I'm putting together a march madness type bracket for best artist/bands, for which we will discuss and vote in successive rounds. I need top ten lists to make the seeded brackets. Once everyone throws in their favorite bands I'll decide who the favorites are and seed them accordingly. To be clear, "best" is by definition going to be a subjective argument; the point will be to debate, compare apples to oranges, and decide between us (the readership of this blog) by voting, who the best bands are. Your lists should NOT be autobiographical: just because you liked them a lot in high school doesn't mean you need to rate them high now. In your lists you should also include bands that are big but that you don't like (but who may be successful anyway) and who you would especially like to see defeated in this bracket. E.g. Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Michael Jackson, Coldplay.
Here are the categories (with examples):
The classic rock bracket (50s and 60s)
Beatles
Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Elvis Presley
The do-we-need-to-include-the-Bee-Gee's bracket (70s and 80s)
U2
Guns N Roses
Metallica
David Bowie
The Yes,-Nirvana-is-a-number-1-seed bracket (90s)
Nirvana
Pearl Jam
Beck
The New Stuff bracket (2000s on)
TV on the Radio
Radiohead
Pinback
In dealing with bands that have put out albums across multiple decades I'm just going to make a decision and put them into one bracket. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, U2, Pearl Jam, and Radiohead are good examples of bands that could be in multiple brackets. Let me know if you feel that I've put someone in the wrong bracket.
UPDATE:
Per Ethan's suggestion, I'm going to seed them according to decades 1 through 16 and then assign four from each decade(s) to a bracket.
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10 comments:
A few thoughts:
First off, I hate that Classic Rock gets it's own bracket. Classic Rock is so overrated it is ridiculous. I don't see a country bracket? Of course I don't, because you know that it is just awful...like classic rock, point made.
Second, building on my first point...I think brackets should go cross genre. I want to see Bach take on Radiohead. Or Modest Mouse against the Rolling Stones.
I shouldn't have to wait until the later rounds to see the actual match-ups I really care about. Nirvana shouldn't have to take on Pearl Jam early...they should each have the chance to conquer other lesser bands from other decades.
As for my list of bands to be considered:
Pinback
Nirvana
Metallica
Pearl Jam
Rage Against the Machine
Radiohead
Modest Mouse
Pedro the Lion
Elliot Smith
Band of Horses
Presidents of the USA
Green Day
Blink-182
Smashing Pumpkins
Grandaddy
Interpol
Arcade Fire
White Stripes
Death Cab for Cutie
Cake
Queen
Led Zeppelin
The Doors
That is all.
Ethan,
All good points. I tried to divide Rock into four categories and the best way to do that was over time.
To be fair though, I think that I've weighted things away from classic and older rock by having the 90s and 2000s each getting their own bracket.
Nonetheless, I'll try to think of a way of mixing things up a bit.
'N Sync
Jon Secada
Ace of Base
Titanic Soundtrack
Sade
Michael McDonald
C and C Music Factory
Journey
Lionel Richie
Will Smith
That is all.
First off as an avid Classic Rock fan, I demand an explanation from Ethan on why it is overrated. Especially when about 90% of the bands he listed list classic rock as a huge influence. Now if you are saying that just because you don't like it thats one thing. But if you truly believe it is overrated well then I move to not even consider the bands Ethan wrote in. He clearly has no taste. On top of that how can you call it overrated then list classic rock bands you want considered. If it is so overrated surely you could find other more "deserving" bands to include.
Classic Rock:
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Bob Dylan
The Doors
The Cars
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Led Zepplin
Queen
The Beach Boys
Billy Joel
Genesis(might be 80's)
Bruce Springsteen
The Clash
CCR
Dire Straights
Eric Clapton
Grateful Dead
Jethro Tull
Warren Zevon
The Kinks
Lou Reed
Lynyrd Skynryd
Neil Young
Pink Floyd
The Police
The Ramones
Steely Dan
Van Morrison
Thats all I got for classic rock. I'll post others later
brian,
i understand your point. i will attempt to clarify. how about this...classic rock of course represents the building blocks and the evolution of music...but that doesn't make it great in the present day.
take for instance Babe Ruth. Greatest baseball player of all time right? right? definitely top 10 right? yeah right. he may have hit all of those home runs because he was the best then; but who really thinks he would do the same today? You think if he was playing this year, as a big fat tub of goo, he would even crack the top 20?
So there you have it, I view classic rock like old atheletes. enshrine them in the halls of fame; make statues of them; but oh God please don't make me listen to them or watch them play...boring.
that is all
i need a little more time to make my list but while i am narrowing it down, Ethan, what the heck is the criteria that you are using for your list?
Brian,
The actual decades will determine what bracket they'll be seeded in. While most of the bands on your list would be in the 50s and 60s, the following ones will likely be considered for the 70s and 80s bracket:
The Who
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Queen
Billy Joel
Genesis
Bruce Springsteen
The Clash
Dire Straights
Grateful Dead
The Kinks
Pink Floyd
The Police
The Ramones
Steely Dan
Let me know if you think any of the above should be included for seeding in the 50s and 60s bracket.
Here are mine:
50s and 60s
Beatles
Led Zeppelin
Bob Dylan
The Doors
Jimi Hendrix
The Beach Boys
CCR
Neil Young
Simon and Garfunkle
70s and 80s
David Bowie
Metallica
Queen
Tom Petty
U2
Michael Jackson
Bob Marley
Prince
The Ramones
The Sex Pistols
90s
Nirvana
Smashing Pumpkins
Elliott Smith
Pixies
Pavement
Belle and Sebastian
Built to Spill
Jeff Buckley
Nine Inch Nails
Jimmy Eat World
00s
Radiohead
TV on the Radio
Explosions in the Sky
Sigur Ros
White Stripes
Pinback
Wilco
Modest Mouse
Interpol
Arcade Fire
50s-60s:
Beatles
Led Zeppelin
Elvis Presley
Bob Dylan (even though he mumbles)
The Beach Boys
The Rolling Stones
The Supremes
Jimi Hendrix
Frank Sinatra
The Monkees
70s-80s:
U2
Metallica
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Queen
Guns n' Roses
The Police
Bon Jovi
Bruce Springsteen
Madonna (yes)
Michael Jackson (yes again)
90s:
Nirvana
Pearl Jam
Beck
Rage Against the Machine
Smashing Pumpkins
Radiohead
Green Day
Foo Fighters
R.E.M.
Soundgarden
00s:
I have to come back to this. That's much harder. So far I have:
Arcade Fire
The White Stripes
Modest Mouse
TV on the Radio
I'm not sure where to put Celine. She transcends so many decades.
here is where i am at so far taylor
50's and 60's:
Beatles
Cream
Hendrix
Ray Charles
Greatful Dead
Elvis
Al Green
Rascals
Four Seasons
Simon and Garfunkle
70's and 80's (the toughest bracket for me to narrow the list)
Police
Van Morrison
Elton John
Madonna
Michael Jackson
Allman Brothers
Eagles
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Lynyrd Skynyrd
90's:
Nirvana
Smashing Pumpkins
Radiohead
Green Day
Foo Fighters
Dave Matthews Band
No Doubt
Beck
This process has been more difficult than i anticipated
but still very fun and entertaining
*the lists are open to discussion right? can i sell a spot in the 90's or 00's to make sure Madonna makes it on the bracket for the 80's?
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