Well, I do think Kanye is overrated, but for an entirely different reason. I actually like his music -gasp!-, but I'm so sick of people going around shouting "He's a music genius! GENIUS!!" I get enough of that from Kanye himself, I don't need his most hardcore fans doing it too. Plus, this has spiked since the whole "BEST OF ALL TIME!" incident and the flack he got for it. Ok, we get it, you're supporting your idol at a time when everyone's portraying him in a negative light, and I understand, but really, tone it down a bit! Plus, the will fight to the death with anyone who even implies that perhaps he isn't the greatest musician / rapper ever or that perhaps he should learn to behave himself in public. I guess this rant isn't so much about Kanye himself (at least, not as an artist), but his obnoxious fans. They're just as bad as those twilight freaks...
Overrated: Old Beatles. I love the beatles, and in particular Sgt. Pepper's and Abbey Road, but I have trouble enjoying the first few albums. to me it sounds like every other band of the era. There were a few decent songs from that time, but in general.... meh
edited 26th Aug '10 8:57:56 PM by johntheChristian
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of usJustin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers are not overrated, they're getting far more attention than they actually merit; neither are all that popular with music critics as far as I can tell.
...
Well, a trip to Wikipedia proved me wrong about critics and Justin Bieber. What is this teen idol-fellating world coming to? Oh well, at least it still proved me right about the Jonas Brothers.
Overrated:
Muse: I remember when this guy, I used to know him in high school, he worshipped this band before they got popular. Some of their stuff is cool and funky, but after Twilight I can't stand some of their best recent stuff because it shows me once and for all the sort of popular kids who liked this band all along, rather than Hype Backlash.
The Velvet Underground/Nico's album with the banana on the cover, forget what it's called but really people only say they like it to look cool. People who actually like it, like my twin brother, tend to keep a lot quieter about their musical tastes.
The Sex Pistols: Yeah, I'm a fan, but if there's anything Spoony ever taught me is that blind worship of something kinda sucks. They only recorded one album and said album is played-out by each generation that discovers it. A true historical monument, but sadly I have to say as a fan of punk rock at beginner level that even Siouxie and the Banshees had better punk stylings, as did The Ramones.
Nirvana: OH GOD, Nirvana. I went through a phase that didn't even amount to me buying a Cobain tee shirt and worshipping the guy, but I never really saw him as some sort of god. That's Osamu Tezuka's job - who I respect all the more for not-killing-himself-leaving-behind-a-kid but instead dying of stomach cancer at a youngish but ripe old age of sixty. I reckon that Nirvana is only popular as it is because of the mythology of Cobain that makes his music have a dark mystique to it. The music is kinda good for the time, but there were better bands who didn't get the exposure he did.
Underrated:
Igor Stravinsky: Seriously, this guy could have been a serious film music composer if he lived today. "The Firebird" is an awesome epic, but Rite of Spring may well have caused The Riot of Spring on its release in a way that even Eminem couldn't provoke with his lyrics offending people these days. Stravinsky may well be one of my favourite classical composers.
The Ink Spots: You know the theme song to Fallout3, and the original Fallout too? These guys were responsible for that. It's a damn tragedy that years after the original members died their only memory for people will be their music being Soundtrack Dissonance for the end of the world in a video game - their music deserves better because it's really classy, happy old school 1930s-40s music. Share The Ink Spots with your music loving friends FORGREATJUSTICE.
Lesser: Electronica that's kind of sorta chiptunes but sort of not. Kind of avant-garde music but I like it, it's not doof-doof electronica that gives me a reason not to go on a pub crawl with my mates, EVER. Or even remain in a bar or club for more than five minutes without me wanting to leave. Lesser is far more restrained than that, you can listen to him at home without your ears being blasted.
Tiny Tim: Tiptoe Through The Tulips is NOT his only song. And he had more than one good song cover as well. Another old timey Rennaisance guy.
Leonard Cohen: Songs of Love and Hate, buy the album, listen to it, live it, love it. I'm Your Man is a much happier album if that's your bag.
Nick Cave: Murder Ballads, And No More Shall We Part. Listen to 'em.
Hell Hasn't Earned My TearsI'm not flaming, and I don't intend to start a flame war, but I disagree regarding Nirvana.
I am a Nirvana fan, and honestly other Nirvana fans irritate me for the same reasons you mentioned. But the music is incredible. In the context it was written, it was (along with GNR) the second coming of dirty, emotional angsty rock. Now those are all cliches, but they weren't at the time; it was revolutionary. Nirvana Blended punk, metal and pop in such a way most people didn't even think was possible at the time. Kurt Cobain was by no means a God, a prophet or even a good musician. But Nirvana made Damn Good Rock Music.
Even if one does not like Nirvana, it has to be admitted that the band shaped what came after in a similar way to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Metallica Before them.
(Btw, Foo Fighters is an infinitely better band as much as I like Nirvana.)
(PLEASE NO ONE TURN THIS INTO A FLAME WAR, AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH RESPECT AND KINDNESS)
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of usUnderrated: Five Iron Frenzy. I know they are Christian Rock and only recorded on an Indie Label, but the sense of humor, valid Criticisms of not only those they disagreed with, but their own subculture and a relatively unique take on third wave Ska make them one of my all time favorite bands.
