Are you sitting comfortably? Yes? Then we’ll begin…

Welcome to AM Survivor, the competition where posters on this forum will gradually vote the top 100 artists “off the island” until we’re left with only one survivor.

This week, though, we’re going to knock five of the top 100 out before we even start, and replace them with five artists ranked between #101 and #200. I’m calling this the Loophole Round, both because it provides a loophole for lower-ranked artists, and because it was suggested by the eminent poster of that name.

On your ballot, you must list, ranked from #1 (5 points) to #5 (1 point), the five artists you’d like to axe. Your #1 pick is your LEAST favorite of those five. At the end, the five artists with the most points are eliminated.

You must ALSO rank—again from #1 (5 pts.) to #5 (1 pt.)—the five artists between #101-200 you’d like to put on “the island.” In this case, your #1 pick is your FAVORITE of the five. The five artists with the most total points at the end of the week will be in the game.

(Let me know if any of that is confusing…)

Please remember to explain your choices; as in bracketology, ballots without explanations won’t be eligible…

(…although, to look ahead, in future weeks, if you have an artist on your ballot which you’ve already commented on, you don’t need to comment again. Unless you just want to—which is encouraged.)

Once again, here are the lucky contestants.

The top 100 (vote five out):
AC/DC, The Band, The Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, The Beatles, Beck, Chuck Berry, Björk, Black Sabbath, Blondie, Blur, David Bowie, James Brown, The Byrds, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Ray Charles, The Clash, Leonard Cohen, John Coltrane, Elvis Costello, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Cure, Miles Davis, The Doors, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, Eminem, Brian Eno, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Grateful Dead, Al Green, Guns N’ Roses, PJ Harvey, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly & the Crickets, Michael Jackson, The Jam, Elton John, Joy Division, The Kinks, Kraftwerk, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Little Richard, Madonna, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Massive Attack, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, New Order, Nirvana, Oasis, OutKast, Parliament/Funkadelic, Pavement, Pet Shop Boys, Pink Floyd, Pixies, The Police, Elvis Presley, Primal Scream, Prince, Public Enemy, Pulp, Radiohead, Ramones, Otis Redding, Lou Reed, R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, Run-D.M.C., Sex Pistols, Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Sly and the Family Stone, Patti Smith, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, The Stooges, Talking Heads, T. Rex, U2, The Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention.

101-200 (vote five in):
Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers Band, Basement Jaxx, The Bee Gees, Belle and Sebastian, Big Star, Jackson Browne, Tim Buckley, Kate Bush, Can, The Chemical Brothers, Chic, Jimmy Cliff, Coldplay, Ornette Coleman, Sam Cooke, Cream, Crosby Stills Nash (& Young), Daft Punk, Deep Purple, De La Soul, Depeche Mode, Derek and the Dominos, Bo Diddley, Dr. Dre, Echo and the Bunnymen, Duke Ellington, Eric B. & Rakim, The Everly Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, The Flaming Lips, The Four Tops, Franz Ferdinand, Peter Gabriel, Grandmaster Flash, Happy Mondays, Herbie Hancock, Hüsker Dü, Jay-Z, Jefferson Airplane, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Janis Joplin/Big Brother and the Holding Company, Carole King, King Crimson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Love, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Manic Street Preachers, Curtis Mayfield, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Morrissey, Motörhead, My Bloody Valentine, Randy Newman, Nico, Nine Inch Nails, N.W.A, Roy Orbison, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, Portishead, Pretenders, The Prodigy, Public Image Ltd., Queen, Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Replacements, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Sonny Rollins, Santana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Elliott Smith, The Specials, Dusty Springfield, Sufjan Stevens, Rod Stewart, The Stone Roses, The Streets, The Strokes, Suede, The Supremes, Television, The Temptations, A Tribe Called Quest, TV on the Radio, Underworld, Van Halen, The Verve, Muddy Waters, Weezer, Kanye West, Wilco, Hank Williams, Lucinda Williams, Wire, XTC, Yo La Tengo.

For the Loophole Round, ballots will be due next Saturday, November 17.

Let the shuffling begin…

put them in !
1 - Elliott Smith : Well, my favourite artist ever, just feel as he wrote many of his songs just for me !
2 - Queens of the Stone Age : I don't have much hope that this band reach the island but well, it's my favourite band, I like all of their albums and I don't think there are many other artists which such a high rate of great songs/overall songs, furthermore they have played songs totally different from each other but you can still recognize that it's a QOTSA song instantaneously (except Autopilot which is a great song bu does not sound like one of their !)
3 - Red Hot Chili Peppers : They have not always been perfect, but blood sugar sex magik kicks ass so much that they deserve to be there. And I think that in the following albums, some of the singles are underrated.
4 - The Chemical Brothers : The best electronic band ever, make your feet move instantaneously
5 - Portishead Well… hard choice… but Dummy is one of my favourite album ever and I think that if the had done a few more albums, they would be in the top 100

It has been hard to choose Portishead over Kanye West, TV on the Radio and Sufjan Stevens, because I really think that all of them will be in the top 100 artists in a few years !

kick them out !
5 - Captain Beefheart : I still wonder how anyone can listen to Trout Mask Replica, and I really don't see what influence it can have had in any other artists
4 - Primal Scream : They are rated that high only thanks to Screamadelica, which I think totally sucks
3 - The Eagles : Have they done anything else than Hotel California ? Might be big in the USA, but I don't seem much people care in Europe
2 - Bjork : Well… I really respect what she did, I really find it risky, innovative… but It does not reach my feet nore my heart nore my brain, and her live show recently in Paris have totally bored me
1 - Run DMC - In the top 100 thanks to Walk this Way, which is fun but not that great, anyway before Public Enemy some hip-hop bands might have been "pioneers" but none of them have been really great

If I had to bet on which bands will be saved, I think I would choose : Television, Janis Joplin, Love, Suede and Depeche Mode

5 In

1. Sam Cooke - Cooke was the first soul singer I ever listened to when I was little since my dad was a huge fan and he would always play his Greatest Hits collection. He had so many great singles and its unfortunate his life came to an end at such a young age.

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sex Sugar Magik remains one of my favorite albums of the 90's and I also loved the underrated By The Way.

3. The Strokes - I feel the hype that surrounded Is This It was warranted and although I am probably in the minority, I also really enjoyed First Impressions of Earth.

4. Franz Ferdinand - Have only been around a short time but in that time they've put out 2 outstanding albums. They'll be in the Top 100 very soon.

5. Depeche Mode - I always thought of them as more of a singles band which is why I love listening to their Greatest Hits album. Shake The Disease, Enjoy The Silence, Everything Counts are all songs that could make my Top 100 songs list.

5 Out

1. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - Is better than a lot of the pop stars out there but I still don't think she deserves to be in the Top 100 on the strength of 2 singles.

2. Black Sabbath - Iron Man is about the only song I like.

3. Guns N’ Roses - I still enjoy listening to a few songs on Appetite For Destruction but that's about it. I doubt Chinese Democracy will ever see the light of day.

4. Grateful Dead - I don't dislike this group, they've got a few good songs I like but they just don't deserve to be in the Top 100 in my opinion.

5. Metallica - I can appreciate what they've done and the influence they've had but I really just cannot get into their music at all. Even Enter Sandman is hard for me to listen to.

My picks to VOTE IN:

1. PEARL JAM: One of my top-5 favorite bands. The sole survivor of the “Big 4” of the Seattle grunge scene, and the reasons are obvious. Aside from having a lead singer who didn’t kill himself, they’ve released a couple of classic albums in Ten and Vs., and their catalogue is chock-full of great, unformulaic songwriting. Defied the music industry by fighting Ticketmaster and by refusing to make music videos. The group consistently perform concerts of 25+ songs (of which I’ve personally been to a half dozen) and have released more official live bootlegs than any one person could ever digest, but by doing so provided a testament to their unbelievable live shows and unequalled work ethic. A band made up of five excellent musicians that understand and appreciate how fortunate they are to have a career making music, and a band that (in my opinion at least) can do no wrong as a collective.

2. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS: Billy Corgan might be a pretentious and intolerable douchebag, not to mention a hit-and-miss lyricist with a downright weird vocal timbre, but goddammit if he didn’t write some great musically-accomplished rock songs in the mid-to-late 90s. Mellon Collie is a 90s classic, but if you poured it through a strainer and tossed out the chunky wall-of-noise guitar filler, leaving only a single disc comprising the hits (eg. “Tonight Tonight”, “1979”, “Zero”, etc.) and other overlooked gems (eg. “Galapogos”), what you’d have is a stone masterpiece.

3. SAM COOKE: The writer, arranger, performer and producer of his own songs (of which several were huge hits), controlled every aspect of the business side of his career, and created Soul in the process. An amazing talent and it’s an outrage that he isn’t regarded as highly as Otis Redding.

4. HERBIE HANCOCK: A musical prodigy who was playing classical piano before any of us were old enough to even say “classical”. Released a brilliant string of albums for Bluenote in the early-to-mid 60s. A goofy electro-hit in the 80s, but I’m willing to forgive that because the guy is a jazz genus.

5. KANYE WEST: My pick for the rap contingent. Another conceited and arrogant twit, but in this case, one who thinks he’s God’s gift to rap… hell, music. But the producer-turned-rapper backs up the arrogance by spitting rhymes and rapping circles around his contemporaries. Plus, (and I’m being a tad superficial here,) he isn’t afraid to drop the gansta’ bravado (which he sort of disregards anyway) to show his admiration for modern indie rock and Polo shirts. And in a day and age where the music scene is oversaturated with self-deprecating musicians, a little pretension is refreshing.


I’m saving my VOTE OUT picks for now, in the event that I need to exact revenge on anyone who feels the need to play dirty.

