BRACKET #15

#1 (24) RAY CHARLES vs. #16 (1001) ALIEN ANT FARM

It’s Ray. That should be enough. “What I’d Say”, “Georgia On My Mind”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and one of my all-time favorite jams “I’ve Got A Woman”.

Should a band whose one big hit was a MJ remake be in this tournament? Perhaps not, but there are 1024 participants. “Smooth Criminal”, “Movies”, “Glow” and “These Days”.

#8 (489) EDDY GRANT vs. #9 (536) BILLY SQUIER

In the UK, Eddy was a big pop star. In the US he is the dude that did “Electric Avenue”. Others include “Romancing The Stone”, “Living on the Frontline” and “I Don’t Wanna Dance”.

Arena rocker Billy Squier debuted strong with 1981’s “The Stroke”. He peaked with his debut, but had a number of rock radio hits including “Rock Me Tonight”, “Everybody Wants You” and “In The Dark”

#5 (280) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE vs. #12 (745) FREDDY & THE DREAMERS

Indie rockers Death Cab have made their mark with songs like “Soul Meets Body”, “I Will Possess Your Heart”, “The Sound Of Settling” and “Meet Me On The Equinox”.

Freddy & The Dreamers had a string of hits in the mid 60’s including “I’m Telling You Now”, “I Understand (Just How You Feel)”, “Do The Freddie” and “You Were Made For Me”.

#4 (233) NELLY vs. #13 (792) SHAGGY

Rapper Nelly has had a bunch of hits including “Country Grammar”, “Ride Wit Me”, Hot In Herre” and “Grillz”.

Reggae artist Shaggy had a string of hits in the 90’s and into the 00’s with “Oh Carolina”, “It Wasn’t Me”, “Angel” and “Boombastic”.

#3 (152) SIMON & GARFUNKEL vs. #14 (873) PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

S&G were huge in the 60’s with songs like “The Sound Of Silence”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Mrs. Robinson” and “The Boxer”.

PUSA, were a fun 90’s alr/rock band. “Lump”, “Peaches”, “Kitty” and their remake of “Video Killed The Radio Star”.

#6 (361) THE CARDIGANS vs. #11 (664) THE ASSOCIATION

Sweedish pop stars The Cardigans hit it big with 1996’s “Lovefool”, but they have a number of great songs in their catalog including “Erase/Rewind”, “My Favourite Game”, “Carnival” and “I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer.”

The Association were a 60’s pop band that did “Cherish”, “Along Comes Mary”, “Windy” and “Never My Love”

#7 (408) BREAD vs. #10 (617) PHOENIX

When you think soft rock (hopefully not very often), you think of the soothing sounds of bands like 70’s hit makers Bread. “If”, “Make It With You”, “Everything I Own” and “Baby I’m-A want You”.

French alt/rockers Phoenix hit it big in 2009 with “1901” and “Lisztomania”. Previous critically acclaimed hits include “Too Young” and “Everything Is Everything”.

#2 (105) BLACK SABBATH vs. #15 (920) AGAINST ME!

It has always been debated on where true heavy metal started, but one thing no one can debate, Sabbath was the first big metal band with songs like “Paranoid”, “Iron Man”, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and “War Pigs”.

Punk rockers Against Me! Have had a few modern rock radio hits including “Thrash Unreal”, “Stop!”, “Sink, Florida Sink” and “White People For Peace”.

Easy winners... Ray Charles, Sabbath, S&G, Death Cab, Phoenix & The Cardigans.

I had to think about the other 2: I like Eddy Grant, but Billy Squier had more songs. So I listened to Eddy's greatest hits (yes, I own it) and decided Eddy had enough to win a round.

Nelly or Shaggy.... I went Shaggy.

BRACKET #15
#1 (24) RAY CHARLES
#9 (536) BILLY SQUIER
#5 (280) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
#4 (233) NELLY
#3 (152) SIMON & GARFUNKEL
#6 (361) THE CARDIGANS
#10 (617) PHOENIX
#2 (105) BLACK SABBATH

Ray Charles vs. Alien Ant Farm has to be the most hilarious matchup in any form of competition, ever, in the history of the universe. Not since "Bambi Meets Godzilla"...

1. Ray Charles (I concur with Harold. Also, I will now have “Smooth Criminal” stuck in my head all day)
8. Eddy Grant
5. Death Cab for Cutie
4. Nelly
3. Simon & Garfunkel
11. The Association (just on the basis of “Never My Love”)
10. Phoenix
2. Black Sabbath

MOST UNDERRATED
Simon & Garfunkel (UMT 152, AM 55).

MOST OVERRATED
Bread (UMT 408, AM n/a), Billy Squier (UMT 536, AM n/a), The Association (UMT 664, AM n/a).

(Fully half of today’s artists are not in the AM top 2000, which I think is the first time that’s happened.)

SORT OF CLOSE. KIND OF.
Black Sabbath (UMT 105, AM 76).

