Best Song of the 1970s Bracket - Born to Run wins!

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:28 pm

I'll leave voting open through tomorrow at 7 p.m. eastern.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:44 pm

Voting is now clsoed!

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:58 pm

London Calling 18, More Than a Feeling 8.5
La Grange 14, Run Through the Jungle 11
Wish You Were Here 20, 25 or 6 to 4 5
Sultans of Swing 22.5, Cruel to Be Kind 4
War 13.5, Ain't No Sunshine 9.5
Only the Good Die Young 14.5, Stayin' Alive 10
Won't Get Fooled Again 22.5, Drift Away 2.5
Take Me Home, Country Roads 16.5, Papa Was a Rolling Stone 10

A couple of very close match ups, and a couple of outright blowouts.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:24 pm

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ozRB ... QaMsOSOm4g

#44 Dancing Queen – ABBA
Album: Arrival
Year: 1976
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #1, UK #1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P9CxN7RVVs

#93 Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Album: Machine Head
Year: 1973
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #4, UK #21 (1977)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M

#21 War Pigs – Black Sabbath
Album: Paranoid
Year: 1970
Charts: non-single
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_A6y58afFY

#127 California Uber Alles – Dead Kennedys
Album: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Year: 1979
Charts: did not chart
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrWflCJPM4w

#53 Runnin' with the Devil – Van Halen
Album: Van Halen
Year: 1978
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #84, UK #52
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99nQpN0S5hE

#79 Search and Destroy – The Stooges
Album: Raw Power
Year: 1973
Charts: did not chart
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPDeTf7qE00

#12 The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
Album: Rumours
Year: 1977
Charts: non-single
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwTPvcPYaOo

#150 Ballroom Blitz – Sweet
Album: Desolation Boulevard
Year: 1976
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #5, UK #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPQPdYttl7U

#37 September – Earth, Wind & Fire
Album: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1
Year: 1978
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #8, UK #3
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cKtSlsYVEU

#100 Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson
Album: Look Sharp!
Year: 1978
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #21, UK #13
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9Rl_oRjWY

#28 Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Album: (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
Year: 1974
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #19
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqnU_sJ8V-E

#113 Walk On the Wild Side – Lou Reed
Album: Transformer
Year: 1972
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #16, UK #10
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6fayQBm9w

#60 American Pie – Don McLean
Album: American Pie
Year: 1971
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #1, UK #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX_TFkut1PM

#70 Marquee Moon – Television
Album: Marquee Moon
Year: 1977
Charts: UK #30
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlbunmCbTBA

#5 Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin IV
Year: 1971
Charts: not released as a single
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF3oxziUI4

#174 Smiling Faces Sometimes – The Undisputed Truth
Album: The Undisputed Truth
Year: 1971
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #3
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd9zCTPahqk

Your ballot:

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

kammajos000 · Post by **kammajos000** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:57 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

I'd be surprised to see any upsets this round.

A Dim-Witted Saboteur · Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:24 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

MiltonPlayer47 · Post by **MiltonPlayer47** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:54 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
I'm disappointed by the choice of Fleetwood Mac song. I would have picked "Silver Springs" (probably my favorite song of the decade), but "Landslide," "Rhiannon," and "Gold Dust Woman" would have also been fine choices. But I am not going to vote against them here.

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
I generally don't like Robert Plant's voice, but "Stairway to Heaven" is an exception. It's probably my favorite song in the tournament.

Stained Diviner · Post by **Stained Diviner** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:14 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
ABBA sucks. This is the best ABBA song, and it's very bad.

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
It's too bad that Crazy Train did not come out until 1980. War Pigs is darn good though.

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
Van Halen was awesome when they weren't complete morons.

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
I would have gone with Rhiannon or Landslide, but this song is good enough for this round.

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
An elementary school music teacher I know was putting together a chorus show with a seasons theme. She couldn't find a good Fall song, so I suggested September, and a bunch of kids ended up singing it. By a close call, it's the worse song in this pairing.

