The Smiley Smile Message Board

 Okay, state an album that you think is way underated , or one that is way overated......
Go!
(I am hoping this is gonna be a good one)

xoxoxoxo
suga

The Who By Numbers
Neil Young - Trans
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel Of Love
The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request, Goats Head Soup
Elvis - From Elvis Presley Boulevard
The Dixie Chicks - Home
Bob Dylan - Self Portrait, Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid
The Monkees - Instant Replay
The Byrds - Dr. Byrds And Mr. Hyde

 You think they are underated or over rated?

I am really curious about her majestys I really think it is an overated one...

suga

Underrated.
Satanic is by no means overrated. Practically everyone dislikes it.
Personally, I like it about a thousand times more then Sgt. Pepper, and far more than even Forever Changes and Odessey And Oracle.

Woa  Oddessey and Oracle is my sh*t... I dunno  I find that most ppl I come in contact with dig  the sh*t outta, her majesties....   I dunno oddessey blow my wig right off... her majesties does little to arouse my musical pallet

suga

Odessey is indeed amazing. Maybe the profile of Majesties is rising, I don't know. I just know EVERYONE told me it was terrible, and I have loved it since first listen.
Really, though, I'll take The Who Sell Out over all those albums.

These are UNderrated IMHO;

Pete Townshend - Chinese Eyes
Joe Walsh - Barnstorm
Neko Case - all!
Speedy Keene - Previous Convictions
Bob Dylan - Planet Waves
Robbie Robertson - Storyville
Orange Juice - You Can't Hide Your Love Forever
Neil Young (1st)
Cowboy Junkies - The Caution Horses
Teardrop Explodes - Wilder

I could go on....

Overrated? OK Computer, Sgt Pepper, Summer In Paradise (if anyone has ever had a good word for it then its overrated...), Harvest (in comparison to the rest of his 70's work that is...), Coldplay (all), Oasis's 1st two (in the UK anyway, I like them but not MORE than Who Sell Out or VU & Nico....), The Stone Roses (again, in the UK they are seen as being important and great. Sometimes my countrymen get it TOTALLY wrong.)

I shall go on tomorrow after I've suffered much abuse....

I totally agree.  It puts Forever Changes and especialy Odessey and Oracle to shame.  An awesome album that is pretty, funny, and relentless.  The obscurities of the 60s have already come back and been milked to death.  When the hated albums by popular groups (Satanic Majesties, Smiley Smile) come back in style, this will be so huge.  Then people will talk about the Zombies like you talk about Sgt. Pepper.

They Might Be Giants -- Apollo 18 (has some fans, but not a lot)

Frank Black/Black Francis -- everything after Doolittle

The Damned -- Music for Pleasure

PiL -- anything after, mostly, Metal Box.  I need to dig in, too.

The Clash -- Sandinista! (it has its fans here, actually.  But still.  Drop the first album for this one.)

The Flaming Lips -- Clouds Taste Metallic

The Buzzcocks -- anything besides Singles Going Steady

XTC -- Mummer.  This is like the Damned album.  The production sounds wrong for it, but when you get into it, it makes sense.  Good songs.

Crass -- Penis Envy  Just because more people need to get the message.

Talking Heads -- True Stories, Naked

Beck -- One Foot in the Grave  Some gems.

Prince -- Parade, Around the World in a Day, Emancipation

Great calls, guys.
Music For Pleasure is a perfect example.

Plush's two full-lengths (not counting "Underfed"), "More You Becomes You" and "Fed," are both reprehensibly underrated. Every lover of ornate pop should own "Fed"; it's a masterpiece.

Also, the five albums Ho-Hum recorded between 1999 and 2003 -- "Massacre," "Landau Zeal," "Funny Business," "Near and Dear" and "Fear of High Rollin'" -- are astoundingly brilliant and will floor you utterly. Wilco listens to this band on their tour bus, and they blow Wilco away, imo. Too bad Ho-Hum won't promote their albums beyond their home state of Arkansas.

Holy sh*t! O&O isn't to be screwed with! I do agree with you on it being better that Pepper and Forever Changes however. Just gotta show my love for my 2nd favorite record ever.

My underated albums:
Days Of Future Passed - The Moody Blues
Nursery Cryme - Genesis
PG III/Melt - Peter Gabriel
Don't Believe The Truth - Oasis

And I couldn't agree with you more on 'Instant Replay' Ian. Very underated in my opinion.

