[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/piero_5675.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Rated a solid 7/10.]]

->''"The fact that so many books still name the Beatles "the greatest or most significant or most influential" rock band ever only tells you how far rock music still is from becoming [[TrueArt a serious art]]."''
-->-- '''Piero Scaruffi''' on Music/TheBeatles

[[http://scaruffi.com/ Piero Scaruffi]] (born 26 April 1955) is an Italian cognitive scientist but also a [[http://scaruffi.com/service/about.html self-described]] [[RenaissanceMan author, poet, cultural historian, music historian, film historian, political commentator, visual artist, lecturer, software consultant and entrepreneur]]. He is recognized among internet music and film buffs for his [[ArchivePanic insanely comprehensive]] database that features biographies and ratings for [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill 8,000 musicians]], some hundred film directors, writers and visual artists.

In the blogosphere, he's infamous for, and [[{{Flanderization}} partially reduced]] on, his controversial essay about English rock band Music/TheBeatles (see opening quote). Because of his frequently contrarian opinions on otherwise acclaimed music, as well as his praise for more independent and experimental music, he has acquired a [[CultClassic cult following]] among internet music fans... for all the [[HePannedItNowHeSucks wrong reasons]]. For the same reason, some have cited American rock critic Lester Bangs as an influence on Scaruffi's approach to rock music. These claims, however, have never been confirmed by Scaruffi himself.

!!Tropes associated with Scaruffi:
* AuthorFilibuster: His essay on the Beatles.
* BilingualBonus: His website is largely written in both Italian and English. Sometimes the English version is only, however, a short summary rather than a full translation of the Italian text. Sometimes, instead, it is the other way around, with the Italian version being just a few lines or a shortened summary of the English text.
* BrokeTheRatingScale: He doesn't give ratings to far-out experimental, classical and jazz music.
* CausticCritic: And how.
--> '''Scaruffi:''' ''"Rock critics are often totally ignorant of the rock music of the past, they barely know the best sellers. No wonder they will think that the Beatles did anything worth of being saved."''
* CelebrityResemblance: He looks ''a lot'' like Creator/DanBrown.
* FourPointScale: Averted. He never gave a perfect score, and most of his ratings fall into the 5-7 range.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his polemic opinions and homophobia, he [[http://scaruffi.com/charity.html recommends charity]], is a Free-Tibet activist and has friends all over the world due to his extensive travelling.
* LargeHam: Subverted. His infamously pompous diction on his website and his Italian origin (see the clishee described in the LargeHam article) indicates that he could be quite hammy in RealLife, but he's actually quite a reserved guy as you can see in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwdOfx6lF_U his lectures]].
* LastNameBasis: Most people refer to him simply as ''Scaruffi''.
* OnlySaneMan: His attitude towards himself with respect to professional music criticism.
--> '''Scaruffi:''' "Rock critics are still blinded by commercial success."
--> '''Scaruffi:''' "The vast majority of critics are more interested in getting free promos from labels than in telling their readers the truth, and the best way to get on a label's mailing list is to help publicists sell the label's music."
* RenaissanceMan: He has considerable knowledge and reputation both as a neuroscientist and a cultural critic. Also as, aforementioned, a self-described poet and artist.
** It should be noted this term is sometimes used tongue-in-cheek by his fans to describe his broad database.
* RuleAbidingRebel: How he sees Music/TheBeatles. His beef with the Fab Four is that everyone proclaims how innovative they were while they stuck to standard pop song structures.
* SeriousBusiness: He compares Beatles' fans with religious fundamentalists.
* SmallReferencePools: Averted in rock music and jazz, where his taste is for the obscure, difficult, angsty and out-of-the-way, but played dead straight in his taste in classical music, which is remarkably conventional: for details, see [[https://factorysunburst.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/piero-scaruffi-and-truth/ here]].
* TheoryTunnelvision: His critics claim that he ignores evidence that doesn't support his opinions.[[note]]For example, part of his criticism of The Beatles is based on the fact that the Beatles played pop music, and Scaruffi thinks that pop music is a tool of capitalist oppression; whether or not you agree, this is perfectly logical and consistent. However, he goes on to claim that not only were the Beatles pop musicians, they were also generally considered by [[TheSixties their peers]] to be [[TheLoad mediocre and unimportant pop musicians]]. Let's just say that the historical record disagrees.[[/note]]