The Definitve List: Most Overrated Bands\Artists ever
 

Okay; so of course the title is a joke, there is no such thing as a definitive list on any subjective opinion based topic, still this is at the least the most music-banter influenced and among the most well researched compilations on the topic. In addition to scanning the 170 page MB thread and reviewing the results of a Google search, I asked, via email, the 10 people I know whose musical opinions I value most to send me their personal Top Tens.

With this thread I will first unveil the list and expose it to scrutiny from the merciless and knowledgeable collective conscious of the site to see how much or how little it resonates with y'all.

Following this i will periodically make an individual case against all the these artists based on their commercial success and the type of esteem and regard they are held in by today's music critics and creators. I will essentially try to tell you why they suck, well as least more then they are considered to.

This list will not include Led Zeppelin or The Beatles the two, in my opinion, greatest acts ever, despite the fact that they are both often considered highly overrated by their detractors. However I dismiss them as candidates based on the fact that I feel you can't be overrated if your the greatest ever and as I mentioned I believe they are the only two you can make a case for to wear that crown.

It also will not include bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, Joy Division or Sonic Youth to cite a few common ones here. Even though their most ardent fans could be accused of overrating them just as ZepHeads or Beatlemaniacs could, on the whole they are largely overlooked by the average music fan and thus can't be overrated to the extent nessacary to make this end all\be all list.

This list is a top 20, if it were one notch longer, it would have included Van Halen and I would have argued that never has a collection of such talented musicians written such lousy music ever before or since. And so it starts instead with number 20, right now, with one of my most personally painful and sure to be controversial selections and just gets better from there, without further adieu...

20. Radiohead - Please mark death threat emails Attn: JayJamJah so as not to frighten my children.

19. The Grateful Dead - "What'd mean it's only good if your high?"

18. Snoop Dogg - He has 1 1/2 decent albums and yet seems to have more disposable income and street cred then Richard Branson.

17. Coldplay - How are they even considered good enough to be overrated?

16. The Doors - Turns out were not all poets are we Jim?

15. The Eagles - Together we can annoy millions, but if we split up we can annoy billions.

14. Garth Brooks - That whole Chris Gaines things made me have to hide my "No Fences" CD. Chris Gaines, really, Chris Gaines?

13. John Lennon(post-Beatles) - Whatever, the music sucked.

12. Eminem - Why do good things happen to bad people

11. Kanye West - I'm sure he's upset he's not the winner.

10. The Rolling Stones - They have no right being included in the same sentence as the Beatles, Zeppelin and the Who, combined they never produced half the crap music the Stones have.

9. Nirvana - Not a PC thing to say, but if Cobain doesn't pull the plug they are remembered like Alice in Chains or Soundgarden at best.

8. 2 PAC - Similar to Nirvana, made legendary by the early demise. Not a great emcee nor does he have the track record of many lesser regarded acts.

7. Kiss - Name one person you know who still likes them.

6. Dave Matthews Band - They might have the worst fans ever.

5. White Stripes - If I can create the riffs your best known for on a Casio, I really don't need to hear how great your discography is.

4. Prince - It's so hard to tell when Prince recorded his music, it doesn't sounded dated at all.

3. Bruce Springsteen - I don't care what you say I've meet anyone who liked The Boss that wasn't borderline retarded or an @$$hole. This guy sucks.

2. U2 - They should be number one, I don't know one person who doesn't loathe them yet they are one of the biggest acts in the world. They top 75% of the online lists, they are constantly mentioned here as over rated. I only keep them at number two because of an incredible argument I heard against my actual title winner,

#1!!!!!!!!! Mariah Carey - Just wait until you see the case against.

