Battle of the songs - meta-battle. The epic continues.

[BoyBrumby]

Come on, don't pretend like you don't miss it now it's finished. Where would Off Topic be without a thread to debate the merits of arbitrarily chosen songs in an overly-earnest manner? Up a gum-tree without a paddle, that's where!

We've had two battles thus far: Kyle's classic-rock orientated original & steds's more eclectic follow up, with its mix of indie, big bands, 80s post-punk pop & (in the case of Toto) irredeemable crap. The Clash's immortal clarion-call London Calling emerged triumphant in the former & Crowded House's lovelorn epic Don't Dream it's Over took the honours the second time around.

Agree with the winners? No, thought not. So what better way to decide what is officially the greatest song of all-time than to put the last 16 from both battles up against each other in a battle to the death?

The last sixteen from Mr Wright's original were:

Let It Be – The Beatles
Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles
Heroes – David Bowie
Space Oddity – David Bowie
London Calling – The Clash
Blowin' In the Wind – Bob Dylan
Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Piano Man – Billy Joel
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
Lola – The Kinks
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppelin
Smells like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Better Man – Pearl Jam
My Generation – The Who

& from steds's sequel the chosen 16 were:

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Flame Trees - Cold Chisel
Don't Dream It's Over – Crowded House
The End - The Doors
Our House - Madness
Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil
Blue Monday - New Order
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
My Way – Frank Sinatra
This Charming Man - The Smiths
Fool's Gold - The Stone Roses
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
Africa – Toto

For the first round I've drawn one song from the first battle to play one song from the second; in sebsequent rounds the draw will be totally random.

Alles klar? Good. Ok, let the first battles commence:

My Generation – The Who v Hurt - Johnny Cash

&

London Calling – The Clash v The End - The Doors

Suibtably heavyweight match-ups to kick things off, IMHO.

[Perm]

My Generation

and

London Calling

[Samuel_Vimes]

I'm tempted not to vote due to the constant slating of Toto. (and still can't hear any substantial difference in crapness between Africa and, say, Fool's Gold.)

Nevertheless..

Hurt & London Calling

[Kweek]

my generation - London calling

[16 tins of Spam]

I'll go for My Generation, because I nearly always favour originals over covers. For the second, I vote for London Calling. I love The Clash and can't stand The Doors.

Dire thread, tbh

[steds]

Hurt & London Calling.

[Neil Pickup]

My Generation and London Calling

[Barney Rubble]

I'm refusing to vote on this one, given that Killing In The Name somehow got beaten by a song by a band I've never heard of. Even by my standards, that's poor.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Hurt and London Calling.

[pasag]

Great thread.

Hurt and The End

[Matteh]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

I'm tempted not to vote due to the constant slating of Toto. (and still can't hear any substantial difference in crapness between Africa and, say, Fool's Gold.)

You're not deaf are you?

My Generation + The End

[Sir Redman]

My Generation
London Calling

[oz_fan]

My Generation and London Calling

[andyc]

Hurt and The End

[Buddhmaster]

Hurt