HELL yes.

UNDERRATED
Sparks - "Kimono My House"
The Doors - "The Soft Parade"

OVERRATED
The Beatles - "Rubber Soul"
Frank Sinatra - "Sinatra Christmas Album"

Soft Parade is a brilliant, brilliant choice. It's only prejudice among pop fans against The Doors' music, and Doors fans reacting against the pop tendencies of the record, that make this such a disliked and unappreciated work.

I forgot to mention 'Duke' by Genesis as well.

Good, fun thread. I'll be sober tomorrow and really post. But Tom Waits' Alice comes to mind as underrated. I hate to say it as it blasts through my bedroom door at me, but NMH's Aeroplane (one of my favorite albums, and among my top 5 ever, probably) might be overrated. F u cking hipsters wreck everything.

I'll use my sober brain tomorrow for real thinking.

Soft Parade is defenitley under-rated and it's defenitley not all lush pop. None of Morrison's songs are orchestrated. Shaman's Blues is pretty dark and Wild Child has a great groove. These songs should much more recognized than they are. One shame about The Soft Parade is that Easy Ride closes side one when that spot really should have gone to the Wishful Sinful b-side Who Scared You. Who Scared You should have been on the album and Easy Ride should have been the b-side.

Sherriff, I'll tell you this, the American Rubber Soul is the way to go on that album.

I'm tempted to say the entire decade of the eighties is underrated, musically. I see alot of people look back as if nothing was going on, but I've always thought it wasn't far behind the sixties if you knew where to look. (Alot of it very much inspired by the sixties, so maybe that's why I like it so much.) REM, The Smiths, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Bangles, Prince, Tom Waits, Kate Bush... I won't even start, I could go on forever.

For some reason though, whenever I hear "underrated" the first thing that pops into my head is "Colour By Numbers" by Culture Club. Not a "cool" record at this point in time, but better than everyone remembers.

Oh, and Doug Yule is underrated, both in and out of the Velvets.

He's right, y'know.
Colour By Numbers is great.

Its that topic again, where I get to mention....

GENUINE IMITATION LIFE GAZETTE- The Four Seasons

 ;)

underrated -

1) Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - the incredible string band
-the freakiest album of all time. but written out of history for being hippie folk wierdos.

2) ballad of easy rider - the byrds
- the loveliest album ever. dont care if there arent many original tracks, neither has sweetheart of the rodeo.

3) goats head soup - rolling stones
-the start of the rot? my favourite stones album so far

4) zinc alloy and the hidden riders of tomorrow - t.rex
- love it. its totally insane.

5) sgt pepper - the beatles.
- come on, you know this is their best album and not revolver.

GIOMH - not a great album but still completely unfairly trashed by many.

LL Cool J - Bigger and Deffer (is this my guilty pleasure?)  I thought early LL Cool J, certainly his first two albums, was much better and cleverer than the much more hyped and fashionable Public Enemy and I saw both acts live in (the same) concert at the time.   Nowadays, of course, LL no longer worth bothering with.

 

OVERRATED:
- basically everything by the Rolling Stones
- Sgt. Pepper
- Wish You Were Here

UNDERRATED:
- Pet Sounds (to the large public)
- New Adventures In Hi-Fi
- GIOMH

I actually think Pet Sounds is extremely over-rated.. everyone says how amazing it is all the time (the general public doesn't know anything, by the way; ask a random person on the street what band did Exile on Main Street, for example, I doubt they'd be able to tell you).. I think my Amazon.com review sums up my ideas on it:

Under-rated - Janis Ian's very first album, written and performed, I think, by her when she was 16 in 1967 and produced by George 'Shadow' Morton of Shangri-Las fame and it shows.  Imagine a Shangri-La who has grown up a bit and has moved on from just thinking about boys to poetry, literature, Dylan and politics and you've got an idea what this sounds like.  Seemingly quite unavailable nowadays, so if that's not being under-rated I don't know what is.  A great album.

For an album you consider over-rated that's a pretty favourable review.  If it means so much to you, if you listened to it over and over, gazing at the sea etc.  that would indicate to me that there is something pretty great about the content of the record itself.

Not only is New Adventures in Hi-fi underrated I also think REM's last one 'Around the Sun' was unfairly reviewed when it was released. I think it's a fine album.
I think most of REM's output since 'Automatic for the people' has been a little overlooked, especially the ones released after Bill Berry left. I think they are all great albums, with New Adventures the pick of the bunch for me.