I like U2. :)

I disagree with:
Radiohead, are they really overrated or do you just not like them?
2Pac-You niggas made a mistake
you shoulda never put my rhymes with Dre
them Thug niggas have arrived and it's Judgement Day
Hey Homie if ya feel me
Tell them tricks that shot me
that they missed
they ain't killed me
I can make a mutha****er shake
rattle and roll
i'm full of liquor
thug nigga
quick to jab at them ho's
and I can make ya jelous niggas famous
**** around with 2Pac and see how good a niggas aim is
i'm just a rich mutha****er from tha way
If this rappin' bring me money
then i'm rappin' till i'm paid
i'm getten green like i'm supposed to
Nigga, I holla at these ho's
and see how many I can go through
Look to the star
and visualize my debut
niggas know me, playa
I gotta stay true
don't be a dumb mutha****er
because it's crazy after dark
where the true Thug niggas see ya heart
Niggas Can't C Me....
Sure he's not a great MC technically, but he's got an incredible delivery, and all Eyes On Me stands as a landmark of everything Gangsta rap is and was. You could make a case for him being overrated, but really? That much?

I agree with all except - Doors, Radiohead, and maybe Grateful Dead.

You're among many. :|

As much as I enjoy a few of those artists I can agree that they're all over rated.

Layne Staley DID pull the plug. Where were you?

Good list. But where are the Beach Boys? Never before has a boy band been remembered as great.

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA

Ethan has the last laugh!!!

Whos Ethan? That name sounds familair

All these bands are overrated but I feel I should argue some of these even if they're obviously tongue in cheek. Some of these statements are shockingly ignorant.

I don't really feel the Doors are overrated. I think Jim Morrison is overrated, he wasn't even a good lyricist yet he's called 'An American Poet' or whatever the nick name is. I mean Krieger was an excellent guitarist who is hardly ever discussed and Manzarek could be the most underrated keyboardist ever. Musically they were extremely cohesive and solid yet all anyone cares about is the Lizard King which is bullshit seeing as Jim wasn't that great and he was a disgusting human being.

I don't think John Lennon's music post-beatles sucked, Imagine is iconic and Jealous Guy, Grow Old With Me, songs like those have a raw and simplistic beauty to them that the Beatles rarely touched. I mean sure you had alot of Woman is the ****** of the World dated political songs that didn't age well but all the Beatles were guilty of forgettable tracks during their solo career.

The Rolling Stones released a handful of great albums and were an extremely important band who deserve to be included in the same sentence as the Beatles, The Who and Led Zeppelin. Just because they didn't have a timely break up doesn't mean we should ignore every good thing they did for music.

Nirvana? Are you serious? You're aware how huge they were during their prime right? It was Nirvanamania, they were the biggest band in the world. If Kurt Cobain hadn't died he probably wouldn't have been elevated to the status he was elevated to that's it. Smells Like Teen Spirit alone had so much more impact and success than Alice in Chains or Soundgarden could've ever hoped for. That statement was totally stupid.

Well you certainly showed me...

no i think this showed you

You were saying the exact opposite like a week ago.

That's not even in response to my post. Yes, I changed my mind. Shocking.

if anything Kanye is underrated.

you know garbage about music. Only person who should be on the list is DMB.

seriously, I am ashamed you have the VU banana on your avatar. You are unworthy to be a fan.

My Thoughts.
I don't know whether The Doors, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones & Eminem could be considered overrated or not.(although i do kinda agree a bit with The Rolling Stones & Eminem)
The rest, I just haven't listened to enough to pass a comment.

Hehe good thread! Of course i don't agree with all of them but never mind. I want to see your statement on Mariah Carey. I don't see why she's number 1, i think it's an american thing, i don't think anyone really cares about her over here.

Dunno if you're joking or not, but why not argue your case?
Kanye West to me is a brilliant person to be there, style over substance, i for one am not going to be won over by his lazy sampling and massive claims.

20. Radiohead

Most Overrated Album: OK Computer, it's great but not their best.
Most Overrated song: Paranoid Android

As I hinted at in my intro, I didn’t like putting Radiohead on my list. They pop up occasionally online as overrated but rarely is any sort of compelling case made. It’s usually something like; “they suck, get over it”, this will not do. But after having some more thoughtful discussions with some more seasoned music minds, it became painstakingly clear that Radiohead were not only over rated but actually have redefined overrated in the modern era.

The problem is beyond the control of the band. They just continue to make consistently good music with innovative marketing, production and performances. They never claim to be great nor grandiose, they just make music. However they are the victims of an MTV culture. The problem for Radiohead is that it’s cool to like Radiohead. This sounds good on the surface but as you come to realize with age, a lot of times when you don’t like people, you don’t want them to like you either.

