Beck was certainly more popular during the 90s, but in this game, the OK Computer juggernaut keeps steamrolling along.

OKC is the more timeless pick. Beck does it about as well as can be expected, but is anybody jazzed about the eclectic, kitchen sink, hip hop beat 90's? Alot of folks out there still wearing grooves into Cornershop and Cibo Matto records?

Which reminds me. This past week I got an email from my 18 year-old self, criticizing my current self for leaving When I Was Born for the 7th Time out of the NIT. And Yonah emailed me, asking where Phish's Live One was. And Bobby Andrews texted me from way back in junior year of high school to ask (paraphrasing), "Where's Tical?"

Ok Computer marches on.

Odelay is a fun date but OK Comp is a keeper.

Monty, Glad to hear my 18 yr old self was on the case. If he gets in touch with you again please send him this year's sports almanac and keys to the De Lorean.

Was OK Computer the #1 overall? I forget now... If not, they sure are playing that way. Radiohead win.

So basically, everybody's voting for OK Computer because Radiohead chose to work within the confines of the well-established "whiny, droning sad-bastard singer/songwriter music" genre and dissing Beck because he did something original and timely, and therefore now more dated now?

I mean basically, because people are praising Radiohead because their particular brand of faux indi pop is more like the faux indi pop that's popular now. Well there's a reason -- while Thom Yorke is a v. talented songwriter, nobody from Radiohead was really a visionary. That's not a dig, it's just an observation.

Beck, on the other hand, created a pastiche of elements never quite blended together like that before -- and, unlike artists like the Beastie Boys, who merely co-opted and reproduced black music for white audience, Beck took in hip-hop as an influence, and created a music that incorporated beat and techniques, but did not ape urban culture.

Odelay was 10 times the musical revelation that OK Computer was in its time, and that's part of the very reason it feels so dated now.

Funny you mention the Beasties. Didn't Paul's Boutique and Odelay share a production team? (Dust Brothers, right?) I guess you can't give Beck all the credit for the ground breaking.

It doesn't have to be a who broke more ground contest. Just who you like better. Personally, I think OK Computer is way better, back then in it's time, and now during our crazy contest.

Great comments.