Most overrated musician of all time?

Thanks to groomsman...I typed "Frank Zappa" as the answer to this thread earlier but somehow the thing never got posted. Other than "Peaches En Regalia," there's almost nothing of his I'd want to listen to today, and he pales in comparison to Captain Beefheart, who many people think he "discovered" even though the Cap already had two albums out.

Nickelback is truly dreadful, just as Creed is/was truly dreadful.

TimR wrote:

amplified wrote:

Dave Matthews. Why is this guy so popular? His songs are stupid and boring.

Oooooh, good call. Can't believe I overlooked him. Definitely THE most overrated musician, especially on the college music scene.

YES!!! Thank you for naming Dave Matthews. I have never enjoyed his music, but I really didn't start disliking him until I came to college. On a college campus, no other musician can even come close to the overratedness of Dave Matthews. I live on a college campus and I swear to god that 99% of students will say he is the best musician ever and I have no idea why. His music sucks and is all the same. I've made many enemies on campus trying to explain to people how much he sucks. I'm glad to know there are some believers out there.

Oh dude. I'd put Zappa in an "under-rated" thread. Dude, get Uncle Meat.

Agree with Lorenzo though. To an extent, all popular acts are used to sell things. It must be radio friendly / corporate. I mean, we aren't going to discuss Bach or Cage here, are we?

college music is pretty much all about people that were known for smoking pot. that means sublime, dave matthews, and bob marley all get more credit than they deserve in the dorm rooms (max volume and a poster of each right next to the frat letters that you are pledging to).

of the three terrible musical entities that i just listed i think that sublime is the worst.

a lot of people also like slightly stoopid and pepper amoung others, but they aren't big enough to be as over rated as the other three i mentioned.

its good to live in an appartment where i only have to deal with my own music.

My own personal list:

Morrison

Everyone in Pink Floyd

Everyone in Led Zeppelin save Bonham

The guitarists in Lynyrd Skynyrd

Every player in Yes and ELP

Jonathan Davis, from Korn

Janis Joplin

Eric Clapton

I feel purged, thank you very much.

The musician who's most overrated on this board would be Sufjan Stevens.

Talking Heads

Sufjan is a wittily eccentric composer. I don't think anyone has overpraised him as a "musician."

The thing about Clapton is that his reputation is not based on nothing. He was terrific with John Mayall and Cream was a fantastic band until the pressure to do even more superhuman solos got to everyone. But yeah, he's pretty much sucked for a long time.

I can't believe no one has mentioned 'Eminem'

He may be a genius when it comes to catchy lyrics, but he is way overated. Probably because we like to see white rappers succeed.

Someone did mention Eminem

Ziggy Stardust was Time magazine's album of the year 1972, and for good reason. He took rock to a new level. That you can't get it out of your head is meaningful. Now, think of Hang On to Yourself, and you're a tiger on Vaseline. Got it? Now go and run. Perfect cadence.

C'mon, huh, c'mon, huh, C'MON....

Another vote here for Clapton.

You kids don't know nothin. Slowhead, er, Slowhand was out in front back then. Cream took Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues" into outer space.

What? No one mentioned The Grateful Dead? I never saw them in concert but they were rather dull on vinyl.

Other songs i can't get out of my head on runs include:

Saturday Night's Allright for Fighting

You better you better you bet (i don't even know what this song is called)

Running Against the Wind

Oops I did it again

Get into Groove

The reason these songs get into my head is that they are boring, repetitive pieces of trash. Not because they are good. I'll give you the fact that David Bowie helped some other talent make it big but it has nothing to do with his own talent as an artist.

But I guess its all relative anyway. I put David Bowie as an equal with all the artists who sang the above songs (I'm sure there are many people who would argue for Elton John and Bob Seger as well)

Talking Heads rule. Punk, rap, and pop. They did it all, and did it first.

RADIOHEAD BIOTCH!

I have to agree with Mozart. His good stuff is very good (there is not a lot of this) his bad stuff is really bad (there is too much of this). 95% of his music could be cut in half because all it does is repeat the same basic theme over and over and over. Most of those repeats aren't even variations on the original theme.

And to the person that said Bruce Springsteen is overrated: I feel he is far too underrated. The man is a lyrical genius and I will defend him to the death.

This thread is worthless. You guys are just spouting out artists without giving any reasons. Now . . . .

Led Zeppelin is the most overrated ever. John Bonham's death saved their entire legacy from making music into the 80s, and therefore getting lumped in with every other credible 70s artist who when on to record a bunch of synthed-up bullshit. (Pink Floyd, Neil Young, etc.) (Also, I'm not against synths, but I'm against classic rock dinosaurs trying to use them.) Reference that "All of My Love" song with that gawdawful synth solo. If Bonham doesn't die Zeppelin probably makes an entire album full of shit and dies the slow dinosaur death like everyone else.