Overrated artists/albums

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

We all have times where certain musicians are constantly praised by critics (or maybe just friends), and then we finally take it listen and...we hate it. No matter how much you try,you just can't get into this certain release that just got a ***** rating from Rolling Stone.

So, how about it? Who are your overrated artists and/or albums?

(I have a feeling this topic's already been done, but it must've been a while ago because I can't find it).

[Jonas]

Anything by Weezer after Pinkerton.

[CosmicDancer]

There are several for sure.  I will have to have some time to think of more but righ toff the top of my head, I would have to say "Trout Mask Replica" by Captain Beefhart.  It is constantly praised and some of you may really dig it.  I have just never understood what the fuss was.  I have given it many chances. 

On a related note, I have never been big into Zappa either.  I appreciatte his talent, I just don't dig his stuff. 

More to come I'm sure.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I do like Weezer, but they have a nasty habit of releasing EPs and calling them albums. A CD in this day and age should be longer than 25 minutes, I'm sorry. Meh. I do like the music, but they're one group where I actually support just downloading the songs and burning a cd.

Anyway...am I really the only person in the US who doesn't understand the love for Bruce Springsteen?

Cosmic...Zappa's a guy you either love or hate. No middleground at all.

[the captain]

Amusingly, I just LOVE Zappa and Beefheart, both already named as overrated. I'd probably call them both underrated!

For me, I don't rank the following anywhere near as high as some critics do:

Weezer
Rolling Stones (whom I do like...I just don't think they're among the greatest bands ever)
Any of Steve Winwood's bands, like Traffic, Blind Faith, etc.
Radiohead, aside from their brilliant run from about '98-'02
Any Beatle's solo career

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Gotta disagree about Radiohead...love them.

Any of Steve Winwood's bands, like Traffic, Blind Faith, etc.

Yes!Now I don't feel so bad. I agree totally.


Mmmm...can someone please tell me just why Beyonce has a career? She really cannot sing ( I honestly think Kelly Rowland had the best voice in Destiny's Child). She has a strong voice, but no idea on how to use it. She goes all over the place, and I HATE those runs she does. Joss Stone IMHO is tons better.

[the captain]

As for Beyonce, that's easy: she's gorgeous. Pop is largely about looks, and, well...

As for Radiohead, I really think that the OK Computer to Amnesiac albums were great, but the previous stuff was, for me, mixed. And the stuff since hasn't been able to keep my interest. Still, those albums I mentioned above, I do consider among the best albums of the past decade. I guess I just feel like they haven't proved that their time hasn't passed.

[Daniel S.]

I hate Radiohead. All of the hipsters love them. I saw them twice at the Hollywood Bowl and I tried so hard to get into them 'cause everyone I knew LOVED them. But for me it didn't click. Just sounds like some fruit moaning over techno music to me.

[MBE]

I think the Beatles are great, in my top ten,  but I don't put them above the Beach Boys, the Stones or the Who except for their charisma.  I think Springsteen, Neil Young, the Dead, Janis Joplin, Abba, REM, U2, are all way overated. I don't hate any of them (well maybe Abba) but I just don't get what's so special. Sorry if I knocked a fave of anybodys.

[Zander]

1. U2 - I just don't get them. Why do Q and all the other magazines go on about how they are the best band in the world? They ain't, WELL overrated. And Bono needs to shut his pie hole, I've never seen anyone as false as "Mr Africa" is.

2. Coldplay - Crap, absolute mindless drival. 

3. David Gray - See above.

[the captain]

You're all giving me ideas of other bands I think are overrated.

U2, I think of as just like Radiohead. I think they did have a strong run when they could've been considered among the best bands. But since the mid-90s...eh. No thanks. REM is kind of in the same boat.

And Coldplay--not interested. At all.

[CosmicDancer]

The Joshua Tree is still one of my all time favorite albums.  U2's albums after Achtung Baby though  do absolutely nothing for me so they definately get the overrated tag for me. 

No love for Radiohead at all on this board!  I for one love them.  The Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A are top notch, gorgeous albums IMO.

Another mentioned that I disagree with is REM.  I even like their new stuff, but especially their early IRS records and the Automatic For The People album are some of the best records made in the last 25 years.

I don't know how I left out Coldplay.  I think they just might be the most overrated band in the world.  Good call. 

