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

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 8:38 pm

Me and Bobby McGee 10.5, Black Magic Woman 9
Beast of Burden 10.5, Mr. Blue Sky 9
Zombie 11.5, Ain't No Mountain High Enough 8.5
What's Going On 15, Highway to Hell 4.5
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 11, Move On Up 9.5
Midnight Train to Georgia 12, Doctor, My Eyes 7.5
Jolene 13, Moondance 6.5
Superstition 15.5, Reelin' in the Years 4.5

I'll post the next set in the near future.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:39 pm

AKKOLADE wrote: ↑Thu Apr 02, 2020 9:02 pm Current bracket - Updated June 4

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:44 pm

It's time for the round of 32! We're going down to four matchups per round now. As such, our deadline will be June 7 at 8 p.m.

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6XgaK ... f5Vd9KmzlQ

Your matchups:

#1 Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Album: A Night at the Opera
Year: 1975
Charts: UK #1, Billboard Hot 100 #9 (initial release)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ

#32 Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
Album: Talking Heads: 77
Year: 1977
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #92
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eauZzwt8Ci8

#49 Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Album: non-album single
Year: 1970
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #14
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1PrUU2S_iw

#48 Lola – The Kinks
Album: Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One
Year: 1970
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #9, UK #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU

#8 London Calling – The Clash
Album: London Calling
Year: 1979
Charts: UK #11
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvI2xbU3baQ

#25 Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Album: Wish You Were Here
Year: 1975
Charts: non-single
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjpF8ukSrvk

#76 Only the Good Die Young – Billy Joel
Album: The Stranger
Year: 1978
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #24
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERWREcPIoPA

#24 Won't Get Fooled Again – The Who
Album: Who’s Next
Year: 1971
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #15, UK #9
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrHUD2XmLN4

Your ballot:

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

Our deadline, again, is June 7 at 8 p.m.

mrtyrmystry · Post by **mrtyrmystry** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:59 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

London Calling was always the correct pick for the bracket, but I hate how contemptuous it is and sounds. it's not why I personally love the Clash. unasked for, and disregarding many relevant details about the band (painfully exhaustive critical acclaim, political posturing, they were a band of white dudes who extensively/openly engaged with black music, their fumbling of race in "White Riot"), and because it's being shut out, here are my favorite things - clash songs

Rudie Can't Fail, Janie Jones, Train in Vain, Safe European Home, Police and Thieves, Complete Control, Hateful, The Card Cheat, Death or Glory, Career Opportunities, Spanish Bombs. (clash city rockers and I Fought the Law). Clampdown is alright.

and also Guns of Brixton, Cheat, Lost in the Supermarket, Hate and War, I'm so Bored with the USA, White Man (in Hammersmith Palais), London's Burning, English Civil War, Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad

I don't really care about 80s Clash, but Rock the Casbah is a very nice song.

kammajos000 · Post by **kammajos000** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:04 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:52 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
--Both are great, but I'll stick with the song I'd usually rather listen to.

Lola vs. Ohio
--"Well, that's the way that I want it to stay/And I always want it to be that way for my Lo-o-la."

London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
--Oooof. I strongly disagree with earlier comments that "London Calling" is itself not a great song; that opening riff is ominous and powerful. But Pink Floyd IS the 70s, like Nicholas Ray IS the cinema.

Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young
--Hahaha easiest pick in a while. I would be perfectly happy to see The Who win this thing.

AgathokakologicalPunk · Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:01 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

Wartortullian · Post by **Wartortullian** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:17 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

ScoBo · Post by **ScoBo** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:43 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

MiltonPlayer47 · Post by **MiltonPlayer47** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:47 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer

Lola vs. Ohio

London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here

Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

dwd500 · Post by **dwd500** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 10:33 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

Steeve Ho You Fat · Post by **Steeve Ho You Fat** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 10:41 pm

Four no-brainers this time

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer It's kind of cool, has a nice beat, and most importantly I don't want to ever have to listen to Bohemian Rhapsody again.
Lola vs. Ohio One of the most direct songs about what's still one of the most brutal uses of force by the US government against its citizens. Almost exactly 50 years ago, the government was just as able to perform brutal, senseless violence as it is today, and David Crosby could still be asking the same questions. Why? How many more?
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here I'd argue that it's Zeppelin that really defined the '70s (LZI came out in '69, Bonzo died in '80), but Pink Floyd is a worth candidate, and this song is their best work. Creating a 5:30 song with extended instrumentals that never gets boring is an accomplishment of itself, and creating one of the best meditations on grief makes the song unforgettable.
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young Billy Joel concerts exist solely to be filled up by 55 year old accountants who rode their Harley there from a Trump rally.

