Acclaimed Music Forums

Welcome everyone to the new Bracketology, featuring the 256 highest ranked songs on AM that weren't eligible for the last Bracketology, meaning they hadn't been released yet or they weren't in the top 1024 in 2009. Either way, they have all been assembled here for the new game.

So here's how the game works: You will be given four brackets with four songs each. Your job is to rank the songs in each bracket from 1-4. You #1 song will be given 4 points, #2 will be given 3, and so on. The winner of each bracket advances to the next round. In the event of tie, whichever song gets more first place votes will advance.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. This poll will close next Sunday at midnight forum time.

Here is the first set of brackets:

40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)

20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)

15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

New Slang
N****s in Paris
Winner Takes it All
The Look

Enjoy the Silence
Midnight in a Perfect World
More than This
Call me Maybe

Time of the Season
Hyper Ballad
Royals
Diane Young

Pass

168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
89. Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)

no ranking for the last bracket.

The Shins - New Slang (2001)
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)
Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)

Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
Lorde - Royals (2013)
Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)

Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

The Shins - New Slang
Metronomy - The Look
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
Jay-Z - N*****s in Paris

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence
Roxy Music - More Than This
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World

Bjork - Hyper-Ballad
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
The Zombies - Time of the Season
Lorde - Royals

Nick Cave - Into My Arms
Kelis - Caught Out There
Jai Paul - Jasmine
Tyler the Creator - Yonkers

Can I trade three first place votes in bracket three for three last place votes in bracket four?

New Slang
The Look
Niggas in Paris
The Winner Takes It All

Enjoy the Silence
Midnight in a Perfect World
Call Me Maybe
More Than This

Hyper-Ballad
Royals
Diane Young
Time of the Season

Into My Arms
Yonkers
Caught Out There
Jasmine

89. Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
We're going to skate to one song and song only... this was originally said about My Humps, so that's quite an improvement. Niggas in Paris will remain one of the most Kanyesque songs ever, you never know when he is making fun of himself or taking himself too seriously. The beat is like nothing else we have ever heard and the final is maybe the only successful use ever of dubstep in another genre... Watch the Throne was quite a disappointment, but did this deliver. It get people going !
The English Riviera has been one of the most hyped albums of the past few years in France, and it came to me as a huge letdown, but here also one song delivers completely, it's The Look, a good example of a song built brick by brick as elements add up together : a strange synth line, a steady rythm and a cool bass line, you don't need much more (as the 2nd vocals prove in the end, you really did not need more...)
New Slang is an indie classic but it doesn't completely work for me, kind like its music video which doesn't make the effort to carry its cool concept all along.
I would have considered putting a handful of Abba songs higher, but not this one, maybe not helped by a dreaded French cover by Mireille Mathieu which ruins it even more.

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)

So the big surprise here is how Enjoy the Silence wasn't on the previous bracketology, being a huge commercial and critical success and a synth pop and Depeche Mode staple.
I love Endtroducing, it's in my top 20 of all time, but there are 5 or 6 songs in it I'd put over Midnight in a Perfect World, so I'll give the edge to one of the best pop hits of the past few years. And I don't like More Than This.

109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

The 2 2013 songs doesn't really compare with the 2 classics there.

15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)

Into My Arms is a lovely ballad but it seems a bit too predictable among one of the most spooky rap songs ever, a feminist affirmation and whatever is this new kind of music Jai Paul is inventing.
I didn't base my vote on it, but bonus point for Yonkers' video. One of the very few non Frank Ocean songs from an Odd Future that delivered up to initial hopes

217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
89. Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)

143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)
The Shins - New Slang (2001)

ABBA in a landslide. I hate putting Jay-Z and Kanye at #2, since that song is so mediocre, but then I look at its competition...


DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)

"Midnight in a Perfect World" is too beautiful not to top this group. "Call Me Maybe" is near perfect bubblegum, so good enough for second. Depeche Mode got unlucky and would have been higher in most other groups. Roxy Music have their moments, but usually bore me.


Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
Lorde - Royals (2013)

Like the ABBA group, this one is all Bjork. "Time of the Season" is pleasantly inoffensive and that's good enough for second in a group with two of my least favorite buzz tracks from 2013.


Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)

This is by far the most loaded group. I like Cave but "Into My Arms" is one of his weaker songs and is badly outclassed by the other artists bringing their best. "Jasmine" is so good and it's weird seeing it at third, but them's the breaks.

1. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
2. Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)
3. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
4. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

Really did not like that bracket other than ABBA...

***

1. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
2. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
3. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
4. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

Now THAT is more like it, 4 great songs (and yes, "Call Me Maybe" is pretty great, though not great enough here). DJ Shadow still pummels the group with his masterpiece, but still very good stuff.

***

1. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
2. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
3. Lorde - Royals (2013)
4. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

Easy win for Bjork. Oddly, there are some musical similarities between "Time of the Season" and "Royals" that I never thought of until now, maybe just the cadence...

***

1. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
2. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
3. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
4. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

A lot of good, none here quite great. I'll go with Kelis cuz that delivery is just ott.

1. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
2. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
3. Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)
4. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

1. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
2. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
3. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
4. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

1. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
2. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
3. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
4. Lorde - Royals (2013)

1. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
2. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
3. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
4. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

89. Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris (2011)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
When it comes to Watch the Throne, I'm personally more of an "Otis" man, but "Niggas" still tops this group by a pretty wide margin. "The Look" was a wonderful new discovery and it would probably pass ABBA if given time, but this is how it sits at the moment.

82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
Nothing much to say about this bracket.

148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
"Hyper-Ballad" is absolutely gorgeous and I really wish I connected with it more, but "Diane Young" takes it by a decent margin.

15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
Fairly straight forward, I really wish I got "Jasmine" even a little bit...

It's Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris

If it was just Jay-Z, it would be Nigga in Paris. I'm sorry if racist.

PlasticRam wrote:It's Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris

If it was just Jay-Z, it would be Nigga in Paris. I'm sorry if racist.

I thought it was funny, if that counts for anything.

Also, if anybody looked at this week's songs and thinks that all of the songs will be from the past 20 years, you are in fact wrong. Here's a breakdown by decade:
20s 3
40s 1
50s 7
60s 36
70s 34
80s 20
90s 26
00s 73
10s 56

So it is very skewed towards recent music, but there's a decent amount of songs from the 60s and 70s as well. That's in part thanks to The Beatles and Dylan, who combine for 13 tracks. Here's a list of all artists with multiple songs in the 256:
Bob Dylan 7
Beatles 6
Kanye West 6
Arcade Fire 4
Coldplay 3
Daft Punk 3
David Bowie 3
Jay-Z 3
MGMT 3
Portishead 3
Radiohead 3
Vampire Weekend 3
Bat For Lashes 2
Beach Boys 2
Bon Iver 2
Bruce Springsteen 2
Depeche Mode 2
Dissee Rascal 2
Elton John 2
Frank Ocean 2
Green Day 2
Grimes 2
James Blake 2
James Brown 2
LCD Soundsystem 2
Led Zeppelin 2
Leonard Cohen 2
Neil Young 2
Nine Inch Nails 2
Phoenix 2
Pink Floyd 2
Robyn 2
Stone Roses 2
Streets 2
The Who 2
Velvet Underground 2
Wu-Tang Clan 2

217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

The Shins - New Slang (2001)
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
Lorde - Royals (2013)

Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

Out of the 16 songs here, 3 of my favorites come out of the 3rd matchup and I do not like a single song in matchup number 4 so I will do something I hardly ever do in any of these games... abstain.

The Shins - New Slang (2001)
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

DM - Enjoy The Silence
DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect World
Roxy - More Than This
Jepsen - Call Me Maybe

VW - Diane Young
Zombies - Time Of The Season
Bjork - Hyperballad
Lorde - Royals

Pass

1. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
2. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
3. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
4. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

1. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
2. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
3. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
4. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

1. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
2. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
3. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
4. Lorde - Royals (2013)

1. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
2. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
3. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
4. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
The Shins - New Slang (2001)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)

Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
Lorde - Royals (2013)
Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)

1- The Shins - New Slang (2001)
2- Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
3- Metronomy - The Look (2011)
4- ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
The Shins song is nice, I prefer "No Church in the Wild" from Watch the Throne, and I absolutely hate the ABBA song.

1- Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
2- DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
3- Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
4- Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
Top two here are excellent. I hated "Call Me Maybe" when I first heard it, and the constant airplay two years ago has made me hate it even more.

1- The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
2- Lorde - Royals (2013)
3- Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
4- Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
No bad songs in this one. "Time of the Season" is an amazing song, while "Royals" and "Hyper-Ballad" are pretty good.

1- Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
2- Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
3- Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
4- Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
This is a terrible bracket.

89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)


15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)

89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)

15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)

143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

0. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)

143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

1. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
2. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
3. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
4. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

1. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
2. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
3. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
4. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

1. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
2. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
3. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
4. Lorde - Royals (2013)

1. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
2. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
3. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
4. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)


Top-4 of the bunch in bold.

217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

The Look has to win this round.

47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

Not a great fan of any of this lot.

109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)

The only song I'm not familiar with is Time of The Season, which is still good!

114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

I had forgot this Kelis song even existed.

1. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
2. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris
3. Metronomy - The Look
4. The Shins - New Slang

1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
2. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence
3. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World
4. Roxy Music - More Than This

1. The Zombies - Time of the Season
2. Björk - Hyper-Ballad
3. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
4. Lorde - Royals

1. Kelis - Caught Out There
2. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
3. Nick Cave - Into My Arms
4. Jai Paul - Jasmine

The Shins- New Slang
Jay-Z and Kanye West- Niggas in Paris
Metronomy- The Look
ABBA- The Winner Takes it All

Depeche Mode- Enjoy the Silence
DJ Shadow- Midnight in a Perfect World
Roxy Music- More Than This
Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe

Bjork- Hyper-Ballad
Vampire Weekend- Diane Young
The Zombies- Time of the Season
Lorde- Royals

Tyler the Creator- Yonkers
Jai Paul- Jasmine
Nick Cave- Into My Arms
Kelis- Caught Out There

Mattceinicram wrote: Jay-Z and Kanye West- New Slaves

?

The Shins- New Slang
ABBA- The Winner Takes It All
Jay-Z and Kanye West- Niggas in Paris
Metronomy- The Look

Depeche Mode- Enjoy the Silence
DJ Shadow- Midnight in a Perfect World
Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe
Roxy Music- More than This

Vampire Weekend- Diane Young
Bjork- Hyper Ballad
Lorde- Royals
The Zombies- Tine of the Season

Tyler the Creator- Yonkers
Kelis- Caught Out There
Jai Paul- Jasmine
Nick Cave- Into My Arms

Luke JR68 wrote:

Mattceinicram wrote: Jay-Z and Kanye West- New Slaves

?

oops, great catch. I fixed it! Got my Kanye songs mixed up apparently

6.Metronomy- The Look
10.The Shins- New Slang
13.ABBA- The Winner Takes It All
14.Jay-Z and Kanye West- Niggas in Paris

1.DJ Shadow- Midnight in a Perfect World
4.Roxy Music- More than This
7.Depeche Mode- Enjoy the Silence
8.Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe

2.Vampire Weekend- Diane Young
9.Lorde- Royals
11.The Zombies- Time of the Season
16.Bjork- Hyper Ballad

3.Nick Cave - Into My Arms
5.Jai Paul - Jasmine
12.Tyler the Creator - Yonkers
15.Kelis- Caught Out There

With overall rank marked.

89. Jay-Z and Kanye West's Adventures in Paris (2011)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

Oh, how I have such a love-hate relationship with ABBA, probably more than any other band. I'm not even sure it has anything to do with overplay, since I love Dancing Queen and Knowing Me, Knowing You, and those are probably the most well-known out of any of their songs. But with things like The Winner Takes It All and Thank You for the Music, the songwriting just seems too...obvious? I think I dislike it most because of the lyrics, since in a ballad arrangement like this there isn't much else for them to stand up on. Anyway, New Slang is a nice enough song, The Look is pretty groovy and one of Metronomy's better tracks, and N****s in Paris is one of those ultimate party tracks that work in almost any setting, including, and most importantly, when you're listening to it on your own.

