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WEEK 24
A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 1
1930s: 1
1940s: 0
1950s: 2
1960s: 11
1970s: 4
1980s: 3
1990s: 6
2000s: 4
Also of note:
Two brackets from the Tchaikovsky bloc
Two brackets from the Schubert bloc
Two songs by the Beatles
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.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
#227: "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
#739: "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
#798: "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
#315: "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
#710: "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
#827: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
#237: "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
#276: "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
#749: "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
#788: "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
#475: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
#550: "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
#987: "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
#69: "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
#581: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
#956: "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#235: "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
#278: "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
#747: "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
#790: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
#274: "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
#751: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
#786: "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#214: "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
#299: "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
#726: "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
#811: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
#1: "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
#2: "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
#3: "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
#4: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
Brass in Pocket is a brilliant song, whereas The Show and Respect Yourself are just kind of OK. Ticket To Ride is one of those early (although not that early) Beatles songs that I just find annoying.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
#1: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
#2: "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
#3: "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
#4: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
The way "All My Friends" builds is simply amazing. The other 3 songs are very good too, but not quite as good as the first one. Strong bracket.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
#1: "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
#2: "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
#3: "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
#4: "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
Shout is always a pleasure to listen to, You're Gonna Miss Me I wouldn't skip, Paperback Writer I probably would, and although I've gotten into hiphop quite a bit lately the Snoop D O Double Gizzle still sort of evades me.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
#1: "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
#2: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
#3: "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
#4: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
No doubt Purple Haze is gonna win this one, but I prefer Wuthering Heights. Nothing wrong with the other two, but not too spectacular either.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
#1: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
#2: "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
#3: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
#4: "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
Coltrane supremacy takes the win.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#1: "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
#2: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
#3: "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
#4: "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
One of the few RHCP songs I really like, two songs I like and one song where I see where the acclaim comes from but that I don't particularly enjoy.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#1: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
#2: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
#3: "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
#4: "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
Go Your Own Way is one of my favorites, and I really like Promiscuous too. Let's Spend The Night Together is also very enjoyable and Heart-Shaped Box is okay, I suppose.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#1: "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
#2: "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
#3: "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
#4: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
There are a few Smashing Pumpkins songs I really enjoy; Tonight, Tonight, 1979, Disarm are some of them. Today is too. Still, The Who easily wins this bracket, and the other two are good enough to beat some of the songs in other brackets, but they'll end up last here.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1/ "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
2/ "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
3/ "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
4/ "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
Weak bracket. Beatles win out though, with Pretenders a distant second. The others I can't have heard more than once.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1/ "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
2/ "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
3/ "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
4/ "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
Stone Roses wipe the floor; one of my favourite songs ever, that. However cheesy, Unchained Melody is still a great song, with All My Friends a very respectable third. To the poster above me: you say AMF builds? That build-up to Adored is just delicious.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1/ "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
2/ "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
3/ "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
4/ "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
What a killer party tune at the top of the pile. All I can for Snoop is that I'm laiiiiiddd back, with my mind on my money and my money on my mind. Paperback Writer is Beatles on auto-drive but it's still great. 13FE, can't recall the song off the top of my head.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1/ "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
2/ "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
3/ "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
4/ "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
I do love Gangsta's Paradise as it was a big tune when I was growing up; really one of my favourite rap hits ever. But, there can only be one winner, and Purple Haze is a mile out in front. Wuthering Heights is a solid third.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1/ "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
2/ "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
3/ "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
4/ "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
I back Take Me Out as one of the greatest songs of all time. It has a place in my heart as a record that changed the game for me, I'd end up writing an essay if I had to explain how much it means to me or how perfect I think it is. It's not going to win this round I suspect, but it damn well should. #2 is an absolute belter, Coltrane's in his element but it's not my thing and #4 doesn't stand out from the pack. But Franz: my good God.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1/ "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
2/ "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
3/ "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
4/ "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
Absolutely brilliant no.1 here, the Chilis playing their A-game. A 24ct classic. The rest of the bracket I could take or leave. 1 Thing is pretty good - though not quite the 00s classic people claim - and the other two I admit I don't know.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1/ "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
2/ "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
3/ "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
4/ "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
Good God damn, tough round. Real tough. People are going to see Rolling Stones below Nelly Furtado and scoff but, hey, I can't deny a killer pop tune. The top two are extremely tight but the Mac edge it. Still, two fantastic songs.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1/ "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
2/ "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
3/ "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
4/ "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
That squealing guitar in Today. That guitar riff demolishes me. It's a song that makes me wish I was ten years older so I could have been there to enjoy it when it first arrived. The rest are left eating dust three miles back.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
#227: "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
#739: "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
#798: "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
#710: "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
#827: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
#315: "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
#276: "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
#237: "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
#749: "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
#788: "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
#550: "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
#987: "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
#475: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
#581: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
#69: "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
#956: "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#278: "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
#235: "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
#747: "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
#790: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
#786: "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
#274: "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
#751: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#214: "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
#726: "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
#811: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
#299: "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
You got me!
