Well, scratch my records and call me skippy!...we’ve gotten to the penultimate week of the first round.

Ballots must be in by midnight Saturday, September 22.

BRACKET 57
43. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003)
86. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982)
171. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968)
214. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966)

BRACKET 58
22. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966)
107. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960)
150. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967)
235. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971)

BRACKET 59
54. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956)
75. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)
182. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)
203. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957)

BRACKET 60
11. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976)
118. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971)
139. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992)
246. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968)

Final BNIT reminder: as I type this, there are about 40 hours left before the voting deadline for the BNIT Final Four (and, of course, for Week 14 of bracketology).

Watch this space next week for some announcements about the upcoming round of 64; I hope you’re all chomping at the bit as much as I am to start round two.

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) - OutKast wins a fairly weak bracket with a song that is starting to annoy me a little.
2. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) - Not sure what this is doing here, Prince has made better songs.. about 20 times.
3. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) - Used in an advertisement for the national railway company in my country, I've heard it a few times too many. Still pretty great though.
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) - Yawn..?

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) - My second favorite Beatles track. Why didn't they make music like this all the time?
2. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) - Let us hope the day the music dies will never come, because this song will indeed be sorely missed.
3. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) - Great song, but it hasn't aged that great so it's down from masterpiece to just great. Which is, sadly, not enough to get you through this round.
4. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) - Sad loser in a great bracket.

BRACKET 59
1. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) - My favorite Elvis Presley song ever. There's 6 different lines and it's only a little over 2 minutes but it's 2 minutes of pure bliss.
2. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) - Followed by 5 minutes of even more bliss. Massive Attack's masterpiece follows Hound Dog Closely.
3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) - I much prefer 'There's A Light That Never Goes Out' but this one is nice too.
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) - Decent song, Cooke has better songs.

BRACKET 60
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) - Townshend's writing, Daltrey's inhuman screams and Keith Moon at his very very best makes for a unique and incredibly beautiful track.
2. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) - Not quite as great as 'God Save The Queen', still an undeniable masterpiece. Can't beat The Who though.
3. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) - Excellent song from Aretha, but when you're up against these 2 exceptional songs it's not a shame to go down third.
4. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) - Not a big Radiohead fan, although this song is pretty good.

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003): Had it not been for the brilliant production (or the 11/4 time signature), this would’ve been an otherwise mediocre hip-hop tune with a gimmicky instant-camera reference. Instead, one of the best songs of this decade, and the most recent instance where I was blown away by a MTV hit.
2. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966): A stupid band name, but a catchy song (interestingly enough, from the same guy who wrote the "Welcome Back, Kotter" theme.)
3. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982): I didn’t realize this was his first hit. Has all of the Prince trademarks, but his best stuff would come five years later.
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968): Much too saccharine and doesn't offer much in the way of a memorable melody.

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967): Would’ve been a track on Sgt. Pepper’s, had it not been snatched by the hands of commerce to make one of the best singles in rock history. Should it’ve been on Sgt. Pepper’s? Debatable. It’s hard to say whether its inclusion would’ve made the album any better than it already is. Regardless, one of the fab four’s jauntiest songs, and a nostalgic favorite of mine.
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960): A great Goffin/King composition, but the Shirelles version is better than King’s. I almost ranked it #1 – after all, it is a standout girl-group track (and a song which I've always had a soft spot for), but I can’t justify the Beatles taking a backseat to this. I know what you’re all thinking, “he’s one of those guys who thinks the Beatles are gods and would never NOT rank them #1!” Hey, no I’m…. oh wait, yeah I am.
3. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971): Some songs stretch eight, nine minutes and do it effortlessly; this one just seems long-winded at 8’37” (even though the narrative is quite remarkable.) Does anyone else skip it around the four-minute mark?
4. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966): I’m sorry, I don’t know why this one’s here. Yes, Tina belts it out, so top marks for performance. But is the song really that great?

BRACKET 59
1. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957): 29 top-forty hits in seven years (of which he wrote 21 himself and co-wrote an additional four.) He produced most, if not all of them too. They don’t call him the King of Soul for nothing.
2. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991): The Bristol sound at its finest.
3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984): A song that’s more appealing for its story than its musical offering.
4. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956): Elvis, just go away already.

BRACKET 60
1. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992): Like Pink Floyd in Week 13, here’s another band whose sole representation in this tournament is a song that precedes the period of their best work. Which is not to say this song isn’t decent – it is, but in the context of the Radiohead’s ambitious catalogue, it’s so straightforward in form and production (and lyrically quite immature) that the band’s later and more experimental work more or less obliterates it. However, despite this and the fact that it initiated the popular perception of a less-than-cheerful Thom Yorke, it was a good introduction to Radiohead back in 1993. And while it may not have painted the clearest picture of things to come, it didn’t take Yorke and Co. long to establish themselves as one of the most respected and acclaimed bands of the contemporary musical era.
2. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971): Pete Townsend goes to town on the synth on this cautionary album closer. As good as it is though, I'd much rather listen to the opener of the same album.
3. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976): In an old AM thread someone asked, “does anyone listen to this album anymore?” Well said.
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968): Of course - the vocals are excellent, but the song isn't anything special.

