (Not my favorite Orbison song, perhaps only because it is a bit overplayed. I prefer heartbroken Roy to hounddog Roy, a role that I never quite buy from him even when he's purring and muttering "Mercy." Still, this does feature his gorgeous voice.)
3. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) (My vote for the most overrated song in the Beatles canon. Throw away theme, merely OK riff. I actually don't like the ending at all. The saving grace is the a cappella harmonies, which someone else here hates... so go figure.)
4. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) (I'm torn on this song. There is some good vocal work on it. But it just tries too hard. The over-emoting, and the too large background instruments, turn the song into a slog.)


BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) (Part of a string of great hits from the Reverend. Fun and frisky. I love that Al Green never seems to be trying too hard. The vocal flourishes seem to be driven by pure joy. He is the (admittedly lesser, but still great) counterpoint to Otis Redding, whose vocal flourishes are driven by pure pain.)
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) (Another singer who goes a long way by not trying too hard. Her breathy vocals make up for somewhat of a deficit in the soul department. Great instrumental and (particularly) background vocal arrangement behind her.
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) (Never liked that organ solo. But Del's vocals are quirky and enjoyable.)
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) (Lesser early Madonna. Silly, stupid song. Give me "Borderline" instead.)

BRACKET 48 (tough bracket to judge, hard to figure out how to rank these)
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) (Through everything -- that damn Big Chill soundtrack that my parents overplayed, the stupid California Raisins commercials, the even worse "be quiet" parody version that they have been playing at my local movie theater, and competition from an excellent Gladys Knight version -- when I just sit and listen to it, it never gets old.)
2. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) (I did not like Eminem before this song. It did give me chills the first few times I heard it.)
3. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) (How to decide between these bottom two? They're both good. I throw it to Big Joe Turner becuase I enjoy his voice more, even though Be Bop a Lula has more of a melody.)
4. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) (Overbroad on the hiccupping vocals, but still enjoyable.)

45
1) The Clash "London Calling" - Oh my god. An anthem. Along with the glorious cover art for this album, the song is a redefinition of the content of rock n' roll - if not the packaging.
2) Violent Femmes "Blister in the Sun" - What a fun song. I have too many camp sing and dancealong memories to let this choice slip any further.
3) Johnny Cash "I Walk the Line" - I like Cash, but...this just isn't a song I voluntarily put on very often.
4) Fats Domino "Blueberry Hill" - doesn't stand out to me.

46
1) Roy Orbison "Oh, Pretty Woman" - I knew this song before I knew how to spell my name, or probably even say it for that matter. This song is an integral part to American culture.
2) Beatles "Paperback Writer" - such an original lyrical take on a song, for its time and still today.
3) Righteous Brothers "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin" - schmaltzy.
4) Roxy Music - "Virginia Plain" - Never heard it, can't comment.

47
1) Al Green "Let's Stay Together" - This song makes my soul smile.
2) Dusty Springfield "Son of a Preacher Man" - Such a smooth delivery, great arrangement, and great concept.
3) Del Shannon "Runaway" - Fun song, that's about it.
4) Madonna "Like a Virgin" - Not her best. Memorable, but...in a good way?

48
1) Marvin Gaye "I Heard it through the Grapevine" - Such a smooth voice, a legendary song, and perfectly produced. All the nuances of the lyrics are caught in the music and in Gaye's delivery.
2) Eminem "Stan" - The song gets old after a while, but it is an amazingly articulate story about Eminem's particular influence on listeners and the listeners themselves. I'm not sure I totally buy it, but it's such a compelling story. And it's one of the most appropriate samples I've heard.
3) Big Joe Turner "Shake Rattle and Roll" - Great energy, but just a little lacking for me.
4) Gene Vincent "Be Bop a Lula" - solid oldie.

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)- Would the Clash be considered "great" if they didn't release this? They have a lot of good songs but nothing came close to this masterpiece.
2. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956)- One of the best melodies ever.
3. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956)- I don't have anything to say about this one. I don't have strong feelings about it but I do listen to it.
4. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983)- Good song but doesn't even compare to the other three.

BRACKET 46
1. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966)- First song I ever learned for guitar!
2. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972)- Gets #2 by default but it's pretty good
3. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964)- Blah #1. Mercy indeed.
4. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)- Blah #2. I think I heard this one too many times on oldies stations as a kid when the song held no meaning for me. Remember when oldies stations used to play Righteous Brothers non-stop?


