Best Song of the 1970s Bracket - Born to Run wins!

[Auroni]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart - normally I'm all for manlet oppression, but "Closer to the Heart" is a better song
La Grange vs. All Right Now - "La Grange" brings back memories of Guitar Hero III, but sadly I never really liked it
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner - "Mississippi Queen" is, like, fine. But it holds no candle to one of the defining events of American cultural history.
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World - in the first online space I dedicated a lot of my life to (the CivFanatics forums), there was a girl who was obsessed with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, making a Tom Petty related thread every two or three days with pictures of all her memorabilia, records, basically building up an impossible amount of hype that deflated in an instant when, years later, I first listened to a Tom Petty song and found out that it was just merely just "pretty decent."

[Asterias Wrathbunny]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff - hate to see the two songs I really like out of all these pitted against each other first round
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[Stained Diviner]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
I love both of these songs. RIP Dr. John.

Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
Closer to the Heart probably is the best Rush song, but it's not a very good song.

La Grange vs. All Right Now
I love both of these songs. Those bearded guys can play some guitar. This one was tough.

Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Only the Good Die Young by default. Hello Darlin' sucks.

Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I'm voting for Mississippi Queen, which is awesome, though I wouldn't be upset if Star Spangled Banner won the whole dang tournament.

I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Neither one of these is great. Up Against the Wall is very forgettable.

Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
I love Mr. Big Stuff.

American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
I like them both, but American Girl is much better.

[ScoBo]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time

Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
The only Rush song I even recognized when I was introduced to their Retrospective I compilation is now not even in my top half of tracks from A Farewell to Kings, but still gets my vote here.

La Grange vs. All Right Now
First matchup between two great songs I've heard hundreds of times made this one almost a coin flip.

Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’

Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner

I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall

Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff

American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[A Dim-Witted Saboteur]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Featured in the all-time classic film Daddy Day Care.
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
Other people have probably noted this, but this is an incredibly unrepresentative Rush track. I see why you picked it, but no prog from probably the decade's premier prog band seems a bit wrong. Lucky for this matchup, this is one of the few Rush songs I like.
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
I love sad country ballads, but Hello Darlin' doesn't strike me as a particularly good one of those.
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I knew Mississippi Queen would suck as soon as I saw the YouTube thumbnail picture of the band that plays it. I was not mistaken.
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Also my first listen of this one; it's overtly anarchist and catchy enough that I fell in love right away.
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
I like the Stooges in general, but Search and Destroy will almost certainly win, this isn't my favorite track, and it's up against a very funky song so I'll vote against it.
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
I hadn't heard Whole Wide World before; I thought Wreckless Eric's voice was annoying and his lyrics were not good enough to redeem the song

[AgathokakologicalPunk]

Surrender
Closer to the Heart
La Grange
Hello Darlin'
Star Spangled Banner
I'll be Around
Search and Destroy
American Girl

[Habitat_Against_Humanity]

Your ballot:

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart - Likely the funniest song of the decade
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[Steeve Ho You Fat]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time Big snoozefest here
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart Somebody please come wake up me
La Grange vs. All Right Now It's not ZZ Top's best song, but at least it's exciting
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’ Never thought I'd find a song that makes me feel compelled to vote for Billy Joel
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner One of these is a garden-variety classic rock song. The other is a defining cultural moment of modern America.
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall sure
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[ValenciaQBowl]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
--That's a great Cheap Trick song, and they were a great band until after Dream Police.

Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
--These are terrible song choices for both artists. Pretty much any song on Newman's Good Ole Boys is better than "Short People," which ended up being a novelty hit. I'm bummed that my late-June tickets to see Primus performing Rush's A Farewell to Kings in its entirety will likely be canceled, but surely "Fly By Night" is the best stand-alone song by Rush from the 1970s.

La Grange vs. All Right Now
--Dang, doesn't get more 70s classic rock than this match-up.

Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
--Billy Joel, meh

Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
--What an unfortunate Hendrix "song" to be in this bracket! I mean seriously, has anyone ever just wanted to put that song on?

I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
--sure, fine

Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
--There's a good documentary on The Stooges on Amazon; you should watch it if you have access.

