BRACKETOLOGY: ROUND 1, WEEK 6

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 1
1940s: 1
1950s: 4
1960s: 7
1970s: 9
1980s: 4
1990s: 4
2000s: 2

Also of note:
Two brackets from the Vivaldi bloc
Two songs by Stevie Wonder (both off "Innervisions," no less)
Two songs by Elvis Presley
Two songs by the Jam
Two songs by the Notorious B.I.G. (both off "Life After Death," no less)


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.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#210: "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
#303: "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
#722: "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
#815: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
#238: "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
#275: "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
#750: "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
#787: "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
#182: "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
#331: "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
#694: "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
#843: "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
#83: "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
#430: "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
#942: "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
#199: "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
#711: "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
#826: "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
#429: "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
#596: "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
#941: "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
#149: "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
#364: "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
#876: "In the City" - The Jam [1977]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
#144: "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
#369: "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
#656: "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
#881: "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]

WEEK 6

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
Tough call for me between this one and #2, but this one gets the nod based on one line: "If man is five/Then the devil is six/And if the devil is six/Then God is seven/This monkey's gone to heaven" I don't understand it, but it kicks ass.
2. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
A little disappointed that "Oye Como Va" missed the cut by a couple hundred. This is Santana's signature song, and it's got one of the all-time great riffs.
3. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
Good, but it just doesn't compare to the first two.
4. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
Never been a fan of the King. Never been a fan of this song.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
Pretty weak bracket, but Stevie pulls this one out in the end.
2. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
If I only have eyes for you, then my other body parts must belong to someone else! Don't tell me I'm the only one who's ever noticed this little grammatical quirk! Shouldn't it be "I have eyes for only you"?
3. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
Classic instrumental from the early rock days. But let's be real: it's a overly-simple song, right up there with "Wipe Out."
4. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground" [1968]
I love the Velvets, but 17-plus minutes is a bit too much of them even for me.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
Maybe my favorite from "Innervisions," I'll always think of the show "Freak Squad" when I hear this song.
2. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
Aside from #1, another pretty weak bracket. Édith gets three points from me because Marion Cotillard is so damned hot.
3. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
Not a big Drifters fan, but I like them more than...
4. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
No please.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
VERY difficult for me to choose between #1, #2, and #3, but Biggie gets the slight nod here. Some songs immediately transport you to a certain place and time. I can't hear this one and not think of junior high school.
2. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
Gotta dance! Gotta dance! You can't deny that this song is a hell of a lot of fun. The real question is: what do YOU consider fun?
3. "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
It hurts to put this song so low, but it just isn't as good as the first two. And how many people think of the movie "Sister Act" when this one comes on?
4. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
Going anti-chalk here. As I said before, not a fan of the King, especially his early stuff.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
Another tough choice for me between #1, #2, and #3. One of four classics off "Ten" (along with "Even Flow," "Alive," and "Black"), the music video gives it the slight edge.
2. "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
One free internet if you can tell me what "Tin roof rust" means. Otherwise, it's arguably the band's best, right up there with "Rock Lobster."
3. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
I gotta think that this one is rated just a bit too high. Time will show that it's good, but it's not #199 good.
4. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
Couldn't possibly compete with the other three.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
Easily the best cover of all time, Hendrix did the impossible: he took a Dylan song and made it his.
2. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
One of those few instances where more people have probably heard the soundtrack than seen the movie. I prefer it over "Many Rivers to Cross," but take your pick.
3. "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
Speaking of Dylan... I can't help but think that this is one of those songs that I like because I'm "supposed" to like it, not because I actually like it.
4. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]
Influential, yes. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
Another weak bracket, but the Boys' beautiful harmonies on this song give it the edge.
2. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
Never been a huge fan of this song, but the other two songs in this bracket are weak enough that this gets three points.
3. "In the City" - The Jam [1977]
I prefer my Jam to be a little more pop-oriented.
4. "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
Haven't liked Madonna since the "Ray of Light" album. And it loses points for sampling ABBA.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
Stevie Wonder gets two #1 votes from me, and so does Biggie Smalls. I know that it won't win, but I can't stand the other three. And hell, I love this one, in spite of Puffy's monotone rapping.
2. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
One rap song, and three songs from late '70s Britain. For me, these last three are like choosing between the lesser of three evils. This song's the one I'm most likely to listen to again.
3. "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
I prefer my Jam to be a little more pop-oriented.
4. "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
Couldn't care less if I heard it again.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1"Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
2"Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
3: "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
4"Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
I'm not home, I can't listen to the tracks but Elvis wins evenif the Monroe original is far better.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1"I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
2"Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
3"Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
4"Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
A doo wop gem wins ahead of a good Stevie song

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1"Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
2"Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
3"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
4 "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
Another masterpiece of early pop soul takes this bracket. I love the melody of this song and to me it's a classic so immortal that it beats one of the highlights of "Innervisions"

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1"Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
2"My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
3"Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
4"Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
Oldies, still oldies...

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1"Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
2"Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
3"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
4 All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
I needed another listen but I can't so the song I remember the best is Jeremy although I like all songs

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]
2 "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
3 "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
4 "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
This bracket is the reason why with limited time I did this poll. There is my favorite song of all time, which will not win the bracket anyway, but there are also 2 other 5 star songs that realy could have won in any other bracket.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1"Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
2 "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
3"In the City" - The Jam [1977]
4"Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]

I love Nirvana's singles, the albums a little less so. I don't remember the " others any way ha ha ha


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
2"The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
3 "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
4"Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]

Love the Clash when they do reggae. Now it's time for me to go back to my vacations, the beautiful and sunny Southern Alps, my friends and family (but I love you still, AMers

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
2. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
3. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
4. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]

I dig the Elvis track, but it can't realistically take down Monkey Gone to Heaven. Too weird for some, not weird enough for others, perfect for me.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
2. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
3."I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
4. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]

Every track on Innervisions is brilliant, and Higher Ground is my third favorite. Sister Ray is the essence of rock and roll for me, and only narrowly loses.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
2. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
3. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
4. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]

Repeat what I said above only with the best song off Innervisions.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
2. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
3. "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
4. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]

Biggie Biggie Biggie can't you see, sometimes your words just hypnotize me. I prefer Ready to Die, but I also prefer post-Heartbreak Elvis to very early Elvis.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
2. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
3. "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
4. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]

Pearl Jam's best song wins a fairly weak bracket. Luckily for Jeremy, because in the next bracket it's an easy 4th.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
2. "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
3. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]
4. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]

This is by far the best bracket we've yet to come across. Every single song is brilliant. That said it also contains one of my very most favorite songs. Funny how it took a song by the best songwriter to best showcase the limitless talent of the greatest guitarist of all time. Jimi is the instrumental genius of the 20th century.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1"Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
2 "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
3"In the City" - The Jam [1977]
4"Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]

Second favorite song from Nevermind, I've always preferred it to Lihium and In Bloom. Heck, there are days I'd rather listen to it than Smells Like Teen Spirit.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
2. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
3. "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
4. "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]

Another "meh" bracket. The Clash take this one easily.

