Attention, triskaidekaphobes—Week 13 of bracketology begins now.

Ballots are due at midnight on Saturday, September 8.

BRACKET 49
46. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
83. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)
174. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993)
211. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998)

BRACKET 50
19. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971)
110. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995)
147. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986)
238. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978)

BRACKET 51
51. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)
78. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994)
179. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955)
206. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965)

BRACKET 52
14. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)
115. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969)
142. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971)
243. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967)

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done this, so for the benefit of anyone coming to bracketology for the first time, the complete skinny can be found at Bracketology Central here. And, of course, here’s the weekly BNIT plug: voting for the semifinals is open until Wednesday the 5th…after that, watch for the BNIT Final Four.

Dig in!

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)- The best butt rock song ever.
2. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998)- A great song off the only Beastie album that didn't feel like a novelty.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993)- Cool song but kind of just a nostalgia song for me.
4. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983)- I like the bass line. That's all.

BRACKET 50
1. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978)- The most underrated song by one of the most underrated bands.
2. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986)- This would probably be #1 in a lot of other brackets, but it just happens that it has to go against one of my favorites of all time.
3. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995)- This was 8th grade. Again, kind of a nostalgia piece but it brings back memories.
4. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971)- I realize the importance but I'm not a big fan of 70's soul.

BRACKET 51
1. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)- Awesome song. The other three songs don't hold a candle to this.
2. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965)- Just ok. Amazing if I'm watching him perform it live...just ok listening to it on album.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955)- Does anybody still actually listen to this song?
4. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994)- Maybe I think this song is completely a bore.

BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969)- All around good. Although I don't listen to the radio very often it seems that CCR is one of those bands that has been left in the dust due to oldies stations finding their way into the late 70's and classic rock stations going into the 80's and 90's. Are they the new Beach Boys?
2. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967)- I never realized this song was so acclaimed.
3. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)- I really should judge these Elvis songs in the context of when they were released but I just can't get past the fact that I just don't like the music.
4. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971)- I doubt there will ever be an artist or group that is so hit and miss for me like the Stones.

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987): This is Gn’R before they became the roster-changing, album-delaying, bloated Axl Rose-led embarrassment that they are today. I prefer the 9-minute-long epics from Use Your Illusion (eg. “Estranged”), but this one’s a decent, hard-rockin’ tune (even if it has been overplayed to death.)
2. The Police, "Every Breath You Take" (1983): Oh, Sting, why do I find you so incredibly irritating? Is it your god-awful acting career? Your self-proclaimed tantric mastery? Your holier-than-thou, Tuscan-countryside-cavorting, yoga-enthusiast, early-morning-Bach-cantata-playing artsy-fartsy lifestyle? You’ve written one genuinely great song in your entire career, and this stalker theme-song ain’t it.
3. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998): If I had to choose a favorite song by the group, this would be it. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s worthy of acclaim.
4. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993): At this point, I can’t see any reason why I should ever need to hear this song again.

BRACKET 50
1. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995): Signaled the arrival of Noel Gallagher the versatile songwriter, by showing that he could abandon the bravado long enough to write a love song with some real vulnerability - “…there are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how.” Great vocals from the younger Gallagher brother, and the string arrangements are perfect. To this day, we still have no clue what a “wonderwall” actually is (besides an obscure George Harrison album), but it doesn’t matter. If it hasn’t already, the song may be remembered as one of the best from of the 90’s, written by a Manc whose self-importance and arrogance may have actually been, well….. warranted.
2. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971): A fantastic opener to a classic album. Is it reasonable to say ‘71 was the ‘94 of the 70s?
3. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986): Lacks the urgency of “When Doves Cry” or the lighters-in-the-air epic-balladry of “Purple Rain”. Still a good song though.
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978): This just might be the first time in this tournament where I’ve liked all four songs in the same bracket (and by the looks of things, it’s probably the last time too.) A good song gets fourth just by virtue of the quality of its company.

BRACKET 51
1. Oasis, "Live Forever" (1994): I was 12 when this record came out, so I never truly appreciated its greatness until it had been out for several years. And even now, I can’t pinpoint exactly when this song grabbed me (although it was well after I had discovered Morning Glory), but what I do know is that currently, the song is not only one of my favorite Oasis tunes, but one of my all-time favorite songs. Forget for a second that it was recorded by a band that spent more time squabbling, drinking, doing drugs and being pretentious then playing actual music - this is the song that got the world’s attention, and incidentally, started a little thing called BritPop. It might not be the most complicated song musically speaking, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that the greatest songs are often quite simple. Case in point: the chord pattern is straight from a guitar-chords-for-beginners book; the vocal melody consists of just a few notes; the song really doesn’t have a chorus; the solo at 2:04 isn’t flashy, just tasteful. As for the lyrics, well, they’re Noel Gallagher lyrics, which is to say if you’re looking for brilliant writing, best look elsewhere. But when you have a vocalist like Liam Gallagher, who can make otherwise weak lines sound like lyrical genius, it really doesn’t matter. It’s his vocals that elevate the song, and when he sings “...you and I are gonna live forever...”, for even just a split-second, you can’t help but believe him.