American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
--This song should go a long way.

[BenWeiner27]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[MiltonPlayer47]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Brings back memories of my undergrad quiz bowl playing days!

Short People vs. Closer to the Heart

La Grange vs. All Right Now
Similar to others this is the first matchup between 2 songs that I've heard a lot, as they were both staples on classic rock radio when I was growing up. I'm not a huge ZZ Top fan but I will give them the edge here.

Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Billy Joel is one of the few artists who my parents introduced to me as a kid whom I do not like much now. I would have chosen "Piano Man" for the tournament, but OTGDY is also one of his better songs. But I do like "Hello Darlin'" as well.

Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I've never really gotten into Jimi Hendrix's music.

I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall

Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff

American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
Awesome that my favorite Tom Petty song was chosen! (and I can't think of a single Tom Petty song that I dislike)

[Noble Rot]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
I've never understood why people like Cheap Trick, and Right Place, Wrong Time has a great bass line.

Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
I really like Rush and Closer to the Heart is a good song, but its not even the best Rush song on its album, much less the best of the 70s.

La Grange vs. All Right Now
Hardest matchup of this round. I like Tush more than La Grange, which is basically just an uptemp version of Boogie Chillen, but it's got great guitar work, so it just beats out Free's best song. Sorry Paul Rodgers - maybe you'll get a second go-around with Bad Company.

Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’

Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
Unfortunately most of Hendrix's good music came out in the late 60's.

I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall

Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
1969 is the Stooges' best song, and Mr. Big Stuff weirdly reminds me of For Once in My Life.

American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
A classic so good the Strokes literally ripped it off to make one of their best songs.

[Whiter Hydra]

Surrender -- To me, this is one of those songs that doesn't necessarily stick out musically, but I have pretty much never not enjoyed listening to it.
Right Place Wrong Time -- This is the first time I've listened to this song, and while it's not bad, I couldn't really get into it.

Short People -- I was a bit concerned about the lyrical content of this song until the bridge hit. It's fine, but it's nothing really to wrote home about.
Closer to the Heart -- As sad as I am that La Villa Strangiato isn't in this slot, Closer to the Heart is still a good Rush song with Neil Peart killing it on drums as always.

La Grange -- This is one of those songs where I'll start tapping on the desk to the beat. If it weren't for the killer riffs, it'd feel kinda slow, but instead it works really well.
All Right Now -- I keep thinking this song is going to tell a story, but then it gets distracted along the way. To be fair, that's a good guitar solo, but this song has never really hooked me despite its heavy classic rock radio rotation.

Only the Good Die Young -- While this is probably the 5th best song from The Stranger, I still have to admit it's very catchy. I'm actually kinda surprised I haven't heard this one sung at karaoke more often.
Hello Darlin' -- This is another entry in the list of songs that I can see the appeal of, but ones that I just don't really vibe with.

Mississippi Queen -- At the beginning, I wasn't really into the distortion, but it started to grow on me. The song felt kinda simplistic, but it seems like something that I wouldn't mind hearing show up on the radio.
Star Spangled Banner -- I've never been a fan of Jimi Hendrix, and I've never been a fan of this version of the Star-Spangled Banner. I know it's a(n) historic moment, but that doesn't automatically make the song good.

I'll Be Around -- I would have guessed this was a 60s song. From my experience listening to it on the radio growing up, it's perfect background music while doing homework or (more frequently) putting off doing homework.
Up Against the Wall -- It's been a while since we've had some good punk rock. I'll give it credit for being a being a good song musically while also having meaningful lyrical content.

Search and Destroy -- Last round's voting and this song has convinced me that Iggy Pop's music doesn't completely mesh with me, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate his energy. Of course, this may have partially been because I had just listened to another punk song which I happened to enjoy more.
Mr. Big Stuff -- This song just feels forgettable. It's not really doing much of anything. It's not bad musically, but it's also just kinda there.

American Girl -- A song so great they made a successful line of dolls about it. Tom Petty does a great job capturing a feeling while leading a song that's a classic for a good reason.
Whole Wide World -- Statistically speaking, your girl is probably not in Tahiti. It's an okay song, but there's no way it would be able to stand up to its first-round opponent.