Underated:

REM's "Monster" rocked.  Crunchy, loud - pure Peter Buck in his Spector wall-of-sound phase.
Ocean Colour Scene - Mosely Shoals - very 60's influenced
CSNY - 4 Way Street
Seal - IV
Police - Synchronicity (everyone likes "Ghost" and "Zmm bada" or whatever it's called)
RHCP - By The Way

Overrated:

Anything by The Eagles, Dave Matthews & Jimmy Buffett
Nirvana - Nevermind (more of a statement and indicator than an album - In Utero was 100x a better album)
Anything by Sting (minus Blue Turtles)
RHCP - Californication

It's just an emotional memory connection thing, you know? Pet Sounds, Revolver, Californication, and a compilation called "Pure Funk" were the only CDs I had at one point, and while at my beach house I would listen to Pet Sounds the most because I figured it made sense because it was by the Beach Boys. If anyone only have four CDs, I'm pretty sure they're going to have warm memories attached to at least one of them. I mean, sure Pet Sounds is good, but not good enough to be the second-best album of all time! As stated in the review, I don't even consider it the second-best Beach Boys album.

Overrated
Anything by REM
Most things by Radiohead

Underrated
Goats Head Soup
Reprise Sinatra

You've got that right about Radio head!  I've listened to Kid A and OK Computer a few times...just couldn't see the big hoo-haa about it. 

Pablo Honey is good if you want to stab yourself in the neck with a No. 2 pencil.   Only cool thing on it is the guitars.

Only thing I've ever liked from them is "High And Dry" on The Bends.

Yeah.  And I wouldn't call Nevermind underrated, but I don't think it's overrated anymore, either.  Most fans love slamming it, but it's the funniest album.  It's stupid to put it down to praise In Utero.  They're both great for different reasons.

Symphony or Damn by Terence Trent D'Arby is underrated

weezer - weezer (2001) aka The Green Album

Chris D. will prove this, someday.

Hell yeah, great album.

D'Arby came to my mind, too. I've only heard the first two albums, the first is excellent, the second pretty good. He looked like he was going to have a pretty significant impact on the decade, but then he kind of just faded away.
And I'll add my voice to the chorus for Goat's Head Soup. Where's the problem there? First time I heard it, I thought, "I must be missing something, this is really good."

Neil Young, "Silver And Gold".  Vastly underrated.

Ermmmm, The Beach Boys Love You? Smiley Smile? Summer In Paradise (kidding)?

Underrated:

One Year/Ennismore by Colin Blunstone
-I never see much about these solo efforts, but they are utterly jaw-dropping fantastic.  Blunstone's voice is in great form.  He's writing some great songs and the production by White/Argent is very tasteful.  Zombies fans should not overlook these releases.

Distant Shores by Chad & Jeremy
-A soft pop gem that is all too often ignored in favor of Wilson and Boettcher.  I love this group, but even I consider this album to be their peak.

Tim Hardin 1/Tim Hardin 2
-Again, these two records are mentioned so little (perhaps because they are out of print?) but are so fantastic.  Tim's songwriting is crisp, concise, and profound.  The songs that have been covered by other artists ("Reason to Believe," "If I Were a Carpenter) are here in superior versions.  And there are many others ("Lady Came From Baltimore," "How Can We Hang On to a Dream") that are unbelievable.  I love these records.

Pot Luck With Elvis
-This one seems to be overshadowed by Elvis is Back!, and I'm not sure I disagree with that.  But this record has some gems of its own to be discovered.  "Kiss Me Quick" is one of his all time great opening performances and "Suspicion" rocks harder than the Hitchcock film of the same name, but everything here is of a similarly high caliber.

Celebrations for a Grey Day/Reflections in a Crystal Wind by Richard & Mimi Farina
-If everyone who loves Dylan got turned on to these released, my world would be infinitely happier.  Farina's approach to folk songwriting is unique, and as a consequence he avoids the Dylan imitation pitfall (well, most of the time ;)) that hurt many in this same time period.  But with songs like "Reno Nevada," "Hard-Loving Loser," "House Un-American Blues Activity Dream," and "Pack Up Your Sorrows," coupled with Mimi and Richard's wonderful vocal blend, these are landmark releases.