82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

I have no excuse for this. Enjoy the Silence is a great track, and I'm glad it's on here, but...when '80s pop was good, it was terrific. That's even rarer for pop nowadays, but it happens sometimes. Call Me Maybe is the kind of song that feels like it never really left the charts, and I don't think it'll leave the public consciousness any time soon. And Midnight in a Perfect World is not the best track off Endtroducing, bla bla bla. Give me The Number Song over this one any day of the week.

237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)

Time of the Season isn't even the best song from Odessey and Oracle and it's still a stone-cold classic. Hyper-Ballad rightly deserves its place as Björk's most acclaimed track, and while both 2013 tracks still need time to prove their worth, I feel that Diane Young is much less overrated than Royals.

242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

There's a rumour going that the music teacher at the school across the road from mine taught Jai Paul for GCSE Music. I don't know if there's any truth to that, but given how little we know about him I'd like to think it's a nice coincidence. Anyway, I think he's magic. It's a shame BTSTU is so low on the new songs list but at least Jasmine is reasonably high up (and I should give him a break - those are the only two songs he's officially released!) Anyway, Into My Arms is a lovely ballad by the always fascinating Nick Cave, Caught Out There is a great 'golden-age' Neptunes track, and Yonkers really isn't as good as I remember it.

1. Jay-Z & Kanye West - "Niggas in Paris"
2. ABBA - "The Winner Takes It All"
3. The Shins - "New Slang"
4. Metronomy - "The Look"

I can't get enough of "Niggas in Paris", from the goofy samples of "Blades of Glory" to Kanye's repeated line "Don't let me get in my zone" (by the way, check this out). "The Winner Takes It All" is one of the few ABBA songs that I actually love, but it's tainted for me simply because it's ABBA. "New Slang" is enjoyable, but kind of blasé. "The Look" does nothing for me.

1. DJ Shadow - "Midnight in a Perfect World"
2. Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence"
3. Roxy Music - "More Than This"
4. Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"

"Endtroducing" is one of my all-time favorite albums, and while this isn't my favorite track off of it, it's pretty damn close. "More Than This" is a surprisingly solid track from late-era Roxy, and it can't quite beat out an even more solid Depeche Mode track. "Call Me Maybe" is not my thing. At all.

1. Björk - "Hyper-Ballad"
2. The Zombies - "Time of the Season"
3. Vampire Weekend - "Diane Young"
4. Lorde - "Royals"

I love Björk, and "Hyper-Ballad" is probably my favorite of her songs. In my opinion, "Time of the Season" doesn't get the credit it deserves, especially in comparison to other songs in the Zombies' catalog (sorry, but I just can't get behind "She's Not There"). "Diane Young" is a solid song, but can't compare to the greatness of the other two songs. Even so, it easily beats out the vastly-overrated "Royals".

1. Tyler, the Creator - "Yonkers"
2. Jai Paul - "Jasmine"
3. Nick Cave - "Into My Arms"
4. Kelis - "Caught Out There"

Overall a weak bracket. The top three here are all on my "favorites" playlist, but "Yonkers" is the only one that, when it comes on my iPod, I'll listen to from start to finish. Tyler's lyrics can be pretty unsettling while being pretty amusing at the same time (to wit, "stab Bruno Mars in his goddamned esophagus"). "Jasmine" is an enjoyable song and it was a clever addition to the GTA5 soundtrack, but it just seems to be missing a certain something for me... not sure what. "Into My Arms" is a pleasant enough Cave track, but I prefer my Bad Seeds songs with more than just piano and vocals (and with slightly more menace as well). "Caught Out There" is fun to listen to on occasion, but I can only hear the line "I hate you so much right now" so many times.

mattschroeder wrote:check this out

Oh my god. The greatest game of all time. Thank you!

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:

mattschroeder wrote:check this out

Oh my god. The greatest game of all time. Thank you!

If you like that one, check out this one.

1. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
2. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
3. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
4. Metronomy - The Look (2011)

A caveat for this first week of the new Bracketology: if the songs in Bracket 3 were distributed across all four brackets, they would be my four #1 songs. Too bad they’re all lumped together. Having said that, Jay and ‘Ye win this one more or less by default. #2 isn’t one of my favorite ABBA songs, but the Shins song doesn’t particularly stand out in their catalog, and while “The Look” is fun to listen to it fades from my memory almost immediately (as does The English Riviera as a whole).

1. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
2. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
3. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
4. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

Endtroducing… is one of my favorite albums, but I can’t say that “Midnight” is a favorite track – it’s another default victory. As much as I like #’s 2 and 3, they both lack that extra something that would put them over the top as a clear winner. As for “Call Me Maybe,” I don’t hate it at all, but it’s clearly the weakling among this company.

1. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
2. Lorde - Royals (2013)
3. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
4. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

The only reason I didn’t put “Royals” at #1 is because “Time of the Season” is such a lifelong favorite of mine (although, as it turns out, it’s only about my 6th or 7th favorite track on Odessey and Oracle) – give Lorde’s minimalist masterpiece a couple more years to stand the test of time and it would likely top this bracket, easily. All four of these records are terrific, although – once again - #’s 3 and 4 aren’t even close to being my favorites on their respective albums (in fact, “Diane Young” may actually be my least favorite song on my #1 album for 2013).

1. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
2. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
3. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
4. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

I’ll echo the overwhelming consensus that this is a particularly underwhelming group. Kelis’ righteous fury coupled with a typically ace Neptunes production get a very slight edge over Cave’s pensive balladry.

I feel like the only one to love all four of the songs in the fourth bracket. Though I really like most of these songs. I think the only ones not on my iPod are The Winner Takes All, More Than This, and Call Me Maybe.

"Into My Arms" is in this weird state for me where it's a song I associate strongly with an event in my relationship, so I feel it's gotten a boost in my mind from that.

BleuPanda wrote:I feel like the only one to love all four of the songs in the fourth bracket. Though I really like most of these songs. I think the only ones not on my iPod are The Winner Takes All, More Than This, and Call Me Maybe.

I guess lots of people will feel the opposite, but the way Listyguy picked the songs tilts heavily toward my tastes, especially with the "late acclaim bloomers" from the 00s which include my 5th favorite song of all time, Wake Up, and a lots of songs I love. Then there are the 2010s most acclaimed songs which are not always my very favorite but still mostly songs I really enjoy. But my luck goes further because even among the oldest songs are a lot of my favorite tracks of all time like Protect Ya Neck, When the Levee Breaks or A New England and to top it all, another song from my top 10 of all time, Big Star - Thirteen. It seems that even when a band I strongly dislike is included, it's with the only song from the I really like (see "You Made Me Realize").
It's too bad Waltz #2 dropped in the last update and only appeared in the preliminary list, but beside that this game seems tailor-made for me.

As much as the game is currently tilted towards modern songs, I have a feeling that by the second round, there will be a much more even split of the decades. Every song currently in last place in one of the brackets is from 2011 or later. On the other side of the spectrum, most of the the older songs are doing quite well this week. Obviously, this isn't a large sample size, but I can't imagine many of the 13 combined Beatles and Dylan songs not making it to the next round. Although I might as well add that both artists have two of their songs in the same bracket. And Nassim, probably to your dismay, "Thirteen" is in the bracket with two Dylan songs.

mattschroeder wrote:

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:

mattschroeder wrote:check this out

Oh my god. The greatest game of all time. Thank you!

If you like that one, check out this one.

That's hilarious! I got into the hourly top scores on that one.

Listyguy wrote:As much as the game is currently tilted towards modern songs, I have a feeling that by the second round, there will be a much more even split of the decades. Every song currently in last place in one of the brackets is from 2011 or later. On the other side of the spectrum, most of the the older songs are doing quite well this week. Obviously, this isn't a large sample size, but I can't imagine many of the 13 combined Beatles and Dylan songs not making it to the next round. Although I might as well add that both artists have two of their songs in the same bracket. And Nassim, probably to your dismay, "Thirteen" is in the bracket with two Dylan songs.