This is such a better week for me than last week. Last week it seemed like every single song I felt was really overrated cropped up at the same time. This week has a few of my all time favorites.

Strong bracket. Four great songs.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#815: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
I love early Elvis. I feel he really felt the bluegrass instrumentals and had a touch of subtlety early on, whereas later in his career he coasted on hooks and charisma.
#303: "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
A good song with a killer solo. Really prescient of 90's rock. (Damn it, now I need to buy Bug.)
#722: "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
Great fusion of blues into his latin style.
#210: "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
A really fun song to listen to. Works a little better on the album than as a stand alone. I love the song, it just happens to be against three better songs.




VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
#750: "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
Would be in my top 100 of all time. One of Stevie's best few songs.
#787: "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
Awesome Lou Reed roughness.
#275: "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
*Looks at the date* 1958, really? It sounds very 70's.
#238: "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
With these canonical 50's songs, it seems either they sound like dated pop radio artifacts, or groovy classics. This one is in the latter group. But, yet again, there are no bad songs so it winds up in last.



SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
#331: "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
And, probably my favorite Stevie Wonder song. A candidate for my top 20 ever. And it has a good chance of losing to Black Sabbath. Damn it.#182: "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
Paranoid is a perfectly good song. One of the best and most adrenaline-pumping metal songs ever. It's hard for me to be honest and put it second, becuase I *really* want Living For The City to get through. I don't find anything that special about Black Sabbath besides being way better than their imitators and having some great guitar riffs.
#694: "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
Another great doo-woppy pre-Beatles radio song.
#843: "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
Overly fancy French pop. But it's not going to win anyway. Oh how I wish I could honestly put it above Paranoid...

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
#430: "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
Motown had a way of making standard pop song constructs sound all jazzy, atmospheric and beautiful.
#83: "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
More great Sun-era Elvis. Ditto what I said about Blue Moon Of Kentucky. 83's a bit too high, but great song.
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
Did somebody say "Go Team"? For a second I thought about ranking it first, but as it went on it got kind of jarring.
#942: "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
FINALLY a song I dislike. The song isn't even that bad, but all my memories of it are wrapped up into that pompous video where the sound effects drowned out the music. And I just can't stand it when rappers only rap about how awesome they are. Which is all Biggy seemed to ever do. And it reminds me of the days Puff Daddy kept getting credit for just saying "Yeah. Uh. Uh huh. Yeah." No. You are not contributing Puff!

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
There was a time I probably would have put this at #1. That time was 1997, and partly because of one of the best music videos ever. It's still powerful though, and probably top ten of the nineties.
#199: "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
In the running for top ten singles of the decade. The definitive anthem on addictive self-denial.
#826: "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
A fairly good Kinks song.
#711: "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
One of the swan songs of late 80's cheese-rock that helped to signal the record industry it was time for a change. It might even be a really good song without the cheese factor. Particularly the male vocalist sounds like he's trying to entertain ten year olds.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
STACKED bracket. I'm going with Hendrix's cover of an old Samuel T Anders song. Because it's my destiny.
#596: "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
Choice cut off an album that goes back and forth between my #1 and #2 of all time. The kind of story Bob Dylan consistently manages to tell in four minute spaces is astounding.
#429: "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
I don't know how this song managed to find a block I would put it as low as #3. Might be my favorite raggae song. I love the lyric "I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave".
#941: "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]
Not a bad song, but in this bracket has no chance.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
One of the definitive songs of an era. Also, unfortunately like Jeremy it's a song impossible to mentally dissociate from the video.
#876: "In the City" - The Jam [1977]
...Do I really like The Jam this much? I need to listen to their albums more.
#149: "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
I usually don't like pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys stuff, but this is really good. One of the few early BB singles not defined by their 'surfer guy' marketing.
#364: "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
I'll never understand why pop singers who *can sing* are chopping up their voice with computers. Only, I really like the organ sample that plays in the chorus, so this song at least gets a few points.



SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
#369: "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
Thank you Public Image Ltd for making the most *annoying to search for song* in history. I'm surprised how much I like it.
#144: "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
Great Clash song.
#656: "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
A weaker Jam song than the other one this week. But I love the post-punk guitar.
#881: "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
Actually, in my experience, mo money means LESS problems. Otherwise people wouldn't be complaining so much about this recession thingy. All those Puff Daddy songs seem to self-persecute and pretend everybody is trying to knock him down and destroy him. No, not really. Sorry Puffy, your straw man is unconvincing. Back in this era of popular rap, first Mase appeared in a Puff Daddy song. Then Mase sold platinum. So Nelly appeared in a Mase song. Then Nelly sold platinum. That is the only reason these songs exist, to franchise new rappers by association with already established ones.

Huge hurry today, apologies...

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]

One of my 3 favorite Pixies songs, so it pips wonderful early Elvis.

2. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
3. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
4. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14

Incredible bracket, my No. 4 could have won brackets in other polls...

1. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]

My favorite doo-wop track ever, totally timeless, and able to stave off an incredible Stevie song.

2. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
3. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
4. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]

One of my Top 10 songs ever, utterly breathtaking.

2. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
3. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
4. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12

1. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]

Probably my favorite Elvis track.

2. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
3. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
4. "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6

Horrid bracket. Sister Ray would've won this.

1. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]

No. 1 by default, good harmonies, even if it is a "You Really Got Me" re-do.

2. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
3. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
4. "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12

My No. 4 here would've won the previous bracket, and there's very little space between any of these for me. No justice!

1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]

Wins in the end on the basis of all those great solos, plus the mood of mystery that eventually pulls it ahead of Dylan's original.

2. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
3. "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
4. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15

1. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]

Wins with ease over the rest of this batch. A bridge between Spector and Pet Sounds.

2. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
3. "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
4. "In the City" - The Jam [1977]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]

Their best song, there's just so much here, belying the "punk" tag (at least in its original definition).

2. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
3. "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
4. "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]

LISZT
1. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - gah! that guitar tone!
2. "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
3. "Monkey Gone to Heaven"
4. "Freak Scene"

VIVALDI
1. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - so spooky and tender. a unique song.
2. "Higher Ground"
3. "Rumble"
4. "Sister Ray"

SCHUBERT
1. "Paranoid" - gah! that guitar tone on the solo!
2. "Living for the City"
3. "La vie en rose"
4. "Save the Last Dance for Me"

VIVALDI
1. "Hypnotize" - "At my arraignment, note for the plaintiff: / Your daughter's tied up in a Brooklyn basement" !!!!
2. "My Guy"
3. "Mystery Train"
4. "Genius of Love"

HAYDN
1. "Jeremy" - love those harmonics at the beginning. probably last thought about this song after the VT massacre. richard mcbeef.
2. "Love Shack"
3. "Rehab"
4. "All Day and All of the Night"

BRAHMS
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - gah! those guitar octaves!
2. "The Harder They Come"
3. "Goodnight Irene"
4. "Visions of Johanna"

VERDI
1. "Don't Worry Baby" - vocal arrangement, interplay b/w brian and the harmonies, etc.
2. "Come as You Are"
3. "In the City"
4. "Hung Up"

SIBELIUS
1. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - puffy's verse sucks, but biggie steps in to save it
2. "Public Image"
3. "The Eton Rifles"
4. "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais"

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]: No, I don’t have any idea what it means, either. I just know that it’s the highlight of an album full of highlights, that Francis’ effete “Rock me, Joe” may be the funniest lead-in to a guitar solo ever, and that the climax has the power to haunt your dreams even if you suspect that the only reason God is 7 is because that rhymes with the title.
2. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]: In which Carlos melds two very different pieces by two very different guitarists and comes up with something better than either of them. I caught “BMW” on the radio last night, and when it turned out to be the single version that fades out before it gets to “Gypsy Queen,” I was ANGRY – that’s how exciting the full version is, right up to the abrupt cut-off of that final blast of feedback.
3. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]: It’s still startling to hear Mascis bringing genuine (and astonishingly effortless) guitar-hero chops to the kind of low-fi postpunk usually associated with messy ennui; it’s even more startling that he and the rest of the original lineup have picked up right where they left off, but that’s another story. The rest of the story here is that this song also wears its huge heart on its sleeve, something else not normally associated with the genre.
4. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]: The wonderful B-side of the King’s debut Sun single, possibly even more jumpy and exciting than the A-side. But SH2B4 (something has to be #4).

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]: As I wrote in Bracketology 1.0, all you need to know is that this record was banned by British radio stations as a possible incitement to violence. It’s an INSTRUMENTAL. Even after decades of metal and industrial music, no guitar has ever conveyed pure, naked menace with the zest that Wray’s does here.
2. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]: A tough call at the top between two Fifties classics. In direct contrast to #1, this is one of the most elegant records ever made, with an arrangement and backing vocals that are nothing short of otherworldly (there’s a barely perceptible pause before all those “doo-vop-sha-bops” that sends a shiver up your spine).
3. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]: The first and biggest single from INNERVISIONS is probably only my 6th or 7th favorite on the album. That’s still high praise, but only good enough for 3rd here.
4. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]: It holds up over 17½ minutes better than you might think, largely due to John Cale’s insanely overdriven organ. But it is a little exhausting.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]: The second-biggest single from INNERVISIONS, by contrast, is a true masterpiece and possibly the high point of Stevie’s entire career. I still have no idea how he managed to make his voice sound so rough and ravaged for the final verses after that harrowing interlude; maybe it’s just his palpable, passionate anger and sorrow over the subject matter, which unfortunately hasn’t dated a bit over 36 years.
2. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]: A short, sharp shock from a band (and a genre in general) more given to lengthy explorations. Pithy, punchy and almost punky.
3. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]: Maybe a bit too smooth and polished, even by the Drifters’ own impeccable standards, but a beautiful song (and their only #1 pop hit) nonetheless.
4. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]: Not really my thing, but I can see why it and she are so beloved.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]: The final Sun single, and the apotheosis of what he and Sam and the rest of the boys were creating there. There’s a joy and freedom in Elvis’ final yelp at the fadeout that I doubt he ever felt again.
2. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]: One of the most sublimely goofy side projects of all time, taking the rhythmic explorations of Talking Heads straight to the dance floor. JAMES BROWWWNNN? JAMES BROWWWNNN! Bohannon! Bohannon! Bohannon! Ah, it takes me back to my youth.
3. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]: I need to listen to Biggie more, but I know enough to realize what a huge loss his early exit was. He could be hilarious or frightening, sometimes within the same song, and his flow is always exhilarating.
4. "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]: Not one of my favorite Motown (or Smokey) songs.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]: For me, one of the most indescribably exciting records ever, in all its clattering glory. It obviously cribs shamelessly from its own predecessor, but I actually love it more.
2. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]: TEN introduced a band whose sensibility (a seasoned band providing the perfect backdrop for Eddie Vedder’s intensely raw, dramatic songs) was fully formed from the outset, and its many classics are still their career highlights. This is one of the best, and certainly the most disturbing.
3. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]: I know she’s brought it on herself, but I truly hate the way Winehouse has become such a cultural punchline (including, of course, the too-easy irony of this brilliant single being her signature song), because she’s incredibly talented. I am rooting very hard for her to come back and make it about the music again, even though that may be impossible at this point.
4. "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]: A fun and lovely little trifle, but no match for the drivingly earnest nuttiness of their earlier work. (Incidentally, that line that no one seems to understand is “Tin roof! Rusted!” It means -something-, and I think it might be mildly naughty, but I’m too lazy to Google it now. Apologies if someone’s already addressed this earlier in the thread.)

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]: Greatest Dylan cover of all time, which is really saying something considering how many there are. It attains that status because Hendrix, rather than trying to out-Dylan Dylan, makes it into a pure Hendrix song instead. Yet another classic-rock staple that no one ever turns off (or should, at any rate).
2. "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]: Hard to imagine anyone convincingly covering this BLONDE ON BLONDE epic, probably the finest example from this whole astonishing period of how Dylan could whip up a seemingly Dadaist word-salad that somehow manages to add up to a cumulatively devastating emotional effect.
3. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]: As others have said, it’s not even close to being the best Cliff song on the album, let alone the best song, but it’s a terrific title track.
4. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]: Again, not my first listening choice, but a great, influential classic. And “Sometimes I live in the country/Sometimes I live in town/Sometimes I get a great notion/To jump in the river and drown” is so chilling in its offhandedness that you can really see why Cobain was so drawn to him.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]: One of Brian Wilson’s finest moments, taking a rather mundane-seeming, silly situation (a guy being comforted by his girlfriend as he worries about an upcoming drag race!) and finding sheer beauty in it. Perfect melody, perfect arrangement, perfect harmonies.
2. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]: Not necessarily one of my favorites from NEVERMIND, but good enough for #2 here.
3. "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]: I was fully expecting to put this at #4, but then a funny thing happened: I haven’t been able to get the damn thing out of my head all week. Great video, too.
4. "In the City" - The Jam [1977]: A good introduction, but as they quickly demonstrated, they were capable of so much more…

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]: … of which this is a perfect example, a brilliantly written and arranged depiction of class warfare as real warfare – but worse, because you have to go back and do it every day.
2. "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]: John Lydon’s deceptively tuneful (hooky, even) post-Pistols statement of purpose and identity, with all his lyrical bile intact but offering absolutely no clue of the startling directions his music was going to take.
3. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]: Their most lyrically complex early single, a penetrating examination of – among other things – how bands (and fans) like themselves co-opt music from other cultures without a full awareness of the sociopolitical circumstances it comes from.
4. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]: I would like it more if it had more actual Biggie on it; unfortunately, Mase and (especially) Mr. Combs are just not as interesting.

