The Beatles had two periods of music. Pre drugs and drugs. I guess I could see where someone might not be into the pop hits at the beginning of their career. Having said that go listen to their "White album" as you'll see them in a completely different light.
Count another who never got the Smiths or Morrissey. "Shuuut your Mouuuuuuth" bleh, dude sounds like a muppet. But what do I know, I'm a huge Primus fan and that guy sings like a mosquito. I'm sure I'll get slammed for this, and it's odd because I am a fan and do have and enjoy (a great deal) -some- of their music, but I never really understood how the Grateful Dead have had such mass die hard appeal. I think they are/were wonderful musicians and songwriters too, I just never understood how other other people liked them, and that type of music, -so- much. I like some songs mixed in here and there, and a few of them are among my favorites, but I really never got how so many people live their lives around this band and their music. That said, I never went to a show or followed them around in a VW bus.
Pearl Jam - I never got them. Vedder sounds like the swedish chef and there were better bands in the genre like Mudhoney. Also, Elvis Presley - post military career music is pop dribble. As far as The Beatles, they were the end of Rock 'n' Roll and the beginning of Rock. Nobody sounded like The Beatles when they arrived in the States. They came in at a time when people like Roy Orbison, Mary Wells, Dean Martin, Barbara Streissand & The Drifters were ruling the charts. Pop was all the rage because the Rock 'n' Rollers were gone. Buddy Holly (one of the Beatles biggest influences) and Richie Valens died in a plane wreck in '57. Little Richard had gone into a seminary and was no longer making music, Chuck Berry's career was over after being arrested for taking a minor across state lines, and Elvis went into the military from 1958-1960 and came out crooning softer, less edgy music. Pop and bubblegum ruled the airways until The Beatles. The year After The Beatles made their US debut, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Kinks began entering the charts - The music world began to see a big change.
Vampire Weekend- Absolutely horrible tunes. U2- Anything after Joshua Tree Rush- I get the drummer is King, but I just cannot get into their music at all. KISS Bob Dylan- Sorry Manny AC/DC- Every song sounds the exact same. Aerosmith- Girl rock. Grizzly Bear Flaming Lips Bush Queens of the Stone Age- Quick reflexes on changing the channel on their bleh crap. Rage Against the Machine. All new bands who have a banjo player. It's played out, please stop your whining. Bands I used to loathe but have recently become fascinated by- Rolling Stones Early Bruce Springsteen Velvet Underground
That's actually one of the reasons I really like AC/DC. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The last thing we need is for AC/DC to put out a concept album. Someone else mentioned Foo Fighters. I agree. I don't hate them, but their music just doesn't do anything for me. It's really just bland power pop. It's hard for me to talk bad about them because I know they're all big Police/Rush fans like myself. And Taylor Hawkins is one of the best rock drummers out there right now. But their music is just missing something to me.
Agreed. My #1 band of all time...heard The Bends when I was finishing high school as was hooked after that. They are totally an acquired taste, though, and very different from one album to the next (Pablo Honey=Pop, The Bends-Guitar rock, OK Computer-words cannot describe, Kid A/Amnesiac-dark experimental electronic, HTTT-mix of prior two eras and average, In Rainbows-softer tones, King of Limbs-minimalist album that left much to be desired, IMO) Some people who I know just flat out hate them, but to me they are the best band ever and have been consistent in putting out amazing music/jaw-dropping shows for 20+ years. To those who hate them, listen to OK Computer and get back to me...
Let's just say I considered that aspect of it, and still don't quite get the mass appeal, even though I'm a fan of a lot of the music.
I can understand hating on the pre-drug poppy stuff, but even the drug-induced era has quite a few songs that were experiments gone awry or otherwise don't live up to their reputation. I think they could have used a good editor to tell them what material wasn't good enough to be on an album. Even so, the good material is much more than While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
The Foo Fighters debut album was awesome. Grohl recorded it in five days and played every instrument. It sounds very raw and spontaneous unlike their over-produced stuff that followed (not that the subsequent stuff is all horrible, but it just kind of bores me). Anyway, I consider it the last great grunge album.
There are bands that I hate but I understand why people like them. Journey, for example. And I despise modern country music but I understand why people like it. The band I simply cannot understand is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They are terrible in every way a band can be terrible yet people like them. I don't get it. I get the appeal of the bearded guys with banjos, I get the appeal of rap, of EDM, of dumbass shout rock, freaking bachata, you know, whatever. RHCP I do not get.
I listened to most of OKC ,the bends and in rainbows over the last couple of days and still don't think they are worthy of the mass appeal .. I just find it ok and nothing original or special .. it's almost like I've already heard another band doing something similar to every thing I hear . A lot of my dislike though just comes from the sound of the vocalist .. much of the lyrics are hard to make out and so it just sounds depressing to me .. I wonder what the suicide rate is among radiohead listeners ?
I was about as big a RHCP fan as there was pre-One Hot Minute. They completely lost me with that album and I've never cared for anything else since then. The early stuff up to Blood Sugar Sex Magic is some of my favorite music...especially Mother's Milk. I'm with you, though, on the rest of your post. I like banjo music. I really like Yonder Mountain String Band, The Avett Bros., Old Crow Medicine Show, etc...yet, I am the furthest thing from a "hipster". I saw the appeal and do not hate Mumford & Sons, but I just am not that into them. It's in my library because my wife liked them, but I typically skip over their songs because I simply can't hear what they're singing. Everything on their 1st album is so damn quiet. We didn't bother with the 2nd album because from what I've heard, it sounds just like the 1st. I wasn't aware so many people disliked The Black Keys. Is it because they became popular? If so, who gives a s***? So what if hipsters like them. If you like the music, why do you care who else does? I think most of you are playing too much into your internet personas when talking about music. If you like a band that has become popular, it's ok. You can still be cool.
They played a huge role in putting a halt to the hair band scene .. so that alone gets my vote as one of the all time best .
Regarding originality, they did it first! OK Computer came out in 1997...when people were listening to stuff like Bush and No Doubt! However, if the lead singer's voice bugs you, you definitely won't ever get into them. At least you tried!
I don't get that people here don't get the Radiohead hate. They are a perfect example of a band that people either love or hate - which is pretty much exactly what this thread is about. For the record, I love them....but I think most of their fans are douchebags. Kind of like DMB. Hey, there's an idea for a thread. Bands you like even though you hate their fanbases.