I don't know, sure the balance will change but I don't see the Beatles tracks in there doing that well, I think none was in our top 1000 in the last forum poll.
On the other hand, some of the Dylan ones will go far for sure, It's All Right Ma, Ballad of a Thin Man, Hurricane, A Hard Rain and Blind Willie Mc Tell are all forum favorites.
Some 00s songs will still have strong chances though, Wake Up was ahead of all those Dylan songs in our last songs poll so there's still hope ^^ Our #1 and #2 seeds, Get Lucky and Midnight City is quite appreciated around here too, so are Lonely Boy, Heartbeats, Someone Great, the Rip, Everything In Its Right Place, Chicago, Jesus Etc...
So sure, most of the awesome hip-hop and electronic tracks will get smashed on the first round, but I wouldn't be surprised if a songs from the past 15 years won in the end (but I'd be surprised if it wasn't one of those I just cited)

That's actually the exciting thing, there is no clear favorite this time around. I don't know the brackets so I can not bet on a final 4, but I'd go with something along the lines of Get Lucky, Wake Up, Hallelujah (the Buckley one) and Zombie... but I would not bet on anything, I expected Hyper Ballad to run away with its bracket and it might not have the huge lead I expected.

The Shins - New Slang (2001)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

An all-time favorite, two fun songs, and a mediocre ABBA.

Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

Two irresistible pop classics (yes, the "c" word) and two boring songs by artists I don't much care for.

The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
Lorde - Royals (2013)
Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)

Another all-time favorite plus two of my favorites from last year. I don't care for Bjork at all.

Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)

Two lovely love ballads, one curiosity whose novelty still hasn't worn off, and... Kelis.

Lots of interesting games happening right now at the forum. I'll try to play in some of them (but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able after the summer).

The Shins - New Slang (2001)
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
Metronomy - The Look (2011)

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
Lorde - Royals (2013)

Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

Best bracket in my opinion: #2

Metronomy - The Look (2011)
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
The Shins - New Slang (2001)

The weakest group. The Look and The Winner Takes It All stand out here, without being real favorites. Niggas in Paris is fun enough, but I can't see a great song in it. New Slang sounds very indistinct to me. The Look wins because of it's nice groove and ABBA has the luck to be represented with a rare song of them that I think is actually very good.

DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)

This is a group of surprises. Most of these I shouldn't like, but do. In the case of DJ Shadow it's simply that I mostly ignored sample-based music outside of hip-hop, but this great song reminds me that I should look into it more. Beautiful. I don't care for Depeche Mode, but this is just the one I do like. Even the vocals of the lead singer, that usually put me of, are quite passable here, though perhaps it would have been even better if he had lived up to the lyrics. Call Me Maybe is one of those rare mainstream hits nowadays that simply works, courtesy of those infectious violins. Roxy Music I always expect to like and I do again here to, but the surprise here is that it's the weakest of the bracket. Roxy Music has many better songs, in my opinion.

Lorde - Royals (2013)
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)
Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)

Lorde is losing this game it seems. A shame, because consider me a fan of the song. From the first moment radio dj's started to play it cautiously, usually at later times of the day, it stood out to me. Love the singing, the sparse production and if the lyrics are naive, they fit the times. Vampire Weekend deliver the only real rocker of the week and it's a gem. It sadly had to take the second spot from Björk who I would also have liked to see proceed, with her magic Hyper-Ballad, one of those songs that could only come from one artist. The fun of Diane Young won out, though. This is easily my favorite bracket, with only great song and if Time of the Season doesn't stand out in it, it is still a great song. Just not as unique.

Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)

Every bracket has a pop song by a female artist and I liked three of them, but I don't care at all for Caught Out There, which to me sounds like too many R&B hits from it's time. Jasmine is interesting, but doesn't really pull me in. More something I admire from a distance. The two stark and vaguely ghostly songs by Tyler and Nick Cave are the standouts. Cave has the style I relate the most to, so he wins this.

Nassim wrote:

Listyguy wrote:As much as the game is currently tilted towards modern songs, I have a feeling that by the second round, there will be a much more even split of the decades. Every song currently in last place in one of the brackets is from 2011 or later. On the other side of the spectrum, most of the the older songs are doing quite well this week. Obviously, this isn't a large sample size, but I can't imagine many of the 13 combined Beatles and Dylan songs not making it to the next round. Although I might as well add that both artists have two of their songs in the same bracket. And Nassim, probably to your dismay, "Thirteen" is in the bracket with two Dylan songs.

