Heavy hitters such as Nine Inch Nails, Green Day have both moved on to the Final Four of Music Times' annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tournament, while some upsets have gotten through to the Final Four as well. By combining the obsessive bracketology of March Madness with the annual naming of nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we allow you, the fans, to vote for nominees competitively, and therefore choose just one winner. Last year's champ was Peter Gabriel, who overtook KISS in the championship. Vote below and check back next Monday for the Championship match. Let's see who's left after the first round this year:
No. 2 Nine Inch Nails versus No. 4 Joan Jett
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts may have been assigned a no. 4 seed but Music Times readers are helping them play dark horse card during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tournament. Lou Reed was the no. 1 seed in the ROCK Region but didn't manage any wins, thanks in part to his first-round bye and because of a major upset in the second round. Jett and her band had dominated Bill Withers during the first round and she came back just as strong against Reed, taking 68 percent of the vote and leaving the Velvet Underground member in the dust. She'll face what's been an even tougher competitor during the Final Four, facing up against no. 2 seed Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor's crew wrecked The Spinners during the first round and managed to get past a tougher competitor in Sting. NIN "only" took 66 percent of the vote in its last battle, compared to 95 percent during Round One. The band seemed like a juggernaut at the beginning of the tournament, but if Jett can outlast Reed, there's a decent possibility that the voters can push her past NIN and into the championship. Nine Inch Nails "Only" wants to get to the championship and Jett wants to "Run Away" with the match.
No. 2 Green Day versus no. 4 The Smiths Both no. 1 seeds were to fall during the second round of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tournament, as hip-hop icons N.W.A. fell victim to the sleeper pick The Smiths. The Manchester alternative group was involved in the "closest" battle of the first round, when it less-than-narrowly defeated WAR with 61 percent of the vote. The band's showdown with N.W.A. was a true barnburner however, featuring Morrissey's boys defeating the top seed in the ROLL Region 54 percent to 46 percent. Things were not nearly so challenging for Green Day, who has rolled into the Final Four with great ease. The pop punk trip had the most dominating first round win, taking 98 percent of the vote against The Marvelettes, and although Nine Inch Nails came back down to Earth during Round 2, Green Day again steamrolled its competition, taking 96 percent of the vote against guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn. The Smiths have pulled through when the going gets tight but it will need every vote it can get against Green Day, now the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament. Morrissey, a cynic, may realize that his group can't get any further, but perhaps Bigmouth can strike again. Billie Joe Armstrong aims to smugly remind readers that they're stuck with him.