In all honestly I'm still yet to see it with All My Friends. I like it. Quite a lot. But the level of acclaim piled upon it I'm guessing comes from the fact it hits an emotional nerve for people slightly older than me. Probably a big generalisation though.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
#739: "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
#227: "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
#798: "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
#315: "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
#827: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
#710: "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
#237: "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
#749: "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
#276: "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
#788: "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
#550: "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
#987: "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
#475: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
#581: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
#69: "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
#956: "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#747: "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
#235: "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
#790: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
#278: "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
#786: "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
#751: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
#274: "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#299: "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
#214: "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
#811: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
#726: "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
2. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
3. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
4. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
2. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
3. "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
4. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
Absolutely a heartbreaking bracket for me, but that's the brakes. Some brackets have no songs I like, and some have 4 songs I love.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
2. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
3. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
4. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
2. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
3. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
4. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
2. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
3. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
4. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
2. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
3. "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
4 "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
2. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
3. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
4 "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
2. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
3. "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
4. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
#227: "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
A great rock band who in this song prove they can also do pop-rock.
#739: "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
Good song with good use of choir.
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
One of the early "Mophead" Beatles songs, but one of the catchier ones.
#798: "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
Cheesy 80's MTV-rap.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
#710: "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
I love these ironic takes on stardom, and the soft resonant vocals you get from Stone Roses.
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
I didn't know this song was so high. Just a great song, one of the ones in the running for top ten of the decade. That ringing piano part that just builds on itself slowly for the whole song. Beautiful. It pains me not to put it in first place.
#827: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
Great vocal performance.
#315: "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
I have kind of a soft spot for this sort of 60's pop harmonization, but the lyrics really make me want to hear Sue's side of the story. The singer sounds like the guy from 500 Days of Summer.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
#276: "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
One of those great Beatles songs I don't hear very often because of my album oriented approach to listen. (Every new release of a Beatles album should have the singles that came out around the same time as bonus tracks.)
#237: "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
Just a freaking fun song.
#749: "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
Awesome 60s Britpop.
#788: "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
Snoop Dogg has good charisma but he's too gimmicky.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
One of the greatest all time guitar songs.
#987: "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
Love late 70's power pop.
#550: "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
I love the grandiose gothic feel of Kate Bush songs.
#475: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
This is one of those songs I liked until I heard the song it copied. All the parts of the song that sound good were ripped from Stevie Wonder. He's just as gimmicky as Snoop Dogg. No, scratch that, he manufactured his image specifically around piggybacking on Snoop Dogg's success. Coolio was Snoop Dogg Lite.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
#444: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
Beautiful jazz. I need to listen to the album more often.
#69: "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
Good song, probably Franz Ferdinand's best. But #69 all time? Really? Come on British press. You know if you keep overhyping all your good pop bands they're going to be so pressured to be the Beatles they'll waffle. Remember Tim Henman! That was your fault!
#581: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
Good song, but not standoutish.
#956: "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
Another good 60's pop song, but that really high voice is kind of annoying.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#747: "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
You have to respect the vocal talent of people who didn't have modern production technology to help them sound good. This gets a song modern performers can only try to copy.
#278: "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
One of the few songs I've consistantly rated highly since 1996. I learned how to play it on the guitar.
#235: "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
This is one of the biggest surprises of bracketology for me. This is a really good song. Come to think of it, it proves my theory. That modern hip hoppy dance-pop songs would be good if they turned off the autotuners and played some real instruments.
#790: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
Not bad, but a bit cheesy. It sounds like waiting music for a telephone service.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#274: "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
Love the dark grindy In Utero songs.
#786: "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
How awesome is it that the Stones are #63 on Lala? One of the cool side effects of the internet age is that younger people are being exposed to great classic stuff instead of summarily dismissing it like I did until 2001.
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
Good pop song.
