Put a Pin on the Map View my Forum Guestmap
Free Guestmaps by Bravenet.com

The Old Acclaimed Music Forum

Go to the NEW FORUM

Music, music, music...
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

BRACKETOLOGY: ROUND 1, WEEK 7

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 2
1960s: 9
1970s: 5
1980s: 5
1990s: 8
2000s: 3

Also of note:
Three brackets in the Liszt bloc
Two brackets in the Verdi bloc
Two songs by David Bowie


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 5
#50: "Common People" - Pulp [1995]
#463: "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
#562: "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
#975: "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
#242: "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
#754: "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]
#783: "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
#44: "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
#469: "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
#556: "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
#981: "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
#67: "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
#446: "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]
#579: "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
#958: "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#82: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
#431: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
#594: "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
#943: "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
#140: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
#373: "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
#652: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
#885: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
#454: "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
#571: "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]
#966: "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
#171: "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
#342: "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]
#683: "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]
#854: "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

WEEK 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Common People" - Pulp [1995]
Had never heard this until about two years ago when I first started collecting the Top 3000 songs. How the hell did I go so long without never hearing this one? More importantly, why did my local radio stations insist on playing the Spice Girls over this?
2. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
I have the "Guitar Queero" episode of South Park to thank for allowing me to finally "get" this song. It's not great, but it's a lot of fun to sing the chorus.
3. "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]
Talk about prophetic. The first video on MTV, and then the Buggles quickly disappeared. I guess the video really did kill the radio star.
4. "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
The Bowie fans on this board might give this one a good showing, but I've never been able to get this song. I've tried and tried. I'm going to have to pass.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]
It's about the only Hooker I can stomach, and what a song!
2. "Timeless" - Goldie
I'm sure I'm going to be one of the few people to rate it this highly, but it's really quite an extraordinary song (if you can manage to make it through all 21 minutes of it). The first couple minutes make it sound like your average, run-of-the-mill house song, but then the beat kicks in at about the 2:40 mark and you realize: this is too fast. Welcome to drum 'n' bass.
3. "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
Another song that I just can't seem to "get," no matter how many times I try to listen to it.
4. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
Great example of a band getting better as they got older. Not a big fan of "Licensed to Ill," but they Boys got better the more they got out of their "frat boy" mode.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]
God, what a tough bracket. I'd easily vote any of these first in some of the other brackets this week, but here it is in a "group of death." I gotta go with the song that introduced me to Massive Attack. Dark, beautiful, moody... I could listen to this every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.
2. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
I really hate to put this one second (and I'm sure it will end up winning the bracket), but to tell the truth, it's always dragged on a little too long for me. Still, MAJOR props for going no-bass on a funk song.
3. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
I really hate to put this one third (and it wouldn't surprise me if this one upsets Prince), but I just love the other two more.
4. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
If it had been "Frontier Psychiatrist" instead of this song, I'd probably be putting it above Neil or even Prince. "Since I Left You" is still good, just not in the category of the other three.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
I'm a little hesitant to put this one first, but the other options are: a novelty song and two sub-par, over-rated songs. Bonus points for rhyming "Klondike" with "blond dyke."
2. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]
Yeah, it's mostly nonsense, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
3. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
Overplayed. I've heard this one enough times to last me a lifetime.
4. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
It's never as fast as you remember it. It's also not as good as you remember it.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
There are some songs I could hear over and over (this one), and others that I've had enough of ("Stand by Me"). Lots 'o fun. Crisp horn section, unintelligible lyrics, and tight, jangly guitars. This is the ultimate JB song.
2. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
Seamless blend of '60s-era R&B and late-'90s hip-hop. Still amazes me eleven years later. The video's pretty bad-ass too. Just wish Lauryn would release a follow-up.
3. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]
I'm a sucker for good trip-hop. Play me something like this, that sounds like molasses on a cold day, and I'm a happy man. Not my favorite example of the genre, but it's still pretty darn good.
4. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
I obviously prefer the updated girl-group sound of Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop" to the original thing. This one isn't that bad, I just don't see myself listening to this one that often.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
Why does everyone love this song? I do too, I just want to know why! Is it that bass-line? Is it the drums, that keep everything driving without becoming overbearing? Is it the way the guitar comes crashing in at the end of every verse?
2. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
Another song that I love, but I don't know why. You can definitely hear the "arena rock" sound that defined the band in the '70s. Great stuff.
3. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]
This was the last song of Madge's that I cared about. Great beat, and some of the sounds are still edgy. Yeah, baby!
4. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
...but she knows that I don't.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
The fact that it's Bowie's highest-rated song on AM is in no way influencing this comment: this is Bowie's best. His voice sounds a bit strained at times, especially in the third verse. Still, it's absolutely majestic, uplifting, and divine.
2. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]
Considering how laid-back and mellow the opening verse is, it really comes as a bit of a surprise just how much Ellison puts into the chorus. Once those horns come in, you're knocked back on your ass. If someone were singing those four words to you ("stay with me, baby") with as much conviction as Lorraine does, you know damn well you'd be staying.
3. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
The Philly soul sound is a real mixed bag for me. Some songs are absolutely divine, but others sound over-produced and maudlin. This one goes in category B.
4. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]
Influential? Undoubtedly. But it just doesn't speak to me the way it might to others. Sorry, Elmore.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
Such a beautiful ballad, but if it were in any other bracket, I'd be hard-pressed to put it first. Simply the beneficiary of a weak bracket (by my standards).
2. "Step On" - Happy Mondays" [1990]
I really could care less about these last three songs, but this is the best of the bunch.
3. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price
I'm truly shocked I'm not putting this one last, but I dislike it just a little bit less than...
4. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
Alright, Beatles fans. Flame away. But really, I've never liked this song. I'm sure this one will still win the bracket, in spite of my vote.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Getting this week in early considering I missed the past two votes.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Common People" - Pulp [1995] - I once said this was one of the songs in the top 100 I didn't like, after only a listen or two. Fortunately, I gave it another shot awhile back, and it is glorious. Everybody wants to be normal, but normal is crappy, so Pulp made something extraordinary instead. And "All My Friends" owes it a huge debt.
2. "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980] - Big drop, but this is still a good song, albeit a cheesy one. More historically than musically significant.
3. "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975] - I like Bowie's "Starman" phase better than his "Soul Man" period, but this is one of his best of the era.
4. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978] - A good song. Uhh...yeah.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962] - I decided in the first 5 notes that this was #1.
2. "Debaser" - Pixies [1989] - One of my favorite Pixies songs. Frank Black is in the crazy genius category, and he's one of the most exciting performers in that category, even in the studio.
3. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986] - It was fresh at the time, but now it's very dated, and 23 years later we have seen the Beasties can do better.
4. "Timeless" - Goldie [1995] - I have a short attention span, and this took nearly three minutes to get out of "Music for Airports" territory.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984] - I think this might be the strangest #1 hit ever. That ridiculous intro, no bass, the emotional lyrics over that sparse funk, they all come together for a great jam.
2. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989] - The best post-Vietnam protest song by the man who writes them best. Simple but timeless, just like the isolationist foreign policy it champions.
3. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000] - Really neat and innovative, it sparkles from the first listen, but a tad repetitive.
4. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998] - I need more time with this one.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962] - Undeniably both influential and beautiful, with an inifinitely-imitated bassline to boot. It's been copied since the day it came out to the present day.
2. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007] - On some days I would dare call this the greatest sample ever, and it utterly blew me away the first time I saw the music video on VH1.
3. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965] - It wishes it were "Louie Louie" so bad...
4. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979] - ...but not as bad as this wishes it were a Clash song.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965] - As much as I like funk, I thing James Brown is overrated. Really overrated. Jab'o Starks might as well be #32 on the artist list. Having said that, this is one of his most exuberant and acclaim-deserving songs.
2. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998] - This song is one of hip-hop's most oft-overlooked moments for me. How do people forget how good this song is?
3. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995] - It's cool, that's for sure, but also quite long.
4. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963] - Inspired "My Sweet Lord." Yeah.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003] - The octave-detuned guitar heard 'round the world (mostly in stadiums) is everything that rock in the 00's should and could have been. It's such, such an awesome bass riff that could fit in a Radiohead song just as easily as an AC/DC song.
2. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967] - Inspired "Helter Skelter." Yeah, that's freakin' awesome, just as much so as the freakout that is Keith Moon's performance, and Pete Townshend's, and the whole song's just about nuts, really...
#652: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962] - Pleasant enough.
#885: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999] - Not over soon enough.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977] - Overwhelmingly #1. This is the song that should have accompanied the fall of the Berlin wall, not some stupid Hoff shit.
2. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952] - The guitar-playing is too big for the song, but I would want to play big too if I had a tone that good in 1952.
3. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972] - A standard, the kind of song that gets regularly sung on American Idol.
4. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969] - A good vocal, but not good enough to keep it out of 4th.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965] - An excellent song off one of my favorite albums. It's surprisingly hooky given it's wistfulness, with some great chord changes. Plus who could forget George Martin's magnificent piano solo?
2. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992] - I can't penalize it for being a song I'm not in the mood for all the time (hell, who would be?) but it works great in the right context.
3. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956] - Not good.
4. "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990] - Not good either, but not necessarily worse than #3.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5

