Overrated

RobH1

Well-Known Member
Sitting here trying to find some decent music to listen to on an unusually wet day here in Portugal, it seems that the stations put out the same old pap that is found in the UK.
It got me thinking about some of the singers who are regarded as icons but to me are no more than second rate.
I'm aware that my views are subjective but I'll start a list of the singers (!) that have me reaching for the mute button.

Bruce Springsteen
David Bowie
U2
Chrissie Hynde /Pretenders
Frank Sinatra

Feel free to add/comment
 
Madonna
Kanye West
P Diddy
Eric Clapton
Any Prog Rock band
Barry Manilow
Phil Collins
Iron Maiden
Toto
ELO
Whitesnake
The Eagles
Donovan
All country and Western
The Beatles
And thats just the tip of the iceberg
 
That iceberg is even larger Trev
Early Blues
The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
John Martyn
Janis Joplin
Early Fleetwood Man when Peter Green was in the band
Reggae from Ska and rock steady up to the roots and dub of the 70's
70's Soul
Some Punk
The Cure
Joy Division
Massive Attack
Foo Fighters
Adele
And so much more though these days pickings are slim but I recently discovered electro swing and electro blues which though new genres will still get the oldest feet tapping.
 
I love Led Zep, but I wouldn't class Robert Plant as a great singer, Although he did 'go well' with that music and Jimmy Page was a whiz on the axe.
Never heard of Fleetwood Man:roflmao:
 
Good response Trog, I'll just add Johnny Cash, if I hear another track from his last album when he was dying, I'll.......
Plus U2's ' stuck in the middle', the greatest piece of dirge ever produced.
 
Just to put in my tuppence worth, the fact is that I rarely (if ever) actively consume "popular" music, Classic FM being my usual port of call if Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra have nothing to offer (and mostly in the car), and Polskie Radio - W jazzowym klimacie (smooth easy listening jazz) if I can be bothered to set up an Internet feed.

I don't dislike everything else I hear, but neither do I like everything else either. The problem is I don't generally know what I'm hearing. Of those listed above, Frank Sinatra in particular, there are good tracks and not so good tracks.

Wind the clock back to the mid 20th century, the popular singers of the day had weekly TV shows (USA as well as UK) and were under pressure to come up with new material week after week. Naturally a lot of that output wasn't top of the chart stuff, just the same as most of the Monty Python output was nowhere near as hilarious as the Dead Parrot (and also horses for courses - the Philosophers' Football Match never seems to make the compilations, but I thought it was a great gag). So there are tracks I like from Pet Clarke, Cilla, Sandy, Andy Williams, Mat Monro... even Val Doonican, but equally tracks I dislike intensely.
 
Yes, but I'm not really listening to it. FNIMN is also repetitive - I'm staggered the number of times they've been bunging on an old recording recently.
 
Yes, but I'm not really listening to it. FNIMN is also repetitive - I'm staggered the number of times they've been bunging on an old recording recently.

FNIMN is a perfect example of the dumbing down of BBC radio.
That programme used to be an introduction to light classical music and opera, but now we are subjected to 'songs from the shows' and over enthusiastic audiences applauding second rate performances.

In general radio 2 has gone consistently downhill in content and presenters. Jeez, Alan Carr, Paul O'Grady, can't stand the accents. I know it's supposed to be all inclusive but these so called TV celebs do not come over well on radio.

At least when radio1 began in '67 our parents had 2 to listen to, but the BBC have now discarded our generation, former 1 presenters now the norm playing weird stuff in the evenings and the same old during the daytime.
Time for an overhaul, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
I hardly ever listen to the radio these days. Even in the car I'll only have it on for part of a long journey - unless there's a track I really like it just becomes background noise.
 
Used to listen to Wogan at breakfast - gave up when he left and was replaced by Evans. Thought JY was a lot better than Vine. Have listened to the Paul Jones blues programme for many years, but have got bored with it most weeks, particularly now it has been farmed out to an independent producer. Now PJ is supposed to be leaving the show and it is moving to a later slot - will I be listening? Might give it a try, but I'm losing hope.
Occassionally listen to Classic FM but...
But don't you find Classic FM repetitive?
... Yes!
 
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