Music artists/bands that suck, but you still like anyway

[hilldweller]

Despite being around for two decades and having tremendous commercial success, I think of Pearl Jam as a disappointing band. Over the years it seemed like they just recycled the Ten album over and over again and never got beyond the plodding grunge sound on songs like “Alive”, “Go”, and “Evenflow”. While Yield is a stellar album, most of their other releases have been pretty mediocre. Eddie Vedder has a tremendous voice and the song-writing and guitar work are solid, but I just feel like PJ should be better; I don’t think they suck, per se, but when I listen to their music I can’t help but think “there’s something missing here”.

Still, I consider myself a reluctant Pearl Jam fan. I’ve been buying their albums since I was a kid and have attended a handful of their shows. In concert they can be great, but since they constantly vary their set-lists to cover twenty years of their material and lots of cover songs you never know what you’re going to hear (although this certainly appeals to the hard-core fans). That my favorite Pearl Jam songs are their covers (“Love Reign O’er Me”, “Baba O’ Riley”, “Free World”, “Last Kiss”) probably tells you all you need to know about I feel about them.

What about your own music tastes- are you still a fan of some artists/bands in spite of their lack of talent/musical ability? Any you feel particularly embarrassed about liking (i.e. do you keep an Air Supply CD hidden in your glove compartment)?

[imaplanner]

Great thread idea. I disagree that Pearl Jam was anything other than super awesome, but you are entitled to your own opinion - however incorrect it might be

I'm having a hard time coming up with anything. Primarily I think that's because it generally takes a lot of talent to come up with original music that people like. scanning through my ipod some names to come up as not being great musicians per say (I will probably get some disagreement) are The Pixies, Billy Idol, The Replacements, the Breeders, the Donnas. But I dig them and I have a hard time saying they aren't talented. I mean, a band that just really sucks would be like Nickelback, but they suck and I don't like them.

Another good example maybe would be green day. They don't come across as being very talented musicians, though they have written some cool songs, and they are a cool band. so I can't say that they suck.

[illinoisplanner]

As expected, I love a lot of the 80s hair bands, even ones that put out one double-platinum album and then disappeared. I'm sorry, but a lot of them made great catchy music that is great to blast in your car with the windows down and sing along at the top of your lungs, and do drum-solos and guitar solos to at stoplights. Sure, a lot of them just ripped off one another (or older bands like Aerosmith, Van Halen, and Kiss) and may have relied on rich record companies for songwriters and sleek 80s production, but it doesn't matter. They're still good musicians...a lot of them great singers, guitar virtuosos, with solid fist-pumping backbeat. And they still made great songs. So what if some of the songs were formulaic and similar to each other...to me, they all rock in their own way, and I never seem to have a shortage of music to play when I want to rock out.

I also like a lot of pop music. Britney Spears may not be that great of a musician, but the people around her know how to craft great catchy hooks and danceable beats. The same can be said about a lot of pop music in general, whether from the 80s, 90s, 2000s, or today. When I want to dance and have a good time, I could care less about the originality or musicianship, as long as it's a catchy song that keeps the party going.

That being said, there are a lot of high-quality musicians out there that I like as well.

Regarding Pearl Jam, they're one of my favorite bands, but I understand where hilldweller is coming from in that they could be better. I thought their first three albums were some of the best music ever made, but I feel that they've been kind of lacking since then. Still, I have to applaud them for doing their own thing and loving it, not caving into pressure to make popular music, or to change their sound to be "better" or to branch out into different genres they may not want to branch out to.

[btrage]

I was (and still am I guess) a huge fan of Oasis, especially their first two albums; Definitely Maybe (1994) and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995).

Those were classic 90s brit-pop/rock and propelled Oasis to comparisons with the Beatles. But everything after that has been mediocre in my opionion. They could've been one of the greatest bands of all time, but Noel and Liam just couldn't get their crap together.

I still love them though.

[hilldweller]

This guy really hates Billy Joel: http://http://www.slate.com/articles...er.single.html

Is it just me, or do music critics tend to read way too much into lyrical meaning/interpretation?

[Whose Yur Planner]

I'll second Oasis-champagne super nova is still one of my favorite songs. Dido is my guilty pleasure. Sure, she's Euro pop with some serious down tempo but her first cd was great.

[ofos]

Bread

Seriously...

[hilldweller]

I am pretty ashamed to admit that I own CDs from the following bands:
Papa Roach
Blink 182
Godsmack
Limp Bizkit


The only thing I will say in my defense is that I have never owned a Nickleback cd.

[Maister]

Bread

Seriously...

Guilty as well

[Coragus]

Interesting topic. I just went through a bunch of books and CDs that no longer reflect my life. As a result, I don't have any 80's hair band music anymore. Well, almost none. I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of my Bon Jovi CDs! That includes the Richie Sambora solo one too. Therefore, I guess I'd have to answer Bon Jovi.

[Dan]

Bread.

I plead no contest.



Add Styx to my list as well.



And, you know, post-Airplane Jefferson wasn't always so bad.

[kjel]

Britney Spears
Dido
Backstreet Boys
Goo Goo Dolls

[Rygor]

I have to admit I'm a sucker for some cheesy 80's pop music every so often and of course some good old hair band power ballads. I'm talking by such stellar musical acts as: Wang Chung, Fine Young Cannibals, Flock of Seagulls, Poison, Whitesnake, et al.

[hilldweller]

I have to admit I'm a sucker for some cheesy 80's pop music every so often and of course some good old hair band power ballads. I'm talking by such stellar musical acts as: Wang Chung, Fine Young Cannibals, Flock of Seagulls, Poison, Whitesnake, et al.

FYC was awesome! The rest of these bands were pure filth though, I agree.

[michaelskis]

Agh Crap...

I have to agree with Imaplanner regarding Pear Jam... Their music is awesome.

I too also have Blink 182, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, and POD CD's.