LISZT 10
1. MONKEY GONE TO HEAVEN
2. FREAK SCENE
For a change, we begin this week with a very easy bracket. Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. are two of the essential bands of a period when American indie was at a real high point, just prior to bubbling up into the mainstream. But, whereas “Freak Scene” is just a pretty cool song and DJr. just a very, very good band, nothing else in the late 80s touches the Pixies, one of the most interesting and influential bands of all time—and “Monkey” is close to being their signature song.
3. BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY. The B-side of Elvis’ epoch-making first single, an important and enjoyable song, even if it’s not a patch on Bill Monroe’s original.
4. BLACK MAGIC WOMAN/GYPSY QUEEN. What would it take for a song to overcome my prejudice against virtuoso lead guitar in general, and Carlos Santana in particular? More than this one’s got.
5. man
6. the devil
7. god

VIVALDI 14
1. SISTER RAY. A much tougher bracket, but I have to give the nod to VU’s epic.
2. HIGHER GROUND. Sad to say, I’m pretty sure I heard RHCP’s version before the original. Accept no substitutes—this is one of the greatest musicians of the century at his peak. Anyone know what it’s about?
3. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. A whole lot better than it should have been—fifty years later, it’s still spooky and affecting.
4. RUMBLE. Bizarrely out of place in its decade, but powerful. Can anyone trace a line of influence from Link to later guitarists? That’d be interesting…anyway, SH2B4.

SCHUBERT 7
1. PARANOID. As potent and cheap as inhaling paint-stripper, but a lot more fun.
2. LIVING FOR THE CITY. A terrific song with a superfluous and kind of annoying rube-in-the-city narrative stuck in the middle. Seriously, I love Stevie, but that sounds closer to Sesame Street than Hell’s Kitchen.
3. LA VIE EN ROSE. I appreciate that it was tremendously evocative in a certain time and place.
4. SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME. The hit machine that was the Drifters (I don’t even know what the lineup was at this point) was coasting by now. Luckily, a new hit machine was already getting cranked up…

VIVALDI 12
1. GENIUS OF LOVE. My younger brother picked up on this song before I did, which was probably the first instance of him being cooler than me (still happens sometimes). If nothing else, we should thank Tom Tom Club for convincing David Byrne to continue with the Heads for a few more years. Terrific song. And Harold took “James Brown,” so I’ll just say: “der-ner…ner, ner, ner-ner.”
2. MYSTERY TRAIN. More primo Sun-period Elvis.
3. MY GUY. …and here’s the “new hit machine” mentioned above. Deceptively simple, affecting (until you’ve heard it in about 50 different movies, anyway), and just as sweet as can be.
4. HYPNOTIZE. He died, see? And he’d been predicting it for years. Plus the video had bikini chicks, boats, guns, and cash as decoration. The perfect formula for a hit! No, seriously, it’s not awful, but it’s not top 250 material by a long way.

HAYDN 6. This bracket is tough for a different reason—for me, all of these songs are about a B+. No masterpieces and no clunkers.
1. LOVE SHACK. Yeah, the B-52’s were relatively tamed by the time this came out (and were tragically minus one of their founders), but this is still a great stomp. Luckily, right now isn’t one of those periods when I decide I’m sick of it.
2. REHAB. Only my second time listening to this. Throwback, but in a good way.
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT. I’m just guessing, but did Dave Davies decide that if he was going to slash a speaker cone for “You Really Got Me,” he might as well get another song out of it?
4. JEREMY. Yep, it’s the best thing on the album…I’m tempted to write several pages about what’s right about Ten and what’s wrong about it (a lot, in both categories). Two take-aways: self-mythologizing is dangerous, and PJ got more interesting on later albums which showed more range.

BRAHMS 12. Johannes was a folkie, apparently…
1. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER. As clear a #1 as we’ve had…I make a planet-sized exception to my no-virtuosos rule for this apocalyptic song. It might be Jimi’s greatest track, and certainly one of the high points of the sixties—hell, the twentieth century. Featured prominently (along with 4 or 5 other Dylan songs) in the wholly unnecessary Watchmen movie.
2. GOODNIGHT IRENE. The man got out of prison after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence thanks to his successful appeal to the governor of Texas. In the form of a song. Beat that.
3. VISIONS OF JOHANNA. Wonderfully rich text from Bob…although I happen to think that this was around the time started to lose the plot for a while.
4. THE HARDER THEY COME. I really need to see the movie one of these days. Nice reggae.

VERDI 15. Brutal bracket.
1. DON’T WORRY BABY. There will never be a more beautiful song written about a girl reassuring a boy even though he’s about to do something stupid.
2. COME AS YOU ARE. I’ve given up trying to decide my favorite track on Nevermind; almost all of them rotate for the position. Still almost impossible to hear that nine-word chorus without cringing.
3. HUNG UP. For my money, the second-best Madonna song (her best is also in the tournament). A lot of it sounds like the kind of goofy sounds I used to achieve by fiddling with my dad’s stereo when I was 7…maybe that’s the appeal.
4. IN THE CITY. The Jam can do no wrong for me, but this just isn’t quite as incandescent as their best stuff.

SIBELIUS 3
1. (WHITE MAN) IN HAMMERSMITH PALAIS. You think it’s funny? Poor Joe. I don’t know that he ever got a satisfactory answer to that question. A snarling rocker with lyrics poised on the knife-edge between real and fake—that is to say, the home base of rock ‘n’ roll.
2. PUBLIC IMAGE. John finally cut himself loose of a terrifically entertaining band and created a compelling, if ambiguous, artistic statement which said that things had never been as simple as we thought (the John here is Lydon, not Lennon).
3. ETON RIFLES. Thought about cutting and pasting my “In the City” comment above. Somehow, those marching staccato quarter notes just bug me (“e-ton-RI-fles-e-ton-RI-fles”). They shoulda left the cryptoparamilitary stuff to the Clash.
4. MO MONEY MO PROBLEMS. Gawd. There really is good hip-hop out there…why are we putzing around with this?

About 46 hours (and a few minutes) left to vote this week! Not too many ballots in so far, so pretty much everything is still up for grabs!