[PeteS]

In recent years I've been puzzled by the success of Franz Ferdinand and Dido.    Sting, Bob Dylan and Led Zep  have never done it for me (I'm not denying they have talent though). I enjoyed just a couple of Eminem tracks so to me his popularity seems to be way in excess of his talent (IMO). I think "Sgt Pepper" is overrated  - there are better Beatles albums (Abbey Road and Revolver).  Coldplay started off ok with "Parachutes" but have become bland as their success and their sense of self importance increased. I have always admired Radiohead though (apart from the very first album)

[Mr. President]

I agree with Radiohead, U2 and Coldplay, also Oasis.

[Daniel S.]

Revolver is overrated, and its become so trendy to bash Sgt. Pepper and insist that Revolver is the superior album. Revolver has a lot of weak songs on it too.

Of course everything by the Beatles is overrated. They're so safe and boring. Not that I don't love a lot of their songs, but give me a break.

And U2, I can't believe these guys are still considered relevant.

[Smilin Ed H]

Springsteen after Tunnel of Love
I love Neil Young, but a lot of his stuff is way overrated - certainly since Freedom.
U2
Queen
Yes
ELP
Genesis.  God, I hate that kind of stuff.
Hmmm, let me see, all those C&W acts where the singers looked pumped up on steroids, have a perm, and sport a moustache and beard that's the facial equivalent of a Brazilian wax job.  They all sound the fucking same
                And honey, ain't it a cryin' shame.

[Zander]

Thought of a few more...

1. Pink Floyd - Never really got into them

2. Sex Pistols - One album and that's it, not as good as the Clash

3. Rolling Stones - Meh....... I do like them and I've seen them, but not as interesting as Beatles / Beach Boys. No real exciting albums...

4. Snow Patrol - more MOR dirge

5. Most things shown on the front page of the NME in the last 12 months - The Horrors? Come on, be serious....

6. Love - Am I missing something still? I've listened to Forever Changes at least 6 times and not one song has grown on me...

7. Pearl Jam - Eddie Vedder, please go away.

[matt-zeus]

Bob Dylan, Rufus Wainwright, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Paul Weller/The Jam, Oasis, U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, The Killers, Libertines, Ryan Adams, Antony and the Johnsons etc etc....
I'll admit i'm a complete musical snob  , but this is all mindless turd music in my opinion, full of forced emotions, overwrought pretentious lyrics and dull plodding predicatable music.

[Smilin Ed H]

Oh, the Floyd!  Forgot about them.  They should be on my list too. Add Led Zep too. I mean, c'mon...

[Mr. President]

Revolver is overrated, and its become so trendy to bash Sgt. Pepper and insist that Revolver is the superior album. Revolver has a lot of weak songs on it too.

Of course everything by the Beatles is overrated. They're so safe and boring. Not that I don't love a lot of their songs, but give me a break.

And U2, I can't believe these guys are still considered relevant.

I agree that it's trendy to bash Pepper and praise Revolver as the superior album but I also happen to think thats true.  Revolver IMHO IS the better album, the songs have more merit than Pepper which I think is probably my least favorite Beatles album and is possibly one of the most over rated records.

[the captain]

Despite the general feeling to the contrary these days, I still think Pepper may be the best album of all time by anyone.

[Mr. President]

Pepper is good but for a Beatles album it's certainly not one of my top favorites, I even like Let It Be and Beatles For Sale more but Pepper has good songs on it.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'm of the school that believes that the Beach Boys were tons better than the Beatles, who I do feel are overrated. Honestly, them breaking up when they did was perfect, as if they would've continued they would've declined worse than the Beach Boys did IMHO. Already they were starting to, looking at their post-Pepper output. Or, if I'm being frank, their post-Revolver output.

[Daniel S.]

Despite the general feeling to the contrary these days, I still think Pepper may be the best album of all time by anyone.

   

It's kind of funny, we're on a thread about overrated music and the Beatles are the prime example with everyone cultishly insisting they're "THE BEST AT EVERYTHING,"
almost like Manchurian Candidate brainwashing. There are a lot of bands that did psychedelic music better than the Beatles and made their records cohesive. 'Cause lets face it, Sgt. Pepper is full of random songs that have no relation to each other except for the opening title track and With A Little Help From My Friends.

Every Beatles record is pretty disjointed. No unifying musical themes or structure. 3 or 4 songs of filler.

Oh wait, I'm almost forgot, even the Beatles filler songs are better than the music from every other band on earth. I feel most people are shallow morons who really dig the Beatles image and success and can't separate that from the music. I mean part of the reason the Beach Boys are a hard pill to swallow is that they are unforgivably un-cool.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

To me, though, that's what makes them cool. They're nerd junkies, when you think about it.