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[34 + P.J. Dozier]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[AKKOLADE]

Heads up - I’ve managed to kill a couple of letters on my keyboard, so I’m going to extend the voting on this for 24 more hours while I prep a workaround.

[Gemistus Pletho]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[mrtyrmystry]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
I have no preference.

Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
I think it is an error in judgement to not rate Whole Wide World. I don't blame anyone for doing so. The amount of "punk" (the genre i am most aligned with) in this bracket is limited (not unfairly so), and so I feel compelled to vote for kind-of punk other than the Jam, sorry. Basically, I think it's good, if you get past his mewl. I identify with short-ish catchy songs over the American Heartland. Even if American Girl is a rightful victor.

[Blackboard Monitor Vimes]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Surrender is just a weird song. Very fun to play on Guitar Hero 2, but also just weird if you actually listen to it, which I usually didn't. I'd never heard the Dr. John song before and enjoyed it enough to vote for it here - it's also kind of weird, but in a less eyebrow-raising way, I think.
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
My husband loves Rush, and he's pretty close to my heart, so this vote is for him.
La Grange vs. All Right Now
The toughest matchup of the round for me by far. The delivery on "love? Lord above, now you're trying to trick me in love!" wins it for Free.
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
I once wrote a parody of "Only the Good Die Young" and sang it, in character, as a bard to my D&D party's cleric at the time. She was not impressed. My mom's from Staten Island and I heard a lot of Billy Joel growing up - this isn't one of the songs I still particularly care for as an adult (my personal favorite, "The Downeaster Alexa," came out in 1989, but if I were to pick one from the 70s, it would probably be "Movin' Out"). However, "Hello Darlin'" seems even more like parody fodder than "Only the Good Die Young," so I guess I'm voting for it.
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
Speaking of songs that were fun to play on Guitar Hero! I know the Hendrix thing was a big deal for music, but as others have noted, it was a big deal in 1969, and I have unabashedly enjoyed this song since I was a wee lad who didn't know he was a lad.
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
I'd forgotten about "I'll Be Around," but it's a very pleasant easy listening sort of track. I'd never heard "Up Against the Wall" before and gave it a chance, but I couldn't get into it.
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
I wasn't previously familiar with either of these, though I'm sure I must've heard "Search and Destroy" at some point. Voting for transmasc energy.
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World
If you're not familiar with Tom Petty and don't dig heartland songs, I strongly recommend "Wildflowers," "You Wreck Me," and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" for further listening. Unlike those, I never seek out "American Girl" to listen to and had actually forgotten how much I enjoy the instrumentation. I had also forgotten about "Whole Wide World," which is a fun tune I hadn't heard in years, but I've gotta vote for Tom.

[Auks Ran Ova]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time - did Less Than Jake cover "Right Place Wrong Time"? I think not.
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart - this is a weird Rush choice, but it's better than Randy Newman.
La Grange vs. All Right Now - classic double "oh right that's what that song is" matchup. ZZ Top vocals are more annoying so Free gets this one.
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’ - one of the best songs in the bracket.
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner - a virtuosic performance that, even more importantly, is not the song "Mississippi Queen"
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall - an excellent early punk song! Glad I checked this out.
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff - voted for the one that was covered on a Tony Hawk soundtrack.
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World - this was a really tough one, but being able to vote for UATW made me feel less guilty about Whole Wide World likely not making it past this.

[Ethnic history of the Vilnius region]

Surrender
Short People
All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young (This was a tough one. Sorry Conway)
Star Spangled Banner
Up Against the Wall (Tom Robinson band should be better known. Glad they’re in the poll)
Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl

[AKKOLADE]

150 minutes to vote!

