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Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

BRACKETOLOGY: ROUND 1, WEEK 3

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 3
1960s: 11
1970s: 5
1980s: 4
1990s: 4
2000s: 5

Also of note:
The song that scored the lowest in the last Bracketology
Two songs by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
A bracket with two songs from this decade


Here are this week's brackets. Remember, you can also view the brackets on this site. Voting is now open, and you have until 11:59 PM Pacific time on this upcoming Saturday to vote. Vote either in this thread or e-mail me.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
#201: "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]
#312: "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
#713: "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
#824: "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
#283: "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]
#742: "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]
#795: "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
#64: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]
#449: "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
#576: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
#961: "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
#109: "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
#404: "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
#621: "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
#916: "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#11: "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
#502: "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
#523: "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
#1014: "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
#177: "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]
#336: "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
#689: "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
#848: "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#39: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
#474: "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
#551: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
#986: "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
#129: "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
#384: "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
#641: "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
#896: "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "House of Jealous Lovers"
For those who were not around for the first Bracketology, or simply weren't aware, THIS is the song that scored the poorest last time around. With that in mind, I've spent the last few days listening to this song and trying to understand why it's rated so highly. And to my tastes, it's not a terrible song, just not great. I prefer different songs by the Rapture, but this one is a lot of fun. The only reason it gets the top spot for me is because the other three songs here just aren't at the "great" level, so it's a matter of which-is-the-best-of-the-"good"-songs.
2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
I can't say I'm a fan of the Clash, but this is maybe my favorite song by them. Still, I don't think it's a great song. Just a good song, and frankly the best of the remaining three.
3. "One More Time"
There are times when I really like this song, and times when I don't even want to hear it. I imagine if I was in one of the former moods, this one might rank higher than "House of Jealous Lovers," but it's kinda trashy and I can't rank it that highly.
4. "The Letter"
Like I said before, all the songs here are "good," it's just that none of them are "great." The order of these could easily be changed around and even reversed, but "The Letter" gets the bottom spot right now by process of elimination.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows"
Arguably the best song on Revolver, and one of the most influential songs of all time. There are some songs that are experimental just for the sake of experimentation, then there are songs (like this one) that are experimental while remaining accessible. This is a truly cutting-edge song that blows my mind still.
2. "Telstar"
Interesting bit of trivia: this was the first song by a British band to top the American charts. The three previous times a Brit topped the U.S. charts, it was solo artists. That aside, it's a really cool song with some interesting sound effects. Sure, it's a novelty song about a communications satellite, but I really enjoy listening to it.
3. "A Girl Like You"
This bracket is fairly easy for me: a song I love (Beatles), a song I like (Tornados), a song I don't care one way or the other about (this one), and a song I dislike (Coasters). Pretty easy to put them in order.
4. "Yakety Yak"
It's fun. Granted. The Coasters were obviously having a lot of fun singing this one. That doesn't hide the fact that this is corny with a capital C. And a capital O, R, N and Y. Still, bonus points for inspiring the Benny Hill theme song.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Reelin' in the Years"
Not my favorite Steely Dan song. Not even my favorite song off "Can't Buy a Thrill" (that title goes to "Do It Again"). Still, this is a GREAT, GREAT song. It took me a long time to figure out that this is not the happy song that it sounds to be at first listen. I'd love to find out who the person is who inspired this song.
2. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
I can't say I'm a fan of this song (big drop-off for me between #1 and #2), but as a piano player, I gotta give Lewis props for making the instrument cool.
3. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
Pleasant enough, with a happy-sounding arrangement, in spite of the lyrics. But what does this song in is that same arrangement. Over-produced to the point where it sounds like it was created entirely by the producers.
4. "Flat Beat"
There is some club music I like and some that I don't. This falls firmly into the Category B. I feel like if I'm going to be listening to this, I need to take a bunch of ecstasy, waving glow-sticks around.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "She Sells Sanctuary"
I love this song, pure and simple. It's a great song to blast while I'm driving around. Sure, the lyrics are minimal and don't make a ton of sense. But in the case of this song, I don't care. This song rocks.
2. "Walk on By"
To my way of thinking, this song is VERY over-rated. It sounds like lightweight soul-inflected pop music. I have a hard time believing that it's as good as people think it is. To me, it's only a four-star song. Good, but not great. That said, the chorus for this song is top-notch. When Dionne gets to the "I break down and cry" line (more specifically, when she hits the word "cry"), THAT is where this song redeems itself. The verses are still lacking, but the chorus is stellar. I'd definitely take Isaac Hayes' epic 12-minute-plus rendition of this song over the original.
3. "Clint Eastwood"
First time I heard this song was when the video first came out. I remember thinking that the video kicked all different kinds of ass, but the song was just okay. In the years since, the song has gained stature for me, but it's still not a great song.
4. "Spanish Harlem"
Sorry, Ben. You're stuck in a bracket with three songs that I like, and I'm just not that crazy about your song. This is an easy choice for me; you only get one point.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Louie Louie"
This is such a weak bracket for me. I can't say I actively LIKE this one, but it's easily the best of the foursome.
2. "Bad Girls"
I can't say that I like any Donna Summer songs. This one is only a three-star for me. Sure, it might be a good song, but I can't listen to this song and feel good about myself.
3. "For Tomorrow"
Another song that I just can't seem to get into. Blur gets a lot of love on AM, but I'm just not a fan. This one gets saved from the bottom spot simply because it is not...
4. "Since U Been Gone"
What an awful song. I cannot find a single positive thing to say about this one.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown"
Yeah, it's more of that "soul-inflected pop music" that I talked about up on "Walk on By," but this one easily beats out the Warwick tune. I've loved this song ever since I was a kid. The harmonizing by the Miracles at about the 0:38 mark (and in subsequent verses) is gorgeous, and Robinson's falsetto is priceless. Easy choice for me.
2. "Bo Diddley"
Here's why #1 was such an easy choice for me. There's a big drop-off between #1 and the other three. Frankly, it's more or less a toss-up between this one and #3, but this one gets the edge for the driving groove.
3. "Without You"
There are parts of this song where it sounds like Harry is getting his prostate checked by Captain Hook. "Without You" is overly sentimental and sappy. It's the kind of song that would be at home in a dentist's waiting room.
4. "Mr. Brightside"
Never been a big fan of this song, or even the band. This song exemplifies everything that is wrong with mainstream alt-rock in this decade. Slick, over-produced pablum.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
Another fairly weak bracket for me, but this one is the clear winner. I'll take other songs by the Stones ("Gimme Shelter," "Satisfaction," "You Can't Always Get What You Want"), but this one still gets me revved up, and I'm always singing along to the chorus.
2. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
Not one of my favorites by Smokey (see above).
3. "Jealous Guy"
To my way of thinking, Lennon's solo career was really hit-and-miss. This is one of those that is just barely a miss. I just can't get excited about this one.
4. "Boys Don't Cry"
There's only a couple of Cure songs that I can stomach. This is not one of them.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "September Gurls"
I'm a little disappointed that this is the only Big Star song here, as I definitely prefer "Thirteen," but this is still a damn good one. It sounds like the band is constantly about to completely disregard the tempo and just go for broke, but the song manages to stay together. Love this song.
2. "Closer"
Scary good. My first introduction to this one was the video, and it seriously gave me nightmares. The video is definitely better than the song, but the song is pretty bad-ass. It's raw, carnal, and depraved. More please!
3. "Sign 'o' the Times"
Never been able to get into this one, and I'm a Prince fan. I guess I need to go out and buy the album, but this one just isn't as good as #1 or #2 here.
4. "Up on the Roof"
Lightweight. Doesn't compare to the first three.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

For those who have Spotify.
All songs except Beatles and Lennon.
Let me know if the link doesn't work.
Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Again, asterisks indicate that I hadn't heard the song before, or at least didn't recognize it by title.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6

1. The Clash- "Should I Stay or Should I Go": It's not my favorite on Combat Rock, but it's still a nice slice of funky rock in my book. Those screams are classic.
2. The Rapture- "House of Jealous Lovers": I much prefer "Get Myself Into It", but this'll do just fine.
3. Daft Punk- "One More Time": It's way past overplayed, but I never really loved this in the first place. Daft Punk is the sort of band that I respect more than I enjoy, it seems.
4. The Box Tops- "The Letter"*: This appears to be a song written for Vietnam War vets. The sentiment is fine, but it just doesn't move me.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. Edwyn Collins- "A Girl Like You": Truly timeless, I thought this was an old song when I first heard it back in the 90s. It's a bizarre slice of psychodelic pop/rock that just delivers the goods for me. It easily wins this bracket!
2. The Tornados- "Telstar"*: I enjoy a good bit of geekiness, so I can understand that it must have been an exciting time at the dawn of the space age. It's not going to make me jump out and buy it, but it doesn't offend like the two below.
3. The Beatles- "Tomorrow Never Knows": I suppose that I can appreciate this more than most Beatles songs, but the vocals still drill a hole in my skull.
4. The Coasters- "Yakety Yak": I suppose it's fine for what it is, but I just don't get anything out of it.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5: The first bracket in which I don't really like any of the songs!
1. Steely Dan- "Reelin' in the Years"*: I knew this song without realizing it. It sounds like it should have been a staple at AM radio in the early 70s. I like it more listening to it now than I remember. The fact that some of the guitar work is a bit nice is enough for it to win this bracket.
2. Mr Oizo- "Flat Beat"*: What a strange song to be included with the other three! It's a little better than the typical mindless techno/house that was all the rage at the time, but it's still completely disposable to me.
3. The Walker Brothers- "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"*: It definitely goes for that emotional resonance at the end with the background vocals, but it just doesn't quite get there, for me.
4. Jerry Lee Lewis- "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On": The only thing I like about this is the energy Jerry displays performing it.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. Gorillaz- "Clint Eastwood": I remember doing a double-take when I first heard this while seeing the video. It was just so different from anything at the time, and I'm still mesmerized by it. While I much prefer Demon Days, "Clint Eastwood" is still a perfect jump-off point for arguably the most entertaining side-project ever (and one I like eons more than Blur). This song is a giant of the decade and totally deserves it.
2. The Cult- "She Sells Sanctuary"*: I was afraid of The Cult back in the 80s when I was a kid, probably because my mom would have labelled them as "evil". I've never really given them a chance, but hearing this song again, I really don't understand what my aversion was. For it to beat "Walk on By" means that it's pretty damn great!
3. Dionne Warwick- "Walk on By": I haven't heard this in a long time, and it's better than I remembered. Miss Warwick's voice just floats in this- an aural treat for sure.
4. Ben E. King- "Spanish Harlem"*: Further proving my musical deficiency is the fact that parts of this song remind me of Eric Carmen's "Make Me Lose Control", and I keep hoping for Eric to come in with "Jennifer's got daddy's car".

