New division, new field, etc. There aren’t really words for genre specificity in these match-ups, things are all over the place. I guess of major note, we’ve got both the Sex Pistols and Rancid trying to punk their ways past high seeds. Votes are due by Thursday night at 9 pm, Grooveshark link is here, comment below or e-mail LTDdotorg@gmail.com with your scores.
Just checked the sheet for elimination trivia- I don’t know how this hasn’t been mentioned yet, but the Beach Boys are 0-3 in the 256 Round, and this is their last stand. Rancid is 0-1 and this is also their last stand. Ben E. King, Sex Pistols, and The Fugees all face elimination as well.
Note: Just fixed the Grooveshark playlist, now there is a version of Anarchy in the UK in English. I’m leaving the Spanish version at the end of the list though- I mean, of all our GShark errors these last couple months, this is 100% the best. Yo soy un antacrista. Amazing.
(Update by Janos: Thanks to Adam for catching this, but the Just My Imagination version on Grooveshark is also not the original. Use this one.)
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) vs. #16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations)
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) vs. #9 Better Man (Pearl Jam)
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) vs. #13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols)
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) vs. #12 Roots Radicals (Rancid)
Living the Dream 
Did you intentionally post a spanish version of anarchy in the uk? Because it’s kind of blowing my mind
Def not but that’s amazing. Will fix asap.
if there’s some sort of error in the tournament and you need to put another song in, that should be it.
Wow. I would have given this a 10. Absolutely amazing.
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 6
#16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 3
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 6.5
#9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) 8
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 7
#13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 7
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 7.5
#12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) 6
Stand By Me (Ben E. King) ~ 8
Just My Imagination (The Temptations) ~ 6
Ben E takes it easily.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) ~ 6.5
Better Man (Pearl Jam) ~ 6.5
Hard to choose, not crazy about either song.
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) ~ 7
Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) ~ 9/8
I really liked the Anarquia Spanish version of the Sex Pistols. However, I only give it an 8 for the British version… Billy Jean is starting to wear on me.
Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) ~ 9
Roots Radicals (Rancid) ~ 8
These songs really made me happy. Gotta go with KMS, even if its a cover.
This is definitely some re-recorded version of just my imagination – don’t hold this version against the original!!
Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 8
Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 9
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 7
Better Man (Pearl Jam) 3
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) ~ 5
Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) ~ 5.5
Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 3
Roots Radicals (Rancid) 6.5
Stand by Me [8]
Just My Imagination [5]
Wouldn’t It Be Nice [9]
Better Man [7]
Billie Jean [8]
Anarchy in the UK [7]
Killing Me Softly [7]
Roots Radicals [6]
Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 9
Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 4
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 6.5 [Anyone heard the album Wild Honey? It’s 24 minutes and is a cool departure from normal Beach Boys sound]
Better Man (Pearl Jam) 8.5
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 8
Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 5.5
Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 6.5 (usually like this more, meh’d me tonight)
Roots Radicals (Rancid) 7.5 (this on the other hand….)
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) [8.5]
#16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) [7]
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) [8]
#9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) [7.5]
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) [8]
#13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) [6]
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) [8.75]
#12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) [6.5]
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 6.5
#16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 6
Just too calm this morning. Let’s see if that theory bears out.. or bares out… let’s go with continue.
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 6.3
#9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) 7
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 9
#13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 7.3
Yeah, just needed more up tempo. Shame to do this to the Sex Pistols.
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 7.1
#12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) 8.5
Wow. I love Killing Me Softly (though I think I know a different version better), but I guess I just needed the energy this AM. Doubt Rancid moves forward, but fun to give them the nod.
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 8 vs. #16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 6
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 9 vs. #9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) 5
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 8 vs. #13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 7
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 7 vs. #12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) 6
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 7.5
#16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 7
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 7.6
#9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) 8.6
Surprising. Hate to vote against the Beach Boys for like the third time in a row.
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 7.8
#13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 7.2
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 6
#12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) 10
Blistering.
Spanish Anarchy in the UK: 11
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 8
#16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 8.2
How bout that.
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 6.5
#9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) 8.25
Better Man is great. Wouldn’t It Be Nice increased by 6.5 points between last round and this round for me…but still not a winner.
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 7.5
#13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 6.5
Billie Jean is cool, but ridiculous. Anarchy In The UK is fun, but not enough. Anarquía En Los Estados Unidos, on the other hand, would have won this for me as well. Couldn’t help but look into this further:
Tito Larriva of Tito & Tarantula also did a bunch of the Desperado soundtrack (which i have on my iPod because of Cancion del Mariachi). Mystery solved. This would have gotten at least an 8.5. F-ing awesome.
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 6.5
#12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) 8
also very, very unexpected.
Stand by Me – 9.0
Just My Imagination – 8.0
Wouldnt it Be Nice – 5.0
Better Man – 9.5
Billie Jean – 8.5
Anarchy in the UK – 7.0 (I would add a full point if this was the spanish version)
Killing Me Softly – 9.0
Roots Radical – 6.5
Welcome, Simon!
Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 8.5
Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 3
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 7.5
Better Man (Pearl Jam) 6
I think the thing with the Beach Boys is that if you look at their body of work, it’s spot-on pop song after spot-on pop song, which is impressive. However, no single song rises to greatness. That said, this song never fails to bring a smile to my face and I really can’t stand Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder sounds like a blender.
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 8
Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 9
I’m not in the mood for MJ but objectively it deserves that score. I am also not in the mood for punk rock, and that song still managed to sneer its way into rocking me.
Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 8.5
Roots Radicals (Rancid) 5
Killing Me Softly is smooth as butter. This Rancid song is a solid standard-fare pop-punk, but they have more distinctive and interesting songs.
#1 Stand By Me (Ben E. King) 8
#16 Just My Imagination (The Temptations) 6.5
#8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys) 8
#9 Better Man (Pearl Jam) 7.5
#4 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) 6.5
#13 Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) 5
#5 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) 7
#12 Roots Radicals (Rancid) 6