WMCI

708 words written by dylan
Posted July 13, 2004 @ 05:30 PM
2 comments , 1 TrackBacks

About a week ago the Teachout Cultural Concurrence Index appeared. The idea was for people to compare one's likes and dislikes of Wall Street Journal arts critic Terry Teachout. A week late and $5.79 short, I have a sequel: The Wilbanks Musical Compatibility Index, or WMCI. I limited myself to only popular music over the last 50 years, no jazz, no classical. (I freely admit there's a dearth of black artists, especially black female singers.) Same rules apply as the TCCI: Your index is the total number of choices from column A divided by the total number of questions answered.

And yes, I would always choose column A over column B. Even Nirvana over the Pixies. (If I ever, God forbid, find myself single again, I'm using this as a screening test for any woman seeking a relationship with me.)

Anyway, have fun, ping this post if you've completed it and want to brag about your score, and spread the meme-love.

If you had to choose:

  1. Chuck Berry or Little Richard?
  2. Beatles or Stones?
  3. Michael or Janet?
  4. Negativland or Fugazi?
  5. "Just Like Heaven" -- Dinosaur Jr or the Cure?
  6. Emmylou Harris or Linda Ronstadt?
  7. Nick Drake or Elliot Smith?
  8. Cyndi Lauper or Madonna?
  9. Seattle, 1990 or Manchester, 1990?
  10. The Feelies or The Mekons?
  11. Neil Young – plugged or unplugged?
  12. Pedro the Lion or The Promise Ring?
  13. Hank Williams Jr or Lee Greenwood?
  14. "Pancho and Lefty" -- Townes Van Zandt or Willie Nelson?
  15. Death Cab For Cutie or Dead Can Dance?
  16. The Association or The Archies?
  17. Whiskeytown or Old 97s?
  18. Blur or Oasis?
  19. Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles?
  20. Robert Earl Keen or Jerry Jeff Walker?
  21. Widespread Panic or Phish?
  22. Ryan Adams or Jeff Buckley?
  23. Radiohead or Jethro Tull?
  24. Sigur Ros or The Smiths?
  25. R.E.M. or U2?
  26. Calexico or Friends of Dean Martinez?
  27. New Order or Depeche Mode?
  28. Judas Priest or Motley Crue?
  29. Bakersfield Sound or Nashville Sound?
  30. Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath?
  31. The Bay City Rollers or The Knack?
  32. Laura Nyro or Eva Cassidy?
  33. Run DMC or Eric B and Rakim?
  34. Al Green or Marvin Gaye?
  35. Alice In Chains or Smashing Pumpkins?
  36. Lyle Lovett or Graham Parsons?
  37. The Gap Band or The Commodores?
  38. T. Rex or KISS?
  39. "Kiss" -- Prince or Tom Jones?
  40. Ministry or Prodigy?
  41. The Temptations or The Four Tops?
  42. Yo La Tengo or Sonic Youth?
  43. Ice Cube or Ice-T?
  44. Missy Elliot or Queen Latifah?
  45. Replacements or Husker Du?
  46. "For What It's Worth" or "San Francisco?"
  47. Eric Burdon or Eric Carmen?
  48. Johnny Cash or George Jones?
  49. Korn or Linkin Park?
  50. "Behind Blue Eyes" -- Who or Limp Bizkit?
  51. Stryper or Petra?
  52. Tupac Shakur or Biggie Smalls?
  53. Dusty Springfield or Mariah Carey?
  54. Marah or 16 Horsepower?
  55. Big Head Todd and the Monsters or Toad the Wet Sprocket?
  56. "Take The Skinheads Bowling" or "Mexican Radio?"
  57. They Might Be Giants or Dead Milkmen?
  58. Otis Redding or Smokey Robinson?
  59. Warren Zevon or James Taylor?
  60. Roy Orbison or Gene Pitney?
  61. "Good Vibrations" or "Hey Jude?"
  62. The White Stripes or The Carpenters?
  63. Zero 7 or Thievery Corporation?
  64. "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" -- CCR or Gladys Knight?
  65. Iggy and the Stooges or the MC5?
  66. Mother Love Bone or Green River?
  67. James or Teenage Fanclub?
  68. Hanson or The Backstreet Boys?
  69. Throwing Muses or Sleater-Kinney?
  70. Sam Phillips or Sarah McLachlan?
  71. Buddy Holly or Pat Boone?
  72. Allman Brothers or Lynrd Skynrd?
  73. Beth Orton or Ani DiFranco?
  74. "Got To Give It Up" or "Let's Get It On?"
  75. Van Morrison or Joe Cocker?
  76. Easy-E or Eminem?
  77. The Buzzcocks or The Stranglers?
  78. Tom Tom Club or The The?
  79. The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac?
  80. The Sundays or 10,000 Maniacs?
  81. The Scorpions or RATT?
  82. Dusty Springfield or Rick Springfield?
  83. Uncle Tupelo or Son Volt?
  84. James Brown or Rick James?
  85. Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan?
  86. Squeeze or XTC?
  87. The Everly Brothers or The Righteous Brothers?
  88. Sly and the Family Stone or Parliament?
  89. Oingo Boingo or Talk Talk?
  90. Neko Case or Gillian Welch?
  91. Running the boards at Mussel Shoals or running the boards at Motown?
  92. Weezer or Ween?
  93. Journey or Boston?
  94. College rock -- Boston or Athens?
  95. New jack swing or the swing revival?
  96. "Black Hole Sun" or "Jeremy?"
  97. Nirvana or The Pixies?
  98. The Clash or The Sex Pistols?
  99. "Stairway to Heaven" or "American Pie?"
  100. Elvis Presley or Elvis Costello?