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. Donna Summer- "Bad Girls": The "toot toot, haaaaeeeeey" is enough to earn its spot here, but the entire song is fabulous. It turned the typical power ladder of ladies of the night on its head, making it an enduring classic. It's not my favorite on the parent album, but it's definitely up there with the best.
2. Blur- "For Tomorrow"*: I hadn't heard this before, and I don't feel the need to hear it again. I like my Blur dancier or rougher than this. The coda at the end is pleasant enough, but pleasant just can't compete with "toot toot, haaeeeey".
3. The Kingsmen- "Louie Louie": Sure, it's danceable and a bit raucous, but I have no idea why it's so highly acclaimed!
4. Kelly Clarkson- "Since U Been Gone": Not even the Prince "U" can save this from the cellar.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles- "Tears of a Clown": The delicious groove assures it the number one slot.
2. Bo Diddley- "Bo Diddley": You've got to love a performer introducing something new to music and naming after himself. The influence of that riff is obviously huge, but what I like about the version I'm listening to is Bo's vocals.
3. Harry Nilsson- "Without You": I can't help but like this song! Sappy for sure, but sometimes I'm quite the sappy guy, I guess.
4. The Killers- "Mr. Brightside": I'm hard-pressed to think of a more contrived band than The Killers.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. The Cure- "Boys Don't Cry": It's not my favorite song from their 1979 output (that honor would go to "Jumping Someone Else's Train"), but it is completely deserving of its status as a true post-punk anthem.
2. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles- "You Really Got a Hold on Me": 60s soul seems to be trumping 60s rock this week, but Smokey's voice just won't be denied. I really need to pick up a comp.
3. The Rolling Stones- "Jumpin' Jack Flash": Dirty and raunchy rock and among my more favorite Stones songs. But although I get the appeal, I'm just not much of a Stones guy.
4. John Lennon- "Jealous Guy": I'm not even a fan of Roxy Music's cover, and that says it all, really. Still, it's better in my eyes than the scrate-awful "God", which somehow managed to sneak through last week.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. Prince- "Sign o' the Times": This song perhaps better than any other Prince song illuminates him as a genius of the rock/soul/funk hybrid. One of the rare instances of a subtle "statement" song from Prince, in the eyes of many, this is when his lyrical content finally lived up to the musical content. While I don't agree with that sentiment, I do feel that "Sign" is truly deserving of its iconic status. And as great as it is in its studio incarnation, "Sign o' the Times" really takes off when Prince guts it out live, such as here at the MTV Music Video awards.
2. Nine Inch Nails- "Closer": This song perfectly encapsulates the fact that true seduction can be downright scary! One of my favorite singles of the 90s.
3. The Drifters- "Up on the Roof"*: It's so simple, yet effective. I hadn't heard this before, and maybe it's just something about my mood today, but these soul offerings are just what I need.
4. Big Star- "September Gurls": I've only heard of Big Star through this forum, but this type of power pop just doesn't do it for me. Gimme Sparks any day!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF
1. "One More Time" - holy party anthem! no matter how many times you've heard it, it's hard not to be in a great mood when someone drops this one
2. "The Letter"
3. "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
4. "House of Jealous Lovers"

TCHAIKOVSKY
1. "A Girl Like You" - collins has other groovy, retro psych-soul tracks, but none as catchy as this one. the alternating vibes and fuzz guitar capture the um duality of the late '60s ("too many protest singers / not enough protest songs")
2. "Telstar"
3. "Tomorrow Never Knows"
4. "Yakety Yak"

BEETHOVEN
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - YES. the killer really reminds you that the piano is a percussion instrument by BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF IT. if it doesn't make you wanna hop up on the bar and start punting pint glasses, try the live at the star club version.
2. "Reelin' in the Years"
3. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
4. "Flat Beat"

BRAHMS
1. "Walk On By" - a Bacharach/David classic, with all the typical instrumentation - those muted guitar string scratches and the piano-only bridge. dionne does exactly what she needs to do w/ the vocals
2. "She Sells Sanctuary"
3. "Spanish Harlem"
4. "Clint Eastwood"

SCHUBERT
1. "Bad Girls" - great horns, whistles and the aforementioned spoken car horn sounds - oh and rad cover art (clearly influenced rick james' street songs)
2. "Louie Louie"
3. "Since U Been Gone"
4. "For Tomorrow"

SIBELIUS
1. "Tears of a Clown" - wins the week's weakest bracket, even though smokey & co. have better songs about tears
2. "Bo Diddley"
3. "Without You"
4. "Mr. Brightside"

HAYDN
1. "Boys Don't Cry" - maybe their first great pop song, introducing sad bastard music to a new generation of heartbroken high school kids
2. "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
4. "Jealous Guy"

BEETHOVEN
1. "September Gurls" - in the week's toughest bracket, Big Star edges out Prince with those heavenly downstrokes and that ringing guitar tone
2. "Sign o' the Times"
3. "Up on the Roof"
4. "Closer"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001] 4.5
2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982] 3.
3."The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967] 3
4. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003] 2

What a weak bracket ! I never liked the Clash song, and the letter is a good song gone wrong. Not even talking about the Rapture error. One more Time is a great single. Reminds me of the early 2000's when I was into electro.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966] 5
2. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958] 4
3. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962] 4
4. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994] 3

Bracket of influence, and much better quality than the previous. While Tomorrow is electro-fusion 30 years before, Number 2 and 3 were typically the kind of tracks that helped shaping reggae and ska in Jamaica. Number 4 is not my cup of tea. Horrible guitar sound.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5.
1. Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972] 4
2.Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999] 4
3. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957] 4
4. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966] 3.75

Very tight bracket. I like all 4 songs, but oddly it's the one I know the least that sounds the best to my ears. I like JLLewis but his studio recordings are not so great compared to the performer he was. Flat Beat : same as Daft Punk, great memories of parties gone wild.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964] 4
2. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961] 3.5
3."Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001] 3.5
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985] 3.25
Weak, weak bracket. Dionne walks ahead with this beautiful Bacharach song. The rest follows at slow pace.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993] 4.25
2. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963] 4
3. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979] 3.75
4. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004] 3

Blur takes the lead with one of their best singles, and because I'm not a huge fan of Louie Louie. The Donna Summer song is OK. Kelly Carlson is "du caca " (pardon my French)

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967] 4.25
2. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957] 4

3. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004] 3.25
4. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971] 2.5

A bracket split in 2 : Smokey's immaculate Motown hit is an inch above Bo Diddley, and then there's a canyon between Bo and the Killers and Nilsson and their bland deliveries.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980] 4.25
2. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971] 4.25
3. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968] 4
4. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962] 3.5

Good bracket, a sort of Premier Ligue for the 3 first British songs, won by the Cure for their great guitar hit. Jealous Guy and the Stones are not far behind.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987] 5
2 "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974] 4.25
3 "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994] 3.5
4 "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962] 3.5

"Sign" is one of my very favourite Price songs. Love those guitar riffs in the end, the lyrics, everything. September Gurls could have won another bracket, Closer is ok and Up On the Roof refreshing.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6

Really lousy bracket, this one...very little separating 1-4, all pretty good songs, but nothing truly great.

1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]

I like lots of Daft Punk better, this can get monotonous but still has its particular moments of Daft Punkian glory.

2. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]

Certainly catchy, but nothing I would actively seek listening to.

3. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]

It annoys me greatly that this may well be the most-heard Clash song.

4. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]

I never really got why this was so loved.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14

1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]

In my Top 3 Beatles tracks, this is mind-blowing whether you think of it in its context or not.

2. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]

Another production well ahead of its time, and Joe Meek's biggest flirtation with the big time -- wouldn't it be cool if crazy space instrumentals could hit the charts again?

3. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]

Very good throwback alterna-hit, would've been number 1 in the Rachmaninoff block.

4. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]

A fun novelty, though not even my favorite Coasters track.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]

I'm a big Scott Walker fan, and this sweeping melodramatic single bridges perfectly into his excellent '60s solo albums.

2. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]

Jerry Lee kind of annoys me, but this track is pretty unstoppable.

3. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]

I like Steely Dan a lot, and this song would seem to be something I should love, but there's a certain smugness/slickness that drops this one down a bit.

4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]

Not sure what separates this track from so many others like it.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16

1. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]

Possibly the best Bacharach track of them all, and that is really saying something. If this doesn't win this otherwise very weak bracket, I may just shed a tear.

2. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]

Very fine song, though not an all-time great or anything.

3. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]

A good track, yes, but already sounding a little dusty and dated, and not in a timeless way.

4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]

Ian Astbury is a very, very annoying person.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1

1. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]

I was really tired of this for a while, as it is a nearly inescapable song here in the U.S., but I ran into it on the radio recently and tried to listen with fresh ears, and you know what? This is one hell of a raucous, fun, racket, with that great mushmouth vocal and that band teetering on the edge of total chaos. For real fun, listen specifically to the drums -- that is one helluva ridiculous performance!

2. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]

Their first moment of greatness, and one of a handful of Britpop singles that is standing the test of time.

3. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]

Another good disco track from her, though not in the league with her very best.

4. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]

Not a bad song, and a fine vocal, though the entire thing just sounds too calculated and anesthetized at the end of the day.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]

An unimpeachable Motown classic. What a tight band that was...

2. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]

Bo Diddley was an absolute badass.

3. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]

I really like Nilsson Schmilsson, but this Badfinger cover is pretty overdone.

4. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]

Speaking of overdone...


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9

Possibly the best bracket I've yet seen...

1. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]

This has been getting slagged a bit so far, which is a mystery to me. It's about 1000 times better than "Imagine" from the same album. It's just an honest and heartfelt apology from a man who had a lot to apologize for at that time.

2. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]

Overplayed yeah, but that opening is a stunner -- "I was born in a crossfire hurricane". No idea what that means, but the 12-year-old boy in me goes "Coooool!!!"

3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]

It pains me greatly to have this at #3. Lovely stuff for sure.

4. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]

Very good Cure song, but not one of my absolute favorites of theirs.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]

Power-pop nirvana.

2. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]

Fine Prince minimalism, though it does sound a little odd in the context of the album.

3. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]

One of a clutch of nice early-'60s Drifters singles, though I prefer both "On Broadway" and "Under the Boardwalk" in their battle of prepositions.

4. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]

I never liked this much at all, it sounds like forced outrageousness to me. Plus blame must be given for inspiring a great wave of less talented rip-off hacks that infected radio airwaves for several years following.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
#312: "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
Awesome song. I see no albums in the top 3000, were they a non-album band? I generally listen to albums, so it's tricky for me to fit great pre-album era singles into my habits. Every time I think 1967 is a great year, I keep finding more great 1967 stuff.

#201: "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]
My time posting on the metacritic forum has made me avoid admitting I like the stuff Pitchfork overrates. There are a bunch of obnoxious trolls on that site who accuse you of Pitchfork dronery whenever you like anything weird and lofi that they don't. (That's the main draw of this forum, the LACK of said jerkiness.) This is not the #1 album of 2003 by a longshot, but points for reminding me of early 80's post-punk.

#824: "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
A bit too repetetive a song. Although points to Daft Punk for knowing you're only supposed to use autotuning to intentionally sound computery - not to take jobs away from talented people and give them to tone deaf hotties. (If auto-tuning existed in the 60's Aretha Franklin would have never had a job in the music industry).

#713: "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
I don't like post-mainstream Clash. Kicking the ass of most radio music still puts them below the 'Go out of my way to listen to this' line. This song in particular seems like they focused so hard on having catchy lyrics they forgot to make the music good.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
I can only imagine how weird and new this song must have sounded in 1966. Now it's lost some of it's initial sheen but it stands as a sort of cool spiritual zen anthem.

#283: "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]
Such a fun song. Ten year old me votes it #1 of all time. I vote it a bit lower.

#795: "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
Pretty good, interesting song.

#742: "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]
This sounds overly synthed for this style of song.



BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5


#449: "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
Are you gathering up the cheese...haven't you had enough of mine? Ahh, Steely Dan. Your cynical, know-it-allish fiscal conservatism is way ahead of it's time. (No, I'm NOT impressed by your 'Don't blame me, I voted for Ron Paul' bumper sticker!)

#64: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]
One of those archetypal sounding 50's rock songs. Good sound but doesn't stand out to me.

#576: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
This sounds pretty good but it feels like they put a bit too much into it.

#961: "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]
Ooh, I remember this. I heard it on some late night show on MTV ten years ago. That headbanging CEO puppet was cool. This is one of those 90's techno songs that sounds good but is WAY too repetitive.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
#404: "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
Gorillaz are such a fun band. I see them as more of a singles band than an great album band. With their cartoon caricatures they tread a little too close to the 'novelty band' line, but this song's always great to listen to. My cousin likes playing it on the piano. I think it's the only song he knows on the piano, since he's a trumpet person. He was impressed how many of the lyrics I knew. Little does he know I cheat, using phonetic repetition where I don't know exactly what the words are. (Wait till he plays Semi-Charmed Life! I convinced half my high school class I actually know the words!)

#109: "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
Enjoyable song, the sort of work that anchors an entire genre, but the emotion seems a little restrained because of the restrictions of radio recordings.

#621: "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
The song is really smooth and skillfully crafted, but I dont' know. It's just lacking whatever quality makes a song interest my brain.

#916: "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]
This song, recorded in 1985, somehow manages to smack of 90's post grunge.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#11: "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
BURN THE RECORDS! BURN THE RECORDS! THE LYRICS ARE DIRTY! THEY'RE CORRUPTING OUR KIDS! BLAAAAAARRRRGGH! (Reads lyric sheet) Oh, wait. Nevermind.

#523: "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
Pretty overrated, but it is a good song, and I approve of any listenable song that might get played at work instead of John Mayer. Clarkson's such a good performer, she could be great if she just had a creative vision beyond that of her marketers.

#502: "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
Blur is a band I find overrated. I like everything about the way their band sounds, except I hate their songwriting.

#1014: "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]
When disco died, Donna Summer unfortunately was thrown out with the bathwater. In this case though the 'toot toot beep beep' crap is a little too tacky.



SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
#336: "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
Another awesome rock song recorded in 1967.

#177: "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]
Eh. A lot of obvious talented locked in a catchy three minute box.



#689: "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
The first time I heard this song I didn't like it because of the lyrics. "It was only a kiss, how did it end up like this?" came off like an irritating romantic comedy cliche. The music has grown on me, except I hate monotonic singing, and it's hard for me to separate it from the 90's mainstream 'sensitive guy' songs I refer to as 'Douchecore'. Though I admit it was awesome when that Marty guy sang it on Rock Star: INXS.

#848: "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
With the desperate oversinging, add this to the 'Unintentionally creepy' songs. Sounding like a codependent emotional cripple is something I find rather off-putting.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#39: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
Rolling Stones knew how to do radio right. By sneaking in the word shit!

#551: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
This song will forever make me think of a gaint U chasing somebody around trying to hug them, thank you Sesame Street. And right after my mommy cleared up the confusion about whether there were seven or eight days in a week.

#986: "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]
The main appeal of Lennon's solo stuff for me is the unfettered outburst of sheer animal emotion. In this song it's a tad too restrained.

#474: "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
Lacks the emotional power and etherealness of their later stuff.



BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
#384: "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
For some reason I have trouble liking full Big Star albums, but this song is awesome. Impeccable songcrafting with a cool resonant longing feel to it.

#129: "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
Great song, but it works better in the context of the full album. Also the lyrics bug me. It smacks of the cynical fatalism and hypocritical cultural judgment that's now become fashionable. On Wilco's new album, when I heard the lyric "Come on children, you're acting like children, every generation thinks it's the end of the world", I wanted to scream "THANK YOU!" If a rocketship explodes and everybody still wants to fly, it's not a sign they want to die, it's a sign their childlike urge for exploration and discovery can't be quelled by a little bit of danger.

#641: "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
I love this album. This song is not one of the strongest songs on it. It just happens to be the one people remember because it has "I want to fuck you like an animal".

#896: "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]
The Drifters are really reaching for a hook here. It's like, going up on the roof is the greatest, most fun relaxing thing ever. They don't sell it very well.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
"The Letter" - The Box Tops: To enjoy this song is a little silly for someone born in the 80s, since letter-writing is a lost art form. I feel, I think, a borrowed nostalgia for an unremembered form of communication, to paraphrase James Murphy. For about a year I used this song as my SMS-ringtone, and it felt somewhat well suited, mostly in an ironic sense. The song itself is catchy, but can quickly overstay its welcome. Thankfully the songs shortness helps considerably, in that regard.

"House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture: Today the song seems something of a gimmick (more cowbells!), but I still enjoy it very much. I even consider adding it to my best of 2000 top 10 list (as a contemplative B-side to "Me and Giuliani...", which is a superior song). It was a tight race with "The Letter", and at another time the two can change places. But somethings gotta give

"One More Time" - Daft Punk: It's terrible to see three songs I enjoy stuck together in the same bracket. Especially since so many other brackets only contain songs I like much less. This is one of the few songs that can make me try to rip up the dance floor (another is in fact "House of Jealous Lovers", but if I actually heard that in an Oslo night club...), but dancing isn't exactly my strong-suite.

"Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash: In my opinion, this song is stupid. I enjoy the first minute, but when the jangling sets in, I get sea-sick (OK, I'm exaggerating). "If I go there will be trouble, and if I stay it will be double." For a song about indecision, the choice seems pretty obvious. And what about the background vocals in spanish? Jeez...

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14

"Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles: An easy choice, so I don't feel as much need to explain as before. Strangely the song seems to preconcieve Loveless. Stranger still are the sea gull cries. But pleasantly so

"A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins: I thought this song was older... It sounds terribly dated... It's enjoyable, but, like most one-hit wonders, something of a cliché.

"Telstar" - The Tornados: The last two in this bracket, I hadn't heard before. I knew of The Tornados, solely because Panda Bear sampled them. The song beats "Yakety Yak" because of the You Tube comments making fun of Matt Bellamy (which is good enough a reason as any)

"Yakety Yak" - The Coasters: I hadn't heard it before, and didn't find it very interesting either. It lost out for purely arbitrary reasons (see above)

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers: Tough bracket, because I haven't heard two of the songs here, and the two songs I have heard before, I don't like. This song was kinda good. Great bonus that it's Scott Walker on vocals.

"Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan: The other song I hadn't heard, but it seems to have potential.

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis: I don't like it, although it's better than "Great Ball of Fire". His biography doesn't make me feel more sympathetic towards him or this song.

"Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo: I hate that beat. Especially in the countless songs that have copied it, and whose only attraction are the unplumed ladies in the video. I probably shouldn't blame the originator, but I'll do it anyway.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16

"Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick: It feels strangely breezy in parts, strangely evocative in others, considering its invective. But a disparity between music and lyrics is a staple in much of pop music. Just look at jj no 2 that came out earlier this month (which coincidently is also very breezy in parts). A triumf of both vocals and composition!

"Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz: In tough competition with Ben E. King, this genre-mixing spaghetti cartoon thriller came out on top. It's difficult to take cartoon characters seriously, luckily the music distracts us from the chorus.

"Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King: A classic, which is often synomynous with boring. This song almost is, but almost doesn't shoot a hare, as we say here in Norway...

"She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult: A song I haven't listened much to, and therefore have few feelings about. Nevertheless, I'm confident in my choice here.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1

"Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen: Although I don't agree with its 11th place finish, this song is a shoo-in amongst this company. It's driving piano and drunken performance is, even today, very entertaining. Of course, even today, no-one knows what the hell its about.

"For Tomorrow" - Blur: The first Brit-pop single? The scholars can discuss that question, while the rest of us can enjoy the records. Albarn is a musical chameleon, and on this his delivery reminds me of Syd Barett on "Arnold Layne" (on "Clint Eastwood" he sounds like a recovering addict trying to score money from his friends, evoking their pity), particularily in the way they draw out the last syllable in every line. I don't know why "Arnold Layne" first sprang to mind, since it's probably very common. Must be the accent

"Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson: I've had this song as a guilty pleasure ever since its release. Neither the inclusion on this list, nor Pitchfork recognition has changed my regards torwards the song. It must be because I know that the song is too simple in every way possible. From vocals, to arrangements, to production, the solutions they've come up with feels to easy. Still it instills an odd fascination, and i'll always hold it in esteem as an enjoyment of a reprehensible kind.

