Overrated Bands/Singers

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

These lists are highly subjective but fun to read. I agreed with most on this list (I love Radiohead but admit fans and critics tend to be too generous to them)--interesting that several had members who died young, therefore cementing some sort of legendary, untouchable status (Doors, Joplin, Sex Pistols, et al).

The Ten Most Overrated Bands Of All Time — Wax & Wane

my own thoughts

-Led Zeppelin? Fucking snore. I'm sorry, I always thought they were a second rate blues rock band. Page was a gifted session player, I'll give them that. Robert Plant is just Janis Joplin with a dick and testicles.

-Janis Joplin? Okay, she made it possible for women to be accepted as gritty, sexy rock stars alongside people like Jagger. Fair enough, she deserves credit for that. But I could never get into her music. I found a lot of the Big Brother and the Holding Company songs BORING--it's bar music. I'd rather just listen to Otis Redding or Aretha Franklin for superior examples of classic R & B. As far as female rockers pushing the boundaries in the 60s, I prefer Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane, who could, um, sing. Janis Joplin is just Robert Plant with tits.

-Nirvana? Punk rock in flannel, little more. Neil Young and Crazy Horse called and they want their sound back.

-Clapton? Same reason I never got into Zeppelin and Joplin. Cream and Blind Faith were alright. Layla is a decent album. Everything else he did has bored me to tears. A gifted sideman who should never have been a solo act. He has nothing on Jeff Beck. He might be better (technically) than David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, yet those two at least took their blues influence and transformed it into something sonically interesting rather than just playing copy and paste, watered down appropriations of far better blues players from the 50s and 60s.

-The Doors? They're not bad, but they're not the greatest. They were sort of the anti-hippie band, and I can respect that, but then I would say both Love and The Velvet Underground were more interesting bands in that regard, and did more than just white guy blues rock--both sadly underrated in their time, even if they've since become overrated by hipster critics in their own rights. Jim Morrison was just a glorified hybrid of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. LA Woman and Strange Days are OKAY albums.

Some more not on that list:
-John Williams (OK he's pretty good, but how many Oscars does this man need?)
-Aerosmith
-Van Halen - Eddie didn;t even invent "tapping," so stop saying he did. Steve Hackett of Genesis and probably some classical guitarist I've never heard of deserve more credit for that.
-Pearl Jam
-David Bowie - I actually LOVE Bowie but he owed A LOT to his contemporaries and forebears such as T-Rex, Dylan, Eno, Roxy Music, The Velvets and Lou Reed, Scott Fucking Walker, et al. He appropriated far more than he innovated and progressed, and that's perfectly fine, but let's appreciate him for being good at refining and popularizing fledgling genres rather than being some grand innovator. He had a eye and ear for what people wanted, what was on the horizon, and he knew when genres had overstayed their welcomes or become tired and stale (i.e. dropping glam rock before it became a novelty).
-Mozart - just because I think Haydn and Beethoven were better. Personal preference.
-Frank Zappa - dude, slow down with the releases. There's prolific, and then there's let's-spew-out-five-albums-a-year prolific. Plus, I dunno, the whole elitist, snobby, making fun of other bands thing was probably cute for a bit, but he did that his entire career. Respect him for his attacks on censorship in the 80s though. He was a prick to the Velvets, that never sat right with me. I dunno, I didn't see anything too innovative about his music--just a glorified mash of prog rock and jazz fusion, but I'm sure there's some Zappa fans ready to talk down to me and explain how his music isn't "for everyone"
-The Who

I know I'll get some flak for this, but they're just my opinions. Feel free to list your own overrated bands and mercilessly shred them.

 

[Hiraeth]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't stand Led Zeppelin. I"ll acknowledge that Jimmy Page was a great guitarist and all, but their music wasn't anything special imo.

I can actually live without any of the artists on the list. I used to be a huge Nirvana fan back in high school, but I didn't know any better back then, haha. Rarely listen to them anymore.

Bowie is one of my favorite musicians, but I can see why you'd think that. He was influenced by many others around the time. Marc Bolan and him were close friends and supposedly it was Marc who started the glam rock look before Bowie did when he released Electric Warrior. Bowie also did change with the times rather frequently, that's why I could see him as a 3w4 rather than a 4w3. But to be fair, T. Rex and Roxy Music were very famous in the UK. They just didn't make it to America. Okay, I guess he's overrated.

Oh, and I too prefer Beethoven to Mozart, haha.