OUT:
1. Eminem - Don't like his music and don't like him as a person. Get rid of him.
2. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - I can't understand what she's done to deserve a spot in the top 100, so I'd like to vote her off.
3. Pet Shop Boys - See #2
4. Madonna - She may deserve her top 100 appearance for her contributions to pop music but in my world she wouldn't make it. Vote her off.
5. Run-DMC - Not deserving in my opinion. Vote them off.

IN:
1. Wire - One of my favorite bands. Their influence on post-punk music is warrant enough. Chairs Missing is sadly underrated. Bring them in!
2. Charles Mingus - How can this titan of jazz not be included in top 100.
3. Randy Newman - This guy has released too many good albums not to be included.
4. Television - If you can record one of my favourite albums you deserve a spot.
5. Love - see #4.

THE OUTS (I didn’t plan it this way—honest—but it looks like I’m trying to perform a partial AOR-ectomy here):
1. GRATEFUL DEAD (5 points). #1 with a bullet. Probably the only act in the top 100 I would go out of my way to avoid. Somewhere it’s always Haight-Ashbury in 1967…so I need to make sure I’m somewhere else. I’d expand on this, but I don’t really have anything to share but vitriol; do I really need to go on? Are there actually any Deadheads around here?
2. CAPTAIN BEEFHEART (4 pts). We had a Beefheart thread a while back, and my comments there still reflect how I feel about him. It’s not that I never listen to him for pleasure—actually, I rather enjoyed the live version of “Big Eyed Beans From Venus” I listened to in preparation for this vote. The man does have an amazing voice. I’m not voting him out because I think 98 other acts are better than him; it’s because that number could be 198, or 1098, or 30 or 2. I just can’t tell. Imagine drawing a circle around a core group of artists for this game. Don Van Vliet is such an extreme outlier that I just can’t conceive of him being inside that boundary.
3. THE EAGLES (3 pts). One great song and acres of hackery. I was on a long road trip with some friends last year and somebody put an Eagles tribute band in the CD player; we had cycled through the disc twice before I realized it wasn’t the real thing. That’s a red flag. I would have made them my #2 pick, but held back out of respect (if that’s the word) for Joe Walsh.
4. ZAPPA/MOTHERS (2 pts). Low-sodium Beefheart? No, that’s not fair—I have immense respect for Frank’s intellect, style and humor, but after the first couple of Mothers albums, he should have had his keys to the studio taken away. Exhibit A: his only top 3000 song, “Willie the Pimp,” is basically a 2-minute demented (but enjoyable) poetry reading by Beefheart, then a boring 7-minute jam.
5. FLEETWOOD MAC (1 pt). An unremarkable blues revival band which merged with Buckingham Nicks, resulting in the unconscionable cult of Rhiannon. I should say something nice, I guess—well, Rumours is pretty good, if overrated. And Lindsey Buckingham was his generation’s Jack White.

THE INS:
1. HANK WILLIAMS (5 pts). #1 with a bullet. Hank is easily the most important artist not in the AM top 100 (mostly because he made no albums). But he’s also easy on the ears, and, having grown up in the south, his sound is encoded in how I listen to everything—ironically, his more upbeat stuff (“Hey Good Lookin’,” “Move It On Over,” “Jambalaya”) in particular. The only pop music tourism I’ve ever done has been in Athens, GA (you figure it out) and the Hank Williams Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.
2. PRETENDERS (4 pts). The Pretenders really should have been the punk band that connected 60s pop to post-1977 music…instead, they were sunk by drugs. They left us a handful of great songs and one classic album (s/t is #12 on my personal list).
3. BO DIDDLEY (3 pts). The Mary Chain got it right: Bo Diddley Is Jesus. Or at least the true king of rock and roll—not Elvis, not even Chuck Berry. His resumé? He combined blues, rumba, and voodoo. He may have invented rap, and he pissed off Ed Sullivan a decade before Jim Morrison did. By all accounts, he’s a good guy—but I met him once in Detroit, and he’s the scariest-looking son of a bitch you ever saw. I’ve loved him ever since.
4. THE REPLACEMENTS (2 pts). After my top three, I’ve got a pileup of five artists with very little separating them—Hüsker Dü, Roy Orbison, Queens of the Stone Age, the Replacements, and the Specials. I’ll put the Replacements here, partly to support Loophole, but also because they’re one of the two best bands (with Hüsker Dü) in one of my favorite books on rock, Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life.
5. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (1 pt). I dunno—I just like ‘em, and it must take some kind of talent to be simultaneously so bombastic and so catchy. And since I’m kicking out the most famous of all pothead bands, I suppose this counts as balancing the scales.

Run-D.M.C.? Really? Huh.

I'm not much of a rap guy, but I've respected rap ever since listening to Raising Hell about 300 times in the space of one week in '87.

IN:

1) Queen - One of the best albums of all time, an amazing live album (Live Killers) and several top notch songs, these guys deserve to be in the top 100.
2)Depeche Mode - Lots of very great songs, my second pick for the top 100.
3) The Verve - One of my all-time favorite songs as well as the great album it's on. And its predecessors aren't bad either.
4) Curtis Mayfield - Made what's possibly the best soundtrack ever. I'm your momma, I'm your daddy, I'm that nigga in the alley!
5) Coldplay - Great band with several albums and songs I like a lot.

OUT:

1) Nirvana - Probably better than MME and possibly even Cappy B., but I don't want Cobain on my island.
2) Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - I suppose the beats are fun once in a while, but she really does not deserve a top 100 spot.
3) Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - I still don't get it.
4) Beck - Horrid music, the only good song he ever sung was the soundtrack cover for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5) Public Enemy - I honestly don't understand what's so special about 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back' except for the title, which is neat. I suppose. The rest.. well, lets just say it's not my thing.

I recalled a post about the most overrated artist where I picked these 5:
17) Nirvana
1 Radiohead
3 Beck
81) Black Sabbath
87) Missy Misdemeanor Elliott

Seems I've started to appreciate Radiohead a little more, and I honestly don't know why I chose Public Enemy and Captain Beefheart over Black Sabbath.

Out:

1. Tom Waits: Worst acclaimed artist ever. Hands down. This music is terrible.

2. The Band: They should be a one-hit wonder. The rest of their material doesn't compare and I think they get way to much credit for being associated with Dylan.

3. Blur: I can't listen to a single song of theirs. I used to like Parklife (the song) but even that's annoying these days.

4. Nick Cave: I didn't mind his punk rockish album he put out earlier this year but when it comes to Nick Cave being Nick Cave I'll pass.

5. Pet Shop Boys: Nothing by them has ever interested me. But, to be fair I haven't listened to a whole lot. Still, they need to go.


In (This is the only week this takes place right? Gotta make these count.)


1. Jay-Z- Every album has had at least two hits on it and most of his albums are classics. He'll go down in history as a legend of this era.

2. Elliott Smith- Tough choice between Elliott and Big Star. 4 points to Elliott. He would have 5 but for some reason Sam Cooke isn't a top 100 artist.

3. Replacements- Gotta show love for my hometown. Oh, and they are the best band from the 80's.

4. Supremes- Hit, hit, hit, hit....did they ever miss?

5. Tom Petty- So many good songs. Too bad he doesn't get any hipster credit.

That was heartbreaking leaving some off the list...

Get off my island.
#1. Missy - I honestly don't understand how she got a space on this site in the first place.
#2. Pet Shop Boys - Don't ask me man, I just work here.
#3. Captain Beefheart - Besides that they only have one acclaimed album, and it's not even very good at that, they've also got a stupid name.
#4. AC/DC - Yikes. Rock doesn't get much stupider than this.
#5. Grateful Dead - They just ain't that grate.

Welcome aboard!
#1. Sufjan Stevens - The first prog-folk artist I've ever heard, and he's good at it too.
#2. Nine Inch Nails - Never has industrial music worked so cohesively.
#3. Randy Newman - He gets in here just for "Political Science".
#4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik remains one of the best albums of stellar 1991.
#5. Portishead - It was either these guys or Television, and while they each have one great album Portishead has less bad albums.

That Sam Cooke comment doesn't really make sense does it? I really thought I was going to put Sam Cooke #1 and then I saw how many other artists there were to include and Cooke got bumped off the entire list!

VOTE 'EM OUT!
1) Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band. I guess I'm only echoing previous and I'm sure future posters here, but, well, they're just a bit of a struggle really. I feel I'll probably one day get into them, and look back and be ashamed of this vote, but for now, this is as honest as I can be.
2) Frank Zappa/The Mothers Of Invention. I have to confess to being largely ignorant of Zappa's canon, but what I have heard has failed to suck me in. I get the impression that my top two picks kind of go together in many regards.
3) Missy Misdemeanor Elliott. The top song of 2001 *AND* the top song of 2002? I'm not so sure. They are both good singles, but without them she would be nowhere to be seen here, and that's what I call thin on the ground.
4) Grateful Dead. By no means am I an expert on this band either. More accessible than my top (is that bottom?) two, but to me scarcely any more enjoyable I'm afraid.
5) Paul Simon. The solo material I've heard is pretty bland to be honest, 'Graceland' isn't bad, but nothing here to keep him on what must be an incredible island to be on. I wonder what the likes of Elvis, Buddy and Jimi make of Eminem...

