Our third and final day at Division A comes to an end- we’ll be checking in with all these cats at the Round of 256. The first two days have featured mostly very close battles, and I expect no less from these face-offs. Check ’em on Grooveshark.
Africa (Toto) vs. Changes (David Bowie) Africa is a major sleeper- a former satellite tournament winner that people either love or think is patently ridiculous (or both).
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones) vs. Whipping Post (Allman Brothers). You’ll remember Whipping Post from its play-in round victory, but tonight it’s up against one of the most formidable Stones tracks of all-time.
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan) vs. Feelin’ Alright (Traffic). Choosing Dylan songs was tough, but a few people lobbied me heavily to include this one. Traffic, meanwhile, is quite underrated.
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G) vs. Forever Young (Jay-Z). I like this Jay-Z song, but expect to see him get his ass kicked by a song that could conceivably win the tournament.
House of the Rising Sun (Animals) vs. Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys). Contemporaneous songs come at you from different directions.
The Message (Grandmaster Flash) vs. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd). These songs have nothing in common except that they are both classics. May the best classic prevail.
Vote by commenting below or emailing LTDdotorg@gmail.com.
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Living the Dream 
Boy oh boy- tough match ups.
Africa (Toto) vs. Changes (David Bowie) 8:10 Why you gotta put Africa against Changes right away?!?! Damn…sorry, Totes.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones) vs. Whipping Post (Allman Brothers). 8:7
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan) vs. Feelin’ Alright (Traffic) 7:8
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G) vs. Forever Young (Jay-Z) 7:3 Fucking Jay z…jesus.
House of the Rising Sun (Animals) vs. Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys) 8:7
The Message (Grandmaster Flash) vs. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) 8:8
Africa (Toto) vs. Changes (David Bowie) 8.5 : 7 Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you!
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones) vs. Whipping Post (Allman Brothers). 9 : 7 . YCAGWYW looks sharp early.
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan) vs. Feelin’ Alright (Traffic) 7 : 8.5 .
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G) vs. Forever Young (Jay-Z) 9.5 : 5. I’ve always dug Forever Young when I’m chillin’ solo, but it doesn’t have tournament chops. Juicy brought it.
House of the Rising Sun (Animals) vs. Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys) 7 : 8
The Message (Grandmaster Flash) vs. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) 9 : 8
If it makes a difference to anyone, The Message is supposed to end after that last verse, not the skit that follows.
Africa (Toto) vs. Changes (David Bowie) Toto? gross. 3/8.5
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones) vs. Whipping Post (Allman Brothers). 6/8.5
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan) vs. Feelin’ Alright (Traffic) 8/8.5
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G) vs. Forever Young (Jay-Z) 7/7
House of the Rising Sun (Animals) vs. Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys) 3/6.5
The Message (Grandmaster Flash) vs. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) 6/5
for shame, lindsay.
Africa (Toto) 3 vs. Changes (David Bowie) 7
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones) 7 vs. Whipping Post (Allman Brothers). 6
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan) 7 vs. Feelin’ Alright (Traffic). 5
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G) 4 vs. Forever Young (Jay-Z). 5
House of the Rising Sun (Animals) 5 vs. Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys) 8
The Message (Grandmaster Flash) 8 vs. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) 1
Africa (Toto): 6
Changes (David Bowie): 4
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): 7
Whipping Post (Allman Brothers): 5
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan): 9
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic): 6
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G): 6
Forever Young (Jay-Z): 4
House of the Rising Sun (Animals): 7
Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys): 6
The Message (Grandmaster Flash): 7
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 3
Some brutal first round match-ups here…
Africa (Toto) [9]
Changes (David Bowie) [7.5]
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones) [8.5]
Whipping Post (Allman Brothers) [6.5]
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan) [7]
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic) [5.5]
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G) [7.5]
Forever Young (Jay-Z) [4]
House of the Rising Sun (Animals) [5]
Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys) [8.5]
The Message (Grandmaster Flash) [7.5]
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) [8.5]
Africa – 9
Changes – 9
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – 9
Whipping Post – 9
Don’t Think Twice – 8.5
Feelin’ Alright – 8.5
Juicy – 7
Forever Young – 5.5
House of the Rising Sun – 2
Don’t Worry Baby – 5
The Message – 5
Sweet Home Alabama – 5
Africa [5]
Changes [10]
You Can’t Always Get What You Want [7]
Whipping Post [8]
Don’t Think Twice [8]
Feelin’ Alright [5]
Juicy [5]
Forever Young [2]
House of the Rising Sun [9]
Don’t Worry Baby [8]
The Message [6]
Sweet Home Alabama [2]
Africa: 10
Changes: 3.5
If you know me, you understand. Changes, not my Bowie. Also, I spent probably 95% of an economic and business education trip across Africa last year convincing everyone else to stop being so serious and help me create this (link below):
(Don’t ever use the business printer at the Hilton near the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to print lyrics for 40 people- it is 1.50 a page.)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want: 8
Whipping Post: 7
tough matchup but the stones crescendo gets me everytime
Don’t Think Twice: 8.5
Feelin’ Alright: 6.5
Gimme Joe Cocker kick, Traffic.