Bracket 57
1. OUTKAST, “HEY YA!”: Might be the most fun song in the tournament…and that’s even before we talk about the weird meter and the shifting chords which 99% of the people who sent this one to the top of the charts didn’t even know were there. A stone masterpiece.
2. PRINCE, “LITTLE RED CORVETTE”: It’s official—I have gone through the whole first round without ranking a Prince song first. That’s just amazing…this is still my favorite song of his, and it’s from my favorite Prince album (1999). Like Nirvana v. Pixies, it seems wrong somehow that His Purple Badness is matched against his musical descendants, but them’s the breaks.
3. GLEN CAMPBELL, “WICHITA LINEMAN”: My parents had his greatest hits on 8-track, and now nobody will ever convince me he’s not the finest pop-country artist of the last 40 years (not that the competition’s that impressive). Achingly beautiful working-class ballad (by the way, R.E.M. used to do a nifty cover of it).
4. THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL, “SUMMER IN THE CITY”: Not actually a bad song, but clearly at the back of this pack. Also, that’s got to be the most disgusting band name in history.

Bracket 58
1. THE SHIRELLES, “WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW”: I’ve been harsher on girl groups in the tourney than I expected to be. However, in a weak bracket, this one is an easy choice—floor-to-ceiling bubblegum perfection.
2. IKE AND TINA TURNER, “RIVER DEEP MOUNTAIN HIGH”: Great horn section and a funky groove, but I am not a great admirer of Tina’s…and of course, there’s always the ick factor of the abusive Svengali thing going on (reflected in that cringeworthy verse about the puppy).
3. THE BEATLES, “PENNY LANE”: Sorry, Mac—rock and roll did NOT need this much music hall influence. Oom pah pah, oom pah pah…check, please.
4. DON MCLEAN, “AMERICAN PIE”: Argh…even worse than I remembered. Weedy vocals, to start with--and I despise empty nostalgia, so I'm not enjoying lyrics that name-check more Baby Boom touchstones than The Big Chill and Forrest Gump put together. I’d rather hear Madonna’s version, god help me.

Bracket 59
1. ELVIS PRESLEY, “HOUND DOG”: Well, if we can’t have Big Mama, this’ll do. The King’s finest post-Sun recording (and Steve Allen, a brilliant comedian, must get a tiny bit of credit for its fame).
2. MASSIVE ATTACK, “UNFINISHED SYMPATHY”: I discovered this song through this site. I didn’t think I was going to rank it this high, but I like it better every time I hear it.
3. THE SMITHS, “HOW SOON IS NOW?”: This, on the other hand, has been played so much that the oh-my-god-it’s-so-cool factor has worn off (I hear it every day on a baseball radio show). Kinda sick of it.
4. SAM COOKE, “YOU SEND ME”: Sorry, Sam, I did my best for you with “Change Is Gonna Come,” but this is a long way from that. Effectively the equivalent of Johnny Mathis.

Bracket 60: TOUGH bracket. Four outstanding songs.
1. SEX PISTOLS, “ANARCHY IN THE U.K.”: Is there a better line in rock and roll than, “don’t know what I want / but I know how to get it”? Makes me want to join in the gobbing.
2. ARETHA FRANKLIN, “I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER”: Aretha sure seems like the odd woman out in this bracket, doesn’t she? Just a lovely little song, and a great improvement over Dionne’s version.
3. THE WHO, “WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN”: Here’s a thought experiment: imagine what would happen if “Anarchy in the UK” got old and sagged and bloated from 3 minutes to 8 minutes. I think it would turn into something like this song. No, seriously, I like this a lot, but I’m comfortable putting it at #3.
4. RADIOHEAD, “CREEP”: I have immense respect for Radiohead, and I really like this song, but it’s safe to say that their best stuff came later.

BRACKET 57
1. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966)- This is one of the coolest songs to come out of the 60's. I love the structure of it.
2. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982)- One of his best.
3. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003)- All of the top 3 are really close for me.
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968)- It's a shame country keeps getting the short stick but I just think the most acclaimed country songs aren't even the best country songs ever made. It seems they just get placed on lists as tokens.


BRACKET 58
1. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960)- Again, there are too many girl group songs on the AM list, but this one is deserving.
2. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967)- One of my least favorite Beatles "hits" but still great.
3. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971)- This seems to have all of the elements that make up the "hate factor": Overplayed; Way too long; singer/songwriter; nostalgia.... but it's still a pretty great song! I don't really listen to it much anymore though and probably would skip past it when it inevitably ends up on my radio.
4. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966)- I don't like it.

BRACKET 59
1. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)- Probably my favorite Smiths song.
2. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957)- Did you know that it's really hard to find songs to play at a wedding that aren't complete crap? We settled on this for our first dance. It must be really hard to write a love song that isn't pure cheese. But Same Cooke is awesome and almost everything he put out was great.
3. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)- This isn't even the best track off of Blue Lines. How did this get so much acclaim?
4. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956)- Another Elvis song....


BRACKET 60
1. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976)- Sex Pistols are lucky to get a #1 from me. Pure energy but they are still way overrated considering the amount of great songs and albums from punk bands that don't get near the acclaim.
2. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971)- I hate that the classic early Who sound became bloated into this arena era Who. It's not as terrible as most of the bands who did the same thing though, and this song isn't bad at all. I just don't think it even compares to most of their earlier output.
3. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992)- Loved it when it came out, but then again I was 13, the perfect age for this song. Maybe I should send them my old therapy bills? Just kidding. But, as cool as this was when it came out it pales next to anything Radiohead put out afterward.
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968)- This song is terrible no matter who performs it.