[Victor Prieto]

Right Place Wrong Time. Surrender is a fine song, but Right Place Wrong time is 150% better.
Closer to the Heart. It's highly unfortunate that this was the Rush selection, because there are a bunch of songs that are much better (in fact, if Permanent Waves had been released just two weeks earlier, "The Spirit of Radio" probably would have made the list). I don't expect this to make it much further than this round since there are so many heavyweights further up the list.
La Grange. This is such a hard choice - both songs are fantastic, but I think ZZ Top just has to be given the edge here. This song is iconic. Also, ZZ Top is from Houston, so...
Only the Good Die Young. I'm not a huge Billy Joel fan, but this is a decent song, and definitely better than this Conway Twitty song. Shame that "All Right Now" had to go against "La Grange," because it would have knocked out most of the other songs in this round.
Mississippi Queen. Jimi Hendrix is awesome, but in terms of "best songs of the 1970's," this song does not make the cut.
I'll Be Around. I haven't heard either of these before, but this Spinners song is great!
Mr. Big Stuff. I didn't think I had heard of either of these songs, but I definitely have heard "Mr. Big Stuff" before, and it is surely better than Search and Destroy.
American Girl. No contest here - Tom Petty is one of the greatest rock stars ever, and this is one of his best songs.

[ryanrosenberg]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[kitakule]

Surrender vs. Right Place Wrong Time
Short People vs. Closer to the Heart - this song is a guilty pleasure of mine.
La Grange vs. All Right Now
Only the Good Die Young vs. Hello Darlin’
Mississippi Queen vs. Star Spangled Banner
I’ll Be Around vs. Up Against the Wall
Search and Destroy vs. Mr. Big Stuff
American Girl vs. Whole Wide World

[AKKOLADE]

Voting has closed.

[AKKOLADE]

Our results:

Surrender 25.5, Right Place Wrong Time 9.5
Closer to the Heart 28, Short People 9.5 - the lone upset
La Grange 22, All Right Now 15
Only the Good Die Young 30.5, Hello Darlin’ 6.5
Mississippi Queen 23.5, Star Spangled Banner 14
I’ll Be Around 20.5, Up Against the Wall 15.5
Search and Destroy 19, Mr. Big Stuff 16
American Girl 34, Whole Wide World 3

[AKKOLADE]

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Oqp3 ... SLMyHtvcsg

#81 Doctor, My Eyes – Jackson Browne
Album: Jackson Browne
Year: 1972
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #8
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKGTaplzmV4

#82 Cherry Bomb – The Runaways
Album: The Runaways
Year: 1976
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #106
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNxKpYOOYvM

#83 When Will I Be Loved – Linda Ronstadt
Album: Heart Like a Wheel
Year: 1975
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iBgTqz_-vY

#84 The Shape I'm In – The Band
Album: Stage Fright
Year: 1970
Charts: did not chart in the US/UK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHCVTM6obmo

#85 Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack & Peace
Album: Across 110th Street
Year: 1973
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #50
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vACdT7rLY2U

#86 Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Album: Slowhand
Year: 1977
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #16,UK #81 (studio version)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxAiUq8yn34

#87 Show Me The Way – Peter Frampton
Album: Frampton Comes Alives!
Year: 1976
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #6, UK #10
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIRqMTg1GVc

#88 Blitzkrieg Bop – Ramones
Album: Ramones
Year: 1976
Charts: did not chart
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymtpePP8I8

#169 Mr. Bojangles – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Album: Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
Year: 1970
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #9
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X-D8j7cQ54

#170 Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser – Milton Nascimento
Album: Clube da Esquina
Year: 1972
Charts: did not chart in US or UK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rJz-tazK4I

#171 Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue – Crystal Gayle
Album: We Must Believe in Magic
Year: 1977
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #2, UK #5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayHVzWzxfGA

#172 Cars – Gary Numan
Album: The Pleasure Principle
Year: 1979
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #9, UK #1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Lo-D8NQF0

#173 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron
Album: Pieces of a Man
Year: 1971
Charts: did not chart
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg

#174 Smiling Faces Sometimes – The Undisputed Truth
Album: The Undisputed Truth
Year: 1971
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #3
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd9zCTPahqk

#175 Easy – Commodores
Album: Commodores
Year: 1977
Charts: Billboard Hot 100 #4, UK #9
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCsZ3_db_Fk

