I think The Rolling Stones HAVE to be in this, frankly...

They are one of the very, very few bands that could lay a legitimate claim to being the BEST rock band of all-time...only a few others could challenge them for that, and I'd argue that outside The Beatles and maybe, in some circles, Queen, no band's had a larger impact on the musical and cultural landscape of the last half century.

The Stones are good to the point to where they ARE part of modern Western culture, as are The Beatles, Elvis, Bob Dylan, and a few others.

I'll make sure they get in...if I absolutely have to, I'll sacrifice Billy Joel...

But I appeal to others here--surely there's a band/person here that's less deserving then Billy Joel or The Rolling Stones?

Of the others on the To Add List, I'd argue Ray Charles (biggest name in his genre, jazz) and Michael Jackson (the biggest name in music of HIS era) need to get in...the rest I'd really like to see the others make it too...

But I'd argue The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, and Michael are essential to a "Best of" for Music here.

The dead , the who, and pink Floyd are in that category.

I agree with obi

Obi, there are tons of great and influential musicians missing. You can't just remove and replace selectively.

#freevergil

on an unrelated sidenote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rWZUYRL53A

great stones cover from a great austrian band.

I'm not going to remove someone else's pick, that'd be a dick move...

I'm just doing what bo_sox and others suggested, giving time to swap others in or out before we start, since often, people think "Oh, someone else will nominate X," and then X never gets nominated, we do this without X, and then come the cries of "HOW CAN YOU HAVE THIS LIST WITHOUT X OMG?!?!" :p

Again, if no one else budges, I'll sacrifice my own pick for the Stones...

Though I WILL ask--

Can we cull Serj Tankian, guys, since we already have System of a Down? Seems redundant to have him as a solo artist and as part of that band, no one else is on here that way, and that frees up a slot...

And I think you mean #freeshakespeare ghug. ;) (Seriously, he couldn't win one damn round, lol, damn it!)

That seems fair, but whoever nominated him has to pick the replacement

That'd be menax.

1. Bob Dylan
2. Billy Joel
3. Kanye West
4. Sam Cooke
5. Lady Gaga
6. The Beatles
7. Led Zeppelin
8. Mozart
9. Puccini
10. Vivaldi
11. Tchaikovsky
12. Nirvana
13. Marshall Mathers
14. 30 Seconds to Mars
15. The Mountain Goats
16. The White Stripes
17. The Decemberists
18. Big Star
19. Queen
20. Beethoven
21. Creedence Clearwater Revival
22. Brahms
23. Johnny Cash
24. Black Sabbath
25. Bob Marley
26. U2
27. The Oneders
28. Green Day
29. James Brown
30. The Eagles
31. Tupac
32. Frank Sinatra
33. Grateful Dead
34. The Who
35. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
36. Straight No Chaser
37. Beethoven
38. Pink Floyd
39. Dave Matthews
40. Paul Simon
41. Bach
42. Frankie Valli
43. Red Hot Chili Peppers
44. Otep Shamaya
45. Justin Sane
46. Laura Jane Grace
47. Bruce Springsteen
48. Elvis Presley
49. Etta James
50. Aretha Franklin
51. Phil Collins
52. Sting
53. Stevie Ray Vaughn
54. Iron Maiden
55. Jay-Z
56. Janis Joplin
57. Metallica
58. Tech N9ne
59. Falco
60. Chopin
61. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
62. The Mars Volta
63. System of a Down
64. (mendax’s pick to replace Serj Tankian)

Didn't take my replacement?

The Oneders nomination was a joke unaccompanied by real nominations. Who only gave three?

How is my joke nomination still here?

Huh.

Well, apparently, waaaaaaay back on page 1, Hellenic Riot voted for Bowie, and I never counted that...so that fixes the Oneders situation nicely:

1. Bob Dylan
2. Billy Joel
3. Kanye West
4. Sam Cooke
5. Lady Gaga
6. The Beatles
7. Led Zeppelin
8. Mozart
9. Puccini
10. Vivaldi
11. Tchaikovsky
12. Nirvana
13. Marshall Mathers
14. 30 Seconds to Mars
15. The Mountain Goats
16. The White Stripes
17. The Decemberists
18. Big Star
19. Queen
20. Beethoven
21. Creedence Clearwater Revival
22. Brahms
23. Johnny Cash
24. Black Sabbath
25. Bob Marley
26. U2
27. David Bowie
28. Green Day
29. James Brown
30. The Eagles
31. Tupac
32. Frank Sinatra
33. Grateful Dead
34. The Who
35. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
36. Straight No Chaser
37. Beethoven
38. Pink Floyd
39. Dave Matthews
40. Paul Simon
41. Bach
42. Frankie Valli
43. Red Hot Chili Peppers
44. Otep Shamaya
45. Justin Sane
46. Laura Jane Grace
47. Bruce Springsteen
48. Elvis Presley
49. Etta James
50. Aretha Franklin
51. Phil Collins
52. Sting
53. Stevie Ray Vaughn
54. Iron Maiden
55. Jay-Z
56. Janis Joplin
57. Metallica
58. Tech N9ne
59. Falco
60. Chopin
61. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
62. The Mars Volta
63. System of a Down
64. (mendax’s pick to replace Serj Tankian)

Does Beethoven's genius warrant two spots in the list (20 and 37)? I'd nominate Mahler in one of his places if not.

