The Story:
I always associate these two songs with each other. They're both from Thriller, but overshadowed by the other three singles from the album, in my humble opinion.
P.Y.T. was quoted by Ronald Reagan in a State of the Union address. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' refers to the subject of the song as a vegetable.
Interpret as you will.
The Contenders:
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson
vs.
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - Michael Jackson
6.30.2009
6.29.2009
Rock With You vs. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
The Story:
With the passing of a musical icon, we're transforming this blog into a scientific tool. We'll be trying to determine the greatest Michael Jackson song of all time, based on the votes of my friends from Facebook and Twitter. Pure knowledge is happening right now.
I'm starting with a pair of songs that sound pretty similar. These songs are both from the album, Off the Wall, the first major contribution of Jackson's solo career. Let's try to figure out the best trax from that album, and we'll go from there.
(Note: Given Michael's immense popularity, none of the original music videos will be embeddable. Please click the links provided below to give the trax a listen.)
The Contenders:
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Vote in the toolbar on the right!
With the passing of a musical icon, we're transforming this blog into a scientific tool. We'll be trying to determine the greatest Michael Jackson song of all time, based on the votes of my friends from Facebook and Twitter. Pure knowledge is happening right now.
I'm starting with a pair of songs that sound pretty similar. These songs are both from the album, Off the Wall, the first major contribution of Jackson's solo career. Let's try to figure out the best trax from that album, and we'll go from there.
(Note: Given Michael's immense popularity, none of the original music videos will be embeddable. Please click the links provided below to give the trax a listen.)
The Contenders:
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Vote in the toolbar on the right!
6.22.2009
Electric Feel defeats Satellite! (58% - 42%)
Here're a couple trax I heard in a restaurant I visited last night. Give 'em a listen and let me know what you like.
6.19.2009
Comfortably Numb defeats I Kissed A Girl! (72% - 27%)
I'm curious to see what happens here. Hopefully we get some votes. Don't ask me what drove me to set this one up. Because I've got nothing for you.
Anyways, let's vote.
Anyways, let's vote.
6.18.2009
Don't Stop Believin' defeats Come Sail Away! (75% - 25%)
The Story:
Journey's #1 single of all time should be pretty clear. It's funny, because as far as I know it really only took over as of this decade. But these days,
EVERYONE'S LOVIN' THE "DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'".
(I prefer "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", but I guess that's just the kind of guy that I am. Also I prefer shortenin' my gerunds. Deal with it.)
On the other hand, I think most people would say "Mr. Roboto" is, like, the Styx song. But I think a lot of its charm comes from the fact that it's about a robot, rather than it being a rockin' song.
Then there's "Come Sail Away", an epic rock ballad that rivals "Don't Stop Believin'". It's a little long, and the intro takes a while to get through, but some might say the beginning of "DSB" drags as well.
So which is better? "Don't Stop Believin'", or "Come Sail Away"?
Vote on the right blah blah blah.
The Contenders:
"Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
vs.
"Come Sail Away" - Styx
Journey's #1 single of all time should be pretty clear. It's funny, because as far as I know it really only took over as of this decade. But these days,
EVERYONE'S LOVIN' THE "DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'".
(I prefer "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", but I guess that's just the kind of guy that I am. Also I prefer shortenin' my gerunds. Deal with it.)
On the other hand, I think most people would say "Mr. Roboto" is, like, the Styx song. But I think a lot of its charm comes from the fact that it's about a robot, rather than it being a rockin' song.
Then there's "Come Sail Away", an epic rock ballad that rivals "Don't Stop Believin'". It's a little long, and the intro takes a while to get through, but some might say the beginning of "DSB" drags as well.
So which is better? "Don't Stop Believin'", or "Come Sail Away"?
Vote on the right blah blah blah.
The Contenders:
"Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
vs.
"Come Sail Away" - Styx
6.15.2009
Another Dumb Blonde vs. the world
The Contender:
The Story:
This isn't a battle between two songs--this is a battle between you and yourself.
If you remember this song, you win.
If not, welcome to real life.
LIVE IT! HOKU!!!
The Story:
This isn't a battle between two songs--this is a battle between you and yourself.
If you remember this song, you win.
If not, welcome to real life.