VOTE 'EM IN!
1) The Flaming Lips. I'm amazed they aren't already in the top 100, all of the 'big 3' last albums are amongst my all time favourites. They have to be there!
2) Elliott Smith. Head and shoulders above every other modern day singer-songwriter, with just the most achingly haunting voice. So easy to connect to on quite a personal level.
3) The Verve. Urban Hymns is in my top 5 albums of all time, and A Northern Soul is a great record as well. So much more soulful than their britpop contemporaries.
4) The Stone Roses. Even though they plummeted a bit after the debut, they are an automatic choice through my eyes. The incredible tracks from their early years not even on the album confirm they didn't just get lucky. And c'mon, Second Coming isn't THAT bad.
5) The Chemical Brothers. Sooo many to choose from - Underworld, Kanye, Sufjan, Morrissey, Cream, Mingus, and many others still - but I do happen to go along with the notion that the Chems are the greatest electronic band (alongside Massive Attack) of all time, so that alone clinches it.

Just a note on my criteria: I am voting, largely on what I favor... in other words what I like to listen to and what I don't. I cannot deny, however, that the (perceived) importance of these artists come into play... possibly as a tiebreaker when I hate or like them equally. I am trying, though, to avoid any strategic voting. I really respect and appreciate the work that schleuse has put into this and bracketology, and that is reason enough to go along with the criteria he has set down. So Anthony, my preference is that you do not wield your votes-off as revenge.

Okay, enough of that. On to the votes:

Voting Off the Island:

#1: Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band -- Proficiency without musicality. Silliness without wit. Ecclecticism without cohesion.
#2: Black Sabbath -- Ozzy was a bland, poor singer; even back then. The music sounds like second-rate psychedlia to me. And it didn't rock nearly as hard as Led Zeppelin. I do enjoy The Cardigans' cover versions of their songs, though.
#3: The Eagles -- Bland, bland, bland. Having a knack for writing a radio hit is nothing to scoff at, and they did it well. But I only appreciate a radio hit when there is a little something extra to recommend it. Otherwise, I turn the dial... and I do just that every time one of their songs come on.
#4: Primal Scream -- Swastika Eyes is okay. But Screamadelica is way overrated. It's continued prominence (and to a lesser extent that of the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays (although those bands have more to recommend themselves)) strikes me as the starry eyed reminiscing of ravers remembering their Ecstasy fuelled nights. I can appreciate that sentiment. To quote a great song on the subject: "Weak become heroes and the stars align" and all that. But the songs suck.
#5: The Cure -- Robert Smith's voice is halfway decent. The Goth trappings combined with the jangly hits is an okay joke, even if the Goth trappings are pretty stupid. But I never understood why they are supposed to stand out from any number of other 80's bands whose songs I like better.

(I won't say who the also-rans are, because you will find out in the coming rounds. I will say, though, that I will miss having Missy Elliott on the island. I think you're all wrong about her.)

Airlifting onto the Island:

#1: Ella Fitzgerald -- In my opinion, the greatest jazz singer of all time. Phrasing, timbre, tone, it's all there. And importantly, she fused her impecable instrument with a sense of fun and joy.
#2: Curtis Mayfield -- My favorite soul singers (Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and James Brown) are all so different. They each have different qualities to their voices and music that recommend them. For Curtis, it is that angelic, almost hesitant voice. Al Green (who to my mind is a step down, but just one step) has a similar quality but the emotion turns toward lust, whereas Mayfield's turns toward love. (It's funny that the Reverend's best songs are more sex drenched (although I'll admit I don't know his Gospel work), whereas Mayfield had so many great songs about God.) But then Curtis did something even more interesting... he expanded the themes about which his angelic voice would sing.
#3: Yo La Tengo -- Startling versatility. They can create balls to the wall noise rock that actually sounds good and interesting, and then the next track will be the tenderest love song you have ever heard. All from a very unassuming husband-wife team and their goofy looking third wheel. That being said, I thought you fellow music nerds would appreciate one of my favorite Onion headlines of all time: "37 Record-Store Clerks Feared Dead In Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster."
#4: Elliott Smith -- Looks like he will be a shoe in for the vote-in round. He writes such beutiful melodies.
#5: A Tribe Called Quest -- Sadly, not particularly influential. Rap would be so much more vibrant and eclectic if more followed their template. They might not be the most startling wordsmiths and flowmeisters. But the way they meld those elements with groove and storytelling and lyric hooks are very, very enjoyable.

(My #5 was actually a tied with two other artists - Chic and Daft Punk. I chose Tribe to give rap more props, and because Low End Theory notches higher end-to-end for me than Discovery. Other close calls: Duke Ellington, Crosby Stills Nash (& Young), Franz Ferdinand, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Queen, The Streets, Television, Weezer, Kanye West.)

jonmarck, Captain Beefheart have eight acclaimed albums, not one. I've said in the past that I don't like Trout Mask Replica and I stand by that. However, Safe as Milk is a good album and much easier to listen to. I don't fault anyone for voting them off, but I think you're all basing your vote on one album.

Hoo hah. I haven’t had this much fun with Microsoft Excel since the early days of bracketology.

One bit of business which I really should have foreseen before we started: we need to determine tiebreaker procedures, as it looks like ties will be more common here than in bracketology. As I type this, there are two bands tied for fifth in the “off the island” column and three acts tied for fourth in the “on the island” group. That will change, surely, but a procedure for breaking those ties needs to be in place now.

Here’s my proposal:

1. The artist that appears on the most ballots is off the island.
2. The artist that is ranked “higher” on a majority of ballots on which they appear, is off.
3. The artist that receives the most “first-place” votes is off.
4. The artist that receives the most “second place” votes is off.
5. And so on…

If step 1 doesn’t apply, go to step 2; if that doesn’t work, go to step 3, etc. If we go all the way down the list and the artists are still tied, frankly, I think the simplest solution would be to get rid of both of them.

If nobody objects (or has another, better idea), I’ll use this system.

I second John. Captain Beefheart should not be judged upon "Trout Mask Replica", but on "Safe As Milk", which is a wonderful raw blues album.

And here are my ins and outs. Let me first state that I like all artists in the top 100. To some extent. And these are the five ones I like to the least extent.

OUT
1. Grateful Dead - This is average music. I find no reason to listen to them.
2. The Band - Some good songs, but I almost can't stand those whining voices.
3. Missy Elliott - A few great singles, that's all. Albums where the singles are the only good songs should not be acclaimed IMO.
4. Ramones - They did the same song/sound over and over again, and it wasn't even their song/sound. Listen to MC5's "Back in the USA", folks.
5. Primal Scream - I have several PS favourites ("Higher Than the Sun", "Movin' on Up", "Rocks") but while working on my list for the 1990s poll, I found that most of the rest is horribly overrated. Who voted for "Come Together"?

IN
1. Curtis Mayfield - Perhaps my favourite soul artist. "Superfly", of course, was Curtis at his peak, but "There's No Place Like America Today" is a lost masterpiece as well.
2. Depeche Mode - They were my favourite band between 1985 and 1990. Then I discovered hundreds of new artist in other genres and thought that my love for Depeche Mode was mostly nostalgia. Today, the nostalgia factor is still there, but at the same time I believe that I would be knocked out amazed if I heard them today for the first time. I think the deserve to have at least 10 more songs at AM.
3. Hank Williams - Without question the best country artist ever. He would be on my list even if his recordings were from this decade. Also, didn't he start rock'n'roll with "Move It On Over"?
4. Sufjan Stevens - Sufjan must be the most wonderful guy on this planet, even when he sings horrible songs like "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." Hence I declare him the most intelligent boy too. He's my secret love.
5. Portishead - Making the best album of all time only took them to fifth place.

Bubbling under:
6. Sam Cooke
7. The Supremes
8. The Smashing Pumpkins
9. The Specials
10. Kate Bush
11. Ella Fitzgerald
12. Janis Joplin

I can't belive Billie Holiday is not even in the top 200!

Looks like it’s safe to go in the water. My picks to VOTE OUT:
(#1 = 5 points, #2 = 4, etc.)

1. AC/DC: A band that’s been rewriting the same song throughout their entire 35 year career (but it appears that torch is now being carried proudly by Nickelback.) Full credit to Angus Young for rocking an SG better than most AND with more energy than a Ritalin-deprived adolescent, but his band’s riff-driven rock schtick is blander than bland. To me, AC/DC’s music will always be equated with bars, pubs, drunken Neanderthals and the like – which isn’t surprising that this is the demographic they appeal to considering how brain-dead their music is. (Oh, and it would be amiss to not mention “Hayseed Dixie”, the bluegrass AC/DC tribute band. Need I say more?)

2. BEASTIE BOYS: Frat-boy schlock; a group that could give AC/DC a run for their money to see which has the most juvenile, testosterone-heavy fanbase. Their heralded “classic” albums are unbearable, their rhymes are atrocious (“…brass monkey, that funky monkey…” – wow) and they’re still selling their same concoction of immature quasi-hiphop even as all three members embrace soccerdadhood. Pathetic.

3. FRANK ZAPPA: For reasons already mentioned, but most of all for having a catalogue bordering on unapproachable.

4. METALLICA: A trend emerges: my extremely low threshold for loud, obnoxious and visceral riff-rock made by and for apes high on testosterone but low on sex. Hetfield and co. were one-time metal gods turned, well… I don’t know. Does anybody listen to these toolbags anymore?

5. RAMONES: He visited Bracketology once, but sadly wasn’t heard from again. So, as a tribute, I’ll quote my friend imcleod’s week 8 comments here: “Why, oh why God, do the Ramones continue to be the archetype for the tired power-pop people want to call punk nowadays? They've always sucked, and not in the cleverly ironic/minimalist sense of the word; in the utter trash way.” I couldn’t agree more, Ian. These “leather-clad bubble-gum merchants” don't belong on this island.

Can I just mention I hope AC/DC won't be going out just yet? If I can't, I just did. True, their songs are fairly similar, but they're just so much fun. I don't know anyone that can stay still during 'Thunderstruck' or 'You Shook Me All Night Long'. Whether they're moving due to uncontrollable annoyance or enthusiasm, they move. I just love it. THUNDERSTRUUUUUCK!