"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer: I didn't know this one from before, but after hearing it, I think I'll never like it either.

I'll do the rest tomorrow, it's getting too late now

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
Tough bracket, 4 songs I like, none I adore, with 3 party anthems
#201: "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003] : cowbell, screams, unpredictability made for the dancefloor... seems like I'm the only one to like it, but I do. I'm not convinced it deserves its AM ranks, but it is for sure a top1000 song.
#312: "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967] : I really like that voice and the multi-instrumentation sounds great
#824: "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
#713: "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
#230: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966] : a classic revolutionary track, no competition against it... quite a clear #1 pick
#795: "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
#283: "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958] : funny... maybe... (283? seriously ?)
#742: "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962] : WTF ? Is that a TV show song ?

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
#576: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966] : I did not know this song before but the instrumentation is fabulous, which a very sensitive voice too
#961: "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999] : fantastic sample but a bit too repetitive, I mean back then 5 years had past since the Chemical had shown how to make variations around a sample
#449: "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
#64: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957] : cool piano solo but overall sounds like lesser Chuck Berry

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
#404: "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001] : the one and only song I ever sung live, during one of the gigs of my modest former band. I do know the lyrics by heart BillAdama... I just don't get them at all... I don't know who said that before about that song but it seems that Damon Albarn found there one of those perfect melody that exist in nature, very simple ones, and put it into a song.
#916: "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985] : pretty good for a 80s track
#621: "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
#109: "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964] : the strange piano rythm should be a plus, but I dislike it... kinda ruin the rest of the song


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
#502: "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993] : far from their best single, pretty good though
#11: "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963] : not the 11th best song ever, but a top 500 for sure. I could not say that of the 2 followers
#1014: "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979] : I usually like Donna's songs but this one sounds pretty average to me
#523: "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
2:37, could not stop laughing...


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
#474: "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980] : the first in a long serie of great songs, really like how it sounds, at the same time a bit depressive and cheering up, with a fantastic guitar
#986: "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971] : I usually don't like Lennon's solo songs but I've always liked this one... looks like the forum's opinion is the contrary !
#39: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]: pretty weak for a 60s Stones single
#551: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
#641: "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994] : I don't like it for the "I want to fuck you like an animal" (I promise) nore for the fact that it is the opening song of Se7en (great use of a song by the way), I don't even like it for that creepy Richard Cheese cover. I like it for everything else, that permanent opressive atmosphere, the unrelenting drum, the blood-freezing outro, the pervert way of singing, the electronic additions...
#384: "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974] : as said Bill, I always have trouble liking full albums of Big Star (while Thirteen is on my top 10 songs of all time) and really like this one... well, much less than Thirteen which should be on this poll too, what a shame !
#129: "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987] : I don't really get Prince except When Doves Cry and this one is no exception. Sounds good for sure but eh... not top 200 to me
#896: "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962] : feel like I have already heard too many songs sounding just the same during this first round !

I won't vote for the Sibelius... no idea how to rank them and don't really care who wins (as long as it is not a Las Vegas band)

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Just a reminder that there's just under 48 hours left this week. There haven't been very many entries this week, so if you're waiting to get yours in, you're running out of time!

Love,
Matt

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

pop elton, thanks for the spotify link!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF 6

1. The Box Tops - The Letter
- This is a really great song. I feel like making (yet another) cover version of it, but sadly my musical talents are limited.

2. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go
- It's quite good, but The Clash were better earlier. I loved this one when it was in the Levi's commercial, though. What happened to those?

3. Daft Punk - One More Time
- Daft Punk are pretty good, but this isn't their best effort. There's not enough weird noises in it. And too many words.

4. The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers
- This is godawful. Shit music hyped by NME.


TCHAIKOVSKY 14

1. Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
- The 90s produced tons of crap. Most of the crap was wrapped in some other crap, but some of it was wrapped in gold. This is one of the latter. It is music I'm really not supposed to like, and I have a hard time admitting I do, but I do.

2. The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
- This is one of the Beatles songs I didn't know until I looked deeper into them some 8-9 years ago. My parents didn't listen to The Beatles, although they have Rubber Soul, so I didn't grow up with them. I grew up with Billy Joel and Joe Dassin. However, this song is very good, and part of the Beatles library that sounds decades before its time.

3. The Tornados - Telstar
- Instrumental music can be really tedious at times, but in this melody no lyrics are missing. It's a fun listen. Much better than Yakety Yak, but I get no results from whistling it.

4. The Coasters - Yakety Yak
- It's a fun song, but it has no lasting quality. I sing this to my girlfriend now and then.


BEETHOVEN 5

1. The Walker Brothers - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore
- It's really a beautiful song. It comes pretty close to being a bit pathetic, but it never crosses that line. Good job.

2. Mr Oizo - Flat Beat
- Another Levi's song. This one is a tad annoying, after all it sounds like a mosquito. But I can't help but liking it anyway. Can't explain why, because I usually hate this kind of music. It'll probably end up last if I vote another day.

3. Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
- I feel an itch in my leg, this is good dancing music. But I really don't want to put this on my stereo to just enjoy the music.

4. Steely Dan - Reelin' in the Years
- Steely Dan is a horrible, horrible band. It's not the worst I've heard of them. The verse is ok, but the refrain... Oh God!


BRAHMS 16

1. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
- As much as I hate the concept of a cartoon band, I have to admit that Gorillaz (what a crap name) has given the world some quite good songs. After all there's much talent behind those moronic toons (though not in the animation department).

2. The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
- Never been a fan of The Cult, but I guess it's good enough. It's the kind of music you can put on and nobody really listen to it, but you miss it when The Final Countdown comes on instead.

3. Ben E. King - Spanish Harlem
- Had a hard time choosing between this and Dionne Warwick. This one got the nod because I've sung it in karaoke. It sounded awful, and I'm pretty sure I saw somebody laugh their beer out their nose while I performed. Not sure they laughed at me, but it killed my self esteem.

4. Dionne Warwick - Walk on By
- It is nice enough, but it doesn't completly work for me. I might be tempted to change channel if this one comes on the radio.


SCHUBERT 1
1. The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
- It's a good song, in all its simplicity. I'm not sure I should vote for it, though. I don't understand the lyrics, and they may be naughty. But all in all, an easy win for the Kingsmen.

2. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
- It's a decent try on sounding something like the alternative rock bands of 2004. The verse is the best part, along with the ding ding that starts some place during it, but the refrain is like any other pop shit.

3. Blur - For Tomorrow
- Blur is/was a great band, but I really don't get this song. I hate that lalalalalala-bit. And the voice is horrible.

4. Donna Summer - Bad Girls
- Donna Summer, you're a bad girl. And by that I mean you're a girl who makes bad music. Turn it off, please.


SIBELIUS 7

1. Harry Nilsson - Without You
- Some people claim this song was ruined by Mariah Carey, but I don't think so. I think she did a great job singing it, and the arrangement are pretty similar. Harry Nilsson doesn't sing as beautiful, but he puts more of himself into it. Great song.

2. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
- It's not something I listen a lot to, but it is without a doubt pretty cool.

3. Smokey Robinson - Tears of a Clown
- I can stand this, but I don't find it particularly exciting.

4. The Killers - Mr Brightside
- Oh God, I'm so sick of The Killers. They are everywhere, and everybody thinks they're great. If I have to listen to them, I'd choose the early songs like this one, but I still hate it.


HAYDN 9

1. John Lennon - Jealous Guy
- This one has taken a hell of a beating in here, it seems, but I think it's a fantastic song. I don't understand why people don't like it. It makes my eyes wet, and that has got to be good, right?

2. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
- The Cure is, or at least was, a good band. It is a shame, then, that all kids considering themselves cooler than other people, are into The Cure. It has ruined The Cure a little bit for me, but listening to this at Spotify makes me understand why I once was really into them myself. But then, I consider myself cooler than everybody else (shame nobody else do that).

3. Rolling Stones - Jumpin Jack Flash
- I've never listened to Rolling Stones that much. Of course I know their most famous songs, like this one, but I've never been a big fan. That is, until I bought Out of Our Heads a couple of years ago. I slept with it in my bed. It was great. So I've listened a bit more to them lately, and I find them really good (strange, huh?). But this isn't them at their best, even though a lot of people think so. They're wrong.

4. Smokey Robinson - You've Really Got a Hold on Me
- I would never listen to this, but I don't hate it. It's just boring.


BEETHOVEN 3
1. Big Star - September Gurls
- I don't know a lot of Big Star songs, but I wish I did, because this one is beautiful. I might have to buy a Big Star album. Does that mean I'm getting old? I felt old when I bought Steve Miller Band.

2. Prince - Sign o the Times
- It does sound like a child of the 80s, and it is so that's ok, but it sounds very 80s. Strange thing, though, because that usually is considered a bad thing, but this song is great anyway.

3. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
- It's quite cool. I used this song when I, pre-Brüno, had a mock fashion show at a party some years ago. It was a disaster. Nobody thought it was fun, and I looked like a buffoon. Won't blame the song, though.