Huh...how did that happen? O.o

OK, swapping that out:

1. Bob Dylan
2. Billy Joel
3. Kanye West
4. Sam Cooke
5. Lady Gaga
6. The Beatles
7. Led Zeppelin
8. Mozart
9. Puccini
10. Vivaldi
11. Tchaikovsky
12. Nirvana
13. Marshall Mathers
14. 30 Seconds to Mars
15. The Mountain Goats
16. The White Stripes
17. The Decemberists
18. Big Star
19. Queen
20. Beethoven
21. Creedence Clearwater Revival
22. Brahms
23. Johnny Cash
24. Black Sabbath
25. Bob Marley
26. U2
27. David Bowie
28. Green Day
29. James Brown
30. The Eagles
31. Tupac
32. Frank Sinatra
33. Grateful Dead
34. The Who
35. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
36. Straight No Chaser
37. Mahler
38. Pink Floyd
39. Dave Matthews
40. Paul Simon
41. Bach
42. Frankie Valli
43. Red Hot Chili Peppers
44. Otep Shamaya
45. Justin Sane
46. Laura Jane Grace
47. Bruce Springsteen
48. Elvis Presley
49. Etta James
50. Aretha Franklin
51. Phil Collins
52. Sting
53. Stevie Ray Vaughn
54. Iron Maiden
55. Jay-Z
56. Janis Joplin
57. Metallica
58. Tech N9ne
59. Falco
60. Chopin
61. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
62. The Mars Volta
63. System of a Down
64. (mendax’s pick to replace Serj Tankian)

How are The Wurzels not on that list? Shame!

I just noticed Hendrix isn't on the list either. That's a crime.

This list is an abomination. No Louis Armstrong? Billie Holiday? Tony Bennett? Johnny Hartman? Ella Fitzgerald? Etta James? Sam Cooke? Is there anybody from the swing/jazz era at all? No motown either. No Marvin Gaye? How is that possible?

No Schubert? Haydn? Schumann? Wagner? Liszt? Handel? Verdi? Rossini? Gershwin? Sousa?

Instead we get Dave Mathews and Billy Joel? Really?

1. Bob Dylan
2. Billy Joel
3. Kanye West
4. Sam Cooke
5. Lady Gaga
6. The Beatles
7. Led Zeppelin
8. Mozart
9. Puccini
10. Vivaldi
11. Tchaikovsky
12. Nirvana
13. Marshall Mathers
14. 30 Seconds to Mars
15. The Mountain Goats
16. The White Stripes
17. The Decemberists
18. Big Star
19. Queen
20. Beethoven
21. Creedence Clearwater Revival
22. Brahms
23. Johnny Cash
24. Black Sabbath
25. Bob Marley
26. U2
27. David Bowie
28. Green Day
29. James Brown
30. The Eagles
31. Tupac
32. Frank Sinatra
33. Grateful Dead
34. The Who
35. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
36. Straight No Chaser
37. Mahler
38. Pink Floyd
39. Dave Matthews
40. Paul Simon
41. Bach
42. Frankie Valli
43. Red Hot Chili Peppers
44. Otep Shamaya
45. Anti-Flag
46. Laura Jane Grace
47. Bruce Springsteen
48. Elvis Presley
49. Etta James
50. Aretha Franklin
51. Phil Collins
52. Sting
53. Stevie Ray Vaughn
54. Iron Maiden
55. Jay-Z
56. Janis Joplin
57. Metallica
58. Tech N9ne
59. Falco
60. Chopin
61. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
62. The Mars Volta
63. System of a Down
64. Slayer

I've also changed Justin Sane to Anti-Flag

Putin, both Sam Cooke and Etta James are on the list.

okay we need to get hendrix on this list. his contributions were to music as a whole not just his genre. thats some serious impact.

Good.

Maybe we need to fill 128 spots ...
...this would allow to add artists like
Björk, Skin, Radiohead, Massive attack and Jeff Buckley as well

Extending to 128 is a good idea, provided we have the patience to get through a 128-slot tournament ;)

If we do 2 battels simultanously, it wouldnt be longer than a 64 slot tournament

If that's the case, I'd like to suggest Animal Collective, LCD Soundsystem, Fleet Foxes, Arcade Fire, and Frank Zappa as additions.

santana,stones,clapton,phil collins

128 would be a good idea.

So do we all get another 4 recommendations? If so:

Rise Against, Pantera, Propagandhi, Turisas.