REGION 1
Missy Elliot
Will Smith
Puff Daddy
En Vogue
2Pac
Boyz II Men
TLC
Coolio
REGION 2
Alice in Chains
Stone Temple Pilots
Alanis Morrisette
Soundgarden
The Cranberries
Oasis
Sublime
Rage Against the Machine
REGION 3
Michael Jackson
Janet Jackson
LL Cool J
Metallica
R.E.M.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Madonna
Neil Young
REGION 4
NSync
Shania Twain
Sheryl Crow
Britney Spears
Smashmouth
Christina Aguillera
98 Degrees
Ricky Martin
Wasn’t sure if we should be going by 90’s-only performance, because Dylan was a lot worse than Neil Young that decade, but I can’t rank him lower over his career.
Starshit’s last album was released in 1989, so they don’t count as a 90s musical act, unless your loathing of We Built This City is so strong it spans decades.
Similarly, **Nickelback **didn’t break through until 2001, so they also just missed out on eligibility.
REGION 1
Missy Elliot
Will Smith
Puff Daddy
En Vogue
Jay-Z
Boyz II Men
TLC
Coolio
REGION 2
Alice in Chains
Radiohead
Pearl Jam
Soundgarden
The Cranberries
Oasis
Sublime
Green Day
REGION 3
Michael Jackson
Janet Jackson
LL Cool J
Jane’s Addiction
R.E.M.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Madonna
Bob Dylan
REGION 4
NSync
Backstreet Boys
Mariah Carey
Britney Spears
Spice Girls
Christina Aguillera
98 Degrees
Ricky Martin
Some hard calls but the hardest was U2. It wasn’t because of their match up with Michael Jackson. It was their early 90s transformation from a band I liked to a band I detested.
When I hear “region” I think you want me to show my West Coast rap cred.
Ones I hate more (in parentheses = worst of the two for a forced choice, but both are pretty good/pretty bad):
Missy Elliot
Will Smith
Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/Diddy/Combs
En Vogue (who?)
Jay-Z
Boyz II Men, but Fugees are more annoying
TLC
Coolio
Alice in Chains
Stone Temple Pilots
(Alanis Morrisette)
Beck
Meatloaf
Oasis
(Nine Inch Nails)
Rage Against the Machine, GD could commit a mass murder and be less annoying. That’s not a positive in either direction though.
(Michael Jackson)
Janet Jackson
(LL Cool J), no problem with either
Metallica
Bruce Springsteen
Guns n Roses
(Madonna)
Bob Dylan
(Robbie Williams)
(Backstreet Boys) ugh
Mariah Carey
Hanson
(Spice Girls)
Christina Aguillera
(98 Degrees)
Ricky Martin
Gonna assume Limp Bizkit or Creed are too obvious to “win.”
The rappers in Region 1 are all just names to me: no votes there.
REGION 1
Dr. Dre vs. Missy Elliot
Lauryn Hill vs. Will Smith
Outkast vs. Puff Daddy
Snoop Doggy Dogg vs. En Vogue
Jay-Z vs. 2Pac
Boyz II Men vs. The Fugees
Wu-Tang Clan vs. TLC
Eminem vs. Coolio
REGION 2
Nirvana vs. Alice in Chains
Radiohead vs. Stone Temple Pilots Pearl Jam vs. Alanis Morrisette
Beck vs. Soundgarden
The Cranberries vs. Meatloaf
Smashing Pumpkins vs. Oasis
Sublime vs. Nine Inch Nails Rage Against the Machine vs. Green Day
REGION 3
U2 vs. Michael Jackson
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers vs. Janet Jackson
Beastie Boys vs. LL Cool J
**Metallica **vs. Jane’s Addiction R.E.M. vs. Bruce Springsteen
Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Guns n Roses Madonna vs. Aerosmith
Bob Dylan vs. Neil Young
REGION 4
NSync vs. Robbie Williams Backstreet Boys vs. Shania Twain Mariah Carey vs. Sheryl Crow
Britney Spears vs. Hanson Spice Girls vs. Smashmouth Christina Aguilera vs. Barenaked Ladies