I don't know, sure the balance will change but I don't see the Beatles tracks in there doing that well, I think none was in our top 1000 in the last forum poll.
On the other hand, some of the Dylan ones will go far for sure, It's All Right Ma, Ballad of a Thin Man, Hurricane, A Hard Rain and Blind Willie Mc Tell are all forum favorites.
Some 00s songs will still have strong chances though, Wake Up was ahead of all those Dylan songs in our last songs poll so there's still hope ^^ Our #1 and #2 seeds, Get Lucky and Midnight City is quite appreciated around here too, so are Lonely Boy, Heartbeats, Someone Great, the Rip, Everything In Its Right Place, Chicago, Jesus Etc...
So sure, most of the awesome hip-hop and electronic tracks will get smashed on the first round, but I wouldn't be surprised if a songs from the past 15 years won in the end (but I'd be surprised if it wasn't one of those I just cited)

That's actually the exciting thing, there is no clear favorite this time around. I don't know the brackets so I can not bet on a final 4, but I'd go with something along the lines of Get Lucky, Wake Up, Hallelujah (the Buckley one) and Zombie... but I would not bet on anything, I expected Hyper Ballad to run away with its bracket and it might not have the huge lead I expected.

I definitely don't think all of the 00's songs will do terrible, but I wouldn't be even slightly surprised if an older song like "Hallelujah" or "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" won. Likewise, I wouldn't bat an eye if "Get Lucky" or "Midnight City" ran away with it. However, as you said, most of the tracks that are going to fall in this round are from the last 15 years, so there will be some sort of balance after this round.

168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)

210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)

109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)

40. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
89. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)
217. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
168. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

175. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
47. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
210. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
82. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

109. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
237. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
20. Lorde - Royals (2013)
148. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

114. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
242. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
15. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)
143. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)

The numbers are my rankings from 1 to 16.

4. Metronomy - The Look (2011)
7. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)
8. The Shins - New Slang (2001)
15. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas in Paris (2011)

1. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (1990)
5. Roxy Music - More Than This (1982)
6. DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (1996)
10. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2011)

3. Björk - Hyper-Ballad (1995)
9. The Zombies - Time of the Season (1968)
11. Lorde - Royals (2013)
14. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young (2013)

2. Kelis - Caught Out There (1999)
12. Jai Paul - Jasmine (2012)
13. Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)
16. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers (2011)

Here are this week’s results, with total points followed by number of first place votes:

1. The Shins – New Slang (107, 15)
2. Jay-Z and Kanye West – Niggas in Paris (91, 8)
3. ABBA – The Winner Takes It All (82, 7)
4. Metronomy – The Look (80, 6)
The Shins were in control of this bracket all week. A mid-week surge from ABBA and a late push by Jay-Z and Kanye were as close as they came to trouble. “New Slang” will face three songs TBD in the next round.

1. Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence (121, 18)
2. DJ Shadow – Midnight in a Perfect World (91, 9)
3. Roxy Music – More Than This (82, 5)
4. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe (66, 4)
This bracket features the week’s biggest winner and the week’s biggest loser. “Enjoy the Silence” received the most first place votes and points of any song this week, while “Call Me Maybe” gathered the fewest points. “Enjoy the Silence” will face the winner of the last bracket of this week and two unknown songs in the next round.

1. The Zombies – Time of the Season (111, 16)
2. Björk – Hyper-Ballad (105, 13)
3. Vampire Weekend – Diane Young (77, 5)
4. Lorde – Royals (67, 2)
In the closest race of the week, “Time of the Season” edges out “Hyper-Ballad”. For most of the week, The Zombies had a considerable lead, but a late push cut down their lead to 6 points. “Time of the Season” will face three TBD songs in the next round.

1. Nick Cave – Into My Arms (96, 14)
2. Kelis – Caught Out There (85, 9)
3. Tyler, the Creator – Yonkers (79, 8)
4. Jai Paul – Jasmine (70, 2)
In a bracket so awful that three users decided to just not vote, Nick Cave comes out on top. Kelis has an early lead but lost it to “Into My Arms” mid-week. The Cave song will see “Enjoy the Silence” and two other songs in the next round.