01. "Young Americans"- David Bowie: Probably in my top 5 of the 70s. Massive single by the man who defined the decade.
02. "Common People"- Pulp
03. "Surrender"- Cheap Trick
04. "Video Killed the Radio Star"- The Buggles



LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2

01. "Debaser"- Pixies: This song has just always gotten me. So energetic. Massively important too; no Pixies no Cobain.
02. "Fight For Your Right"- Beastie Boys
03. Timeless- Goldie
04. "Boom Boom" John Lee Hooker


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9

01. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
02. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
03. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
04. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
01. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
02. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
03. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]
04. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12

01. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
02. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
03. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
04. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3


01. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
02. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
03. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
04. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5

01. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
02. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]
03. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
04. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11

01. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
02. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
03. "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]
04. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Wow - some of these brackets are incredible. A little bit to think about...

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]

A perfect pop/rock confection, though it was a toss-up between the Top 3 for me in this group.

2. "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]

A great song, and the whole album is unfairly underrated.

3. "Common People" - Pulp [1995]

Quite possibly the Britpop linchpin, though there has always been something a little too easy about the class-based outrage in this track.

4. "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]

I love my Bowie, but never was a fan of his plastic soul period. It just comes off a little hollow and overly studied.



LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2

1. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]

Effortless blues, it's all in the delivery.

2. "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]

Lots of other Doolittle tracks I like better these days, but this maniacal mayhem is still a fine way to kick off an album.

3. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]

Y'know, after all the righteous seriousness, I sometimes miss the old pure obnoxiousness of the Beasties. Sometimes.

4. "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]

I could never get into this. Respect, but not my thing.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9

1. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]

An all-time Prince classic wins an extremely tough bracket. This song is, of course, perfect.

2. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]

There's a bittersweet quality to this that pushes it far past similar sampladelic efforts.

3. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]

Still love this, though very few songs scream "1998" at me more. Which makes it weird every time I see the credits for "House".

4. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]

Fine comeback rocker, but succumbs to far better songs in this bracket.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8

1. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]

Easily wins an otherwise very weak bracket. A surprisingly eerie song when I listen to it these days.

2. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]

Sort of a default #2, good but too reliant on the (irresistable) Daft Punk sample.

3. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]

Never a big Specials fan (outside of "Ghost Town").

4. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]

I like silly garage rock, but this is just flat played-out.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12

1. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]

Another easy winner in a relatively weak group, this is basically the template for funk.

2. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]

Just a really fine modern soul song.

3. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]

Bleak and creepy, though I pretty much never feel compelled to listen to Tricky anymore.

4. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]

Again, I love my '60s girl groups, but this is not one of the best examples of the genre.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3

Suddenly, a really tough bracket.

1. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]

Probably the Who's most perfect single, from the menacing lyrics, the tension in each verse's build-up, the way Keith Moon plays lead drums (yet is unusually restrained by his standards), and Townshend's fantastic one-note solo. It sounds even better in the context of The Who Sell Out.

2. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]

I thought my favorite White Stripes song would come in higher in whatever bracket it landed in, but Madonna's pitch-perfect bubblegum knocks it out. Her last truly great track IMO, but a doozy.

3. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]

Still really good, classic rock disguised as indie.

4. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]

George Jones actually has some very good songs, though this isn't one of my favorites of his.



TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]

Destroys the rest of the bracket, this may become the new leader of average bracket points. What a fusion of pop and experimental sensibilities, plus one of the better vocal performances ever.

2. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]

Classic soul track, but not an all-time great.

3. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]

Classic electric blues track, but not an all-time great.

4. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]

Classic philly-soul track, but not an all-time great.



SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11

Worst bracket of the bunch.

1. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]

Another easy easy winner, maybe Lennon's best autobiographical song of 'em all. Plus harpsichord!

2. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]

Sort of surprised this is #2, as the only other bracket it wouldn't be last in is Mozart 8 with "Wooly Bully". It's OK, which is good enough here.

3. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]

A really boring, oversimplified, schmaltzily arranged self-help song. (And I know that will piss a lot of people off.) There are many "quiet" tracks I love on Automatic for the People, but this is not one of them.

4. "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]

I Don't Like (Happy) Mondays.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Common People" - Pulp [1995]
2. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
3. "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]
4. "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]

“Common People” is a modern classic. I don’t think that’s another song that builds up as powerfully or strongly as this one. Two of the next tracks are pretty damn good and the Bowie track is mediocre.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
2. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
3. "Timeless" – Goldie
4. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]

“Debaser” is a classic – it gets you going from the start. I love the Kim Deal backing vocals at the end and the bass is great.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]
2. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
3. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
4. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]

This and Liszt 5 are the two strongest brackets this week by far. “Teardrop” is one of the few trip-hop songs that I love. The dark beats and the collaboration with Liz Fraser was a great idea. Neil Young’s last great hit is good and Prince is pretty good. “Since I Left You” is the best number 4 song this week.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
2. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
3. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
4. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]

Weak group, but “Stand by Me” is a classic. I don’t love rap, but Kanye uses the Daft Punk sample well. “Wooly Bully” is probably the worst track of the week – hadn’t heard it before and won’t try to hear it again.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
2. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]
3. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
4. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]

Weaker group. Lauryn Hill is just slightly better than the other tracks. I never got James Brown, so that might account for part of this problem.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
2. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
3. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]
4. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]

“I Can See for Miles” is a great Who song. Not their best, but they don’t need to be at their best to win most brackets. Numbers 2 and 3 are pretty good. I don’t like the White Stripes.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
2. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]
3. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
4. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]

“Heroes” is miles above any of the other songs here. I don’t normally love Bowie, but I can’t deny the power of that song.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
2. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
3. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price
4. "Step On" - Happy Mondays" [1990]

“In My Life” is a classic – one of my favorite Beatles tunes. R.E.M. has better songs on “Automatic for the People” (“Man on the Moon”, “Nightswimming”), but “Everybody Hurts” is still pretty good.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
#50: "Common People" - Pulp [1995]
Should we even really bother voting in this block? Seriously, give Common People a first round bye. I could probably muster up a long winded rant, but I'll save it for a round it's actually threatened.
#463: "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
An excellent song. That is against Common People. Can we move this to the Mozart block and move Stronger here?
#562: "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
A nice song, that really deserves a weaker block. A little too pop crafted.
#975: "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]
The first video ever played on MTV, the station that destroyed popular music. You are the harbinger of the apocalypse, Buggles. What do I think of the song, you ask? Fun but a little too twee. But who cares what the song sounds like? There are boobs on screen!

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
There's very little on Doolittle or Surfer Rosa that isn't awesome. Pixies sound like they *shouldn't* be awesome. Yet they totally are.
#783: "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]
Straightforward blues. Which is more than good enough for second place in this bracket.
#754: "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]
21 minutes? Really? Nice atmospheric sound but kind of drones.
#242: "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
The only time I like the Beasties is when that grating whiny voice isn't too prominent in the song. ...It's practically all you hear in this dated anthem to teenage hedonism.