Bleecker and MacDougal by Fred Neil.
-The Voice.  This guy's lower than lower than low voice would be enough.  But that makes the songwriting and guitar playing all the more special.  "Other Side of this Life," "Little Bit of Rain," "Handful of Gimme," " Blues on the Ceiling" - holy hell.  For this brief recorded moment in the 60s, Neil was equal to Dylan.  Maybe better.

Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!
-An essential purchase for the fan of the Chairman's Capital era.  Though not as highly regarded as Songs for Swingin' Lovers! and A Swingin' Affair!, it is every bit as essential.  Frank hits and swings as hard as ever here.  And the renditions of the Cole Porter songs are amazing.

"...I also think REM's last one 'Around the Sun' was unfairly reviewed when it was released. I think it's a fine album."


I don´t want to turn this into a R.E.M.-thread, but...

I actually think it´s one of their best, maybe even THE best. Because it´s probably their most cohesive record. There´s not one filler on it or a track that doesn´t fit. Even "Automatic" had it´s "Ignoreland". And I have the feeling that the lyrics are the best Michael has ever written. I mean...

It´s easy to dismiss the "what´s it all about"-crowd /
there is no doubt, it´s this, here, now...

(sits back, waits for Ian to wake up on the West Coast, waits for inevitable Elvis picture post)

Me too, brother. Me too.  ;D

I really disagree with you here, I think the albums not bad exactly but their best? I have serious reservations about that statement, I think the album is non-offensive soft rock for the most part, there is little to no of the spark that I associate with REM, I really like about half of it, the half that seems like it's following on from Reveal, but the other half is pretty hard to stomach for me. It's really bland and repetitive, Aftermath is one of the worst songs they've done I think. There just seems to be a conscious effort to go back to more Automatic For the People type music, when they really should have just gone on with their journey, they were doing great, Up and Reveal are two of my favourite albums, theyre exciting, hypnotic and brilliant examples of ambient pop music, Around the Sun sounds like REM imitating REM, which is always a bad idea. The album sounds forced I guess, it's the first time I've really disliked his voice and delivery of the material, there are some really great tracks on there though, I love Electron Blue which sounds like a Reveal outtake, The Ascent of Man is good too, so is the last track, but there's a hell of a lot of filler or I dont care music in there too. It was unfairly held up as some sign of their down fall in popular music, which I seriously doubt it is, it's simply not up to their standards, it's not an incredibly bad album or anything, it's very pleasant and the fact that you like it so much means that theyre still connecting with people, just not me this time. I have high hopes for whatever they do next, I just hope theyll continue to be as daring as they were on Reveal and Up.

Isn't most REM inoffensive soft rock?


"Ignoreland" is cool.  "Nightswimming" needs to go.

You know, after the first few listens I would have totally agreed with you, Bugul. Boring, every song sounds the same etc. But then it grew on me. Not fast, but big (insert stupid joke). Yes, it´s probably not THE best. But it has far to many great moments to be considered bad in any form:

The mindblowing guitar-line in "The Outsiders", the "Dylan vs. Kraftwerk"-sound of "Final Straw". The lyrics of "Make It All Ok", nailing the confussion of a relationship. The pure joy of "Wanderlust". The pop-perfection of the chorus of "Leaving New York". The organ-solo and the YEAHS! in "Ascent Of Man"...

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. Like they say: To each their own.

"Ignoreland is cool."

Totally agree. It just doesn´t fit on the album.


"Isn't most REM inoffensive soft rock?"

Have you ever heard "New Adventures In Hi-Fi"? Or "Monster"? Or "Document"?

I get your point, I probably over emphasized when I was talking, I don't dislike the album, not in the least, and the tracks you mentioned I love, I love the chorus in Ascent of Man, it's brilliant. It may grow on me further, I hope it does, I guess I loved Up and Reveal so much that it was just kind of a let down by default.

I don't think all REM is inoffensive soft rock, because of what else is in with that admittedly over simplified statement, Monster is a good example, I think theres a hell of a lot of passion and energy in both Michael Stipe's performances and in the production and work of the band. The difference between REM and inoffensive soft rock is Michael Stipe and the quality of their material, which I think has been fairly consistent over the years of being of a very high quality. Up is anything but soft rock methinks, its a loving mesh of ambient soundscapes and extremely angsted vocal delivery. I just didnt get that same passion from Around the Sun.

Blind Melon -- "Soup"

Oingo Boingo -- "Only A Lad"

Anything by Laura Nyro.