I may not get another opportunity in this tournament to do this, so here are some gems from the songwriter himself (these are just way too good to pass up):

"If you'd written 'Live Forever', you'd be walking to a different tune the next day too." – Noel Gallagher

"I can’t remember that far back, really, but now that I think about it, it would be around the time I wrote 'Live Forever'. That’s a fuckin’ good tune, man." - Noel Gallagher

"Maybe before I wrote 'Live Forever,' but once I wrote that, I said to myself, "This is undeniably fucking great." – Noel Gallagher

2. James Brown, "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965): 12-bar blues disguised as funk. Hands down my favorite JB song.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955): The dirtiest blues shuffle that I’ve ever heard.
4. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965): Nice enough vocals, but the song does nothing for me.

BRACKET 52
1. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967): It’s absolutely baffling that this song is the sole representation of Pink Floyd in the top 256, meanwhile, classics like “Money” and “Comfortably Numb” (not to mention, my personal favorite “Wish You Were Here” , are nowhere in the vicinity. Within the context of 1965-1971, the song is good, but taking the band’s entire career as a whole, the song isn’t anything special. With Barrett out of the picture, Floyd became a much stronger and more focused group and it’s bewildering that songs from the band’s defining years - ‘73 to ‘79 - haven’t achieved an equal (or higher) level of acclaim. Anyway, despite the lack of any Gilmour/Waters compositions here, I’ll still take this one over the other three. But I’m not happy about it.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969): I’ve never liked Fogerty’s overtly political songs as much as I’ve liked his political-song-disguised-as-a-love-song songs.
3. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956): It’s a classic, sure, but one that I don’t find particularly enthralling.
4. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971): The extent of my love/hate relationship with Mick and Keith is epitomized by the songs that have appeared in this tournament. Nothing but adoration for “Gimme Shelter” and “Satisfaction” – both brilliant, and absolute disdain for “Honky Tonk Women” and this one, “Brown Sugar”, which is just plain awful.

Bracket 49: Brutal choices
1. THE BREEDERS, “CANNONBALL”: Besides the Kingsmen, I can’t think of a better one-hit wonder (though it’s still not right that, on AM, this song outranks anything by the Pixies). And I love the line “spitting in a wishing well.”
2. THE POLICE, “EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE”: Atypical late Police, and not my favorite, but this is still a dark, gorgeous song. The Police were a GREAT band—I think they’ve missed out on some of the acclaim they deserve because, for most of their career, they never really fit either in the mainstream or in indie music. (Anthony, you’re right, of course, that Sting's solo career is a different story—I’ve never been able to figure out why he wrote such wonderful depressed-stalker lyrics until this band split up, at which point he became Yanni.)
3. BEASTIE BOYS, “INTERGALACTIC”: Any song that rhymes “I’ll stir-fry you in my wok” with “a pinch on the neck from Mr. Spock” is sufficient evidence of genius. Of the three Beasties songs in the tournament, this is the best actual song (but I still prefer “Sabotage”).
4. GUNS ‘N’ ROSES, “SWEET CHILD O’ MINE”: Every song in this bracket kills, and this may be the best song yet that I’ve ranked #4.

Bracket 50
1. BUZZCOCKS, “EVER FALLEN IN LOVE?” I don’t think Marvin’s gonna need my help this week, so I’m going with my heart…the Buzzcocks asking the musical question. If anyone hasn’t heard it, please do check it out on YouTube. (BTW, one idea for a thread I’ve been kicking around is favorite compilation/greatest hits albums…Singles Going Steady would make my top 10 easily.)
2. MARVIN GAYE, “WHAT’S GOING ON”: The lyrics are a little bit ham-fisted, but that’s the only negative thing I can say about it. Beautifully written, awesome performance.
3. OASIS, “WONDERWALL”: I’m in the camp which holds that they peaked on their first album. And I don’t mind abstract lyrics (see “Cannonball,” above), but there’s a difference between obscurely allusive and just makin’ stuff up…Noel never convinced me he was any kind of poet.
4. PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION, “KISS”: I’m not sure I can explain—I do like this, but it sounds to me like an intro that never turns into a song. Or maybe a chorus with no verses. At least the Art of Noise put some horns on their cover of it (though the Tom Jones vocal is very dumb). As always, I give Prince credit for experimenting, but I just don’t think this one quite comes off.

Bracket 51
1. OASIS, “LIVE FOREVER”: By far, my favorite Oasis song. Believe it or not, it reminds of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”—nothing fancy, just a solid song and performance.
2. BO DIDDLEY, “BO DIDDLEY”: Yeah, I listen to this. Why wouldn’t I?...blues, Latin rhythms, and voodoo. More you could ask for? (Plus I just think it’s cool that the name of the song is his name—the only other act I can think of that did that was Talk Talk).
3. SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES, “THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS”: Ah, that sweet sweet voice. Wonderful, irresistible ballad.
4. JAMES BROWN, “I GOT YOU (I FEEL GOOD)”: I’ve been listening to a lot of James lately, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer his Famous Flames-era stuff. Nothing wrong with this one, but this is a tough bracket.

Bracket 52
1. THE ROLLING STONES, “BROWN SUGAR”: Like “Satisfaction,” this drew a weak group—in any other bracket this week, I would rank it third at best. As I said in my comment on “Paint It, Black,” sometimes I think the Stones try a little too hard, and that’s the case here. Still a lot of fun, though.
2. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, “FORTUNATE SON”: My favorite song by CCR (a band I’m not real high on)…Fogerty, unusually, doesn’t sound to me like he’s going through the motions here. This song invariably makes me think of the current occupant of the White House.
3. ELVIS PRESLEY, “HEARTBREAK HOTEL”: Way, way overrated. Elvis has six songs in the AM Top 100 (more than anyone else)—and ALL of the other five are better.
4. PINK FLOYD, “SEE EMILY PLAY”: Nice, but not quite my cuppa. Like Radiohead (coming soon), it’s kind of strange that Floyd’s only tournament song is one that predates their real glory days.

