Tournament Day 16: Non-Spotify Day!

Posted on October 29, 2013 by g-mo

Day 16 Match-Ups
My independence seems to vanish in the haze, feel the same tomorrow- like you see me do, slip away instead of dreaming about tomorrow.
The sand castle virtues get up and get down, I’m back from suffragette city- money, get away.
Hurts so good in her uptown world, inside the pouring rain, glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye.
Newsprint boats I race in sewer mains, ain’t seen the sunshine in three damn days.
Everyone I know goes away in the end, gone, gone, cause you done me wrong.

There’s a cento with lyrics from every song in our Day 16 matches- kind of a fun poem form. Votes due by Friday, November 1st at 5 PM EST- vote with your heartiest of hearts. For the weekly matches, we’ll start it out with a simple set of British Rock from the year 1965. From there we’ll go to 1972-1973 where a smattering of artists are doing some pretty innovative things on stage with a progressive rock/theatrical rock mix. We’ll jump from there to 1982-1983 for some traditionalist rock, and then close out with 21st century Country Rock crossovers. Listen on the YouTube playlist below!

Vote Here!!!!

Day 15 Results:

Sugar Pop, 1961-1962
“Up On The Roof” by The Drifters– 48
“Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons- 41
“Take Good Care Of My Baby” by Bobby Vee- 36
“Calendar Girl” by Neil Sedaka- 34

“Up On The Roof” would probably be better suited for a soul sub-genre, but these were the best contemporaneous match-ups. The Drifters average an 8 and show that the post-Ben E. King era didn’t have them losing too much of a step.

Progressive Rock Pioneers, 1969-1971
“Pinball Wizard” by The Who- 47
“A Salty Dog” by Procol Harum- 34
“Aqualung” by Jethro Tull- 34
“Nutrocker” by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer- 28

Probably threw ELP under the bus with a Christmas song at Halloween, but again, a smattering of Prog Rock pioneers and an unsurprising win for the Tommy soundtrack classic.

Early Metal & Hard Rock, 1979-1982
“Heaven and Hell” by Black Sabbath- 32
“Living After Midnight” by Judas Priest- 29
“Number of the Beast” by Iron Maiden- 29
“Nag Nag Nag” by Cabaret Voltaire- 18

Not much love here, but someone had to win. Post-Ozzy Black Sabbath makes a similar statement to The Drifters’ from earlier.

Festival Rock, 1994-1996
“Run-Around” by Blues Traveler- 41
“Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish- 38
“Ain’t Life Grand” by Widespread Panic- 33
“Push” by Matchbox Twenty- 28

I called this festival rock only because all four songs seemed reminiscent of something you’d listen to at a mid-90s summer rock festival. Maybe an easier sell with WP than M20, but at any rate John Popper reminds us why the harmonica is still relevant in the win.

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Sugar Pop, Prog Rock, Heavy Metal, Festival Rock: Day 15

Posted on October 25, 2013 by g-mo

The results for Day 14 are below, including a triumphant statement from our new top scorer of the whole kit and caboodle- votes on the next set of matches are due Monday, October 28th at 8 PM PST/11 PM EST.

For the weekend matches, we’re going to be a little disjointed. Starting with some 1960-1962 sugar pop, we’ll move into Progressive Rock pioneers 1969-1971. Following that up with some heavy metal maestros circa 1980, we’ll close out with some festival rock 1994-1996. I have a feeling a whole lot of this is right up Adrock’s alley.

Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!

Day 14 Results

Crossover Pioneers, 1956-1958
“Johnny B Goode” by Chuck Berry- 61
“Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets- 49
“Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard- 49
“Don’t Forbid Me” by Pat Boone

After dropping its first round matchup in the first Living The Dream Music Tournament despite an 8+ average back in 2010, “Johnny B Goode” comes out roaring and claims top average score of all songs to compete to date. I fully expected this to happen, and we have a contender. The Back To The Future soundtrack sweeps the first round.

