Vote for your winners, results posted tomorrow:
#1 U2 vs. #4 George Michael
#3 Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. #2 Pet Shop Boys
#1 Public Enemy vs. #4 The Flaming Lips
#3 Husker Du vs. #2 Metallica
#1 The Smiths vs. #5 Soundgarden
#3 De La Soul vs. #2 New Order
#1 R.E.M. vs. #4 Iron Maiden
#11 The Pogues vs. #2 The Stone Roses
#1 U2
#3 Red Hot Chili Peppers
#1 Public Enemy : 2 bands I find overrated, though PE might be the most overrated of both, it is also the best
#2 Metallica
#5 Soundgarden
#2 New Order (tough match-up)
#1 R.E.M.
#11 The Pogues
#4 George Michael (yes, I'm serious)
#2 Pet Shop Boys
#1 Public Enemy (how the hell did PE and the Lips have to match up, considering the matchups above? Ugh.)
#3 Husker Du
#1 The Smiths
#3 De La Soul
#1 R.E.M.
#2 The Stone Roses
U2. I give them a lot of crap, but they’re a very good band, especially if you focus on their work from 1984-1987 (and Achtung Baby is great, too).
PET SHOP BOYS. My guess is they reach the end of the line here. And I was so looking forward to Bono vs. Neil Tennant.
PUBLIC ENEMY. Of course I’m sorry to have to throw the Lips over the side. But Public Enemy is titanic – probably the greatest rap act ever.
HÜSKER DÜ. Another favorite that’s pretty clearly not going to win today. I do not get Metallica, and I have tried…I would have them easily losing to 13 of today’s other artists, and I would have to take a hard look at George Michael and Iron Maiden.
THE SMITHS
NEW ORDER. Probably today’s hardest choice.
R.E.M. Oh, Henrik… (Just kidding. I know you dig Iron Maiden.)
THE POGUES. Verry interesting matchup. I honestly don’t know how this one’s going to pan out…either one would deserve the win, but as I tend to do, I’m going with spiky and messy over groovy.
#1 U2 (I like George well enough, but he's outgunned here)
#3 Red Hot Chili Peppers (What little I know of the Pet Shop Boys is pretty good, but not much more)
#1 Public Enemy (This was a hard choice, "Yoshimi" is one of my all-time favorites. Maybe if "The Soft Bulletin" was as good as a lot of people seem to think it is, I would have voted for the Lips)
#3 Husker Du (Good punk beats good metal)
#1 The Smiths (Extremely close matchup, and I surprised myself a little by picking the Smiths)
#3 De La Soul (New Order is going to win, but I've always liked selected singles a lot more than any of their actual albums)
#1 R.E.M. (Nooooooooo contest)
#11 The Pogues (Have never been able to get that into the Stone Roses' supposedly seminal eponymous debut)
#1 U2
#2 Pet Shop Boys
#4 The Flaming Lips
#3 Husker Du
#1 The Smiths
#2 New Order
#1 R.E.M.
#11 The Pogues (Although I did hear a Stone Roses song I liked the other day so I might have to relisten to "The Stone Roses" again. Maybe the 10th time will be the charm.
U2
RHCP
Flaming Lips (like PE overall, but I can't go against the lips)
Metallica
Smiths (super close)
New Order
REM
Stone Roses (see Flaming Lips justification)
#4 George Michael: I like U2, but there isn't a single album of theirs I consistently adore like Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1.
#2 Pet Shop Boys: Good matchup of bands that I like but don't love. I've got 3 RHCP albums, and none of them are real favorites. I only have a Pet Shop Boys comp, but they're growing on me.
Pass (I really can't decide.)
Pass (Don't know Husker Du.)
#1 The Smiths: I can enjoy Soundgarden, but The Smiths are several classes above.
#2 New Order: I know I'd take De la Soul over Public Enemy, but New Order is close to a top-10 artist for me.
Pass (Don't really care for R.E.M., don't really know Iron Maiden.)
Pass (Don't know enough Pogues to make an informed vote.)
RESULTS:
U2 86.5% / George Michael 13.5%
Red Hot Chili Peppers 73% / Pet Shop Boys 27%
Public Enemy 61.8% / The Flaming Lips 38.2%
Metallica 65.6% / Husker Du 34.4%
The Smiths 75% / Soundgarden 25%
New Order 62.9% / De La Soul 37.1%
R.E.M. 82.9% / Iron Maiden 27.1%
The Stone Roses 61.8% / The Pogues 38.2
Some e-mail votes if you have any questions over splits:
PE 11-2
Metallica 10-3
Stone Roses 8-5