BRACKET #15

#1 (24) RAY CHARLES
#8 (489) EDDY GRANT
#5 (280) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
#4 (233) NELLY
#3 (152) SIMON & GARFUNKEL
#6 (361) THE CARDIGANS
#7 (408) BREAD
#2 (105) BLACK SABBATH

#1 Ray Charles
#8 Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue" > "Everybody Wants You"; both made decent, if minor, contributions to the library of 80s classics
#13 Shaggy - kind of "meh" about both
#3 Simon and Garfunkel - only a #3??? That's shocking to me
#11 The Association - I'm no lovefool for the Cardigans

Other than Simon and the Garfunk, not too excited about any of the artists today.

#1 Ray Charles
#8 Eddy Grant
#12 Freddy & the Dreamers
#4 Nelly
#4 Simon & Garfunkel
#11 The Association
#10 Phoenix
#2 Black Sabbath

#1 (24) RAY CHARLES vs. #16 (1001) ALIEN ANT FARM

I actually liked that one AAA album back when it came out. And I'd probably still respect it at least a bit if I heard it now. But, Ray Charles? No contest.

#13 (792) SHAGGY

I'm not too big a fan of either, but Shaggy at least earned his exposure. As opposed to Nelly who is one of those Puff Daddy manufactured 'Fame by association' people. It's stupid. Puff Daddy got famous by appearing in the same video as Notorious BIG. Then Mase got famous by appearing in the same video as Puff Daddy. Then Nelly got famous by appearing in the same video as Mase and by randomly strolling on stage with other more famous bands at the Superbowl. The only one who had to work up on their own merit (And the only one with actual talent) was BIG.

#3 (152) SIMON & GARFUNKEL

I'm more a fan of the Presidents than most of the stuff we can vote on this week, but unfortunately they got a matchup they can't remotely compete in.

#10 (617) PHOENIX

#2 (105) BLACK SABBATH

I think Sabbath is overrated, but they're still enjoyable to listen to.

#1 RAY CHARLES

I've said it before on this forum. One of the many things that made the word genius appropriate was his deceptively meticulous phrasing. The grunts, exclamations, and flourishes sound completely offhand and improvisational. But people who recorded with him say that all of those were meticulously planned out (albeit in his head), and repeated from one take to another.

#8 EDDY GRANT

I had Killer on the Rampage on cassette as a kid, and kinda liked it.

#5 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

I am beginning to feel very ambivalent about them. Ambivalent is not bad, at least you're feeling something.

#4 NELLY

Nelly is fun. Shaggy wants to be fun, but is not.

#3 SIMON & GARFUNKEL

I like PUSA's big album. But S&G were, behind the Beatles and the Who, the main soundtrack to my high school years.

#6 THE CARDIGANS

Love, love, love the Cardigans first three (US-released) albums. (Unfortunately Long Gone Before Daylight was a turgid, boring affair.) Seen them live and they are a tight band. And they are the only band that has made me appreciate anything relating to Black Sabbath, for their overhauls of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Iron Man"

#10 PHOENIX

Last year's breakthrough was well-deserved for this consistently strong band. My favorite track of theirs is "Consolation Prizes."

#15 AGAINST ME!

Sometimes when I hear "Paranoid" I can kind of get where people are coming from in their love for Sabbath. But everything else from them is plodding, and uninteresting. Ozzy was a bland, uncharismatic singer. I actually prefer the cartoon character he has become more recently. My vote for Against Me! is more of a vote for Against Sabbath!

Ray Charles
Billy Squier
Nelly
S&G
Phoenix
Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath was the band that got me into music, so them vs. Against Me is the biggest blowout of the tournament so far. They are so much more than 'the band that did 'Paranoid.' Listen to "Symptom of the Universe" or "Megalomania" if you disagree.

Black Sabbath was the band that got me into music, so them vs. Against Me is the biggest blowout of the tournament so far. They are so much more than 'the band that did 'Paranoid.' Listen to "Symptom of the Universe" or "Megalomania" if you disagree.

I've got the first 3 Sabbath albums on vinyl... that is the only way to listen to them!!!

#1 (24) RAY CHARLES
#8 (489) EDDY GRANT
#5 (280) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
#13 (792) SHAGGY
#3 (152) SIMON & GARFUNKEL
#6 (361) THE CARDIGANS
#7 (408) BREAD
#2 (105) BLACK SABBATH

I'd be worried if Ray Charles,Simon&Garfunkel and Black Sabbath don't receive 100% of the votes...

Edit: Too late

Winners in Bracket #15...

Ray Charles 100% / Alien Ant Farm 0%
Eddy Grant 55.6% / Billy Squier 44.5%
Death Cab For Cutie 93.8% / Freddy & The Dreamers 6.2%
Nelly 63.2% / Shaggy 36.8%
Simon & Garfunkel 78.9% / Presidents Of The USA 21.1%
The Cardigans 64.7% / The Association 35.3%
Phoenix 66.7% / Bread 33.3%
Black Sabbath 100% / Against Me! 0%