TV Rock, 1967
“Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies- 46
“The Beat Goes On” by Sonny & Cher- 41
“Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees- 41
“Sha-La Love You”- 28

Neither real monkeys or people Monkees could overcome the cool stylings of Archie, Reggie, & Jughead. In all seriousness, “Sugar, Sugar” was written as a song originally to be performed by The Grass Roots (of “Let’s Live For Today” fame,) but was snatched up for the cartoon Archies. Good ditty.

Mainstream Rock, 1977-1978
“Dust In The Wind” by Kansas- 53
“Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones- 48
“Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel- 47
“Lights” by Journey- 39

Couldn’t have predicted this one if I’d tried. I can’t hear “Dust In The Wind” without seeing Keanu Reeves explaining to Socrates “Dust. Wind. Dude.” My heart cries a little for “Lights,” great tune but does not look like it’s advancing even at-large.

 

Yo La Tengo- pumped.

90’s Indie Rock, 1991-1993

“Nowhere Near” by Yo La Tengo- 39
“Summer Babe” by Pavement- 33
“Seed Toss” by Superchunk- 32
“When You Sleep” by My Bloody Valentine- 30

Someone had to win this one- I think Janos will appreciate the Yo La Tengo advancement.

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10 Years Later: Elliott Smith To Me

Posted on October 21, 2013 by g-mo

“I’m never gonna know you now, but I’m gonna love you anyhow.” -Waltz #2 (X/O)

When I was 16 I made my first mix CD. It had terrible flow and constituted an abbreviated and elementary approach to creating a real mix experience- rather driven by a desire to have car stereo accessibility to a bright new world of soundtrack for my adventures around the DC beltway. However, there was one artist of those 17 who managed to occupy not one, but TWO different spots on the soundtrack. It was born out of a sudden, “holy shit, who is this guy singing these songs on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack? I need this right now. Now now.” That was Elliott Smith, who passed away 10 years ago today.

Earlier this afternoon, KEXP in Seattle was playing an ES tribute mixing live covers and old gems from Smith. Slate published an excerpt from William Todd Schultz’s Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith elegizing the author’s love and appreciation for Waltz #2 (clip above.) Spin magazine’s Liam Gowing did a reflective piece on Smith’s struggles with addiction and depression in his last years before a death at age 34. There are a smattering of examples today paying tribute, but I felt the need for putting my own personal touch on a muted love for Smith’s music. Continue reading →

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Billboard Crossover Pioneers, TV Rock Late 60s, Late 70s Mainstream, 90s Indie Rock: Day 14

Posted on October 21, 2013 by g-mo

The results for Day 13 are below, and notes on the next set of matches are due Friday, October 25th at 2 PM PST/5 PM EST.

Rock and roll got its true start in 1955, and at that time was defined by the beginnings of “cross-over” trends across Pop and R&B tracks. Got some big ones here to start us off. From there, a strange foray into the phenomenon of TV Rock.* We’ll slide into home with some 70s mainstream slow rock, and finish out with early 90s indie rock artists.

*Note: I cannot find one place on the internet with a version of “Sha-La, Love You” by Lancelot Link & The Evolution Revolution. I did find an Eastern European cover however from 1970, which is only a year removed. So I guess imagine what that cover would sound like if it were sung…you know, by these chimpanzees.

Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!

Day 13 Results

Mob Hits, 1920-1938
“One O’Clock Jump” by Count Basie- 67
“I’ve Got A Pocketful Of Dreams” by Bing Crosby- 62
“In The Mood” by The Andrews Sisters- 62
“Whispering” by Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra- 57

Mob noir takes this one, probably boosted by its speakeasedness and innovative bass/piano blues sound.

Soul All Around, 1967-1968
“When A Man Loves A Woman” by Percy Sledge- 81
“Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding- 70
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum- 70
“Groovin'” by The Rascals- 64

Percy Sledge certainly felt like a contender with this showing- with an 8.1 average, he slides right into our top seeds list. 

Continental Singer-Songwriters, 1974-1975
“Cats In The Cradle” by Harry Chapin- 74
“Tangled Up In Blue” by Bob Dylan- 72
“Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon- 63
“Help Me” by Joni Mitchell- 49

I’d call this a legitimate upset- “Tangled Up In Blue” has a historically strong showing in these tournaments. Then again, maybe we never gave Chapin the chance. Well done.