One of the multiple brackets this week that just begs for the matchups to be reshuffled.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
#44: "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
Prince's best single as far as I'm concerned. A beautiful self-psychoanalyzing spurned lover song.
#469: "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
Another song that should have been a #1 pick for me but wound up in the wrong bracket. Though it brushes closer to schmaltz than any other Neil Young song.
#981: "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]
Another great song, against two better songs.
#556: "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
I never got the hype. Then again I never get the hype of cut and paste electro-pop. It's like, it sounds nice. Then it sounds the same over and over for five minutes.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
#67: "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
Simple enjoyable R&B song, which thrives on it's *own* merits. Unlike other songs in this bracket that shall not be named.
#446: "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]
Fun song. That apparently was copped later by a surfing song.
#579: "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
Tad cheesy. But at least it's original.
#958: "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
There are some good things about this song. ...And Kanye West is not creatively responsible for any of them. The rapping, K Widdy's contribution, is mediocre at best. South Park has not nailed anyone more accurately than Kanye West.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#943: "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]
Huh. I'm a big fan of Maxinquaye but this is a weird choice from it. Not one of the most standout cuts of the album. Still better than the rest of this bracket though.
#431: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
I've tried to like Miseducation of Lauryn Hill a few times, but I can never get past her voice. Also the message of the song is too rooted in gender cliches. Still a well constructed song.
#82: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
Always love James Brown's perfect soul voice and his awesome brass section. This song is a bit too poppy, but it's good.
#594: "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
Cheesy and derivative.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
#140: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
It's amazing what Jack White can do with such simple basslines. I could play this song easily the first time I picked up a guitar. Yet, it's awesome. Jack White has that effect.
#652: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
Kind of mean a song, but good.
#373: "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
The least funny song from the second funniest album ever released. A pretty good song but I don't know why the Who thought it'd be their breakout hit. It pales next to their later rockier stuff, especially out of the context of Who Sell Out.
#885: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]
When I first heard this song, I sorta liked it. Then after hearing it on video countdowns over and over I got sick of it. It's kinda vapid and bouncy and seems in hindsight like just a re-branding effort. I'm also pretty sure I heard it as a country song, and it's one of those pop songs like "I Don't Want To Miss A Thang" where they take a country song their fans have never heard of, retool it in their own style, and just sorta not mention it's a cover.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
No contest in this bracket. One of Bowie's best singles.
#966: "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]
Emotionally powerful song, not the most unique. Good enough for #2 in this bracket.
#571: "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]
Too many of the songs in this contest use that same blues riff. Of course, it's a really awesome riff that's perfect to solo over, so I can forgive.
#454: "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
Kind of a cheesy song. But good.


Another stacked bracket
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
#342: "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]
I'm seeing the Happy Mondays with the Psychadelic Furs in October. *Hipster glee*.
#171: "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
Great transitional period pop song, I'm sure one of the many Beatles songs that will advance.
#854: "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
REM are the only band that could write this song and have it not seem lame at all.
#683: "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]
Another good song up against great songs.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles
2: "Surrender" - Cheap Trick
3: "Young Americans" - David Bowie
4: "Common People" - Pulp

Is it worse than the other three songs? Probably not, but "Common People" is one of those (rare) cases where extreme displeasure breeds maliciousness -- I'll do whatever I can to sabotage its success (even though it likely won't make much difference). I dislike everything about it: the vocals, the production, the lyrics. People go on about how it's a charming, emotionally charged masterpiece of BritPop; hell, it's even been voted the greatest song of the nineties. Frankly, I just don't hear it. There's a line between clever and stupid; for me, despite numerous listens, it's always fallen into the 'stupid' side.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9:
1: "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution
2: "Teardrop" - Massive Attack
3: "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches
4: "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young

Lately, "I Would Die 4 U" has been my go-to Purple Rain song, but there's no denying the brilliance of "When Doves Cry" -- Prince's masterpiece. "Teardrop" is great too, despite its unfortunate use on "House", but "Black Milk" gets the title of my favorite track from Mezzanine. "Since I Left You" has sort of lost its cache over the years, and "Rockin'" might be my least favorite Neil Young song.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1: "Stronger" - Kanye West
2: "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs
3: "Gangsters" - The Specials
4: "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King

Not my favorite song from Graduation (maybe 5th or 6th), but I have to give props to any artist that can take a song as nauseatingly repetitive as the original and spin it into an infectious club-banger. And call me heartless, but "Stand by Me" does nothing but bore me.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill
2: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown
3: "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons
4: "Aftermath" - Tricky

Put me on record as being a big fan of Lauryn Hill's first (and only) album. And this song, with the nice sprinkling of ivory-tickling and great background vocals, is one of its highlights.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
2: "I Can See for Miles" - The Who
3: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones
4: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna

One of the best songs of the decade, but as much as I hate to say this, it's one that I could use a long break from. Quick show of hands: who here starts the album at "Black Math"?

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1: "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M.
2: "In My Life" - The Beatles
3: "Step On" - Happy Mondays
4: "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price

A trend: this and the four previous songs that I've put at #1 are all from great albums but I wouldn't place any of them in the top half of each album. "Everybody Hurts", for as much as I usually skip it (it's a bit too emotionally heavy-handed), is a great song when you're in the right frame of mind for it. "In My Life"... it's never been a favorite of mine; in fact, I find it rather dull.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
#50: "Common People" - Pulp [1995] : great song, easy winner of quite a weak bracket.
#562: "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978] : quite cheesy but in a good way
#975: "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]
#463: "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975] : pretty bad for a Bowie single

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies [1989] : tough choice for first place, Pixies craziness slighty takes the edge over John Lee timeless class
#783: "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]
#242: "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986] : I'm the biggest fan of the B Boys in the forum, but that track has not aged well at all
#754: "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
#981: "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998] : A fabulous song, drumming like a heartbeat, with the pure voice of Liz Frasier and a delicate piano, is my favourite song of all the bracketology game...
#44: "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984] : ... which will unfortunately lose against Prince's best song (by the way, my mother is never satisfied either)...
#556: "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000] : ... which force me to put that amazing song at 3 place while it would win most of the other brackets with its brilliant use of samples, creating a both nostalgic and happy mood
#469: "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989] : not the slightest chance against the 3 other songs


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8 : quite a weak bracket... I can't say much more unfortunately, Kanye takes the first place only because he has the only song here I would not be bothered listening to
#958: "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
#67: "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
#579: "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
#446: "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#431: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998] : even more than the great chorus or the brasses, it is the piano which makes that song so pleasant
#594: "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963] : My Sweet Lord, this song is good. I think I would have liked girls bands of the 60s
#82: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965] : another song too good to end 3rd
#943: "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
#373: "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967] : as anthemic as Seven Nation Army but deeper, maybe even more intense... and as much as I usually don't really care for the lyrics, I like those ones
#140: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
#885: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999] : another hard bracket since I do like that Madonna song
#652: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
#571: "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952] : another 50s song first in one of my bracket, quite surprising, but I would rank all those song at the same level
#454: "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972] : many aweful covers should not make us forget the greatness of the original version
#59: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977] : I don't get the acclaim on this One, any song on Ziggy Stardust sounds better to me
#966: "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
#342: "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990] : many of their other songs have aged a bit, this one not at all, still as fun, funky and enjoyable. I would totally have been a fan of the band at that time, paved the way to many of the band I like today which have the guts to make dance music for people who usually don't dance (Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem...)
#171: "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965] : not among the best Beatles song but still pretty damn good
#854: "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992] : I know it is supposed to be a parody but it is a little bit too dramatic... still a good song with a fun video
#683: "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956] : victim of the competition

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

This is my first post on the AM forums, though I've been lurking around (and heavily enjoying) the site for the last six months. I've read all the weeks of bracketology so far, though I haven't been motivated to participate because I didn't know all of the songs. I figured I'd finally just listen to the ones I didn't know and join in on all the fun.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
#1 "Common People" - Pulp [1995]

An all-time classic that is unfortunately unknown to most of the American public. Simply masterful in terms of lyrics and arrangement.

