Welcome to Games 5 and 6 of the Ultimate Pop Song Tournament!
These games are CLOSED. (YOU CAN STILL VOTE IN THESEÂ OPEN GAMES)
To see the complete bracket, just go here. For info on how we chose the songs and everything else Tournament-related, go here.
—
First up, we’ve got two larger-than-life women who have a lot going on beneath their wigs, and then we’ve got a pair of dance anthems shaking their hips for the trophy.
Game 5 (Joy Bomb Division)
“Bad Romance” (Lady Gaga) v. “9 t0 5″ (Dolly Parton)
—
3. “Bad Romance” (Lady Gaga)
I like a lot of Lady Gaga’s latest album, and I’m certain I will like many of her future recordings. I’m not certain, however, that I will ever like a Lady Gaga song more than “Bad Romance,” a gothic ode to the terrible, wonderful power of fucked-up love. All the Gaga tropes are here—the repeated syllables, the choruses with extended notes, the overworked imagery—but they’re goosed by a still-shocking structure. It takes at least three listens to grasp how this song travels from marching band fury to blissed-out crooning to random French. That’s exciting, dammit, and it still gets me going. – Mark
14. “9 to 5″ (Dolly Parton)
If you don’t love Dolly Parton, then I’m not sure I understand you. The persona, the hair, the theme park… it’s all just delightful. But best of all is Dolly’s music, which can swerve from heartbreaking balladry (she wrote “I Will Always Love You,” after all) to sprightly empowerment like “9 to 5.” Every lyric is a little jewel—who doesn’t want to pour themselves a cup of ambition?—and they’re boosted by that amazing clackity-clack rhythm, which implies both a workaday person’s typewriter and the thrumming of Dolly’s acrylic nails. She says she was strumming them on a desktop when she came up with this particular beat, and lord, that accidental inspiration makes this song even more enjoyable. It’s like doodling on your legal pad during a staff meeting and drawing The Mona Lisa. — Mark
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Game 6 (Joy Bomb Division)
“Flashdance… What a Feeling” (Irene Cara) v. “Groove Is in the Heart” (Deee-Lite)
—
6. “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (Irene Cara)
To paraphrase my own recent write-up about this track: A great pop song can make you embrace a ludicrous lyric as though it were gospel truth, and when Cara sings “Now I hear the music/Close my eyes/I am rhythm,” I believe her. Giorgio Moroder’s bubbly synth track and Cara’s hair-raising vocal turn it into a delirious declaration of dancefloor freedom. –Mark
11. “Groove Is In the Heart” (Deee-Lite)
Has the slide whistle ever been used to better effect? Or the word “succotash?” This song is all sorts of strange, with its 60s bubble vibe and nonsense lyrics, but the weird kids in your class are sometimes the ones having the most fun. When the breakdown comes, with the pop-pop-BRRR section followed by what sounds like an electronic didgeridoo, you may as well just give up and start shaking it. — Mark
30 responses so far ↓
1 Michael // Jul 25, 2011 at 12:10 pm
You have a mix-up with when the polls will close. July 29 is a Friday, not a Monday.
2 InfoMofo // Jul 25, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Oh god, shit just got real with these two matchups.
3 par3182 // Jul 25, 2011 at 12:40 pm
i want ’9 to 5′ to win this whole damn thing
game 6 was tougher, but since ‘groove is in the heart’ gets me on the dancefloor faster i went with it
4 Mark Blankenship // Jul 25, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Hahahaha! InfoMofo, it is ON.
Par… the Lady Gaga/Dolly Parton matchup is tearing me apart. I still haven’t voted.
5 Chris // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:03 pm
This is so much fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mark for doing this. I know it’s a LOT of work, but I am so glad you did it.
6 Hellcat13 // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:04 pm
This one killed me until I pulled them up on my phone (YouTube is firewalled at work). I was chairdancing to Groove, so Groove it is.
7 Hellcat13 // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I might still be listening and bopping, in fact.
8 Kitty // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:10 pm
If it was any other Dolly song I would’ve voted for her, but “9 to 5″ isn’t a fave of mine. I know, it hurts even thinking about criticizing Dolly.
So I had to go with Gaga on this one.
9 Joslyn // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:11 pm
I cannot believe you made me vote against Dolly Parton! That is just cruel. But “Bad Romance” is the most Gaga of Lady Gaga’s songs and I think that makes it important.
I’m planning to make it up to Dolly by stumping for “I Will Always Love You” to upset “Nothing Compares 2 U” (great bracketology, BTW, to have those two covers [I'm assuming] against each other).
10 Dan Turner // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:13 pm
I agree with Kitty. If this would have been “Here You Come Again” then Dolly would have a commanding lead over every song on the chart. That is as long as it wasn’t competing against “Barracuda.” No! No! Don’t make me choose between Dolly or Anne & Nancy!!!!
11 InfoMofo // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:20 pm
The strange thing about these brackets (and I actually hope I’m proven wrong) is that I think the personal drama in this tournament will be front loaded. Since the brackets were set up in “divisions” based on genre, and people do have preferences for specific genres, the final matchups will be songs from totally different domains, and I feel that the choices for individuals will be less tough.
It’s weird, I think I voted for Bad Romance, but I keep checking the stats, and seeing 9 to 5 winning, I think “This is as it should be.” I gotta go listen to that again right now…
12 Mark Blankenship // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:52 pm
@Chris — Thank you so much! It has been a lot of work, but truly, it’s also been a joy to put this together. I am just delighted that people are voting and commenting.