BRACKET 57
1. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) – An instant classic. Superbly evocative songwriting (both lyrics and melody). “And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time….” They really don’t make them like this anymore.
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) – Infectious. My kids love it. Me too.
3. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) – I see the musical talent, but the results just don’t do it for me. Sorry. To each his own, I suppose.
4. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) – Dated.

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) – Probably second to Hey Jude as my favorite Paul McCartney track. Great melody.
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) – Good pop.
3. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971). Not high art, but I like it (once a year, maybe). Another acclaimed guilty pleasure.
4. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) – Soulful shouting is not my cup…

BRACKET 59
1. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) – Unlike any other Smiths track. Worth the top spot for the awesome guitar arrangement alone. And I was just the right age to love this song when it came out, so it has a lot of sentimental value.
2. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) – Wonderful vocal. Nice song. Nobody sings “whoa-oh-oh-and-oh” like Mr. Cooke. But maybe a tad bit boring...
3. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) – I formed my opinion on this song as a kid from hearing K-Tel commercials on TV (where is Box Car Willie on this list anyway?), so hard to judge objectively now, but it never was my favorite Elvis song. Kind of repetitive. I like the A-side is better. And the original.
4. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) – I don’t possess the patience required for trip hop.

BRACKET 60 – Great bracket, imho
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) – I don’t think The Who will get a lot of love on this forum, but I think this song deserves whatever acclaim it can get. It would work both as an acoustic folk song and as a hard rocker. The cynical lyrics are insightful for a rock song--and nicely contrarian for their time. The music (especially Keith Moon’s drumming) is tight and loose at the same time. And Roger Daltrey’s yell is one of the great moments in recorded rock.
2. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) – God Save the Queen did the job, but this tune a nice partner to that one. The rolled “R” at the beginning is funny. And we get the classic rock line, “I don’t know what I want but I know how to get it,” not to mention “I am the anti-Christ.” Not much more you can go from there….
3. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992). Probably my favorite Radiohead song, but I’m no expert on Radiohead. "Your so f-ing special, I wish I was special." I like that.
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) – Sorry, somebody had to finish fourth.

This is going to be one tough round. I'll have to spend some thinking about these...

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) - I'm not much of a rap supporter. I still refuse to place it on the same level of musicality as, well, any other type of music. Still, this track is well assembled. It might even give the impression that some day hip hop could be considered progressive.
2. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) - The bassist moved to my town and opened a famous restaurant. I didn't put it together that he and this song were connected until after he died. The restaurant was overpriced and the service sucked but the food was decent.
3. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) - Boring and dated. File it with the rest of the Prince trash.
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) - Pop country. Yech.

BRACKET 58
1. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) - I guess Phil Spector and I have two things in common. We're both alone in thinking this is one of the greatest songs ever. That vocal is unstoppable. Makes me wish I had a puppy (despite the little-kid lyrics).
2. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) - Paul's response to Strawberry Fields Forever. Not only does it sound better it holds together more cohesively. It's got a great bassline too.
3. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) - Pedestrian girl group single. Pass.
4. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) - I used to really respect this song. I guess I still do. It just seems like Don McLean is more a grumpy old codger than a poetic sage.

BRACKET 59
1. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) - As much as I would love to give this bracket to Massive Attack I just like this Smiths song more, which is a difficult thing for me to admit, considering how much I think the Smiths are hopelessly overrated. HSIN has so much atmosphere though, and it's one of those few magical songs where every element comes together so well you just know the whole thing would fall apart if one track was removed. Even Morrissey is bearable.
2. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) - I'll echo the other comments in wondering why this song is held above the others on Blue Lines (same with Doolittle and Monkey Gone to Heaven). It's a good song but I prefer their bass and drums gospel (like Hymn of the Big Wheel or Safe From Harm) more.
3. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) - Out of sheer disgust at Presley's over-representation in Bracketology I almost put this below Sam Cooke. Then I remembered that this is a pretty decent performance. It's got nothing on the original but I can at least see why it's so hyped.
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) - Passable early soul song.


BRACKET 60
Toughest bracket I've come against. These are awesome, awesome songs.
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) - I wasn't sure if my conscience would allow me to put this bloated dinosaur act over both Creep and Anarchy in the UK. Then I remembered Pete Townsend's power-slide. Yes. This must be first.
2. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) - My complaint about this song has nothing to do with it, but the problems it created. First, it immediately pegged Radiohead as a grungey one hit wonder, making them resent it to the point of completely disowning it. Second, it's one of the few Radiohead tracks modern rock stations will touch (besides High and Dry and sometimes Karma Police), which is far beyond justifiable. Third, every single fuckin' two-bit cover band you'll ever have the misfortune to see will weasel this masterpiece into their horse and pony act. Then some dumbass with a voice that sounds like dry gravel will try to fake his way through the line. It's a great song. It doesn't deserve that level of abuse!
3. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) - Announced the arrival of UK punk, for better or worse. Overnight musical standards plummeted. They'd never heard something so masochistic before.
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) - One of the Queen of Soul's lesser hits.