#2 "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]

I never got into this song from Guitar Hero, but upon revisiting it now it’s hard to deny the pop/rock excellence achieved here. Much better than the group’s better-known, overplayed “I Want You to Want Me.”

#3 "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]

In my opinion, this song hasn’t aged as well as Bowie’s other 70s material.

#4 "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]

Complete 80s cheese. I have no idea why this is even acclaimed by anyone other than VH1.



LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
#1 "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]

Oh my god, what a song. The label ‘perfect pop song’ gets thrown around a lot, but “Debaser” is one of the few tracks that deserves such praise…perfect pop, perfect rock, perfect alternative, perfect single, perfect whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Easily in my all-time top 10 songs.

#2 "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]

Probably the best straight-up blues song I’ve ever heard. No match for “Debaser” though.

#3 "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]

Surprisingly high up on the AM list for such a cheesy song that I believe the Beasties themselves have even denounced.

#4 "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]

Like many other voters (at least I assume), I heard this for the first time while ordering these songs. Can’t say I’ll be going back for a second listen anytime soon.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
#1 "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]

This is the toughest bracket I’ve seen in seven weeks of bracketology. All of these songs are four or five star songs for me, but “Since I Left You” is definitely the best of the bunch. Though it looks like the votes so far will send “Teardrop” or “When Doves Cry” to the next round, I’m not going to deny the sheer joy contained in “Since I Left You,” which is better at creating emotion with samples than anything except maybe some of DJ Shadow’s work.

#2 "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]

I’m glad to have known this song before I knew it as the theme song to “House.” This would win almost any other bracket here, but with “Since I Left You” present here, it’ll have to settle for second.

#3 "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]

I’m just getting into Neil Young, but this stands out as one of the best songs I’ve heard from him so far. It’s hard to deny that chugging riff and anthemic chorus.

#4 "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]

One of the most unique pop hits of all time, but I’ve grown tired of it.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
#1 "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]

It’s almost impossible to describe this song without using the word ‘classic.’ Some may find the lyrics cheesy; I find them flawless, and Mr. King’s vocal performance is exactly what you’d expect from a famous soul song. Overwhelms a weak bracket.

#2 "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]

One of Kanye West’s better songs. I’d rather listen to the Daft Punk source material, but he does use the sample well to create a catchy hip-hop song.

#3 "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]

A fun novelty hit. I don’t complain when they play this at parties or sporting events.

#4 "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]

I can’t say I’ve ever been interested in the Specials (including “Ghost Town”), and this song does absolutely nothing for me.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
#1 "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]

A simply untouchable funk song that soars through an easy bracket.

#2 "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]

This is a very cool-sounding, atmospheric trip-hop song. I’m reminded of my need to check out Tricky more.

#3 "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]

As a 1963 girl-group hit, it is natural to compare this to the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” and it doesn't even touch that classic. However, it’s a harmless, catchy, fun pop song

#4 "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]

I don’t really know what to say here; I just flat-out don’t like this song.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
#1 "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]

Have I heard this song one too many times? Yes. Is this, without a doubt, one of the most legendary guitar riffs ever produced? Yes. “Seven Nation Army” is at the absolute apex of straight-up rock songs in the 21st century.

#2 "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]

I assume I am in the minority on this opinion, but this is actually my favorite Madonna song. The chorus is sublime, and the production has aged far better than Madonna’s 80s work.

#3 "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]

Good by most other groups’ standards, but merely average for a Who song.

#4 "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]

This is really on the AM list?



TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
#1 “'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]

If anyone doesn’t place “‘Heroes’” first in this group, I’ll develop a serious distrust of their music taste.

#2 "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]

Incredibly emotional, intensely performed soul song. It still isn’t 1/100th of the song “’Heroes’” is though.

#3 "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]

Good blues song.

#4 "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]

Mediocre soul song.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11

#1 "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]

Though these things tend to change from time to time, right now this is my absolute favorite Beatles song. John Lennon’s lyrical performance on this is without a doubt one of the best of all time, simultaneously invoking nostalgia, hope, and love. “In My Life” is a downright pop masterpiece.

#2 "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]

Just heard this song for the first time. I liked it more than I expected. The guitar work is consistently interesting throughout its six-minute-plus duration.

#3 "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]

Pretty good for a third-place finisher, but nowhere near R.E.M.’s best work.

#4 "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]

Judging by my responses to this and the George Jones song, I’m obviously not a fan of this old-style country music. I’ll stick to Johnny Cash for the time being.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Jackson
This is my first post on the AM forums, though I've been lurking around (and heavily enjoying) the site for the last six months. I've read all the weeks of bracketology so far, though I haven't been motivated to participate because I didn't know all of the songs. I figured I'd finally just listen to the ones I didn't know and join in on all the fun.


Well, I don't think "welcome" is the right word, since you've been lurking for so long, so I guess I'll just say that I'm glad you chose this for your first post! Hope to see more from you!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Jackson
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
#1 “'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]

If anyone doesn’t place “‘Heroes’” first in this group, I’ll develop a serious distrust of their music taste.



Dammit, people usually wait until their sixth or seventh post in the forum before distrusting my tastes !
Welcome anyway!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 "Common People" - Pulp [1995] : an AM’s favorite, and in its own right : perfect pop song
2 "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975] : one of David’s many brilliant singles, with a soul flavor
3 "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980] : I used to own this 7 inch when I was a kid but his appeal has somewhat faded a bit now.
4 "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]: over produced

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986] ties are not allowed, so I had to choose between the first 3 and it will be the Beastie Boys for their energy. Anyway, Debaser will win.
2 "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
3 "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962] : I love the blues but this is far from being my favorite blues song.
4 "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]: In the lates nineties I was a big electro fan and this song is good memeories

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1: "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989] : Neil at his electric best, here again it was a hard choice
2 "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984] : another masterpiece of the 1980s
3 "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998] : those first 3 brackets are very solid. Massive Attack unique sound has been copied more than once but never equalled.
4 "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000] 3.75: interesting single I’d never heard before


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1 "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962] : one of the most beautiful voices of soul
2: "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979] : ska with multi vitamins
3: "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965] : a decent rock’n’roll song is better than a lot of things
4 "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007] : for example, better than a decent rap

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965] : probably my favorite JB single
2 "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995] : trip hop mpay sound a bit artificial now, but this single is not so bad
3 "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
4: "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
#140: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003] : a milestone ? Not so sure, but a good guitar rock single
#652: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962] : Good to hear the sweet sound of country music, it is so rare here
#373: "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967] : not my favorite Who single, but still very solid and original
#885: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999] : one of the few madonna singles i can listen to

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]: this electric cover of a Robert Johnson classic is even better then the original, which is to say what a great musician Elmore was
2: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977] 4 : a good single, yes, but I’ve never understood why it got so much acclaim here. Can someone explain me ?
3 "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969] : too much sugar on those balads
4 "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1 "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965] : that harpsichord solo and that subdominant minor make it a great Beatles single
2 "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992] : beautiful
3 "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956] 3.75 : avearge honky tonk single
4: "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990] : not a big fan to say the least

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT 5
1. "Surrender" - what is this song about??? it's brilliant.
2. "Common People"
3. "Young Americans"
4. "Video Killed the Radio Star"

LISZT 2
1. "Timeless" - epic dnb. one of my fav '90s electronic tracks not made by aphex twin
2. "Boom Boom"
3. "Fight for Your Right"
4. "Debaser"

VERDI 9
1. "When Doves Cry" - not much to add. perfect in every way...and still not my fav track on the album
2. "Rockin' in the Free World"
3. "Since I Left You"
4. "Teardrop"

MOZART 8
1. "Stand by Me" - ubiquitous yes, but always welcome. king's rasp was never put to better use than it was here
2. "Stronger"
3. "Wooly Bully"
4. "Gangsters"

LISZT 12
1. "Aftermath" - if you play this entire album, girlz will let you do naughty things to them. or so i've heard.
2. "He's So Fine"
3. "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
4. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"