Ethnic history of the Vilnius region · Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:11 am

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

Bosa of York · Post by **Bosa of York** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:33 am

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:48 am

Billy Joel concerts exist solely to be filled up by 55 year old accountants who rode their Harley there from a Trump rally.

This is the kind of analysis I'm here for.

Stained Diviner · Post by **Stained Diviner** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 10:24 am

The first two are difficult. The last two are easy.

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Wayne's World vs. Stop Making Sense. These are both great songs and great bands. Queen can make songs that are simultaneously cheesy and awesome. When I grew up listening to them, we didn't realize they were gay even though they hung out in gay bars and called themselves Queen. How did that happen?

Lola vs. Ohio
These two songs are as currently relevant as anything in this bracket, and they were both recorded in 1970.

London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
For you kids, Pink Floyd was started by Syd Barrett, who was a genius who went insane, possibly from ingesting massive amounts of drugs. About half of Pink Floyd songs are about him, including this one. This whole album is great. When you play Welcome to the Machine, make sure your neighbors can hear it.

Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young
There are a handful of Billy Joel songs I like, including this one, but I don't like them that much.

ryanrosenberg · Post by **ryanrosenberg** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:02 am

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:24 pm

I'll need to push the deadline back to Sunday, June 7 at 8 p.m. eastern.

34 + P.J. Dozier · Post by **34 + P.J. Dozier** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:38 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

A Dim-Witted Saboteur · Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:32 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

BenWeiner27 · Post by **BenWeiner27** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 12:35 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 7:23 pm

There's 24-ish hours left to vote!

rylltraka · Post by **rylltraka** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:20 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
"Psycho Killer" is good and all, but people are voting for it over "Bohemian Rhapsody", especially as something representative of the 70s? Is this real life? Or just fantasy? Queen is weird in a much more universally compelling way; I wouldn't want to listen to "Psycho Killer" more than twice in a row before it'd get old, as musically and vocally it has less to recommend it on a moment-by-moment level.

Lola vs. Ohio
In the battle of oddly topical four-letter anthems, I really, really love the understated, soul-wrenching electric guitar of "Ohio". That said, "Lola" is almost unspeakably charming, although I have to side with the urgency of the other song.

London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say that "London Calling" is a bad song or that The Clash are a bad band, but by what is now the fourth listen, its deficiencies are apparent, starting with the fact that Joe Strummer can't sing. And I think that's important for a band. Anyway, "Wish You Were Here" is a masterpiece of tone, nailing its heartbroken air throughout in a way which has touched college-freshmen-who-are-just-discovering-music everywhere. Not that that's bad.

Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young
I grew up in a place that didn't really have Catholics, so I don't have an inborn soft spot for the popular genre of "bad Catholic boy begs good Catholic girl for sex", although I can imagine its appeal. So I'll have to side with The Who, although god, does this song meander.

cdbarker · Post by **cdbarker** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:42 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

Bosa of York · Post by **Bosa of York** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 10:06 pm

rylltraka wrote: ↑Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:20 pm "Psycho Killer" is good and all, but people are voting for it over "Bohemian Rhapsody", especially as something representative of the 70s?

i voted against bohemian rhapsody because i voted for good songs

rylltraka · Post by **rylltraka** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 3:38 am

I've been on the Internet for 25 years, I know better than to engage with a troll.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 5:01 pm

We have three hours to vote! Make sure you get your ballot in.

