Worst Popular Bands Ever?

avatar for shailynn
shailynn
They never tell you what you need to know.
What are some of the worst musical groups ever, that were popular? There are a lot of over-rated or way too popular for their talent bands but most has a least 1 or 2 catchy songs. Example for me - Styx. Don’t like them but The song Mr Robot alone gets them off this list. Then there’s the bands that should be on this list. Ones that may have sold millions of records but every song is horrible in your view point, and many others as well.

I’ll start my list:

REO Speedwagon

Green Day

Offspring

I think Coldplay and Five Finger Death Punch miss this list by a hair.

74 comments

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avatar for ime
ime
4 years ago
KISS
Maroon 5
Nickleback
Cold Play



avatar for founder
founder
4 years ago
Fleetwood Mac

avatar for elmer
elmer
4 years ago
Hey I like Nickelback and five finger death Punch!

Alice in Chains and Red Hot Chili peppers. Absolutely can't stand their sound
avatar for gammanu95
gammanu95
4 years ago
I like the Offspring's older stuff, but man, they sucked live in concert.

Coldplay is the worst.
R.E.M.
B-52s
U2.
Weezer
Radiohead
avatar for datinman
datinman
4 years ago
KISS
OASIS
Morrissey
LCD Soundsystem
avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
4 years ago
KISS
avatar for MackTruck
MackTruck
4 years ago
Kiss my ass
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
4 years ago
By bands does that mean mostly Rock stuff, any southern rap, boy band pop shit whatever they play on the radio is all garbage. I just don’t even know who that is I just know it sucks.

If we’re in the rock world, Led Zeppelin or KISS and AC/DC. I think they’re overrated, I do respect what they did for Rock but I’m not putting them on. There are definitely I just don’t really keep bands I don’t like in my mental carousel
avatar for SanchoRG
SanchoRG
4 years ago
Lots of edgy opinions so far!

Green Day tho...so mediocre so bad
avatar for SanchoRG
SanchoRG
4 years ago
Shit meant Pearl Jam. I actually like Green Day lol
avatar for londonguy
londonguy
4 years ago
Van Halen.
avatar for RamPaige
RamPaige
4 years ago
Creed
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
Yeah I don't get Pearl Jam's popularity. Or Metallica, but maybe I don't appreciate the genre.

Kiss is not very musically talented. I saw them in concert and it is good entertainment, but that is in spite of their talent, not because of it.

38 Special from the 70's.

avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
4 years ago
The recent discussion about pop stars you’d wanna bang could possibly add a few to this list. But the ones listed are mostly solo artists, so they don’t qualify.

I’d add Hole to this list - Courtney Love and her shit was kinda awful.

The Pussycat Dolls have awful music - as did the Spice Girls.

Looking back at Kiss and Motley Cru- and several other bands - and I can’t see why I enjoyed their music. The concerts were fun and they put on a good show.

Tool
System of a Down
Jefferson Starship/Airplane
ABBA (I have girls in high school - and I hate the person who created the Mama Mia movie with a passion!)
avatar for ime
ime
4 years ago
Tool is fucking awful, never like a single song from them, and never understood why they were popular.
avatar for Cristobal
Cristobal
4 years ago
Even to rate a worst band, it really depends on the type of music you like because I do not like country music, so pretty much all country music bands and all boy bands are the worse for me but for the genre's I enjoy:

Blink 182
REM
Smasihing Pumpkins
Tupac
avatar for misterorange
misterorange
4 years ago
Bruce Springsteen, fucking piece of shit. Yeah his early stuff was pretty good music, but his whole regular guy, working man persona was a fraud. Since he "came out" as just another rich, liberal, sorry excuse for a human being, I can't listen to a single one of his songs.
avatar for shailynn
shailynn
4 years ago
I can't disagree with any single band put on this list. There are several that wouldn't be on my list but I understand the hatred for them.

Examples - as a kid in grade school I used to love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. their 2nd, 3rd and 4th albums I thought were fabulous but once they released Blood Sugar Sex Magik (their 5th) and then every girl in Jr High loved them, it was over for me. That's when Rick Ruban started producing them, and for every 1 good album Rick Ruban produces, he makes 10 bad ones.

2Pac - another example of someone whose albums had 2-3 banging songs, but they rest were so bad you couldn't even listen the entire way through. To add insult to injury, his crack head mom did a magnificent job of ruining every single track released after his death. Sampling 2Pac over a Bruce Hornsby beat? For real? Total insult to both artists.

Was never a fan of Metallica either, much rather listen to Megadeth.