I would also add AC/DC to that list. Good God.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't stand Led Zeppelin. I"ll acknowledge that Jimmy Page was a great guitarist and all, but their music wasn't anything special imo.

I can actually live without any of the artists on the list. I used to be a huge Nirvana fan back in high school, but I didn't know any better back then, haha. Rarely listen to them anymore.

Bowie is one of my favorite musicians, but I can see why you'd think that. He was influenced by many others around the time. Marc Bolan and him were close friends and supposedly it was Marc who started the glam rock look before Bowie did when he released Electric Warrior. Bowie also did change with the times rather frequently, that's why I could see him as a 3w4 rather than a 4w3. But to be fair, T. Rex and Roxy Music were very famous in the UK. They just didn't make it to America. Okay, I guess he's overrated.

Oh, and I too prefer Beethoven to Mozart, haha.

I would also add AC/DC to that list. Good God.

I hesitated to mention Bowie, because he's still a favorite, but I think he has eclipsed a lot of other great artists, at least in the USA, as you point out. I think Scott Walker is pretty highly regarded in the UK, but if you mention his name in the USA, most people are like "the Governor of Wisconsin?" But Bowie owes a huge debt to Walker. All that said, Bowie was usually pretty gracious and open in admitting who influenced him, in some cases helping lesser known or up-and-coming acts like Walker and the Pixies reach a larger audience. I got into Brian Eno because of Bowie's Berlin era. Bowie also produced the Scott Walker documentary film which was my first introduction to his music. Think the Beatles and Stones also eclipsed a lot of great UK acts in the USA. There were other lesser-known "british invasion" bands that just never reached the same audience.

So maybe Bowie is rated just right

Nirvana was a fairly big part of my high school listening, but they just never aged well with me. I would really like to see what could've been had Cobain not died. I think they could have evolved a lot.

 

[Hiraeth]

I hesitated to mention Bowie, because he's still a favorite, but I think he has eclipsed a lot of other great artists, at least in the USA, as you point out. I think Scott Walker is pretty highly regarded in the UK, but if you mention his name in the USA, most people are like "the Governor of Wisconsin?" But Bowie owes a huge debt to Walker. All that said, Bowie was usually pretty gracious and open in admitting who influenced him, in some cases helping lesser known or up-and-coming acts like Walker and the Pixies reach a larger audience. I got into Brian Eno because of Bowie's Berlin era. Bowie also produced the Scott Walker documentary film which was my first introduction to his music. Think the Beatles and Stones also eclipsed a lot of great UK acts in the USA. There were other lesser-known "british invasion" bands that just never reached the same audience.

So maybe Bowie is rated just right

Nirvana was a fairly big part of my high school listening, but they just never aged well with me. I would really like to see what could've been had Cobain not died. I think they could have evolved a lot.

That's sad how Scott Walker shares the same name as the politician. And the funny thing is he's American as well, but never gained fame here. Yeah, Bowie always talked about his influences and did help others out. It does seem that once a musician becomes so largely praised, their biggest influences are usually always forgotten. The same could be said for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in that way too.

I heard that Kurt was planning to go solo right before he died and do a full on acoustic album like he did for MTV Unplugged. That would have been interesting to hear.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

That's sad how Scott Walker shares the same name as the politician. And the funny thing is he's American as well, but never gained fame here. Yeah, Bowie always talked about his influences and did help others out. It does seem that once a musician becomes so largely praised, their biggest influences are usually always forgotten. The same could be said for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in that way too.

I heard that Kurt was planning to go solo right before he died and do a full on acoustic album like he did for MTV Unplugged. That would have been interesting to hear.

I wonder how he would've felt about Foo Fighters. Apparently he liked early demos he heard.

Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain Kissed Dave Grohl After Hearing Foo Fighters Demo | Billboard

 

[Galaxy Gazer]

I'll try to stay within my preferred genre so I'm not too biased.

-Three Days Grace. Their music mainly appeals to anime teens and yet people try to put them in the same category as Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, and FFDP. The old singer sounded whiny and the new one is even worse. I related to a few of their songs when I was like 15, but I quickly grew out of that phase.

-Twenty-One Pilots. How does anyone continue to like them after hearing them live? They're also just kind of annoying.

-System of a Down. I don't understand what is so appealing about their nonsensical lyrics, their impersonal themes, or the singer's weird babbling.

-Emilie Autumn. She can't fucking sing.

