Most overrated bands in history

avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
He/Him - He’s a filthy pig. That’s him in VIP with another whore.
After reading the comments in the discussion about underrated bands, I got thinking about the overrated bands.

I’m going to start it off with a few - Metallica, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, System of a Down.

104 comments

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avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
3 years ago
I agree with those and I add Kiss to that list.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
3 years ago
Led Zeppelin. The Rolling Stones. The Who.
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Cashman1234
3 years ago
I agree Twentyfive.

In retrospect, Kiss was a musical spectacle with a decent promoter. Their music wasn’t even secondary, it was much further down the list.
avatar for EastCoaster
EastCoaster
3 years ago
Not bands, per se, but definitely overrated:

Madonna

Rod Stewart

Garth Brooks
avatar for Warrior15
Warrior15
3 years ago
The Beatles. I was never a fan.
avatar for Call.Me.Ishmael
Call.Me.Ishmael
3 years ago
U2

This was made worse by the fact that in the late 1980s, if you said you didn't like U2 then a lot of people looked at you like you just admitted to punching kittens. The level of fan fanaticism definitely went beyond my understanding.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
3 years ago
all popular bands from 1995-now

rem
springssteen
grateful dead
u2
bon jovi
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
^^

Nailed it about U2
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
Nirvana

People claim Kurt Cobain is the greatest rockstar of all time just because he's dead
avatar for Call.Me.Ishmael
Call.Me.Ishmael
3 years ago
The interesting (and tragic) thing about Cobain and Nirvana is that he killed himself right when the music media had started to go sour on him and his antics. In a macabre way, he killed himself at the best time to save his musical legacy.

I liked their music, but never considered myself a dedicated fan.
avatar for crosscheck
crosscheck
3 years ago
I agree about Nirvana. They were decent, nothing more.
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rattdog
3 years ago
forgot to add nirvana n pearl jam to the pile.

just a theory: maybe cobain didn't kill himself?
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a classic. Love it. One of the best all time. But I never got into the Grunge movement. Maybe they had other good songs but they just seem overrated for the relatively small catalog of work
avatar for Huntsman
Huntsman
3 years ago
I like U2 well enough but they are definitely overrated and over hyped.
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
3 years ago
Led Zepplin I just almost never have the urge put a Led Zepplin song on.

Kiss to some extent

A lot of 90’s rock at one point I liked not all but I hate so much of those stupid songs. I think that decade is when music started to really degrade for me.
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
3 years ago
And how there viewed I agree with Metallica too. I’m just not reaching to put on too many Metallica songs in my life
avatar for ElDuderino_AZ
ElDuderino_AZ
3 years ago
Pearl Jam?!?? You bastard!!


The Beatles... To me they're a boy band with guitars.

U2 was good through Achtung Baby. After that, everything sucked.


Creed is awful, as is Nickelback.

I dig 311 and Sublime but feel like they're limited. A lot of 311's stuff is garbage, and Sublime seemed like it didn't take off until Bradley Nowell died.

Love Nirvana, but I'd compare them to the Beatles...not the boy band with guitars thing, but just as far as "ranking". They're both so high only because they were the first to make it big, but they weren't the first to do what they were doing.

avatar for ElDuderino_AZ
ElDuderino_AZ
3 years ago
Kiss, definitely.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I agree on most of the bands posted in comments.

I never thought Nirvana was great either. I was older when they got popular. I liked Smells Like Teen Spirit - even though it sounds like it could be a porn site.

REM should have never jumped into pop music.

Grateful Dead are ok, but I don’t understand folks traveling the country to see them on tour every night.

I’m a big U2 fan, but I understand what is being said.
avatar for Mate27
Mate27
3 years ago
Almost unanimously Kiss, and I’d agree. Just like Houdini, promotion was their best ally. Some things never change.
avatar for ime
ime
3 years ago
The Eagles
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rage Against the Machine
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
I wanted to say The Eagles but figured I’d get roasted for it
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I agree on the Eagles. They were good, but I never saw them as an all time great band.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
3 years ago
the eagles were great whenever felder was in the band. but i could see why they would be considered overrated. near the point of being nauseating too - how many times can you listen to the phrase pink champagne on ice?
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
One more that I just remembered - Fleetwood Mac.
avatar for datinman
datinman
3 years ago
Fleetwood Mac was great until they became the Buckingham/Nicks backup band.
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datinman
3 years ago
Anyone old enough to remember when the Bay City Rollers were hyped to be the next Beatles?
avatar for datinman
datinman
3 years ago
Oasis. I never got it, but everyone swore they were the next big thing.
avatar for gammanu95
gammanu95
3 years ago
CCR- only knew three chords and played folk music