I'm with you on AC/DC, Neo. There's a strange clutch of heavy metal artists ranked back-to-back-to-back here:

75. AC/DC
76. Metallica
77. Black Sabbath

Now, I haven't yet figured out when I'll be voting them off--but I know what order it's gonna go in:

Metallica
AC/DC
Black Sabbath

Neither of the first two bands would even exist without Sabbath. And, as jonmarck rightly points out, AC/DC is incredibly stupid, but, in metal, I think incredibly stupid is appropriate. I'll take incredibly stupid over ridiculously pretentious (Metallica) any day. (There's a fine line between stupid and clever...)

And, by the way, so far you're the only voter to try to kick out a top 20 artist. May I humbly suggest listening to Unplugged in New York? That's the album that convinced me that Nirvana really were a great band, and that they knew what they were doing.

schleuse – you mean “re-listen” to Unplugged in NY, right?

I would hope that anyone with such a dislike for Nirvana would’ve at least listened to the band’s three most popular albums (Unplugged being one of them) a few times BEFORE forming such an extreme opinion.

I have listened to Bleach, Nevermind, In Utero and Unplugged. It has been a while though, maybe I should give them another shot. Maybe. I just get really annoyed just hearing Cobain sing, I'm not sure why exactly.

If I get some time this weekend I'm gonna try to put my feelings in a jar next to my speakers and listen unbiased.

Neo, I'm someone who can stay still during AC/DC. I think "You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of the most annoying songs ever, and easily among the five most overrated.

Here's how I've chosen to do the first round. I made a list of the artists I flat out dislike in the top 100. I will be voting exclusively for these artists until they are gone. As much as I can see the strategic appeal of voting off the biggest threat, I always hate shows like Survivor because of this. Of the 14 that I flat out dislike, this time I decided to go with the ones I find the most boring.

Out:

1. The Grateful Dead- This is truly awful. It seems they inspired Phish and worse, the Dave Matthews Band. For that alone, I will happily chuck eggs at their stoned, beige asses.

2. AC/DC- As I mentioned in the earlier post, "You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of a few songs I find to be completely overrated. Any song that is often hailed during drunken singalongs gets my derision. See also: "American Pie", "Yellow Submarine", "Hotel California", "Brown Eyed Girl". On top of that, the vocal is absolutely detestable. I like some unconventional voices, but the frog-in-the-throat screeches make me want to hit something.

3. The Eagles- See AC/DC for the explanation of my hatred for "Hotel California". Their music lacks any sort of excitement for me- it seems to be something people have just to impress their friends or to "mellow" out. Ian doesn't do mellow. In fact, "Mellow" is my least favorite Prince song, but I digress...

4. Oasis- What's worse than the Beatles? An artist that wants to be the Beatles. Pretentious drivel helmed by some of the most arrogant pricks to ever deface the industry. Good riddance.

5. Bob Marley and the Wailers- I suppose all of their music falls under that drunken singalong category. I just don't like reggae, so this gets the axe.

There are many artists I would love to usher into the game. In fact, I enjoy as many artists in 101-200 as I do in the top 100, it seems. Here are the five I'll wear on my sleeve.

1. Depeche Mode- My 12th favorite artist of all time, I have grown up with them. Violator stands as a towering achievement among all music, in my opinion. I've got a review if anyone is interested. They have been pretty consistent, too, with only Exciter and A Broken Frame letting me down.

2. The Strokes- It's totally cliche, but they DID revitalize rock music for me in the 2000s. I hated grunge for the most part, and the beige wailings of Matchbox 20, Creed and The Calling/Verve Pipe/blah blah blah before that. This music was concise, energetic and fun. Wins me over every time.

3. Franz Ferdinand- Another band whose hype I completely bought into, and I'm glad I did. I still get thrills listening to their music, particularly the lauded debut. Hope they release another album soon.

4. Aerosmith- When I first got really into music in 1989, Aerosmith brought Pump to the scene, an album that I'm sure is the source of mockery for many, but I think it is pure brilliance. "Janie's Got a Gun" is one of the most unique, moving and exciting songs I've ever heard. The whole album is solid, and while Pump definitely earns them their vote here, I enjoy many of their other albums too.

5. Can- They probably aren't among my top 5 of the artists in 101-200, but they deserve to be in the list. Their wild experimentation and limitless ability make me quiver in submission. Plus, they are the most recent discovery for me, and I want to see how I would rank them if they make the list.

Artists it guts me to leave off: The Bee Gees, Kate Bush, Chic, Echo and the Bunnymen, Peter Gabriel, Grandmaster Flash, Morrissey, Nico, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, Pretenders, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Television

I'll close with a proverbial tomato thrown in the direction of those voting off Missy Elliott. She's one of my top 20 artists. I completely disagree with those of you claiming she only has a few good singles. Miss E... So Addictive is the best rap album I've ever heard, and I know quite a few. This Is Not a Test and Supa Dupa Fly are almost on its level. It's a real shame to see such an innovator (and a woman) not get her due.

Another idea: Perhaps it would be interesting to see how the results of a poll for artists in a similar vein to the albums and singles polls Anthony and I will oversee would compare to this Survivor exercise. It would probably be a more accurate reflection of how much an artist is loved as opposed to how much an artist is tolerated. I know I've got a list of my top 100 artists and I'm sure many of you do as well.

This was a little tougher than I thought it would be.

Not sharing my coconuts with these guys:
1) Primal Scream - 'Screamadellica' just isn't that good, and supposedly it's their crowning achievement.
2) T. Rex - Too mediocre to be in the top 100. Go Bang a Gong somewhere else.
3) Kraftwerk - Beep Beep Boop Whirrr Buzzz Bleep Bloop Beep Bop Whirr Buzz Buzz.
4) Captain Beefheart - As noted in the thread on this guy, his music actually makes me feel physically ill.
5) The Cure - A few good songs, but mostly whinny. And dude, you're like 40-something now, enough with the ridiculous makeup and hair.

We're gonna make pina coladas.
1) Husker Du - Where's the love for these guys? Jesus. 'Zen Arcade' alone would put them in top 100.
2) The Replacements - 'All Shook Down' is one of the most underrated albums of all time. Minneapolis well represented here.
3) Pearl Jam - Consistently boarder-line great. 'Ten' and 'Vitalogy' are where they straddle the boarder. Besides, gotta represent Seattle, too.
4) Yo La Tengo - Also consistently very, very good. And a good live show to boot.
5) Lucinda Williams - The artist that first made me appreciate country music. Well, at least some of it.

Some comments (not that anyone asked for any, but I don't care) ....

Rocky Raccoon: I'm sending a high-five your way for the PJ pick. Nice.

Neoptolemos: Unplugged is a gem. As someone who enjoys Nirvana (but one who doesn't put Cobain in the "genius" category",) I can say that it's my favorite Nirvana album. The Bowie cover alone is worth the price of admission.

Moonbeam: Can't say I agree with the Oasis pick (which is probably obvious, given my admiration for their idols,) but I'm with you on The Strokes. Even though I didn't put them on my list, they were just bubbling under my VOTE IN picks (probably #6.)

Kicked Out
1)Missy Misdemeanor Elliott:Female rappers just really irritate me - I can't stand her music and she's clearly out of place here
2)Pet Shop Boys - Although I do like a couple of their songs,this guy's voice must be second to James Blunt as most irritating voice ever - some really cheesy material as well,like MME just dumbfounded they're in the top 100(0)
3)Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band:Almost unlistenable for me on the most part,little musical talent,well not for my liking anyway
4)Guns N'Roses - Made one great(ish) album and a couple of decent singles - but overall,very patchy,rubbish live band,Axl Rose is a pretty bad frontman - a bit of a trainwreck really
5)The Eagles - After they hit the big time,they just became criminally bland - most of their albums are just flawed affairs

I'll do the second part later...

"Neo, I'm someone who can stay still during AC/DC. I think "You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of the most annoying songs ever, and easily among the five most overrated."

That's what I said, there's people who'll want to walk away because they're annoyed and there's people who want to jump and shout. There's no real in between for AC/DC it seems.

Well, I guess I better vote in this thing....

Since I'm more of a positive guy, I'll start with the deserving folks who should be added to the island

ON
1. Hank Williams - He is a giant. Just ask Bob Dylan or anyone who plays country-ish music.
2. The Replacements - The great lost band of the Eighties. They embodied the true spirit of rock and roll. Great songs include: Color Me Impressed, Unsatisfied, I Will Dare, Hold My Life, Can't Hardly Wait...
3. Big Star - The great lost band of the seventies. Creators of my favorite pop song ever: Thirteen. Two brilliant albums is worth a lot to me. Quality over quantity.
2. Thelonious Monk - This is not a forum for jazz, but he was another true giant. His compositions are timeless (i.e., Round Midnight) and his playing was truly unique.
1. Sam Cooke - The man could flat out sing.

And now for the bad news.

OFF
1. Missy Misdemeanor Elliot - Go directly off the island. Do not pass "Go"!
2. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Critics darling not really all that relevant.
3. U2 - Just a pipe dream, I know. But they put the bomb in bombast. I do like the Edge's guitar playing, but it's not enough to overcome Bono.
4. The Eagles - drecky. Not sure if that's even a word.
5. Metallica - Not my cup.

OFF:

1. The Eagles: Eh.. I must admit I haven’t heard much more than “Desperado” and “Hotel California”. Still, must be a reason why I haven’t bothered to check them out.
2. AC/DC: Hey, I like a little AC/DC now and then, but there’s room for Angus and company here.
3. Grateful Dead: My knowledge is again limited. I was way exited about checking them out after reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe (great book!), but their music for the most part turned me off.
4. Missy Elliott: I think there’s way to little rap on the acclaimed list so it’s hard to vote off one of the few that’s on the list. Has a few amazing songs but leaves me cold as an artist.
5. Primal Scream: Screamadelica is one of my favourite 90s records (it’s probably in the top 20 even), but the rest of their output doesn’t hold up.