-Every symphonic metal band ever (except Nightwish). We get it, you like fantasy and you look good in corsets and you have a high voice. You don't need an orchestra/choir in every damn song. Why not try changing it up or at least writing something relatable instead of always going for drama?

-Josh Grobin. So many people praise him for being a "real" vocalist when he actually just sticks to an outdated style. Lots of singers are much more versatile, capable of more than one vocal style, but they're often underrated. The singer from Disturbed, for example.

-Evanescence. If TDG and Within Temptation had a baby, it would sound like Evanescence. I don't care if WT is newer. That's not the point -.- I will say that I like a few of their songs, and that Amy Lee is talented.

-Breaking Benjamin. They're kinda like a *slightly* better version of TDG. Still bordering on that dangerous "alternative" fence, though, and still overrated.

-Sleeping with Sirens. Do I really need to explain this one?

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I'll try to stay within my preferred genre so I'm not too biased.

Aye, I tried to do the same, otherwise it'd be an endless list of contemporary country music artists. Reminds me of a Chuck Klosterman essay where he talked about hipsters and alt country music and made a case that Toby Keith, not Uncle Tupelo, may in fact be more genuine in speaking to the target audience of most country music, despite music nerds like myself arguing at one point or another how alt country is underrated and everything else is garbage. But nah, it ultimately boils down to taste

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I wonder how many people I'd upset if I mentioned Daft Punk.

 

[Qlip]

Huh, I always that Grace Slick was overrated herself, along with Jefferson Airplane and a whole swath of 'psychedelic rock' from the time period. I'm not saying it was bad, but at best it was cute.

And as for Zep, they would've been great, if they weren't actually just talented 'reinterpreters' of others' music.

 

[Merced]

Honestly, if you think Nirvana is even remotely one of the best bands ever, you aren't a Nirvana fan. Half their songs are satirical to the genre.





Add Red Hot Chili Peppers to that list because for fucksake. They made one good album. One.

 

[Forever]

I don't think I reject bands right off the bat and think of them all day but here are some which I might of said in the past already: (lol)

Please note: no hard feelings to any who like this stuff: and I'm probably forgetting a lot.

My Chemical Romance: whiny, fake emo, and songs condoning suicidal feelings.

Green Day (2000's on): You know punk really is I guess too, political. But punk was better before the millennium hit. Imo. When September Ends sounds so blah compared to their previous work.

Most mainstream Rock: Rise Against, Three Days Grace, 30 Seconds to Mars, All-American Rejects, etc.

Blink 182: I could never get into the hype that they were in.

Maroon 5: Songs about sex bleh.

Nickelback: No. Just no.

Rolling Stones: Overrated.

Most metal: sound the same, sorry. I do like progressive rock and post metal.


Honestly, I prefer to want to share things I do like with people rather than the ones I dislike.

 

[anticlimatic]

Danny Elfman

 

[highlander]

Some above I agree with, like Pearl Jam, Maroon 5 (all songs sound the same), especially Rolling Stones, the Doors, Nirvana, Janis Joplin (yuk). The Who is probably over-rated as well. I think some of the older bands are revered because of the influence they had at the time they were popular. Nirvana IMO is mostly because of what happened Kurt Cobain. I would like to remove Bare Naked Ladies songs from my brain. They sounded like a soft drink commercial. Rap I also wish to exterminate as well though some of Eminem's stuff was ok. Christina Aguilera has an amazing voice but I really can't remember any songs that I thought were that good.

I have always thought Led Zeppelin is really pretty good. Maybe they are over-rated but there is something about the experience that is special. I think Aerosmith is one of the great bands of all time. Evanescence is awesome.

 

[miss fortune]

Metallica... I really have trouble telling their songs apart, though part of that may be because I just don't care to... I don't see why people ever loved them or thought that they were special

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I like a lot of the bands mentioned in this thread. Although I may have grown out of The Doors a little. Zepp is pretty cool, I think.
LOL, I'm such a plebe.

Maybe Adele, with the exception of the Skyfall song? Although I generally feel that way about that particular genre. Oh, I just thought of a rock and roll one. The Sex Pistols..... just noise.

 

[wool]

 

[Hiraeth]

^ That's hilarious!

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

These lists are highly subjective but fun to read. I agreed with most on this list (I love Radiohead but admit fans and critics tend to be too generous to them)--interesting that several had members who died young, therefore cementing some sort of legendary, untouchable status (Doors, Joplin, Sex Pistols, et al).