If you are sent to hell, and they played music, it would be songs from all the bands listed in this thread.
avatar for ime
ime
4 years ago
I'm on the fence with Oasis, their early stuff was good but that is all I ever heard from them.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
4 years ago
all grunge bands except stone temple pilots, nirvana and soundgarden.
john mellencamp
nickleback
green day
supertramp
all songs with auto tune
grateful dead
the band
avatar for clubdude
clubdude
4 years ago
One moment Founder, Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green era was the bomb!)
avatar for Warrior15
Warrior15
4 years ago
Pink Floyd
The Beatles

Clubdude, I LOVE that avatar !
avatar for pistola
pistola
4 years ago
Nirvana - Never got it
Phish
Tool
Nickleback
All boy bands except New Edition
avatar for shadowcat
shadowcat
4 years ago
The Beatles.
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
4 years ago
Oh Pink Floyd is the BIGGEST ONE I almost forgot that one, good call Warrior. I don’t get it at all. Guns n Roses hasn’t aged well with me either to be honest.
avatar for JamesSD
JamesSD
4 years ago
Haha Pearl Jam is one of my all time favorite bands

Nickelback is the obvious winner for the question.
Smashmouth is another band that had something like 3 #1 hits but feels like a novelty act.
I also don't get Grateful Dead unless you really have to be high as fuck to like it
avatar for Studme53
Studme53
4 years ago
Bon Jovi. Yuck. Started out as a hair band then tried cheap knock-off of Springsteen
avatar for sinclair
sinclair
4 years ago
Green Day
Foo Fighters
Papa Roach
avatar for yahtzee74
yahtzee74
4 years ago
R.e.m.
Rolling Stones
Bon jovi
avatar for TheeOSU
TheeOSU
4 years ago
Some I disagree with and some I strongly agree with,
Examples A+B Jefferson Starship, Heart
Was Heart listed above? Well they sure should be!
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
A couple of you listed The Beatles. Man, that’s some harsh grading.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
Beyoncé. Adele.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
As a reminder, the OP framed this question as identifying bands:

“Ones that may have sold millions of records but every song is horrible in your view point,”

He wasn’t looking for bands that are simply over rated but bands that are so bad you can’t identify a single good song.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
4 years ago
Misterorange are you still allowed in the state of New Jersey after your Bruce post? This could cause major issues if this gets out. Lol!

I understand what you are saying, and his persona isn’t aging well with me either.

I never understood why folks loved those Red Hot Crack Poppers. My view was I wasn’t doing enough drugs to enjoy their music.

What about Korn? I fucking love that band - but I can easily see how folks could not like them.
avatar for winex
winex
4 years ago
@mark94 - calling the Beatles one of the worst bands ever isn’t harsh grading. It’s called a lack of appreciation for music.
avatar for winex
winex
4 years ago
Pink Floyd????

Worst bands ever?

No, just no.
avatar for GoVikings
GoVikings
4 years ago
"2Pac - another example of someone whose albums had 2-3 banging songs, but they rest were so bad you couldn't even listen the entire way through"

^ this is crazy talk

and +1 to BOTH of winex's posts
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
How about a band that was made artificially bad - The Monkees! They used studio musicians even though the actor/musicians were all actually musicians. Don Kirshner deliberately had their characters play different instruments than the musicians' strong suit to keep them from playing live or on recordings.

Davy Jones was a pretty accomplished drummer. Mickey did not really play the drums and was more suited as a lead singer front man. Mike and Peter had their instruments reversed.
avatar for winex
winex
4 years ago
Hi i Hendrix actually opened for the Monkees on his first concert tour.
avatar for winex
winex
4 years ago
Spell check got me on my iPad.

That was supposed to be Jimi Hendrix who opened for the Monkees.
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
That is pretty ironic
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
And Peter Tork got the job because they didn't like Stephen Stills' teeth. He and Stills both played folk guitar in Greenwich Village at the time.
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
Two older groups that were alt before their time that I do not get. The Mothers (of Invention) and Velvet Underground.
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
By my count so far this thread has named 24 Rock HOF members as awful. I think I named 4 of them, LOL!
avatar for winex
winex
4 years ago
without a doubt, the most overrated band of the classic rock era is Queen.

avatar for mike710
mike710
4 years ago
I don't understand the Bruce Springsteen love either. I've always hated his music and change channels whenever it comes on. I don't understand the Greatful Dead groupies but identify with one song. "I may be going to hell in a bucket, but at least I'm enjoying the ride". I also remember a line about pissing on someone's grave.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
To appreciate the Dead, you needed to see them live, preferably outdoors. Lots of drugs and hippie chicks. It was more an experience than a concert.

If you know them live, the music brings back memories. If you’ve never seen them, the music is pretty Meh.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
A band that gets less respect than they deserve is The Beach Boys. Their Pet Sounds album was way ahead of its time for production value.