People who have listened to Karma Police three times (twice covered by some chick with an acoustic guitar) claim to be “huge” Radiohead fans. No one dares say Radiohead made a mediocre album, **Cough** Amnesiac **Cough**. When all is said and done they may not be overrated, but as for now they are very much overrated by people who have not even given them a fair listen and that lands them at #20, plus it’s a lot more controversial then most other choices I considered for this spot.

I'll give you my thoughts of your list (Including Van Halen)

21. Van Halen - I do find a delicious irony in the fact that everybody kisses Eddie Van Halens ass about how great a guitarist he is yet as soon as the guy who can't even hold a tune leaves the band they turn to shit. :laughing:
A perfect example as to why all these people who go on & on & on about the 'Technicality' of the guitarist are talking out of their asses.

20. Radiohead - A couple of years ago I would have said you were insane. Now i'd agree with you. I think it's obvious (to me anyway) Radiohead are on the slide. I'm not saying they're bad , far from it. I just think the last couple of albums have been average. I think they've become predictable which is always a bad thing when your known for taking risks. I know thousands will disagree but I think sometime over the next couple of albums they're going to release an absolute stinker of a record.

19. The Grateful Dead - Never heard a single song by them

18. Snoop Dogg - I see him as a celebrity more than anything. I don't think I can remember a single song by him.

17. Coldplay - Don't even get me started on this bunch of whinging public schoolboy bores.

16. The Doors - Solid band but Morrison gets far too much credit

15. The Eagles - URGH! 70s soft rock , My idea of rock n roll hell

14. Garth Brooks - File under nobody outside the U.S. gives a flying fuck

13. John Lennon(post-Beatles) - Don't really know enough to comment other than a couple of singles. He did Fame with David Bowie , that was alright.

12. Eminem - Churning out the same old shit since the late 90s. the AC/DC of hip hop.

11. Kanye West - Typical MTV pop rapper they all sound the same to me.

10. The Rolling Stones - Done with this subject.

9. Nirvana - I'm no Nirvana lover but to put them in the same bracket as shitty bland no hopers like Alice In Chains is just cruel.

8. 2 PAC - I liked a couple of singles of course the hero worship now he's dead is annoying but he did pave the way for a lot of artists. Shame most of them were crap though.

7. Kiss - I love it how people slag off Kiss and then say they like the New York Dolls. I'm going to be contoversial now and say I loved their disco period.
You're right though , couldn't care less about them now.

6. Dave Matthews Band - See 14

5. White Stripes - What's wrong with having simple riffs? How come nobody slags off Muddy Waters or Bo Diddley for the same reason?

4. Prince - Sounding timeless is a good thing as far as i'm concerned. He's released some real dross but he also made some of the best pop records ever. I think he's more than worthy of the credit he gets.

3. Bruce Springsteen - I've never been a fan of Americana or whatever it's called. Give me some blues or soul over this any day .

2. U2 - Should be number one

#1!!!!!!!!! Mariah Carey - What's the point in having a great voice if you sing mindless dross. Mind you it was kinda funny when she went mental. Wouldn't put her as number one because I can't actually remember anyone rating her , And I just ignore her anyway.

I will reply to this two issues quickly without discussing the bands in question as not to spoil future posts. But...I think nobody criticizes Muddy or Bo mostly because they get the innovator pass, something you can't give the Stripes, but that's more a punch line then the crux of my argument.

And I was being sarcastic about Prince his 80's stuff sounds so cheesy and dated to me, as much as I respect the diversity of your musical taste, this one blows my mind, it could be a fun debate when the time comes.

I give you credit for posting such a list and I know that you will have the knowledge to back it up. Here is my two- penneth:

I find it quite ironic that you won't put Led Zeppelin in yet they are one of the most overated bands of all time, however Ithink that was a little tongue in cheek from yourself.

20. Radiohead - They are media darlings but they are still an acquired taste and I know lots of people who don't like them. There is quite a lot of their output that I don't like but overrated? Not for me.