The Ten Most Overrated Bands Of All Time — Wax & Wane

my own thoughts

-Led Zeppelin? Fucking snore. I'm sorry, I always thought they were a second rate blues rock band. Page was a gifted session player, I'll give them that. Robert Plant is just Janis Joplin with a dick and testicles.

-Janis Joplin? Okay, she made it possible for women to be accepted as gritty, sexy rock stars alongside people like Jagger. Fair enough, she deserves credit for that. But I could never get into her music. I found a lot of the Big Brother and the Holding Company songs BORING--it's bar music. I'd rather just listen to Otis Redding or Aretha Franklin for superior examples of classic R & B. As far as female rockers pushing the boundaries in the 60s, I prefer Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane, who could, um, sing. Janis Joplin is just Robert Plant with tits.

-Nirvana? Punk rock in flannel, little more. Neil Young and Crazy Horse called and they want their sound back.

-Clapton? Same reason I never got into Zeppelin and Joplin. Cream and Blind Faith were alright. Layla is a decent album. Everything else he did has bored me to tears. A gifted sideman who should never have been a solo act. He has nothing on Jeff Beck. He might be better (technically) than David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, yet those two at least took their blues influence and transformed it into something sonically interesting rather than just playing copy and paste, watered down appropriations of far better blues players from the 50s and 60s.

-The Doors? They're not bad, but they're not the greatest. They were sort of the anti-hippie band, and I can respect that, but then I would say both Love and The Velvet Underground were more interesting bands in that regard, and did more than just white guy blues rock--both sadly underrated in their time, even if they've since become overrated by hipster critics in their own rights. Jim Morrison was just a glorified hybrid of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. LA Woman and Strange Days are OKAY albums.

Some more not on that list:
-John Williams (OK he's pretty good, but how many Oscars does this man need?)
-Aerosmith
-Van Halen - Eddie didn;t even invent "tapping," so stop saying he did. Steve Hackett of Genesis and probably some classical guitarist I've never heard of deserve more credit for that.
-Pearl Jam
-David Bowie - I actually LOVE Bowie but he owed A LOT to his contemporaries and forebears such as T-Rex, Dylan, Eno, Roxy Music, The Velvets and Lou Reed, Scott Fucking Walker, et al. He appropriated far more than he innovated and progressed, and that's perfectly fine, but let's appreciate him for being good at refining and popularizing fledgling genres rather than being some grand innovator. He had a eye and ear for what people wanted, what was on the horizon, and he knew when genres had overstayed their welcomes or become tired and stale (i.e. dropping glam rock before it became a novelty).
-Mozart - just because I think Haydn and Beethoven were better. Personal preference.
-Frank Zappa - dude, slow down with the releases. There's prolific, and then there's let's-spew-out-five-albums-a-year prolific. Plus, I dunno, the whole elitist, snobby, making fun of other bands thing was probably cute for a bit, but he did that his entire career. Respect him for his attacks on censorship in the 80s though. He was a prick to the Velvets, that never sat right with me. I dunno, I didn't see anything too innovative about his music--just a glorified mash of prog rock and jazz fusion, but I'm sure there's some Zappa fans ready to talk down to me and explain how his music isn't "for everyone"
-The Who

I know I'll get some flak for this, but they're just my opinions. Feel free to list your own overrated bands and mercilessly shred them.

To be fair, Eddie has never taken credit for inventing tapping. He just made it famous. Showman SP's: were just gonna make it look *that* much better.

The Who: Musical theater majors with a minor in Performance Art. Just too self-aware for their own good.

Nirvana was raw af. It made them great but it also made them overrated. I think KC was trapped in his own frustration as a musician. Always falling back on sloppy/self-pity/rage and poor guitar playing.

You know how the Beatles reinvented themselves with India? If Nirvana met the Dhali Llama they would have become Blind Melon. (Underrated!)

This is difficult because even crap bands are still great or talented! I could give each big compliments too but that isn't the spirit of the thread.

Most indie bands are overrated. I can't even list them all. Just hacks who get a mandolin they picked up from a flea market and add that 2nd lesson experience to some terrible new-timey drum and fife music. Hard pass.


Meg White got lucky.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I can't even list them all. Just hacks who get a mandolin they picked up from a flea market and add that 2nd lesson experience to some terrible new-timey drum and fife music. Hard pass.

What the hell is wrong with drum and fife music? America wouldn't exist if it wasn't for fife-and-drum music; we'd all be speaking English now. You hate America?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

GODDAMN I LOVE FIFE AND DRUM MUSIC.