Comments

  1. D - I'm assuming we wouldn't be dating anytime soon - even under the most dire circumstances :)

    Tally:
    a = left column
    b = right column
    c = never heard of either
    aa = only heard of left column
    bb = only heard of right column
    n = equally terrible

    Code Count
    a 8
    aa 2
    b 7
    bb 9
    c 65
    n 9

    Details
    q a
    1. Chuck Berry or Little Richard? a
    2. Beatles or Stones? a
    3. Michael or Janet? n
    4. Negativland or Fugazi? c
    "5. ""Just Like Heaven"" -- Dinosaur Jr or the Cure?" c
    6. Emmylou Harris or Linda Ronstadt? c
    7. Nick Drake or Elliot Smith? c
    8. Cyndi Lauper or Madonna? c
    9. Seattle, 1990 or Manchester, 1990? c
    10. The Feelies or The Mekons? a
    11. Neil Young – plugged or unplugged? c
    12. Pedro the Lion or The Promise Ring? c
    13. Hank Williams Jr or Lee Greenwood? c
    "14. ""Pancho and Lefty"" -- Townes Van Zandt or Willie Nelson?" c
    15. Death Cab For Cutie or Dead Can Dance? bb
    16. The Association or The Archies? c
    17. Whiskeytown or Old 97s? c
    18. Blur or Oasis? c
    19. Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles? n
    20. Robert Earl Keen or Jerry Jeff Walker? c
    21. Widespread Panic or Phish? bb
    22. Ryan Adams or Jeff Buckley? c
    23. Radiohead or Jethro Tull? bb
    24. Sigur Ros or The Smiths? bb
    25. R.E.M. or U2? b
    26. Calexico or Friends of Dean Martinez? c
    27. New Order or Depeche Mode? b
    28. Judas Priest or Motley Crue? n
    29. Bakersfield Sound or Nashville Sound? c
    30. Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath? a
    31. The Bay City Rollers or The Knack? c
    32. Laura Nyro or Eva Cassidy? c
    33. Run DMC or Eric B and Rakim? c
    34. Al Green or Marvin Gaye? c
    35. Alice In Chains or Smashing Pumpkins? n
    36. Lyle Lovett or Graham Parsons? n
    37. The Gap Band or The Commodores? c
    38. T. Rex or KISS? c
    "39. ""Kiss"" -- Prince or Tom Jones?" c
    40. Ministry or Prodigy? c
    41. The Temptations or The Four Tops? c
    42. Yo La Tengo or Sonic Youth? c
    43. Ice Cube or Ice-T? n
    44. Missy Elliot or Queen Latifah? c
    45. Replacements or Husker Du? c
    "46. ""For What It's Worth"" or ""San Francisco?""" c
    47. Eric Burdon or Eric Carmen? c
    48. Johnny Cash or George Jones? n
    49. Korn or Linkin Park? c
    "50. ""Behind Blue Eyes"" -- Who or Limp Bizkit?" c
    51. Stryper or Petra? c
    52. Tupac Shakur or Biggie Smalls? c