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos: I was at a friend's place the other day and we were going through his record collection (like how a bunch of giddy pre-teen girls would go through their moms' jewelry) when we came across a 7" of "I Only Have Eyes for You". Not only was I surprised that he owned it, but I was even more surprised at his casual remark: "I don't know that one." So I implored him to put it on, and he did. I was immediately captivated, as always, but I don't think he was that impressed by it. His loss.
2. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder: According to iTunes it's my most played track from Innervisions (with a lofty 86 plays), but I feel like I need to take a small break from it for a while.
3. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men
4. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder: His musical virtuosity is easy to understand, but at the risk of sounding insensitive, it still boggles my mind how a blind guy could be so socially and culturally aware, as Stevie exhibited on this song. "Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty..." -- he's not talking about the house needing a bit of Mr. Clean; he's talking about living in a rough effin' neighborhood. That kind of perception is what keeps me coming back to this album, time and time again.
2. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
3. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
4. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam: First, I'm hard-pressed to think of a cooler childhood moment/environment than one where, at 10 years old, you're given (on cassette, for Christmas, by your parents) an album which 1) is barely a few months old, 2) is from an unknown band, 3) is from an underground genre/scene, 4) is marketed towards an age-group that you're about five years shy of, and 5) to this day, remains not only one of your favorites of all time, but a classic of the genre and one of the greatest, most influential and most acclaimed albums of all time.

[Incidentally, it's something of an awkwardly conflicting situation when you're 10 years-old and unsure of whether the very people who gave you the album will turn around and scold you for singing one of its most provocative lyrics ("...and bit the recess lady's breast") while the song is playing during a family road trip. True story.]

Now... like Radiohead, here's another band whose representation on AM is dubious at best. Just like "Creep" isn't the best Radiohead song, "Jeremy" is certainly not the best PJ song; nor is it the best song from TEN. (I still haven't figured out why critics cream themselves over singles rather than album tracks, which, in the case of TEN, are better.) Of course, being the fan that I am -- a fan who's noted the inverse relationship between his enjoyment of a band/artist and his agreement with said artist/band's respective song list on AM -- it's a given that I'd say that. But is "Jeremy" representative of Pearl Jam? Absolutely. Vedder's trademark growl, lyrics of stunning imagery and enlightened aggression, unorthodox musicality (note the lack of any real chorus) -- it's pretty much everything that PJ does well. Add to the fact that Vedder and co. have repeatedly tried to sabotage their career (case in point: they refused to make videos after this song), well... I think that sort of apathy gives not only "Jeremy" but their entire songbook a certain purity and meaningfulness. The band doesn't give two shits about any of the superfluous, corporate garbage that comes with making music in the modern age; all they desire is to keep making the music that they want to make. Amen.

2. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse:
3. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks
4."Love Shack" - The B-52's

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Probably my favorite guitar-wanking track of all time. It just never gets old.
2. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly: I like this dude's style.
3. "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan
4. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana: I'm not thrilled about putting this at #1, since it's probably my least favorite track from Nevermind, but I honestly can't justify anything else being here. I think "Come as You Are" is the least exciting track on the album; in fact, it's pretty unremarkable to my ears. The Beach Boys... well, I just don't hear what everyone else does when it comes to the group. "Hung Up" is catchy enough, but there's something about a 50 year-old mother making pop music that makes me think it's time she packed it in.
2. "In the City" - The Jam [1977]
3. "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
4. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]

Gonna make sure to get my votes in on time!

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10

1. Santana- "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen": It speaks of the weakness of this bracket that a song that I merely tolerate is number 1. It's not bad, but I'm no Santana fan.
2. Dinosaur Jr.- "Freak Scene": Not my scene, and I'm a freak.
3. Pixies- "Monkey Gone to Heaven": Pixies are a band that I really should adore, but I just can't stand them.
4. Elvis Presley- "Blue Moon of Kentucky": I like them more than Elvis, though.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14

1. Stevie Wonder- "Higher Ground": Now this is more like it! Stevie's funkiest jam from Innvervisions is a bottle of excitement bursting with passion and energy. And I dare you not to move your feet!
2. Velvet Underground- "Sister Ray": My first exposure to VU came with White Light/White Heat, and what a shock it was! The entire album is like a massive lightning bolt, and this is definitely the thunder. Perverse, noisy, and jarring, it's everything that I love about the album wrapped into 17 glorious minutes. This would have won the first bracket 100 times over.
3. The Flamingos- "I Only Have Eyes for You": Subtle and sexy are just two of the adjectives to describe this deserving classic. It's a shame it was pitted against two giants.
4. Link Wray & His Ray Men- "Rumble": It's just not in the same league as the other songs, for me. Decent enough groove, though.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. Stevie Wonder- "Living for the City": Another amazing gem from Innervisions that captured the zeitgeist of the time. No one told the story of the fight for civil rights in such a colorful way. "Her clothes are old, but never are they dirty" encapsulates the feeling that in spite of their numerous disadvantages, many black people still maintained a sense of pride. The way it is stripped away from the aspiring young black man throughout the course of the song is just heartbreaking, and makes this song as essential piece of history.
2. Edith Piaf- "La vie en rose": Timeless melody that has been adopted by many, most Moonbeam-thrillingly by Grace Jones.
3. Black Sabbath- "Paranoid": Before he became everyone's favorite drug-riddled shell of himself, Ozzy Osbourne fronted a pretty tight band, as evidenced by this song.
4. The Drifters- "Save the Last Dance for Me": I suppose it was pleasant at the time, and The Drifters are vocally charming as always, but the other songs shine more brightly.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12

1. Tom Tom Club- "Genius of Love": One of the most colorful, playful, funky and thrilling songs of all time. There aren't enough superlatives to describe how great this song is, but I can tell you that there are few songs in existence that can make me feel quite as joyous as this one.
2. Biggie- "Hypnotize": That thick bass sample is what makes this song succeed so well. The lyrics are typically self-aggrandizing, but that thump is hard to top.
3. Mary Wells- "My Guy": Not really my thing.
4. Elvis Presley- "Mystery Train": Even less of my thing.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6

1. The Kinks- "All Day and All of the Night": One of the few times I'll put a 60s song on top of songs that came later. It's just a blast from start to finish.
2. The B-52's- "Love Shack": So is this, but I always preferred "Roam" and "Topaz" from Cosmic Thing.
3. Pearl Jam- "Jeremy": I HATED this at the time, but I've come to appreciate it more since the world came out of its depression in the 90s.
4. Amy Winehouse- "Rehab": No, no, no.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12

1. Jimi Hendrix Experience- "All Along the Watchtower": The stuff of legend, and rightfully so.
2. Leadbelly- "Goodnight Irene": I hadn't heard this before- at least not performed by Leadbelly. It's sweet and charming, for sure, but it can't contend with the guitar wizardry of Hendrix.
3. Jimmy Cliff- "The Harder They Come": Jimmy Cliff is one of the few reggae artists I seem to be able to tolerate, but something about the sweetness of Leadbelly's vocal gave him the edge.
4. Bob Dylan- "Visions of Johanna": Sorry, guys, but I just can't get into it.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15