Also, the entire Trip Hop genre. I would honestly turn my radio to a trip hop station and listen for hours if one existed.
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of usThey do, just, only online.
Underrated: The KLF/The Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu/The Timelords: They're pretty much remembered solely for "Doctorin' the Tardis", the only logical reason for their underexposure I can think of, is that they deleted their catalog, making the actual physical albums hard to find.
Overrated: A good 90% of Indie Bands, and really, any subculture or culture like that. Also applies to Top 40, ironically enough. Nthing Nirvana, especially since the far better Grunge bands are overlooked because "KURT COBAIN WAS MURDERED, LULZ" I also hate the fact that Nirvana fans hate British Nirvana, because how dare a band that existed 30 years earlier steal the name of their precious prophet's band?
edit: fucking spellchecker making my posts incomprehensible.
edited 28th Aug '10 5:48:10 PM by SpainSun
I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....I would agree there are better Grunge bands, but IMO, Nirvana dropped grunge pretty early on. I honestly believe Nirvana is only called grunge because of where their roots were. Nevermind and In Utero had touches of classic Grunge, but I would argue they were more general alternative rock albums, and only Bleach actually qualifies as grunge.
BTW, Cobain offed himself with a shotgun. The whole murder thing is ridiculous. I actually feel sorry for the woman who shall not be named as i fear trollage.
And I hereby promise to stop discussing nirvana in this thread before i look like a fanboy.
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of usAmongst Christian Rock I definitely feel Stryper is overrated. I do admit to not liking Hair metal in the first place, but to be honest i'd much rather listen to Def Leppard if I have to listen to hair at all.
Any Hair fans wish to weigh in on this?
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of usOverrated:
Aphex Twin.
The Beatles.
Radiohead.
Kanye West.
Autechre.
Wu-Tang Clan.
Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax.
Nirvana.
Iron Maiden.
Kid Cudi.
Underrated:
Dream Theater (among critics, not their rabid fanbase)
Plaid.
edited 28th Aug '10 9:57:39 PM by Neccy60
http://www.last.fm/user/BlueGhost60Overrated: Seconding Oasis and Muse. Especially the latter. I'm sick of hearing about them, especially since they're from very near my home town so I've been listening to people rattle on about how awesome they are for nigh on a decade. While we're on overrated British bands - The Libertines and freakin' Kasabian. I know Kasabian have fans on here so I'm not going to vent my spleen too much, but how they gained any sort of critical or popular acclaim I shall never fathom.
Underrated: Stamping all over my hipster credentials, there are quite a few bands I listen to that I think deserve to break into the mainstream - The Shins, Field Music, Fanfarlo, St. Vincent and, most recently, Everything Everything all make music that deserves to be popular, and the only reason I can think that they're not is that the artists themselves aren't aiming for the big time. But I guess that's a good thing.
On the '90% of indie bands' thing - Unfortunately it's part of the nature of the scene; the constant search for new bands and the subsequent consigning of last year's/month's exciting new thing to the trash heap of irrelevancy, or looking down on those bands that do make it big. It's perfectly possible for a band to be called both over and under-rated within the space of a year. To be honest, it's incredibly frustrating. Also, it doesn't help that any bunch of cretins with guitars can set up a myspace and immediately come under scrutiny from indie bloggers, whereas the 90% of failures in all other genres, thankfully, never get a look-in.
Listen to Music with Tropers at The Troper Turntable!Overrated: Justin Bieber. He sounds and looks 12, but he's supposedly 16. THAT IS NOT NATURAL! Besides that, his music is generic at best. I've seen it done better.
Also, Miley Cyrus. People give her too much credit. She doesn't write ANY of it to my knowledge and even if she did, it's nothing special.
Underrated: MC Lars. I love him because he actually puts that English degree to good use. "Hey There Ophelia" is basicly Hamlet in modern english. And it's awesome on top of that!
We're going to spread this shit like Nutella.Overrated: Whatever the most popular artist is now(Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, etc). In terms of how bad they are, they are bad, but they're not the friggin devil and they're definitely not going to "kill" music(whatever the hell that means). This has been around for a long time and will be around for a long time to come. Also the people that vocally hate this kind of stuff are nearly as rabid as the fans of the band they hate so much.
Underrated: Porcupine Tree's early work. Seriously I friggin love Signify and The Sky Moves Sideways, and yet no one ever really talks about anything except In Absentia and Fear Of A Blank Planet. It's really good prog/ambient.
edited 7th Sep '10 11:12:14 PM by iamathousandapples
"I could eat a knob at night" - Karl Pilkington

What it says.
I don't have a opinon since I don't listen to music that much, but don't just something like Justin Bieber & Jonas Brothers, just because their music is popular with young people. Actual musicians who get notice.
Don't use Kanye West automically because of his "BEST OF ALL TIME" incident. And if you do have valid points about how he's overrated, don't call him a gayfish. You sound crude, and immature.