#751: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
You know I actually really liked the song Put Out The Lights. Now she's trying to be Ms. Hip Hop? Come to think of it, I'm Like A Bird came out right after the similar but superior Torn was a hit. Nelly Furtado, mistress of the bandwagon.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#811: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
Funky 90's R&B song. I'm surprised to be putting it #1.
#214: "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
I'm not a huge van of early Who, but I like them.
#726: "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
Good 90's rock song.
#299: "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
Cheesy. Good vocals.
Sorry folks…ran out of time on the comments. I tried to at least say something about each of my top picks.
It’s probably just a coincidence, but there are a lot of brackets this week where I think the AM order is exactly right, or close to it (I’ve gone chalk twice this time).
MOZART 14
1. BRASS IN POCKET. My admiration for the Pretenders’ s/t is boundless. Although this mopey pop confection was the obvious single choice, it’s not even the best thing on an album that’s an ideal blend of smart and ferocious.
2. TICKET TO RIDE. One of their less-appreciated #1 hits, if such a thing is possible…I think because it falls in the gap between the cheeky-chappy period and their psychedelic peak period. But this song shows just how much John Lennon could do with a fairly basic 12-bar structure. It kicks butt.
3. THE SHOW. It’s profoundly silly, but it is fun. Is it really better than the Staple Singers? No, but see below.
4. RESPECT YOURSELF. This is a fine, fine song, and it used to be a particular favorite of mine. The only reason I have it at #4 is a very personal one: I was listening to it when a truck ran into my car and totaled it. I wasn’t hurt, but it was the most frightening experience of my life, and hearing “Respect Yourself” now almost always brings on a rush of adrenaline and panic. No disrespect to Pops Staples and his daughters, just a crazy random happenstance which, unfortunately but permanently, ruined this song for me.
TCHAIKOVSKY 6
1. ALL MY FRIENDS. “The Boys of Summer” for the Pitchfork generation. Of which I am one, so of course I love it. LCDS took a chance on being nuanced, and it pays off.
2. I WANNA BE ADORED. I’m not completely sold on the Roses—if they were THAT great, surely they would have done something worthwhile after 1989—but it’s hard to answer the sheer pleasure of this song.
3. RUNAROUND SUE. I’ve always found this hilarious. It’s a great, swinging track, but Dion sounds like what I guess he is: your basic early-60s crooner heartthrob trying to sing like Jerry Lee. Oddly, it works.
4. UNCHAINED MELODY. Doesn’t seem right, putting this at the bottom of a bracket the week of Valentine’s Day. But this is a tough group. Bah humbug.
BRAHMS 14
1. PAPERBACK WRITER. And speaking of phases in the Beatles’ career, here’s an absolutely crucial turning point. It’s the A-side of their (imo) best single, and their first single without a love song on it, Paul’s first “in-character” song and the last full-out rocker he’d write for a couple of years, possibly the loudest bass heard on record to that point, and the last new song to be incorporated into the Beatles’ live set. And as a kid, it was my favorite song of theirs.
2. SHOUT. In the history of rock ‘n’ roll, the performance came before the song. How many 50s rock singles were examples of great songwriting? Not many. How many were just fantastic, exciting records—in the sense of “records” of a wild, over-the-top performance? Oh, a WHOLE bunch. It’s impossible to appreciate rock’s first decade without understanding that—and “Shout” might be the ultimate, best, last example of a single that’s not much of a song, but a fantastic performance that still resonates.
3. YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME. Yep, brilliant music was coming out of Austin before I was even born. This is a more convincing psychedelic Byrds song than any actual psychedelic Byrds song.
4. GIN AND JUICE. I gave Snoop his props last week. This, I’ve never gotten.
TCHAIKOVSKY 9. Top to bottom, the strongest bracket of the week (although two of the songs in Schubert 10, below, would take this one).
1. PURPLE HAZE. Influenced everyone from Jeff Beck to George Clinton to Prince to…
2. GANGSTA’S PARADISE. One of the few 90s hip-hop tracks by someone not involved in Wu-Tang Clan that still holds up for me.
3. WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Drama class queen makes good.
4. BREAKDOWN. SH2B4.
WAGNER 8
1. A LOVE SUPREME PART 1: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Way, way out in front of the rest of this group. And this from someone who prefers both Giant Steps and My Favorite Things to Love Supreme.
2. TAKE ME OUT. Sorry, Franz. Tough draw.
3. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
4. STAY
SCHUBERT 14
1. DOWNHEARTED BLUES. This one’s for netjade. Nothing else here is even close.
2. SING, SING, SING (WITH A SWING)
3. 1 THING
4. UNDER THE BRIDGE
LISZT 14. That’s a mighty tussle at the top of this bracket.