I want that shirt.

MTV Pop, 1985-1986

“The Power Of Love” by Huey Lewis & The News- 69
“Raspberry Beret” by Prince & The Revolution- 68
“Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna- 59
“Sussudio” by Phil Collins- 48

Another arguable upset here, as Huey Lewis ekes out Prince by a point for the win.

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Mob Hits, Soul All Around, 70s Continental Singer-Songwriters, 80s MTV Pop: Day 13

Posted on October 11, 2013 by g-mo

“You guys are just too darn loud.” -Huey Lewis

The results for Day 12 are below, and notes on the next set of matches are due ***EXTENSION: Friday, October 18th at 2 PM PST/5 PM EST. Vote! *** Enjoy! The next set brings us back to some mob vignette classics, a little north-south/black-white/American-British soul battle, some straightforward guitar-vocal pieces from the mid 70s, and an 80s MTV pop battle wherein among others, the Revolution battles the News. 

Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!

Day 12 Results

Motown Records, 1965-1966
“I Can’t Help Myself” by The Four Tops- 75
“Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by The Temptations- 74
“Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” by Stevie Wonder- 59
“Nowhere To Run” by Martha and The Vandellas- 58

This was a pretty tough grouping, with two songs breaking the 8 average barrier. The Four Tops pull out the close win in what I think could almost be safely called “Battle of the Big Chill soundtrack.”

Easy Listening Rock, 1972-1973
“Take It Easy” by The Eagles- 64
“Listen To The Music” by The Doobie Brothers- 60
“Reeling In The Years” by Steely Dan- 60
“Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne-57

Another solid round- The Eagles go to 1-1 with a smattering of songs left to compete. This set made me want to drive a motorcycle through West Virginia. 

Sting’s “watching you” glasses

Popular 80s Slow Songs, 1983-1984
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police- 69
“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper- 66
“I Want To Know What Love Is” by Foreigner- 63
“Careless Whisper” by George Michael- 52

1983’s favorite stalker song takes this group. There was some commentary love for Careless Whisper, but it becomes the first song of the day to not break 6 in average score. Sergio Flores wishes he had voted.

Girl Power, 1995-1996

“Just A Girl” by No Doubt- 58
“Good Things” by Sleater-Kinney- 50
“Wannabe” by The Spice Girls- 50
“You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette- 44

Boom.

Gwen Stefani’s huge single debut from Tragic Kingdom takes this one without too many problems, but great showings from Sleater-Kinney and the Brits (if you think back to when The Spice Girls debuted, they were on alt rock stations before moving to variety. Definitely remember “Wannabe” as a consistent mainstay on the Top 11 at 11. Rest in peace, WHFS.) Canada falls flat here, but we’ve got three more Alanis songs from Jagged Little Pill in our future.

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Nine Robed Lawyers Ponder The Meaning of Cash on a Cold Shutdown Morning

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Janos Marton

This morning the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in McCutcheon v. FEC, and I was there. It was my second time at the Supreme Court, and it struck me about how much had changed about me and the court since 2007. Back then I was a young law student, bedazzled by the grandeur of the court and the brilliance of the attorneys arguing in front of it, even though I had immense difficulty following them. This time around everyone seemed a little bit more human, from the besieged lawyers to the aging justices to the skeptical plebes wondering if these robed geniuses could figure out how money in politics really works. 

This case concerns aggregate contribution limits, the amount a person can directly contribute to campaigns and political parties every election cycle. Donors are currently capped at $123,200, and the plaintiff argues that he wants to give a cute $1,776 (a legally permissible amount) to so many candidates that he will spend more than $123,200 in the aggregate. The case is the newest member of the Citizens United “money in politics” family. If you want to better understand the briefing and procedural history in this case, I recommend this summary from SCOTUSblog. 