BRACKET 57
1. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) Prince’s greatest pure pop moment, and the most perfectly realized song of his career. No single song makes the case for why Prince was the most vital, exciting recording artist of the eighties better than this one. It just builds and builds to the point where orgasmic becomes the only word I believe can adequately describe it. He made more adventurous records, more sonically ambitious ones, but he never made a better one. The series of ‘ooohs’ at the end are pure bliss.
2. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) Ok, there’s no denying that Glen has a Pat Boone-ish quality, but the man is a very talented musician who often showed (at the beginning of his career at least) excellent taste in material, and he found his perfect match in Jimmy Webb. Galveston and this song are two of my honest-to-god favourite songs ever, and it really pains me to see this song batched together with Little Red Corvette. This song has one of the most beautiful melodies you’ll ever hear underscored with a wonderfully restrained string arrangement. This is a great record and it deserves its place on this list.
3. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) I respect their talent – they’re among Prince’s heirs, to be sure – but I don’t feel compelled to listen to their music much.
4. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) Pretty good sixties pop.

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) Perhaps the most purely melodic song in a catalogue that’s crammed to the gills with them. McCartney was only able to sporadically achieve this kind of effortless buoyancy without Lennon keeping his wimpier qualities in check – Jet, Maybe I’m Amazed, a few others…more often he’d drown the listeners in treacle.
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) This song is heart-stopping – the best one Carol King ever wrote/co-wrote. It’s sweet, innocent, pure and touching without being sappy about it. It’s the kind of track that can make one nostalgic for a time in which you never lived.
3. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) The production is appropriately majestic, but I’ve never really cared for the song.
4. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) Probably my least liked song to appear in the competition to date. I wouldn’t dislike it quite so much if I hadn’t been made to endure so many drunken sing-alongs in my days in residence.

BRACKET 59
1. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) His greatness is not some myth concocted by a cabal of rock intelligentsia. Elvis is the most important figure in modern popular music, and he’s one of the best. There was a time – not that long ago – when the greatest pop music was also the most popular music. You could argue that the earlier version of the song was more pure and raw, but no way do I think it’s better.
2. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) A great singer given a great song.
3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) One of the few Smiths songs that breaks out of the paint-by-numbers indie-rock template that they jangled around in most of the time. If this mighty epic drone had featured anyone other than that prancing dandy on vocals I would love it to death.
4. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) I’ll be willing to admit that I might be missing a boat on this one. I’ve never quite got on board with the instant legend status that this song and accompanying album were accorded. I love Protection’s title track and I quite like most of Mezzanine, but Blue Lines passed me right by. I’ve heard people describe this song as stunning, uplifting, soaring, but to me it never takes off. It almost feels awkward, like they just didn’t get the arrangement quite right and that kept it from clciking the way it was meant to. But if everybody loves something and I don’t, then I’m perfectly willing to admit that I might just need to hear it in the right context or on the proper drugs or something…

BRACKET 60
1. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) The song and the arrangement are perfect – I actually prefer Dionne Warwick’s vocals for this song, but when the material is this good it’s almost impossible to screw it up and Aretha wasn’t screwing anything up at this time.
2. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) I’ve never given this anthem much love or attention. In fact I prefer almost every other song on Who’s Next over this one, but what’s listed below don’t enthrall me much either.
3. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) No issues with the song, which is a perfectly fine modern rock hit, but I’ve always had a problem with the singer’s whiney vocal tone, a quality that particularly bugged me on the bends.
4. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) There’s a case to be made for this, of course, but I’m not going to make it. I prefer my music to be melodic, tricky, rhythmic, diverse. There were punk bands who made records who had these qualities: Wire, Undertones, Buzzcocks, The Fall, Young Marble Giants if you want to stretch your definition of the term. I don’t think this one did. I think they were worthless garbage. I don’t think there’s ever been a record that’s been given more acclaim for what it meant rather than for what it is.

That's what I was getting at as well concerning The Sex Pistols. There are at least 25 punk bands that released better albums than Never Mind the Bullocks but not one of those albums even comes close critically. It just makes no sense because if it really is being judged on the myth and their live performances you think it would be their live album that would be higher but that album stinks. They weren't great live and they weren't amazing in the studio, and considering the other punks bands that were around at the time they weren't that urgent either. But, the myth lives on. I think I'd still put it in my top 200-300 albums but seeing it in critics top 10 time and time again is sickening.

Continuing with week 15 while I'm at it.

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) - Great fun. Love the "shake it like a polariod picture" part.
2. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) - Great slice of the 60s.
3. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) - Beautiful
4. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) - The most overrated Prince song. (or perhaps: the only overrated Prince song)

BRACKET 58
1. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) - Classic soul
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) - Classic soul ballad
3. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) - Why did Madonna record her lazy cover of this song?
4. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) - Repetitive and quite boring.

BRACKET 59
1. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) - Not my favourite MA song, but still great. Love the video too.
2. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) - Few bands have standout tracks like this one. I mean standout as in "different". And perhaps "best" too...
3. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) - Wonderful early Sam. Hurts to put it at #3.
4. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) - Great Elvis performance, but the competition was too strong.