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
These songs are both completely awesome. In my head it came down to a tiebreaker, and the tiebreaker question was which one is Free Bird?

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Of course. I used to know this by heart, as everybody at the time did.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
Smiling Faces Sometimes is a great song, and it's a distant 2nd in this pairing.

dwd500 · Post by **dwd500** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:03 am

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
- Basically come down to which song I'd change the station away from. I will say that when it comes to recording engineers, ABBA's way out in front.

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
- The most menacing hi-hat solo of all time.

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
- David Lee Roth vs. Iggy Pop? I'll take DLR every time.

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
- The worst song on Rumours is probably Second Hand News, and that might still have won this. Great choice of song. It's basically the essence of Fleetwood Mac's tension boiled down to four-and-a-half minutes.

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
- I went through a pretty decent EWF listening phase back in college when we played Got to Get You Into My Life in Jazz Band. That said, I like In the Stone better.

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
- Walk on the Wild Side is good, but it ain't Free Bird. Best song off a fantastic album.

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
- Holy cow is this area of the bracket stacked.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
- I'm more of a When the Levee Breaks fan myself, but there's not a song on that album that doesn't win this matchup easily.

Not looking forward to having to choose between a lot of these in the next round.

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:13 am

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water

ABBA sucks. FERNANDO is the best ABBA song, and it's very bad.

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
--I was raised on Sabbath by older brothers and had to find punk on my own. I figure "War Pigs" will win, so I can support Jello here.

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
--Very tough for me, but that first Van Halen album dominated a period of my young life.

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
--No contest.

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
--Also very tough

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
--I'll reiterate that IMO this Lou Reed song should be top five of the '70s.

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
--Will risk my "hipster cred" for this comfort food.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
--Man, this song is so overrated. But still better than the competition.

34 + P.J. Dozier · Post by **34 + P.J. Dozier** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:45 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

BenWeiner27 · Post by **BenWeiner27** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:33 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

Whiter Hydra · Post by **Whiter Hydra** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 3:43 pm

Boston deserves more than to bow out in the round of 128.

Dancing Queen — This used to be my least favorite of ABBA's hits, but over the years I've grown to like it more. It's a shame that they aren't nearly as popular in the US as they were in Europe, since I really enjoy their music.
Smoke on the Water — This is a very tough matchup between two songs that are both iconic songs of the 1970s. It's a very tough decision to me, but I feel like Smoke on the Water runs a bit longer than it should, so I'll give the edge to the Swedes.

War Pigs — Yep, this is quintessential early Black Sabbath. It doesn't feel groundbreaking to listen to nowadays, but it still hold up surprisingly well.
California Uber Alles — Apparently the key to a long political career is to have someone without a sense of subtlety write a punk rock song about you. This song may have worked better had the Dead Kennedys picked a better target.

Runnin’ with the Devil — Oh right, Van Halen was around in the late 70s. They hadn't hit their stride yet, but they still rocked at this early stage.
Search and Destroy — Maybe it's because it hasn't aged well, but this song is just so forgettable to me. There's no really good hooks for me.

The Chain — If you haven't listened to Rumours all the way through, you should stop what you're doing and do that now. The Chain is a superb song that reflects the bitterness that was Fleetwood Mac at the time.
Ballroom Blitz — It's a good song. I enjoy listening to it, but there's no way it could ever hold a candle to The Chain.

September — I see we've reached the crossover with the MONTHS TOURNAMENT. It's peak disco, and I appreciate that it's had a mild resurgence over the past few autumnal equinoxes.
Is She Really Going Out with Him — Just like several other songs in this round, it's a good song, but it doesn't have anything special against a defining or iconic song of the 70s.

Free Bird — As 15-year-old me would think of it, the final boss of Guitar Hero II. Look, it rocks. I don't think it needs more explanation than that right now.
Walk on the Wild Side — It's fine, but Lou Reed isn't exactly my cup of tea. I wouldn't mind this song doing well, but there's no way I can vote for this ahead of Free Bird.