I arrived at the line outside the Supreme Court building around 5:40am, later than expected thanks to a Capitol Bike malfunction and misunderstanding the Metro payment system (5:30am is “peak hours”?). The Supreme Court hearing room is pretty small, and between the lawyers, clerks, members of the Supreme Court bar (available to any lawyer willing to pay the dues), the press, and groups with reservations, only a scant number of folks from the regular pubic are allowed to watch the preceding; though the internet failed to even hazard a guess, the buzz in the line was 30-40 of us would get in. I passed the time by staring at the neighborhood’s only lighted building, ironically the Capitol dome. 

I was #32 at first, but had slipped to #39 by the time we were formally lined up by security, thanks in part to three obnoxious teenagers who skipped to the front of the line and refused to leave when confronted by people who had been camped out there all night. I asked the cop on duty if he would do anything about it, and he said he was there to protect public safety, not police the line. After reason had long failed, I snarled at the kids, “I hope you learn something about fucking justice while you’re in there, because you don’t know a damn thing about it right now.”  Continue reading →

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Battle for Best Rock Song In History: Day 12

Posted on October 7, 2013 by g-mo

The results for Day 11 are below, and notes on the next set of matches are due Friday, October 11th at 5 PM EST/2 PM PST. Enjoy!

Sleater-Kinney makes an LTD debut in the Girl Power category. The competition is gonna be steep for these Pacific Northwest rockers.

After some feedback on being buried in some more obscure categories the last few weeks, I tried to make this next set a pretty heavy hitting one to cater to all. We’ll do some more Motown, 70s rock easy listening, popular slow songs from the 80s, and girl power in the mid 90s. Some great songs in here, don’t miss out on voting 🙂

…I WANT YOU TO SHOWWW MEEEEE

As a reminder, 253 at-large bids will fill out our Round of 512 along with 259 group champions. Right now the average score for a losing song is about a 5.48, so don’t sweat it too much when you see some of these groupings versus, you know, some of the more obscure categories/genres. I’ve still got a bit of time before I can start definitively filling out the at-large section based on mathematical elimination, but at our current scoring levels I’d feel comfortable saying that 2nd/3rd/4th place songs averaging above a 7 shouldn’t have anything to worry about (i.e. “Happy Together,” “There Goes My Baby,” “When I Come Around,” “Little Lion Man” for starters.) We are just set up this way so that at least one representative from our chronological/genre deals makes it forward and we don’t systemically wipe out important slices of rock and roll history.

  • Motown Records, 1965-1966 (Group 4)
  • Easy Listening Rock, 1972-1973 (Group 8)
  • Popular 80s Slow Songs, 1983-1984 (Group 12)
  • Girl Power, 1995-1996  (Group 15)

Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!

Day 11 Results (With commentary up a notch)

Gettin’ Soulful With It, 1956-1957
“In The Still Of The Nite” by The Five Satins- 69
“You Send Me” by Sam Cooke- 66
“Chances Are” by Johnny Mathis- 54
“Please, Please, Please” by James Brown- 53

Add Sam Cooke to that list of 2nd place songs we should be seeing again. This was a strong round that it seems everyone enjoyed. As a side note, somehow in my two years of living in New Haven I never knew the Five Satins called it their hometown. Makes me wonder what other tidbits of trivia awesomeness are lying across the town-gown divide of Whalley Avenue (shout out to Mayoral Candidate Elicker, who plays a mean game of Carcassonne.)

Jazz Rock, 1970-1971
“John McLaughlin” by Miles Davis- 48
“Rock and Roll Stew” by Traffic- 46
“Meeting of the Spirits” by Mahavishnu Orchestra- 40
“Seventh Arrow” by Weather Report- 39

No one seemed too thrilled with this one, but nice to see Miles make a late surge to pull this one out- he’s kind of an important guy from what I hear.

UK Street Punk, 1978-1979
“I Don’t Mind” by The Buzzcocks- 47
“Spellbound” by Siouxsie and the Banshees- 42
“Down In The Tube Station At Midnight” by The Jam- 38
“Instant Hit” by The Slits- 33

My Scottish buddy Woody would be happy with this score, he introduced me to the Buzzcocks while we were in Mississippi in 2007. He doesn’t vote as there is unfortunately no Spotify in Stockholm. Didn’t get to pick the competing song here, but if you’re into it, check out “Ever Fallen In Love.” Or check out this Pete Yorn cover of the Buzzcocks as Shrek, Donkey, and Puss N Boots escape from the magic potion factory. OK, that’s enough.