BRACKET 60
1. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) - Anarchy has never come to better use.
2. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) - The best guitar riff ever to come out of a playing mistake.
3. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) - Beautiful Bacharach-David song. But is Aretha's version much better than Dionne's?
4. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) - OK, so I voted for anarchy, but I still think paying tax is a good thing.

BRACKET 57

1)Prince - Little Red Corvette:The definition of sublime - for me,his best song
2)Outkast - Hey Ya:I never thought I'd have this up at #2 - a rare occasion of a new song I knew was classic before I knew it was acclaimed
3)Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman:A classic for sure - great string part,great melody,lyrics
4)Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City:A pretty good song but has to be #4 against this lot

BRACKET 58
1)The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow:It's cheesy I know but I just have a real soft spot for the girl group sound of the early 60s
2)The Beatles - Penny Lane:Sort of surprised it's that high up at #150 - it's the Beatles,so great
3)Ike and Tina Turner - River Deep,Mountain High:Great song and vocals no doubt,I just hate the way it sounds now - a bit dated sounding with cheesy lyrics...
4)Don McLean - American Pie:Like sex,sort of fun the first few times(just kidding) - but it draws on too long and it wears thin after multiple listens...

BRACKET 59
1)The Smiths - How Soon Is Now:Unlike anything else they did - it's probably not one of my very favourites of theirs but great atmosphere,great sound
2)Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy:Well I'm not a big fan of theirs but I like this song
3)Elvis Presley - Hound Dog
4)Sam Cooke - You Send Me
#3 and #4 - marvellous vocals and great songs for sure,but they just CAN'T be put ahead of textured songs by the Smiths and Massive Attack...

BRACKET 60
1)Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK:Easily #1 here - would be #1 in most brackets. I don't know where other people are coming from,but NMTB sounds like a clasic record to me - and this song is a masterpiece -arguably the definitive rock track of the 70s
2)The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again:This is the Who sound I liked the best - probably slightly prefer Baba O'Riley on that album
3)Radiohead - Creep:Although I don't agree their later work 'obliterates' it - I think they've done better songs
4)Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer:Well maybe the best singer of all time - but the song isn't strong enough for this to stand out...

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003): awesome funny track filled with sexual references like “shake it like a Polaroid picture”, “don’t want to meet yo’ mama / just want to make you cumma” and my favourite: “gimme some sugar, I am your neighbour”.
2. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968): I admit that I’ve never heard it till I saw it on #2 on Sonofsamiam list. And I love it till then, particularly the majestic string section.
3. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982): nice pop tune from the Moonbeam’s favourite album ever. But not Prince’s best song.
4. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966): nice sunny California pop, this time with certain soul edge. But I prefer “Do You Believe in Magic?” or “You Didn’t Have to Be so Nice”. Cheesy, I know, but it makes me overjoyed. Just see http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=mtQpZysa7UA&mode=related&search=

BRACKET 58
1. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966): quintessential Spector wall of sound. Love the crescendo part from 2’45”, just when you’re thinking that can’t get higher it goes higher and higher again. Surely it takes a voice like Tina’s to achieve it.
2. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967): like jonmarck said, it’s the McCartney’s counter-attack to Lennon’s “Strawberry Fields” in its particular league. Great tune, with classical music influences like this awesome piccolo trumpet solo that (along with “For No One” French corn solo) is going to define the “Beatles sound”, although being really one of its many facets.
3. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971): maybe too long but a terrific song with lot of references to the 50s and 60s rock scene, including Buddy Holly, Elvis, Lennon, Dylan, The Stones, The Byrds or Janis Joplin. You can find an interesting interpretation of the lyrics in http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZFiMo8TIc
4. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960): great Goffin-King tune, maybe the peak of Brill Building and girl groups simultaneously. But #4 of a very good bracket.

BRACKET 59
1. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991): Massive Attack designed the everlasting hymn of the 90s, equally apt for the dance floor (courtesy of its house rhythm) and for your favourite sofa (courtesy of its amazing string arrangements).
2. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956): pure rock’n’roll archaeology. Elvis made his own a Leiber-Stoller tune (written obviously for a female singer) and gained the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis” after an inflammable TV appearance singing this song.
3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984): I’m a big fan of The Smiths but I prefer its pop side. Anyway I can’t deny the impact of this one and the mastery of Johnny Marr.
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957): classy “gospel goes soul” but a little bland.

BRACKET 60
1. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976): stop the subtleties: “Right now, ha, ha, ha… I am an antichrist / I am an anarchist / don’t know what I want but I now how to get it / I wanna destroy, pass it by / cause I wanna be / anarchy”. Undoubtedly the most powerful first verses of a song ever.
2. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992): despite being overexposed (yes, jonmarck, it was the first song played by my band, it’s an easy one to begin for) and being surpassed by posterior Radiohead material, it retains an unstoppable force. The force coming from a ugly man exposing his rage and anger after years of bearing other people jokes. Ugly ones of the world, united!
3. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968): of how to succeed infusing real soul to Bacharach-David sophisticated material.
4. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971): sad to put this classic piece at #4 despite its energy and pioneering use of synthesized sequences.

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) - Great beat, original. Outkast's best.
2. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) - Not the best Prince, but very good.
3. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) - Great classic. Still sounds good!
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) - Sweet.