American Pie — For whatever reason, 10-year-old me loved this song. I'm not sure why I decided on such a song, but at least it's proof that I wasn't completely without taste back then, I guess.
Marquee Moon — Maybe it's because there's been so many long songs in a row, but this one doesn't really hold up as well after about minute 8.

Stairway to Heaven — And we reach the top seed of a stacked octant. The first half is kinda meh to me, but the final third or so really carries the song and gives it a very satisfying ending.
Smiling Faces Sometimes — Someone had to be a sacrifice to Led Zeppelin, and this song was it.

This was a long octant. I count 5/16 songs at 7:54 or longer.

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

Quinctilius Varus · Post by **Quinctilius Varus** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 4:07 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

I have few strong opinions on this bracket except that Marquee Moon is much better than American Pie and belongs in the Final Four

mrtyrmystry · Post by **mrtyrmystry** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 6:08 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Kill the Poor
War Pigs
Kill the Poor War Pigs
Poor Wigs
Kill the Poor Wigs - Dead Kennedys

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
Search and Destroy is in my personal top ten songs ever

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
Never Going Back Again (which is less commonly beloved?) is the Fleetwood Mac song in my personal top ten. but between listen to the wind blow, will you ever win, thunder only happens when it's raining, ive been fraid of changing, and whatever fleetwood mac song you love, there's magic in all of them

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
so the earth wind fire version of Got to Get You Into My Life was disappointingly worse than the original

i was listening to the Shangri-Las, and their most famous song (Leader of the Pack) is where the title of Joe Jackson's song comes from (via New Rose by the Darned). anyways, here's an excuse to suggest you listen to the 2 minutes of Give Him a Great Big Kiss by the Shangri-Las.

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
american pie is a genuinely great song, but when i make an "objective" top 5 all time songs on my deathbed, marquee moon will be there

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

is she really going out with him actually ends up being the catchiest song in this round

ScoBo · Post by **ScoBo** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:56 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

Ethnic history of the Vilnius region · Fri May 01, 2020 10:21 am

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Fri May 01, 2020 8:51 pm

Voting is open until 7 p.m. tomorrow night!

AgathokakologicalPunk · Sat May 02, 2020 9:05 am

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

Wynaut · Post by **Wynaut** » Sat May 02, 2020 2:14 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
Not really my favorites from either of these two, though some of that may be due to oversaturation. Even so, it's kind of weird to think about how a song about a really specific incident became such a classic rock icon.

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
"War Pigs" has the much more direct political commentary, and really uses its long runtime well.

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
A pretty good way to kick off a solid debut album, though VH definitely had better songs than this one. It would've probably lost if not for the terrible mixing on "Search and Destroy."

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
Almost every song on Rumours would've been a solid pick, but this one takes the cake. "Ballroom Blitz" seems like one of those songs you'd hear on classic rock radio and only think "Hmm, that's neat" and nothing more.

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Closest call in this bracket. "Got the Time" would've probably won this for me even though it's more closely associated with Anthrax now than with Joe Jackson.

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
One of those songs that gained a whole new meaning in retrospect that just further enhanced its reputation. It pulls off the shift in tone between its two halves incredibly well.

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
A great expression of the uncertainty of the 60s, especially during its tail end. The last verse still gives me chills every time.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
No contest.

Wow, these later rounds are gonna be a bloodbath.

rylltraka · Post by **rylltraka** » Sat May 02, 2020 5:34 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
"Dancing Queen" is a little bit too medium-tempo for a dance song, for my tastes. That background of muted strings, horns, and percussion is so 70s it hurts. Odd that it's so vocal-driven; was always more of a "Take A Chance on Me" kind of guy. "Smoke on the Water" hits you in the gut, and as a soft-bellied sort, that does more for me.

War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Chris Borglum didn't grow up on Black Sabbath, *I* grew up on Black Sabbath (although it was me that converted my brother instead of the other way around). My mom would kill me if I didn't vote this way, although it's an easy choice. Next time, Jello.

Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
I love me some Van Halen, although this song does fall into their weakness of having songs be pretty loose in construction and only hang together based upon DLR's charisma and some guitar pyrotechnics. Gonna go with the raw power (hah!) of Iggy and co.

The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
Ballroom Blitz is a fun, stupid little novelty. The Chain is some real music.

September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
This is the first matchup where I didn't know both songs super well. Even if it doesn't have much internal differentiation, "September" is beautifully infectious. I continue to not really get this second one. A little too understated for my blood. My inadequately stimulated blood.

Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
Lord, if I recall correctly, Solo Section I from Guitar Hero II is the one that still haunts my nightmares. This is classic-rock excess done to near-perfection. It's been a good run, Lou.

American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
I doubt I'm going to say anything about "American Pie" that hasn't been said a thousand times before. I wrote a bonus on it once. The second is a decent piece of post-punk, but not much more. It's also obnoxiously long, which is saying something after "American Pie".

Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
There's a reason "Stairway" became so iconic that even members of the band hated it. A beloved staple of college freshmen who just discovered that music exists, which I was once upon a time. "Smiling Faces Sometimes" is pleasant, but outclassed.

Blackboard Monitor Vimes · Sat May 02, 2020 6:57 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

Steeve Ho You Fat · Post by **Steeve Ho You Fat** » Sat May 02, 2020 8:33 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz I'm not even the biggest Fleetwood Mac fan (and agree that Gold Dust Woman would have been my choice, although this is a worth entrant), but this isn't even a competition. The other song is just terrible.
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him? Definitely not the Earth Wind & Fire song I'd have chosen, but any of their songs would win this matchup handily.
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side I'd still prefer the 14 minute live version, and I'll freely admit this song is overplayed and overindulgent. But it's just too much fun, and the guitar solo is too iconic. I miss the pre-plane crash Skynyrd when they were just Southern guys trying to have fun and participate in the culture in their own way - it's a shame the current version of the band that tours under the same name is using the Confederate Flag and leaning hard into the reactionary side of their fanbase.
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon I just don't get American Pie. The lyrics are too weird and the music is too boring. Marquee Moon has some nice riffs and a good groove, and I'd way rather listen to 10 minutes of it than 1 minute of American Pie.
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes It's probably not even in my top 10 Led Zeppelin songs, but it has so many unforgettable moments - the solo, the end of the solo, the intro...Also it's matched up against one of the worst songs in the whole bracket.

Wartortullian · Post by **Wartortullian** » Sat May 02, 2020 10:36 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sat May 02, 2020 10:44 pm

Got caught up in movies tonight, so I guess this will be open until sometime tomorrow!

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Sun May 03, 2020 12:08 pm

Chris Borglum didn't grow up on Black Sabbath, *I* grew up on Black Sabbath

Sabbath Bros 4 Lyfe, Mik.

ryanrosenberg · Post by **ryanrosenberg** » Sun May 03, 2020 1:51 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

kitakule · Post by **kitakule** » Sun May 03, 2020 3:29 pm

Dancing Queen vs. Smoke on the Water - How can you vote against Dancing Queen???
War Pigs vs. California Uber Alles
Runnin’ with the Devil vs. Search and Destroy
The Chain vs. Ballroom Blitz
September vs. Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Free Bird vs. Walk on the Wild Side - I've heard "PLAY FREE BIRD!!!!" way too many times.
American Pie vs. Marquee Moon
Stairway to Heaven vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun May 03, 2020 6:21 pm

Voting is closed.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun May 03, 2020 6:31 pm

Dancing Queen 13.5, Smoke on the Water 13
War Pigs 21, California Uber Alles 5.5
Runnin’ with the Devil 18, Search and Destroy 8.5
The Chain 26, Ballroom Blitz 1.5
September 19.5, Is She Really Going Out with Him? 7.5
Free Bird 22, Walk on the Wild Side 5
American Pie 21.5, Marquee Moon 5.5
Stairway to Heaven 27, Smiling Faces Sometimes 0