VERDI 3
1. "She Thinks I Still Care" - my 2nd or 3rd fav song from someone i consider one of the 10 best singers of the century
2. "I Can See for Miles"
3. "Beautiful Stranger"
4. "Seven Nation Army"

TCHAIKOVSKY 5
1. "Heroes" - one of his best vocal performances. i like to think it influenced kate bush.
2. "If You Don't Know Me by Now"
3. "Dust My Broom"
4. "Stay with Me"

SCHUBERT 11
1. "Everybody Hurts" - ironic? maybe, but not to me. a beautiful song.
2. "Crazy Arms"
3. "Step On"
4. "In My Life"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Common People" – One of my favourite songs that this site has helped me discover. Love the synth aswell as the lyrics. Couldn't get some friends to agree until I played the William Shatner version on their radio show.
2. "Young Americans" – I love how fun this song is.
3. "Video Killed the Radio Star" – This is so much better than I remembered it being. Surprisingly much catchier than cheesy. Suffers from being in a hard bracket.
4. "Surrender" - Huge drop off here. Seems a little lacking to me.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Debaser" – Crazy catchy and comes together perfectly.
2. "Boom Boom" – Great straight ahead song.
3. "Timeless" – These next two I would be happy to never hear again. So long punctuated with the odd interesting beat.
4. "Fight for Your Right" – Annoying would be the best description.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Teardrop" – Closest bracket yet. 4 very good songs with the combination of the singing and mood make it first.
2. "Since I Left You" – First time hearing this and it is so beautiful.
3. "Rockin' in the Free World" – Very good anthem and electric song.
4. "When Doves Cry" – I feel really bad putting this song 4th since it would win many other brackets. It is very fun.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stronger" – Not original, but he does a good job with the sample and his parts especially the chorus are good enough to put it in first in this week bracket.
2. "Stand by Me" – Great bass line and nothing else does anything for me.
3. "Gangsters" - Decent song with a fun feel, but I'm not going to come back.
4. "Wooly Bully" – Not interesting in any way.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" – So much fun and energy not to mention infulence.
2. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" – She does such a great job on this song and I love the chorus.
3. "He's So Fine" – Fun straightforward girl group track.
4. "Aftermath" – Long decent atmospheric track.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Seven Nation Army" – One of the best songs of the decade with a fantastic guitar riff.
2. "Beautiful Stranger" – Finally one of her better songs. It seems to stay on a course that I love.
3. "I Can See for Miles" – Not their best, but it succeeds in foreshadowing where their sound was headed.
4. "She Thinks I Still Care" – Not my cup of tea.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "'Heroes'" – Bowie never again reached so high with this magnificent songs that builds to where it seems he strains to sing the last bit.
2. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" – Beautiful, but does cross into the cheese a little bit.
3. "Dust My Broom" – Cool guitar.
4. "Stay with Me" – I'm not sure what this song is doing.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "In My Life" – One of the most beautiful songs ever and the best about looking at the past.
2. "Everybody Hurts" – Another beautiful song, but this one seems a little simpler than In My Life.
3. "Step On" – Cool song that changes up.
4. "Crazy Arms" – This sort of country has no appeal to me.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. Common People - Great lyrics. Good building of energy throughout the song.
2. Young Americans
3. Surrender
4. Video Killed the Radio Star


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. Timeless - Cool spacey effects and great drum/bass work. Very interesting composition.
2. Boom Boom
3. Fight For Your Right
4. Debaser

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. When Doves Cry - Classic Prince. Great song, great arrangement with no bass.
2. Since I Left You
3. Rockin' in the Free World
4. Teardrop

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. Stronger - Just the best song in this bracket. Not a big fan of Stand By Me, sorry. I like the sampling of Daft Punk better.
2. Stand By Me
3. Gangsters
4. Wooly Bully

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - It's James Fucking Brown, that's why.
2. Doo Wop (That Thing)
3. Aftermath
4. He's So Fine

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. I Can See for Miles - It's the Who. Classic rock at it's classiest. Easily better than anything else here.
2. Beautiful Stranger
3. She Thinks I Still Care
4. Seven Nation Army

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. If You Don't Know Me By Now - Classic motown doo wop. Good arranging and great singing.
2. Dust My Broom
3. Stay With Me
4. Heroes

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. In My Life - I really like the lyrics of this song. The chords are just okay, but I think this is one of the better Beatles songs.
2. Everybody Hurts
3. Step On
4. Crazy Arms

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Okay, time for a gamebreak.

With thirteen (or so) ballots in, there is one bracket with a tie for first place, and three more brackets that are TOO CLOSE TO CALL. So if you haven't voted yet, get your vote in now! You have about 50 hours left!

Jonathon: I can only include your first two brackets, as the last six have no comments. If you re-submit your ballot for those six (with comments), I'll be able to count them.

Anthony: I'm debating whether or not I should count your ballot for the Liszt 5 bracket, as you technically did not comment on your #1 choice. I included the rule about comments so that it would hopefully spark some discussion (which your comment clearly does!), but the rule was to comment on your first-place choice. Like I said, I haven't decided if I should count your ballot for that bracket, but if you re-submit for that bracket, I won't have to worry.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles
2: "Surrender" - Cheap Trick
3: "Young Americans" - David Bowie
4: "Common People" - Pulp