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) - Sweet song which takes me back to my youth (not that I lived in Penny Lane, though).
2. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) - This just swings the whole song long.
3. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) - No chance to beat Beatles or Don, but much better than 4.
4. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) - The bombast is too much.

BRACKET 59
1. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) - This so depressing! The ultimate depressed song, therefore it deserves credit. A bit too long, though.
2. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) - Elvis certainly lives in this song!
3. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) - Original sound, but a bit overrated IMHO.
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) - What a wonderful world...

BRACKET 60
1. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) - Not even in my Radiohead top 10, still winning this bracket.
2. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) - Aggressive song! Good and angry.
3. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) - Very good, but cannot beat Radiohead and Pistols.
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) - OMG, Aretha is last. How sad.

Please stop calling "cheese" or "cheesy" everything thet sucks and stinks
It hurts my French pride
A good song can be chhesy, like a good Camembert (although it's far from being my favorite cheese), a good Roquefort, a good gruyère !!!

I think what people mean by cheesy is pungent and thick; a definite artistic no-no.

yes I know, I was just only joking

Not a great week for me, only one 5 stars song (won't get fooled)

BRACKET 57

1.The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) **** : A good pop song, beautifully written, looks like an American Kinks song.
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) *** : Believe me or not, I had never listened to any Outkast song before (been living under the ice musically for the past 5 years). First listening : very strange. Fourth listening : starts getting good. Just had to get accostumated.. it’s funny and original.
3. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) *** : Not the best Prince song, maybe one of his weakest early singles, looks like a draft of what was yet to come
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) *** : a guilty pleasure ? Well the arrangements are pure Nashville-Countrypolitan music, there are a few good melodic moments, but despite all of this, it is rather inconsistent.


BRACKET 58

1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967)**** : a good effortless McCartney song ; the fucking Beatles are once again nb1
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) : pretty melodies, pretty harmonies, pretty strings, but much more lighter than Ike and Tina
3. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) : a very good song, but this time Phil Spector did too much : His wall of sound is a little too deep, too high, too murky and muffles the energy of the song
4. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) ** : strange song, one of this tunes than you remember even if you have heard them once, and very long ago; that was the case for me. There is this melody so catchy, but the rest is so poor : some tasteless folk-pop production, and these ridiculous melodramatic lyrics. Too much for me.


BRACKET 59

1. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) **** : It’s not my favourite, but still a good rnr song with production
2. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)*** : athmospheric and high-class; not my favourite track on not my favourite MA album
3. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) *** : Good natured but less important than other Cooke gems
4. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) ** : I’ve been listening to this song only once, it’s a solid 80s production, quite depressive but ok

BRACKET 60

1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) ***** : one of the two pillars of the Who’s Next album. Great intro, unbelievable outro, big energy, a unique sound, four great musicians.
2. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) **** : I’ve always heard/read that the Pistols couldn’t play, which is not that true. Love the sound of the guitars, especially the solos (if one can call that solos).

3. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) *** : Radiohead when they were making classic pop songs. Not bad but not that original compared to what they did after ( the guitar follows exactly the same pattern as Nirvana on “smell slike”, arpeggios inthe verses, saturated power chords during the chorus). But yet some talent
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (196 *** : I didn’t know Aretha had sung song. I have it on this wonderful album called “Dionne Warwick sings Burt Bacharach”; not my favorite Bacharach song, although it’s melodic, and it’s strange hearing Aretha singing (very well) some material not fit for her.

Very interesting youtube video on American Pie Honorio, thanks for that.

And Star Wars fans might like this version of American Pie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Amm3UuZ0k

I have that one on my computer, along with some other Weird Al classics. Great. :)

strange : I thought I had posted yesterday night and I don't see it in the thread, so I'm checking if it works
And there was a Neoptolemos post here too and it's gone...
I'll post tonight

Hmmm...I'm not sure what's going on, but I've got your ballot, nicolas.

Anyone else having trouble seeing stuff they already posted?

Nope.. and I don't miss any posts either..

BRACKET 57
1. OutKast, “Hey Already” (2003) One of last the classic ones of the popular music
2. Prince, “Little Network Corvette” (1982) We are in best time of the teacher
3. The Lovin' Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) This type of creations made "Love" better thousand times
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) Pretty by far sugar

BRACKET 58
1. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) Another one of the songs of my life. Catwoman Tina and Maestro Spector connecting his talents
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) will never more become to make this type of songs: simple, pretty, intense …
3. Don McLean, “American Foot” (1971) Charlie Gillet finishes his “History of the rock” with this song. Later one becomes bored and goes to world music.
4. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) Strawberry fields makes this song small

BRACKET 59
1. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) Very sophisticated and inimitable. Something really new
2. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) Thousand times listened and continues being fantastic
3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now” (1984) One on the few attempts of the group to do music dense, twisted
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) I likes Sam Cooke but not this song

BRACKET 60
1. Aretha Franklin, “I Say to Little Prayer” (1968) the best song for the best singer soul of history
2. The Who, “Won' t Get Fooled Again” (1971) i believe that is his better song
3. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) i believe that is his better song
4. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) “guitarrazo” that it precedes to refrain is good, but ...

