Select your favorite Artist from each of the 8 matchups.

Matchup #1: Re-Run from previous group due to tie.

#5 Radiohead
vs
#69 Stevie Wonder

Matchup #2

#2 Led Zeppelin
vs
#63 Journey


Matchup #3

#31 Smashing Pumpkins
vs
#34 Alice Cooper


Matchup #4

#15 U2
vs
#50 Boston


Matchup #5

#18 Prince
vs
#82 Guns N' Roses


Matchup #6

#7 Rolling Stones
vs
#58 Megadeth


Matchup #7

#26 The Pixies
vs
#39 Brian Eno


Matchup #8

#10 The Clash
vs
#55 Tool

Matchup #9

#23 Depeche Mode
vs
#87 John Lennon

Some pretty good matchups here.

Matchup #1) Stevie Wonder - NO question here. I like Radiohead, but Stevie is a freakin' GOD.

Matchup #2) Led Zeppelin - greatest cover band of all time. NO question here either.

Matchup #3) *abstain* - both artists are OK, but I have no preference.

Matchup #4) U2 - Despite Classic Rock stations mutilating Boston's 1st album beyond the point of listenability, it still is an impressive rock LP. Still, U2 chomps the cake on this one.

Matchup #5) Prince - Come on now, Prince has a body of work that, for much of his career, is absolutely impeccable. G'N'R had *one* classic album, a really good EP, and then a TON of absolute mediocrity. No question.

Matchup #6) Rolling Stones - no write up required.

Matchup #7) *abstain* - a big "Who gives a Christ?" to both

Matchup #8) The Clash - not a Tool fan

Matchup #9) John Lennon - can't fucking stand Depeche Mode.

Stevie Wonder
Journey
Alice Cooper
U2 - tough
Guns N' Roses
Megadeth
abstain - don't care for either
The Clash
Depeche Mode

Stevie Wonder
Journey
Alice Cooper (it's a crime SP are winning this!)
Boston
GN'R
Megadeth
Brian Eno
Tool
John Lennon

Even Billy Corgan thinks Smashing Pumpkins thinks Alice Cooper should beat Smashing Pumpkins

Or just greatest band ever. I'm pretty sure everyone has to be influenced by somebody. Might as well call every rock band to come after Zeppelin cover bands for ripping Zep off.

Stevie Wonder
Led Zep
Pumpkins
U2
Prince
Stones
Pixies
Clash
John Lennon

Pumpkins.

We had to choose between Radiohead and Stevie Wonder last round.

Radiohead
Led Zeppelin
Alice Cooper
Boston
Prince
Rolling Stones
Abstain
Abstain
John Lennon

It ended in a tie last round.

Matchup #1: Stevie Wonder
Matchup #2: Journey
Matchup #5: Prince
Matchup #9: John Lennon

Take a look and listen at this. Everyone has influences, there are basic riffs/scales/chord changes that are eternal in rock music, but what Zeppelin did was wholesale THEFT of songs without giving proper credit (until they were taken to court). That doesn't make them any less awesome as a band or musicians (they're in my personal top 5) but if you're gonna lift, pay your respects and give credit.

Hokeyboy is spot on. But even a good cover band has to beat Journey.

I'm actually a bit offended by that.

Matchup #1: Radiohead
Matchup #2: Led Zeppelin
Matchup #3: Alice Cooper
Matchup #4: U2
Matchup #5: Prince
Matchup #6: Rolling Stones
Matchup #7: Brian Eno (Very tough one)
Matchup #8: Tool
Matchup #9: John Lennon

Me too. Though I know a lot of people aren't comfortable stepping a bit outside of the mainstream.

Funny, too, considering Eno produced so many U2 albums.

Agreed, #7 was the hardest choice this round for me, by far.

For the 1st time i ever i actually didnt cast a vote for a matchup where i was totally familiar with both artists.Tool vs The Clash for me was impossible although after seeing the results i wish i had voted Tool since they are getting slaughtered surprisingly(to me).

Or maybe both of them completely blow?

And Eno's production totally neutered "The Unforgettable Fire".

I think it's the generally shitty material Eno and Daniel Lanois had to work with that neutered Fire; after all, they applied the same techniques to The Joshua Tree and came out with the band's most beloved album (I'll still take Boy and Achtung over either, though).

I'm well aware of the similarities in alot of Zeppelin songs and old school blues. However, this isn't something that just Zeppelin is strictly guilty of, nor do I feel like it was as you call it, "wholesale theft." Zeppelin might have incorporated a rift or two that sounded similar, but this is true of any artist and Zep just gets banged up for it because of their rock gods reputation. Plus you have to admit that anything that sounded anywhere simliar, Zep did a thousand times better. Some of the comparisons are really stretching it anyway. Is someone really going to attribute Stairway to some three note progression in a no name band song? I mean come on... Really what I'm getting at is that Zep did homages to honor the musicians that inspired them, and in no way is their supposed "theft" soley responsible for what they produced. Although I do agree they could have given some credit in some cases, but calling them a "cover band" is stripping them of their creativity that changed rock forever. They are the essential blues rock infused band and thats not even really debatable.

By John Lennon, you mean the separation of him with the Beatles? As in I am voting for Lennon's solo stuff after that crazy bitch got her hands on him?

It's not just "old school blues"; these were folk and rock songs of the 60s and 70s, from bands that Page had even toured with.

How you can listen to the original "Dazed and Confused" and say Zeppelin didn't steal the song entirely is jaw-dropping, really. Same bass intro, same riff, same vocal stylings... wow.
Ridiculous.
So that makes it OK? (Not that I disagree with your assessment on the quality...)
My "cover band" quip was obvious hyperbole; they contributed enough original material on their own to earn their status as "Rock Gods". But many of their "classic" songs were, quite frankly, stolen from other artists without giving proper credit. I don't care if you borrow a riff, a tone, a progression, cover a song and make it better, that's fine, but if you do it without acknowledging and crediting the original artists, you're a thief, period. That's my only issue with Zeppelin (and one that was rectified... mostly).

Yes, John Lennon's solo career.