How long do you think you’ll keep each round open for voting?
I’ve done the Beatles tourney with 54-hour rounds, but that’s mainly because I did the math, and every 54 hours I knew would be in front of a computer to wrap it up. Also, I was planning on keeping the voting open longer in the later rounds-- like 72 hours.
Do people think two+ days is too long? Not long enough?
Perusing through my record collection, I came upon a few deserving names that have yet to be mentioned (assuming I’ve read the thread carefully up to this point)
Black Sabbath
Boston
Chicago
George Thorogood and the Destroyers
Nirvana - they’ve been popping up on our local ‘Classic Rock’ station quite a bit in the past few months
Paul McCartney (& Wings) - I think his ‘solo’ catalog merits his inclusion here in addition to as a member of the Beatles
Red Hot Chili Peppers - like Nirvana, a ‘new’ Classic Rock band…
Santana
Steely Dan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Talking Heads
The Clash
The Pretenders
Yes
Personally, I would get rid of Guns ‘n’ Roses, Steppenwolf, and the Scorpions, as I don’t think any of them has a big enough catalog to merit inclusion. By my count, these additions and subtractions would bring the total to 52 bands…just a few more needed to fill out the bracket…
I’ll probably do 2 days for the first couple of rounds, then 3 or 4 for the later rounds, as the choices get tougher. I like to see people’s opinions.
I’d not want to play (I think I’m done with long-term games on the Dope), but would my beloved Alice Cooper make the cut? Or would that be considered too niche’-ish? Yanno, in the context of glam or metal or shock. Regardless, I still hold that early AC is the epitome of classic. In my rabidly humble opinion. 
How could you have ZZ Top ranked below Tom Petty?
Because Tom Petty is better than ZZ Top?
I’m pretty sure I included Wings and Boston in my '‘Field of 32’. Nirvana and RHCP aren’t Classic Rock, in my opinion. The Clash, Talking Heads, Santana The Pretenders, and Sabbath are all fringe sorts of bands… squint hard at them, and they might count, but they’re important for their deviations from the genre, not their contributions. I just don’t like Chicago or Steely Dan…
But I got no reason not to include George Thorogood, other than my strong dislike of Delaware. The man rocked hard.
Perhaps a field of 64 is required.
Good one. No, seriously - how?
Other suggestions:
Bob Dylan
Janis Joplin
The Cars
KISS
Electric Light Orchestra
Fleetwood Mac
Cream
Grateful Dead
Mamas and the Papas
It’s a question of inspiration versus chops. Billy Gibbons, no question, is an amazing guitar player, far better than Tom Petty or anyone he played with (outside of the Travelling Wilburys). Petty, however, had more great singles and more great albums. The best album either of the two released was Petty’s Full Moon Fever.
But ZZ Top writes your standard white boy electric blues songs, with the occasional disco sound tossed in. Petty’s music is filled with riffs that get stuck in your head, and the content is practically the definition of the complex theme rolled into a simple delivery that makes rock good. Out of the Great American Songwriters, Petty rocks the hardest.
I think of M&P as more of a folk act than a rock act. YMMV.
And would you take ELO above any of the other acts on your list? Or any of the other acts mentioned on this page?
Here’s how I would rate my list:
And I jockeyed ELO and FMac back and forth between the 3 and 4 slots; I like ELO better, but I suspect FMac has the more impressive catalog.
Boston!
Journey!
On a look back - I see they’ve been mentioned.
I was going to post only to say “they are spelled Jimi Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd”, but then I noticed you’ve missed some. In no particular order
Traffic
Frank Zappa
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Jeff Beck
Deep Purple
Little Feat
Robin Trower (with or w/o Procul Harum)
Uriah Heep
Kansas
Doobie Brothers
Marshall Tucker Band
Peter Frampton
Heart
Foghat
Ted Nugent
Supertramp
Thin Lizzy
Edgar Winter
Johnny Winter
It’s your game, so your criteria, but back when these (listed) were current artists, the Police, Talking Heads, Clash and the Pretenders were all considered new wave and/or punk bands. Even Van Halen and (moreso) G&R were kinda late to the party. (I’m not saying they shouldn’t be included, I’m just sayin…)
And the Dave Clark 5? Really?
have the women of rock been properly represented?
Pat Benetar
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Janis Joplin
10,000 Maniacs
Heart
Patty Smith
I don’t know how they’ll fit in, but they need to be considered
Dagnabbit, it’s gonna be hard winnowing it down to 64. Keep the ideas coming however, and I’m fully prepared to be excoriated for my seeding choices. (In fact, I expect that will be part of the fun. I liked the how can TP&tH be above ZZ Top argument).
The list must have Rush. Some others that may have not yet been mentioned:
Deep Purple
Rainbow
Traffic
The Hollies
Styx
The Cars
Steelers Wheel
The Steve Miller Band
And, I think it should start with 64 bands, just to make sure all the good bands that people have listed at least make an appearance.
I think a random seeding process (at least after the initial #1 seeds) would be really cool. That would allow for some upsets and cinderella bands perhaps.
I have a 64 team bracket completed and ready to be posted. Was going post on Wednesday, but didn’t quite have the time to post it. But since I also have a 64 song bracket for The Rolling Stones ready, I will defer to Wargamer.
My #1 seeds would have been:
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppilin
and the fourth seed: a lot of good candidates- should I pick an American group?
The Who
No, you should pick a Canadian group.
But as far as popularity goes, yeah, those would be my #1 seeds as well.