The Doors

The B-52s

U-2

The Beatles, how I hate the fucking Beatles. I don't live in a yellow submarine. Oasis was just riding their coattails.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I remember the Bay City Rollers! They had 1 song - Saturday Night -

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=57g5Z_3kXO…
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
It doesn’t hold up, but I loved Saturday Night at the time
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I may be pushing it with this one.

I liked Appetite for Destruction - but I think Axl got such a huge ego - it ruined what the band could have become. So, I might put Guns n Roses here.
avatar for JamesSD
JamesSD
3 years ago
Currently overrated, or overrated at peak popularity?

It's easy to trash bands like Smash mouth who had a few hits and a couple years on top and became punchlines. Same with Creed.

Currently I would say it's Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2 and Metallica. None is a bad band and all had decent albums and good songs. But they all feel like Zombie bands who have coasted for decades without imploding completely.
avatar for NJBalla
NJBalla
3 years ago
Nickelback
avatar for elmer
elmer
3 years ago
Red Hot chili peppers
Alice in chains
Not only overrated but IMO absolutely suck

On the other hand (sorry NjBalla) kinda like Nickelback
avatar for ElDuderino_AZ
ElDuderino_AZ
3 years ago
I can see why someone would argue any band is overrated. But Alice in Chains sucks?!?!?!?!?!!!!

That's just madness. Next thing you know, this guy will say pineapple belongs on pizza and soccer is entertaining.
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
3 years ago
Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m just not putting them on like that
avatar for Muddy
Muddy
3 years ago
A lot of their songs are annoying as fuck
avatar for PredragDr
PredragDr
3 years ago
Bob Marley & the Wailers
Wu-Tang Clan
Blink 182
avatar for Studme53
Studme53
3 years ago
Calling the Beatles overrated is a bit harsh. They were ground breaking and the most influential “group” in history. (Back in the day no one said “band”, they were a rock “group” - hence “groupies”)

True, the Beatles had some shit songs on some of their albums - Ringo’s songs are really annoying, but I guess they felt like they had to indulge him. They also had a lot of great songs too.

Watch the last hour (only) of the 6 hour 3 part Beatles doc “Get Back” on Disney Plus. It really shows how supremely talented and charismatic Paul McCartney and John Lennon were. Paul definitely comes off as the leader and driving force behind the group.
avatar for ime
ime
3 years ago
KISS is not only overrated they flat out suck.
avatar for ime
ime
3 years ago
Limp Bizkit, Korn, linkin park any of that Nu-metal shit was awful and how it ever got popular is beyond me.

Phish, Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band and jam bands in general are overrated garbage.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I forgot about Dave Matthews Band. I tried to get into their music, but I didn’t get it.

Phish was billed as a super group - to rival the great bands of all time - and I didn’t see it.
avatar for ime
ime
3 years ago
@Cashman anytime i hear the song or name bay city rollers i think of this underrated movie
https://youtu.be/wAptFMadyqo

Heeed move https://youtu.be/IqycJpRdVaY
avatar for crosscheck
crosscheck
3 years ago
I might not have minded Dave Matthews Band so much, but I went to college in Virginia right as they broke. They got their start in Charlottesville playing the clubs around UVA, so throughout all the dorms at my school you heard them non-stop. Generally being force fed something tends to not make me like it.
avatar for JamesSD
JamesSD
3 years ago
When I went to college every frat boy played Dave Matthews Band on repeat. But I also feel like our culture just forgot about them except for movies and shows set specifically in the late 90s.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
3 years ago
phish, grateful dead and dave matthews band are shit jam bands that i describe as college preppie kid rock. i believe phish was the band that was anointed as the band to continue the grateful dead tradition.

my friend and i were at some bar one night. he picks and plays a nickelback song. i gave a look of out of all the songs you could have picked from the jukebox you picked that nickelback shit? i got him back by picking something weird off from pink floyd's animals.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
ime - those are great movie clips! That was a funny movie - and I forgot about that song being used in it.
avatar for crosscheck
crosscheck
3 years ago
Rattdog - Animals has always been my favorite Pink Floyd Album. Three moods, dark, darker, and darkest.
avatar for RamPaige
RamPaige
3 years ago
The Doors and Rush.
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
Kiss may be overrated musically but transport back to 76-77 and there was no hotter concert ticket here in the Midwest.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I agree on Rush. I know Neil Peart was a great drummer. I liked a few of their songs, but that’s all.
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
3 years ago
Yeah I have to agree in Rush.
I like a few of their songs but they’re not a top ten legendary band.