4. The Drifters - Up on the Roof
- Quite good group of songs, this. It's a tough job to place this as number four, but somebody's gotta do it.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]: Has any artist ever had a stranger career trajectory than Alex Chilton? Here’s the future reclusive cult genius at age sixteen, sounding at least twice his age and sitting at the top of the charts with one of the Sixties’ most enduring pop classics. 1:50 of sheer perfection.
2. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]: I’m on record as not being a big fan of electronic dance music, but even I can appreciate it when it’s as irresistible as this.
3. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]: Style over substance, in the extreme, but that bassline and that beat (more cowbell!) are undeniable. Listening to this again, I’m struck by how much it comes off as a preview of the LCD Soundsystem records to come.
4. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]: As much as I love the Clash, I’ve always found this song intensely irritating. Great intro, but it’s all downhill from there.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]: The perfect closer to the Beatles’ most perfect album, with John and George Martin going nuts with the layered effects over the most hypnotic beat Ringo ever laid down.
2. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]: Leiber and Stoller’s finger-on-the-teenage-pulse genius in a nutshell, plus an iconic King Curtis sax solo.
3. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]: One of the great fluke hits of the ‘90s, with exceedingly clever wordplay (even if Collins does seem a bit pleased with himself for following “metaphorically” with “allegorically”) and distinctive guitar work.
4. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]: One of the few pre-Invasion British singles to hit #1 in the U.S., mostly because producer Joe Meek had the inspired idea to slap a topical title on this gloriously cheesy instrumental.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]: One of my all-time favorites, highlighted by session ace Elliott Randall delivering some of the finest lead guitar work ever committed to tape.
2. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]: His early singles were credited to Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano, and here’s why. You can practically see his bench-kicking stage antics as you listen, and kudos to whoever’s playing drums for keeping up with him.
3. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]: OK, maybe Scott Walker’s career path has been just as weird as Chilton’s. Here’s the future even-more-reclusive cult genius in his first chart-scaling flower, his magnificently morose melodramatic musings surrounded by brilliant Spectoresque production.
4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]: Entertaining (particularly with its head-bobbing office puppet video, which I had never seen), but a little of this goes a very, very long way.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]: I am not a particularly huge admirer of either Warwick or Bacharach-David, but this is one of my favorite singles of all time. Perfectly written, sung, and arranged, but it’s that damn piano hook that gets me every single time.
2. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]: Albarn’s sleepily drawled hook gets permanently lodged in your brain from the first time you hear it, and the rest of this improbably huge single follows suit. Fun fact: I once heard a radio caller mistakenly (I assume) refer to the rapper here as “Del the Funky Homosexual.”
3. “Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]: I prefer Aretha’s earthier cover, but this is one of the most elegant and pleasurable hits of its often-frenetic era. Leiber and Stoller (aided by a young Phil Spector) strike again.
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]: It’s a measure of how little I care for this song that I always forget that I know it, even though it’s got one of the most recognizable riffs of the Eighties. I always find myself saying, “Oh, this is THAT song?”

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]: A happy surprise. I didn’t realize how much I love this track until I listened to it again for this vote. They never again got as overtly Brit-poppy as they do here, so effortlessly and effervescently that they could have quite easily coasted on this sound their whole career.
2. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]: Perfect in its rampaging imperfection. That one clattering drum roll when the singer comes in too soon for the last verse is probably rock’s all-time best “Not yet, idiot!” moment.
3. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]: I don’t get all the hate here for this record – I was tempted for a while to put it at #1, partly as a reaction but mostly because I think it’s a flat-out brilliant single, one of the best of the current decade. Pop at its most calculated, to be sure, but on its own terms as state-of-the-art as it gets.
4. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]: A great disco record that’s just in the wrong bracket. The whistles are a little annoying, though.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]: Why Motown didn’t release this as a single until three years later is a complete mystery, because this is a masterpiece in every way, from the circus-style arrangement to Smokey’s typically brilliant and literate (a Pagliacci reference, for God’s sake!) wordplay. One of the label’s very best.
2. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]: The beat that started it all, and thanks to Diddley’s irrepressible energy and humor it holds up with far more than mere historical value.
3. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]: I’ve got to give Harry the benefit of the doubt and assume that his delivery here is –intentionally- over the top. That said, his biggest hit (ironic, since it isn’t his song) may have made its album a smash but it’s far from the best track.
4. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]: Again, a terrific #4 in an exceptionally strong bracket. As these guys have gotten bigger, they’ve unfortunately irrevocably betrayed everything that was initially good about them, and this song will always be their peak.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]: Everything that makes the Stones the Stones, wrapped up in one extraordinary single.
2. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]: All of the raw honesty that characterized his previous album, but channeled this time into pure pop beauty instead of cathartic release. Extra points for the whistling solo.
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]: Early Hitsville, before the production got more streamlined. A great song.
4. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]: Not much to say. A good record, to be sure, but you’d never have been able to predict all the places they’d go from here, let alone that they’d still be around today.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]: Alex Chilton again, now retreating headlong from success with brilliant power pop that just wasn’t fashionable at the time. Timeless and glorious, and the perfect climax to an amazing album.
2. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]: Reznor’s posturing would be insufferable if it weren’t for the fact that he’s a f---ing (like an animal) genius. There are layers of sound here that I’m still uncovering, fifteen years down the line.
3. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]: As I’ve said before, I enjoy this more as the opening track on one of the greatest albums of all time than as a song in its own right – always found it more than a little preachy and on-the-nose, in fact. Some great gutbucket guitar toward the end, though.
4. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]: Brill Building pop, Goffin-King division, at its best.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture
Love this one, dance-punk is an excellent genre. And I totally agree that it serves as a preview for the innovations Frank Murphy makes to dance-rock.
2. "One More Time" - Daft Punk
3. "The Letter" - The Box Tops
4. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
One of the most innovative, advanced, and all-out mind blowing songs of all time. Maybe the deppest the fab four would ever delve into the unknown.
2. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters
3. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins
4. "Telstar" - The Tornados

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis Fantastic early rock, more of an artifact now but still fun to listen to.
2. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers
3. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo
4. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1.. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
One of my top three Gorillaz songs. And I do like the Gorillaz quite a bit.
2. “Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King
3. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen
One of all the all-time great rock and roll "just for fun" romps. It has all the wildnessand energy of early rock and roll, and you could just imagine how much fun it must have been to make this record.
2. "For Tomorrow" - Blur
3. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
4. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley was called "The Originator" for a reason. His swagger and rhythem were essential ingredients for rock and roll.
2. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
3. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
4. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET
1. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon
The most emotionally charged powerful song on an album full of emotionally charged powerful song. It's a beautiful sentiment, and no vocalist could better pull it off than Lennon.
2. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
4. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince
Excellent and perfectly executed. Prince knows what he wants to do, and he does it.
2. "September Gurls" - Big Star
3. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails
4. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Should I Stay or Should I Go"- This group is close. The intro outweighs the kinda bland lyrics.
2. "One More Time" - Daft Punk. A little repetitive, but what it repeats is great.
3. "House of Jealous Lovers" – Another track that outwears its welcome with a fantastic intro.
4. The Letter" - A good song, that never reaches the peaks of the others


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" – The experimentation is great, but Ringo's drumming stands out the most to me.
2. A Girl Like You" – I am surprised by how much I like his singing in the chorus.
3. "Telstar" - Nothing special, but I like the sound effects.
4. "Yakety Yak" – This annoys me.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Flat Beat" – A cool song that gets old quickly.
2. "Reelin' in the Years"
3. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
4. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
Weak bracket with the first two songs being just ok.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Walk on By" – Stunningly beautiful.
2. "Clint Eastwood" – Great song with that could end a little sooner.
3. "She Sells Sanctuary” - Solid song with a fantastic intro.
4. "Spanish Harlem" – Singing is nice, but that is about it.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Since U Been Gone" – This song is very good with a ton of hooks. It is a great pop song and nothing more.
2. "Louie Louie" - This song's acclaim puzzles me and ranking it here could be more of a reaction to its acclaim and the dislike here for “Since U Been Gone”
3. "Bad Girls" – Is ok at some parts, but I wish something else would happen.
4. "For Tomorrow" - Does nothing for me.



SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" – Easy decision. He has such a great voice.
2. "Mr. Brightside" – I'm lukewarm on the Killers, but this song is catchy enough to land here.
3. "Bo Diddley" – I like the song, but it seems to not lack something.
4. "Without You" – A boring ballad.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" – Easily the best song this week. The Stones return to blues and rock with this hard hitting song. The intro is fantastic and who knows what they are singing about, but it would have to be cool.
2. "Jealous Guy" – I don't listen to Imagine often, but I forget how much I connect with Lennon.
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Another great song that could have won a couple other blocks. Another beautifully sung song.
4. "Boys Don't Cry" – A very strong bracket makes this song end up fourth even though it has a lot going for it.1


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "September Gurls" - Great rock song that makes me smile.
2. "Sign 'o' the Times" – A very good track, but not one of my favourite by Prince. Is a little slow for me.
3. "Up on the Roof" – Cool repetitive singing.
4. "Closer" – Not a fan, but I haven't listened to anything like it before.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

So happy to see so many people voting! It seems like every ballot I read causes me to go back to at least one song to try to get a better understanding of it.

Just to let you know, three of this week's brackets are VERY tightly contested. For example:

One of this week's brackets currently has a tie for first place...
A second bracket has only one point separating first and second...
A third bracket has only four points separating first and fourth...

So if you aren't voting because you don't think your ballot will make a difference, I BEG TO DIFFER!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

So people know what I'm talking about with U Really Got A Hold On Me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyUxVCR0p9g