BRACKET 57
1. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) – Of course the most idiosyncratic pop artist of his era had his first across-the-board smash hit with a hilarious parade of tissue-thin metaphors and single entendres; it’s such a perfect, hook-filled slice of ‘80s dance-pop that by the time people figured out it wasn’t -really- a car song it was too late. It holds up because it has much more than mere audacity going for it.
2. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) – One of the great ‘60s singles, and a marked departure from the sunny vibe of their earlier hits (musically, at least – lines like “Cool cat lookin’ for a kitty” still kind of give the game away). Heard once, that keyboard riff stays with you forever.
3. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) – Another ‘60s classic. Jimmy Webb’s finest moment, by far; a hauntingly beautiful recording with one of the all-time great string arrangements.
4. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) – This is a very strong bracket, so much so that I’m forced to rank Andre 3000’s insta-classic last, mostly because I’ve heard it -so- often over the last four years that I’m weary of it. Check back in another five years. It is brilliant, though, and as daring in its own way as “Little Red Corvette” – just wanna make you WHAT, now?

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) – I wish one or two of the previous bracket’s songs were in this one. I like all four songs here, but none of them really excites me that much. Paul’s contribution to the greatest two-sided hit of all time gets #1 by default; it’s gleamingly polished and full of wonderfully unexpected sonic flourishes.
2. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) – Initially I had this at #4; I elevated it simply because it doesn’t carry the baggage of the other two songs here. Like all of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s best work, it’s simple, elegant perfection. Probably the greatest pre-Spector girl-group record.
3. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) – Simultaneously overrated AND underrated; it certainly deserved to be a much bigger hit in the U.S., but it isn’t Spector’s (or Tina’s) best by a long shot, let alone as earth-shattering as some of the claims made for it. It’s just a great pop single, no more or less.
4. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) – No denying its ambition and achievement; it’s endured for a reason. No denying its smug self-satisfaction, either, or that there’s no real reason to hear it again.

BRACKET 59
1. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) – RCA ostensibly cleaned up Elvis’ sound for a wider audience, but apparently this record didn’t get the memo; Scotty, Bill and D.J. are practically playing punk rock, with a snarling Elvis vocal to match. Those cloying, overmixed backing vocals can’t disguise the raw power on display here; THIS was what scared the crap out of all the parents.
2. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) – 7 minutes of astonishingly sustained reverb and misery. As always, Moz’s musings are simultaneously self-parodic and intensely empathetic, highlighted by a verse containing the greatest, most succinct description ever of the pathetic side of nightclubbing.
3. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) – I wish I liked this song, and the rest of BLUE LINES, more. As with Joy Division, I get why the record is so acclaimed, but it doesn’t really do anything for me. Maybe you had to be in Britain in 1991 to fully understand. (I prefer Horace Andy’s tracks on the album.)
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) – Cooke was one of the greatest singers of all time, but often wasted his talent on pop tripe. He probably had to, to become successful, but that doesn’t make his first big hit any less mediocre and dated.

BRACKET 60
1. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) – Here’s one “important” and culturally significant record that, to me, actually holds up musically. The bludgeoning attack of the band matches Lydon’s r-rolling fury perfectly.
2. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) – One of my earliest classic-rock favorites, and one I can still listen to endlessly with pleasure (the song and the album), despite the fact that The Greatest Scream In Rock History has now become cheapened by its weekly use as the punctuation for a David Caruso one-liner on CSI: MIAMI.
3. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) – Show of hands: how many of us DIDN’T think they were a one-hit wonder at the time? Compared to their subsequent output, this sounds almost charmingly simple, and a clear grab for airplay – but it -got- as much airplay as it did because it’s brilliantly executed, particularly Jonny G.’s skronky pre-chorus guitar noises.
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) – Eh. All props to the Queen’s generally groundbreaking early Atlantic work, but I’ve never liked this one very much.

Is "skronk" like the AM forum word-of-the-week or something? heh

More on skronk.

The first definition of "skronk" in the on-line urban dictionary is this: "Used to define music that is grating, dissonante, and frequently avante gard. Mid-to-late period Tom Waits, mid-to-late period Ornette Coleman."

Robert Christgau's 80's Consumer Guide says "skronk" is "onomatopoiea for ugly no wave noise music."

And this is from Lester Bangs: "Christgau calls it "skronk." I have always opted for the more obvious "horrible noise." Guitars and human voices are primary vectors, though just about every other musical instrument has been employed over the years, as well as smashed crockery (e.g, first Pere Ubu album, "Sentimental Journey"), scraped garbage-can lids and bongolated oil drums (early Stooges), not to mention phono cartridges, toothpicks, pipe cleaners, etc. (John Cage, Variations II). You probably can't stand it, but this stuff has its adherents (like me) and esthetic (if you want to call it that)." Village Voice, 30 September - 6 October 1981

BRACKET 57
1- The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City”
2- Prince, “Little Red Corvette”
3- OutKast, “Hey Ya!”
4- Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman”


BRACKET 58
1- The Beatles, “Penny Lane”
2- The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”
3- Don McLean, “American Pie”
4- Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High”

BRACKET 59
1- Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy”
2- Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog”
3- The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?”
4- Sam Cooke, “You Send Me”

BRACKET 60
1- Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer”
2- The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
3- Radiohead, “Creep”
4- Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.”

I ususally do these at work. Stupid busy work and I didn't vote for 3 weeks.

