The 32 acts in the Two Songs 2021 March Madness tournament who prevailed in Round One were mostly helped by one iconic song—so let’s take this moment to review these classic popular songs which everyone ought to know.
You can probably build all you need for any popular song from these. Do you need anything else?
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)
Wild Thing (The Troggs)
Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Creedence)
Sunshine Superman (Donovan)
Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
Cosmic Dancer (T. Rex)
Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
Be My Baby (The Ronettes)
American Pie (Don McLean)
She’s Not There (The Zombies)
Someone Like You (Adele)
Papa Was A Rolling Stone (Temptations)
Love—no smash hits, 2 songs from “Forever Changes”
Crazy (Patsy Cline)
Staying Alive (Bee Gees)
Cannonball (The Breeders)
White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane)
Good Golly Miss Molly (Little Richard)
Is That All There Is? (Peggy Lee)
Suzanne (Leonard Cohen)
Are You Experienced? (Jimi Hendrix)
Nina Simone—no smash hits, 2 songs from “Forbidden Fruit”
Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin)
Wild World (Cat Stevens)
Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones)
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
The End (The Doors)
What I’d Say (Ray Charles)
It’s All Too Much (The Beatles)
House of the Rising Sun (The Animals)
Sunday Will Never Be The Same (Spanky & Our Gang)
The major upsets
Bob Dylan—his “Like A Rolling Stone” ran into the buzz saw which is the Animals classic “House of the Rising Sun”
Elvis—an iconic artist, but wasn’t able to overcome Cat Stevens and “Wild World.”
David Bowie—was edged out by Pink Floyd (inner space song Comfortably Numb beat outer space’s Space Oddity)
Elton John—The Rocket Man fell to Adele
Marvin Gaye—couldn’t get past Nina Simone
Buddy Holly—lost to Hendrix
The Who—tripped up by McLean’s American Pie
Stevie Wonder—fell to the Zombies
Roberta Flack—a victim of the Ronetttes
Janis Joplin—lost to Love
Bruno Mars—knocked out by Nrivana
Frank Sinatra—booted by the Stones
Hank Williams—Creedence did him in
Beach Boys—pushed aside by Spanky & Our Gang
SECOND ROUND
BACH Bracket
The Animals beat Michael (Beat It) Jackson.
Leonard (Suzanne takes you down…) Cohen defeats The Breeders (they were having too much fun)
The Temptations win over Fleetwood Mac (who must go their own way).
The Ronettes prevail over Simon and Garfunkel (the crooners from Queens must make a new plan, Stan)
BEETHOVEN Bracket
Spanky And Our Gang make it the end for the fiery Doors!
Love (and their uncanny sound) upend Jimi Hendrix (too much experience?)
Jefferson Airplane (aren’t they slick?) eliminate The Troggs.
Don McLean denies Nirvana another slice of pie!
BRAHMS Bracket
Ray Charles has this to say: you’re gone, Cat Stevens.
Nina Simone says there will be no more revival for Creedence Clearwater.
T. Rex gives a passionate farewell to Little Richard.
The Zombies send Patsy Cline walking after midnight.
BOLLOCKS Bracket
The Beatles become Peggy Lee’s fatal fever.
The Rolling Stones have Adele’s number.
Led Zeppelin find Donovan a very mellow fellow.
The Bee Gees stay alive against Pink Floyd (too much gravitas?)
And that’s our Sweet Sixteen.
Next, the Elite Eight.
Scarriet thanks you for watching.