LIVE IT! HOKU!!!
6.12.2009
The Middle defeats Sweetness! (80% - 20%)
The Contenders:
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
vs.
"Sweetness" - Jimmy Eat World
The Story:
It's unfortunate, but Jimmy Eat World is a really fine example of a band with two uber-popular songs that never manages to crack the radio again afterward.
It's unfortunate because they have a ton of songs that are really, really good, including but not limited to:
- "If You Don't, Don't"
- "For Me This Is Heaven"
- "The Authority Song"
- "Bleed American"
Given how many sweet trax these guys have, how is it that they aren't more popular?
I'll tell you why. It's that damned Mr. Feeny stealing everyone's thunder again.
Put yourself in the shoes of a teenager living in the late '90s. You went out and bought "Clarity", threw it on the old record player, and let it play. Your friends were all really impressed with you: "Oh man, I've never heard of this band before! They MUST be good!" (Did I mention your friends were all hipsters that live for Indie Rock Battles?)
They ask you, "What band is this?" And you tell them, "It's Jimmy Eat World!" And they're all like, "Ohh, damn, that's too bad."
They say, "Unfortunately, I'm already obsessed with 'Boy Meets World', and it wouldn't be fair to my brain to like both of those things."
My research shows that Boy Meets World was in its final season in 1999, when Jimmy Eat World's first CD came out. How confusing would that have been for a twelve year old (1999 - 1987 = 12) to try to enjoy a television show, as well as a band with a very similar name? I know *I* couldn't have handled it, that's for sure.
That show was pretty good, though.
VOTE ON THE RIGHT!
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
vs.
"Sweetness" - Jimmy Eat World
The Story:
It's unfortunate, but Jimmy Eat World is a really fine example of a band with two uber-popular songs that never manages to crack the radio again afterward.
It's unfortunate because they have a ton of songs that are really, really good, including but not limited to:
- "If You Don't, Don't"
- "For Me This Is Heaven"
- "The Authority Song"
- "Bleed American"
Given how many sweet trax these guys have, how is it that they aren't more popular?
I'll tell you why. It's that damned Mr. Feeny stealing everyone's thunder again.
Put yourself in the shoes of a teenager living in the late '90s. You went out and bought "Clarity", threw it on the old record player, and let it play. Your friends were all really impressed with you: "Oh man, I've never heard of this band before! They MUST be good!" (Did I mention your friends were all hipsters that live for Indie Rock Battles?)
They ask you, "What band is this?" And you tell them, "It's Jimmy Eat World!" And they're all like, "Ohh, damn, that's too bad."
They say, "Unfortunately, I'm already obsessed with 'Boy Meets World', and it wouldn't be fair to my brain to like both of those things."
My research shows that Boy Meets World was in its final season in 1999, when Jimmy Eat World's first CD came out. How confusing would that have been for a twelve year old (1999 - 1987 = 12) to try to enjoy a television show, as well as a band with a very similar name? I know *I* couldn't have handled it, that's for sure.
That show was pretty good, though.
VOTE ON THE RIGHT!
6.11.2009
The Way... wins! (56% - 23% - 20%)
The Contenders:
"The Way" - Fastball
vs.
"Out Of My Head" - Fastball
vs.
"You're An Ocean" - Fastball
The Story:
I'm still feeling kinda sick (read: unfunny), but I had this "three-hit wonder" in mind for last Thursday, so I'm gonna go ahead and throw it out there for today.
I love "You're An Ocean" personally, but I wouldn't bet any money on this battle because any of the three could win.
Cheers, mates! Vote on the right!
"The Way" - Fastball
vs.
"Out Of My Head" - Fastball
vs.
"You're An Ocean" - Fastball
The Story:
I'm still feeling kinda sick (read: unfunny), but I had this "three-hit wonder" in mind for last Thursday, so I'm gonna go ahead and throw it out there for today.
I love "You're An Ocean" personally, but I wouldn't bet any money on this battle because any of the three could win.
Cheers, mates! Vote on the right!
6.03.2009
Peaches defeats Lump! (67% - 33%)
The Contenders:
"Lump" - The Presidents of the United States of America
vs.
"Peaches" - The Presidents of the United States of America
(featuring a ninja fight at 2:30!)