Ace of Base vs. 98 Degrees Ricky Martin vs. No Doubt
Missy Elliot Lauryn Hill ** Puff Daddy Snoop Doggy Dogg Jay-Z Boyz II Men
** TLC Coolio
REGION 2 Alice in Chains Stone Temple Pilots PASS I don’t hate either of the two (Alanis/PJ) enough to vote Beck **
. Meatloaf** Oasis Sublime Green Day
REGION 3 Michael Jackson Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers LL Cool J
**Metallica ** Bruce Springsteen Guns n Roses Aerosmith Bob Dylan
REGION 4 NSync Backstreet Boys Sheryl Crow Britney Spears
** Smashmouth** Christina Aguillera
** 98 Degrees** Ricky Martin
REGION 1
Dr. Dre vs. Missy Elliot
Lauryn Hill vs. Will Smith
Outkast vs. Puff Daddy
Snoop Doggy Dogg vs. En Vogue Jay-Z vs. 2Pac Boyz II Men vs. The Fugees Wu-Tang Clan vs. TLC
Eminem vs. Coolio
REGION 2
Nirvana vs. Alice in Chains
Radiohead vs. Stone Temple Pilots
Pearl Jam vs. Alanis Morrisette
Beck vs. Soundgarden
The Cranberries vs. Meatloaf
Smashing Pumpkins vs. Oasis
Sublime vs. Nine Inch Nails Rage Against the Machine vs. Green Day
REGION 3
U2 vs. Michael Jackson
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers vs. Janet Jackson
Beastie Boys vs. LL Cool J Metallica vs. Jane’s Addiction
R.E.M. vs. Bruce Springsteen
Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Guns n Roses Madonna vs. Aerosmith Bob Dylan vs. Neil Young
REGION 4 NSync vs. Robbie Williams Backstreet Boys vs. Shania Twain Mariah Carey vs. Sheryl Crow
Britney Spears vs. Hanson Spice Girls vs. Smashmouth Christina Aguillera vs. Barenaked Ladies
Ace of Base vs. 98 Degrees Ricky Martin vs. No Doubt
REGION 1
Dr. Dre vs. Missy Elliot
Lauryn Hill vs. Will Smith
Outkast vs. Puff Daddy
Snoop Doggy Dogg vs. En Vogue Jay-Z vs. 2Pac
Boyz II Men vs. The Fugees
Wu-Tang Clan vs.** TLC**
Eminem vs.** Coolio**
REGION 2
Nirvana vs*. Alice in Chains* Radiohead vs. Stone Temple Pilots
Pearl Jam vs. Alanis Morrisette Beck vs. Soundgarden
The Cranberries vs.** Meatloaf**
Smashing Pumpkins vs.** Oasis** Sublime vs. Nine Inch Nails Rage Against the Machine vs. Green Day
REGION 3 U2 vs. Michael Jackson
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers vs.** Janet Jackson**
Beastie Boys vs.** LL Cool J** Metallica vs. Jane’s Addiction R.E.M. vs. Bruce Springsteen
Red Hot Chili Peppers vs.** Guns n Roses** Madonna vs. Aerosmith
Bob Dylan vs.** Neil Young**
REGION 4 NSync vs. Robbie Williams Backstreet Boys vs. Shania Twain
Mariah Carey vs. Sheryl Crow Britney Spears vs. Hanson
Spice Girls vs.** Smashmouth** Christina Aguillera vs. Barenaked Ladies
Ace of Base vs.** 98 Degrees** Ricky Martin vs. No Doubt
And to settle the Limp Bizkit and Creed issue: To be honest, they or their albums didn’t crack any of the lists to which I was referring when I made the brackets. And I just plum forgot about them. Same with Hootie. I can truly imagine the disappointment many of you felt when you realized you couldn’t direct any of your loathing toward those three bands. And so I apologize.
Upon further investigation I see that though the ‘original’ (and I use that term very loosely) Starship disbanded in 1989, the band known variously as "Starship with Mickey Thomas"or “Mickey Thomas’ Starship” was (re-?)formed in 1992 and apparently still exists today. But they didn’t release any new music until 2013, so I guess I’ll have to wait a bit before I can nominate them…