SHTB1.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Good enough for me.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Common People" - Pulp [1995]: Quite possibly the second-greatest single of the ‘90s (right behind smells-like-you know what); it starts out sounding like your basic witty Britpop jape about sexual slumming and class consciousness, but it keeps building and building, and getting angrier and ANGRIER, until it becomes something quite fearsome indeed. Without ever losing the wit.
2. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]: Speaking of wit… Rick Nielsen’s finest moment, a brilliant, hilariously twisted yet unstoppably anthemic slice of Midwestern power pop. One of those songs that makes you turn up the radio the second it comes on, and an instant day-brightener. We’re all all right!
3. "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]: Never been a huge fan of this song (or its album, for that matter) – it’s more than a little muddled (yes, I do remember our President Nixon, but what does he have to do with this specific scenario, exactly?). I like it more than #4.
4. "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]: I’m convinced that its historical status as the first song ever played on MTV gets it more respect than it deserves. A fun synth-pop single, to be sure, but a little goes a long way.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]: Hands-down, the best song ever inspired by a Luis Bunuel film. More important, a classic opening track on a classic album, and pretty much a perfect distillation of everything that was great about this band.
2. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]: An obvious (and successful) bid for a hit single that’s far more crass and pandering than anything else in their catalog. But it’s also a pretty timeless and universal expression of teen-boy frustration, and it’s destined to live forever.
3. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]: Hooker in a nutshell. Not much more you can say.
4. "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]: I can appreciate the artistry that goes into this, but it’s just not my genre.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]: Quite possibly the greatest single of the ‘80s, and certainly one of the most idiosyncratic recordings ever to become such a massive hit. And the extended album version is even better, with its symphonic synth squiggles and those crescendos from the Prince Tabernacle Choir.
2. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]: Presumably this is the second version that closes FREEDOM, one of Young’s greatest and hardest rockers. The messages, as usual with Neil, are unsubtle, but it’s hard to mind being beaten over the head lyrically when the music is pummeling you with equal bluntness.
3. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]: I prefer MEZZANINE to BLUE LINES, and this mesmerizing slow builder is one of the primary reasons (even if it’s very difficult now not to hear it as “Theme from HOUSE M.D.”).
4. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]: I actually like this one a lot, although I prefer it as the lead-in to the album. But SH2B4.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]: This is a bit of a turnaround for me, since I emphatically placed this last in its bracket last time. That was a reaction to how massively overplayed it is, but it was unfair to the spare, elegantly arranged and sung work of art that the record actually is. Also, this is a fairly weak bracket and it outclasses the field.
2. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]: There are plenty of other Kanye tracks I prefer, including a few on GRADUATION itself, but this is a dynamic and irresistible single (largely due to its musical source, of course, but it also has some of West’s funniest lyrics).
3. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]: I love the album but this isn’t one of my favorite tracks (actually, I don’t think it was even ON the album in the U.K.).
4. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]: Fun, but like most novelty records it loses its novelty, and this one lost it a long, long time ago. It does have one of the all-time great count-ins, though.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]: Two minutes and five seconds that pretty much changed the way music is played forever. It heralded not just a new era for the Godfather’s music but for R&B and all its offshoots in general. That guitar, those stabbing horns, that skittering bass – this really WAS “the new breed thing,” in all its glory.
2. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]: Relistening to this for the first time in a very long time, I realize I should go back to the whole album; this song is such a near-perfect mixture of old and 1998-new styles that I suspect MISEDUCATION isn’t as overrated as I used to think it was.
3. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]: It’s atmosphere over substance to a large degree, especially over seven and a half minutes, but that atmosphere – as is true of all of MAXINQUAYE – is something else. Who knew a half-time Marvin Gaye sample could be so damn spooky?
4. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]: A classic girl-group record that’s out of its league here. I’ve always preferred “One Fine Day,” anyway.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]: The band’s only U.S. top ten hit (really!) is one of their finest moments, brilliantly harnessing the power of their live act in a polished studio setting. When people ask why Keith Moon is widely considered rock’s #1 drummer, this is Exhibit A.
2. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]: Among other things that make this as quintessential a White Stripes track as you could ask for, it serves as its own FAQ: Who needs a bass when Jack can play such a perfectly simple bass line on the guitar’s lower register (even as he’s squealing like never before on the higher one)? Who needs a great drummer when Meg’s perfectly capable of bringing the thump as primally as she does here?
3. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]: This flower-power throwback is one of her most purely enjoyable singles – even if it does owe just about as much to Arthur Lee as “Stronger” does to Daft Punk. Let’s be charitable and call it a homage…
4. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]: A fine early single from the ol’ Possum, but it brings up the rear here.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]: Maybe the absolute high point in a career full of them – an unlikely but genuine anthem from the heart of Bowie’s artiest period. Although a lot of the contexts in which the song has been used tend to forget that the word “heroes” is deliberately put in quotation marks.
2. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]: This week’s great discovery for me. I was aware of Ellison’s deep-soul ballad but had never listened to it; it starts sedately, but Ellison instantly goes from zero to about 900 in the choruses, and her performance just gets more startling as the record goes on.
3. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]: A pivotal recording in the transition from acoustic to electric blues; James’s slide has an almost metallic intensity.
4. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]: The Philly sound at its most impeccably tailored; not particularly exciting, perhaps, but easy to get lost in.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]: What can be said about this most perfectly constructed of Beatles songs that hasn’t already been said? Not a damn thing, that’s what.
2. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]: THE great alt-rock ballad, with Michael Stipe sounding like he wants to give the entire world a hug while John Paul Jones’s incredible string arrangement pretty much does exactly that. Extra points for being used at the end of the pilot episode of the great 1990s teen TV drama MY SO-CALLED LIFE.
3. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]: Early country’s just not my thing.
4. "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]: And neither is this.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Not too many ballots this week! Maybe everyone is waiting until the weekend to vote. Only 23 hours left to vote! Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. The Buggles- "Video Killed the Radio Star": Ushering in the MTV-age, it's hella nostalgic. It should come as no surprise that I rank an 80s song first.
2. Pulp- "Common People": The way this song takes off is indeed pretty special!
3. David Bowie- "Young Americans": I understand that it's classic, but I like about a million Bowie songs more than this one. The soul of this album seems less natural than it does on Station to Station.
4. Cheap Trick- "Surrender": Gimme "The Flame"!

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2

1. John Lee Hooker- "Boom Boom": I hadn't heard this before, but it just grooooooves on, and John's voice is pretty memorable indeed. That's enough to win this bracket, I'm afriad!
2. Beastie Boys- "Fight for Your Right": Obnoxious it is, but that's what they were going for at the time. I just much prefer their 90s work, particularly the stellar "Intergalactic".
3. Pixies- "Debaser": It has the making of a decent track, but for some reason, Frank's maniacal vocals detract from it for me. Maybe someday I'll get over my Pixies block, but that day doesn't appear to be today.
4. Goldie- "Timeless": But I'll take "Debaser" a thousand times over this mindless tripe that passed off as meaningful, "deep", underground and edgy dance music in the 90s.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9

1. Prince- "When Doves Cry": Surprisingly, it's not my favorite from Purple Rain- that honor goes to the freezing-cold "Computer Blue". Nevertheless, Prince's familial woes made for an absolute corker of a single, featuring one of his tightest arrangements and some beautiful experimental segments. I have a live rehearsal of this that gives me chills every time I hear it.
2. Massive Attack- "Teardrop": Running the songs poll nearly 2 years ago introduced me to this understated, precious gem. It's absolutely stunning and would have easily claimed the number 1 spot from either of the first 2 brackets.
3. The Avalanches- "Since I Left You": Another exercise in beautiful, understated elegance, but it doesn't quite resonate like "Teardrop" does.
4. Neil Young- "Rockin' in the Free World": The less I say about this song, the better.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8

1. Ben E. King- "Stand By Me": That groove, those gigantic vocals and those tender strings are enough to place this comfortably in the lead.
2. The Specials- "Gangsters": It's no "Ghost Town", but it still stands as one of their more memorable songs, at least to these ears.
3. Kanye West- "Stronger": Kanye was really starting to buy into his own hype at this point, wasn't he? It sounds big and looks big, but it leaves me flat.
4. Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs- "Wooly Bully": Yuck.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12

1. James Brown- "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag": The 3rd 60s song I've put at the top of a bracket? Something must be up. But that funk is too furious to demote!
2. Tricky- "Aftermath": My brother would have a coronary seeing me rank this anything other than 4th. For years he tried to convince me that he was the yang to Björk's yin, and while I see the talent, something about Tricky's music always made my soul feel like it had been burnt and charred in a brief glimpse into Hell. However, I have to give Tricky his due- he created some very interesting music in the 90s, including this song.
3. Lauryn Hill- "Doo Wop": It was EVERYWHERE when I was 18, and I loathed it at the time. It took "Ex Factor" and "Everything Is Everything" to make me break down to buy Miseducation, but those are really the only 2 songs of hers that I like. "Doo Wop" seemed like it was trying too hard to be real and hip.
4. The Chiffons- "He's So Fine": No thanks.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. Madonna- "Beautiful Stranger": Spring 1999- I was a college freshman bursting with energy and a sense of freedom. Madonna's Ray of Light had been such a pivotal album for me, and I was hoping and praying that "Skin" (my favorite track) would be announced as the 5th single. To my dismay, I heard that Madonna was forgoing a 5th single to instead release a song from the new Austin Powers movie. My disappointment soon faded when I heard how fun and danceable "Beautiful Stranger" was. Sure, it's pretty much just a continuation of the more peppy side of Ray of Light, but that's a great thing.
2. The White Stripes- "Seven Nation Army": A titan of the decade, and rightfully so. That riff is gargantuan.
3. The Who- "I Can See for Miles": I can't stand The Who, and this song is no exception.
4. George Jones- "She Thinks I Still Care": Yikes- I feel fortunate not to have been exposed to this sooner. I'm hoping I can erase the memory of the last 3 minutes.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5

1. David Bowie- "'Heroes'": The single quotes are essential here and often not taken into consideration by those who feel this anthemic song is a call for patriotism or macho pride. The irony of these types parading around a character as alien as Bowie is one of rock's greatest laughs. Still, Bowie's passionate delivery and escalating mania is hard to resist, and he proved that anybody really could conquer the world.
2. Elmore James- "Dust My Broom": This freaking rocks! These lower-rung songs that I hadn't heard before just showcase my lack of knowledge but leave me hungry for more.
3. Lorraine Ellison- "Stay With Me": Lorraine's embattled wail is a bit too close to Beyonce to get me all hot and bothered.
Marold Melvin & the Blue Notes- "If You Don't Know Me by Now": Never cared for this.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11: Yikes, what a non-Moonbeam bracket!