We did go chalk, but just barely after a comeback from Dancing Queen. We also have our first shutout, as Smiling Faces gets swept out.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun May 03, 2020 6:41 pm

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6TNWb ... LtUW8RW62g

Your matchups:

#45 Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) – The Hollies
Album: Distant Light
Year: 1972
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #2, UK #32
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCLYYNllZJg

#91 I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) – Grand Funk Railroad
Album: Closer to Home
Year: 1970
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #22
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8MYsii4DZY

#20 No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Album: Live!
Year: 1975
Charts: UK #22
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfNymCvydHc

#128 Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band
Album: Fly Like an Eagle
Year: 1976
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvTdwxlo3Dc

#52 Bang a Gong (Get It On) – T. Rex
Album: Electric Warrior
Year: 1971
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #10, UK #1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyzWDl0nz00

#80 American Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Album: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Year: 1977
Charts: UK #40
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIhb-kNvL6M

#13 My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
Album: All Things Must Pass
Year: 1970
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #1, UK #1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP9wms6oEMo

#140 Flash Light – Parliament
Album: Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Year: 1978
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #16
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5uH1JFcaq8

#36 Barracuda – Heart
Album: Little Queen
Year: 1977
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #11
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdOkQ6THDVw

#102 Just What I Needed – The Cars
Album: The Cars
Year: 1978
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #27, UK #17
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5-rdr0qhWk

#29 Imagine – John Lennon
Album: Imagine
Year: 1971
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #3 (1971), UK #6 (released as single in 1975 with album Shaved Fish)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DNwYnJivJw

#112 Southern Man – Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Album: After the Gold Rush
Year: 1970
Charts: non-single
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5FCcDEA6mY

#61 Kodachrome – Paul Simon
Album: There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
Year: 1973
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rlDTK6QI-w

#69 Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
Album: Lust for Life
Year: 1977
Charts: did not chart in US/UK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuBU3pzy7is

#4 Let It Be – The Beatles
Album: Let It Be
Year: 1970
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #1, UK #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4

#175 Easy – Commodores
Album: Commodores
Year: 1977
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #4, UK #9
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCsZ3_db_Fk

Your ballot:

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

Let's set a deadline of Tuesday, May 5, at 7 p.m. eastern.

dwd500 · Post by **dwd500** » Sun May 03, 2020 8:40 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
- For me, Captain's length catches up to it here. Long Cool Woman's main riff is too good.

No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
- I'm not really a Bob Marley listener, so I can't really speak to whether or not this is the right song for him, but groove with lyrical depth > groove with lyrical afterthought.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
- Tough call. I guess a part of me laughs inside when the backup singer forgets how many times they're supposed to sing the chorus, and they just leave it in the take.

My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
- Just to spite George Harrison. Maybe you could have figured out a third chord to use and spared us all the Chiffons lawsuit?

Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
- Man, I'm torn here, too. Heart's best feature is Ann Wilson's voice, and she's got more to show off on Magic Man or Crazy on You, but this isn't far behind. Barracuda is a little long, and Just What I Needed is a little short. I guess I'm breaking the tie with the better guitar solo.

Imagine vs. Southern Man
- Not a fan of either song. One's responsible for a million bad covers, but the other is at least partly responsible for Sweet Home Alabama.

Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
- Yeah, I'm still continuing my anti-Iggy Pop campaign. Anyway, a cool thing I found a while back was a Dick Cavett interview with Paul Simon where he's in the middle of writing Still Crazy After All These Years.

Let It Be vs. Easy
- I don't see a song on this bracket that's got a chance to take this song out, least of all the Commodores.

Stained Diviner · Post by **Stained Diviner** » Sun May 03, 2020 9:04 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
This is close. I'm Your Captain has more going on, though it could stand to lose a minute off the end.