19. The Grateful Dead - I have only heard a couple of tracks and that was'nt enough to entice me into getting an album. They are not as big over here though.

18. Snoop Dogg - Used to be a pimp. Nuff said. The guy is a stain on rap.

17. Coldplay - The new album has signs of a band changing their direction slightly which is a good sign but apart from the track 'Sparks', I have never liked their safe 'dad rock'.

16. The Doors - Solid band but Morrison gets far too much credit (agrred with Urban).

15. The Eagles - They did one ballad 'I can't tell you why' which was a good track but they are generally bland insipid radio rock.

14. Garth Brooks - Who? lol

13. John Lennon(post-Beatles) - I listen to his solo music much more than McCartney's and his music has lasted well. 'Cold Turkey' and 'I'm Losing You' are excellent tracks but yeah his solo work was'nt amazing.

12. Eminem - Made one truly excellent track 'Lose Yourself' which was him letting some emotion out for a change and hinted at how good he could have been instead of all the jokey clappy happy bland crap he spewed out.

11. Kanye West - Only heard a few tracks. Thought they were awful.

10. The Rolling Stones - Not a big fan at all and they should have called it a day years ago but their early work should not be ignored.

9. Nirvana - Agreed. Right band, right time.

8. 2 PAC - I like quite a lot of his stuff but I do realise that most of it is posthumous so yeah he is overated.

7. Kiss - I think that they have made some really good tracks in their time. I like a fair bit of their 80's output-'Creatures Of The Night', 'Animalise' and 'Lick It Up' and appreciate it for what it is-toe tapping catchy rock. Have they ever been really rated though? :D. I thought people just seen them as entertainers.

6. Dave Matthews Band - Never heard anything by them.

5. White Stripes - Agreed but they have a big following who love their back to basics sound. Unfortunately I just find them basic.

4. Prince - 'Sign Of The Times' is the greatest pop album of the 80's bar none and all of his release are peppered with brilliance. If Prince is overated why isn't Michael Jackson on this list?

3. Bruce Springsteen - We have an image of him based upon 'Born To Run' which is not the whole package but he is a quintessential American artist who celebrates his blue collar roots. I have only just started to listen his work but there is a lot more happening in his music than I gave him credit for.

2. U2 - Yes they are overated but I like them. There I said it.

#1!!!!!!!!! Mariah Carey - Number 1? Don't know about that but all those warbling divas should become astronauts i.e shot into space. Houston, Carey,Dion-all absolutely terrible.

I agree completely. I personally love Radiohead, having spent a small fortune on tickets and albums. But I understand that it's become feng shui to like Radiohead, just like it's cool to wear a Pink Floyd t-shirt and say Led Zeppelin was rad. They have achieved an over-hyped image which doesn't befit their music. They are great musicians, but some people (like my sister) who listen to Pablo Honey and enjoy it need to pull their heads out of their asses.

I still say you should have put The Beach Boys on there. I read a Rolling Stone article a couple months ago, where some dude interviewed Brian Wilson. (I think it was after his Kennedy Center nomination.) The ****sucker was comparing them to The Beatles. And all the while, I was just thinking, "No. ****ing no." Pet Sounds was good, I'll admit that. But you morons out there who put them in league with the Stones, the Who, or the Kinks need to learn that good music is beyond catchy harmonies and surfwax beats.

I won't deny that it's not true, that there are people out there who venerate Led Zeppelin beyond all other bands (myself being one of them). But it's so hard to characterize collossal bands like that as overrated when they did so many things perfectly. I'm a fan, but I don't own a t-shirt or have a tattoo of one of their symbols, and sometimes I too get pissed at those that do. But you have to understand - they were huge. This is why I find it questionable to include The Rolling Stones in the list because they were there forty years ago defining the music that spawned generations of rockers. The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd - these bands are off-limits, despite how overrated they may be by some rabid fans. They simply did too much too well.

EDIT: Ha, would you look at that. I just noticed your signature as it played through my speakers. Freaky.