I used to look down my nose at them until I saw them perform in Southern California in their heyday. A crowd of 30,000+ were on their feet dancing for the entire concert. I’ve never seen anything like it. Pure joy.
avatar for mike710
mike710
4 years ago
@Mark. My first concert was on new years eve 1980 at the Cow Palace in SF. I saw Blue Oyster Cult and Gamma with Montrose. Being young and dumb and full of cum, we were on the floor and worked our way as close as we could to the stage. I remember a hippie chick coming up behind me and humping my leg. She was doing that to anyone that would make out with her and let her closer to the stage.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
Springsteen appeared at a time when disco was still hanging on. His sound was original and sort of the anti-disco music we all needed. For a few years there, he was god. He saved our rock and roll souls.

Then, he got stale and preachy. Happens to the best of us.
avatar for bubba267
bubba267
4 years ago
Second the nominations for Creed and the Beetles.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
Mike, if you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend the movie Almost Famous. It’s a great movie for those of us whose coming of age is tied to the golden age of rock concerts.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
4 years ago
rough crowd. i could only imagine how you all feel about paul mccartney and wings.
avatar for mark94
mark94
4 years ago
My favorite concert story of all time involves a couple who were arrested for fucking at an Arena concert in Des Moines. She told police it was okay because they were engaged. He told police he didn’t know her name.
avatar for rl27
rl27
4 years ago
U2
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
4 years ago
Peter Gabriel Genesis sucked I don’t get it. Trying staying awake listening to that stuff. Meanwhile Phil Collins Genesis one of the greatest bands all time IMO
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
4 years ago
Love Green Day; REM, B-52's, Weezer, the Dead (ripple, St. Stephen), if you haven't seen a Kiss concert you won't get it,
Despised the Beach Boys, Stones not Beatles, Bruce Springsteen post 1985, Beyonce, Queen after their second album; aerosmith
First concert ever - Yes 1973, but earlier in 1971 I did see aerosmith play in the Wayland High School field House, and in 1976 got to watch Boston rehearse in a hotel ballroom.
avatar for DeclineToState
DeclineToState
4 years ago
I’ll take my list from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees:
ABBA
Bon Jovi
Chicago
Def Leppard (first 2 albums great, 3rd had some good songs, from 4th album onward is barf)
Janet Jackson
Kiss (a performance show, music is below meh)
Radiohead (musically good, but I just don’t get it)
Van Halen (everything after 1st album)

@skibum, I kinda hear ha on Queen post-2nd album. Queen II is my favorite of theirs, shame it’s unknown/ignored. But from Sheer Heart Attack through The Game, there’s good songs on all albums.




avatar for PredragDr
PredragDr
4 years ago
Jay Z
Kanye
Drake
Blink 182
avatar for Jascoi
Jascoi
4 years ago
ABBA bad? shit! i ADORE ABBA. i play that cassette all the time in my bad ass prius!
avatar for Jascoi
Jascoi
4 years ago
don’t like ELO. that movie zanadu sucked with electric light orchestra.
avatar for chessmaster
chessmaster
4 years ago
Why so much hate for kiss? Not that I know enough to have an informed opinion on most of these groups.
avatar for Mr_O
Mr_O
4 years ago
I'd run out of keyboards typing a response to this question!
avatar for magicrat
magicrat
4 years ago
Wow tough room...so I'll add to it. I never got into Led Zeppelin or The Doors
avatar for RandomMember
RandomMember
4 years ago
Already covered: Kiss, Metalica, AC/DC

...all more annoying than white noise or Lindsey Graham's southern drawl.
avatar for Mate27
Mate27
4 years ago
Destiny’s Child
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
avatar for nickifree
nickifree
4 years ago
You'd have to be pretty ignorant of music to list the Beatles as over-rated. They are the greatest recording artists of all time. Now if you want to ding them on their live concerts (even though they actually played live well, given the circumstances), but that in know tarnishes their overall reputation.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
4 years ago
We saw Kiss in the Providence Civic Center, as a Back up band for Black Sabbath. They were clearly better.
avatar for elmer
elmer
4 years ago
@Goldmonger I gotta agree with the "top 25 most overrated bands" but take issue with Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Stones being overrated.
I'd put those two in my top 25 best.

Someone explain to me the hatred for Nickelback? They sell out venues and put on a great show?
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
4 years ago
CCR is underrated.
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
4 years ago
I did not understand a few on that list. CCR and Stones, to name two. And I have never heard of that folk group that came from nowhere.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
4 years ago
that list was probably drawn up by some young hipster dipshit. seemed like at least 90% of that list were bands from the 70's and 80's. probably worships greta van fleet.

btw, i don't know anybody except one person that listens to dave matthews. i never got it. the guy filled up central park once.
avatar for crosscheck
crosscheck
4 years ago
Rattdog- I went to college in Virginia in the mid to late 90s. That was just when Dave Matthews Band was getting its start in the clubs in Charlottesville around the University of Virginia. Classmates of mine where already listening to them before anyone outside of Virginia knew who they were. As a result, I was already sick of them before they broke nationally.
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