No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
I love both of these songs. If I was just going off the studio versions, I might take Fly Like an Eagle. However, No Woman No Cry is too important to me and to music, and there are some great live versions.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
I'm more familiar with The Power Station version of Bang a Gong. American Girl is just better.

My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
I used to do transcendental meditation, so I can fell My Sweet Lord.

Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
This one's close. I'm voting for Barracuda even though Sarah Palin ruined it.

Imagine vs. Southern Man
It's going to be difficult when it's George vs John vs Paul. Where's Ringo?

Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
I don't think this would have been the Paul Simon song I picked, but it's probably just as good.

Let It Be vs. Easy
This song confuses me. For one thing, I remember going to religious services during the day of Live Aid and thinking it weird that there were a lot of prayers asking for "me" to be helped while all these rockers seemed more interested in helping others. Also, on a day when they were trying to change the world, why did they end with Let It Be? Also, is Let It Be the answer, or are you supposed to let the answer be? Help me out here.

Ethnic history of the Vilnius region · Sun May 03, 2020 10:14 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

Steeve Ho You Fat · Post by **Steeve Ho You Fat** » Sun May 03, 2020 11:09 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

MiltonPlayer47 · Post by **MiltonPlayer47** » Sun May 03, 2020 11:31 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)

No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle

Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl

My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light

Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed

Imagine vs. Southern Man
I also don't really care for either of these songs.

Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life

Let It Be vs. Easy

Not the strongest group of songs here. Aside from "American Girl" and "Let it Be" there is none that I love.

A Dim-Witted Saboteur · Mon May 04, 2020 12:03 am

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

The Stately Rhododendron · Mon May 04, 2020 12:31 am

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) - Long Cool Woman is clearly the better song, but listening to Grand Funk reminds me of hanging out with my good friend Louie Chaverini. And sometimes you just have to surrender to the twang.
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle - Marley is Marley, even though this is one of his lesser tracks.
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl - neither of these songs is that good
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light - my Sweet Lord is great, but P Funk was my first concert.
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed - I have a distinct memory of a terrible jazz player playing at my mom's church and saying "it's about damn time the Cars got back together!" Barracuda is one of those great songs that pairs well with any mental state you are in. Just so much fun.
Imagine vs. Southern Man - Imagine is a terrible, terrible song by a terrible, terrible person. Just garbage. Southern Man is not the best track on After the Gold Rush by any means and it's still miles ahead.
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life - When I was younger, I thought Paul Simon was good. Then I realized how narsicisstic his music is. We get it, you liked doo-wop as a kid. Iggy Pop is, of course, phenomenal and this is a bop.
Let It Be vs. Easy - Let It Be is a bitter, bitter song. Did the Beatles ever come up with anything as powerful as "Easy like Sunday morning"? Not on this track!

Apologies for not voting in the previous rounds. This is a wonderful bracket

Wartortullian · Post by **Wartortullian** » Mon May 04, 2020 2:40 am

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
Grand Funk Railroad sucks.

No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
I prefer "Fly Like and Eagle" to most other Steve Miller songs (except for maybe "Jet Airliner"), but it still can't top such an iconic piece of reggae.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
Tom Petty's best song, by a huge margin.

My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Musically speaking, the Harrison song isn't bad, but something really grinds my gears about the generic, nonsectarian hippie spiritualism of the lyrics (maybe cultural appropriation related, I guess). Thank god I'm getting the hell out of Boulder in a few months.

Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
The Cars were never my thing.

Imagine vs. Southern Man
I've grown quite tired of "Imagine" due to oversaturation, so I was briefly tempted to vote against it, but it still wins quite handily.

Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
My mom had a Paul Simon CD in the car when I was growing up, and this was the first song I ever learned the title to. 20ish years later, it still slaps.

Let It Be vs. Easy
No explanation needed.

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Mon May 04, 2020 10:49 am

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
--I like both of these, but the former is the best Hollies song: too bad, Graham Nash.

No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
--Tough call, and this isn't my favorite Marley song, but yeah, it's got to win.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
--Jangly guitar opening!