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) - See! Axl's got a sensitive side! Slash's guitar is the only reason people still listen to this Stones ripoff though.
2. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) - So good Diddy put it on one of his albums.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) - Doesn't come close to the Pixies.
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) - Boring (and shrieky)

BRACKET 50
1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) - A sprawling funk groove that almost gets away without even having a chorus. Gaye was reaching deeper than ever before.
2. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) - I actually don't even like this song. In fact I actively hate it. Why? Because shows like Lost will show a street performer playing it on acoustic guitar and there will be a giant crowd around him who will applaud when he's finished, like no one's ever played the thing on acoustic guitar before. Are you kidding? That's ALL guitarists play! It's the first bloody song they learn! That's the problem with this song. It seems really sentimental and deep but it's as complex as 4 chords.
3. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) - UK punk is so overrated
4. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) - Such castrato dance almost ruined the first Batman film.

BRACKET 51
1. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) - One stop shopping for anyone with a sudden craving for arrogant cockneys. You'll get more Liam than you want before it even hits the second verse.
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) - My favourite part is the syncopated horn line.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) - My favourite thing about Bo Diddley is his square guitar. My second favourite is that he named a song after himself.
4. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) - I'm pretty sick of the only soul singer who manages to sing without any soul.

BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) - Someone told me that CCR was the most Vietnam band ever. He was probably thinking of this song at the time.
2. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) - I think this is only acclaimed for historic reasons. It's not that great of a song.
3. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) - The only lead off track of the first dozen or so proper Stones albums that doesn't kick ass.
4. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) - We're almost through the Elvis tracks.

BRACKET 49
1- The Police, “Every Breath You Take”
2- The Breeders, “Cannonball”
3- Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic”
4- Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

BRACKET 50
1- Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On”
2- The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?”
3- Oasis, “Wonderwall”
4- Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss”

BRACKET 51
1- Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears”
2- James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)”
3- Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley”
4- Oasis, “Live Forever”

BRACKET 52
1- Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel”
2- Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son”
3- Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play”
4- The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar”

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) - Great riff and overall great feel/performance/composition, but I'm sick of it now.
2. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) - Who knew there was such a fine line between devotion and stalking? I wish I was getting the royalties for this simple classic.
3. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) - Nice catchy BB song.
4. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) - Catchy bass line but the song is dull to me. I'm really surprised its ranked this high. I bought the album when it came out and it never grew on me.

BRACKET 50
1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) - One of the few perfect songs in the world. I've heard it a million times, but it still moves me.
2. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) - Whenever I hear this song, it sticks in my head for at least a week. Still. That must count for something.
3. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) - The chorus is cool. I like the driving beat. This is a fun one to hear.
4. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) - I like it but I'm not blown away. This is a pretty tough bracket.

BRACKET 51
1. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) - A great 90's pop tune. Easy winner in this bracket.
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) - Nice melodramatic Motown hit.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) - Great groove but gets a tiny bit dull after awhile.
4. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) - Last place due to over-use in ridiculous television commercials.

BRACKET 52
1. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) - Iconic rock and roll. Try to listen to it without moving.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) - Maybe the best CCR moment. Great intro riff. Powerful delivery of message. Close second here.
3. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) - This is the week of great riffs. Great tune. Just not as groundbreaking or essential as the previous two.
4. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) - Out of its class here.

Jonmark - James is not about the soul. James is about the Funk.

Actually he's pretty widely known as the godfather of soul.

Well well well - what do we have here? Looks like one of the strongest weeks ever...

Bracket 49
1)Police - Every Breath You Take:Can't understand people bagging this - I thought if there was any song that was impossibly likeable it would be this.
2)Guns N'Roses - Sweet Child O'Mine:Who'd have thought on an album about cheap sex and drugs,they'd be this with those wimpy lyrics - great riff,easily their best
3)The Breeders - Cannonball:Pretty cool song but far behind
4)Beastie Boys - Intergalatic:The jokers of rock aren't up to the other's standard

Bracket 50
1)Marvin Gaye - What's Going On:Takes this bracket impossibly easily - not only Marvin's greatest song but in my opinion,the greatest song by a black artist - also produced by Gaye - sheer genius
2)Prince and the Revolution - Kiss:I know most people probably find it impossibly cheesy but I like it - awesome guitar and vocals - thankfully,I can't remember that Tom Jones/Art Of Noise cover
3)The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love:They were quite strange for a punk band - writing all these love songs while others were writing frustration songs - great beat
4)Oasis - Wonderwall:Decent song,but tire of it and Gallagher's vocals

Bracket 51
1)Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tracks Of My Tears:Glad to see it's moved up even further - up where it belongs - masterpiece written all over it
2)James Brown - I Got You(I Feel Good) - Well nowhere near as good as the same year's Papa's got a brand new bag but still great vocals - decent tune
3)Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley:I actually like Buddy Holly's cover better but this is influential for introducing that beat
4)Oasis - Live Forever:I don't hate Oasis,although Liam Gallagher's voice can wear thin after a while. I wouldn't call myself a big fan though - they wear their influences on their sleeves and are really a pretty simple band. This single being ranked so high is ludicrous and it is way overrated

Bracket 52
1)Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel:Easily #1 here - an iconic song by the most iconic rockn'roll star of the 20th century
2)CCR - Fortunate Son:Well I'd turn most of their songs off if they come on with this being one of the exceptions...
3)Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar:Fun song,will always turn it up. Well the Stones have probably got their fair share in the top 64 now anyway
4)Pink Floyd - See Emily Play:Don't dig early Floyd

misnomer

BRACKET 49
1. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) - What an easy choice this bracket.
2. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) - Overplayed but nice love song.
3. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) - Just overplayed.
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) - Not my style.