IN:

1. Curtis Mayfield: What’s Curtis doing below the top 100?
2. Can: It’s been years since I last listened to Can, but discovering them in high school was a real musical turnover for me. Got me into a whole load of beautiful, weird stuff. About time to start listening again.
3. XTC: Not the coolest band to vote for I guess. Some of the best pop music out there though.
4. The Replacements: Good to see some love for the ‘mats on this board. Best indie of the 80s (sorry Husker Du!).
5. De La Soul: Has made one of the best rap albums ever (and it’s not Three Feet High And Rising). Even their mediocre albums are great! Ha!

I would have thought King Crimson would get at least 1 vote on this forum. They were 6th on my list. Nobody here thinks they belong in the top 100?

In addition to Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong is not in the top 200. In terms of importance to popular music both should be in the top 50, at least. But I guess that is a product of a system that rates artists based on reviews or recorded output. They're modern enough to have been recorded, but their heyday came before list making and popular music critiquing was in vogue.

Alright - ones to go on the island
1)Flaming Lips - Released a string of near-brilliant alternative albums in the 90s before making in 1999,their crowning achievement,The Soft Bulletin - which can stand among OK Computer and Automatic For The People as one of the finest albums of the 90s
2)Queen - My first ever favourite band - criticized for their over the top theatrics,but I like it. Maybe not critical favourites but definitely one of my favourites
3)Big Star - Yeah I know their sound was pretty derivative from 60s bands,but it was a sound of their own,and when they got it spot on,it was just perfection, and they were influential for many of the important rock bands of the 80s and 90s
4)Hank Williams - HAS to be in the top 100 - pretty much the greatest country artist of all time,like Robert Johnson in blues - he towers over the genre,the godfather. Incredibly influential
5)Roy Orbison - Elvis Presley called it the greatest voice in rock n'roll,what a voice - even when he was 50 in the late 80s before he died,he was still incredible losing none of the magic that most singers do by that age,underrated definitely as an artist - even Bono was in awe when meeting and working with Orbison

I'm kinda disappointed Nine Inch Nails, Sufjan Stevens and Randy Newman aren't getting more love. If you ask me they're all top 50 artists, let alone top 200.

Loophole: looks like you feel about U2 the way I feel about Led Zep--like the lead guitar, loathe the singer.

jonmarck: Randy Newman was probably in my top 10 or 12 to go in; I think his problem is that people don't know what he is. Is he the guy who writes brilliant, caustic, ironic narrative ballads? Or is he the guy who does the Pixar soundtracks? (He's both, of course...)

I promise to go listen to Sufjan soon (my Hip CD still hasn't arrived, by the way--someone's gonna get negative feedback).

Sufjan is a great artist. He gets a thumbs up from me for being a multi-instrumentalist, his own producer, and just one of those artists where you wonder what the hell goes on inside of his head. (I've always like artists who seem to be a little "off", and even though I've never heard him speak in interviews, I can imagine he'd be that way.)

I just wish he could show a little restraint sometimes with the instrumentation. I'd like to grab him by the shoulders and say "Dude! You don't need a flute, banjo, horn section and a dozen backup singers on every song!" Perfect example is "The Predatory Wasp..." - a really great song sorta tainted by the instrumental breaks (esp. the vocal section that explodes near the middle.) It would've been so much more as a concise two-minute song. He needs to learn the concept of "beauty in simplicity".

Get 'em outta here:
1.) Fleetwood Mac--In the top 100 because of one high-selling album that's since garnered retrofitting accolades. The album itself isn't as strong or rewarding as other BIG albums of the 70s (Tapestry, Hotel California), and whereas the Eagles had some strong material on their other albums, Fleetwood Mac is mostly un-interesting outside of Rumours.
2.) Pulp--See Fleetwood Mac. They're more interesting, but the dozen years that have passed since their big album just isn't enough to make them sound fresh again.
3.) T-Rex--He was so good at stretching one musical idea into MANY songs, and this wasn't a bad thing. However, I'm not sure he has the diversity or has achieved the stunning heights that the other artists on this list have (Cosmic Dancer notwithstanding).
4.) AC/DC--See T-Rex. Yes, they purveyed a kind of butt rock that no one else purveyed in the same way. If Aerosmith didn't exist, these guys' charming, ham-fisted, historically-important approach to rock would surely earn them an entry. But Aerosmith DOES exist, and is so much more impressive and influential in that they have both sleaze rock and the proto (and post) metal ballad in their arsenal.
5.) The Jam--I uncomfortably submit the Jam. Yes, I like them a lot, and understand their goodness. I'm just not sure these guys ever had many great moments. My favorite song of theirs is David Watts--a Kinks song.

Let 'em in! (This category was much easier)
1.) Charles Mingus--SO talented! Beautiful and iconoclastic music. Easily one of the most creative jazz musicians in an era when jazz was at its creative peak. I could name at least 30 other artists that Mingus should knock off the top-100 list.
2.) Smokey Robinson--DANG! The best songwriter of 60s motown, the best voice, the most versatility. WTF? Get this group in there now!
3.) Aerosmith--See AC/DC above.
4.) Wire--See The Jam above. Really edgy, thoughtful music. When it comes to late '70s post-punk, these guys and The Jam are often brought up. These guys are so much more deserving of repeated listens.
5.) Can--Interesting, influential, and Future Days in particular is tranquil in such a special way.

Runners up:
Big Star
Elliott Smith
Duke Ellington

Can easily stay in the 101-200 bracket:
Eric B. Rakim (Ho-hum)
Jackson Browne (Late for EVER MAKING A GOOD ALBUM!)

Well, I might get some flack for what I'm voting in, but whatever:

1. Wilco: I look at Wilco as something like The Byrds of our generation. While other groups are out there that are more famous and are consciously making music for mass consumption, Wilco is just sitting back in their studio making consistently awesome music, a little bit under the radar. I do think that some of their stuff is a tad overrated (Being There and A Ghost is Born), but I also think that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is as much a cultural statement as Sgt. Pepper was in the 60s that Wilco should be lionized within the same group of artists, but I know I'm in the minority on these boards.

2. Underworld: I don't think an electronic act has ever interested me as much as Underworld. Their albums have been tripe for 8 years now, but a bad album can still produce a track like "Two Months Off" so they're still relevant as far as I'm concerned.

3. Belle and Sebastian: They've just been making wonderful music for years and years. They're not reinventing the wheel, they're just making wonderful wonderful pop music.

4. The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi are cultural statements, and those two albums should at least put them as high as Oasis (who have also only released two great albums) on the artists list.

5. Weezer: I may regret putting Weezer here instead of Yo La Tengo, Television, De La Soul, The Jesus and Mary Chain, A Tribe Called Quest, My Bloody Valentine, Pearl Jam or The Strokes since I doubt they will ever release a good album (or song) again. However, between 1994 and 2001, they made enough great catchy choruses to elevate them to the top 100.

And here's the rejects:

1. Eminem - The Roots, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and Ghostface Killah solo have topped Eminem's output. Eminem is the Elvis of hip-hop, minus the talent. Oh, and tortured act with his mom just irritates me.

2. The Doors - I'll let Craig Finn of The Hold Steady explain: "In America when you're growing up, you're subjected to the Doors as soon as you start going to parties and smoking weed. People think of Jim Morrison as a brilliant rock'n'roll poet, but to me it's unlistenable. The music meanders, and Morrison was more like a drunk asshole than an intelligent poet...He gave the green light to generations of pseuds. A lot of people told him he was a genius, so he started to believe it. The Velvets did nihilism and darkness so much better - they were so much more understated; what they did had subtlety, whereas the Doors had little or none: they were a caricature of "the dark side". I actually like Los Angeles, but the Doors represent the city at its most fat, bloated and excessive. Morrison's death does give rock some mythic kudos, but that doesn't make me want to listen to the music. In fact, if it comes on the radio, I change the station."

3. Captain Beefheart - And this is a quote from Peter Hook about Captain Beefheart that I quite enjoy: "Trout Mask wasn't a work of untutored genius, it was untutored crap. When you're beginning as a musician, people try to educate you with music like this, but I never understood the allure of Captain Beefheart. I certainly didn't last all four sides. There are very few records I gave up on, apart from Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music and Trout Mask Replica. It sounded like somebody taking the piss. But then, I've never been a great fan of jazz, and this erred on the selfish side of jazz. It sounds like you feel when you've taken the wrong drugs, like going to your mate's dope party on speed. I'd listen to it with my head in my hands. Trout Mask was highly regarded by post-punk bands because of its idiosyncratic approach to rhythm and song construction - but those bands were full of shit, weren't they? I wouldn't have put it at the front of my record pile to impress people; it would have been at the back with my Alvin Stardust and Bay City Rollers records that they sent me from the record club I belonged to at the time. These days, I would rather listen to the Bay City Rollers than Beefheart."

4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - How painfully annoying are most of Missy Elliott's songs? I guess somewhere down the line people decided that because she starts and stops all the time with her vocal delivery her songs were more arty than other club songs. Truthfully, I just find her irritating to listen to, but at least I don't loathe her like Eminem (I just wanted another jibe in there.