My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
--I'm not a huge fan of this Parliament song, but the George song is wretched (doo lang doo lang doo lang).

Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
--That Cars song still seems like it belongs in an '80s bracket, but it's tight.

Imagine vs. Southern Man
--Why couldn't both of these be competition for the two songs below, each of which is far better than either of these?

Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
--Paul Simon is, despite seeming to be by all accounts a jerk, one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. I hate not voting for "Kodachrome," but "Lust for Life" should be in the top five in this competition (along with "Walk on the Wild Side").

Let It Be vs. Easy
--Ponderous and overwrought slightly beats snoozy and lightweight (ahh ahh ahh ahhhhhhh).

kammajos000 · Post by **kammajos000** » Mon May 04, 2020 11:23 am

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life - sad to see that possibly the best song about being with Julio down by the schoolyard didn't make it in
Let It Be vs. Easy

Bosa of York · Post by **Bosa of York** » Mon May 04, 2020 12:11 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home): No vote
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle: No vote
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl: No vote
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light: No vote
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed: No vote
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life: No vote
Let It Be vs. Easy: No vote

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Mon May 04, 2020 1:03 pm

Why though

Bosa of York · Post by **Bosa of York** » Mon May 04, 2020 1:29 pm

communism is good; john lennon is bad

Stained Diviner · Post by **Stained Diviner** » Mon May 04, 2020 2:49 pm

CURB will always be with us.

(This is not a shot at Eric, who is not expressing the CURB viewpoint.)

Whiter Hydra · Post by **Whiter Hydra** » Mon May 04, 2020 4:06 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) — This is a classic in a long line of songs whose lyrics are incomprehensible. It's decent, but my usual reaction to me hearing this song is "Oh it's that one" and then I kind of relegate it to the background.
I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) — It's a long song that's done mostly well. It doesn't try to go too hard, and it doesn't really get lost except the final two minutes. We get it, you're getting closer to your home.

No Woman No Cry — I don't really like Bob Marley that much. I guess his vocals don't really resonate with me that well.
Fly Like an Eagle — This is probably the Steve Miller Band song I tolerate the most. Turns out upon listening, it's still not a good song.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) — Trying to figure out what a hubcap diamond star halo is diminishes my enjoyment of an otherwise solid rhythm. It's cool, but it lacks the punch to truly rock.
American Girl — Tom Petty's voice is amazing in this. It' has emotion, but it doesn't overpower the song. It also helps that it's about the prefect length for what the song is supposed to be.

My Sweet Lord — I think what happened here was that George Harrison put in nonsense lyrics and expected Lennon/McCartney to eventually replace them with actual content. It's a pleasant tune otherwise, at least.
Flashlight — Wow, this part of the bracket is weak. This started out as a nice funky tune, but then it lasted two minutes more than it needed to and I kinda got bored of it.

Barracuda — Reading about the backstory of this song was a bit of a ride. Heart is a great band, and the vocal/guitar combo of the Wilson sisters work really well.
Just What I Needed — This is a good song. It's better than two-thirds of the stuff here. Unfortunately it's up against Barracuda and not, say, My Sweet Lord.

Imagine — Tweak some of the lyrics and have it be sung by a more decent human being, and you have an amazing song. Instead, it just feels wrong, despite how pretty the tune is.
Southern Man — Southern Man's guitar work is okay, and not really deserving on the amount of time on the song it gets. Otherwise, it's pretty solid.

Kodachrome — My one complaint about this song is that Paul Simon can't decide if everything looks better or worse in black and white. Otherwise it's Paul Simon being good at music, even if this is about his fifth-best solo song.
Lust for Life — I definitely enjoy this song more on the second listen, and being hit by a five-minute wall of sound is actually kinda entertaining. Unfortunately it's in another really tough matchup.

Let It Be — A great sendoff to the most iconic band of all time. It's obviously not perfect, but it's still a superb song and I find it hard to vote against it for a long time.
Easy — It's not a bad song. It just so happens to be this octant's ritual sacrifice.