1. Madonna- "Hung Up": The nervous repetitive keyboard shouting above that libidinous bass pattern is too irresistible for me to hear. I remember the buzz about this song leading up to its release- Madonna kept such a tight lid on the song for fear of a leak. After American Life's commercial and critical failure (undeserving, I might add), Madonna needed to shift her focus. She stormed back with this fiery dancefloor grenade, and it lit up the entire world.
2. Nirvana- "Come As You Are": As much as the aggressive furor of the 90s pissed me off and as emblematic of such a cultural shift as Nirvana were, I couldn't help but love most of their songs, this one included. That bass riff is just delicious.
3. The Jam- "In the City": Another band that I like more in theory than in real life, The Jam have never been given a fair shake by me. This is a nice song, but it doesn't make me want to give them that fair shake.
4. The Beach Boys- "Don't Worry Baby": I get that the harmonies are all the rage, but it's a bit too chirpy for me.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. Public Image Ltd.- "Public Image": One of post-punk's earliest singles, I much prefer this to the debauchery of The Sex Pistols.
2. The Jam- "The Eton Rifles": Just when I felt that I wasn't wrong in ignoring The Jam, I hear this.
3. The Clash- "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais": I like The Clash, but I'm not a ska guy, so I don't like this as much as I probably should.
4. Biggy, Ma$e and Puffy- "Mo Money, Mo Problems": This song will be on repeat in Hell if I ever go there. They managed to make Diana Ross sound annoying. Mase and Puffy were my least favorite rappers until 50 Cent came along, and to have them together in one song was simply nauseating. Add to that the irritating trend of music videos in the 90s in which the camera seems to trap the artists in a well-lit room to the fact that Puffy and Mase look like absolute fools in said rooms, and you've got an all-time turd.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#210: "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989] : damn, schleuse has stolen my pun... I guess it is the first time I follow exactly the AM rank. All I can say is that all those artists have done better songs
#303: "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
#722: "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
#815: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
#238: "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959] : I won't either often have a 50s track on top of my list but this one is a great classic and I like love songs to be either childish or spooky
#750: "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973] : incredible bass line, but lacks a bit of energy
#275: "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958] : Tarantino can not be totally wrong (even Deathproof had one good scene)
#787: "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
#331: "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973] : one of Stevie's finest, that's probably where the energy missing in Higher Ground has gone
#182: "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971] : the root of many songs I like, short enough not to be boring, but missing the subtlety of some other songs of the album
#843: "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
#694: "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
#942: "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997] : damn heavy from the start to the end, one of biggy best songs and one of the best soundtrack of my teenage summers
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981] : great rhythm... has anybody ever considered sampling it ?
#430: "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964] : it's fun the number of songs here that remind me of a movie or a show, there is a cover of this one in that 70's show for instance
#83: "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6 : toughest brackets, 4 great songs
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991] : one of the best performance of one of the best voice of the 90s leads to one of the most intense songs of the decade.
#826: "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964] : some thinks of it as a rip-off of You Really Got Me, I consider it as an improvement
#711: "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989] : feels tough to put such a fun song that low, and I do think that fun is a good thing for a song
#199: "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968] : no competition here, far better than the original version, incredible solo etc. etc.
#941: "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936] : pretty good... for a 30s song
#429: "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972] : pretty good... for a reggea song
#596: "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966] : pretty good... for a Dylan song


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
#876: "In the City" - The Jam [1977] : I'm always surprised to see that much Jam songs in the top 1000 since they seem totally unknown to me... great riff however, I quite like it
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
#149: "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
#364: "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
#881: "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997] : Puffy's verse is quite lame but Biggy had great samples. That's enough in this bracket.
#144: "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977] : I don't like "reggea guitars" in a song but here Strummer's pals almost make it sound okay
#369: "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
#656: "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979] : I don't like at all the voice of the singer. When the song is good enough (Going Underground, In The City...) it is no matter but here it REALLY is a problem to me.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970] Santana's signature song, no matter how great Smooth is.
2. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
3."Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
4. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959] An unbelievable song. Very ethereal
2. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
3.Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
4. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962] One of the last gasps for the street corner groups before MoTown took over.
2. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
3. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
4. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973] Can't believe both Stevie songs ended up down here.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981] Better than almost everything Talking Heads ever dead.
2. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
3. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
4. "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989] Cosmic Thing is a criminally underrated album here. Everything on it is great.
2. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991] Probably so memorable because of the music video.
3. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
4. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968] Another etheral song. When you get to the bridge, its like you're almost seeing everything through some wacky 60s effects.
2."Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
3. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
4. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991] Very sad song. It seems like most Nirvana songs were.
2. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964] Also a very sad song.
3. "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005] Not so sad.
4."In the City" - The Jam [1977]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997] Biggie was so good.
2. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
2. "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
4. "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1: "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
2: "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
3: "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
4: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]

None of these songs are particularly great. Monkey Gone To Heaven is one of my least favorite Pixies hits.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1: "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
2: "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
3: "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
4: "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]

Sister Ray is way too long but it's a pretty good song, in fact it probably would be a classic if it wasn't the length of a sitcom.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7

1: "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
2: "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
3: "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
4: "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]

Stevie's best song ever by a landslide, nothing else here comes close to how good that song is and although he has a ton of great songs, nothing he wrote is nearly as fantastic as this.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12

1: "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
2: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
3: "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
4: "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]

Hypnotize is one of the best hip-hop tracks ever. I never listen to Genius of Love but that is a great song as well. The other two are pretty close, good songs but nothing all that special.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6

1: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
2: "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
3: "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
4: "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]

Another bracket of songs I don't hate but they aren't that great either. Jeremy gets #1 but I think the verses are kind of boring. Love Shack is ok but I would definitely turn if off if it came on the radio. Rehab is not that good, I like some of her other songs but not that one. I love the Kinks but their early stuff is way overrated.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12

1: "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
2: "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
3: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
4: "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]

Visions of Johanna is top 5 Dylan for me. I think Blonde on Blonde is a little overrated but that song is definitely underrated.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1: "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
2: "In the City" - The Jam [1977]
3: "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
4: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]

Tough bracket, everything in here is really good. Don't Worry Baby is the easy choice but In the City is one of the best songs of the 70's. It would have won 95 percent of the 1st round brackets. Hung Up would have won a good majority as well.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3

1: "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
2: "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
3: "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
4: "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]

Three overrated songs by punk bands and a mediocre hip-hop track saved at 2:13 by Biggie.