But I have to disagree on the Doors. Blues Rock is my favorite genre so I could just listen to the Doors all day long
avatar for crosscheck
crosscheck
3 years ago
And I'll have to disagree about Rush. My favorite band since high school. Saw them 14 times in concert and always felt like I got my money's worth.
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Cashman1234
3 years ago
I’m sure they put on a great concert, crosscheck.

This type of discussion is going to include bands some of us really like.
avatar for bman66
bman66
3 years ago
Kiss, Metallica, REM, Lincoln Park, U2, Chili peppers, Eminem not a band but I can only listen to a couple songs by him and then it is annoying.
avatar for JamesSD
JamesSD
3 years ago
I feel like KISS has never pretended to be anything other than spectacle with loud, ok rock music.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
3 years ago
Aerosmith.
avatar for jaybud999
jaybud999
3 years ago
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY will say Iron Maiden. Wait, I just did....and I'm going to see them next year.

And don't EVER disrespect Led Zeppelin; or I'll come straight outta your phone screen at the club, slap you in the mouth, and take your place underneath her.
avatar for Tetradon
Tetradon
3 years ago
To be "overrated," you have to be "rated" in the first place.

+1 for fuck jam bands. I tried to listen to a Phish song once, and got 60 seconds before I got bored.

Oh and Dave Matthews' voice is metallic and grating to me. Basic white bitches, the kind who love pumpkin spice and New England fall, love DMB, as do guys trying to fuck them.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
I saw Iron Maiden in the 1980’s and they did a good live performance. I think they were the second band in the line up - and the main band was Motley Crue. The Motley Crue show was pretty good too.

I know lots of bands are much better live, and that can give fans a different perspective.

I’ve avoided mentioning Led Zeppelin, as I think they are up there with the Beatles, in terms of all time greats. But, they have a large catalog of music, and there is some not so great music in there. That’s expected when a band makes music for many years.
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crosscheck
3 years ago
Agree, Iron Maiden puts on a great live show. Seen them multiple times and always a treat.
avatar for bkkruined
bkkruined
3 years ago
Ted Nugent

I don't care how poorly he's rated, it's too high.

and Kiss.
avatar for loper
loper
3 years ago
Never understood how anyone could stand Fleetwood Mac or Tom Petty. Slow harmonic rhythm with chords that lacked imagination. Horribly repetetive.
avatar for rattdog
rattdog
3 years ago
^yeah i get what you're saying with petty. their music is just plain rock n roll - hardly original. but what makes petty stand out though is the way he delivers his vocals. i don't recall anybody singing like that before he came around.

fleetwood mac with buckingham and nicks had 2 great albums. after that ok. i can't comment on the peter green and bob welch eras. i'll check them out someday.
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anothercraig
3 years ago
Great list! The only band I disagree with any of you on is The Beatles. They were genius. But every other band mentioned? You all are spot on.
avatar for rediguan
rediguan
3 years ago
Great thread. So glad to see the beatles on this thread - I wont even put them in capital letters. They are figuratively a band that was at the right place at the right time. Like the old adage on real estate - location, location, location. I'm sorry to all of you beatle followers.

Other than the beatles...agree with Fleetwood Mac. Jefferson Airplane/Starship. Rush. Led Zep.

To each his own I guess. I'll die on this hill.

avatar for Dave_Anderson
Dave_Anderson
3 years ago
ABSOLUTELY EAT SHIT ASSHOLE. If you don't like 80's metal that fine but don't trash the great bands from that era. JP fucking rocks. Listen to The Sentinel and tell.me that isn't one of the greatest songs of all time. It puts "Drake" to shame 5,000 times over. Again, if you din't like 89's metal thats fine but don't claim it was "over-rayed."
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Dave_Anderson
3 years ago
80's metal
avatar for drewcareypnw
drewcareypnw
3 years ago
This ones easy: The Doors. Ok maybe Oasis.
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motorhead
3 years ago
CJ Kent Band
avatar for loper
loper
3 years ago
Yeah, the doors. Has anyone actually looked at the lyrics of the so-called genius Jim Morrison? Embarrassing.
avatar for ilbbaicnl
ilbbaicnl
3 years ago
Hard to say much about this that I could claim was not very subjective.