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle vs. Come Sail Away (Write-in)
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

BenWeiner27 · Post by **BenWeiner27** » Mon May 04, 2020 5:49 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

AgathokakologicalPunk · Mon May 04, 2020 6:23 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) - The last 5 minutes are painful, but at least I like the 4, 5 or whatever minutes that precede.
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle - Neh, reggae isn't my thing.
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl - Power Station sucks, first of all. Second, the lyrics are a mystery set to a neat riff. Third, that neat riff isn't going to beat Tom Petty.
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light - Don't like Harrison.
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed - Two highly underrated acts. Heart could win again almost any other act, but as the Cars aren't making it anyway, I don't feel bad voting against Heart for them. I'll support you next round Wilsons.
Imagine vs. Southern Man - I despise Lennon.
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life - Kodachrome sounds so similar to that one about "Christmas, all over, again" in my mind, which finds both of them grating.
Let It Be vs. Easy - Come to think of it, I don't like any Beatle but Ringo. And the Commodores are so smooth!

ScoBo · Post by **ScoBo** » Mon May 04, 2020 9:44 pm

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
Imagine vs. Southern Man
Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Let It Be vs. Easy

rylltraka · Post by **rylltraka** » Tue May 05, 2020 1:41 am

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) vs. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
I'm entirely unfamiliar with this first song, but it sounds very close to CCR. It's pretty good, although it's rather unstructured and it just trails off. Nice juicy background, though. True story: I bought the Grand Funk Railroad Greatest Hits CD some months ago on the strength of "We're an American Band" in the expectation that I would hear other things I liked/remembered. Nope! It was actually rather hard to get through, although none of it was terrible or offensive or anything. I think I still might have it, but it ain't getting another play. They're never better than just okay, which is what my impression of this song is.

No Woman No Cry vs. Fly Like an Eagle
The live version of "No Women No Cry" is certainly the superior version - the studio one has a high, tinny quality to Marley's voice. It's still good, and it's loose enough that it's pretty close to live even in studio. "Fly Like an Eagle" wastes an awesome opening riff going into an okayish song, so it's got to bow out here just for that foolishness.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) vs. American Girl
I will elect to do neither, T. Rex. Slinky little number there. Somehow "American Girl" has not worn out its welcome despite having listened to it dozens of times (that frenzied guitar lick at the end), so I have to prefer it here.

My Sweet Lord vs. Flash Light
"My Sweet Lord" is a fine song, except for the vocals and lyrics, which, if I'm not mistaken, are important parts of these things we call songs. The Beatles' weird forays into Indian spirituality haven't aged super well. It's also at least a minute too long. "Flashlight" is instantly more energetic and invigorating, even though it mostly seems to be joyously delivered nonsense. I'd rather be on whatever drugs they were taking instead of which ones Harrison was.

Barracuda vs. Just What I Needed
"Just What I Needed" is definitely in my Top 4 for this entire bracket. It's a perfect radio-rock song. I love "Barracuda"; "Just What I Needed" is 10x better - that staccato opening? The understated opening building up for the entire first minute and a half up to the chorus? And that chorus! The perfect backing vocals, a half-step behind. Add that all up with solid, memorable guitar work that isn't trying to steal the show? That's just what we needed.

Imagine vs. Southern Man
Discounting John Lennon for being a dick in his personal life is the oldest and least inventive form of edge and snobbery. There's a reason "Imagine", despite seeming perhaps outdated now for advocating viewpoints we might consider uncontroversial today, was visionary and has persisted for 50 years. "Southern Man", solid song, still topical, but in a different tier; the ending is not that great.

Kodachrome vs. Lust for Life
Never really that big on Paul Simon, especially by himself. This is okay. Lust for Life burns. Although I would have preferred the shorter rerelease single version, but you can't always get what you want.

Let It Be vs. Easy
De gustibus, of course, but "Easy" is pretty dull; really the horn work is all that does anything for me.