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003] - Harold took the words right out of my mouth - more cowbell! This is just a delicious groove, and it really shouldn't work on paper, but it's great in practice.
2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982] - I don't quite get the hate here. Not their best but undeniably catchy with a cool riff.
3. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001] - This is a childhood favorite of mine. Two Parisian robots strike dancefloor gold.
4. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967] - I guess this is a good song, but I don't understand the acclaim for it. Kinda uninteresting to me.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966] - A blast from the future. I didn't know sounds like this were possible until I heard this song. Absolutely mind-blowing.
2. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994] - First time for this; and I can't help but feel like it wasn't fully realized. Superb retro groove, slightly unnatural melody, slightly forced lyrics.
3. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962] - This corrupted my view of "Knights of Cydonia", then it went on a minute and a half longer than it should have.
4. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958] - Fun and inflential and in Animal House (I think). That's it though.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966] - A solid song from the 60s, I have no complaints about it; everything is good, good enough to win this weak bracket.
2. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957] - Studio recordings don't really do this one justice; JLL is a piano legend.
3. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972] - This one has great guitar work, but it's a little too yacht-rocky for me and the lyrics are difficult in a bad way.
4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999] - This sounds like all the songs they would play on the dance floor at clubs/dances in Sweden. *reminisces about debaucherous evenings* Musically, that's a bad sign though.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964] - A lovely, lovely, tune, and it's a Bacharach, so you know it's good, and a great vocal, just excellent all-around.
2. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001] - As hip-hop goes this one is among the more distinctive songs. Damon Albarn did a great job with the samples (assuming they're samples, that is; if not that's even more impressive).
3. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985] - This sounds a little too dated for me.
4. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961] - Even more dated sounding. Fodder for a cheesy movie soundtrack.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963] - Raucous as rock can get, with an iconic riff. It sounds like it could fall apart at any time and is all the better for it.
2. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979] - I love the whistle. Nothing beats the "Bad Girls" whistle. Nothing. NOTHING. Best hook of the 70s.
3. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993] - So British it almost hurts, but British rock still sounds like this, so you know it had an impact.
4. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004] - I love this song in the right context, but in a relatively serious place like this, it doesn't hold a candle.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967] - Another great whistle (calliope for the picky ones here)!!! Saucy grooves too, and not many can top the one and only Smokey Robinson on pipes.
2. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004] - Before they went completely over the top stupid, they released one hell of a pompous pop gem. I still know all the words from when it first came out, and I generally turn it up all the way when it comes on the radio.
3. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971] - A genuinely good song. A tad schmaltzy, but it builds well with a nice medley.
4. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957] - I just don't like Bo Diddley.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968] - The beginning of the Stones' apocalyptic period. A riff for all-time, cryptic if not completely awesome lyrics, it would be their formula for the next two years.
2. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971] - A great example of a song that is beautiful in its simplicity. John joined the confessional singer-songwriter movement for a split second, and what better way to confess than to just tell it straight? "I didn't mean to hurt you/I didn't mean to make you cry"
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962] - As previously mentioned, not many can top smokey.
4. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980] Before they got goth and dopey, they were poppy and still dopey.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987] - Prince definitely went deep on this one. It really shows a side beyond the crazy genius or nymphomaniac that usually comes to mind.
2. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962] - Pretty good song. 60s soul is doing pretty good this round and I think this might be the best song of them this round.
3. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994] - This appeals to my pervy side. It's a little too reliant on shock value, but it's a funky at its core.
4. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974] - This is my first time for this song and, it's, well, OK.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1: "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
2: "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]
3: "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
4: "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1: "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
2: "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]
3: "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
4: "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
2: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]
3: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
4: "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1: "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
2: "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
3: "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
4: "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
2: "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
3: "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]
4: "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1: "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
2: "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
3: "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4: "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1: "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
2: "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]
3: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
4: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1: "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
2: "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
3: "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
4: "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]
OK my fellows, Echoes is the best album of 2003, period. I'm still as surprised as most here in forum why this song is so highly acclaimed. Echoes is a masterpiece because it's solid entirety not because of couble killer hits. Furthermore this isn't even the best track in the album it's still a very good dancepostpunk hit and #1 in this quite good bloc.
2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
3. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
When I heard this first time I almost thought this was a parody. Those vocoder vocals were scourge of late 90's (Eiffel65 anyone?) and then Daft Punk, one of the most interesting electronic act, sang One More Time. Music video was interesting though. I don't know is this the best moment to boast but I've seen Interstella 5555 in a movie theatre.
4. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
Three very good songs in this bloc. This is one of the best one hit wonder hits of the 90's. It sounded retro in 90's now it sounds timeless.
2. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
One of the most important songs ever and one of the best song of The Beatles.
3. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]
Electro from early 60's. I like it.
4. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
It's great we have musicians like Scott Walker who's music is so pompous that a symphony orchestra is a minimum demand that they can play.
2. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]
3. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
4. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
I love that xylophone melody. Ben E. King is definetely not a one hit wonder.
2. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
3. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
Simple and nice synth melody. Singer who sounds like he's drunk. Nice guitar solo. The winner of this weeks weakest bloc.
2. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
The first Blur song to me was Girls + Boys in 94. I heard this first time when the best of -compilation came out. So this song don't mean me introduction to brit pop or anything else. This is just a one lalalallallaa song by Blur. I prefer Charmless Man.
3. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]
4. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
I saw Girl Talk show couble weeks ago. I don't know why but when he started to play chorus of Since U Been Gone everybody went crazy – except me. The chorus is even the anticlimax of this song not to mention what it was in Girl Talks gig.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
Why there is such antipathy against this song in this forum? I love this track. The song go ahead like a train and stays in the head but is still good in every new listen. I love also the construction of the song. Not original ABABCB but after fake chorus there is the real chorus. One of the best rock songs of the decade.
2. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
3. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
4. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
I guess most of the people who don't know what goth music is think it's some kind of metal. If this song is stereotype of goth song I would say it's more like nursery rhyme (maybe not the lyrics). This is not in my all time top 10 of The Cure songs but very close.
2. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]
One of the best songs of Lennon's solo career.
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
I like the cover by Jenny Lewis & Watson Twins. I guess I hadn't heard the original before. It's also good.
4. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1."Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
Prince wasn't only partying anymore. It's not only the lyrics. The synth sounds and the bass line presented a new face of Prince. (Yeah I don't know what I'm talking about. I just want my vote counts. )
2. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
When I listen to this song it's always a bit letdown. Well I haven't heard it today so I think it's a very rough, scary and brooding song.
3. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
Good song but Big Star have better ones.
4. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

This just in:

There are now four (!) brackets in tight competition. To anyone who hasn't voted yet: your ballot might be the deciding factor!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1."Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
Another really good clash song. Doesn't sound like most punk rock (which is good)
2."One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
3."The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
4."House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1."A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
This is the best of a weak bunch, when I started listening to it I was very surprised it was made in 1994, has kind of a retro sound.
2."Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
3."Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]
4."Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1."Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
This is a cool song, I originally got into it when I was playing GTA San Andreas. Great music to do drive bys to.
2."Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]
If I didn't dislike the other songs on the list a lot more this would be lower. Crazy robot music.
3."Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]
4."The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1."She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]
This is a great song. First heard it on the soundtrack for Gran Turismo 3. The intro is great and reminds me of the background music they play on friends for some reason. Also, Ian Astubury sounds like Jim morrison reincarnated
2."Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
A cool laid back song, by a group that i guess is a hip hop group but doesn't feel like one to me at all
3."Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
4."Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1."Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
This is a really important song in the history of music and rock, and in such a weak bracket it easily takes top spot.
2.Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
This song is pretty good. The chorus hits me like a ton of bricks each time.
3."For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
The la la la part was annoying at first but started to grow on me
4."Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1."Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
I like this song the lyrics aren't really that great, but it combines a modern sound with kind of an 80s pop sound really well
2."Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
3."Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
4."Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1."Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
An average Stones song but still better than most other songs easily
2."Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
3."Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]
4."You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1."Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
I prefer "Hurt" or "Head like a Hole" but this song is still good NIN
2."Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
3."September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
4."Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

How come that all the most overrated songs show up at the same week...?

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982] I'm not sure but this might have been my first Clash experience. But I do remember that it was a positive meeting.
2. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
3. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
4. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003] This was a cool song for a year or so.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966] I’m not one of those who think this is one of The Beatles’ best, but the competition is poor here.
2. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994] This used to be a huge personal favorite and gave TNK a good fight.
3. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958] Two.Hundred.And.Eighty.Third???
4. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962] Gimme a keyboard and I’ll come up with something more impressive within five minutes.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957] Rock’n’roll at it’s very best. Clear winner.
2. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
3. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964] Beautiful. The voice, the arrangement, everything.
2. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
3. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985] Great intro, but from there it’s all downhill. What an ugly voice.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993] Love the arrangement. The only song I enjoy in this bunch.
2. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
3. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
4. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967] The most upbeat melody to the saddest lyrics. Brilliant.
2. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]
3. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
4. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980] Yes! From the first note to the last, this is a perfect pop song.
2. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
4. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987] Lesser is funkier. It sounds strange, but it was indeed when Prince strived for a minimal sound that he reached higher than anyone else.
2. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994] The best intro beat ever.
3. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
4. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF 6
1. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO. In a weak bracket, even a second-tier Clash song wins for me. Mick Jones’ last star turn with the band he co-founded.
2. ONE MORE TIME. Damn catchy. But can’t you get this in 100 other places?
3. THE LETTER. Utterly average 60s rock song, its only distinctive feature being the airplane noises (anybody know if this is where Paul got the idea for Back in the USSR?).
4. HOUSE OF JEALOUS LOVERS. Look, I can put up with harsh, unmelodic music with the best of them. But not if it’s as artless as here. PIL did this 100 times better and 20 years earlier.

TCHAIKOVSKY 14
1. TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS. The first masterpiece of John’s LSD period, this deserves all the praise it gets. Bonus shout-out to Ringo for a killer drum track.
2. YAKETY YAK. One of Leiber & Stoller’s finest moments.
3. TELSTAR. Margaret Thatcher’s favorite 60s song. I’m not holding that against it, but still.
4. A GIRL LIKE YOU. It’s probably better than I’m giving it credit for, but a) it seems a bit twee to me, and b) I have some negative personal associations with it.

BEETHOVEN 5
1. WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’ GOIN’ ON. Jerry Lee managed to become a rock icon because of his onstage antics, even if his noteworthy recorded output is only two singles and a fantastic live album. The only 50s songs as wonderfully frenetic as this were by Little Richard, and that’s saying something.
2. THE SUN AIN’T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE. It’s a personal mission of mine to start getting into Scott Walker. This is good, but something tells me it’s not the ideal jumping-on point.
3. REELING IN THE YEARS. I remain allergic to Steely Dan. I respect the craft of this song, but I don’t much like it.
4. FLAT BEAT. I thought this might be #3, but my attention actually started wandering during this song. Bad sign.

BRAHMS 16
1. CLINT EASTWOOD. I can’t pick Damon Albarn’s first band in the next bracket, so I’ll take his second one by a hair over Dionne in this one. The fullness of time has proved that he’s one of the two or three best songwriters to come out of the UK in the 90s.
2. WALK ON BY. I wouldn’t want a steady diet of Bacharach, but this is sooo much fun. Love the characteristic breathy trumpet, as well as Dionne’s masterful vocal.
3. SPANISH HARLEM. Much better, imo, than “Stand by Me.”
4. SHE SELLS SANCTUARY. Looking back, I have no idea why the indie crowd embraced the Cult. What the hell were we thinking? However, this is a good, functional rock song, even if it does nick quite a bit of U2’s sound.

SCHUBERT 1
1. LOUIE LOUIE. The Mile Zero of rock and roll.
2. FOR TOMORROW. Effortless pop, and a fitting opener to a fantastic but underappreciated album. I prefer the extended outro, which is available on their new Best of.
3. BAD GIRLS. The drop from #2 to #3 in this bracket is huge. We’ve already advanced the one deserving Donna Summer song; she was coasting by this point.
4. SINCE U BEEN GONE. I happen to think that the last decade’s manufactured bubblegum pop is frequently delightful. Not in this case, however—a giant chrome structure with a heart of formica.