Patti Smith Group -- "Radio Ethiopia"

Any Allen Toussaint-related material.

Steely Dan -- "Gaucho"

Down -- "NOLA"

Bob Dylan -- "Street Legal" and "Planet Waves"

David Ackles.

Shaq -- "Shaq Fu: Da Return"

The Grifters -- "Crappin' You Negative"

Magazine -- "Real Life"

What about "Drive"?  They're both about Bush.



That's just three albums, and yes I have heard all of them.  But a lot of their stuff is soft and since Mumbles isn't always easy to understand and his lyrics aren't always linear/straight forward then it's hard to be offended by his political statements.  You don't always get them.  I'm not knocking REM, but I think it's like bitching about a new acoustic Dylan track because it's acoustic.  REM has a lot to listen for, but I don't know why you'd really go to them to hear hard rock.  That's all I'm saying.

And Life's Rich Pageant is a lot more fierce than Document.  I used the production on Document to spay my dog.


I don't either, but a lot of it is.  Nothing wrong with that.


I have to agree here.  Conceptually it goes really far for them.  Not their best songs, but maybe their best package.

Good observation, Music Machine. But why couldn't BOTH songs exist on the album? I like "Who Scared You" AFTER "Easy Ride". Lyrically and musically, it fits; would've made a great closing song for Side A.

What do you think about a newly remastered EXPANDED Soft Parade CD, including "Who Scared You" placed right after "Easy Ride" and before "Wild Child", with liner notes and comments from Ray, Robby, and John?

I think it's perfect album as is, and I think Easy Ride is one of the poppiest tracks on the album. Who Scared You and alternate mixes and takes would be welcomed on a deluxe edition though.

Michael Nesmith - And the Hits Just Keep On Coming Blows away most of the seventies sensitive singer-songwriter stuff that actually sold. (Not underestimated around these parts, of course.)

Shane MacGowan - The Snake Shane rouses himself from his drunken stupor long enough to remind us that he is one of the finest songwriters of his generation. Most editions also include a version of the stunning "Haunted" (not as good as the Sid and Nancy version, though).

The Kit Kats - It's Just a Matter of Time 1967 album from the amazing Philadelphia baroque rock/sunshine pop/doo wop band. Virtually unknown outside the Philly tri-state area.

I was about to say (and am stil going to in fact) 'Pretty Much YOur Standard Ranch Stash' by Mike Nesmith - but I agree heartily about 'And the hits...' Both are now available in the UK on the same CD which is rather wonderful.

Also agree with the above comment about Fred Neil. Incredibly obscure and underrated. Despite the fact that it was a Fred Neil song that got me into Tim Buckley (Dolphins on OGWT), I didn't follow that up for over 25 years in seeking out more stuff by him. If you like Tim Buckley, go straight away and listen to some Fred Neil, and Bleeker and McDougal is a good place to start.

And finally RICHARD THOMPSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't anyone realise that this man is the greatest guitarist on the planet, a great song-writer and has made more good albums than almost anyone who started off in the 60's - he's certainly the only one still making really good albums almost every year. Rumour and Sigh is my favourite of his from recent times, but they are all good.

How about any of the first three Mothers of Invention albums ("Freak Out", "Absolutely Free" and "We're Only in It for the Money")

Money and Freak, not remotely underrated. Everyone knows those are great and they frequently show up in Best Of lists, including Rolling Stone's. Free, I'd say so.

Just because the critics know it doesn't mean the general public does.  Hell, Frank Zappa in and of himself will never get his due from the public.  It's incredible to me how many people know his name and have never heard his music.

Yeah, but you could say the same of Brian Wilson. The general public has never, does not, and will never know merda. Foda em.
The true believers, like you and me and the other folks on this board, know the deal.
Especially Charles LePage. Let's hear it for Charles.

Sgt Peppers - underated, you really think so... Its good but it aint nearly as good as revolver.. I just hear ppl singing the praise of Peppers all day long, sh*t it is considered the greastest rock album ever, I just think  that it is really bland in comparison to the hard rocking revolver....... but that is just me

xoxoxoxoo
suga

Yes, yes, yes... I agree on every point! How could I forget RT?