#176 Roadrunner (Once) – Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
Album: The Modern Lovers
Year: 1976
Charts: UK #11
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB1XEfEPgbM

Easier access to songs:

#81 Doctor, My Eyes – Jackson Browne
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKGTaplzmV4

#176 Roadrunner (Once) – Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB1XEfEPgbM

#82 Cherry Bomb – The Runaways
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNxKpYOOYvM

#175 Easy – Commodores
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCsZ3_db_Fk

#83 When Will I Be Loved – Linda Ronstadt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iBgTqz_-vY

#174 Smiling Faces Sometimes – The Undisputed Truth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd9zCTPahqk

#84 The Shape I'm In – The Band
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHCVTM6obmo

#173 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg

#85 Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack & Peace
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vACdT7rLY2U

#172 Cars – Gary Numan
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Lo-D8NQF0

#86 Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxAiUq8yn34

#171 Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue – Crystal Gayle
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayHVzWzxfGA

#87 Show Me The Way – Peter Frampton
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIRqMTg1GVc

#170 Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser – Milton Nascimento
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rJz-tazK4I

#88 Blitzkrieg Bop – Ramones
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymtpePP8I8

#169 Mr. Bojangles – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X-D8j7cQ54

Your ballot:

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

48 hours

[cdbarker]

A very well seeded grouping, in my opinion.

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Across 110th Street vs. Cars
As a Michigan fan, I must vote for the song whose movie provided Michigan Replay with its long-time theme, the instrumental theme from Across 110th Street (not the same song.)

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[MiltonPlayer47]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Across 110th Street vs. Cars

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[Stained Diviner]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
An easy choice

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
The Runaways were better as individuals than a group. Easy is smooth.

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
These are both pretty good, but Smiling Faces Sometimes is just better. It makes me smile, which might be a bad thing.

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
I like The Band, but their best stuff was in the 60s, and this song doesn't really go anywhere. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is interesting if nothing else.

Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Cars is a weird song, but it's a good weird song.

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Very awesome ballad>kind of awesome ballad

Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Easy call

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
I don't want to vote against Blitzkrieg Bog this early, but here we are. Dance!

[kammajos000]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[Blackboard Monitor Vimes]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Listening to this bracket without headphones on (unlike the other two). I like to give new-to-me songs a chance, but my husband made me turn Roadrunner off, and we both enjoy Jackson Browne.
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
Easy is a fine song, but if I were to seek out one of these two to listen to, it would be Cherry Bomb, so that breaks my tie.
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
Smiling Faces Sometimes is kind of neat and I don't mind having been introduced to it, but it's also not something I'd seek out.
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
I remember watching "The Last Waltz" on a grainy VHS tape as a kid; it made an impression, but I think I have to give this one to the impassioned Gil Scott-Heron (I'd never heard the full performance before, just the sample in the Black Panther trailer).
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Across 110th Street sounds like a movie I would enjoy, but that can't push its title song past the synth vibes of Cars, which fascinated me as a kid for its difference from most of the other stuff my mom listened to.
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
I've voted for several "not my favorite" songs by artists I like, but I can't stand Wonderful Tonight. Crystal Gayle has a pretty voice that carries the lyrically boring Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
As a teen, my mom had a poster of a shirtless Peter Frampton that came with her Frampton Comes Alive album. Her grandmother saw it and freaked out, thinking the poster was a real person. I had managed to forget this song was him but to remember every word.
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles was the "oh right, this song" of this bracket for me. Blitzkrieg Bop is fun and, while I know I've come out in favor of musical rambling in this thread before, just the right length.

[Bosa of York]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once): This is a tough matchup but I'm a sucker for singing that's actually just talking.
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy: My hatred of Easy is as intense as it is difficult for me to put into words
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised The Band is great but tbh this is basically the only reason I care enough to vote this round
Across 110th Street vs. Cars: Another tough one but cars is the worst pixar series
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue: I don't love either of these; rip.
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser: am i dumb for preferring songs in languages i dont understand? Absolutely.
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[A Dim-Witted Saboteur]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
See earlier re: sad country songs

[dwd500]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
- I got to listen to Roadrunner for the first time ever tonight, and it won't be the last. I'm not picking it over my favorite Jackson Browne song, though.