BRACKET 50
Wow! What a bracket! 4 great songs!
1. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) - Uplifting song, full of energy.
2. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) - Heared it a lot and still very nice to hear.
3. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) - Classic Gaye song.
4. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) - Pains me to have to put such a song 4th, would win the next bracket easily.

BRACKET 51
1. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) - Awesome. It makes me feel... (just guess).
2. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) - Not the best oasis. Still OK.
3. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) - I don't dislike it, but this feels too meek.
4. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) - Never heard this before.

BRACKET 52
1. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) - That's an easy choice again.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) - Good guitar parts.
3. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) - One of the better Elvis' songs.
4. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) - This really hasn't aged good.

BRACKET 49
1. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) - There's actually quite a few Police/Sting songs I like, and this is the very best one.
2. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) - With as a close contender this G'n'R masterpiece. Amazing song.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) - Strangely enough I'd never heard of this song, pretty good.
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) - One of their best, but weakest in this bracket.. sorry boys.

BRACKET 50
1. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) - Every time I hear this I turn the music up, no matter how often this is played.. it's just a fantastic song.
2. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) - Not even close to Gaye's best, yet a spectacular song. What a performer. Would have finished #1 in a lot of brackets.
3. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) - Good Prince song, but he's done so much better.
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) - Decent, no more no less.

BRACKET 51
1. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) - Two Oasis songs in one week, who, in contrast to bracket 52, have no stronger material. Excellent song.
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) - Great scene in Platoon, every time I hear this song I wanna see that movie.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) - I prefer 'I'm A Man', but this ain't too bad.
4. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) - One of his best, but unfortunately not good enough to pass.

BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) - Not my favorite CCR song, that one didn't make it to the next round, but undeniably great. The first in the 'better-material-bracket'.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) - The Stones also have much better material, but Brown sugar is pretty good.
3. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) - Better material again? Yep. Still one of his best though.
4. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) - And guess what, Pink Floyd also has so much better material, very strange to see Emily up so high in the list.

Kinda funny how Pink Floyd have only one song in the competition and it's not even one of their big hits and it barely made it.

Pink Floyd? Hits? I thought they hardly released any singles...

Pink Floyd wasn't exactly a singles-driven band when they were around, in fact, they were pretty much the definition of AOR, but turn on any classic rock station nowadays and you'll hear just how many Floyd songs have become "singles" over the years.

I used "baffling" in my comments, but I'm thinking "outrage" would have been more appropriate.

And if I had used the new rankings, Floyd wouldn't have made the tournament (but would have had the top-seeded song in the BNIT).

Their top 5 songs on AM, as currently ranked:

257. See Emily Play
498. Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
623. Wish You Were Here
702. Arnold Layne
1147. Money

Of course, Anthony is correct to point out that most of their acclaim comes from their albums (and, by extension, their rep as a live band). I don't feel particularly strongly about 'em one way or the other.

Thanks schleuse.

Your list confirms it: none of their hits are even in the vicinity; and while I'm not the biggest Floyd fan on the planet, this just seems, well, wrong somehow.

BRACKET 49

1. The Breeders – Cannonball – an enduring tune as the alternative music genre became established. Why these type of songs didn’t remain radio staples instead of the new wave of teen pop is a mystery to me. Also gets credit for my first glimpse of Pixies members, even before I knew who the Pixies were.

2. Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child of Mine – This band got excessive, and had a crazy destructive lifestyle that still scares me, but even though I haven’t listened to all of Appetite for Destruction, the hits from that album have multiple sweeping parts, and I’m surprised about how beautifully they’re sequenced.

3. The Police – Every Breath You Take – Haunting lyrics, gloomy video, and a soothing bass riff

4. Beastie Boys – Intergalactic – I don’t get how this is the Beastie Boys song that gets all the acclaim. When it first came up I thought it was catchy, but it’s nothing more than the single from the lastest Beastie Boys album


BRACKET 50
1. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On – Soul with a message. One of the great opening tracks of any album.

2. Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love? – Close call for #1, really like Singles Going Steady, almost anything from that collection could contend for at least top 256, but this one gets the credit, which is just fine.

3. Prince and the Revolution – Kiss – Scary how versatile (whether studio-manipulated or not) Prince’s voice is. It really confused me how high he was singing with this song, since I first got to know of him during Diamonds and Pearls / Love Symbol era.

4. Oasis – Wonderwall – The essential reason why I can’t stand Oasis is founded in everything about this song. The grating voice and the use of some made up term for a song title. Just don’t like them, sorry all of you fans.

BRACKET 51
1. James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good) – I heard the James Brown was an innovator because of his use of horns as percussion, and this song encapsulates that sound and helps me recognize the James Brown influence in later funk and R+B

2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – The Tracks of My Tears – Beautiful and heartfelt

3. Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley – pioneering tune

4. Oasis – Live Forever – Oasis is last again.

BRACKET 52

1. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son – This song is over so quickly, but I think among this whole top 3000 I have never heard such direct and powerful protest lyrics. Still incredibly and sadly poignant today.