Springsteen is incredibly talented, but unfortunately, many "fans" ignore those talents in favor of a perceived "patriotic good ol' boy" image. Forget about BTR and BITUSA (though they're good albums); listen to The River, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, and The Ghost Of Tom Joad and tell me the guy's overrated.

But yeah, most of the rest of the list is spot on, especially Nirvana, Radiohead (who should be around #5) and Coldplay.

People who hate him tend to look to much at his public persona and not at his music. He uses great samples and makes them his own. Sampling good songs is not lazy and he makes his own raps to them. if you had ever heard his Young Folks rap maybe you would agree. He IS the greatest rapper alive and personally he is the only rapper whose albums I have been able to listen to all the way through without skipping a track (Dropout and Graduation, Late Registration had a few filler tracks.) He doesn't just try to rap fast, he even occasionally sings. In concert he will sing a lot of the lyrics he doesn't sing on the albums and the guy can totally own an entire crowd. The only reason people jump on the hate wagon now is because of Bonnaroo ( a commercial venue I would never frequent btw) and how he basically got bluefalconed by Robert Randolph (a talentless DMB wannabe) and the event coordinator (as well as Pearl Jam, the worthless of the worthless band).

Yeah that ****sucker was also responsible for some of the Beatles best music.

Firstly, to deal with this:

I think it's you who seem to know "garbage" about music. Kanye is overrated, a lame rapper, and a TERRIBLE rhymer. He has virtually no redeeming MC skills at all. That you seem to think otherwise is a plain indication of exactly what you accused Jay of. Sorry to be the one to break it to ya.

My problem with his persona is that he genuinely thinks he's God's answer to hip-hop or something, and if you're going to be like that i think you should back that up with your music.
His formula is dull. What he does is take a famous sample like with Daft Punk and Curtis Mayfield that people will recognise and rap over it with the whole uplifiting lyrics spiel. Everyone knows the Move On Up tune so it sells. He's a clever businessmen but thats it.
I have to admit if i was a fan i'd probably enjoy the live shows, he seems to at least have some passion there but on record it's just not there.

I'd put REM at the top of the list.

Seconded! I'm not going to offer criticisms about Bonnaroo (seeing as how I wasn't there), but I will say this: Kanye West is possibly the most deservest to be on this list. I admire him for taking hip-hop past "I'm the best and I'm gonna talk about it for forty minutes" but more people need to understand that he is by no means a good rapper. Good beats and fantastic production don't guarantee quality of music, and it is unfortunate that he is esteemed as the best modern rapper when Lupe and Lil Wayne work so hard.

19. The Grateful Dead

Most Overrated Album: All their Live albums
Most Overrated song: Casey Jones

The Grateful Dead are another band I really enjoy but whose fans are guilty are overrating them to the utmost degree. Unlike Radiohead it never spread to the mainstream, mostly because their fans were too stoned to start any sort of advertising movement. Still the droves of dedicated delinquent and degenerate tie-die clad warriors have followed the Bands every move for decades. No fans are more intolerable when it comes to there ability to listen to this music and revel in it as others keel over in pain.

The Dead released some very good albums in the early 1970's American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are outstanding examples of the type of music that they made at their best. However following the release of American Beauty they released 8 of 11 Live albums the next 20 years where they essentially played the same 20-30 songs at extended lengths without any sense of energy or timing. It was essentially 60 minutes of Stoned guys playing songs you like very poorly for twice as long as the studio albums lasted.

Sometimes they'd sing other times they'd not bother, always they'd suck. In fact their best numbers were covers over the last twenty years and that's all well and good except no cover band should be a top 50 band of all-time like the Dead are often considered by American Media. Their fame is as much a result of the atmosphere of their shows and the counter culture feel it lended itself to as it is the music. All of this makes them the 19th most overrated band ever.

Here's a funny story:

Just prior to The Grateful Dead taking stage at Woodstock, an announcement was made about a certain type of acid that was being distributed. Apparently a contaminant introduced into the LSD had caused some illness. The announcement pleaded people who took the blue acid to go to the medical tent.

Afterwards, The Grateful Dead took the stage and attempted to dissuade people from leaving. "We took the blue acid and we think it's groovy." What followed was perhaps the worst concert the Dead have ever played. It sounded, according to a friend, as if they were trying to play five different songs at the same time.

