Dead milkmen. Their satirical lyrics overshadow the fact that they are very proficient musicians. But the only had one good album in them (Beelzebuba). The later ones were just weak shadows of the first.
thin lizzy - only really known for the boys are back in town and jailbreak
nightwish - this band should be real big here in the states but are still playing in 3000-5000 seat arenas. this band played in front of a sold crowd at wembley stadium.
squeeze - still around. recently opened up for hall n oates
They are now credited with inventing Punk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwehxN2i… . Did white people ever really start any genre of music? Probably Mozart was really black, but they can't teach it in school cause that would be Critical Race Theory.
Chuck Berry got fucked over bad. You could compare him to The Who, lots of story songs. He was a better guitarist than Townsend, but like him, not into heavily engineering the guitar's sound. But the demographic that liked Tho Who was not going to get into a black dude in his 40s who liked fucking his teenage white groupies.
A question that is perfect for discussion boards but really impossible to answer because if they were truly underrated chances are you wouldn’t know them
For me it may be The Animals - sure they are a long time member of the Rock & Roll HOF and get a lot of radio play, but aren’t mentioned among the elite of Rock bands - Beatles, Stones, The Who, Zeppelin etc. But I have more Animals songs on my workout mix tape than any of the rest
A better answer might a band like “Tool”. They certainly aren’t underrated in their circle. They have a huge following in the prog rock community but I don’t really consider them mainstream where an average person knows a lot about them.
CCR and Chicago each sold tens of millions of albums. However, Chicago may be looked down on by a lot of rock fans since they, like Genesis, became pop in 80s.
I got an album from my younger days by Mountain, named Nantucket Sleighride, which has been an all time favorites and no one ever mentions it, I've always though that people tend to dis Chicago despite how many great musicians are part of that ensemble, and with CCR, John Fogarty has always been my idea of what a badass musician would be like.
the reason why people diss chicago because of peter cetera. he is the main reason why people can't stand that band. early 70's chicago is considered cool. the rest after that not at all.
25, I almost put Mountain down on my list, but they did have a sizable hit with Mississippi Queen. Leslie West is definitely an underappreciated guitarist.
Jack and Justin are probably right wrt MC5, unless you hang out in punk circles where these bands are relentlessly cited. For my money it’s Cringer. This thread is revealing more about tusclers than most!
Great call on CCR. That classic rock era was dominated by the Brits, Jimi, The Doors, The Eagles, Aerosmith, but CCR may have actually been the greatest American band.
^ and many don’t know this but CCR broke up acrimoniously in the early 70s and John Fogarty and his brother and fellow band mate Tom Fogarty never spoke to each other again and if my memory is correct Tom died in the mid 70s and John Fogarty in an interview a few years ago said that was his greatest regret.
I grew up into the heavier guitar-centric rock and really liked UFO with Michael Schenker and Montrose. Triumph was another favorite band. They all had some popularity but they definitely weren't the Top 40's popular type of music.
I recently found out that Montrose played guitar on one of Van Morrison's hit songs "Wild Night". Once I listened to the song after I saw that, I could hear that it was him by the style of guitar playing.
The Kinks are underrated here in the U.S. They were banned by the American Federation of Television and Recording Artists for unknown reasons in 1965 and were unable to tour here for four years. That hurt their popularity and record sales here in the United States. They had numerous top forty singles in Great Britain over that time period.
Crack the Sky - great debut album in 75
UFO - Strangers in the Night great live album
Triumph - should have been as popular as some of their contemporaries
April Wine - checked out a couple of their hits collections and they had a lot of good songs I had never heard before
skibum said (in regard to the band Chicago), "Terry Kath might just be the finest lead guitar ever." You know who else said that? Jimi Hendrix. Certainly some high praise.
50 comments
No idea if he’s over or under appreciated, but I’ll pick Buddy Holly.
https://youtu.be/_xEhr2kbRw4
FINGER BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
thin lizzy - only really known for the boys are back in town and jailbreak
nightwish - this band should be real big here in the states but are still playing in 3000-5000 seat arenas. this band played in front of a sold crowd at wembley stadium.
squeeze - still around. recently opened up for hall n oates
Squeeze is a good one. Most people at least know Tempted from them.
The Pixies come to mind. Kurt Cobain idolized them.
NiceSpice and Scrubby - I’m available to stop by and jerk…
For me it may be The Animals - sure they are a long time member of the Rock & Roll HOF and get a lot of radio play, but aren’t mentioned among the elite of Rock bands - Beatles, Stones, The Who, Zeppelin etc. But I have more Animals songs on my workout mix tape than any of the rest
Going back to my 8-track days, I always wondered why UFO, Uriah Heep, and Wishbone Ash didn't get Deep Purple or Grand Funk Railroad popularity.
I always saw Graham Parker and Elvis Costello as being similar, Elvis blow up, Graham not so much.
Older bands I liked a lot that the average person has never heard of include: Big Star, Joy Division, Japan/Rain Tree Crow, Jade Warrior.
An interesting one might be Dave Mustaine (and Megadeath) - as he never reached the commercial success of Metallica - after his departure.
100% correct on Chicago
Great call on CCR. That classic rock era was dominated by the Brits, Jimi, The Doors, The Eagles, Aerosmith, but CCR may have actually been the greatest American band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74jS3dW0…
yep u nailed it. that style can also be found on edgar winter free ride.
UFO - Strangers in the Night great live album
Triumph - should have been as popular as some of their contemporaries
April Wine - checked out a couple of their hits collections and they had a lot of good songs I had never heard before
Fuck you Mackie