Juicy: 6
Forever Young: 2
?
House of the Rising Sun: 5
Don’t Worry Baby: 6
eh.
The Message: 8
Sweet Home Alabama: 8.5
This is the sort of decision that makes one never want to be a judge in real life. Grandfather of rap vs the fuck you neil young song of the south. It’s not supposed to be easy, and it will not get easier. Alabama takes it by a hair, but I will be thinking about this decision late into the night in my chambers.
Guillermo, amazing youtube video! You should be a director, and certainly not a judge. Also, Joe Cocker’s alright, but when the original’s good, why go with a professional cover artist? I let him have “With a little help from my friends”, but only because the Beatles could afford to give away a song here and there (which they often did during their actual careers).
Your video is great, but I just can’t get behind Toto. Never could. Sorry.
Africa (Toto): 7.5
Changes (David Bowie): 6.5
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): 7
Whipping Post (Allman Brothers): 9
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan): 4
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic): 7
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G): 10
Forever Young (Jay-Z): 6.5
House of the Rising Sun (Animals): 10
Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys): 7
The Message (Grandmaster Flash): 9
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 7.5
Africa (Toto): 8.5
Changes (David Bowie): 8.5
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): 9
Whipping Post (Allman Brothers): 7
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan): 8
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic): 7
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G): 3
Forever Young (Jay-Z): 4
House of the Rising Sun (Animals):9
Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys): 7
The Message (Grandmaster Flash): 8
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 7
I’m new, so I probably did this wrong. Hello, everyone!
Africa (Toto): 8
Changes (David Bowie): 4
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): 9
Whipping Post (Allman Brothers): 5
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan): 9
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic): 6
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G): 8
Forever Young (Jay-Z): 4
Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys): 8.5
House of the Rising Sun (Animals): 6
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 7
The Message (Grandmaster Flash): 3
Welcome, Sarena! You did it totally right, except for giving The Message a “3”.
Africa (Toto): 5
Changes (David Bowie): 6
Not a huge fan of either of these songs. Both are pretty dated. Changes gets it for superior hook.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): 8.5
Whipping Post (Allman Brothers): 7.5
Children’s choir brings the Stones down from a 9, Allman Brothers almost bring it…
Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan): 8
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic): 7
Nice guitarwork Bob, also might be your best vocal work. Did he get a singing coach before recording this one? Sad that Traffic couldn’t even beat their own cover, impossible to give them more than a 7 when old Joe showed them up so hard on their own song….
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G): 5
Forever Young (Jay-Z): 2
Not my kind of hip hop. The gangsta thing is played out, partially thanks to these guys… Good job killing hip hop, you braggadocious bastards. I’ll give it to Biggy for having the good sense to stop recording bling albums in 97.
House of the Rising Sun (Animals):8
Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys): 6
Nice oldies are nice.
The Message (Grandmaster Flash): 9
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 7
Tough matchup, gotta go with Grandmaster for innovation. Sweet Home gets docked two points for being about Alabama.
I don’t think that’s a children’s choir- it’s the London Bach Choir. And are you crediting Biggie with having the good sense to get shot in 1997?