Late 00’s Pop Radio, 2006-2010

“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga- 57
“SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland- 50
“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” by Beyonce- 38
“Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry- 35

Annnnd I’m sure James (who is a friend from the same era of my life, does vote, and is much better at being a Fantasy Football Commissioner than I ever was) is just as happy to see “Bad Romance” advance. Somewhere in D.C. SweeterEms is going to be really upset she forgot to support “Single Ladies” because she was too busy rocking Austin City Limits.

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Battle for Best Rock Song In History: Day 11

Posted on October 4, 2013 by g-mo

The results for Day 10 are below. Votes on the next set of matches are due Monday, October 7th at 11 PM EST/8 PM PST, take a listen this weekend!

We’ll go from the roots of the blues to the roots of soul in the late 50s to get things going. From there, whether you like it or hate it I was very happy that Professor Covach covered the roots of “jazz rock” so we’ll see how Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and other heavy hitters pan out for 1970-1971. Third, down to the Tube for some UK street punk. And last but not least, a slugfest amongst four mega-artists of the last few years, all currently under the age of 33 (wow, I feel old.)

  • Gettin’ Soulful With It, 1956-1957 (Group 2)
  • Jazz Rock, 1970-1971 (Group 7)
  • UK Street Punk, 1978-1979 (Group 11)
  • Late 00s Pop Radio, 2006-2010  (Group 16)


Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!


Day 10 Results

Where The Blues Began, 1912-1936
“Crossroads Blues” by Robert Johnson-56
“Down Hearted Blues” by Bessie Smith- 49
“St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy- 46
“Memphis Blues” by W.C. Handy- 43

Healthy enough showing given the recording technology available to these ones.

The Phil Spector Legacy, 1965
“California Girls” by The Beach Boys- 63
“I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher- 57
“Then He Kissed Me” by The Crystals- 56
“Ebb Tide” by The Righteous Brothers- 51

That’s 2-2 for The Beach Boys.

Disco Fever, 1977-1978
“Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees- 65
“Night Fever” by The Bee Gees- 55
“Macho Man” by The Village People- 53
“If I Can’t Have You” by Yvonne Elliman- 48

Anyone catch the random Sportscenter piece on the Chicago White Sox Disco Demolition Night in 1979?

Alternative Rock, 1994
“Buddy Holly” by Weezer- 70
“When I Come Around” by Green Day- 67
“Self-Esteem” by The Offspring- 54
“Spoonman” by Soundgarden- 43

With a runner-up 7.44 average, WICA looks good to grab an at-large spot. Meanwhile, Weezer destroys it.

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Battle for Best Rock Song In History: Day 10

Posted on October 1, 2013 by g-mo

The results for Day 9 are below- no very notable high scores, but 4 songs advance as always. Votes on the next set of matches are due Friday, October 4th at 5 PM EST/2 PM PST. Enjoy! We’re rocking along with some deep blues cuts, bringing up the tempo with some mid 60s classics heavily influenced by Phil Spector, moving into the disco era for a few, and finishing up with some alternative rock standards from the mid-90s.

  • Where The Blues Began, 1912-1936 (Group 1)
  • The Phil Spector Legacy, 1965 (Group 5)
  • Disco Fever, 1977-1978 (Group 12)
  • Alternative Rock, 1994  (Group 14)

Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!

Day 9 Results

Garage Band Sounds, 1965
“Hang On Sloopy” by The McCoys- 62
“Dirty Water” by The Standells- 52
“Pushin’ Too Hard” by The Seeds- 41
“Jolly Green Giant” by The Kingsmen- 32

“Hang On Sloopy” is literally the state song of Ohio. It also advances. HOS got the high score of the round.

The Philadelphia Sound, 1972
“Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul- 56
“If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes- 50
“Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” by The Spinners- 45
“Backstabbers” by The O’Jays- 35

I’d call this a surprising win, but I admittedly am not as versed in Philadelphia Sound as I’d like to be (and hopefully will be as the tourney progresses.) It’s a pretty sexy song though, yes?