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
- I recently found The Runaways in the middle of a Wikipedia rabbit hole after Fanny's "Ain't That Peculiar" showed up out of the blue on my Youtube recommended list. I know it's their signature song, but I just don't like it much. The background "Ahhs" in the chorus for "Easy," though...it's tough for anyone to beat that.

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
- The choice of the Linda Ronstadt song is the problem. "When Will I Be Loved" isn't even the best song on that album. "You're No Good" would have won this, easily. But, to be honest, neither of those do justice to what Linda Ronstadt's voice was capable of. I'm also shocked to learn that "Smiling Faces" wasn't written by the O'Jays.

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
- Too bad "Up on Cripple Creek" came out in 1969, but only one of these songs got named-dropped by Snoop Dogg on a Gorillaz album.

Across 110th Street vs. Cars
- Your synths have to be pretty powerful to get me to vote against the title track from a Yaphet Kotto flick. "Are Friends Electric?" might have proven to be a stronger song for Gary, though, in this format.

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
- I'm guessing you were torn for a while on this song or "After Midnight" for the Eric Clapton solo song. Either one would win this in a walk.

Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
- Another song I hadn't heard (the Brazilian one) that I really enjoyed. But good live albums are rare, and I've got major respect for Frampton's album. I can't shop for records without coming across a copy of that in every store, it was just everywhere.

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
- I could have sworn that I'd heard better songs from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Looking back on their discography...turns out I hadn't. Ramones win this one easily.

[Triton of the Minnows]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[Victor Prieto]

Doctor, My Eyes. No contest here.
Easy. Holy crap, that's a tough matchup. This was almost a coin flip for me.
Smiling Faces Sometimes. Again, very difficult, but I guess I just like this song slightly better.
The Shape I'm In. This is odd. The Band has much better songs, but Gil Scott-Heron had much more of an influence on future artists. I'm going to have to lend my vote to The Band, just because it's a better song. Annoyed because better songs are getting knocked out in other match-ups here.
Cars. Goodness gracious - both of these songs are fantastic, but Cars is a slightly better song in my opinion.
Wonderful Tonight. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue is a beautiful song, but Wonderful Tonight is one of the most beautiful songs of all time.
Show Me The Way. Well, not much of a contest here, either.
Blitzkrieg Bop. Mr. Bojangles is enduring, but Blitzkrieg Bop is iconic.

[Wynaut]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy - "Easy" is criminally underseeded here. Probably the toughest matchup this round.
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[Habitat_Against_Humanity]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - I really, truly love the Band, but you can't argue against TRWNBT
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[Noble Rot]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
I had never heard Roadrunner before, and made it about a minute and a half in before I got bored.

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
Cherry Bomb didn't really do anything for me, so Easy gets the close win.

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The chiming guitar on When Will I Be Loved wins it for me, though Smiling Faces is pretty solid too.

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Not the Band song I would have chosen personally, but it's still great, and I'm not a fan of the talk-singing style on its opponent.

Across 110th Street vs. Cars
I don't really love either of these songs, but Across 110th street sounds enough like Isaac Hayes to get my vote.

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
This is not a hard choice. One of Clapton's best solo songs versus a very generic middle of the road pop song.

Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Much like Cheap Trick, Frampton is another classic rock legend I've never been able to get into. I'd never heard the Brazilian song before, but I really like the intro and the vocals are very expressive even without understanding a word of what's being said.

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles sounds like a lesser version of the 60's Band material. I like Blitzkrieg Bop, but overplay at sporting events has really killed its long term appeal for me.

[34 + P.J. Dozier]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[Whiter Hydra]

Doctor, My Eyes -- Jackson Browne is one of those artists whose music I keep forgetting I really enjoy. The song isn't tremendously deep, but it's by no means exceedingly shallow either.
Roadrunner (Once) -- I feel like if you're going to sing by mostly talking, the lyrics need to be significant enough to carry the song. That didn't happen here.

