The Old Acclaimed Music Forum
Go to the NEW FORUM
BRACKET #23
#1 (21) JAMES BROWN vs. #16 (1004) GERRY RAFFERTY
Soul legend… “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”, “It’s A Man’s Man’s World”, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)”
70’s singer/songwriter best known for 1978 hit “Baker Street”. Others include, “Right Down The Line”, “Night Owl” and “Home And Dry”.
#8 (492) JIM CROCE vs. #9 (533) NATALIE MERCHANT
Jim dominated the pop charts until his untimely demise in the early 70’s… “Big, Bad Leroy Brown”, “Time In A Bottle”, “Operator” and “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song”
Post 10,000 Maniacs solo career, peaked in the 90’s with “Carnival”, “Wonder”, “Jealousy” and “Kind And Generous”.
#5 (277) BUSH vs. #12 (748) ASIA
90’s Post-Grunge… “Everything’s Zen”, “Comedown”, “Swallowed” and “The Chemicals Between Us”.
Prog-rock super group of the 80’s… “Heat Of The Moment”, “Only Time Will Tell”, “Don’t Cry” and “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes”.
#4 (236) ERASURE vs. #13 (789) KLAXONS
80’S Synth/Pop… “Sometimes”, “Chains Of Love”, “A Little Respect” and “Love To Hate You”
English Dance/Punk band of the 00’s… “Magick”, “Gravity’s Rainbow”, “Golden Skans” and “Atlantis To Interzone”.
#3 (149) CROWDED HOUSE vs. #14 (876) BEN FOLDS
Alt/Pop band from New Zealand that pumped out a bunch of international hits in the late 80’s/early 90’s… “Something So Strong”, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Weather With You” and “Better Be Home Soon”.
American singer/songwriter who had success both solo and with Ben Folds Five… “Brick”, “Army”, “Rockin’ The Suburbs” and “Landed”.
#6 (364) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT vs. #11 (661) A PERFECT CIRCLE
90’S Alt/rappers… “Tennessee”, “Revolution”, “Mr. Wendal” and “People Everyday”
Hard rock side project… “Judith”, “Weak And Powerless”, “Passive” and “Three Libras”.
#7 (405) ROBERT PALMER vs. #10 (620) DROPKICK MURPHYS
Successful in the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s with songs like “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)”, “Addicted To Love”, “Simply Irresistible” and “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On”.
Celtic-Punk… “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”, Tessie”, “The Dirty Glass” and “(F)lannigan’s Ball”.
#2 (108) MUSE vs. #15 (917) LOCAL H
Prog rock for the new century combining elements of classical, metal and electronic music amongst others on “Starlight”, “Plug In Baby”, “Time Is Running Out” and “Uprising”.
90’s post-grunge… “Bound For The Floor”, “All The Kids Are Right”, “Fritz’s Corner” and “Hands On The Bible”.
JB... easy winner...
Natalie Merchant... always had a thing for her and I kinda liked her music too, never liked Jim Croce...
Asia... I liked Bush in the 90's, these days not so much...
Klaxons... Erasure doesn't have a "Magick"...
Crowded House... One of my favorite bands to chill too...
Arrested Development... Hard to vote against Maynard for a band with essentially one album, but that album was that good...
Dropkick... If your ever in a bad mood, need to get hyped or are primed for a night of drinking, Dropkick Murphys are the ultimate soundtrack...
Muse... I know they've become so overhyped and too big, but for the past 10 years they've been one of my favorite bands...
#1 (21) JAMES BROWN
#8 (492) JIM CROCE
#12 (748) ASIA
#4 (236) ERASURE
#3 (149) CROWDED HOUSE
#11 (661) A PERFECT CIRCLE
#7 (405) ROBERT PALMER
#2 (108) MUSE
#1 James Brown
#9 Natalie Merchant
#12 Asia
#4 Erasure
#14 Ben Folds
#6 Arrested Development
#7 Robert Palmer
#15 Local H
#1 James Brown
#8 Jim Croce - actually, I would have expected a higher seed for him. Natalie Merchant was much more interesting with 10000 Maniacs than without.
#12 Asia - go 80s!
#4 Erasure - go 80s!
#3 Crowded House - wow!! A #3 seed? Also, aren't they really Australian? I know Neil Finn and his brother are from New Zealand, but the band formed in Australia, and made their name there. Also, kind of a tough choice, because Ben Folds is pretty talented.
#6 Arrested Development - "T-Tennessee"
#7 Robert Palmer - go 80s! Sorry Dropkick, I kind of like the Irish rock, but not enough...
#8 Jim Croce - actually, I would have expected a higher seed for him. Natalie Merchant was much more interesting with 10000 Maniacs than without.
#12 Asia - go 80s!
#4 Erasure - go 80s!