SIBELIUS 7
1. BO DIDDLEY. It’s not “Who Do You Love,” and I’m very tempted to pick Smokey in this bracket, but I suspect this is my last chance to vote for Bo, one of my all-time favorites.
2. TEARS OF A CLOWN. There was a period in the mid-sixties when John Lennon was veering between trying to be Dylan and trying to be Smokey Robinson. But very few Beatles tracks approach the perfection of this song.
3. MR. BRIGHTSIDE. During the years I was teaching high school, this song was absolutely ubiquitous among my students. The kids are alright—this is terrific, high-test rock.
4. WITHOUT YOU. This, I have to admit, is my first exposure to Nilsson. Um…what am I not hearing?

HAYDN 9. Best bracket of the week.
1. BOYS DON’T CRY. I can only take the Cure in small doses, but this is a wonderful, catchy, affecting track.
2. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH. I don’t think this approaches the level of “Gimme Shelter” or “Paint It, Black,” but it’s primo Stones. Possibly the best lyrics Jagger ever produced.
3. JEALOUS GUY. Hey, Anthony, look! A solo John track I actually like! Great fun.
4. YOU’VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME. Smokey’s singing here is as good as that on “Tears of a Clown,” but this one just isn’t quite as well-written.

BEETHOVEN 3
1. CLOSER. Trent’s finest moment, and one of the iconic songs of the 1990s. I laughed the first couple of times I heard it…then I started to actually listen.
2. SEPTEMBER GURLS. Like most of the best songs of the mid-70s, way out of step with its time.
3. SIGN ‘O’ THE TIMES. I think this song is to Prince what “Family Affair” is to Sly. However, the topical lyrics were a rare miscalculation, which have prevented this from aging as well as it could.
4. UP ON THE ROOF. Nifty songcraft, as always from the Drifters.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001] Daft Punk's best song. It's what got me into house music for a time.
2. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
3. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
4. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994] A hip song that does that really 60's up the sound.
2. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958] Great novelty song.
3. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
4. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957] The white Little Richard just rock n' rolled his ass off.
2. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
3. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999] Ugh. Can't stand this one.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961] Oh my God. I love this song so much. Unbelievably pretty.
2. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001] What genre is this song? It seems to take a little bit of everything.
3. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963] The One Hit Wonder outside of the Marcarena. Kind of garage rock before garage rock.
2. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]
3. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
4. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967] Best use of a bassoon in a pop song ever.
2. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
3. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968] Wow, what a hard bracket. Gota give the top to the Stones this time, as Jumping Jack Flash is their best song.
2. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
4. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994] - Perfection of the Industrial sound. No song about sex and violence does it better.
2. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
3. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]
4. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6

1. "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
3. "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
4. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]

The Letter is a good song... I thought it came out earlier that '67. I guess that doesn't take away that it's still a good song, but maybe I lost a little respect for it. Daft Punk and The Rapture are two of the most annoying "hip" songs of the past 10 years.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
2. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]
2. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
4. "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]

Nothing really stands out here so I guess the Beatles win by default even though I'm not a huge fan of the song. It's definitely good, but I thought it would be the one that I didn't vote #1.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
2. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
3. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]
4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]

I can't get into Scott Walker as a solo artist but this song is great, one of the best baroque pop songs ever. Reelin' in the Years is one of the few Steely Dan songs outside of Aja that I really like. Flat Beat has to only get acclaim because of the music video because the song sucks.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16

1. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
2. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
3. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]

Clint Eastwood is an awesome song that is the defining Del the Funky Homosapien moment. Walk On By... 1964? I thought that song came out a lot later than that.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1

1. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
2. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]
3. "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
4. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]

Since U Been Gone blows everything in this bracket out of the water. Shame it's not going on because it is a perfect pop song.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
2. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
3. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
4. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]

Someone else said it but I'll add on: Tears of a Clown is not the Miracles best song about tears, and also Without You is not Nilsson's best song about being without something.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9

1. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]
2. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
4. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]

Jealous Guy is probably the best post-Beatles song out of all four members output and one of the greatest songs ever... and I'm a McCartney guy.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
2. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
3. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]
4. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]

September Gurls is top 100 for me, nothing else in this bracket even touches it.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Just to let you all know, there's still about six hours and 45 minutes to vote. So if you haven't voted yet, get to it! There are still four brackets where one vote might drop a song from first to second!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

I don't know if it matters, or if this is legal, but if you could slide "Mr. Brightside" into first.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Alex D
I don't know if it matters, or if this is legal, but if you could slide "Mr. Brightside" into first.


Adjusting your list to be dishonest to your opinion because you know exactly how many points a song needs to win goes against the spirit of the game.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "One More Time" - Daft Punk [2001]
2 - "The Letter" - The Box Tops [1967]
3 - "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash [1982]
4 - "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture [2003]
'One More Time' - great party song,hadn't heard this one in a long time,but it instantly blew the rest away for me. 'The Letter','Should I Stay...' - solid songs,but nothing special. Chilton would sound a lot better later and The Clash were much better earlier. Don't get the Rapture...


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1 - "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles [1966]
2 - "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins [1994]
3 - "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters [1958]
4 - "Telstar" - The Tornados [1962]
It's got to be The Beatles here - still sounds pretty awesome. 'A Girl Like You' is a favourite also. The other 2 tracks are good fun,but not in the same league - I'd almost always have instrumentals #4 in a bracket...

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 - "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan [1972]
2 - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers [1966]
3 - "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis [1957]
4 - "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo [1999]
'Reelin in the Years' has some of the great lead guitar work ever - still sounds so fresh. Great vocals and production on 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'. I can see the influence of this JLL track but don't think it holds a candle to 'Great Balls...' and 'Flat Beat' is just a joke,I was dumbfounded when it came out and went to No.1.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1 - "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick [1964]
2 - "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King [1961]
3 - "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz [2001]
4 - "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult [1985]
'Walk On By' - Awesome vocals and melody. Got to be the defining Bacharach moment. Iconic enough to have a music doco series named after it. 'Spanish Harlem' is pleasant enough,quite enjoy Phil Spector singing it as well. 'Clint Eastwood' was a bit disappointing - hadn't heard it in a long time,it seems better with the video. 'She Sells Sanctuary' is in the category of music that I usually can't get enough of,but I can't stand The Cult's sound.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1

1 - "For Tomorrow" - Blur [1993]
2 - "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer [1979]
3 - "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen [1963]
4 - "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson [2004]
The worst bracket of all time? I believe so. I only really like 'For Tomorrow',which itself isn't one of their best tracks. Louie Louie place on the AM songs list continues to baffle me,Since U Been Gone,I guess,is one of the reasons I came to this site - to find something better.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Without You" - Harry Nilsson [1971]
2 - "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers [2004]
3 - "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1967]
4 - "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley [1957]
Top 2 are both somewhat guilty pleasures,Without You gets the edge. Pretty cheesy but it's always moved me. I think The Miracles did loads better than that - I thought it was 1970. 'Bo Diddley' is decent,sounds a bit tired now though...

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 - "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones [1968]
2 - "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure [1980]
3 - "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1962]
4 - "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon [1971]
'Jumpin' Jack Flash' - iconic intro and riff - easy winner. 'Boys Don't Cry' - great pop song,they did better for sure though. 3 and 4 are OK songs,The Beatles made 'You've Really Got...' a bit bland for me,'Jealous Guy' - never been a favourite.

BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 - "September Gurls" - Big Star [1974]
2 - "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters [1962]
3 - "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince [1987]
4 - "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails [1994]
'September Gurls' by a mile - pop perfection,still sounds as fresh as ever. 'Up On The Roof' is a pleasant pop song,easily the best song by the Drifters. Not one of my favourite Prince tracks. 'Closer' is a good song but something has to be #4,haven't yet seen the video everyone talks about...

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

BillAdama
Alex D
I don't know if it matters, or if this is legal, but if you could slide "Mr. Brightside" into first.


Adjusting your list to be dishonest to your opinion because you know exactly how many points a song needs to win goes against the spirit of the game.


Honestly, I didn't count the points at all, but reading other people's comments (pop elton's I think) made me reconsider, that's all. If someone thinks it's out of line, it's not a big deal (those two songs are essentially a toss-up in my book). If anything, I thought enough people clearly disliked the Killers that they were out, and my vote would be merely symbolic.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Alex D
BillAdama
Alex D
I don't know if it matters, or if this is legal, but if you could slide "Mr. Brightside" into first.


Adjusting your list to be dishonest to your opinion because you know exactly how many points a song needs to win goes against the spirit of the game.


Honestly, I didn't count the points at all, but reading other people's comments (pop elton's I think) made me reconsider, that's all. If someone thinks it's out of line, it's not a big deal (those two songs are essentially a toss-up in my book). If anything, I thought enough people clearly disliked the Killers that they were out, and my vote would be merely symbolic.


I'll allow it, only because it's not going to affect the winner of this bracket.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

I got shit on (I think) last week for trying to make some thoughtful comments about my choices. Not really sure what brought the attack on, but regardless, this week's late vote comes with a bit of an apathetic heart.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Letter" - The Box Tops
2. "One More Time" - Daft Punk
3. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash
4. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture

In and of itself, it's a classic '60s song, but the fact that it's a 16 year-old singing on "The Letter" blows my mind. Much in the same way that "Walk Away Renee" -- a song about unrequitted love composed by a 16 year-old -- does. I guess as I get older, my fascination with atypical cases of youth in music grows. I'm a decade removed from 16, and it amazes me how creative (and self-aware) some people are at such a young age. [Aside: 'House of Jealous Lovers' was shit when I first heard it, and it's still unredeemingly shit now.]


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
2. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins
3. "Yakety Yak" - The Coasters
4. "Telstar" - The Tornados

Easiest choice of the week. April 6, 1966... the recording sessions for what would become Revolver begin with this gem. And here's something -- it came less than three years after 'She Loves You'. How's THAT for musical progression.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis
2. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan
3. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers
4. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo

Nothing to get excited about in this bracket. But here's a quick joke:
GUY #1: (depressed) "I just slept with my third cousin."
GUY #2: "Well if you're so upset about it, why'd you sleep with the first two?"