1. HEART-SHAPED BOX. No idea what this song is about, but my guess is that it’s Kurt’s attempt at a love song? The obvious first single from In Utero, since it repeats the Pixies song-structure on display in Nevermind, although it still sounds like a musical evolution from anything on that album…it’s a little more deliberate, though not in a bad way.
2. GO YOUR OWN WAY. A great song which I never really stopped liking, even before I knew the backstory (file under “passive-aggressive,” but with the emphasis on the latter term).
3. PROMISCUOUS. For bracketology, I need some kind of acronym that stands for, “This is a pretty good 21st century pop song, but that’s all I can say about it.” But I can’t remember TIAPG21CPSBTAICSAI.
4. LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER. What’s the worst thing you could say about any Stones song? It’s inoffensive.
SCHUBERT 10. See my Tchaikovsky 9 comment.
1. I CAN’T EXPLAIN. My absolute favorite Who song. Had it been released 13-14 years later, the Who would have been recognized as a true contemporary of the Undertones, the Jam, Wire and Buzzcocks, which is about the highest praise I can give it. (Sidebar: while I didn’t really expect Pete and Roger to play this song at the Super Bowl, did they really have to ignore their entire 60s output? No “My Generation,” no “I Can See for Miles”…just the same Who’s Next dinosaurs they’ve played a million times before—and they sounded like it. Seriously, guys, Prince and U2 and McCartney have shown that these halftime extravaganzas can be arena-friendly without being boring or unsurprising. You gave us phoned-in singing and pointless, endless (and clearly fake) windmills; you were far outshined by both the pyrotechnics and your drummer’s resemblance to Nigel Tufnel. Fail. What a dreary show.)
2. I PUT A SPELL ON YOU. Please refer to what I said about the importance of performance in my “Shout” comments, above. “Screamin’,” indeed—also moanin’, hollerin’ and gruntin’. It’s sooo hard to put this in second place; I’ll console myself that there are probably a few voters who’ll be hearing this for the first time. Listen and awe.
3. TODAY. The Pumpkins’ finest hour, and the template for half the (inferior) up-tempo numbers on Mellon Collie. Would have won many brackets.
4. MY LOVIN’. Sassy!
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]: One of their very best singles, highlighted by some fantastically sophisticated guitar chording and one of Ringo’s most inspired performances. Plus Paul on lead guitar!
2. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]: The song that broke them is only about the seventh best track on their brilliant debut, but that’s more than good enough for second place here.
3. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]: Gospel goes soul goes pop, in a big way.
4. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]: Good early hip-hop, especially when Slick Rick chimes in, but brings up the rear here.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]: I like the two tracks that precede it even better (particularly “Someone Great,” my favorite song of the decade), but that says more about the overall genius of SOUND OF SILVER than about this propulsive-yet-introspective masterpiece itself.
2. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]: I initially put this in 4th place, but then found that I couldn’t get it out of my head – that unforgettable bass intro, the slow addition of the other instruments, and one of the most cannily minimalistic sets of lyrics ever.
2. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]: Thanks to GHOST, it’s become one of the most overexposed oldies of all time, but try to forget all that and appreciate what a great showcase it is for Bobby Hatfield.
4. "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]: Dion’s effortlessly swingin’ cool made his string of hits a highlight of the early sixties, but SH2B4.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]: Brilliantly, gleefully unhinged psychedelic-garage-jugband (!) rock, possibly the single finest track on NUGGETS (the original album or the 4-CD box). Defines the genre, and transcends it.
2. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]: The Fabs at their power-poppiest; a beautifully compact rocker with some of the toughest-sounding guitar work and drumming they ever recorded.
3. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]: Snoop’s smoked-out style was the perfect match for Dre’s lazily loping G-funk, and this was as good as it got.
4. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]: A great early soul record, but one of those oldies that’s so played out that I never, ever need to hear it again.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]: Not much to say here except for what I always say about the Experience: listen to Mitch Mitchell as hard as you do to the man himself, because his drumming is every bit as startlingly one-of-a-kind as Jimi’s guitar.
2. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]: I hadn’t listened to this for a very long time (I’ve heard Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise” plenty, though), and was surprised at just how well it holds up; Coolio became kind of a joke later on, but he’s convincingly haunted as hell here.
3. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]: A brilliantly gifted artist but also a definitive acquired taste, one which I’m not sure I’ve fully acquired yet. I’m getting there, though.
4. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]: It’s only #4 because I’m hearing it for the first time (I’d never heard any of the SPIRAL SCRATCH stuff before). It isn’t quite what they would evolve into after Devoto left, but it’s definitely the Buzzcocks.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]: A very tough bracket; I really, really like all four tracks, but don’t particularly love any single one. It could almost be a 4-way tie, but this one – one of Motown’s greatest, and the highlight of Gaye and Terrell’s unique partnership – is probably the one I’d most want to hear right now.
2. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]: The magnificent intro to one of jazz’s masterworks, on which Trane’s soaring conceptions were executed to perfection by possibly the greatest long-running working band in the genre’s history at the peak of their collaborative powers.
3. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]: Once again, the biggest hit on an instant-classic debut lands right in the middle of the pack for me among the album highlights (give me “Dark of the Matinee” or “Darts of Pleasure” anyday), but it’s a great record nonetheless.
4. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]: The shortest #1 single in American chart history. A wonderful record (with the bonus that you don’t have to suffer through Jackson Browne patronizing his roadies first), but you know the SH2 drill.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]: One of my favorites from the alt-rock era, a genuinely moving song from a most unlikely source (at the time).
2. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]: A commanding performance by a legendary figure. You can definitely hear what Janis Joplin and so many others took from her.
3. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]: Another instantly recognizable jazz standard, but on the poppy and peppy side of things. It sets out to define and sum up a whole style, and it does.
4. "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]: I get what’s good about it – that Meters sample kicks serious ass – but it seems a little overrated to me.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]: Even given that Buckingham and Nicks had rejuvenated and saved the band, it’s still amazing that Lindsey had enough clout to get something this idiosyncratic released as RUMOURS’s first single. Decades of classic-rock airplay still haven’t smoothed out those bizarre rhythms and gnarly, knotty guitars.
2. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]: The Stones at something approaching their poppiest, with shimmering hooks supported by that great pumping piano and Charlie being Charlie.
3. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]: Speaking of shimmering hooks, Kurt Cobain couldn’t suppress his effortless gift for them no matter how hard he tried – as he does on the lead single from IN UTERO, as undeniable as anything on its predecessor.
4. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]: As Walter Sobchak might say: you’re out of your element, Nelly.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]: Another favorite from its era, one that succinctly encapsulates everything that used to be great about Billy Corgan and this band in one three-minute package. That opening still thrills me every time I hear it.
2. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]: So utterly unique that the man was essentially able to sustain an entire decades-long career on this record alone. And anyone who tries to cover it (even CCR) just ends up sounding stupid.
3. "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]: Their first single only offers hints of what was to come, but they’re tantalizing ones (especially from Keith Moon), and Townshend already had his teen-angst empathy perfected.
4. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]: Fine early ‘90s girl-group R&B, but a very easy #4.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965] - I agree that this is underrated among Beatles songs - for me it's the beginning of their experimental genius period of 1965-67. It's a wonder they ever got it released; it's probably the most atonal #1 hit ever.
2. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980] - Big drop-off here. This song has never struck me as anything more than a very good pop song.
3. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972] - Repetitive.
4. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985] - This is a joke, the kind of joke MTV would play in the mid-'80s while the real stuff was ignored.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007] - A An amazing, amazing, build-up and some really great lyrics to go along with it. Who'd have thunk music this refreshing came from a guy who should have been well past his prime.
2. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965] - I'd be lying if I said I didn't really like this song. Some songs are just gorgeous, and this is one of them.
3. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989] - Another flat-out gorgeous one, and another great build-up with loads of reverb to go with it.
4. "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961] - SH2B4.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959] - Probably the most exuberant record ever made. I don't think there's a more "fun" song out there.
2. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966] - The funny thing about this not being on an album is that it would be one of the worst songs on Revolver, which is still good enough for #2.
3. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966] - Jug band? Naw, seriously? Surprisingly enough it works here, a great find.
4. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993] - SH2B4, and this time it's not for lack of trying; it's one of both Snoop and Dre's best efforts.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967] - Can anyone explain to me how this wouldn't go at #1?
2. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977] - Big drop, here but this is still a quite good punk song.
3. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995] - It ripped everything off of Stevie, so I can't really listen to it anymore without thinking of the original, but Coolio's verses are decent.
4. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978] - No.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967] - This should be a top 100 song. I don't know how it isn't - it's a Motown #1 hit, by one of its best singers with his oft-overlooked duet partner (who play their chemistry to the hilt), it's got a spectacular arrangement and a chorus that everyone knows. Isn't that "all-time classic" material?
2. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964] - Coltrane is where it's at, and so is this song.
3. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004] - In most brackets it would be #1, in part because it singlehandedly made disco cool among rock people, something that has never previously happened.
4. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960] - Wow, that guy's voice is high.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991] - Unusually poignant for the Chili Peppers (very unusually), it's probably the greatest guitar song not played by Jimi Hendrix, even though it's an obvious ode to his style.
2. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937] - One of my favorite swing songs, not that I know that many.
3. "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005] - Definitely overrated, but also definitely great.
4. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923] - Meh. I feel like most of the greatness of early performers is lost in the crappy sound quality, which is a shame.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977] - My comments from the 70's poll: Rumours is a great record, and this is the best song on the record. I think the lower someone is emotionally, the more it brings out the best in someone's artwork, and it's apparent that even though Lindsay and Stevie pretty much hated each other while recording this one, they sang and played their wounded hearts out.
2. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967] - As un-bluesy as the Stones would ever go, they did this one rather well - love the breakdown in the middle.
3. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993] - It pains me to put this in third, because it really is as good as anything they'd ever done previously.
4. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006] - This song isn't even catchy.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965] - Waaaaaay ahead of its time, it belongs in 1978, not "Who Are You". When punk broke, The Who should have gone back to their rawer, original sound and started taking credit for all the bands they influenced instead of being old guys that play atrocious halftime shows. (Keith Moon, you are sorely, sorely missed.)
2. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956] - Strange, but it definitely works.
3. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993] - Not a big fan of this one,
4. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]- but I am a big hater of this one.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
#198: "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
#710: "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
#315: "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
#827: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
I Wanna Be Adored would have won almost all the brackets this week, but All My Friends is top 20 ever for me. I'm still quite young (25), so I don't see it as a generationnal song, just as a perfectly built one.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
#788: "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993] : one of the best hip-hop track of the 90s not coming from Staten Island (or France as a matter of fact). Lay back, and enjoy
#237: "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
#749: "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
#276: "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966] : I love the Beatles, they're a great band blablabla, but this song still annoys me
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
#550: "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978] : strange out of space song, I sometimes find Kate Bush unbearable, but there it works, like some kind of magic
#987: "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977] : another great single from a great single band
#38: "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967] : good song for sure, but not even in Are You Experienced's top 5
#475: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995] : the first minute or so is great but there's nothing much more after that
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#790: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
#235: "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
#278: "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
#747: "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
Very tough choice, a very solid bracket with surprising songs. But that swing is just irresistible.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
#274: "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
#751: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
#786: "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
AM ranking for me, but the fact the Go Your Own Way wings the brackets is a proof of how weak I think it is
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
#299: "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
#726: "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
#214: "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
#811: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
En vogue puts on the table a fun memory of what was on the radio when I was 8, but that's far not enough in a rather strong bracket
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1 - "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
2 - "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
3 - "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
4 - "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
No big favourites - rankings shall remain the same...
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
2 - "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
3 - "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
4 - "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
Nothing between the top 2...
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1 - "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
2 - "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
3 - "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
4 - "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
"High Fidelity" - what a great movie.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 - "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
2 - "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
3 - "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
4 - "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
Damn,any bracket with the Buzzcocks at #4 must be a hell of a bracket...
