A lot of great songs to listen to as you ease back into work or studying. Listen at Grooveshark, and vote by commenting below or emailing LTDdotorg@gmail.com. In My Life available here.
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) vs. Carolina Drama (Raconteurs)
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) vs. Burning Down the House (Talking Heads)
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) vs. In My Life (Beatles)
Ruby Soho (Rancid) vs. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits)
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) vs. Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly)
Living the Dream 
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) – 10 I give it a TEN!! – vs. Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) 5
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) 8 vs. Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) 9
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) 7 vs. In My Life (Beatles) 9
Ruby Soho (Rancid) – 8 – vs. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) – 5 –
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) – 9 – vs. Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) – 6
STRONG ROUND!
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) vs. Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) = 8:10 (Gonna need a lot of luck to beat out Zeppelin, but I can’t deliberately give it a super-low rating just to be a dick. I did consider it).
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) vs. Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) = 6:7
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) vs. In My Life (Beatles) = 8:4 (Love “Jelly” but it doesn’t stand the test of time, I guess. Seemed better in my mind)
Ruby Soho (Rancid) vs. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) = 8:7.5 (While both of these hold a special place in my heart and get you really psyched up… I feel like “Soho” is a better structured song with stronger instrumentals… although you can’t touch the Misfits’ chorus!)
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) vs. Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) = 7:7 (Def not the best by either Kelly or White – plus the Chappelle spoof of “Ignition” keeps creeping in my head).
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) [9]
Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) [4.5]
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) [8]
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) [9]
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) [6.5]
In My Life (Beatles) [9]
Ruby Soho (Rancid) [7.5]
Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) [5]
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) [8]
Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) [6.5]
Danno returns!
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) [9]
Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) [6]
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) [6.5]
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) [4.5]
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) [5.5]
In My Life (Beatles) [9]
Ruby Soho (Rancid) [5]
Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) [3]
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) [6]
Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) [7]
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) vs. Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) 8/5
I always start out liking Carolina Drama, but it seems much longer than it is and not in a good way.
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) vs. Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) 6.5/8
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) vs. In My Life (Beatles) 9/8.5
This isn’t my favorite song by the Lips, but I saw them on Friday night and the experience was so fun and awesome that they’re getting a bump. Their Yeah Yeah Yeah Song would get a 15 from me if it were on today’s ballot.
Ruby Soho (Rancid) vs. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) 5/5
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) vs. Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) 6.5/8
Okay, so Ignition is creepy as hell, but the nostalgia factor is high.
Stairway to Heaven [8]
Carolina Drama [6]
25 or 6 to 4 [7]
Burning Down the House [9]
She Don’t Use Jelly [7]
In My Life [8]
Ruby Soho [6]
Where Eagles Dare [4]
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love [6]
Remix to Ignition [4]
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) 8 vs. Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) 7
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) 5 vs. Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) 7
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) 6 vs. In My Life (Beatles) 9
Ruby Soho (Rancid) 7 vs. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) 6
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) 7 vs. Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) 5
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) vs. Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) = 7 to 2
While Stairway is overplayed, still of course an epic song. I’m from Michigan. More than our fair share of great bands have come from the mighty mitten – throughout the 90s and 00s, but I was definitely didn’t get the whole scene post-White Stripes.
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) vs. Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) = 6 to 6.5
Who wins in terms of great, almost experimental pop bands turning into pure drivel once the rhythm section started singing? Genesis or Chicago? THAT would be a poll.
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) vs. In My Life (Beatles) 6 to 9.5
Ruby Soho (Rancid) vs. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) 6 to 9
This threw me for a loop as I’ve been looking at this poll through classic rock/ pop lenses. This is my favorite Rancid song – but I was never a Rancid guy. Thought I was too punk rock to buy the whole cali/ leather jacket/ mohawk thing. The ‘Misfits’ today are about sad as it gets, but I could not imagine being at one of their early shows for the incredible songwriting, the weirdness, and the total rocking. I spent this new year’s eve in Detroit blasting Misfits tunes after I suggested that Metallica’s version of ‘Sweet Caress’ may be better than the original. My friend was pissed. If this were a battle between OpIvy and early Misfits we’d have a fight on our hands, but in the end MTV punks will always lose and I really hope this one goes the right way.
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) vs. Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) = 5 to 9.5
Barry White is pretty cool, but “Chocolate Factory” is one of my favorite albums. The transition from “Ignition” into “Remix to Ignition” on the album makes me back it up and replay it over and over. R. Kelly makes you want it.
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) 9
Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) 9
Whoa. I love this Carolina Drama song and have never heard it before. Awesome. Stairway to Heaven kills it as usual, but good stand here by these guys.
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) 7.5
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) 7
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) 6
In My Life (Beatles) 7.5
Ruby Soho (Rancid) 7
Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) 5.5
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) 6
Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) 7.5
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) [8]
Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) [7.5]
Stairway is cooler than it is good. Not my favorite Zep song, but maybe their most recognizable, if not listenable (at 8 minutes). Pleasant surprise in Carolina Drama, don’t know the Raconteurs.
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) [9.5]
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) [5]
Rocking song by Chicago, would like to see more of their songs in this tournament. Talking Heads haven’t aged as gracefully.
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) [8.5]
In My Life (Beatles) [6.5]
I wanted to like both these songs more than I actually did. Flaming Lips get extra points for how this song sounds and looks live. Wayne Coyne descended upon the concert from outer space in a bubble.
Ruby Soho (Rancid) [7]
Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) [7]
Ruby Soho has better instrumentals than most ‘punk’ groups by Rancid, which I guess makes them less punk. Where Eagles Dare was a pleasant surprise. I’m not as familiar with the Misfits music, only the stickers people put everywhere of them.
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) [8]
Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) [1]
One of the ultimate love songs versus one of the creepiest pedophiles in the industry. No contest.
God damn it, if we judged all music by the past sins of its performers, where would we be now? That said, I’ll be watching for your score on “Great Balls of Fire.”
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin): 7
Carolina Drama (Raconteurs): 6
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago): 4
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads): 6
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips): 3
In My Life (Beatles): 7
Ruby Soho (Rancid): 6
Where Eagles Dare (Misfits): 4
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White): 5
Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly): 4
Welcome back, Carrie and Danno!
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) 8.5
Carolina Drama (Raconteurs) 8
26 or 6 to 4 (Chicago) 8
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) 8
I just want it put on the record that I am not the reason Chicago lost, and that I very much appreciate Nick’s lobbying on this song. It’s a good one. But all good things come to an end.
She Don’t Use Jelly (Flaming Lips) 6.5
In My Life (Beatles) 6
Ruby Soho (Rancid) 7.5
Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) 6.5
Songs of less than two minutes often can’t sink in well enough to get a high score out of me.
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love (Barry White) 9.5
Remix to Ignition (R. Kelly) 9
Maybe it was my mood, but I was absolutely lovin’ both these songs.