Six Characters in Search of a Pop Song - July 2022

[Joe Ross]

July MMMM, the seventh contest puzzle of the year:

Six Characters in Search of a Pop Song

The answer to this meta is one of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of all Time."

Send in your answer to the meta before 11pm ET Sunday, July 10, at pmxwords.com.

Thanks and enjoy,

Pete

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July 6, 2022, 1:00 PM ET

July 2022 MMMM: Mid-Week Hint

Hi MMMM Subscriber -

The July puzzle is playing much harder than I expected! In order to give more solvers a chance to get the meta, I will be offering a hint starting Thursday, July 7, at noon ET.

To receive the hint, submit as you would normally, except with the answer “HINT PLEASE.” Hints will be emailed starting Thursday at noon.

If you solve the meta after getting the hint, resubmit as you would normally. You will still get credit, but with fewer points, and you won’t be eligible for the monthly mug drawing.

Thanks and enjoy,

Pete

[m5rammy]

I saw this and had to take a picture. The driver came up just as I was taking it, I told her: I don't know what this means for you, but it means something else for me
(it was the family members' initials)

[kurtalert]

Fairly easy grid, but I'm not getting anywhere with the meta. Lots of dead ends. Almost 2 hours after the puzzle went up, and only Jangler has solved- nice to know that I'm not the only one riding the strugglebus!

[Joe Ross]

I saw this and had to take a picture. The driver came up just as I was taking it, I told her: I don't know what this means for you, but it means something else for me
(it was the family members' initials)

Me likey!

[m5rammy]

That's the County. But glad you like it.

[BarbaraK]

Fairly easy grid, but I'm not getting anywhere with the meta. Lots of dead ends. Almost 2 hours after the puzzle went up, and only Jangler has solved- nice to know that I'm not the only one riding the strugglebus!

Was there a slip in the space-time continuum and we got the November puzzle instead of July?

I did love the grid - esp 48A, 50A, 45A, and 11D.

[Joe Ross]

That's the County. But glad you like it.

I've lived in Ohio for 62 years. I'm aware.

[pmxwords]

Fairly easy grid, but I'm not getting anywhere with the meta. Lots of dead ends. Almost 2 hours after the puzzle went up, and only Jangler has solved- nice to know that I'm not the only one riding the strugglebus!

Was there a slip in the space-time continuum and we got the November puzzle instead of July?

I expected this month to play out a little tougher ...but very surprised to only have one solver so far! We just had a holiday weekend, so I'll give it til tomorrow, and if necessary I'll send out a hint...

[woozy]

This is a very solid ?huh?

It may not be that hard but ... boy, do I have no idea what to do.

[Al Sisti]

Fairly easy grid, but I'm not getting anywhere with the meta. Lots of dead ends. Almost 2 hours after the puzzle went up, and only Jangler has solved- nice to know that I'm not the only one riding the strugglebus!

Was there a slip in the space-time continuum and we got the November puzzle instead of July?

I expected this month to play out a little tougher ...but very surprised to only have one solver so far! We just had a holiday weekend, so I'll give it til tomorrow, and if necessary I'll send out a hint...

...and not just "one solver." It's Jangler...

[mattythewsjpuzzler]

Doesn't Gaffney do these too?! If he can't get it, I am right out!

[sheeparenotgreen]

Completely stuck. Feeling slightly better knowing there are only two solves so far.

[sharkicicles]

Was there a slip in the space-time continuum and we got the November puzzle instead of July?

I expected this month to play out a little tougher ...but very surprised to only have one solver so far! We just had a holiday weekend, so I'll give it til tomorrow, and if necessary I'll send out a hint...

...and not just "one solver." It's Jangler...

“Yeah, this guy came into the physics lab and he got it right away… his name was like… Alfred Eisenstein or something.”

[Joe Ross]

May be borrowing this from @MaineMarge for too long, if not forever, here.

[whimsy]

And looking a mite grumpy about it --

[MikeM000]

There are 2 substreams branching off from one major thread I see but nothing I do with either branch seems to solve much....

[Laura M]

I usually don't check the forum or the leaderboard until I've solved, but I started feeling like that wasn't going to happen... Two solvers now, Jangler and LL, so I don't feel too bad for unproductively staring at this all day yesterday! I'm not sure I remember the last time I legitimately missed an MMMM... I'm not counting January 2021, that was just a stupid mistake on my part :-)

[auee89]

Staring, writing, staring some more, writing some more . . . nope. Not yet.

[Joe Ross]

July 2022 MMMM: Mid-Week Hint

Hi MMMM Subscriber -

The July puzzle is playing much harder than I expected! In order to give more solvers a chance to get the meta, I will be offering a hint starting Thursday, July 7, at noon ET.

To receive the hint, submit as you would normally, except with the answer “HINT PLEASE.” Hints will be emailed starting Thursday at noon.

If you solve the meta after getting the hint, resubmit as you would normally. You will still get credit, but with fewer points, and you won’t be eligible for the monthly mug drawing.

Thanks and enjoy,

Pete

[RPardoe]

July 2022 MMMM: Mid-Week Hint

I will be offering a hint starting Thursday, July 7, at noon ET. (formerly "July 8")

Definitely a puzzle in an alternate universe. In this universe (where the meta might be more solvable), Thursday is July 7.

Unless the hint is being released in 2027?