I seemed to enjoy this week's songs a lot more than the past couple weeks. For me it may be the best week so far.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" – I think the first three songs are great. This one in particular seems to balance the raw and soft perfectly.
2. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" – Such sweet guitar playing and i do like the singing.
3. "Freak Scene" – I do like the interplay between the instruments here.
4. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" – This song is kinda like my opinion of Elvis: decent with some interesting parts.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Sister Ray" – An raw epic that could cut out a little fat. Improvisation and subject matter make me think they don't take themselves too seriously which is refreshing for such a long song.
2. "Higher Ground" – Fantastic song. Stevie Wonder near his funkiest and fun.
3. "I Only Have Eyes for You" – I love this song, just not as much as the other two. Easily my favourite '50s bracketology song so far. Just so beautiful.
4. "Rumble" – Wow another fantastic bracket where i really like this hard instrumental track.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Living for the City" – Absolute monster of a song. Since 1973 forum poll I've been listening to Innervisions often and I now view this as Stevie's best song. One thing that floors me is how he is able to sing so hard here.
2. "Paranoid" - A short piece of energy.
3. "Save the Last Dance for Me" – Good singing, but the song does not appeal to me.
4. "La vie en rose" – Seems like Background music.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "My Guy" – 2 close songs, but this is too beautiful to put it at #2.
2. "Hypnotize" – Is a very solid song that should make me investigate his others songs soon.
3. "Mystery Train" – This is a bit better of an Elvis song, but is more just ok.
4. "Genius of Love" – A great beat, but I don't like the singing or the length.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Rehab" – I love the first minute of this song so much.
2. "Jeremy" – At one point this was one of my favourite songs. Now it is a great song where I prefer the chorus especially to the overlong ending.
3. "All Day and All of the Night" – Another solid song that is simple and fun.
4. "Love Shack" – One of the songs I would be happy never hearing again.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" – Wow. One of the best songs ever and my second favourite cover. It is completely overpowering and everything is done in good taste. Winning probably the best bracket yet.
2. "The Harder They Come" – My favourite reggae song is pure beauty.
3. "Visions of Johanna" – One of Dylan's best this song could have won a couple brackets.
4. "Goodnight Irene" – Nice old song.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1."Don't Worry Baby" – Such beauty and genius is shown here that they rarely equalled again. Best song this week.
2. "Come as You Are" – Above average song on its album makes it a great song.
3. "Hung Up” - A great dance song that I wish ended earlier.
4. "In the City" – Doesn't seem to stand out to me.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "The Eton Rifles" - Wow so much better than their other stuff in previous weeks. This song has catchiness and I like the singing.
2. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" – Early experimentation that they would soon surpass.
3. "Public Image" – Kinda bland with some repetition.
4. "Mo Money Mo Problems" – I shouldn't judge the Biggie. too harshly for the painful rapping of his collaborators. I do like his part a lot though.

Busy week so I vote only four (edit six) brackets.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
One of the best songs from Doolittle.
2. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
3. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
4. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
Great doo wop from 50's.
2. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
3. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
4. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7

1: "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
Maybe the best Stevie song.
2: "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
3: "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
4: "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12

1. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
Was there more songs like this in early 80's. This almost sounds 00's.
2. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
3. "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
4. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6

1. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
Not a regular mainstream pop song from 00's.
2. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
3. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
I remembered this was better.
4. "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
One of the best intros ever.
2."In the City" - The Jam [1977]
3. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
4. "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1 - "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
2 - "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
3 - "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
4 - "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]
Pretty close between the top 2 - prefer the sound of 'Freak Scene' slightly. Killer solo. 'Monkey Gone to Heaven' not one of my favourite Pixies tracks. Other 2 pretty good,but don't compare to top 2.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1 - "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
2 - "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
3 - "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
4 - "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
'Sister Ray' carries on too long,but it's impossibly cool and influential. Another fantastic song from Stevie Wonder. Not even in my top 3 off that album,shows what a class act it is. Other 2 - meh.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
2 - "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
3 - "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
4 - "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]
Nothing else comes close to 'Living For The City' here. Do agree it's his best song,but not my very favourite. 'Paranoid' may the only Sabbath song I like,solid track from the Drifters,Edith Piaf number not my cup of tea...

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 - "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
2 - "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
3 - "My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
4 - "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]
Can't believe I hardly knew 'Genius Of Love' even though it was sitting on my ipod - really exciting track. Probably my favourite Elvis track from the 50s,hardly anything from that era comes close. Other 2 not close(there seems to be a pattern emerging here - love the first 2 in a bracket,not so keen about the others)

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
2 - "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
3 - "Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
4 - "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]
Not sure why 'Jeremy' is the song of the theirs to get the most acclaim,but great song anyway,brilliant singing. The Kinks did loads of better songs,but I think this is their best early song easily. 'Love Shack' is kind of annoying - can't stand that guy that talks/sings on this - so talentless. 'Rehab' sucks.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 - "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
2 - "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
3 - "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
4 - "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]
Great set of songs - that cover of 'All Along The Watchtower' is just mindblowing. Awesome talent. One of Dylan's best songs without doubt - would win many other brackets. 'The Harder They Come' isn't really anything special,'Goodnight Irene' can't really get behind...

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1 - "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]
2 - "Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
3 - "In the City" - The Jam [1977]
4 - "Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
Easy win for B-Boys. My favourite song pre-65. Great songs by Nirvana and The Jam,but never really thought of them as classics. Guess the Madonna song isn't too bad,that video is disturbing though...

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 - "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
2 - "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
3 - "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]
4 - "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
Great bracket,love all the tracks. Arguably the best thing The Clash did,a classic. Mo Money Mo Problems was one of my favourites growing up,my opinion of it has held up surprisingly well. 'Public Image' and 'Eton Rifles' both kick ass as well,would have won plenty of other brackets...

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1."Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies [1989]
Awesome song.
2."Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. [1988]
3."Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana [1970]
A great classic radio song, but I've never been a huge fan of it.
4."Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley [1954]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1."Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder [1973]
kick ass song
2."Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1958]
Alright song. This gets extra points because it is in Independence Day when that dude is talking about getting abducted by Aliens.
3."I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos [1959]
Not a fan, but better than the velvet underground.
4."Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground [1968]
I dont mind long songs, but this is just plain monotonous. Why does it sound like it is coming out of a poorly tuned radio?

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1."Paranoid" - Black Sabbath [1971]
Ill give some cred to sabbath because they don't have any other songs on bracketology
2."Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder [1973
3."Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters [1962]
4."La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf [1946]


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1."Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club [1981]
Best of a week bracket
2."My Guy" - Mary Wells [1964]
3."Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley [1955]
4."Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. [1997]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1."All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks [1964]
2."Love Shack" - The B-52's [1989]
3."Jeremy" - Pearl Jam [1991]
4."Rehab" - Amy Winehouse [2006]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1."All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1968]
This song wins because it was the coordinates to earth on Battlestar Galactica.
2."Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan [1966]
3."The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff [1972]
4."Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly [1936]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1."Come as You Are" - Nirvana [1991]
A great song that is not as titanically overrated as smells like teen spirit.
2."In the City" - The Jam [1977]
3."Hung Up" - Madonna [2005]
4."Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys [1964]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1."Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) [1997]
A much better song than hypnotize. Have to give B.I.G. some credit here.
2."(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash [1977]
3.: "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam [1979]
4."Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. [1978]

Voting for this week is now over. Results will be posted as soon as I get everything tallied up.