34 + P.J. Dozier · Post by **34 + P.J. Dozier** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 5:35 pm

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. Psycho Killer
Lola vs. Ohio
London Calling vs. Wish You Were Here
Won’t Get Fooled Again vs. Only the Good Die Young

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:01 pm

Voting is closed.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:07 pm

Psycho Killer 12.5, Bohemian Rhapsody 10.5
Ohio 14, Lola 9
Wish You Were Here 16, London Calling 7.5
Won’t Get Fooled Again 20, Only the Good Die Young 3

I'm a massive Talking Heads fan, and I'm not sure y'all got that first one right. Regardless.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:08 pm

The deadline for this set is June 9, 8 p.m. eastern.

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/76FGv ... jbCWkzmG9A

Your matchups:

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

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

#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

#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

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

#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

#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

#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

Your ballot:

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

The deadline is June 9, 8 p.m. eastern.

Wynaut · Post by **Wynaut** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 9:13 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

MiltonPlayer47 · Post by **MiltonPlayer47** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 10:27 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs

Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird

No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl

Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

A Dim-Witted Saboteur · Sun Jun 07, 2020 10:51 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

kammajos000 · Post by **kammajos000** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 11:03 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

Steeve Ho You Fat · Post by **Steeve Ho You Fat** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 11:25 pm

Real tough one here.

The Chain vs. War Pigs Really could go either way, but The Chain is more distinctive and memorable to me. It blends so many disparate elements together in a way that makes complete sense.
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird The battle of guitar anthems! Free Bird has a better solo (is that a hot take?) but the rest of Stairway is better. Even though it's not Zeppelin's best work, I'll go with the band that defined the 70s.
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl Probably the two least inspiring songs in this part of the bracket. Sure.
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed It hurts me to vote against The Beatles, but Let It Be is one of their worst songs. Going from it to the instant jolt of energy at the start of Just What I Needed is an incredible contrast.

ryanrosenberg · Post by **ryanrosenberg** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 12:41 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

voting chalk here, but "Let It Be" is pretty weak

Stained Diviner · Post by **Stained Diviner** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:59 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
This just isn't the Fleetwood Mac song for me.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
These songs are both great.

No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
My feet is my only carriage/And so I've got to push on through.

Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed
I know I'm right on this one. Just What I Needed isn't a bad song, but it's not that good either.

Wartortullian · Post by **Wartortullian** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 9:01 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:22 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
--I don't love them now, so I will never love them again.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
--Oy, it would take a lot of lighters to listen to both of these back to back live.

No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
--Excited to see this Petty song get this far.

Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed
--I would rather listen to The Cars' song most times, but I suppose the swan song of the band that dominated the 60s should win.

Ethnic history of the Vilnius region · Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:54 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs

This is the only easy call for me.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird

Led Zeppelin is certainly the better band, but if I were listening to the radio right now and had a choice, I’d go with Free Bird.

No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl

Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

dwd500 · Post by **dwd500** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 12:15 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

ScoBo · Post by **ScoBo** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:28 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:29 pm

There's one more day to vote!

AgathokakologicalPunk · Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:54 pm

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed
Zeppelin v Skynyrd is the only difficult matchup

rylltraka · Post by **rylltraka** » Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:12 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
"The Chain" is A- Fleetwood Mac, whereas "War Pigs" is A+ Black Sabbath. Still not the one I devoted time to learning the bass line of, though. Both have a fine opening section, a fine musical interlude, and a culminating crescendo that's the best part of the song.

Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
There's more flab in "Free Bird". Which is saying something.

No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
If this were the better live version of "No Woman No Cry", it would win. But it's not. "American Girl" is going to get slaughtered pretty soon, though.

Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed
Although I wouldn't do it for the previous song, I'm going to pretend this is the superior original version of "Let it Be".

34 + P.J. Dozier · Post by **34 + P.J. Dozier** » Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:17 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

mrtyrmystry · Post by **mrtyrmystry** » Tue Jun 09, 2020 6:29 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

BenWeiner27 · Post by **BenWeiner27** » Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:19 am

The Chain vs. War Pigs
Stairway to Heaven vs. Free Bird--Both of these songs are very good with very good guitar solos and it was pretty much a tie for me. I am going to give the slight edge to Free Bird as I like the non-solo part of it a bit more.
No Woman, No Cry vs. American Girl
Let It Be vs. Just What I Needed

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Tue Jun 09, 2020 7:23 pm

You have a half hour to vote.