BRACKET 47- I'm going to just write a paragraph to sum up my thoughts on all of these. All of these songs are by artists I don't normally listen to and in genres I usually don't like. Let's Stay Together is definitely the only Al Green song I like, same goes for Del Shannon. I can appreciate some Dusty Springfield but Son of a Preacher Man is the only one I ever have really liked. The only exception to this rule is Madonna who has a ton of songs I like but I can't stand Like a Virgin.

1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971)-
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968)
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961)
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984)


BRACKET 48
1. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956)- I think I hold Elvis' version equal. Most definitely my favorite song of the early rock and roll period.
2. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000)- Another #2 by default. Its ok but it's not even my favorite Eminem song.
3. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)- This song is boring to me no matter who does it.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)- Most definitely my least favorite song of the early rock and roll period and boring to me no matter who does it...

BRACKET 45
Very close bracket. I don't know if I can sleep well after this...

1. The Clash, “London Calling” (1979) - I often find Clash overrated, but this is essential
2. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” (1956) - Jukeboxes are not very common in Sweden, but a long time ago, a friend and stopped by at a small burger restaurant where they had one. We chose Blueberry Hill. The music was loud. It was a great moment.
3. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” (1956) - I love how Cash's dark vocal smoothly moves in and out to this great country beat.
4. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” (1983) - My definition of indie

BRACKET 46
The weakest bracket ever?

1. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) - I like Roy's most popular song, but I think it's a little silly that such a silly song is almost in the AM top 100.
2. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) - Heartbreaking but overrated
3. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” (1966) - An average single, at least by Beatles standards
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” (1972) - This is a perfect example of that the single-only tracks are overrated at AM. Other RM songs like "Do the Strand" would have won this bracket easily.

BRACKET 47
1. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) - I was going to write that although this is soul at its best, I often skip this as I've heard it so many times. Then I played it and almost hit the repeat button.
2. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968) - No one has a better taste than Quentin
3. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” (1984) - If you would ask people to sing a Madonna song, I'm sure most people would pick this one. And it's because of the melody just as much as the lyrics.
4. Del Shannon, “Runaway” (1961) - Amazing falsetto, but the song as a whole has no chance in this heat.

BRACKET 48
1. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” (2000) - Honorio said all I wanted to say. It's easy to understand that a lot of people don't like Eminem. But even if I'd hate most of E's other songs (I don't), I'd probably hold him very high only because of this song.
2. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” (1956) - Puts me in a great mood, one of my absolute favourites from the 50s. Would have won any of the other three brackets this week.
3. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) - OK, so this might be the best top 3 in a bracket ever. Easily the best cover in the AM top 10.
4. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954) - A distant #4

BRACKET 45
1. The Clash, “London Calling” - From the ominous bass line opening to the list of disasters, this was a great way to close the '70s and open the '80s.
2. Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line” - A cool country-rock Cash classic.
3. Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” - A fun pop song, but I'm not sure it's much more than that.
4. Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill” - Not as thrilling for me as it is for him. Still pretty good.

BRACKET 46
1. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” - It's an epic, luckily I can block Tom Cruise from my mind at will.
2. Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman” - Orbison's crowning achievement with and extremely cool rhythm.
3. The Beatles, “Paperback Writer” - A little shrill, and not one of the best songs the Beatles did.
4. Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain” - I like some Roxy Music, but not this so much.


BRACKET 47
1. Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man” - I prefer the warm feeling of Memphis Sould over Motown (in general), and Dusty gave this song her all.
2. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together” - Smooth soul. It's really good, but just a little too polished I think.
3. Del Shannon, “Runaway” - A nice song for the era.
4. Madonna, “Like a Virgin” - In the words of Quentin Tarantino, "Dick, dick, dick, dick, dick."

BRACKET 48
1. Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” - One of the coolest grooves of all time, and one of Gaye's best.
2. Eminem featuring Dido, “Stan” - I think he's done better, but despite the lack of lyrical flow, he still makes his point. No. 2 by default.
3. Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” - Kind of a classic, but doesn't really move me.
4. Gene Vincent, “Be Bop a Lula” - See No. 3, only less so.