Cherry Bomb -- It's hard (but not too hard) rock, rebellious, and has a catchy chorus. It's not Joan Jett's greatest performance, but that'll have to wait for the 80s bracket.
Easy -- It's slow, and it does it fairly well, but it's just a bit too slow for me. I think it got hurt by being paired against a significantly higher-energy song.

When Will I Be Loved -- Linda Ronstadt does a solid cover of an Everly Brothers classic. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's very catchy.
Smiling Faces Sometimes -- It's an okay Motown song, but there are much better ones out there. I feel like it could be sped up about 10% and be a more solid song.

The Shape I'm In -- This is a good song. It's not amazingly mind-blowing, but then again music doesn't have to be. The Band has a sound that over the years has started to grow more and more on me.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised -- This is certainly the most unique entry so far. It almost feels more like an entry into a poetry slam than a song, but it does it well and it has a very strong call to arms while not dumbing down the subject matter.

Across 110th Street -- This song had a bit of a slow start, but once the chorus hit, it started to come into its own. I've never seen the movie, but I have to imagine this song does a great job of setting the scene.
Cars -- Cars does synths well. This is a song that knows exactly what it's about and does it well.

Wonderful Tonight -- I was not a fan when this song came on the radio back in high school, but I've since been able to appreciate it a lot more. This is very likely the second-best song written about Pattie Boyd in this bracket.
Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue -- This song feels solidly meh to me. Crystal Gayle has a good voice, but that's about the only good thing going for me.

Show Me The Way -- This is one of the rare live songs that I enjoy. I could never get into the usage of the talk box, but other than that it's a very solid song.
Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser -- It's a decent song musically, but not being able to understand the lyrics doesn't really help.

Blitzkrieg Bop -- This is a very iconic song, and for good reason. Honestly, it's probably started to wear out on me from repeated listening, but it's hard to deny that it's a banger.
Mr. Bojangles -- I thought I'd like this song a lot more after listening it for the first time in years, but it feels like it's not quite complete. It's decent, but it's against heavy competition.


Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[ValenciaQBowl]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
--This is a brutal choice for me, as I love both songs; I'd probably pick "Doctor" but since it seems certain to win, I'll be contrarian.

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
--No problem

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
--"Smiling Faces Sometimes" is, I think the first song I haven't heard. Not bad! But not as good.

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
--Another brutal choice, and though I think there are better songs by The Band, I gotta go with the Americana.

Across 110th Street vs. Cars
--Gary Numan!

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
--Ugh, I dislike both of these, so pass.

Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
--Love the vocoder.

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
--If you don't know the Frank Black song, "I Heard Ramona Sing," you should check it out.

[ScoBo]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

[AKKOLADE]

You have eighteen or so hours left to vote!

[AgathokakologicalPunk]

Doctor, My Eyes
Easy
Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In
Cars
Wonderful Tonight
Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop

[BenWeiner27]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles--While "I Wanna Be Sedated" remains by favorite Ramones song, Blitzkrieg Bop is still a bop.

[mrtyrmystry]

These aren't meant to be interesting comments or justification, they're just words.

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
I will go sadder miles an hour when Roadrunner loses.

Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
Cherry Bomb is exploitative - though I'm not the best judge. Both of these songs are outrageously memorable. Joan Jett is great.

When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
I almost-like both these songs.

The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Cars is closer to (my recollection of) Kraftwerk than my idea of new wave.

Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser

Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles
though this cover of mr. bojangles had more soul than any folk- or country/adjacent music here (and it's not close), i'm not allowed to vote against punk. I'm really glad I heard it though.

[Asterias Wrathbunny]

Doctor, My Eyes vs. Roadrunner (Once)
Cherry Bomb vs. Easy
When Will I Be Loved vs. Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Shape I'm In vs. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Across 110th Street vs. Cars
Wonderful Tonight vs. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Show Me The Way vs. Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser
Blitzkrieg Bop vs. Mr. Bojangles

Pop radio really had a lot of lemons in the 70s

[AKKOLADE]

Pop radio really had a lot of lemons in the 70s

Wait until I write something about 1974.

I got a computer with working g, h, & ' buttons, which I'm in the process of setting up. I'll leave voting open over night and will update this at some point tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.