    53. Dusty Springfield or Mariah Carey? c
    54. Marah or 16 Horsepower? c
    55. Big Head Todd and the Monsters or Toad the Wet Sprocket? c
    "56. ""Take The Skinheads Bowling"" or ""Mexican Radio?""" c
    57. They Might Be Giants or Dead Milkmen? a
    58. Otis Redding or Smokey Robinson? c
    59. Warren Zevon or James Taylor? bb
    60. Roy Orbison or Gene Pitney? c
    "61. ""Good Vibrations"" or ""Hey Jude?""" bb
    62. The White Stripes or The Carpenters? c
    63. Zero 7 or Thievery Corporation? c
    "64. ""I Heard It Through The Grapevine"" -- CCR or Gladys Knight?" c
    65. Iggy and the Stooges or the MC5? c
    66. Mother Love Bone or Green River? c
    67. James or Teenage Fanclub? c
    68. Hanson or The Backstreet Boys? c
    69. Throwing Muses or Sleater-Kinney? c
    70. Sam Phillips or Sarah McLachlan? bb
    71. Buddy Holly or Pat Boone? n
    72. Allman Brothers or Lynrd Skynrd? a
    73. Beth Orton or Ani DiFranco? bb
    "74. ""Got To Give It Up"" or ""Let's Get It On?""" c
    75. Van Morrison or Joe Cocker? aa
    76. Easy-E or Eminem? c
    77. The Buzzcocks or The Stranglers? c
    78. Tom Tom Club or The The? c
    79. The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac? b
    80. The Sundays or 10,000 Maniacs? bb
    81. The Scorpions or RATT? c
    82. Dusty Springfield or Rick Springfield? c
    83. Uncle Tupelo or Son Volt? c
    84. James Brown or Rick James? aa
    85. Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan? b
    86. Squeeze or XTC? n
    87. The Everly Brothers or The Righteous Brothers? c
    88. Sly and the Family Stone or Parliament? c
    89. Oingo Boingo or Talk Talk? c
    90. Neko Case or Gillian Welch? c
    91. Running the boards at Mussel Shoals or running the boards at Motown? c
    92. Weezer or Ween? c
    93. Journey or Boston? a
    94. College rock -- Boston or Athens? c
    95. New jack swing or the swing revival? c
    "96. ""Black Hole Sun"" or ""Jeremy?""" c
    97. Nirvana or The Pixies? b
    98. The Clash or The Sex Pistols? b
    "99. ""Stairway to Heaven"" or ""American Pie?""" a
    100. Elvis Presley or Elvis Costello? b

    Posted by: ben | July 14, 2004 06:49 AM

  2. Dylan, we need to talk.

    Lyle Lovett over Gram Parsons?
    The Eagles over Fleetwood Mac? Does Peter Green not figure into that at all?
    Tom Tom Club over The The?

    I quit counting about halfway into the list, but I think I'm around .800 or so on this thing.

    Posted by: chris | July 17, 2004 12:30 AM