Radiohead should have been higher, other than that I think the list holds up pretty well.

...I still think the Beatles, Zep, Queen, Floyd, and a few others should be on that list, but as far as "modern" music goes it's pretty comprehendize.

18. Snoop Dogg

Most Overrated Album: Doggystyle
Most Overrated song: Gin & Juice

It was around 1998 and my son was probably 14 years old when he came home with Snoop's first No Limit LP the ill-fated near career killer "Da Game is to be sold not to be told" I thought Doggy Style was a pretty good album and probably actually prefer Tha Doggfather, which has good beats and catchy lyrics. However this monstrosity was another story. This abortion of an album got off to a somewhat promising start, but then top sharp turn don't horrible music avenue. Featuring the traditional canine-inspired songs like "Woof", "Tru Tank Dogs" and "Doggz gonna get ya" There are now fewer then two instances where the phrase "bow-wow muther fuker" is used.

What makes it worse is that he also drug (or is it dragged) the good name of his former work through the mud proving that sequels always suck. "Gin and Juice II" and "Still a G Thang" are among the most embarrassing tracks ever. I guess it should have been expected after all it was Master P and No Limit who emerged from the aftermath of the Big and Pac drama on top the popular Rap world and almost singly handedly ruined the genre, still you'd expect better from Snoppy.

Now all of this would be forgivable if Snoop learned his lesson. He should have bolted from No Limit and begged Dre to help him recapture the Magic but instead he produced two more duds with No Limit and is now up to seven straight albums ranging from insignificant to atrocious. He even lost a $hit talking contest with Bill O'Reilly. All of this and yet he is still revered as either a great emcee or an innovator. What's the dizzle with that shizzle?

Who would bump to make room for those guys? and how high would you rank them?

Cool Story I am not surprised, keep the great feedback coming all!

How the hell is Bruce Springsteen over rated?! Have you listened to the River, Born To Run, Magic, The Rising?

And I like U2. They've had some great songs. Even if Bono is a bit of a ****.

Nirvana should be higher. They had at best 3 decent songs. They should be number one.

The Boss has sounded the same since the seventies. The fact that Magic sounds like Born to Run might be great for an aging rocker, but to me it just means that he never really tried to push the creative envelope.

U2 is in the same boat as most other artists on that list (especially Coldplay). They came along at the right time, produced a few memorable songs but never really did anything outstanding. And there are still nimrods out there like Chris Martin that want to suck Bono's cock dry.

I agree about Nirvana, very overrated indeed.

I think he's made more of an effort than most to change his sound. You've got the e street Bruce sound with Born to Run, Magic, Born In The USA,etc, you've got the solo acoustic stuff, like Nebraska and Devils and Dust, you've got the solo non acoustic stuff like Tunnel Of Love, then you have the Seeger sessions where he's doing country style music. Therefore, I don't think it's fair to say that all his stuff sounds the same. Maybe some albums he's done lately goes back to albums in the 70's but he's had enough range over the years to counter that. Certainly a lot more than other acts anyways.

Springsteen hasn't done much of artistic merit since The River (notable exception: The Ghost Of Tom Joad), but it's pretty hard to overrated vintage Springsteen. Let's say that his first five albums are still great, and that all his other work is overrated. He did try to change the sound around on The Rising and Devils & Dust; unfortunately, the songs were crap. Magic, on the other hand, tries so hard to be a classic ESB record that it's a pure dud. The drum fills are too predictable, the anthems are by-the numbers...but man, there's no way that Darkness On The Edge Of Town or The River can be overrated.

I'd have to put the Beatles at #1, not because they're bad, but because so many people act as if they're the only band that really matters. To me, they're in the same league as CCR or The Doors; they're ok, but I can't get too excited about them and I never feel like playing their records.

Other than that, I really can't "rank" a personal list of "overrated" artists. There are too many variables. I really hate Floyd, Queen, and Zep, but there are enough haters out there that I couldn't put them terribly high (then again, I have yet to meet a single U2 fan; who buys their records?).