@Joslynn — I will happily take the compliment about the bracketology, even though (ahem) that was an accidental matchup of covers.
@InfoMofo — I don’t know… I feel like as the tournament winds down, we might find ourselves with rooting faves, no matter the genre. But also… it seemed like genre was the fairest way to organize the songs.
13 SashaPT // Jul 25, 2011 at 2:13 pm
I didn’t realize you had the full bracket up (I’m a skimmer, not a reader) – but I think I’m not going to click through. It’s actually kind of fun to be surprised, plus maybe I will avoid over-thinking to pre-populate the Final Four.
14 Mark Blankenship // Jul 25, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Sasha, I think that could be a fun way to go. You may indeed be VERY surprised by some of the songs that turn up.
15 Monty // Jul 25, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Voted for Bad Romance on the theory that I know every note of 9 to 5 so I don’t really need to ever hear it again. And voted for “Groove Is in the Heart” because it is awesome.
16 KarenG // Jul 25, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Wow, I am clearly not in the majority with these. Mark, I totally get your Dolly love, and I share it, but Lady Gaga’s BR is just better pop IMHO. And I KILLED during a sleepover talent competition by singing Flashdace when I was like 10. So it will always rule.
17 Faye // Jul 25, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Considering I was just dancing round my kitchen to Groove that SUPER tough choice is now made – anything that can make taking out the rubbish funky wins. But i feel bad for Cara. I may have to absent myself from Gaga?Dolly as I cannot decide.
18 Kristen // Jul 25, 2011 at 3:58 pm
I’m with KarenG on these songs. *fist pump* (though I think Flashdance rules just cuz it rulz)
19 Maggie // Jul 25, 2011 at 7:38 pm
I voted for Flashdance because it just seems more “iconic” or something.
I have voted for Dolly or Lady Gaga yet. If it were any other Lady Gaga song, I’d pick Dolly in a heartbeat. But “Bad Romance” is just SO GOOD. And although I love Dolly, I’m not sure “9 to 5″ is Dolly at her best. I am giving this more thought than I gave my nursing boards last week.
20 Jessica // Jul 25, 2011 at 11:14 pm
As much as I love Lady Gaga and ‘Bad Romance,’ I had to give it to Dolly. And ‘Flashdance’ over ‘Groove is in the Heart’.
21 par3182 // Jul 26, 2011 at 2:34 am
for those still considering the dolly/gaga decision, please remember that one has the lyric -
they let you dream just to watch ‘em shatter
and the other has -
rah rah ah ah ah
roma roma ma ah
ga ga ooh la la
just sayin’, is all
TEAM DOLLY!
22 Helen // Jul 26, 2011 at 5:16 am
Wow, a couple of really close battles here – both only one or two percentage points apart…
Dolly probably beats Gaga in the longevity game, but Bad Romance is such a stonking great song that it just kills 9 to 5.
And Groove is in the Heart just takes me straight back to my teen years. Cat suits! Nostalgic psychedelica! Flares and ‘burns! Gosh the 90s were awful, but this song is still totally fresh. You can go years without hearing it, but hearing the name still brings the tune right back – not always the way with one-hit wonders.
23 Christy Baker // Jul 26, 2011 at 9:28 am
How could anyone not love Dolly!? I am with you, Mark. I’m not sure I trust anyone who doesn’t. Come on! She was even Truvy in Steel Magnolias! “Honey, time marches on and eventually you realize it is marchin’ across your face.”
24 Christy Baker // Jul 26, 2011 at 9:53 am
As for What a Feeling… I do love Groove is in the Heart. But Irene Cara?! Come on, she was Coco in Fame! She sang a song called “Hot Lunch” in that movie! (Please tell me you remember this, Mark. We totally should have done our own rendition of this in the OHS cafeteria.) She is a pop icon by herself, and deserves to be recognized. Besides, how can you not be moved from the very beginning of this song?! When I close my eyes, I too am rhythm, Irene.
25 Dan Turner // Jul 26, 2011 at 10:14 am
Has NO ONE mentioned the majesty of Bootsy Collins in Deee-lite’s signature jam? They were seminal actors in my extended adolescence through the rave scene, and though I don’t think this is the best track in their oevre, may I remind you that… it features BOOTSY COLLINS, Y’ALL!
26 InfoMofo // Jul 26, 2011 at 10:23 am
I hope at the end of this tournament you also provide us with statistics on “closest matchups”.
27 jessica // Jul 26, 2011 at 11:11 am
I submit there is no better dance song in the WORLD than “Groove is in the Heart”. There just isn’t.
28 Mark Blankenship // Jul 26, 2011 at 11:33 am
Hey InfoMofo — You read my mind! I’ll be doing updates on matchups starting next week.
29 Nathaniel R // Jul 26, 2011 at 4:14 pm
i never thought i’d vote against 9 to 5 but BAD ROMANCE isn’t just the best pop song of the very recent history, it’s the best in YEARS.
love these tight races, though.
30 Leigh // Jul 29, 2011 at 5:18 pm
I just found the games, and this one is closed so I can’t vote, but thank the white rabbit “Groove is in the Heart” won. It’s my personal anthem…if I was a baseball player, it would be my walk-up song. Whew!
Leave a Comment