BRACKET 57
86. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982) Probably my fav Prince
43. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003) Hate it now, but loved it when it came out.
171. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968) Kinda silly, but pretty enough
214. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966) Ick.

BRACKET 58
107. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) Weakest bracket yet?
22. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966) Oh yeah.
235. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971) Definitely.
150. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967) The weakest bracket yet.

BRACKET 59
75. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991) The exact opposite of the above bracket. A great song. Is that a cowbell?
182. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984) Maybe this is why everyone thinks The Smiths are so sad? Still a great song.
54. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956) One of Elvis' early bests.
203. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957) Only this low because I've heard it the least of all these, although I usually don't pass over it.

BRACKET 60
118. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) Nothing will ever compete with the absolute power of this song. I know it's anti-revolutionary (and pro-Conservative if you listen to the National Review), but the song still makes me want to rise up and try again.
11. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976) My generation doesn't get the Sex Pistols as much because we didn't live through the Eagles, but this song still expresses a lot of anger with the system that resonates today (even though they were all nihilists, but besides that).
139. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992) It's a neat song, but far from their best.
246. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968) Just haven't heard it that much.

BRACKET 57
1. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968)
2. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966)
3. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003)
4. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982)


BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967)
2. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971)
3. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966)
4. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960)



BRACKET 59
1. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)
2. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)
3. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956)
4. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957)

BRACKET 60
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971)
2. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968)
3. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976)
4. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992)

BRACKET 57
1. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” (1968)
2. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” (1982)
3. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003)
4. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” (1966)

This is probably the toughest bracket I've had to vote on so far because I like (and own) every one of them. This one comes down to songwriting and a perfect arrangement with "telegraph" strings "singing" down the wire to Campbell. If this song doesn't move you, I'd argue you might be missing a vital organ. After that one I'd say the next one with a "weightier" lyric (that stands a little taller for that reason) is Prince's cautionary "Little Red Corvette". The other 2 are "party songs"...really lightweight lyrically. Judging them by that basis, "shake it like a Polaroid picture" tops "back of my neck gettin' dirty and gritty".

BRACKET 58
1. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960)
2. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” (1967)
3. Don McLean, “American Pie” (1971)
4. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” (1966)

Dave Marsh's essay on the Shirelles song says it best but in a nutshell: This is possibly the best expression of a female's fears of a loss of respect once she's decided she's GOING to have sex. Perfectly worded insight into innocence and exploration. "Penny Lane" gets #2 on the basis of that great piccolo trumpet part and the melody just ices it. "American Pie" is a great lyric..BUT...I do fall mostly into the "3 minute" camp and it's just really long. I have to be in the mood to listen and many times I'll "punch out" if it's on the radio. "River Deep.." is a great Spector production but again I'll side with Marsh and say it's really hard for me to buy that Tina Turner's prized childhood possession was a "little rag doll". I think here it's a case of the material not fitting the performer.

BRACKET 59
1. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” (1957)
2. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (1956)
3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)
4. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)

The timeless voice of Sam Cooke effortlessly floating from the beyond back into my ears easily captures the top spot. After that, "Hound Dog" is one of my favorites from the King with a rock solid rhythm that guarantees "crank it" status in the car. I'm hit and miss on the Smiths but "How Soon.." is easily my favourite of theirs so it's 3rd. Massive lands last because I'm not familiar with the song.

BRACKET 60
1. Radiohead, “Creep” (1992)
2. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971)
3. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968)
4. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976)

I am NO Radiohead fan so for me to rank any of their tunes top of the bracket, especially in one also including the Queen and The Who, is noteworthy. Quite simply, it's a great combination of "light and shade"..raucous and melodic at once with a good lyric. After that the frenzied keyboard part scores runnerup for "Won't Get Fooled.." and a nice remake of a Bacharach tune gives Aretha 3rd spot. Don't really like much from the Sex Pistols so it's a distant last.

My predictions for who WILL win the brackets..not my personal choices:

BRACKET 57-Prince
BRACKET 58-Beatles
BRACKET 59-Smiths
BRACKET 60-The Who

I know I'm late, but I've been friggin' busy.

BRACKET 57
1. Prince, “Little Red Corvette” - Neck-and-neck race but I give it to the Purple One. "Believe it or not, I started to worry." I actually believe it on this song.
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” - Irresistable ass-shaking music. I proved that at my wedding.
3. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” - It's better than Glen Campbell
4. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman” - It's Glen Campbell

BRACKET 58
1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” - I love this sweet ode to childhood.
2. Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep Mountain High” - I'm sure tina wishes the rivers were deeper and mountains higher.
3. The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” - If you keep singing like that I will.
4. Don McLean, “American Pie” - Kinda worn out, but still good.

BRACKET 59
1. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” - My favorite Smiths tune. Love the epic sound.
2. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” - One of his better more fun performances
3. Sam Cooke, “You Send Me” - Cool soul, if a little lazy sounding. Maybe that was the point.
4. Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” - I like this album, but all the songs do kind of blend together for me.

BRACKET 60
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” - "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." What a line, what a crescendo, what a song.
2. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” - Favorite Pistols track. Would win brackets 58 and 59.
3. Radiohead, “Creep” - I really like this song, especially the ultimate crunching guitars. But tough competition
4. Aretha Franklin, “I Say a Little Prayer” - I've voted for her other, better hits. Not this one so much.