The Story:
Today we have another variation on yesterday's theme of, "How did this stuff get on the radio?"
"Lump" I guess is pretty catchy. But it's weird, man! Totally weird! And speaking of weird--"Peaches"? Really? I wouldn't have ever associated moving to the country with eating lots of peaches, but I guess it makes sense. And if it didn't before, it definitely does now.
Of course, these songs aren't popular because they're at all good. It's because they have one-word titles. This strategy is much less popular in music than it is in television.
I mean, think about it. Think of the names of your all-time favorite TV shows for a minute.
Lost. Heroes. Friends. House. Scrubs. Seinfeld. Frasier.
Cops. Dateline. Guts. Legendsofthehiddentemple.
Maybe all you have to do to make your song or show famous is give it a one-word title.
Sounds like a conspiracy, if you ask me.
At any rate, vote on the right!
"Lump" - The Presidents of the United States of America
vs.
"Peaches" - The Presidents of the United States of America
(featuring a ninja fight at 2:30!)
The Story:
Today we have another variation on yesterday's theme of, "How did this stuff get on the radio?"
"Lump" I guess is pretty catchy. But it's weird, man! Totally weird! And speaking of weird--"Peaches"? Really? I wouldn't have ever associated moving to the country with eating lots of peaches, but I guess it makes sense. And if it didn't before, it definitely does now.
Of course, these songs aren't popular because they're at all good. It's because they have one-word titles. This strategy is much less popular in music than it is in television.
I mean, think about it. Think of the names of your all-time favorite TV shows for a minute.
Lost. Heroes. Friends. House. Scrubs. Seinfeld. Frasier.
Cops. Dateline. Guts. Legendsofthehiddentemple.
Maybe all you have to do to make your song or show famous is give it a one-word title.
Sounds like a conspiracy, if you ask me.
At any rate, vote on the right!
6.02.2009
Whenever, Wherever defeats Hips Don't Lie! (72% - 27%)
The Contenders:
"Whenever, Wherever" - Shakira
vs.
"Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira
The Story:
In a straw poll of various so-called "readers," I found that "Underneath Your Clothes" is a strong candidate to turn Shakira from a two-hit wonder into a three-hit wonder. But did anyone even like that song?
That's the funny thing about the radio. Sometimes, some really shitty songs become extremely popular. I find myself asking myself: Self, who likes these shitty songs?
In an attempt to think of one such song, I started chatting about the idea with a friend. At the same time, I started checking Hot 100 charts for a stand-out candidate for "Shittiest Song That Got An Unfathomable Amount of Play Time On The Radio Considering How Shitty It Was."
As soon as I settled on a band, I received this message, solidifying my selection:
Chat friend: "anything by nickelback."
God, doesn't Nickelback suck? There's even a story on NPR about how hard Nickelback sucks. How are they still around? Who listens to them?
On the other hand, it makes perfect sense that lots of people listen to Shakira. She's hot, and people will listen to attractive people no matter what the sound like.
Should you vote for the song with the music video that makes Shakira seem hotter? Maybe.
Vote on the right!
"Whenever, Wherever" - Shakira
vs.
"Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira
The Story:
In a straw poll of various so-called "readers," I found that "Underneath Your Clothes" is a strong candidate to turn Shakira from a two-hit wonder into a three-hit wonder. But did anyone even like that song?
That's the funny thing about the radio. Sometimes, some really shitty songs become extremely popular. I find myself asking myself: Self, who likes these shitty songs?
In an attempt to think of one such song, I started chatting about the idea with a friend. At the same time, I started checking Hot 100 charts for a stand-out candidate for "Shittiest Song That Got An Unfathomable Amount of Play Time On The Radio Considering How Shitty It Was."
As soon as I settled on a band, I received this message, solidifying my selection:
Chat friend: "anything by nickelback."
God, doesn't Nickelback suck? There's even a story on NPR about how hard Nickelback sucks. How are they still around? Who listens to them?
On the other hand, it makes perfect sense that lots of people listen to Shakira. She's hot, and people will listen to attractive people no matter what the sound like.
Should you vote for the song with the music video that makes Shakira seem hotter? Maybe.
Vote on the right!
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