When the Beatles and the the Rolling Stones first started having major success, they considered THEMSELVES to be overrated. They saw themselves as cover bands playing the music of Black American musicians. The Beatles went on to use innovative studio production on their albums, and to take Rock in different directions, and give it an overt English character. I like the Stones, but they were never as innovative.

I don't call Kiss or the 80s androg metal bands overrated because they were never pretentious. They never claimed to be big musical innovators. They were like, we like playing, putting on a show, if people will give us money and hot chicks will fuck us for it, we'll take it of course.

avatar for misterorange
misterorange
3 years ago
Went to high school in the early 80's. I wasn't a fan, but Loverboy had a few big hits at the time and were very popular for a while. A bunch of friends were all going to see them in concert so I went along. They were awful. They were one of those bands that are good at producing hits in the studio but suck when they perform live.

Luckily we got there early enough to catch the opening act, a band none of us had heard of at that time: The Hooters. They were great, and even the Loverboy fans in our group agreed that the show would have been better with Hooters as the headliner.
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misterorange
3 years ago
Bruce Springsteen. The only way I'd pay to see him would be if he sucked off a donkey on stage.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
Misterorange, a friend and I made a trip to the Jersey Shore during the early 80’s. On our way back north, we saw that Huey Lewis and the News were opening for Loverboy, at the Arts Center. We had such a good time partying with the folks in the parking lot, we decided to not go in and see the show. It was likely a good decision!

I have become less and less of a Bruce fan over the years. His music has taken a turn for the worst, and he has become too outspoken with his politics.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
Dave Anderson - I have seen Judas Priest live. They put on a great show, and they have many followers, but I don’t think they are a great band when compared to other bands historically.

I respect your opinion, as you obviously have strong feelings regarding their greatness.
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ilbbaicnl
3 years ago
Springsteen's a typical balladeer. Targeted to middle class people in the Northeast of his generation. Very formulaic.
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ilbbaicnl
3 years ago
All rock guitar players who are not Jimi Hendrix could be called overrated.
avatar for loper
loper
2 years ago
I have to correct myself re. Tom Petty. Mary Jane's Last Dance is musically interesting and creative. Still think Fleetwood Mac is a bore.
avatar for SirLapdancealot
SirLapdancealot
2 years ago
In no particular order...

Nickelback, the Foo Fighters, Neil Young, Adele, and Oasis
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
2 years ago
Rage Against the Machine
avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
2 years ago
One more occured to me The Grateful Dead, never got them or the hippie hype
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
2 years ago
Springsteen is a balladeer? Badlands is one of the finest examples of kick ass rock n' roll in history. If I am winding down after an incredibly fun day and am happy beyond belief, I like to sit in a chair, puff a bit and listen to Ripple, the best of all the amazing dead tunes and one I could listen to in a loop for the rest of my life. "Reach out your hand if your cup is empty, if your cup is full, may it be again, let it be known, there is a fountain, that was not made, by the hands of man ....."
avatar for 48-Cowboy
48-Cowboy
2 years ago
This is absolutely fucking hilarious! Most of the bands mentioned are boomer bands proving that boomers know they sucked ass. Boomers hating boomers! It doesn't get better than this!!! 😂🤣😂
avatar for 48-Cowboy
48-Cowboy
2 years ago
And then there is the great skibum609 (emphasis on bum) sitting in his easy chair smoking weed and listening to music while always talking about how hard working he is. Hahaha lazy fucker
avatar for drewcareypnw
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
Mr Orange has a very very good point: "Bruce Springsteen. The only way I'd pay to see him would be if he sucked off a donkey on stage.". what a boring piece of shit that constipated sounding walking scrotum is! That christmas song is easily the worst example of the worst genre. Born to Run is a pretty good song though. ill give him that.

but 48 is right... this is all very boomer. you know who is overrated today? the Linda Lindas. 3 little cute little girls have a band that sounds like any other little girl "barely can play" high school band. they add a trans kid for extra pc points on top of the fact the rest are asian (currently americas most oppressed not actually oppressed ethnic group). then their music business parents get them a glossed up recording (no the drums do not sound remotely like the record when they play live, shes a little kid, not travis barker) and a bunch of pro level pr. now theyre on fat records and the biggest deal in pop punk. but they still suck. and not just suck because they cant play their instruments. they suck because their songs are weak and half assed, as they should be for a bunch of little kids who have no idea what theyre doing. there is also no way that they were blue hearts fans and picked that name. im sure their hipster record collecting parents did that too. total overrated BULLSHIT.