2. Pink Floyd - See Emily Play – This was incredibly adventurous for its time.

3. Elvis Presley – With all the interesting tunes in this bracket, this seems a little too traditional, even though its an essential influence. Would probably be very high if in a bracket with any songs from the 80s onward.

4. The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar – Kind of a standard Stones song, still rollicking and fun though.

BRACKET 49
1. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) The most perfectly realized song of Sting’s career. Its intensity mostly comes from the fact that it’s so restrained – it pulls back rather than going completely over the top, and it’s all the more powerful for that.l Also, Sting’s head wasn’t completely up his ass at this point.
2. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) Good melodic hair metal. I’ve heard people say that they can’t buy the sentimentality of this song, but Axel’s apparent lunacy gives this song an added touch of resonance to me.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) – Crackers, it’s a perfectly fine song, but really, why is this OK-ish modern rock hit one of the most acclaimed songs of all time?
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) Another mediocre modern track.

BRACKET 50
1. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) Prince’s second-greatest minimalist funk creation (next to When Doves Cry), all the more bracing and exciting for what’s missing. I surely wouldn’t want to listen to music in this style exclusively, but it’s certainly a thrill to hear something like this in our age of the overly-compressed aural assaults that now pass for rock records.
2. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) Pretty galling to put this impossibly perfect creation second to anything, but I really love classic Prince too much to not give it the pole position. What’s Going On is one of the great productions – a lovely cushion of easy listening-style horns, strings and backing vocals. Its greatness also derives from the fact that it doesn’t pretend to know any answers.
3. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) Pretty great power-pop punk. Not as good as the undertone’s Teenage Kicks, which is the greatest song in that genre I figure.
4. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) OK, I will admit that for about an album and a half, Oasis were pretty fun. After being bombarded by years of disposable, post-modern, arch, knowingly ironic and mostly very average British bands, it was very refreshing for this bunch to come out with brash, straightforward, no-bullshit shoot-for-the-stars rock. And this is a great melody that affected pretty much everyone who heard it back in ’95. So by all means, let’s give credit where credit is due. No way is it as good as the other three songs in this bracket, though.

BRACKET 51
1. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) Still could be the greatest and most primal groove song in rock history. I saw Bo Diddley live in ’92 or so, and the guy just rode every groove until the crowd got worked up to a frenzy – absolutely one of the most exciting gigs I’ve ever seen.
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) Great Motown single – a touch wet for my tastes, but it’s undeniably well-crafted.
3. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) Give me Cold Sweat, Papa’s Got a …, or almost any other funk groove he created over this. It’s one of his most unimaginative hits, I think.
4. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) I tried to make the case for Oasis above, but I do not understand how this song came to be considered a classic (at #78 no less!!!). It’s completely lacking in any dynamics or distinguishing melody – a simple, dreary drone that carries on in a plain manner for its running time. It’s just nothing.

BRACKET 52
1. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) Another reason why the king is the king.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) Most of Creedence’s great singles were easy-going good-time pop, but this is pretty much the greatest and most angry political song, almost certainly until the Clash came along.
3. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) I really do love certain eras of Pink Floyd. I figure you can break them down into about five distinct eras, and the first three are pretty great. This is a pretty prime slice of psychedelia, but I think there were greater songs on Piper and in their future.
4. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) I think this is one of the lesser singles of the Stone’s classic era.

Wow, this seems to be a divided camp when it comes to Oasis.

As a fan, it hurts somewhat to see them regarded so low by some, although I can understand that of course, not everyone will have the same opinion. And I can admit that they’re not the greatest rock group, modern or otherwise - in fact, they seem to have outlasted their shelf-life, as many bands are wont to do. Sure, Liam’s whine can become grating after a while, and yes, Noel Gallagher did steal shamelessly from his idols (read: The Beatles). Why stop there? They were/are cocky as hell; I’d be hard-pressed to think of another band as arrogant and brash as Oasis. Their third LP was about as bloated, sonically, as you’ll find, and their subsequent records have been quite, umm, lackluster.

On a personal level, however, I’m quite pleased to see two Oasis songs in the AM top 256 and I’ve been excited for quite a while about this week in Bracketology. I think these two songs are excellent representations of their first two albums, which I think are amazing (and I really couldn’t choose one over the other.) Moreover, I think that because those albums are still relatively recent, Oasis’ influence has yet to be fully felt, but it has shown itself in bands such as Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Fratellis, etc. I’m tempted to assume that the majority of new British bands cite Oasis as an influence.

Do I think that “Live Forever”’s rank of #78 is too high, as damosuzuki claims? Possibly; it certainly isn’t groundbreaking, but I think people tend to forget that it (arguably) started BritPop in the UK, and as history shows, songs that launch musical “sea changes” are often, if not always, given acclaim. (speaking of which, jonmarck, you were working on identifying the next one. How’s that coming? lol) As for “Wonderwall”, well, a handful of artists have ripped off the first few bars (some examples can be found here). Several artists have covered it, and U2’s The Edge wishes he’d written it. It might be disliked on this forum, but the song has an interesting resumé.

I’m not trying to change minds here; maybe just further justifying why I ranked both songs #1 in their respective brackets.