Early MTV Beneficiaries, 1982
“I Flew (So Far Away)” by A Flock Of Seagulls- 45
“I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow- 44
“She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby- 36
“Goody Two Shoes” by Adam Ant- 34

With a blistering 5 average, Flock moves on. Wait, that’s not blistering at all.

Socially Conscious Hip Hop, 1987-1989
“Fuck Tha Police” by N.W.A.- 55
“I’m Your Pusher (Pusherman)” by Ice-T- 49
“Don’t Believe The Hype” by Public Enemy- 41
“South Bronx” by Boogie Down Productions- 33

With two 1’s and two 10’s, I’m going to venture a guess that FTP owns our highest standard deviation for advancing songs.

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Battle for Best Rock Song In History: Day 9

Posted on September 27, 2013 by g-mo

Lenny Kaye’s Infamous “Nuggets” anthology includes two of our Garage Band songs

The results for Day 8 are below (16 voters- a new record! Thanks for participating and keep it coming!) Votes on the next set of matches are due Monday, September 30th at 11 PM EST/8 PM PST, take a listen this weekend!

We’re a little over 10% done with the round, so let’s keep trucking along. Next group starts in California as we explore the start of the “garage band” movement with some of its godfathers. We’ll go over to Philadelphia in 1972 where Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff are taking a page from Berry Gordy, Jr. to launch the Philadelphia Sound under their Philadelphia International label. Third group represents the injection of British-based early 80s pop groups benefitting from MTV’s need for pre-produced videos (when MTV launched, British bands had already been producing videos due to BBC broadcast restrictions/rules- it took U.S. groups a few years to get onboard.) We’ll close it out with some of the socially conscious rap emerging in the late 80s- as Chuck D from Public Enemy so famously said, hip hop was quickly becoming “the CNN for black people” and those themes of urban plight and race relations begin emerging in a big way here.

  • Garage Band Sounds, 1965 (Group 4)
  • The Philadelphia Sound, 1972 (Group 8)
  • Early MTV Beneficiaries, 1982 (Group 12)
  • Socially Conscious Hip Hop, 1987-1989  (Group 13)

Click here to open up the voting window to rank the match-ups!

Day 8 Results

Early British Rock Across The Atlantic, 1962
“She Loves You” by The Beatles-127
“Please Please Me” by The Beatles- 109
“Stranger On The Shore” by Acker Bilk- 94
“Telstar” by The Tornados- 93

Good showing by these quasi-dinosaurs, but The Beatles song that stuck takes this group. “She Loves You” is, according to the BBC, The Beatles all time #1 best selling single.

London Psychedelia, 1967
“See Emily Play” by Pink Floyd- 88
“Paper Sun” by Traffic- 87
“My White Bicycle” by Tomorrow- 84
“Arnold Layne” by Pink Floyd- 78

In a closely knit group, Pink Floyd mounts an 11th hour comeback to stay alive with an early hit. Some fun history from Wikipedia:  “according to A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, by Nicholas Schaffner, Emily is the Honourable Emily Young,[8][9] daughter of Wayland Hilton Young, 2nd Baron Kennet,[10] and nicknamed “the psychedelic schoolgirl” at the UFO Club.”

Experimental Rock Styles, 1974-1975
“Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin- 134
“Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” by Electric Light Orchestra- 95
“Fly By Night” by Rush- 92
“The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” by Genesis- 80

Zeppelin says no problem here. Interestingly, according to Jimmy Page at the time that “Kashmir” was composed none of the band members had actually been to Kashmir. The song nets an 8.38 average, third highest so far. In other news, maybe it was a good idea that Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel parted ways based on this early Genesis score.

Don’t cry, little Ben Gibbard- you won!

Turn Of The Century Electro Rock, 2000
“Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service- 106
“Do You Realize?” by The Flaming Lips- 96
“South Side” by Moby & Gwen Stefani- 91
“Idioteque” by Radiohead- 83

Perennial tournament darling “Such Great Heights” takes this one on a late surge. Radiohead stumbles out of the gates.

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