<p>Underrated (like waayyy underrated): Spoon</p>
<p>If you don’t believe me, listen to “anything you want” and “don’t you evah.” How can people not be obsessed with the musical genius?</p>
<p>@tiff- I’m going to pull out a select few from your overrated/underrated list. I agree with The Fray being overrated, but simply due to their talent in correlation with how much they were overexposed (not to say they are not talented because I definitely think they are). I don’t know too much about Queen, but I was surprised to see you categorize them as overrated. Britney Spears is a soft spot for me…I would not put her as overrated. I think there’s a big difference between Ke$ha (who you also put as overrated, which I agree) and Britney Spears. Both have great dance music, but Ke$ha cannot sing (this is why she’s incredibly auto-tuned in almost every song lol), Britney can, and she can dance which just adds to performance as an artist. </p>
<p>I love your underrated list. I’m going to pull out Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera for this (mostly because everyone knows these two). Christina is an artist that I was actually just talking to my friend about. I was trying to explain how Christina never became as famous as Britney or Justin despite all sort of rising at the same time and all coming from the Mickey Mouse Club. My theory is that even though she has an INSANE voice, she never really had a distinct image, and I believe you NEED this if you want to explode. Examples of this are abundant: Lil Wayne (his voice, his swag, his attitude, his laugh, the way he dresses, his style of rapping which highly emphasizes funny punch lines and metaphorical/“play on words” type of lines), Lady Gaga (I think this is pretty obvious), Justin Bieber (the hair flip, the attitude, confidence-especially with girls, the way he dresses, his voice), etc. I could go on and on, but these are just a few huge examples. </p>
<p>The reason why I actually started this thread was because in my college core class (freshman english), we are currently writing a paper on overrated/underrated themes in music. We were able to choose any artist and write about whether or not we think they’re overrated/underrated, or we could write about a specific theme that is overrated or underrated in music (such as over sexualized teens in music, or how race is overrated in music, etc). During this process, we read a passage about Courtney Love and how she is constantly critiqued for her life/actions but not her music. We read some great articles from critics that would shed a positive light upon the band, but would never talk about Courtney Love because they knew how “crazy” she acted in real life and couldn’t get past that to talk about her actually talent. Anyway, this reminded me of Amy Winehouse, because she’s another great example of this and I’m glad you put her for underrated–she truly has great talent, and I wish she could get her stuff together and get back to the music!</p>
<p>Sorry for the length and any typo’s (I didn’t edit after that longgg post haha) :)</p>
<p>Have you seen the video of Christina A singing on a street for money on MTV? Her voice is incredible. CA put out a lot of really good music, beyond just the “I’m a Genie in the Bottle” bubble gum pop. She didn’t have a ton of hits, but the vocals on “Beautiful” are amazing. She moved away from dance music and pop, which probably is a big reason she isn’t more popular. </p>
<p>Amy Winehouse’s “Back and Black” is an amazingly innovative R&B album. The fusion of hip hop adds a really cool modern sound, and her vocals are great. I am hoping she puts out some more albums before she dies. She has been looking healthier though. </p>
<p>When I saw Britney live, she did not actually sing, so I can’t really draw a conclusion about her voice.</p>
<p>Lady Gaga is actually really talented, youtube the music she made in college.</p>
<p><a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<p>search
“Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta”</p>
<p>A lot of good stuff. </p>
<p>Queen is straight up arena rock, very experimental, but other bands have been more experimental and received less credit. Honestly, I can’t stand Queen. They have been played at the House of Blues in between sets, covered during shows, and played in my schools cafeteria. I’ve just listened to them too much I suppose.</p>
<p>I’d like to add Journey to the overrated list. </p>
<p>In relation to Courtney Love: If she weren’t crazy and all about “I’m so lost and confused and have so much pain,” people would like her more. I love Hole, great grunge music. If Courtney Love were more likable, and acted like a normal human being in interviews, she would receive more recognition for her work. I listened to some stuff off of “Nobody’s Daughter,” and thought it was pretty solid. I still love her older stuff. </p>
<p>I am taking a history of rock n roll class now, and we are able to do things at the Rock Hall as well, and are going to be able to see Fats Domino play, along with David Bartholemew. </p>
<p>Music history is an up and coming field. </p>
<p>What are people’s thoughts on this years nominees for the rock hall? We were just discussing criteria for what makes good music/a band qualified for the rock hall.</p>
<p>[Rock</a> and Roll Hall of Fame: Inductees](<a href=“http://rockhall.com/inductees/]Rock”>http://rockhall.com/inductees/)</p>
<p>^Christina is very dance pop and bubblegum again, have you heard her new stuff. </p>
<p>The reason Christina hasn’t seen the success at the same level of Britney’s is because of timing. In the industry timing is everything, especially in pop. Christina was too slow to release often. Britney kept her self active for the first 5yrs of her career constantly releasing, touring, and merchandising. Christina didn’t release as much, didn’t tour much, and didn’t merchandise as much. If she did, she would’ve been bigger. Take for example how she released a fairly successful album in 06’, then stop after a few years didn’t even promote well enough. During those years Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry took her place, Brit on the other hand stayed in the public eye for good or bad and released albums, keeping her position. Christina released an album this summer, and it flopped, all her singles flopped. She needs to find away to keep her career going, because she’s having a dry spell.</p>