BRACKET 49
A rather weak one, for me, maybe the weakest i ever knew (except GnR)

1. Guns N’ Roses, “Sweet Child of Mine” (1987) ***** : I can’t believe it’s 1987 ! One of the best intros of rock history. When I started my band back in ’91, I wanted to be like Axl Rose (I don’t think I would, now, this band carried so many clichés, it was pathetic : blond singer and browned-haired guitarist.. after all Izzy Stradlin and Duff McGagan were the coolest guys in GnR). That song is great, with all of its excess. But then Axl Rose and Slash forgot to die young and things strated turning bad..
2.Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) *** : ok, they created a whole scene : I doubt the Freestylers, Asian Dub or even the Streets would have existed without this group. But do I really enjoy listening to this song. The answer is “not completely”. These vocals are impossible, I guess.
3. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) *** : Good cold-blooded pop-rock for 80’s radio stations; everything is slick, melodic, but is this really rock music ? Very strange : first seconds, I thought i love it and then I realized how fake and vain it was
4.The Breeders, “Canonball” (1993) *** : I’m bored. Ok, there’s one guitar/bass lick, but that doesn’t make a song. The rest is aping Nirvana

BRACKET 50

1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971)***** : great , great song opening a great album. Love those conversations at the beggining, and then that unique sound (sometimes, the choice of the right instruments, the right sound is pure alchemy. It’s rare in music, and it happens here). A classic. Is there better lovemaking music than this one ? Wins hands down.
2. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) **** : one of the songs I’ve danced the most on in my life can’t be wrong. (love the guitar solo). A little disappointed though when I listen to it now; good : the guitar, the falsetto, no bass; bad : the drum machine.
3. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995)*** : what to say about Oasis ? First, this song is a good song, it’s catchy, it flows (just like “One”, but to a lesser extent). I’m perplex with them : I hate them, their sound just sucks (because so many f***ing britpop bands just used this sound), but I can’t kill that song
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978)*** : Ignorant as I am of Punk Rock (I could have said indifferent, well I’ve been indifferent but now thanks to you, things have changed), I knew they were influent but it’s the first time I hear one of their songs. They just invented Supergrass, didn’t they ? Not bad at all (I love Supergrass’ first album).

BRACKET 51

1. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) **** : God knows I love the Godfather, but that song has been so overplayed that you forget that it’s a real masterpiece
2. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) ****: Where he got that sound, that rhythm is still a mystery.
3. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) : ** funny, when you listen to it just after hearing James Brown, you understand most of "hardcore" soul lovers in the 60's rejected Motown (too pop-oriented, black music for whites, etc). Too much sugar
4. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) : This one, I just can’t. Even Guns N Roses at their worst wouldn’t use that sound.

BRACKET 52
Bracket de la Mort number 2

1. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) ***** : Just the voice and the double bass at the beginning. It’s Sun sound but with discipline. Chet Atkins supervised the first RCA recordings and it shows : it’s classy (Chet Atkins, when he didn’t sell pop country by the pound, could be the hell of a producer
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) ***** : You don’t write about Creedence, no more than Little Richard. You just Listen and enjoy. They are to me the essence, the raw bones of rnr
3. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) **** : I’ve been away from rock’n roll for 10 years, busy with blues and country and world music (well in fact with every other music). Coming back, I realize how good dylan and the Stones were. Even with rather minor hits compared to other songs they made, the Stones know how to pay tribute to the blues and other roots music but while playing rnr and not trying to reproduce these styles.
243. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) : the 3 other songs are very homogenic : 3 roots oriented american songs. This one is the debut of a British band inspired by the Beatles but already innovative in their sound. Well, in this brilliant bracket, there’s got to be a 4th...

I hold no particular brief for the Breeders--even though I voted them #1, I agree that bracket 49 is not a strong one. But, nicolas, it's not quite true that they were aping Nirvana; the Great Mind behind the Breeders was Kim Deal, formerly of the Pixies...and the Pixies were probably the greatest single influence on Nirvana.

Which reminds me: remember those old flowcharts that showed the influence of earlier bands on later bands? I loved those...does anyone know if they're online anywhere? (Or, for that matter, does anyone know what the heck I'm talking about?) I know allmusic does something similar...

Schleuse - I think you may be thinking of the "Rock Family Trees" drawn by Pete Frame. They are flow charts showing how different rock bands were interrelated by their members moving from band to band. They appeared in the Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, which was a big Rock book to have back in the 1980's. Pete Frame also has his own books of these charts available on Amazon. They're a lot of fun to study.

ok, I agree about the Pixies being an influence on Nirvana
But this single by the Breeders is from 1993 and there are similarities with Nirvana that's why I said that
And, more, I've had enough of this song which was over and overplayed on rock radios in the 90s.

Fair enough, nicolas. I've been reading up on the Breeders, and it looks like they opened for Nirvana on the In Utero tour. Probably not relevant to either of our cases.

As for being overplayed, well, "Cannonball" came out about the time I stopped listening to the radio, so I didn't have a chance to get sick of it. I can see how it might grate after too many listenings, though...

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987): the expression “instant classic” was made for this song. And the guitar intro went directly to (a hypothetical list of) the most memorable guitar intros ever the very instant Slash played it for the first time.
2. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983): yes, I know, Police are not cool. But I always liked a lot its first (severely underrated) two albums. And this song, although not my favourite, features another memorable trademark guitar intro by Andy Summers.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993): I can’t think of a better song to explain to an extraterrestrial how it was the 90s indie-rock sound.
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998): third appearance of Beastie Boys in Bracketology and third consecutive #4 from me. It seems that they’re not my favourite band.