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1 - "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
2 - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
3 - "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
4 - "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1 - "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
2 - "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
3 - "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
4 - "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1 - "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
2 - "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
3 - "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
4 - "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1 - "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
2 - "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
3 - "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
4 - "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
2. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
3. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
4. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
This could really be in any order, just whim today. 4 very good songs.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
2. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
3. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
4. "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
Same thing, 4 good ones here, though LCD is the only true great.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
2. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
3. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
4. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
Hope Roky gets his due, sorta doubt it.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
2. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
3. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
4. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
I know Kate won't win, but she's an easy winner in my book.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
2. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
3. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
4. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
Coltrane absolutely and utterly towers over the rest here -- they're not even playing in the same league.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
2. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
3. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
4. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
"1 Thing" outclasses "Crazy in Love", and is one of the great clinics in rhythmic economy of the last 10 years.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
2. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
3. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
4. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
3 good songs and an overrated Stones track.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
2. "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
3. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
4. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
Top 3 interchangeable in quality here, goin' with Screamin' Jay for the sheer bizarro fun of it.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
2. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
3. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
4. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
Most boring bracket of the week. "Ticket to Ride" isn't one of my top 50 Beatles songs. Nothing's terrible, but nothing deserves to on to the next round.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
2. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
3. "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
4. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
"All My Friends" wins in a wash and is the best song of the week. "I Wanna Be Adored," a song I am pleasantly surprised is this acclaimed, gets robbed.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
2. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
3. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
4. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
I actually prefer "Paperback Writer" to "Ticket to Ride" but it gets washed away by the competition here. I've only heard "You're Gonna Miss Me" about five times but I can already tell it will become one of my favorites. "Shout" and "Gin and Juice" are both very, very fun.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
2. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
3. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
4. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
"Wuthering Heights" was my number 100 in the 70s poll. I agree with another commenter that "Purple Haze" isn't top five on its own album, but it doesn't exactly face a tough slate here. I think Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" is far superior to "Gangsta's Paradise," which absolutely rides off that sample.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
2. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
3. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
4. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
An odd bracket because "Take Me Out" is on my favorite songs list while the victorious "Acknowledgement" is not. However, I currently exclude jazz tracks from my list because I haven't dug deep enough into the genre, and "Acknowledgement" is a work of art that constitutes 1/3rd of an album that is one of my favorites.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
2. "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
3. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
4. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
Probably the biggest blowout of the week. By far the best song the Chilis ever did. "1 Thing" has a solid arrangement but the chorus annoys me.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
2. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
3. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
4. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
Man, I hate Fleetwood Mac. I don't understand the love for this song on the forum at all. "Heart Shaped Box" is probably the fifth or sixth song off of In Utero, but what really gives it competition among this bunch?
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
2. "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
3. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
4. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
If this bracket had gone down a couple of weeks ago "I Can't Explain" would have taken it, but for some reason, that song doesn't hit me as hard as it used to. "Today" is certainly one of the Pumpkins' best, and definitely the highlight of Siamese Dream.
I just realized that I forgot to enter my own ballot for this week. *facepalm* Here goes.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles [1965]
One of my all-time faves by the Fab Four. Just barely beats out my favorite Pretenders songs.
2. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders [1980]
Fantastic song. You can really hear the sass in Hynde's voice, and you know that she really IS going to make that guy notice her.
3. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers [1972]
Excellent soul song, but I've heard this one get covered by so many other artists (all terribly done, btw). Besides, I'd rather listen to "I'll Take You There."
4. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew [1985]
It's really hard for me to get into old-school rap, and I just haven't had the chance to get into this one yet. Give me more time, but I just can't possibly see this one moving up.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [2007]
Here's how great this song is: I recently saw a preview for Ben Stiller's new movie (I can't remember the name of it right now), and my first thought was "No." But this song was playing over the top of it. And I thought, "Okay."
2. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses [1989]
For a long time, I only knew the Stone Roses for "Fools Gold," but when I managed to find a copy of their s/t album, this one knocked me on my ass. Great intro, fantastic echo-ey drums, all-around great song.
3. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers [1965]
I can't hear this song and not think of Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, but in spite of that horrifying mental image, the song is still achingly beautiful.
4. "Runaround Sue" - Dion [1961]
SHTB4. Fantastic song, just a victim of being in a tough bracket.
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg [1993]
Maybe my favorite rap song ever. Timeless. And the ladies love it when I tell them that I've got a pocketful of rubbers and my homeboys do too.
2. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers [1959]
I love this song, but I've heard it at way too many sporting events recently and it gets knocked down a peg. Still, as long as we're talking about music used in movies, "Animal House." TOGA!
3. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators [1966]
The Elevators are a criminally underrated band, and this song deserves much more recognition than it gets. Great, great slice of psychedelia.
4. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles [1966]
Possibly my least favorite Beatles tune.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience [1967]
All-time classic. I'll save my comments for later brackets. If this one doesn't go through, something is wrong.
2. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush [1978]
I hated the book "Wuthering Heights" when I read it in high school, but this song is absolutely gorgeous. Bush's voice sounds a little too piercing at times, but somehow it works. (Don't bother going for the version she re-recorded for her greatest hits album, the original is better.)
3. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) [1995]
This is the song that really turned me on to rap music. I still remember driving home from somewhere and this song came on the radio and I made my parents turn it up so I could listen to it. Considering their distaste for rap, I'm amazed they humored me.
4. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks [1977]
Pass.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane [1964]
Easy pick for me. It's Trane's only song here, so I gotta give it to him.
2. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs [1960]
One minute and 36 seconds. That's all it took for this to become one of the greatest songs ever. And when Williams' falsetto kicks in on the second verse, brilliant. Love it, love it, love it.
3. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand [2004]
Tough, tough bracket if this giant lands at the three spot. But SHTB3.
4. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell [1967]
And SHTB4. I hate doing this to Marvin, but it just doesn't stack up to the other three.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1991]
Who would ever have thought that RHCP, the kings of funk metal, had it in them to come up with this gorgeous ballad to the horrors of heroin addiction? One of the greatest songs of the '90s.
2. "1 Thing" - Amerie [2005]
It took me a while to like this song, but I'm beginning to see its appeal. For me, the true greatness comes in near the end when synthesized strings and piano join in. Amazing song.
3. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra [1937]
There's something almost primal about this song. The drums certainly make that feeling prevalent at the very beginning, but when the horns kick in, it just gets bumped up a notch.
4. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith [1923]
This is a really difficult week for me, as a bunch of really good songs are getting the bottom spot. But SHTB4.
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac [1977]
"You Make Loving Fun" is my hands-down favorite Fleetwood Mac song, but this one is a close second.
2. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana [1993]
Cobain's ode to Courtney Love is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Love when that chorus kicks in and Cobain just screams the lyrics.
3. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) [2006]
Guilty pleasure.
4. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones [1967]
Not one of my faves from the boys.
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue [1992]
This comment is going to call my sexuality into question, but hey. Whatever. I remember watching the '92 Winter Olympics in Albertville and seeing Kristi Yamaguchi skating to this song, and it's been a favorite of mine ever since. Plus, the guy who says "And now it's time for a breakdown" always, ALWAYS, brings a smile to my face.
2. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins [1956]
Without Screamin' Jay, you don't have any of the shock rockers of the '70s and beyond. Whether or not that's a good thing is up for debate, but this song is just a hell of a lot of fun. Goofy, campy fun, yes. But what's wrong with that? And who doesn't laugh when Hawkins starts snorting (yes, SNORTING) at the end of this one?
3. "I Can't Explain" - The Who [1965]
I love this song, I really do. But like I've said in so many other brackets this week, it's up against songs that I just prefer a little more.
4. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins [1993]
Don't seem to understand the appeal to this song. Give me their stuff from two years later.
Voting for this week is now over.
Good to see so many people voting last week! This was the most-voted-upon week in quite a while. Here are the results.
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles (43 points, 7 first-place votes)
2. "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders (39, 5)
3. "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers (30, 1)
4. "The Show" - Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew (18, 0)
In the next round: the Clash's "London Calling"; Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth"; the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight"
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem (52, 11)
2. "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses (41, 3)
3. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers (26, 0)
4. "Runaround Sue" - Dion (21, 0)
In the next round: David Bowie's "'Heroes'"; the Velvet Underground's "Heroin"; Aerosmith's "Dream On"
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Shout, Pts. 1-2" - The Isley Brothers (43, 5)
2. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The 13th Floor Elevators (36, 4)
3. "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles (33, 3)
4. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop Doggy Dogg (28, 2)
In the next round: the Beatles' "A Day in the Life"; Donna Summer's "I Feel Love"; Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Purple Haze" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (51, 10)
2. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush (35, 3)
3. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (Featuring L.V.) (29, 1)
4. "Breakdown" - Buzzcocks (25, 0)
In the next round: Guns n' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine"; the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby"
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement" - John Coltrane (43, 7)
2. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (36, 4)
3. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand (34, 2)
4. "Stay" - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs (17, 0)
In the next round: Aretha Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer"; Radiohead's "Karma Police"
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers (44, 9)
2. "1 Thing" - Amerie (35, 1)
3. "Downhearted Blues" - Bessie Smith (32, 3)
4. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (29, 1)
In the next round: the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man"; Neil Young's "Heart of Gold"; Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over"
LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 14
1. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac (49, 10)
2. "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana (38, 4)
3. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones (29, 0)
4. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado (Featuring Timbaland) (24, 0)
In the next round: the Kinks' "You Really Got Me"; Soft Cell's "Tainted Love"
SCHUBERT BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "I Can't Explain" - The Who (41, 4)
2. "Today" - Smashing Pumpkins (39, 5)
3. "I Put a Spell on You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins (38, 3)
4. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" - En Vogue (22, 2)
In the next round: the Beatles' "In My Life"