S3E18: MJ Region 6v11(Petty/Nicks)

Today's bracket brings us a delicious matchup that proves seeding doesn't always tell the whole story: 6-seed "Free Fallin'" faces off against 11-seed "Edge of Seventeen" in what might be the tournament's most deceptive David-versus-Goliath showdown. And the fact that these two were friends for 40 years makes it even more complicated!Tom Petty's 1989 masterpiece arrives as the higher seed based purely on our artist rankings—a song so timeless that it somehow managed to sound both completely of its moment and like it could have been written in any decade since the invention of the electric guitar. But lurking in the lower bracket is Stevie Nicks' 1982 witchy anthem, a track that didn't just embrace the 80s aesthetic—it practically summoned it from the ether with its pounding drums, soaring synths, and menu-driven lyrics that sound like a battle cry from the cosmos. The question today becomes whether authentic 80s-ness belongs to the song that conquered the decade's final year, or the one that helped define what the decade should sound like in the first place? VOTE!There was also a second video for “Edge” that is a straight live performance video: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com