BRACKET 50
1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971): Seen with the incredulous and cynical eyes of the ones living in the XXI Century and knowing that after Vietnam came Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Bosnia and Irak and that the masters of war continued doing what they wanted, the message of the songs reveals tremendously naïve and innocent. But this fact don’t make untrue that “war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate”.
2. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986): the third #1 US single for Prince was a minimalist funk masterpiece, with terrific guitar work and falsetto voice.
3. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995): I think that many of us dislike Oasis for its arrogance and not for musical reasons. This song is really a strong reason for liking Oasis.
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978): excellent pop-punk tune, sadly #4 of this strong bracket.

BRACKET 51
1. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965): my favourite song for singing in the shower, not precisely for the delight of family and neighbours.
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965): “Take a good look at my face / You’ll see my smile looks out of place / If you look closer it’s easy to trace / The tracks of my tears”. Verses from the American’s greatest living poet, in Dylan words.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955): the rhythm of the jungle.
4. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994): this song isn’t really a strong reason for liking Oasis.

BRACKET 52
1. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956): the time has somehow diluted the impact of seeing Elvis on TV playing this song live shaking his hips. It was scandalous at the time, now it’s only a great song played with simultaneous nerve and class.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971): terrific opener of one of my favourite albums ever (I see “Sticky Fingers” as superior to “Exile on Main Street”). Great riff, great laid groove, great sax.
3. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967): excellent lunatic pop song from “crazy diamond” Syd Barrett.
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969): raucous message, #4 of a terrific bracket.

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)
2. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993)
3. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (199

'Sweet Child' marries a tremendous riff to a terribly sweet bit o' lyrics, and so on. "Ace Of Spades" step back; the most perfect metal song of the '80s.

"Cannonball" has a delicate, broken-down feel to it I enjoy a lot. It's almost like some sort of ambient-punk from another planet. Yaboysaheck!

"Every Breath You Take" is pretty good, I suppose - and "Intergalactic" is - I feel - a rare miss for the Beasties. Though I'm sure it would have more of a chance to grow on me if I had that particular album.

BRACKET 50
1. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995)
2. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (197
3. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971)
4. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986)

"Wonderwall" is just gorgeous. EFIL? is superb - crammed full of hooks, and a great performance. WGO is cool and souly and IMPORTANT, while Prince can Kiss my fucking arse.

BRACKET 51
1. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994)
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)
3. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965)
4. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955)

"Live Forever" is Oasis's best song - gorgeous melody, punky energy and a somewhat mystical sentiment. TTOMY is plinky-plonky gorgeous, IGY(IFG) is some funky-ass shit, and something of a thumbs down for ol' man Bo.

BRACKET 52
1. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971)
2. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)
3. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967)
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969)

"Brown Sugar" is almost too good for its own good - its a sleazy, filthy, infectious riot, that makes competitors tumble like a house of cards.

"Heartbreak Hotel" is, for me, as good as '50s Elvis ever got. Elvis's vocals were always something special, but he rarely had a set of lyrics so unrelentingly bleak to wrap them around - and the song boasts killer freakin' guitar - 'specially for a '50s song.

"See Emily Play" is a cool psychedelic pop song, but fails to hint at just how amazing the band were about to become. Sort of like The Beatles with "Love Me Do"; more of a dry run than an honest-to-goodness classic, imo.

And finally, Creedence Clearwater Revival can kiss my arse. They suck.

BRACKET 49
1. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) - What a standout single! If Debaser is the best rock, then Cannonball is the best pop from the Pixies family.
2. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) - I don't play a lot of computer games, but this song makes me wanna.
3. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) - Definitely the highlight of Police's (and Sting's) career. Sadly ruined by Puff Daddy.
4. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) - I've never been much into guns.

BRACKET 50
1. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) - Maestro groove. I absolutely love the rhythm.
2. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) - Best intro ever?
3. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) - Yes
4. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) - Boring

BRACKET 51
1. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) - My favourite JB song. So uplifting!
2. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) - Now this was Oasis at their best.
3. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) - Beautiful
4. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) - I know repetitiveness is the thing here, but still that's what puts this to #4

BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) - My CCR favourite. They should have used more of this heavier sound.
2. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) - A psychedelic pearl. I agree that the PF songs are underrated at AM. Critics who like to make singles lists are usually not big PF fans.
3. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) - Made Elvis a STAR.
4. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) - A good #4.

BRACKET 49
1. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
2. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)
3. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998)
4. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993)


BRACKET 50
1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971)
2. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986)
3. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995)
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978)

BRACKET 51
1. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965)
2. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994)
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955)
4. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)


BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969)
2. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971)
3. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967)
4. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)

BRACKET 49
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) – I still remember hearing that opening riff for the first time and thinking, “Well, THIS is interesting.” Commands your attention from the jump like few other records ever made, and repays it in spades even if Axl’s lyrics are a little maudlin. When they were on musically, they ruled.
2. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (1983) – Two undeniable, riff-driven ‘80s classics here, with this one falling only slightly short of the top. Even at the time people seemed to comprehend that this was a dark confession of obsession rather than a sunny pledge of devotion, and that it became one of the biggest hits of all time anyway is a tribute to Sting’s long-departed gift as a master of the hook.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” (1993) – One of the goofiest records ever to become a radio staple, thanks to Kim Deal’s improbably melodic pop sense and some seriously crunching twin (literally) guitars.
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998) – A terrific single, but far outclassed in this company, even if it does contain the great line “I’ll stir-fry you in my wok”.

