Over at the PJ site, Chris Queen has a list of his 10 most overrated bands/musicians.
My take on his selections:
10. Imagine Dragons — never heard of them, nor a single one of their songs.
9. Nirvana — I liked Smells Like Teen Bullshit Spirit, but the rest was lame. As was most Seattle grunge.
8. Maroon 5 — never heard of them, nor a single one of their songs.
7. Michael Jackson — agree. Great performer, but most of his music was awful airweight pop. Compare MJ to a genuine musician of the time like Stevie Wonder…
6. Rolling Stones — world’s most successful garage band. Jagger’s pouting and preening was gay back in the 1960s, and it’s just embarrassing now.
5. The Doors — I don’t think they’re overrated. Jim Morrison, despite having a great voice, was just terrible: immature, unreliable, self-centered. But Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek were among the best musicians of the time, and for a three-piece band? Brilliant sound.
4. Bruce Springsteen — most overrated musician on the list. Like The Doors, the other musicians (his E Street Band) are brilliant, however.
3. Florida Georgia Line — never heard of them, nor a single one of their songs.
2. Green Day — posturing punks. Never understood the appeal. Ditto bands like R.E.M.
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival — I didn’t mind CCR, and I don’t think they’re overrated — certainly, they shouldn’t be at #1 on his Overrated Hate Parade. Not when there are bands around like U2 and soloists like Frank Sinatra.
Putting the egregious Creedence Clearwater Revival at #1 establishes the author as a man of taste.
Fogerty is the most effective clock radio wake up voice that I know. Can’t turn it off fast enough.
No shortage of good bands in the ‘60’s-‘70’s. Which was the best requires some slic’n & dice’n; Deep Purple and The Hollies were good. They both went beyond one-hit wonders while successfully crossing over a bit in style. That took some doing. Despite Neil Young’s howling, CSN produced time tested harmony. Picking a favorite at the end of the day, I have to go with (pre-Joe Walsh) the Eagles and the Doors. A bit of a tin ear so I can’t say much about other members contribution to any signature sound. Hands down that one belongs to Ray Manzarek. He’s right up there with Baby Cortez and Booker T and second only to J.S. Bach.
Out of the 10 bands groups/performers; I never came near planet MJ. Springsteen is BS. After fifty-plus years, any criticism of the Stones is the depth to which they continue doing the same thing …without missing a lick. Plus who can fault a band member with a wife younger than his grandchild? And CCR will forever be worth crank’n up the volume. Never heard of the five Unmentionables…must be on a planet far-far beyond MJ.
Thus ends another session of Tio Huayno’s watchmaking class.
I’d put Springsteen at the top of that list. Most overrated three-note-range hog caller I ever heard. He never sings – just yells, and I never understood the raves and honors he still gets.
I hate “lists” like this. Silly little gurlz airing their durty laundry.
Most over rated? Seriously? Rated by whom? Silly little gurlz, that’s whom.
Practically everything that has been released in the “popular” genre for the past 30 years has been over rated trash as far as I’m concerned. With only a few exceptions almost all music I listen to now, and always really, is more than 30 years old, and most of that 40 years old.
The exception to that rule is the Canadian power trio RUSH. For me they are the pinnacle, even their most recent stuff (they all retired 2 years ago). I don’t like all 176 of their songs, but I enjoy immensely about 100 of them. Even though I rarely listen to music any more as I find it very distracting, I have RUSH’s song on speed dial on all my digital methods. Recently I came across some old black n white videos of them playing in the studios in the mid 70’s and all 3 were absolute animals at their craft.
Meh. I was going to do a point-by-point analysis of the list, but I really can’t muster the energy. I like who I like, abhor who I abhor, and that’s that. Life is too short to…well, you know the rest.
I was okay with the list until #1. I’ve never heard anyone say CCR is overrated. I really like the grooves that bad would get into. I’d throw every hair band in the world into the list before CCR – including Motely Cru, the above mentioned White Snake.
REM turned out pretty awful, but if you’re ever bored, give “Reckoning” (1984) a quick listen. Their second full LP, still one of my favorites. It’s the same guy singing, though, and if you just can’t stand his voice, don’t bother.
Surprised not to see the Velvet Underground on that list. Another one I’m fond of, but maybe a leeeetle overhyped sometimes.
The E Street Band sound to me like they’re all playing to the same click in different rooms. They don’t gel, and they just get in each others’ way in the arrangements. Top notch musicians, maybe, but a third-rate band. IMO.
“…………………, despite having a great voice, was just terrible: immature, unreliable, self-centered. ” Honestly, you could probably insert almost ANY lead singers name into that sentence and not be wrong. DLR, Steven Tyler, Axl Rose, Ted Nugent, Jagger and a host of others. Of course, there are also examples of other band members suffering from the same disease. You could name a lead guitarist, drummer, bassist or keyboard player from any of dozens of famous bands. DLR wasn’t the only guy in VH with the illness. Some were that way prior to becoming famous, some became that way soon after. Fame, wealth, groupies, and fawning toadies tend to have that effect on a lot of folks. Look at Hollywood. Go figger, huh? Some of them grow out of it, some are unlucky enough not to have the chance. As for Morrison and the Doors, and his Lead Vocalist Syndrome (yeah, it’s a medical term ;-)) a huge part of it was caused by his raging alcoholism. But for all his faults, IMO the Doors music was probably some of the most influential of the time. Certainly the lyrics were like nothing before. The live performances were were like no other band at the time. Morrison was probably the greatest frontman, prior to Freddie Mercury.