5. Patti Smith - I was torn between the Grateful Dead and Patti Smith. The Grateful Dead didn't really craft a lot of really great songs (besides "Box of Rain," "Friend of the Devil"), and they spawned generations of annoying jam bands. However, Patti Smith was Jim Morrison without a y chromosome and that's worse in my book. Horses is horribly pretentious and after "Gloria," it simply becomes a bland listen. I don't particularly dislike Patti Smith, I just don't understand all the hype over a mediocre art-rock album released in the mid-70s

By the way, if you haven't read this, you should: http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2102991,00.html

I would like to make a rule regarding this loophole round for me. If I haven’t been able to come across several acclaimed songs by a top 100 artist during my normal music listening habits, I shouldn’t have to listen to several of their songs before voting them out. I would conclude that the lack of their presence in my musical memory (26 years strong) makes them unworthy of inclusion in Survivor, unless of course the lack of songs I’ve personally heard is made up for by general respected reputation.

I would probably enjoy digging up songs by the several artists I haven’t heard, but I’m busy making sure I’ve listened to all 100 of the 90s poll songs. The actual Survivor show isn’t very fair, and little personal hangups determine a great deal of voting. This game will be fun because it will see which artists goes in under the radar, and could possibly have the most universal appeal. The survivor will have no massive backlash against their ‘hype’. They will just be pure talent.

Yadda Yadda Yadda, here’s mine.

Vote out:

1. Oasis – Sorry fans, but given the quality of artists below 100 I can’t find enough general respect for a band who I can’t listen to. This is not likely to be voted out anyway, so I’ll make this a symoblic vote to maybe try to get people to highlight less irritating brit-pop.
2. AC/DC – So, Back in Black was this super-acclaimed legendary album, so I had to pick it up when it was on sale. This is one of those albums I have only listened to once. I must have forgotten, when I decided on my purchase, how You Shook Me All Night Long is one of the most annoying overplayed dingy bar songs ever. After Back in Black, can I think of anything that they have done that isn’t automatically filler music on my local classic rock station? Nope.
3. The Jam – This band gets the “Never heard of them” award for having zero songs that I can recall listening to. I think there are too many bands that almost have the exact same presentation, if not sound, from about the same era such as the Fall, Wire, Gang of Four, etc. If this band is something special compared to all I’ve listed please feel free to berate me for my ignorance.
4. Pet Shop Boys – Perhaps they have a little more artistic integrity beyond the one-hit-wonder of most 80s bands, but I’ve only heard glimpses of their music on and off, and it sounds dated and shallow. Bands like New Order had more depth and intrigue while not sacrificing interesting synth-beats.
5. Nick Cave – I have given his music a chance during some of the voting for the 90s poll, but he doesn’t really stand out as an artist of distinction to me.

Vote in:

1. Smashing Pumpkins – The band of my 90s youth and for teenagers who appreciated Nirvana but liked a little beauty and comfort with their ‘alternative’ tastes. Siamese Dream put 90s music back up in the hazy clouds of past psychedelica… I picked up Mellon Collie on the first day it came out before the clerk even put it on the shelves, and to this date it is very satisfying. I was so glad Corgan and Co. could be capable of making a sprawling, epic, and diverse musical statement, that harkened back to the best and most human of 70s progressive rock and was lyrically gorgeous as well. Gems from the rest of their weaker catalog (NOT counting anything this century) also help their case.
2. Flaming Lips – A band even more consistently exciting than the Pumpkins, I retroactively caught up with their 90s output over the past several years, so they have less of an immediate impact as I grew up. They deserve credit just for longevity and reinvention, turning themselves to a noisy outfit, to true alternative rock gods, to pop masters, and then who knows what after At War With the Mystics.
3. Roy Orbison – I tried to make a playlist once, tracing representative songs of each year, every year, as far as I could go back. Suprsingly, most years pre-Beatles were empty without Roy Orbison, and its fitting. While rock n’ roll was still getting its legs beyond little rollicking pop tunes, Orbison, as early as 1956 (when Only the Lonely came out) was adding a haunting operatic voice to make even the most conventional melodies light years beyond anything that might have been on the radio at the time. His voice remained consistently unique throughout the years and singles that he released which were really amazing in their diverse musical ranges. Running Scared, Leah, In Dreams, and Oh! Pretty Woman… it’s remarkable how the element of Orbison’s voice remains the constant throughout.
4. Nine Inch Nails – I’ll round up the rest of this with 90s essentials. It was beginning to get old and tired by 1999(how angst-ridden and depressing can you be as a huge rock star anyway) but without nin, I wouldn’t think that music had the ability to scare me. Downward Spiral is one of the most complexly sounding records ever. Trent Reznor still has fits of musical brilliance, but the long periods between his albums made for innovation and unexpected suprises.
5. Pearl Jam – Stopped buying albums after Yield, but Pearl Jam’s Ten was one of the very first non-juvenielle albums I ever purchased and the rock anthems on that disc plus the more subtle ballads and experimental tracks of later albums have made them a timeless nineties band, even though they are an irrelevant 00s band.

Cheers Slush - that Captain Beefheart spiel was priceless

Slush, I also have to give you credit--so far, you're the ONLY person to cast a vote for Wilco, despite the fact that they're just sitting at #101 like a stationary target. They'reone of the 3 or 4 best bands of this decade, and yes I know I didn't vote for them.

Slush - you may dislike Eminem, but it's factually inaccurate to say that he was talentless. When he first appeared on the scene in the late 90s, he was admired by rappers like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg (and later Jay-Z) not because it had suddenly become in vogue for high-profile black rap artists to be associated with white rappers, but because he was a true talent.

This might go without saying but I'd take Eminem over Elvis.

OK - that might be taking it a bit far jonmarck...

You've got a good point Anthony. I've heard a couple of his things from way back and actually kinda liked them (same with 50 Cent, who I'm not a huge fan of now). In the end, though, I've never felt like I needed one of his albums after I heard a song of his on the radio/MTV and his persona just bugs me on top of all that.

Schleuse, thanks for the bit of support; I'm always glad to know there's another Wilco fan.

The top 100 (vote five out):
1. Public Enemy, I dislike this a lot. Guess it's not my cup of tea.
2. Grateful Dead, I don't dislike them like no.1. but I don't think it's that great.
3. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Like Zappa, I don't know a lot about this, because it is too difficult, or maybe it's just arty crap. Or maybe I don't get it.
4. The Eagles, besides Hotel California they brought us crap.
5. Frank Zappa, I tried to listen to Zappa some times, but (he or me) failed.

101-200 (vote five in):
1. The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin is a kind of album that half of the now top 100 didn't achieve.
2. My Bloody Valentine, Lets not be loveless and count them in.
3. Wilco, By the song 'Jesus, etc' alone they should be included.
4. Belle and Sebastian, I always liked them a lot. Making fun music and very enjoyable to listen to.
5. Coldplay, A couple of nice albums they made.

The following 5 artists from 101-200 are among my favorite 40 artists and could be voted in:

1. Wilco - Slush, here's another Wilco fan for you. Being There and Summer Teeth are my favorites, but Jeff Tweedy & Co. have consistently been releasing fine quality albums for over a decade now.
2. Coldplay - A rush of blood to the top 100.
3. Lucinda Williams - The 100 can use some more strong female performers
4. Belle and Sebastian - Let's not feel sinister and add this nice Scotch band.
5. XTC - New wave band, that has made a couple of good albums.

And the following 5 artists may leave the island and get a vote-off from me:

1. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention - No Zappa fan.
2. Pet Shop Boys - Dislike the singer's voice and don't unserstand why they get so much acclaim.
3. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - Have to repeat some comments already made: A few nice songs, but her albums are not that great.
4. Metallica - Not my cup of tea, this kind of hard rock. I would then prefer Quotsa.
5. Grateful Dead - Cult band, that got quite famous back then, but should be in the 101-200 range.

OK, I can't stand this Zappa bashing. He's an acquired taste, for sure, but I think his reputation as a goofy, obnoxious, novelty-type artist has shaped a lot of perceptions about his music.

As a Zappa fanatic who is just as intrigued about his personality as much as his music I would of course say that you have to take the "unlistenable" or "unapproachable" of his output as much as the other stuff to appreciate him fully. He really is an artist to appreciate the more you delve into his very prolific catalog and see how much different songs reference eachother. If you dip your toe with just one or two albums, you are likely to run into some irritating stuff, to be honest, if you don't know his musical personality, which I still only get hints off even though I had dozens of his albums.

Anyway, it might be a fool's errand to get him saved from this game, but I would like to suggest the following FZ albums that I think even the least adventurous listener would find "listenable".

1. Burnt Weeny Sandwich - This is one of only 4 albums of any artist that I rank a perfect 10.0. Its gorgeous and mostly instrumental. It's best to think of this as one continuous piece of music. It's never really discussed as a key Zappa album, but you won't be sorry if you sample this.

2. Chunga's Revenge - I think more Zappa-haters would become fans if they steered clear of albums prominently featuring Zappa's voice, which admitedly contains a little too much silly singing styles. This album featuring Flo + Eddie, professional vocalists formerly from the Turtles, plus a variety of instrumental workouts. Weasels Ripped My Flesh is similar, but contains some more "unlistenable" weirdness that might scare some of you off.

3. One Size Fits All - Inca Roads (the 1st track) is a beautiful song, and the rest of the album has a full sound with a lot of energy and variety. Be prepared for some weirdness though, as the last song contains alternating German and English lyrics. It's still pretty though.

4. Make a Jazz Noise Here - Fast forward to Zappa's final tour of 1988, this is a stunning live album with a big horn section. While it's fun to hear jazzed up versions of Zappa classics, for the non-fan I think it's a very high quality mostly-instrumental record with lots to appreciate.

I was purposely strict with myself and didn't suggest great records that sound too much like the Zappa that's prominently in AM that some of you might have sampled. I can understand Captain Beefheart hatred a little more, but Zappa just has more depth and I really think has something for everybody... you just have to be patient and ignore some difficult records that somehow became the "essential" Zappa albums.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

I haven't seen Moonbeam around here, and I feel like this needs to be done, so let me offer a (tepid) defense of the Pet Shop Boys.