BRACKET 50
1. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (1986) – Quite possibly my favorite Prince single, from his most underrated album. Almost as minimalist as “When Doves Cry”, but looser and more fun, with wonderful chicken-scratch guitar and a miraculously sustained falsetto from our man that somehow never becomes irritating.
2. Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995) – Not as important as #3 or even as great a song as #4, but a perfect pop recording that captured its moment. Brilliantly sung and arranged.
3. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (1971) – A remarkable song and album, to be sure, but I confess that I rarely listen to it for pleasure. If it’s possible for something to be -too- perfect, this might be it.
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” (1978) – Punk’s best singles band (although, as I did earlier with THE SUN SESSIONS, allow me to once again make the case that SINGLES GOING STEADY deserves to be included on AM as an album!) near its peak. The sudden key change at the very end is genius.

BRACKET 51
1. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) – Simply one of the finest songs ever written, given the performance and production it deserves. “My smile is my makeup I wear since my breakup with you” – maybe Dylan was right about Smokey being America’s greatest poet.
2. Oasis, “Live Forever” (1994) – I understand why a lot of people hate this band, but I really can’t imagine anybody not liking this song, even if Noel -is- kind of a lazy lyric writer (and guitar soloist). It builds like “Wonderwall”, but to an even greater crescendo of excitement.
3. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” (1955) – One of rock’s great characters, defining everything that made him who and what he was (and is). But it’s not really one of his best songs.
4. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) – Does anybody really need to ever hear this song again, classic though it is?

BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (1969) – This could be rock’s single greatest protest song, 2:20 of genuinely righteous (and sadly timeless) anger at the privileges of the privileged enveloped in a searing blast of guitars-and-drums energy.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (1971) – Another longstanding classic-rock favorite, docked a notch here for its, um, questionable (even if satiric) attitudes. One of Keith’s greatest riffs, and one of rock’s best sax solos from the fabulous Bobby Keys.
3. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) – As the song that introduced Elvis to the wider American public, one of the most culturally significant records of all time. As a recording in and of itself … just OK.
4. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” (1967) – Pure Syd Barrett psychedelia, which means it’s as pure as it gets. I actually haven’t heard the song that much, otherwise it might rank higher (why isn’t it a bonus track on the PIPER CD?).

Well,fortunately it looks as What's Going On will at least hold out Wonderwall - if Oasis won that,it would be the most ridiculous thing ever...Unfortunately,they will probably win with 'Live Forever' over 3 hall of famers...

You don't think Oasis will be in the rock and roll hall of fame? I think they most definitely will. Have you seen who's in the hall? If Traffic is in surely Oasis will be. When it gets around to putting 90's bands in their turn will come around.

Thank someone that dried-up dinosaur tracks are making way for the group that brought brit-pop out of the underground. I'm not the world's biggest Oasis fan, I actually resent Wonderwall, which is a stupid thing to say about a song, but I'm thrilled Live Forever is at the top of it's bracket. There just might be some life to this rock critic thing yet.

BRACKET 49
1. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” - A tossup between the top two here, but the ultimate obsession song wins it by a hair.
2. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” - Axl gets all sentimental, and Slash does his Slash thing on guitar. Blows away any other hair metal.
3. The Breeders, “Cannonball” - Love the intro, and the whole song has a goofy charm to it.
4. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” - A goofy (there's that word again) track, but it's fun. I do prefer "Sabotage," though.

BRACKET 50
1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” - Emotional, soulful, heartfelt. This song's so good, it's a major reason the album is a little overrated as a whole.
2. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” - Sparse funk you can dance to, and what girl could refuse the purple one a kiss with come on lines like these? "There's no sign I'm more compatible with ..."
3. Oasis, “Wonderwall” - Try, try as they might, they're not the Beatles. Settling for being Oasis isn't so bad.
4. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen in Love?” - A fine, tight punk tune with pop sensibility, but outmatched here.

BRACKET 51
1. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” - I find this beautiful ballad irresistable. One of the two "Tears" songs that are Smokey's peak.
2. Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley” - Ahead of its time to my ears, sound like a cross between the blues and surf music.
3. Oasis, “Live Forever” - I do like these guys, and this has an epic sheen, but I find them overrated by the Brit press and also in here.
4. James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” - Some more great funk from the gut, but it does get repetative. Best No. 4 this week.

BRACKET 52
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” - I love cranking this one up loud, and considering the times we're living in here in the U.S., it's as timely today as it was during the Vietnam War. P.S. Fuck Bush (In this instance I'm talking about the president).
2. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” - He's not the king in my musical world, but he deserves his due on this slow burner.
3. The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” - It's a great Stones song (and I agree with the sentiment), but this is a tough bracket.
4. Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play” - Seems to me Pink Floyd has had better songs. But this one's pretty good.

"speaking of which, jonmarck, you were working on identifying the next one. How’s that coming? lol"

Not identifying...creating!

I'll be done my debut by the winter. I'm 9 tracks in but have the bad habit of overhauling the tracks I've already done. Hopefully that means it'll turn out better.

Good for you man.

Will you allow your fellow AM'ers the privalege of hearing some of this lo-fi, indie-pop modern classic?

Sure, I'll send a link once it's all presentable