<p>I love the Beatles and all, but there were plenty of other bands in the 60s that were just as good as them. The Beatles aren’t overrated but they seem to take all the shine from any other band in the 60s. </p>
<p>Also, I’m getting tired of people calling Micheal Jackson the greatest thing in music, ever since his death people have been calling him the king of music, very overrated indeed.</p>
<p>Michael Jackson’s popularity is crazy. His record sales are off the charts. He WAS pop music. He was bigger than any pop star, ever. Whether you like him or not, he had a killer voice, made innovative videos, gave excellent performances and was multi talented. He changed pop music forever.</p>
<p>Have you listened to the Beatles post Revolver? Sgt. Pepper was literally the first experimental concept rock album. There is nothing that sounds like it before it was released. That album created pyschadelia and experimental rock. Their earlier stuff was very pop, but then they dropped some acid and changed music. Sgt. Pepper was something completely new. I never thought much of them until I got into 60s music, and realized that without Sgt. Pepper’s, there would be no Pink Flloyd or pysch rock. The mix of classical music and Indian music, the drug references, the trippiness of “A Day in the Life,” were new and fresh. Brian Wilson literally gave up after hearing Sgt. pepper’s.</p>
<p>I would urge you to listen to Sgt. pepper’s, start to finish. </p>
<p>I didn’t think much of the Beatles until my buddy played the Sgt. Pepper album on his record player. They also started the british invasion. Without them, no Rolling Stones or The Who, or The Kinks, Animals, Yardbirds etc; </p>
<p>I went to see Alan Parson’s talk, and he discussed the making of Sgt. pepper’s. He said he cried when he heard it because it was just something so new. I think there were bands with more meaningful lyrics, but the Beatles created the concept album as a tool for music. They receive a bunch of accolades because they were the first.</p>
<p>@tiff: Sorry if I wasn’t clear in my post. I agreed with you when you said Christina & Amy were underrated. And, when I gave examples of Lil Wayne, Lady GaGa, and Justin Bieber I only meant that they have exploded. I didn’t, by any means, want to give off the impression that I think it isn’t rightfully so that they have exploded. I think Lady Gaga is an amazing singer, and a lot of people ignore that about her. Trust me, I’m with you on Amy, Christina, and Gaga.</p>
<p>@toxic-I somewhat agree with you that the reason some artists don’t explode is because of timing, but I also think it has to do more with the individual. Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera both debuted albums in 1999, so in reality, Christina could have been the more famous one.</p>
<p>@tiff90 Your acting as if I don’t know any Beatles albums or any of MJ’s albums. I heard every single song released by these guys and some unreleased stuff. I wasn’t calling them over rated. I’m saying how MJ is NOT the king of music that many are making him to be. I think anyone who loves music can agree. And I was saying that the Beatles WERE NOT the only band in the 60s that many make it out to be. Sorry I had to clear that for you.</p>
<p>Overrated: Beatles</p>
<p>Sergeant Pepper got a full score from every critic and journal you can think of, including #1 on a bunch of top 500 albums of the millennium etc etc HOW is Sgt Pepper underrated again???</p>
<p>
I think they’re judging it based on whether regular everyday people would be able to recognize the album. If you think about it, most people only know the classic Beatles songs. There aren’t exactly classic songs on Sgt. Pepper (if you’re not a Beatles fan anyways, because A Day In The Life is ;D).</p>
<p>Well if those regular people don’t even recognize it, how can it be underrated? In that case, it’s not even rated at all</p>
<p>I really like a few other underrated artists that tiff posted as well. I’m a <em>huge</em> fan of Eric Clapton in all forms, particularly Cream, but also Derek and the Dominoes and Blind Faith. I’d also venture out on a limb and add some other artists to the underrated list - I might get flak for this one, but I actually think Colbie Caillat deserves more recognition than she gets. Most people only know the few radio hits her album has produced (which, oddly, always seem to be the weaker tracks on the album), and they are overplayed so they get on everyone’s nerves. However, she has a really rich, velvety voice and a lot of the racks on her second alum in particular deserve more appreciation than they get.</p>
<p>Other underrated artists - Erin McCarley, Norah Jones</p>
<p>@reesez I wouldn’t give you any heat for Colbie Caillat, because I think I agree with you on that. I definitely agree with Norah Jones being underrated–her voice is angelic to me and so calming lol.</p>
<p>Underrated: Lupe Fiasco. End of thread.</p>
<p>Underrated: Mumford & Sons</p>
<p>Overrated: Lil’ Wayne</p>
<p>Underrated:</p>
<p>Skrillex.</p>
<p>(except, finally, very recently, he did totally own beatport charts, FINALLY)</p>
<p>I am a tad biased due to my personal tastes, but I prefer technical skill to the more contemporary musical performances. Hence the following:</p>
<p>Overrated: Most mainstream artists</p>
<p>Underrated: Most classical pianists</p>
<p>But perhaps the better distinctions are “over-appreciated” and “under-appreciated,” relative to a metric such as YouTube viewings. On that note, I find it annoying how frequently the highest rated comments on that website are the trite, irrational innuendos that those who do not enjoy a given performance possess some form of auditory dysfunction.</p>
<p>Overrated: Fall Out Boy</p>
<p>Underrated: Snow Patrol
Editors</p>
<p>Overrated: Those more mainstream that sing about the same old things in their pitiful lives, for example I like Taylor Swift but her songs get pretty pointless</p>
<p>Underrated: The Smiths, The Runaways</p>
<p>The Beatles are not overrated, they are great</p>