No, they're not really top 100 material, but there are still probably 15-20 acts I would vote out ahead of them. They've got some very good songs (I think their best is "What Have I Done to Deserve This," followed closely by their ironic covers of "Always on My Mind" and "Where the Streets Have No Name").

A month or so ago, somebody posted a list of gay musical icons--none of whom were actually gay. I don't remember exactly who was on the list, but it was something like Cher, Madonna, Streisand, Garland--that kind of stuff, which, stereotypically, is a part of gay culture.

Most gay or bi artists on the AM lists don't actually make music that really marks itself as "gay," in the sense of music which is embraced by gay culture (if there is such a thing). Think Little Richard, Michael Stipe, Joan Jett, Dusty Springfield. I give PSB credit for being, well, gay men making good gay music (and Neil Tennant's bored-seeming vocals are integral to that). They're more fun than Bronski Beat and smarter than the Village People (smart enough to improve on "Go West," anyway).

Now, identity politics is no reason to give an artist credit. But doing something well is--even if it's disco--and I think PSB meets that standard. As do 100 or so other artists...

Thank you for your comments, Jonah and schleuse. Since I voted both Zappa and Pet Shop Boys out, here's a reaction:

I had selected 15 potential artists to vote out and decided to listen to them before making the final 5.

As to Pet Shop Boys, nothing against them personally or against gay people. My vote is purely based on my personal music taste.

Jonah, I do have to admit I have none of the 4 albums you've recommended! My personal decision is based on listening to Freak Out and part of We're only in it for the money again. And I know him from a few concerts I saw on TV, that's as far as my Zappa awareness goes. If you only know a part of an artist's long album history record, is it then legitimate to vote him/her off?

Hey DrDre, whatever rules for yourself are fine. If you look at my entry where I offer all of my votes, I decided to kick some artists out because I hadn't heard anything significant from them prior to this game.

All the Zappa in everyone's top 5 pushed me to the breaking point, because I'm sure if you're not a fan you have only heard what the critics say you should hear, and albums such as Freak Out, We're Only In it For the Money, and his biggest seller Apostrophe' only give you a tiny picture and in some cases could be unapproachable, as one earlier poster said.

Apostrophe' and Money were my first FZ purchases over a decade ago (ahh, memories) and they didn't really overwhelm me with their greatness, but there was just enough really unique elements to it that I was intrigued and sought out more albums.

I merely am offering some other obscure zappa suggestions in case you're interested. Your votes in Survivor are as good as anybody else's. If you get your hands on some of my suggestions, let me know what you think.

OK Jonah, I'm gonna see if can get a hold on one of your recommendations and I'll get back to you on that. Assuming Zappa survives this round, I even might be in time to change my vote.

I've made a stupid mistake with the voting in. I simply looked at my Excel list of favorite artists, which is purely based on albums . So, even though I did not vote for him, I sincerely hope Hank Williams is gonna make it!

FIVE OUT:
1. Pavement: so is it groundbreaking hitting purposely the wrong note on the guitar? Is it genial to make badly constructed and erratically mixed songs? And is it innovative singing out of tune (or out of mic) not-so-clever lyrics? Well, no, it isn’t.
2. Black Sabbath: so these guys are responsible for the association between heavy metal and satanic cult? Well, get out of the island please…
3. Beastie Boys: I’ve own two albums (“Check My Head” and “Hello Nasty” and are equally divided in enervating rap-metal bullets and derivative and boring instrumental jams. Maybe I’ve got the wrong ones? Should I try with “Paul’s Boutique”?
4. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott: Missy at #88 and Lauryn Hill at #240? Missy’s not bad, but Lauryn’s far better (although maybe Lauryn’s suffering some punishment due to her scattered production, with barely two albums in ten years).
5. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: I would quote Nicolas (if he doesn’t mind): “I think this guy really brought new things but listening to his album is like eating a plate of peppers. Peppers are good when added in small quantity to some food but you wouldn't eat the whole jar”. Well said, Nic.

FIVE IN:
1. King Crimson: one of my first musical loves. Back in 1979 (when I was fourteen) I came into a record store and asked the attendant to play a record with a funny cover I’ve never heard of. It was “In the Wake of Poseidon”. I was listening with the headphones at a considerable volume (ugh, talking about listening music from a vinyl with headphones in a record store seems talking about the Jurassic period) and I got shocked. Well, for the people who haven’t heard the album it begins with an almost inaudible distant chant called “Peace – A Beginning” followed by the hard-rock-meets-free-jazz attack of “Pictures of a City” whose beginning seems a buffalo stampede. The abrupt beginning made me jump in fright producing a hilarious response of the attendant. Obviously I bought the album and play it to a lot of friends to repeat the joke. Even it’s not the best Crimson album I became an addict and bought the entire discography (second-handed vinyl, didn’t have enough money at the time). While my friends were listening to the crap on the radio I was enjoying the bizarre Crimson world. Well, I was a kinda weird teenager, was I?
2. The Flaming Lips: only own three albums, from “Zaireeka” to “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” but that’s enough to fully appreciate the bizarre and imaginative universe of Wayne Coyne et al.
3. Depeche Mode: the absolute masters of techno-pop that survived to the abandon of Vince Clarke thanks to the vocal abilities of Dave Gahan and the song-writing skills of Martin Gore, with a impressive set of singles during the 80s and early 90s.
4. XTC: for his interesting evolution from new wave iconoclasts to pop masters despite its undeserved lack of success.
5. Wilco: the most interesting and innovative band of the alternative country, with a string of awesome albums with “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” as its pinnacle.


Sorry, schleuse, but maybe I won’t be able to participate every week in this (excellent) Survivor game. Like Neoptolemos said, the work in the forum is beginning to be overwhelming and I’m preparing two “projects” for AM forum (one about the Fab Four and the other about Spanish music) that demands time that I need to share with my (exhausting) daily work and my family. But I’ll try to participate as much as I can.

Fair enough, Honorio. I can't wait to see what you've been working on, and I look forward to seeing you here on the island from time to time.

This is definitely the easiest to keep up with though since you don't have to change anything from week to week unless one of your five gets the boot. I'm guessing a few of mine are going to last awhile but I might rotate the 4 and 5 spot because there are a couple others that deserve the boot as much as my 4 and 5 right now. I'll probably stick exclusively to my bottom 3 though.

OUT
It’s hard to eliminate bands, because, apart from a certain number of acts that I really don’t like, the ones I want out are the ones I know the less

1. Missy Elliott 5 pts: I only know one track (Get Ur Freak On) but it pissed me off so much I don’t hesitate.
2. Madonna 4 pts : I was a teenager during the eighties, so I can’t say I don’t know Madonna. Apart from Music, I can say there isn’t a song by her that I like.
3. The Ramones 3 pts : Sorry but I don’t get them. I know they are liked because the music is dumb, but I guess I find it too dumb.
4. Black Sabbath : I put them out because I have to acknoweledge I don’t know their work, except of course Paranoid, which is to me nothing else but another hard rock tune.
5. Elton John : I want him out today cause I know he’s got to go sooner or later. He puts too much sugar in his songs, except maybe in that great album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

IN

1. Muddy Waters, 5 : Muddy and blues in general are absolutely ignored by most people today as an influence which is a crime against history. Muddy’s not my favorite bluesman but hell he sang half the repertoire of Led Zep and just nearly simply invented the classic rock band : lead guitar, vocals, drums, piano, harmonica and (sometimes) bass (in the eraly Chicago blues of the 40’s 50’s electric bass was not populer so you had 2 guitars.
He just created the blues rock sound that the British bands used during the60’s;
2. Roy Orbison, 4 points : I would love him on the island, although I don’t think he will be (I bet I’ll be among the rare people who will put him in the “in” list). Roy has the most beautiful voice in rock history. He wrote absolute gems in the early 60’s like In Dreams, and brilliant come-back albums at the end of the 80’s. For me, young and romantic, it was a revelation when those records came out in 1989. Along with Jacques Brel, he’s the archetypal romantic singer you love when you’re 20 and not so gifted with girls.
3. Country is represented by Johnny Cash in the top 100 artists, but Hank Williams was a great man. Move it on Over from 1947 is nothing but Rock around the clock’s melody with a hinky tonk drive but it’s already rock’n roll
4. Curtis Mayfield : Just love his voice and his musicianship and arragements. Superfly is a masterpiece.
5. Sam Cooke : What a voice ! It’s a pity he’s not in the top 100. The question is : will any of these representants of the old American music be in the final round ? I doubt that, but I don’t feel angry about that. I don’t know why I fell in love with this music, at the risk of living musically in another time. Like your good friend say I Guess I wasn’t made for these times (well it’s not true I love 1990’s and nowadays music too but I have this secret garden I keep : the old music)

OUT:The Eagles
Missy Elliott
Fleetwood Mac
Eminem
The Police

IN: Flaming Lips
Can
The Specials
Love
Husker Du

Can't believe any of those top five-especially The Police!?Hard to pick from the 101-200 group-lots of fantastic acts(Big Star,MBV,Wire,YLT,Stone Roses etc.)but these five are truly great.Hard to believe my fave Flaming lips album(Transmissions...)barely grazes the AM top 3000.
Obviously this thing is intrinsically personal and hugely subjective, but it astonishes me to see Honorio choose Pavement as the band least deserving of a top 100 position.The criticisms raised read like an amalgam of every ill-informed assessment of the band I've ever heard.I was going to say give 'em another go and I'll do likewise for The Police, but objectivety is generally overrated.

