[Dr. Sivana]

I’m not understanding the Dock of the Bay phenomenon. Is there some emotional tie in to some movie or something?

No. It just drew weak opponents because it is late '60s. Aquarius/Sunshine feels VERY dated. Heck, it was dated in 1974! This round, I am selecting "Dock" because no one is more overrated or bears relistening less than the "Righteous Brothers". I think Roy Orbison having two of the Final FOur is more difficult to explain, especially since "Crying" knocked off "Runaway", which should have been in the "Final Four" of the sixties, but numerous Freepers obviously disagree.

Otis' vocal performance is exceptional. If you listen closely you can feel the pain in his voice. The fact that he dies a tragic death shortly after the release does add to the story of the song (similar to Jim Croce's "Time In a Bottle" or Lennon's "Starting Over"). The song also resists the Pop Music temptation to go too fast or to overwhelm the listener. This is the Anti-Phil Specter hit song.

[Fiji Hill]

While I don’t like the message of “Crying,” I love the melody and the song is beautifully arranged. When I hear it, it takes me back to the summer of 1961.

In late 1964, “Lovin’ Feeling” was my favorite song on the charts. It rose to the top at the end of the year only to face a strong challenge from Petula Clark’s “Downtown,” which I didn’t like. In January and February, 1965, “Lovin’ Feeling” remained at #1 and “Downtown” at #2. Finally, I was overjoyed when “Downtown” began to fade.

In March, the Temptations’ “My Girl” finally knocked the Righteous Brothers’ opus from the top spot.

When “Dock” was riding the charts in the spring of 1968, I liked the song for its melody but didn’t like the message. I didn’t agree with the protagonist, whose lack of initiative and inability to focus his attention and get his act together was the sole cause of his discontent.