I saw him live again a few months ago, and he's still the greatest guitarist on the planet.

you bet sgt pepper is underrated!
everyone in the know "knows" that revolver, rubber soul and the white album are better.
its even reflected in top 100 albums list nowadays too.
where you used to get sgt peppers near the top, not anymore.

i just think it stands up the best as an album, rather than as a collection of songs.
revolver's individual songs are better, i think.
take any individual song off sgt pepper and it sounds a little lame.
but thats why its a good album - it only works as an album, it doesnt work in terms of individual songs.

i think sgt comes in for more criticism than praise nowadays.

Except in Rolling Stone's current Top 100 were it's Number 1 just like it was back in their Top 100 back in the late 1970s.  Otherwise, I agree - it's fashionable to diss Sgt Pepper these days in favour of Revolver (or Rubber Soul, White Album or Abbey Road). 

Chance,
you really should check out Symphony or Damn ...it's kinda like his Sign O the times.....and  easily his best album !!

The idea that anything concerning the Beatles is underrated seems kind of silly.


Except Ringo's drumming, of course.

Given the fact that Something/Anything?  is so universally adored, its predecessor" Runt-The ballad of Todd Rundgren" is almost never mentioned -maybe not under rated, but certainly under valued. Some days when i listen to it,  it blows "Something/Anything? " away.

I feel even stronger that A Wizard/A True Star is Todd's SMiLE. And the Todd double is incredible too.

yes, and yes.

And one gets a realing strong record from Side One of 'Initiation' plus Side Two of 'Faithful'...but the real under-rated/under-valued TR LP is 'Healing'...

Underated Part 3:

Yes - Tales From The Topographic Oceans.

Now, I know I might catch hell for that one, but it's got some very strong colorful musical moments.  Sure the lyrics are religious-based in a trippy sense, but I really don't pay attention to them.   Musically, it's very strong considering it's length.

Brian Wilson
Imagination
What I Really Want For Christmas

Syd Barrett
Barrett

Elvis
From Elvis Presley Boulevard

Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour

Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Ahhh some love for "Tales"   THANK YOU CTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love Relayer , too. I put "Gates Of Delirium" right up there with their best work.

that Sinatra and jobim album is very underrated  !!!..it's a GREAT album.

Ohh I love Syd Barrett....... Anybody seen the 12 min movie of him taking mushies?

xoxoxo
suga

Yep, I used to project that on the wall in this psych-jam band I used to have.

marcy playground /marcy playground way underated


poppies

xoxoxo
suga

Yeah, it is!!  I can safely say with all the confidence in the world that it is my favorite.   That's a tough thing to do...but I'm sure...I love it.  It's THE album for me.

and is if to prove my point about Sgt Pepper is this list i just found on another website about NME's top 100 british albums.

