The Smiths/Morrissey are, by far, the most overrated band in history.

The Smiths are one of the all-time best, and rank right up there with The Pixies on influencing alternative rock. Morrissey may have been the face - pro or con, depending on your take - but Johnny Marr on guitar is what drew me to the band's sound back in the day.

Interesting comment made above by agip concerning the music. I wrote the earlier stuff about the rabid fans, which I always found fascinating and cool, but, admittedly, a bit disturbingly gay. Anyway, yeah, some of Morrissey's lyrics were suspect, but Johnny Marr's guitar and Marr's music itself has always been held in high esteem. The song you mentioned, "How Soon Is Now" is a good example of the awesomeness. I'd say ALL of their other songs were not widely known, so it makes perfect sense that you would only know that one song. This would be true of many music fans, that they would only know that one Smiths song, and maybe another like "There Is a Light that Never Goes Out" or "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want."

Ever hear of Aerosmith?

agip wrote:

Fact is, I have been listenign to music seriously for 30+ years and I can hum ONE smiths song - the 'I am human' part of 'how soon is now'. Which means they wrote very very few memorable songs.

here's my take:

the songwriting is crap with the smiths. They got the mood right and the lyrics seemed to hit home with sad people, but the actual music? bland and empty.

You're basing the greatness of a band based off how many songs you can actively hum at any given moment!?

Fact is, I've also been listening to music seriously for 30+ years and I can't even hum ONE Allman Brothers song. Does this mean the Allman Brothers wrote few memorable songs? No - what it says is I, like you with the Smiths, haven't given the Allman Brothers enough of a chance to make any type of educated decision.

You're really going to say that:

...is music void of any type of emotional quality? That may very well be your opinion, but it hardly holds any merit.

Morrissey may be a rabid narcissist. Johnny Marr may not be the greatest guitar player that ever lived. But you can't possibly say that The Smiths weren't a great band.

In any case here's a song from your favorite hack band:

And my absolute favourite Smiths song......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyaSQLlS5e8

"Spending warm Summer days indoors

Writing frightening verse

To a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg"

From the moment I first picked up a Smith's album I was blown away. I also intend on listening to it someday.

Smith's music is like a fancy door with no house.

funny that you mention foo fighters - I think they utter crap for much the same reasons as the smiths - lack of memorable songs. Have we discussed them before? Love nirvana, hate the foos.

In the end, I do love hit singles and base much of my thumbs up/thumbs down on how catchy a song is. I recognize the limitations of that and have tried to change...but the thing is - I love a good tune. (you're forced to!)

anyway, thanks for the links - I am always looking for new music and maybe I'll find it there.

cheers.

Take a listen to the link I provided. The song is called Ask, and has a tremendously catchy tune. It's only 3 minutes of your life - go on.......

I never used to like anything Morrisey because of his whiny, awkward-chinned vocal stylings paired with the wall of reverb in the backing band.

Now that I'm older, I still don't like it, but I can appreciate the artistry behind the lyrics. I've also found that fans of the Smiths are some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet.

100% agree with OP. They are overrated and lame.

werwe wrote:

I must not think bad thoughts wrote:How embarassing.

...That you spelled "embarrassing" wrong or that you couldn't give a single example of how The Smiths aren't a great band?

No, that you missed the subtle humour of the post.

Top Noticer wrote:

I never used to like anything Morrisey because of his whiny, awkward-chinned vocal stylings paired with the wall of reverb in the backing band.

Now that I'm older, I still don't like it, but I can appreciate the artistry behind the lyrics. I've also found that fans of the Smiths are some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet.

Yes sir, that is all true, although now the Smiths fans are older and don't care so much about music -- what with life getting in the way, and all that. But I think there's a new crop of fans out there! Even some new fans, some youngsters out there, so that's cool, good for Moz! I mean, come on, let's give him some credit, as he is still going for it with the pop music scene, and he is almost 55!

I must not think bad thoughts wrote:

werwe wrote:

...That you spelled "embarrassing" wrong or that you couldn't give a single example of how The Smiths aren't a great band?

No, that you missed the subtle humour of the post.

No, I got it - very witty.

I haven't read this thread other than the first post, but the OG poster here obviously fundamentally misunderstands the word "overrated." They were my favorite band in the 80s and they were NEVER played on the radio. They were NEVER played on MTV. They were NEVER cool, unless you were a hardcore indie music fan. Bands that are completely ignored during their tenure cannot, by definition, be overrated.

Really? Never played on TV? You must not be Canadian. they were played every 5 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcdDJ3caMpk

every "disco." not radio station. only college radio stations and the occasional early alternative, like the one in SF that I could not get where I was in high school, played them. But everyone heard the 50000 watt rock stations with bad 80s rock.

exactly right, I never heard the cure until college radio and I listened to the rock radio station (KRQR, the Rocker) all the time in high school.

You will not find them on the best-selling list of singles even in the UK! or albums in the U.S. of the 1980s.

The latter (year by year) are complete crap except for back in black and born in the USA, while the former are mostly bad but there is Madness and a couple other good ones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles_of_the_1980s_in_the_United_Kingdom