Well, EdAmes, maybe I’ve exaggerated a lot my dislike for Pavement music. In fact I like some songs from that band (look at my 90s lists, I’ve included “Summer Babe”, “Here” and “Rage Life”). And I’ve listened enough the albums. The first album I bought was “Crooked Rain Crooked Rain” and I felt like not understanding a joke while everyone’s laughing. Thinking bout I’ve chosen the wrong album I bought “Slanted and Enchanted” only to find it even worse. I’ve listened to “Woowee Zowee” too and hadn’t changed my opinion. . If you think I need to give it another listen I’ll do it but… no, not again!! (only joking).
Of course there’s some things I’ve like of Pavement: some occasional country flavour (like pedal steel), some inspired melodic line or some fragment of lyrics (“I was dressed for success / but success it never comes”). But these are the things that make Pavement similar to other bands. The things that characterize its style, the fractured structure, the lazy singing (and, yes, out of tune), the lo-fi recording and the loose playing that is perceived by the critics as innovative and groundbreaking and blah blah is what fails to impress me. I’ve get impressed often by good lyrics, by passionate vocals, by imaginative arrangements, by crafted song-writing, by the feelings that music generates. However, the attitude, the look, the trend, the hype, … always fails to impress me.
And, since you mention The Police, even it’s not by far my favourite band, they were as innovative as Pavement at the time. The incorporation of reggae rhythms in Copeland unique drumming style, the use of delays and chorus effects on Summer guitar and the interesting song-writing (at least on the first two albums) of Sting were notable features.
Anyway, it’s only my opinion, and if you like Pavement a lot, that’s fine with me. Simply I don’t.
By the way, EdAmes, welcome aboard.

Out
Nirvana- One great album not around long enough like them also.
Velvet Undeground- atonal music
Frank Zappa- not listenable.
Captain Beefhart- Piero Scaruffi darling but another one who did not learn melody or how to apply weirdness.
Guns N Roses- Like them but were not around long enough

In

Everly Brothers- one of the rock and roll pioneers
Deep Purple- one of the heavy metal pioneers.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers- great band that combines funk, melody and hard rock. Great albums.
Jefferson Airplane- One of the most underrated bands of the 60's
King Crimson- the greatest progressive rock band ever?

Many thanks to Honorio for his warm welcome to the forum, especially after re-reading my previous comments which sound a bit more abrasive than intended.I'd just come in and was obviously a little bit pissed-I certainly didn't mean to sound like some rabid Manic Street Preachers fan(ie.completely unable to accept any criticism of my fave band).
My thing with Pavement was that I always found the music immediate,organic,soulful and effotlessly catchy-the complete opposite of a commonly held notion of them as being cold,ironic and atonal.
Slanted and Enchanted is to me at once so obviouly a masterpiece that its 122 AM ranking seems outrageously low, and so personal to me emotionally that I almost can't imagine anyone else liking it.

Anyway, cheers Honorio-appreciate the feedback.I'm sticking to my guns on The Police though, if only because of the laughable faux-Jamaican accent.

FIVE TO GO:
1. Primal Scream – Yes, I was one of the people who voted for “Come Together”. But that’s the only track that, for me, really lives up to this band’s high ranking. As you could probably guess from my comments in the “More fun with the list” thread, I own all of the top 1000 albums, and then some. They can be divided into three categories: the ones I listen to frequently, for pleasure, whether they’re longstanding favorites or albums I’ve purchased because of this site that have -become- favorites; the ones I don’t know that well yet that I return to as often as I can to get more familiar with them; and the ones I listen to once in a great, great while to try to figure out how, exactly, they made the list. SCREAMADELICA is probably the highest-ranked album that falls into that third category for me. I can’t say that VANISHING POINT or XTRMNTR (the one I like most) do much for me, either. This was an easy choice.
2. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott – Henrik said it best, I think – her singles are great, her albums not so much. I respect Timbo’s production skills and her cleverness as a writer, but I almost never feel like actually listening to her.
3. The Jam – From this American’s perspective, a lot of the British artists in the top 100 are severely overrated. Maybe it’s just that I need to listen to them more (their top 1000 albums definitely fall into my second tier, as described above), but compared to a great deal of the “second 100” artists, they seem outclassed.
4. T. Rex – I love ELECTRIC WARRIOR as much as anyone, but top 100 artists of all time? Sorry. Bolan’s mix of mystic-sprite airiness and ear-candy guitar crunch is engaging, but he’s a minor artist.
5. Guns N’Roses – APPETITE fully deserves its high ranking; it is one of the defining hard-rock albums. And ILLUSION I and II certainly have their moments. But they’ve become such a sad joke (well, Axl has, anyway) that they just don’t belong in this company.

FIVE TO MOVE UP:
1. Charles Mingus – As I’ve stated in other threads, no jazz artist gives me more pleasure, because of the palpable joy he and his musicians convey. His music can be fiendishly complex, but that joy is so infectious that it’s never forbidding or inaccessible.
2. Big Star – Yeah, I know they only made three albums. But I play those three albums more than almost anyone else’s. To paraphrase Paul Westerberg, no one should ever travel far without a little Big Star.
3. Husker Du – The most exciting American band of the postpunk era. It’s thrilling to listen to them progress across their catalog from noisecore dotted with unexpectedly strong melodies to near-power pop glistening with hooks. The song was always paramount with these guys, and their body of work holds up exceptionally well.
4. Elliott Smith – Another artist who moved from noise to songcraft, but he made the transition early and went all the way with it. His melodies are effortless and instantly memorable, and he was the most efficient one-man band this side of Prince. His early exit will go down as one of rock’s greatest tragedies.
5. Wire – There are so many brilliant artists in the second 100 that picking only five was incredibly difficult. But personal favorites carry the day in this loophole round, and Wire get my last slot here on the strength of those first three extraordinary albums.

Five to kick out:

1. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott
2. The Eagles
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. Pavement
5. Madonna

Missy is a straight-up disgrace to the list. I love rap music, but she's just a boring, pedestrian MC... freaking nails down the chalkboard bad.

I was craving easy-listening the other day, so in between Fleetwood Mac and the Electric Light Orchestra, I stuck Hotel California on for the first time in an age. Boy does that album go downhill pretty darn quickly. And I can't say their others fare any better.

I have about half a dozen CCR albums. I've given them all a few spins, but they just fail to resonate with me. In the same way dishwater fails to resonate with me.

Pavement similarly just haven't quite cracked me, and Madonna I'm actually quite fond of - Confessions On A Dance Floor I particularly thought was a triumph, and she's got a good dozen winners to her name. But I'm taking a stand. She's just not Top 100 material, for a freaking minute.

Five to ship in:

1. Manic Street Preachers
2. The Verve
3. The Stone Roses
4. Morrissey
5. Queen

Jay-Z, Kanye West and N.W.A. were all a pain to have to leave, but these five are ultimately closer to my heart.

The Manics - posited on an axis of Guns N' Roses, The Clash and U2 - were like a British Nirvana that went the distance. Their unstoppable run of classics from '92s Generation Terrorists to '98s This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours are as essential as anything of the era.

The Verve had a shorter career, but with Urban Hymns and the less-mentioned but even-finer A Northern Soul, they crafted poignantly beautiful yet fuck-off ballsy tunes that have never been bettered.

The Stone Roses deserve the place largely for that note-perfect debut - probably the finest album of the '80s, if not the last 25 years - though follow-up Second Coming and several non-album singles shine brightly, too.

Morrissey is Morrissey. No-one does Morrissey like Morrissey (though plenty have tried), and 20+ years into his career he's still knocking them out of the park (both Ringleader Of The Tormentors and You Are The Quarry rank among the decade's great albums, for me).

Queen tend to falter over the course of a full-length LP (Night At The Opera being a glorious exception), but there's no denying their string of classic singles - "We Are The Champions", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Fat Bottomed Girls" - let's be honest, if Queen's greatest hits were sucked out of our collective conciouses - we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. And we wouldn't know how to do the fandango.

Out:
1.AC/DC - AC/DC made a career out of virtually making the same song over and over again. A pattern they continued when their singer died. They should not be well into the Top 100.
2.Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - As a person that actually likes Trout Mask Replica, I have to say that "no", he just shouldn't be here.
3.The Eagles - You know what's not a good song? "Hotel California". Without this song, The Eagles wouldn't be in the Top 100, so out they should go
4.Pet Shop Boys - Q: Who were The Pet Shop Boys? A: A synth-pop band. Q: Oh! Okay, well, er... did they do anything groudbreaking with it? A:Um.... No.
5.Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - She has two way overhyped singles that launch her to this level. Now don't get me wrong, I think her songs are alright, but how did "Get Ur Freak On" become the 59th most acclaimed song??

In:
1.Pearl Jam - My third favorite band, and the only in my top five that isn't in the AM Top 25 Artists, let alone Top 100. They have always made great music, although not always consistant (Binaural, Riot Act), but they should definitely be in the Top 100
2.Wilco - Wilco are currently at 101, and it's because of The Pet Shop Boys they are not in the Top 100 yet. Considering how YHF is one of the unquestionably best albums of this decade, and how all their other albums set new standards for themselves, these guys have to go in,
3.Smashing Pumpkins - Alright, I'm basically putting them in for Siamese Dream alone. Mellon Collie is also very good but if that were the only album I had heard by them, they wouldn't even be in the Top 10 or 15 I'd put in.
4.My Bloody Valentine - Most definitely these guys should go in. They made an album that created a genre ("Isn't Anything") and later made one that defined it ("Loveless"), leaving every other Shoegaze album to pale in comparison ever since.
5.A Tribe Called Quest - My favorite rap group. Defined Alternative Rap much better than De La Soul in my opinion.