WEEK 6 RESULTS




LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - Pixies (52 points, 10 first-place votes)
2. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" - Santana (42, 3)
3. "Freak Scene" - Dinosaur Jr. (35, 1)
4. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Elvis Presley (31, 2)

In the first runaway of the week, Pixies put "Monkey Gone to Heaven" into the second round. Dinosaur Jr. is out of Bracketology, but Santana still has "Smooth" in contention. The King, on the other hand, has nine chances left.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos (50, 7)
2. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder (49, 5)
3. "Sister Ray" - The Velvet Underground (38, 4)
4. "Rumble" - Link Wray & His Ray Men (33, 1)

In this week's closest bracket, the Flamingos slip past Stevie Wonder to face Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" in the second round (as well as two yet-to-be-determined songs). The Velvets are now one-for-two, as "Heroin" has already advanced to Round 2, but Link Wray goes one-and-done.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder (61, 12)
2. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath (45, 3)
3. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters (34, 2)
4. "La vie en rose" - Édith Piaf (30, 0)

Stevie Wonder goes one-for-two this week, putting "Living for the City" into Round 2 in a blowout. Black Sabbath and the Drifters are oh-for-two so far, but the Drifters still have three more chances to advance. Sabbath and Piaf are both out.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club (45, 6)
2. "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G. (41, 5)
3. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley (38, 3)
4. "My Guy" - Mary Wells (36, 2)

This bracket went back and forth for much of the week. Elvis led at one point, then Biggie, but the last three ballots pushed "Genius of Love" into the second round. Elvis goes oh-for-two this week, and Biggie loses in his first shot. Mary Wells is gone.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam (53, 9)
2. "All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks (38, 3)
3. "Love Shack" - The B-52's (35, 2)
4. "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse (34, 2)

Pearl Jam is victorious in a blowout and puts "Jeremy" into the second round. The Kinks still have three chances for a first-round victory, and the B-52's still have "Rock Lobster," but Amy Winehouse is done.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (60, 14)
2. "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan (36, 1)
3. "The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff (35, 0)
4. "Goodnight Irene" - Leadbelly (29, 1)

Jimi Hendrix puts his first song into the second round in a runaway. Only two people did not put "Watchtower" in the top spot. Jimmy Cliff is done for the first round, going one-for-two with "Many Rivers to Cross" already in the second round. Dylan loses in his first try in Bracketology, but still has eleven chances remaining. Leadbelly has only one chance remaining for victory.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana (56, 7)
2. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys (50, 8)
3. "In the City" - The Jam (36, 1)
4. "Hung Up" - Madonna (28, 1)

Nirvana is now two-for-two in the first round, and "Come as You Are" upsets the Beach Boys to advance to the second round. The Jam is now winless in three tries, but Madge still has eleven chances for victory.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash (45, 5)
2. "Mo Money Mo Problems" - The Notorious B.I.G. (Featuring Mase & Puff Daddy) (39, 5)
3. "Public Image" - Public Image Ltd. (35, 3)
4. "The Eton Rifles" - The Jam (31, 2)

The Clash put a second song into Round 2, squeaking past Biggie and company in this week's least-voted bracket. PiL is out after going oh-for-two, and the Jam is now oh-for-four with only two songs remaining. Biggie Smalls is also out with both his songs being eliminated this week.




Statistics coming next!

STATISTICS


TOP TEN BEST-PERFORMING SONGS
1. "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (3.904 points per ballot)
2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana (3.778)
3. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (3.75)
4. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (3.667)
5. "Ms. Jackson" - OutKast (3.65)
6. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder (3.588)
7. "London Calling" - The Clash (3.571) tie
7. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (3.571) tie
9. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground (3.556)
10. "Changes" - David Bowie (3.5)


TOP TEN WORST-PERFORMING SONGS
1. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens (1.333)
2. "You're No Good" - Linda Ronstadt (1.35)
3. "I Want It That Way" - Backstreet Boys (1.4)
4. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters (1.55)
5. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads (1.556)
6. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Ludacris & Lil Jon) (1.611)
7. "Acid Trax" - Phuture (1.619)
8. "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin (1.643)
9. "Hung Up" - Madonna (1.647)
10. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem (1.667) tie
10. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo (1.667) tie


TOP TEN WORST-PERFORMING SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (2.667) tie
1. "God" - John Lennon (2.667) tie
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (2.667) tie
4. "I Feel Love" - Donna Summer (2.75) tie
4. "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell (2.75) tie
6. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (2.810)
7. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club (2.812)
8. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (2.842)
9. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (2.857)
10. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds (2.9)


TOP TEN 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. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys (2.941) tie
4. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (2.941) tie
6. "Iron Man" - Black Sabbath (2.9)
7. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder (2.882)
8. "Something" - The Beatles (2.857) tie
8. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (2.857) tie
10. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston (2.833)


TEN LOWEST-RANKED SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (ranked #824)
2. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma (#772)
3. "God" - John Lennon (#714)
4. "Karma Police" - Radiohead (#709)
5. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (#696)
6. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana (#661)
7. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club (#595)
8. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (#449)
9. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz (#404)
10. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (#392)


TEN HIGHEST-RANKED SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis (#64)
2. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley (#83)
3. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (#109)
4. "Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who (#121)
5. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince (#129)
6. "Sexual Healing" - Marvin Gaye (#138)
7. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys (#149)
8. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - Kylie Minogue (#176)
9. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley (#177)
10. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath (#182)

"Genius of Love" advancing is my favorite thing that has happened so far! I like it more than anything Talking Heads ever did!

MORE STATISTICS


WHO GOT THE MOST CORRECT WINNERS THIS WEEK?
1. Anthony (5 out of 5 - 100%)
2. pop elton (5 out of 6 - 83.33%)
3. SR (6 out of 8 - 75%)
4. Midaso (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
4. Nassim (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
4. sonofsamiam (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
7. The Lone Gunmen (4 out of 7 - 57.14%)
8. BillAdama (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
8. Matt Schroeder (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
8. nicolas (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
8. schleuse (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
8. VanillaFire1000 (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
13. brose (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
13. Greg (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
13. Harold Wexler (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
13. John (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
13. Moonbeam (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE)
1. Michael (12 out of 15 - 80%)
2. Honorio (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
2. Mindrocker (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. Midaso (33 out of 48 - 68.75%)
5. Anthony (25 out of 37 - 67.57%)
6. SR (32 out of 48 - 66.67%)
7. Matt Schroeder (31 out of 48 - 64.58%)
8. Greg Rumpff (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
8. brose (30 out of 48 - 62.5%) tie
8. Harold Wexler (30 out of 48 - 62.5%) tie


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY NUMBER CORRECT)
1. Midaso (33)
2. SR (32)
3. Matt Schroeder (31)
4. brose (30) tie
4. Harold Wexler (30) tie
6. nicolas (29)
7. BillAdama (27) tie
7. sonofsamiam (27) tie
9. Anthony (25)
10. schleuse (24)