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
2. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult
3. "Spanish Harlem" - Ben E. King
4. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick

This very well might be my favorite song of Damon Albarn's. (And I'm not a gamer at all, but I always think of 'Amped' when I hear it. I hate associations like that.)


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
2. "Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen
3. "For Tomorrow" - Blur
4. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson

Does a vote count if you don't know why a song should be #1, but rather, why everything else shouldn't be? In this case, 'Since U Been Gone' represents a lot of what I hate about most modern pop music -- formulaic melody, structure and performance with an empty, universalized message, reeking of being written by committee, slickly-produced and packaged for a demographic that's too dumb to know better. Blur... well, never been a fan of them. And 'Louie Louie' is too Neanderthal-ish for my tastes.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
2. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
3. "Without You" - Harry Nilsson
4. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley

Despite my better judgment, I'm going to give the Killers some love here. 'Tears' is a better song (ask me tomorrow and it's probably #1 here), but I remember when I first heard the Killers by way of 'Somebody Told Me' (just before Hot Fuss exploded into the public consciousness), there was something about them that I liked. But it wasn't until I heard 'Mr. Brightside' in all of its melodically monotonous splendor that I went out and bought the album. And it was indeed a good decision, for the album was chock-full of other delicious pop nuggets (and as a result, it got a metric fuck-ton of rotation on my discman. This was pre-iPod for me, just barely). Even though there's been some great Killers songs on each of their last albums, I actually don't think Flowers and co. have written a song this immediately catchy since.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon
2. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
3. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones
4. "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure

Another post-Beatles song where Lennon got it all right. You listen to it and think "yep. been there."


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "September Gurls" - Big Star
2. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince
3. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters
4. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails

'September Gurls"... #1? Yeah, why not. Big Star are one of a few bands that I've discovered from this forum, and while they're not one of those groups that I would cross the road to tell someone about, I can see why they get the praise. For Prince... I like him best about 4/5 years prior to this. And I've never understood the appeal of 'Closer' (or NIN for that matter).

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Anthony
I got shit on (I think) last week for trying to make some thoughtful comments about my choices.


Yeah, I saw that and I have no idea what brought that on. I hope it doesn't deter you from voting in the future!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Okay, voting is over. Give me a moment to total everything up...

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Okay, here's the results. Some big surprises, if I do say so myself...




RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "One More Time" (56 points, 6 first-place votes)
2. "The Letter" (55, 6)
3. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (55, 4)
4. "House of Jealous Lovers" (44, 5)

This was the most dramatic bracket of the week. I think each song was in first place at some point over the last couple of days, and there was even a three-way tie for first at one point between the Rapture, the Clash, and Daft Punk. Ultimately, Daft Punk advances and will participate is at least one more bracket. The Rapture and the Box Tops are both eliminated after only one song.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Tomorrow Never Knows" (75, 15)
2. "A Girl Like You" (59, 6)
3. "Yakety Yak" (40, 0)
4. "Telstar" (36, 0)

Edwyn Collins took an early lead in this one, but the Fab Four's fans turned out in force, and made "Tomorrow Never Knows" the first Beatles song to advance to the second round. The Coasters still have one song left in Bracketology, but the Tornados and Edwyn Collins are eliminated.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Reelin' in the Years" (60, 7)
2. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (60, 7)
3. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (55, 6)
4. "Flat Beat" (35, 1)

This was another very close bracket, with Steely Dan and the Walker Brothers going back and forth for the top spot for the majority of the week. At the end, both songs tied on points and had the same number of first-place votes, but Steely Dan advances because they were placed higher on more ballots (11) than the Walker Brothers (10). Jerry Lee Lewis is down, but not out. The same cannot be said of Mr. Oizo, as "Flat Beat" and its head-bobbing hand-puppet are eliminated.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 16
1. "Clint Eastwood" (64, 8)
2. "Walk on By" (62, 9)
3. "Spanish Harlem" (43, 2)
4. "She Sells Sanctuary" (36, 2)

This bracket went back and forth all week between Warwick and Gorillaz, but Damon Albarn and company managed to sneak past Burt, Hal, and Dionne. "Clint Eastwood" will face off against Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" and two yet-to-be-announced songs. Ben E. King still has "Stand by Me" left in Bracketology, but (much to my chagrin) the Cult is castrated.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Louie Louie" (69, 11)
2. "For Tomorrow" (56, 5)
3. "Bad Girls" (46, 3)
4. "Since U Been Gone" (39, 2)

Donna Summer took an early lead in this bracket and looked to put a second song in the second round, but "Louie Louie" picked up steam and put this one in the bag. The Kingsmen advance to take on the Impressions' "People Get Ready" and two as yet unknown songs. Blur has another four songs left in the first round, but Kelly Clarkson is out.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Tears of a Clown" (65, 11)
2. "Bo Diddley" (45, 2)
3. "Mr. Brightside" (42, 4)
4. "Without You" (38, 2)

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles overpower their competitors to put "Tears of a Clown" into the second round against Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" and two songs to be determined. Bo Diddley goes oh-for-two with only "I'm a Man" left in competition. The Killers and Harry Nilsson have only one song each left in Bracketology.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (59, 8)
2. "Boys Don't Cry" (51, 7)
3. "Jealous Guy" (48, 4)
4. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (42, 1)

The Rolling Stones put a song through to the second round in their first opportunity. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" will face Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" and two other as of yet unknown songs. Boys may not cry, but the Cure certainly is, as Robert Smith and company are down to only one song left in Bracketology.


BEETHOVEN BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "September Gurls" (61, 10)
2. "Sign 'o' the Times" (59, 6)
3. "Closer" (49, 4)
4. "Up on the Roof" (31, 0)

The last of the close brackets, this one went down to the wire between Prince and Big Star. Ultimately, Alex Chilton and company were victorious and defeated His Purpleness. Nine Inch Nails is eliminated, but not all is lost for the Drifters, as they still have four songs remaining.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Bah! For the second week in a row, my favorite song of the entire week was eliminated in an upset. Deee-Lite got the shaft, and now one of Prince's finest is dust!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Alex D
I don't know if it matters, or if this is legal, but if you could slide "Mr. Brightside" into first.

The Killers weren't last on their bloc. Good.

Only one of my #1 make to next round. And that was Louie Louie from the weakest bloc.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

STATISTICS FOR WEEK 3


WHO GOT THE MOST CORRECT WINNERS THIS WEEK?

1. BillAdama (7 out of 8 - 87.5%)
2. Matt Schroeder (6 out of 8 - 75%)
3. brose (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
3. Harold Wexler (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
3. Midaso (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
3. sonofsamiam (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
7. John (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
7. nicolas (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
7. VanillaFire1000 (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
10. johan_at (2 out of 5 - 40%)
11. Alex D (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. Anthony (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. Greg (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. Moonbeam (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. Rune (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. schleuse (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. SR (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
11. The Lone Gunmen (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
19. Nassim (2 out of 7 - 28.57%)
20. Henrik (2 out of 8 - 12.5%)
21. pop elton (1 out of 8 - 12.5%)


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE)

1. brose (18 out of 24 - 75%)
2. Honorio (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
2. Mindrocker (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. Michael (5 out of 7 - 71.43%)
5. BillAdama (17 out of 24 - 70.83%)
6. Harold Wexler (16 out of 24 - 66.67%)
7. SR (15 out of 24 - 62.5%) tie
7. Alex D (15 out of 24 - 62.5%) tie
7. Midaso (15 out of 24 - 62.5%) tie
10. Greg Rumpff (5 out of 8 - 62.5%)


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY NUMBER CORRECT)

1. brose (18)
2. BillAdama (17)
3. Harold Wexler (16)
4. Alex D (15)
4. Midaso (15)
4. SR (15)
7. nicolas (14)
7. sonofsamiam (14)
9. Anthony (13)
9. Greg (13)
9. Matt Schroeder (13)

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

20. Henrik (2 out of 8 - 12.5%)

Yes, I am totally baffled by these results. That "September Gurls" beat "Sign 'o' the Times" is one of the strangest things I have ever seen in this forum

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

MORE STATISTICS


TOP TEN BEST-PERFORMING SONGS
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana (3.778 points per vote)
2. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (3.667)
3. "London Calling" - The Clash (3.571) tie
3. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (3.571) tie
5. "Changes" - David Bowie (3.5)
6. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye (3.429)
7. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (3.421)
8. "Born to Run" - Bruce Springsteen (3.393) tie
8. "Life on Mars?" - David Bowie (3.393) tie
10. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth (3.333) tie
10. "Karma Police" - Radiohead (3.333) tie


TOP TEN WORST-PERFORMING SONGS

1. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters (1.55)
2. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads (1.556)
3. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Ludacris & Lil' Jon) (1.611)
4. "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin (1.643)
5. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo (1.667)
6. "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult (1.714) tie
6. "Telstar" - The Tornados (1.714) tie
8. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae (1.778)
9. "At the Hop" - Danny & the Juniors (1.815)
10. "Dashboard" - Modest Mouse (1.821)


TOP FIVE WORST-PERFORMING SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (2.667) tie
1. "God" - John Lennon (2.667) tie
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (2.667) tie
4. "I Feel Love" - Donna Summer (2.75)
5. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (2.857)


TOP FIVE BEST-PERFORMING SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "Rid of Me" - PJ Harvey (3.036)
2. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (2.952)
3. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince (2.95)
4. "Something" - The Beatles (2.857) tie
4. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (2.857) tie


FIVE LOWEST-RATED SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (ranked #824)
2. "God" - John Lennon (#714)
3. "Karma Police" - Radiohead (#709)
4. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (#696)
5. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (#449)


FIVE HIGHEST-RATED SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis (#64)
2. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (#109)
3. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince (#129)
4. "Sexual Healing" - Marvin Gaye (#138)
5. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley (#177)

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Henrik
20. Henrik (2 out of 8 - 12.5%)

Yes, I am totally baffled by these results. That "September Gurls" beat "Sign 'o' the Times" is one of the strangest things I have ever seen in this forum


And I am equally baffled by my math. 2 out of 8 is 25%, not 12.5%. My apologies.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Henrik
20. Henrik (2 out of 8 - 12.5%)

Yes, I am totally baffled by these results. That "September Gurls" beat "Sign 'o' the Times" is one of the strangest things I have ever seen in this forum


Hear, hear!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 3

Thanks for the stats, Matt!