1. Happy Mondays- "Step On": It's got a twisted groove, but the Mondays (like The Jam, Pixies and Beck) are another example of a band that I should like in theory a lot more than I do in real life.
2. The Beatles- "In My Life": What?! Moonbeam ranked a Beatles song higher than 4th? Is this really him posting?! I've heard a nice cover of this song, and it is one of the more tolerable ones to these ears.
3. R.E.M.- "Everybody Hurts": I like some R.E.M. songs, but this really isn't one of them. It's aching and yearning to be this universal panacea, but it always strikes me as far too drenched in Coldplay-like pseudo-depth to be truly moving.
4. Ray Price- "Crazy Arms": I'm baggin' on the country tunes hardcore this week, but music like this just annoys me.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1: "Common People" - Pulp [1995]
2: "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
3: "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
4: "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]

First three are all good songs, Common People is much better than the rest though although I don't love it as much as a lot of other people.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2

1: "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
2: "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]
3: "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
4: "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]

Debaser is ok, but this bracket is really weak. Fight For your Right is awful and I'd never heard the Goldie song before and never want to hear it again.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9

1: "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
2: "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]
3: "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
4: "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]

Gotta go with Prince here but Teardrop and Since I Left You are both worthy. Rockin in the Free World has never been a Neil Young song I like.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1: "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
2: "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
3: "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
4: "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]

I wanted to put Stronger first but Stand By Me has to win this. A lot of mental images come to my head when I hear that song, and they don't have anything to do with the movie or teenage love.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12

1: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
2: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
3: "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
4: "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]

What is this, trip-hop week? That Thing is a decent enough song but it wouldn't have won many other brackets.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3

1: "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
2: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
3: "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
4: "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]

I Can See For Miles is one of the best Who songs, so that's #1. As a song, I like She Thinks I Still Care, but I never have liked George Jones voice.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5

1: "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
2: "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]
3: "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
4: "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]

I'm not a blues fan, but get rid of the thought that the blues were reinvented in the mid-60's... Elmore James had already reinvented the genre back in '52. If I liked the blues at all it would be #1 but that goes to a good, but overrated Bowie song.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11

1: "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
2: "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]
3: "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
4: "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]

Not even close.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Greg
if you play this entire album, girlz will let you do naughty things to them. or so i've heard.


yeah, like paying for their magic mushrooms they desperately can't afford

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980] Awesome song. I hear Pulp and I hear Aqua and I like it anyway.
2. "Common People" - Pulp [1995] The Brit Pop song that defines its “era“ better than any other song (what happened to I'm with Stupid?).
3. "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
4. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Debaser" - Pixies [1989] One of the best first five seconds. And the rest is good too.
2. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986] I thought I was bored to this but no way. Affects air drumming, air guitar playing and air shouting.
3. "Timeless" - Goldie [1995] Very good drum n' bass song.
4. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998] Liz Fraser's voice is almost impossible to recognise. It's so different to Cocteau Twins albums. One of the best songs of 90's.
2. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000] The beginning of great journey. Album is a classic.
3. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984] One of the best songs by Prince. Not even close top 2.
4. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962] One of those songs which I have loved since I was a kid. Biggest gap between #1 and #2. Be afraid Otis Redding. Ben E. King will beat your score.
2. "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
3. "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
4. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995] Easy winner but I expected that critics would have chosen Overcome or Hell Is Round the Corner. Maxinquaye has aged as well as Dummy or maybe better.
2. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
3. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
4. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003] The rock song of decade.
2. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999] Light My Fire intro had made me forgotten that this is actually a very good Madonna song.
3. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
4. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969] Classic soul song.
2. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
3. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
4. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990] Better than singles Primal Scream released in same year.
2. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
3. "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
4. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

I only have time this week to slide an abbreviated ballot under the door at the last minute:

LISZT 5
1. COMMON PEOPLE. Pulp is probably one of, what the 200 best bands of all time? And yet, Jarvis came up with this barbed, catchy masterpiece which will ensure they’ll never be forgotten (at least in the UK--not enough Americans know this one).
2. SURRENDER
3. YOUNG AMERICANS
4. VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR. Not actually a bad song, but the purest example in the top 1000 of a song included for historical rather than musical reasons.

LISZT 2
1. DEBASER. More twisty fun from Black Francis. Prime Pixies beats pre-prime Beasties.
2. FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT
3. BOOM BOOM
4. TIMELESS

VERDI 9
1. WHEN DOVES CRY. The “& the Revolution” is just branding, folks--that’s the man himself singing all parts and playing all instruments. Oh, and producing. Yep, Prince even excelled at being a one-man band.
2. ROCKIN’ IN THE FREE WORLD
3. SINCE I LEFT YOU
4. TEARDROP

MOZART 8
1. GANGSTERS. As I’ve said, for me the 80s sound like the Specials.
2. WOOLY BULLY
3. STAND BY ME
4. STRONGER

LISZT 12
1. PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG. The moment when JB invented funk.
2. AFTERMATH
3. DOO WOP (THAT THING)
4. HE’S SO FINE

VERDI 3
1. SEVEN NATION ARMY. I understand they’re chanting this on the terraces in the UK somewhere, which is too bad. When Jack got to the point where he needed to create a masterpiece single, he dutifully did so.
2. SHE THINKS I STILL CARE
3. I CAN SEE FOR MILES
4. BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

TCHAIKOVSKY 5
1. “HEROES.” Not only the greatest song of this week, but Bowie’s masterpiece. Not even overexposure or Liam Gallagher could ruin this cri de coeur.
2. DUST MY BROOM
3. IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW
4. STAY WITH ME

SCHUBERT 11
1. EVERYBODY HURTS. I know, I know, schleuse picks the R.E.M. song...what a shock. Truth is, there are four or five better songs on Automatic than this Bill Berry ballad...but this is an incredibly soft group for me, so I figured what the hell.
2. STEP ON
3. IN MY LIFE. Sorry about this. I love John Lennon’s work in the mid-60s. I love George Martin’s inventiveness. I love Rubber Soul. I just don’t connect to this song.
4. CRAZY ARMS

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1."Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
Awesome song with very memorable chorus.
2."Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]
3."Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
4."Common People" - Pulp [1995]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1."Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
I love the whiney, anti-authority lyrics, and i just can't but bob my head whenever i hear this song.
2."Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
3."Timeless" - Goldie [1995]
4."Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1."Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
Pretty awesome song I was surprised when i first heard this was a neil young song. Has much more of a "arena rock" vibe then his other stuff.
2."Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]
3."Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
4."When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1."Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
Kanye West is easily my favorite rapper and this is one of his more "stronger" tracks. A very inspirational song, perfect to listen to when your pumping iron, or running
2."Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]
3."Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
4."Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1."Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
Not a fan of james brown or 60s pop.
2."He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
3."Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
4."Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1."I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
a great classic rock song
2."Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]
3.: "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
4."She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1."'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
Not the best david bowie song of bracketology so far, but still much better than the other stuff in this bracket
2."Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]
3."If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
4.. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1."In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
Beatles easily beat crapy alt rock and country
2."Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]
3."Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
4."Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 - "Common People" - Pulp [1995]
2 - "Young Americans" - David Bowie [1975]
3 - "Surrender" - Cheap Trick [1978]
4 - "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles [1980]
'Common People' has been one of my favourites for a long time,although my love of it has faded a little. Easily wins this,although the other 3 are good fun songs and my ordering of them could be different from day to day.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "Debaser" - Pixies [1989]
2 - "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys [1986]
3 - "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker [1962]
4 - "Timeless" - Goldie [1995]
Weak bracket - Debaser wins easily though,the first Pixies track I heard and it blew me away at the time. 'Fight For Your Right' is good fun,the other 2 a little boring...

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 - "Teardrop" - Massive Attack [1998]
2 - "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution [1984]
3 - "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches [2000]
4 - "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young [1989]
Very hard bracket to pick. Like all the songs. 'Teardrop' is my favourite,great mood track and awesome vocals. 'When Doves Cry' is probably only my 4th or 5th favourite track on Purple Rain,it's never been a favourite but good enough for #2. Other 2 are worthy tracks as well...