#3 Crowded House - wow!! A #3 seed? Also, aren't they really Australian? I know Neil Finn and his brother are from New Zealand, but the band formed in Australia, and made their name there. Also, kind of a tough choice, because Ben Folds is pretty talented.
#6 Arrested Development - "T-Tennessee"
#7 Robert Palmer - go 80s! Sorry Dropkick, I kind of like the Irish rock, but not enough...
They are Australian... when I was jotting down some quick details I was thinking New Zealand... must be the Finn's I was thinking about.
BRACKET #23
#1 (21) JAMES BROWN
#8 (492) JIM CROCE
#5 (277) BUSH
#4 (236) ERASURE
#3 (149) CROWDED HOUSE
#6 (364) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
#7 (405) ROBERT PALMER
#2 (108) MUSE
Well technically yeah - but we still claim 'em - Australians have taken credit for enough of our stuff over the years...
#1 (21) JAMES BROWN
#8 (492) JIM CROCE
#5 (277) BUSH
#4 (236) ERASURE
#3 (149) CROWDED HOUSE
#6 (364) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
#7 (405) ROBERT PALMER
#2 (108) MUSE
#1 (21) JAMES BROWN
#8 (492) JIM CROCE
#5 (277) BUSH
#13 (789) KLAXONS
#3 (149) CROWDED HOUSE
#6 (364) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
#10 (620) DROPKICK MURPHYS (I'm shipping up to Boston cause I've lost my wooden leeeeeeeeg!)
#2 (108) MUSE
James Brown
Klaxons
Arrested Development
Dropkick Murphys
Muse (2 1/2 good albums)
1. James Brown (Harold, this matchup may actually be funnier than Ray/AAF.)
9. Natalie Merchant (her solo career’s not much, but compared to Croce, the songs are just as good, she’s a better singer, and she’s about a trillion times hotter)
5. Bush
4. Erasure
3. Crowded House
6. Arrested Development
10. Dropkick Murphys (as long as the Murphys and Bill James exist, I’ll be unable to completely hate the Red Sox)
2. Muse
I want it on record that I’m reeeeally holding my nose on both Bush and Arrested Development.
****
MOST UNDERRATED
Nobody…this is the first batch in which ALL 16 artists are ranked higher by UMT than by AM. Nine of today’s artists aren’t AM ranked!
MOST OVERRATED
Robert Palmer (UMT 405, AM 1066); Crowded House (UMT 149, AM 352).
NOT AM RANKED. Take a deep breath…
Muse, Erasure, Bush, Jim Croce, Natalie Merchant, Dropkick Murphys, A Perfect Circle, Asia, Local H.
CLOSE
Klaxons (UMT 789, AM 825).
Not that it matters much, because they would still be overrated by AM. But Muse has an AM ranking of 719.
Aaargh!
When I looked them up originally, I just scanned to the bottom of the “M” list, and when I didn’t see Muse after Mötley Crüe and Múm, I assumed they were unranked…I had forgotten to take special characters (like ö and ú) into account.
Yet another reason to despise the ünnëcëssärÿ ümläüt!
Thanks for catching that, Slick.
#1 (21) JAMES BROWN
#5 (277) BUSH
#14 (876) BEN FOLDS
Die melodramatic croony male vocal synth-pop!
#6 (364) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
#10 (620) DROPKICK MURPHYS
#15 (917) LOCAL H
Muse and Kings of Leon the only bands I don't like that they play tirelessly on the alternative station I listen to in the car. Muse are melodramatic and shallowly philosophical. They're like living straw men.
BRACKET #23
#1 JAMES BROWN
Of course.
#8 JIM CROCE
I may now, nearly fifteen years later, be able to stand Merchant's voice again. Croce had some bad songs, and some deceptively good ones.
#5 BUSH
90's rock lives!
#4 ERASURE
Catchy as fuck.
#14 BEN FOLDS
Folds wins whether we only count his solo stuff or include his far better earlier work with the Five. I understand why so many people find him annoying. He's earnest in his irony, or ironic in his earnestness, or whatever. He's also a sterling songwriter and a great performer.
#6 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
I haven't pulled out their debut in far too long.
#10 DROPKICK MURPHYS
Palmer really isn't very good, is he.
#15 LOCAL H
90's rock lives! Oh, and Muse (or what I've heard of them, and I made a mistake of buying one of their albums) sucks.
Bracket #23 winners...
James Brown 96.2% / Gerry Rafferty 3.8%
Jim Croce 62.5% / Natalie Merchant 37.5%
Bush 56.0% / Asia 44.0%
Erasure 76.0% / Klaxons 24.0%
Crowded House 72.0% / Ben Folds 28.0%
Arrested Development 73.1% / A Perfect Circle 26.9%
Robert Palmer 53.8% / Dropkick Murphys 46.2%
Muse 76.0% / Local H 24.0%