01) The Stone Roses - S/T 1989
02) The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead 1986
03) Oasis - Definetly Maybe 1994
04) Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks 1978
05) Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
06) Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish 1993 *
07) Pulp - Different Class 1995
08) The Clash - London Calling 1979
09) The Beatles - Revolver 1966
10) The Libertines - Up The Bracket 2002
11) Radiohead - The Bends 1995
12) The Specials - S/T 1979
13) The Verve - A Northern Soul 1995
14) David Bowie - Hunky Dory 1971
15) Primal Scream - Scremadelica 1991
16) Dexy's Midnight Runners - Searching For The Young Soul Rebels 1980
17) The Streets - Original Pirate Material 2002
18) Franz Ferdinand - S/T 2004
19) The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come 1987
20) The Beatles - Rubber Soul 1965
21) Muse - Absolution 2003
22) Super Furry Animals - Radiator 1997
23) New Order - Technique 1989
24) Pet Shop Boys - Please 1986
25) The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society 1968
26) The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow 1984
27) Polly Harvey - Dry 1992
28) Nick Drake - Bryter Layter 1970
29) Led Zeppelin - II 1969
30) Suede - S/T 1993
31) Massive Attack - Blue Lines 1991
32) The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle 1968 *
33) Coldplay - Parachutes 2000
34) The Jam - All Mod Cons 1978
35) Radiohead - OK Computer 1997
36) The Beatles - S/T 1968
37) Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible 1994
36) Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space 1997
39) Ride - Nowhere 1990
40) Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner 2003
41) Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love 1985
42) The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy 1985
43) The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. 1972
44) Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures 1979
45) The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free 2004
46) Pulp His 'N' Hers 1994
47) The Libertines S/T 2004
48) Elastica - S/T 1995
49) The Who - My Generation 1965
50) The La's - S/T 1990
51) Billy Bragg - Talking With The Taxman About Poetry 1986
52) Madness - One Step Beyond 1979
53) The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed 1969
54) Morrissey - Vauxhall & I 1994
55) Bloc Party - Silent Alarm 2005{In the text this reffered to as a self titled album}
56) Portishead - Dummy 1994
57) The Cure - The Head On The Door 1985
58) Suede - Dog Man Star 1994
59) The Clash - S/T 1977
60) The Human League - Dare! 1981 *
61) Echo and The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain 1984
62) Saint Etienne - Fox Base Alpha 1991
63) David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars 1972
64) Gang Of Four - Entertainment! 1978
65) Radiohad - Kid A 2000
66) Elvis Costello - This Year's Model 1978
67) Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head 2002
68) The Pretty Things - SF Sorrow 1968 *
69) Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure 1972
70) Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription 1987
71) Buzzcocks - Love Bites 1978
72) Joy Divison - Closer 1980
73) Kasier Chiefs - Employment 2005
74) Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation 1994
75) Tricky - Maxinquaye 1995
76) Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time 1997
77) The Beta Band - The 3 E.P.s 1998
78) Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 1992 *
79) Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque 1991
80) Black Sabbath - Paranoid 1970
81) Antony and The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now 2005
82) The Happy Mondays - Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches 1990
83) Wire - Pink Flag 1977
84) Redskins - Neither Washington Nor Moscow... 1974 *
85) ABC - The Lexicon of Love 1982
86) George Harrison - All Things Must Pass 1970
87) The Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake 1968
88) Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman 1993
89) Blur - Parklife 1994
90) Supergrass - I Should Coco 1995
91) The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace 1985
92) Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory? 1995
93) Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets 1974*
94) The Futureheads - S/T 2004
95) Julian Cope - Jehovahkill 1992
96) Adam and The Ants - Kings of The Wild Frontier 1980 *
97) Led Zeppelin - IV 1971
98) Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me 2001
99) Patrick Wolf - Lycanthropy 2004
100) Derek and Clive - (Live) 1976

i looked at that about 5 times trying to find it, but nope! sgt pepper aint there.
neither is any string band.
or the quo.
outrage!

I agree about Ringo Starr's drumming being underrated. Every drummer at the conservatory I go to slams him, but to me he's perhaps the most effective efficient drummer ever, he just does what fits, nothing more, but isn't that enough?

Every Paul McCartney album between 1970 and now has been underrated, except for Band On The Run. Paul McCarney is possible the most constant artist ever, you really can't go wrong with any of his albums; they all have a certain charm and at least a handfull of great great songs!

Absolutely!!!!! I always thought it was his sound on the kit that put them through.  Solid and ballsy.  There's even a slice of funk on it - I likes it dirty.  Ringo was/is a GREAT drummer.  So too was Nick Mason, juicy sense of swing.  You GOTTA have that swing, ladies.  Nick and Ringo, both are two truely underrated foundations.

Sadly Yorick, you'll find that level of snobbery all over the "institutes of higher learning."  But that's alright.  That's what makes them stink...and the goods ones raw!  :D  Learn what'cho can and get the F out!!

;D
Seriously, the filter is going bananas. Changing "bish" to "cadela"?

New gold Dream (81-82-83-84) by Simple Minds is a very underrated album . It has a Roxy music-ish feel to it
i have the vinyl which was Gold with purple flecks thruout ...very cool looking . i actually used it once as a background in a photo shoot.

Nick Mason prior to Dark Side Of The Moon was a killer drummer.  Lots of fills, cymbal hits, great energy, etc.

Soon as DSOTM came out...it's been really nothing but ride-ride-ride-TAP-ride-ride-ride-TAP

Ummagumma is the most underrated album ever after Smiley Smile.

I'd say More.

now, perhaps now, o&o is a darling. but, when i was a senior in high school (1979) and doing cc radio shows, i did a zombies week. quite a few teachers came up to me and told me it was kool, but *none* of the kids got it. they certainly would never get majesties request...well, maybe 2000 light years. they got blondie, though...sort of. o&o is the epitome of underrated when you're the only kid in school spinning it. even in 2006, it's still event horizon to the masses obscure.