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1 - "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King [1962]
2 - "Gangsters" - The Specials [1979]
3 - "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs [1965]
4 - "Stronger" - Kanye West [2007]
Not too sure about this bracket,not really a big fan of any of the songs. 'Stand By Me' wins by default - can't deny it's classic status. 'Gangsters' is OK,but the other 2 I never listen to even though I've got them.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 - "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown [1965]
2 - "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill [1998]
3 - "Aftermath" - Tricky [1995]
4 - "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons [1963]
James Brown takes this - very influential track,great fun. Just got the Lauryn Hill album a few days ago,solid track. Not a fan of the Tricky or Chiffons tracks.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 - "I Can See for Miles" - The Who [1967]
2 - "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes [2003]
3 - "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna [1999]
4 - "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones [1962]
'I Can see For Miles' is a classic,nothing else in the bracket is. Definitely one of the Who's better performances. 'Seven Nation Army' is a decent track,but has never done too much for me,weird to see 'Beautiful Stranger' here,never thought of it as an acclaimed track. George Jones track is a little boring...

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1 - "'Heroes'" - David Bowie [1977]
2 - "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [1972]
3 - "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James [1952]
4 - "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison [1969]
This is like putting Usain Bolt up against,well,anybody. It's not even close. 'Heroes' is an absolute masterpiece in every way. The vocals are incredible. The other 3 - who cares,solid tracks but not in the running.

SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1 - "Step On" - Happy Mondays [1990]
2 - "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. [1992]
3 - "In My Life" - The Beatles [1965]
4 - "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price [1956]
Nothing here a real favourite,Happy Mondays one I'll came back to the most often,fun and funky track which I always enjoy. The REM and Beatles tracks are both ones that I find a little dull,'In My Life' more so,but I'm sure it's going to win this anyway.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

Voting for this week is now over. Results will be posted shortly.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

HERE ARE YOUR RESULTS!






LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "Common People" - Pulp (68 points, 13 first-place votes)
2. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick (49, 3)
3. "Young Americans" - David Bowie (43, 1)
4. "Video Killed the Radio Star" (40, 3)

In a big blowout, Damon Albarn and company beat their competition to a... pulp. "Common People" advances to the second round to face Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" and two to-be-determined songs. Cheap Trick and the Buggles are eliminated in their only bracket of the game.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Debaser" - Pixies" (62, 11)
2. "Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker (49, 4)
3. "Fight for Your Right" - Beastie Boys (46, 2)
4. "Timeless" - Goldie (33, 2)

Pixies reign supreme in this bracket, as "Debaser" moves into the second round. This makes the band two-for-two, as "Monkey Gone to Heaven" had already advanced. Goldie is out after only one bracket, while John Lee Hooker goes oh-for-two ("Boogie Chillen'" was already eliminated) and is gone from Bracketology. The Beastie Boys still have two songs in contention.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution (59, 10)
2. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack (48, 5)
3. "Since I Left You" - The Avalanches (42, 2)
4. "Rockin' in the Free World" - Neil Young (41, 2)

After a rocky start to Bracketology, Prince has now put two songs into the second round ("Kiss" advanced a couple weeks ago). For a time, it looked as though Massive Attack might pull off the big upset, but they fade in the stretch. The Avalanches are out of contention, but Neil Young still has two songs remaining. Massive Attack has only "Unfinished Sympathy."


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King (64, 12)
2. "Stronger" - Kanye West (54, 6)
3. "Gangsters" - The Specials (38, 1)
4. "Wooly Bully" - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs (34, 0)

Kanye looked to make this a very interesting bracket, as he hung around for most of the week, but Ben E. King was just a little bit... stronger. "Stand by Me" stays standing and advances to the second round. Kanye still has "Gold Digger" in contention and the Specials have "Ghost Town," but Sam the Sham is out.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" - James Brown (60, 11)
2. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill (55, 5)
3. "Aftermath" - Tricky (44, 2)
4. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons (31, 1)

The hardest working man in show business will stick around for another round, as he holds off Lauryn Hill. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" moves on to the second round, where it will face Derek & the Dominoes' "Layla," Pixies' "Monkey Gone to Heaven," and a yet-to-be-determined song. L-Boogie is out, but both Tricky and the Chiffons have one more chance to advance in Bracketology.


VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes (58, 9)
2. "I Can See for Miles" - The Who (58, 8)
3. "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna (40, 1)
4. "She Thinks I Still Care" - George Jones (34, 1)

In the week's closest bracket, the White Stripes finish tied with the Who on points, but advance with more first-place votes. "Seven Nation Army" marches into the second round to face two as-yet unknown songs and OutKast's "Ms. Jackson." The Who are now oh-for-two, but still have three songs in competition. George Jones is down, but is not out, as he still has "He Stopped Loving Her Today" remaining in competition. Madonna is oh-for-two as well, but she has ten songs left in the first round.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 5
1. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie (65, 14)
2. "Dust My Broom" - Elmore James (43, 2)
3. "Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison (37, 1)
4. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (35, 1)

In the week's biggest blowout, David Bowie proves himself to be a true... hero, destroying any and all comers. He becomes the first artist to put three songs into the second round. "'Heroes'" will face the Velvet Underground's "Heroin" and two as-yet unknown songs. Elmore James, Lorraine Ellison, and Harold Melvin are all done after only one bracket.


SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "In My Life" - The Beatles (60, 10)
2. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M. (54, 4)
3. "Step On" - Happy Mondays (48, 5)
4. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price (28, 0)

The Beatles become the second artist to put three songs into the second round, as "In My Life" joins "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" in Round 2. R.E.M. stuck around for much of the week, but ultimately did not have enough to advance. The boys from Athens still have seven songs left in the first round. The Happy Mondays only have one chance to advance ("Kinky Afro"), but Ray Price is done.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

STATISTICS


TOP TEN BEST-PERFORMING SONGS
1. "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (3.905 points per vote)
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. "'Heroes'" - David Bowie (3.611)
7. "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder (3.588)
8. "London Calling" - The Clash (3.571) tie
8. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (3.571) tie
10. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground (3.556)


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. "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price (1.474)
5. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters (1.55)
6. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads (1.556)
7. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Ludacris & Lil' Jon) (1.611)
8. "Acid Trax" - Phuture (1.619)
9. "He's So Fine" - The Chiffons (1.632)
10. "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin (1.643)


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. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (2.842)
7. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (2.857)
8. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds (2.9)
9. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff (2.941) tie
9. "I Only Have Eyes for You" - The Flamingos (2.941) tie


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" - The Jam (2.941) tie
6. "Iron Man" - Black Sabbath (2.9)
7. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill (2.895)
8. "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder (2.882)
9. "Something" - The Beatles (2.857) tie
9. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - The Walker Brothers (2.857) tie


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 (ranked #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)

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 7

MORE STATISTICS


WHO GOT THE MOST CORRECT WINNERS THIS WEEK?
1. Alex D (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
1. Harold Wexler (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
1. Jackson (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
4. BillAdama (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. brose (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. John (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. schleuse (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
8. Midaso (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
8. nicolas (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
8. Penguin (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
8. sonofsamiam (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
12. Jonathon (1 out of 2 - 50%) tie
12. Lanka (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
12. Matt Schroeder (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
12. Moonbeam (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
16. Greg (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
16. pop elton (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
18. Anthony (2 out of 6 - 33.3%)
19. Nassim (2 out of 8 - 25%) tie
19. The Lone Gunmen (2 out of 8 - 25%) tie


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE)
1. Jackson (7 out of 8 - 87.5%)
2. Michael (12 out of 15 - 80%)
3. Honorio (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
3. Mindrocker (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
5. Midaso (38 out of 56 - 67.9%)
6. Alex D (26 out of 39 - 66.7%) tie
6. SR (32 out of 48 - 66.7%) tie
8. Harold Wexler (37 out of 56 - 66.1%)
9. brose (36 out of 56 - 64.3%)
10. Anthony (27 out of 43 - 62.8%)


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY NUMBER CORRECT)
1. Midaso - 38
2. Harold Wexler - 37
3. brose - 36
4. Matt Schroeder - 35
5. nicolas - 34
6. BillAdama - 33
7. sonofsamiam - 32 tie
7. SR - 32 tie
9. schleuse - 30
10. Anthony - 27 tie
10. John - 27 tie