The Next Battle of the Bands!

The Zombies

We had so much fun doing the Battle of the Bands on my radio show this past season, that we are going to do it again next year with a different lineup. Whereas last year's competition led us to crown Creedence Clearwater Revival as the best American Band, circa 1954-1974, in the next contest we'll be seeking the best British (and Commonwealth) group from the same period. So, over the next few weeks, I'll be posting the brackets here for your consideration and comment. I should note that, unlike the American groupings, these brackets are not defined regionally, mainly because I didn't have the time to do the research on each competitor to determine their roots. Here are the groups, in order of seeding, that comprise what I'm calling the "Empire Bracket:"

Led Zeppelin (1)
The Kinks (2)
The Bee Gees (3)
Dave Clark Five (4)
Small Faces/Faces (5)
Jethro Tull (6)
Badfinger (7)
The Zombies (8)
Derek & the Dominoes (9)
King Crimson (10)
Thin Lizzy (11)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (12)
Gerry & the Pacemakers (13)
The Mindbenders (14)
The Creation (15)
Bonzo Dog Doodah Band (16)

Seedings are based on a somewhat subjective calculation of both popular and critical success, with influence factored in as well. I'll post the other three brackets, as well as the songs that will represent each group in Round One in coming days, so check back for that info.

PS: If you'd like to serve as a judge in the competition, let me know via comments and we'll figure out how to make that happen.