Degree of Difficulty: Rallies hard to overcome clumsy lyrics like ''You are the best your country has to offer/And no matter if you lose, you have won.''
Score: 8.4

Artist/Album: Corey Glover: Rhythm of the Games
Song: ''Imagine''
Artistic Impression: Ex-Living Colour singer reinterprets the John Lennon socialist-manifesto ballad as theme song for megagrossing capitalist sporting event.
Technical Merit: Strong out of the starting blocks, but Glover oversings last verse, trouncing Lennon's lyrics in the process.
Degree of Difficulty: Little, except for re-creating Lennon's trademark ''yoo-hoo-oo-oo.''
Score: 4.6

Artist/Album: Nanci Griffith, Raul Malo, and Donna Summer: Rhythm of the Games
Song: ''From a Distance''
Artistic Impression: Umpteenth version of the unofficial Earth Day lullaby, with added gimmick of synchronized singing by three ethnically diverse vocalists.
Technical Merit: Summer's booming throat easily outmuscles chirpy tone of folkie Griffith and Rico Suave flavor of Mavericks leader (and Cuban-American) Malo.
Degree of Difficulty: Each singer required to go bilingual (Griffith in French, Malo in Spanish), but Summer's far trickier German accent makes a mad dash for first place.
Score: 5.8

Artist/Album: Kenny G: Rhythm of the Games
Song: ''The Champion's Theme''
Artistic Impression: Squirrelly instrumental much like standard G-rated fare, but with billowy orchestration that should have been saved for the opening ceremonies.
Technical Merit: G stumbles over the hokey ''Little Drummer Boy'' percussion flourishes.
Degree of Difficulty: Simplistic melody, which could double as theme music for Hallmark TV special, doesn't require G's acrobatic sax noodling. Dogs forever grateful.
Score: 3.0

Artist/Album: Gloria Estefan: Rhythm of the Games
Song: ''Reach''
Artistic Impression: A main event, one of those believe-in-yourself inspirational books set to music: ''I'll do whatever it takes/Follow through with the promise I make/Put it all on the line.''
Technical Merit: Estefan gives her upper range a real workout, managing to make herself heard above the roar of the gospel backup.
Degree of Difficulty: Sounds suspiciously similar to Estefan's string of post-accident comeback ballads. Penalty!
Score: 6.0

Originally posted May 31, 1996 Published in issue #329 May 31, 1996 Order article reprints
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