 I cant listen to Ummagumma it scares me...(mushrooms runied that album for me) But I love the list of  NME's top 100 british albums. I am very very very happy with most of the records on there, well damn near all of them.....

xoxox
suga

Actually I have HUGE issues with the NME list - so many that I didn't think it was even worth commenting on. Anyone who thinks the Libertines have made an album that is better than - lets say Who's Next - (strangely omitted from even the 100) is living in a parallel universe I don't want to visit. But hey, it's their NME now, I stopped buying it in about 1990 - and I hated the Stone Roses even then!

Exactly, Alan.

Good point.  When I think of Nick Mason's drumming -- I'm thinking about the early stuff, too -- Pompeii, mainly.  Such good stuff there.  I think Dark Side has some good energy but certainly not much after that.

Get Happy by Elvis Costello is a very underrated album ..no one ever seems to mention this one .in my opinion it's his best !

Whoa there, people. TUSK, obviously, is the most underrated album in the history of music. Fact.

Oh, and I agree with Chris on Prince's Parade.

To my ears, Nick Mason on Ummaguma sounds like Keith Moon at times and at other points sounds like Bill Buford (Larks Tonguein Aspic).

In other words, a lot of range and talent.

Astronomy Domine Rocks!!

He sounds a lot like Pepper-era Ringo to my ears.

i Think "come" is Prince's most underrated album....it was kinda of a let down when i bought it, but over time song's like "Space", "papa", "Dark" ,"race" and "Pheromone " are just too fonky and over time they seep into the corner's of your mind.  the only downfall of this album is he decided to puy Letitgo ( which is actually a very autobiographical  song) into the album to please WB for a more commercial sound.
and if you ever hear the long version of "Race" it's even better !!.i just feel because this album came out before the Excellent Gold Experience  it get's overlooked. also the original version of "come is better than what's on here , you gotta wonder if he overproduced the title song again to please WB???

The Beatles:
With The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour

The Rolling Stones:
The Rolling Stones (1964 Debut)
Aftermath
Their Satanic Majesties Request

Pink Floyd:
A Saucerful Of Secrets
The Final Cut

The Beach Boys:
20/20
Carl And The Passions: So Tough
L.A. Light Album
The Beach Boys (1985)

Syd Barrett:
The Madcap Laughs
Barrett

Fleetwood Mac:
Fleetwood Mac (1968)
Then Play On

That's all I can think of for now.

Absolutely, probably the most criminally underated/ignored musician on the planet. His albums are never less than superb. His latest is probably a career high point. Probably the best album released last year. The guitar playing and songwriting is out of this world.

EVERY AC/DC album that's neither Back In Black or Highway To Hell

Every Beach Boys album that's neither Pet Sounds or SMILE

Even SIP? :p

Hmmmmmmm, well I guess ...... yeah..... since it's long gone past the point of being overly trashed!

Ram is one album that started out completely underrated and now is pretty universally accepted as a classic.  Wild Life is so completely underrated that once again it's out of print on CD.  But it has some quite outstanding songs, like Tomorrow and Dear Friend.  And IMHO, most of what the Tom Tom Club has been doing for thirty years can be found in Wild Life's cover of Love Is Strange.

Good mention with 'Wildlife' by McCartney, that was one of the first albums of his I got into as a kid. Still sounds good to me now that I'm older. I guess it has some throwaways, but it's a fun album.

A lot of Motown acts have some underrated/under appreciated albums. In particular my favorite Motown group, The Temptations, have "With A Lot O Soul", "Cloud Nine" and "All Directions", those three are absolute classics. People know some of the songs on those albums, but don't realize that even the album tracks are awesome.

David Ruffin, former lead singer of the Tempts, had quite a few solo albums that didn't do well chart wise but are also amazing. Check out 'David' (unreleased until 2004, recorded from 1969-1971), and 'My Whole World Ended'. I actually like his voice and his solo work more than most of Marvin Gaye's stuff in the 70's (though that of course is also quite good).

Colin Blunstone - One Year

Overated: Anything by Coldplay. Don't know why but I just don't "get" it...

Underated : Genesis - And Then There Were Three...
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk

I wouldn't call "Spilt Milk" underrated.  It is beloved and considered an all time great album by most people who have heard it.  "Underplayed" is more like it.

From what I've seen people don't like it, maybe I just read the wrong things about it.. Didn't know it was even considered a great by anyone...  I love it!

if it makes you feel any better, I hate it!  ;D

"A Wizard, A True Star" by Todd Rundgren is incredibly underrated.

One of my favourite albums ever. Saw him perform it in its entirety.

Kasim Sultan rocks.