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drewcareypnw
2 years ago
theyre the fucking PC Archies. LAME
avatar for Studme53
Studme53
2 years ago
Ha ha - Springsteen’s great. A musical genius. I hate his lefty politics. I think he’s a political retard. I try not to let that cloud my judgement. I know it’s hard but life too short to let politics interfere with what’s good.

My dad’s politics were about 5 clicks to the right of Ronald Reagan, but he and my mom would put us to bed a play Barbara Streisand on the stereo. Barbara was one of the first to wear her lefty politics on her sleeve, but my dad said she sung like an angel touched by God. Plus I think it helped him get romantically down with mom lol.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
2 years ago
48-Cowboy is consistent: He proves he has an IQ under 50 with every post. easy to tell he's a loser who never had a cent to his name or a job a senile monkey couldn't perform better. He is so bitterly jealous of boomers it'd be funny, if he were slightly less stupid. Other than be a little bitch 48-Rdverse Cowboy what do you do? Only saw the dead 32 times, so no worries bro.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
2 years ago
I’m a NJ native, so I know my drivers license could get revoked because of this post. Springsteen made some great music back in years past.

My issue with Bruce is his politics. He may be trying to remain relevant? I’m not sure. But, I’d rather he just stick to being a fading rock star.
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SirLapdancealot
2 years ago
I forgot to add Beyonce to my list.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
2 years ago
^God bless you.
avatar for Tetradon
Tetradon
2 years ago
^ Beyonce reminds me of what Ishmael said about U2--if you said you didn't like Beyonce, people interpreted that as saying you don't like black people. Think most people said they liked her to look "cool."

Red Hot Chili Peppers, not horrible but I don't get why everyone sucks their dicks.
Ditto Metallica, everyone makes them out to be gods and I don't see it.

It's been a few months since I said "fuck the jam bands," so I'll say it again, fuck the jam bands and fuck Dave Matthews Band in particular. One of my old workplaces would blare it constantly. That would be my Gitmo torture music, I'd break in a New York minute.
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san_jose_guy
2 years ago
Metallica, Motley Crue, ones I have never thought much of.

SJG
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datinman
2 years ago
Jack White was interesting for about 30 minutes in the late nineties. Now I find him (and the 30 bands he's in) annoying.

avatar for NJBalla
NJBalla
2 years ago
Nickleback
avatar for drewcareypnw
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
I’m in a fight w mrs C and drinking at the bar next to the sc. so I’ll add another turd to the pile: Amyl and the Sniffers. Yeah she’s hot and everyone wants to fuck this aerobic ratchet Aussie. Yeah she sort of looks like a 70s Debbie Harry or something. And the band are solid… they lay it down. But that’s where it ends. Repetitive, uncreative, dumb. Does she have a lot of energy? Yes. Did she need to write a song literally only about that? NO. She’s so great, she’s so punk, she’s so hard ass… what she is is a hot white trash oz punk with a ratchet voice and exactly one idea. Just bc you want to fuck her doesn’t mean she’s worth listening to.
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drewcareypnw
2 years ago
And now these fucking retards are playing the Doors. Mojo rising. Fuck me.
avatar for drewcareypnw
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
And now some giant idiot in a baseball hat is shouting “mr mojo rising” and yelling “whooo!” This guy needs chemical castration. Full Alan Turning treatment. You guys thing seattle is all fags and trannys software engineers eating avocado toast and resting Mother Jones. I give you proof at the Thunderbird Tavern on a Friday in July: not so.
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drewcareypnw
2 years ago
Sorry… “reading mother Jones”… I can’t see shit on this iPhone.
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48-Cowboy
2 years ago
Please fill this out and report to HR skibum609

https://tuscl.net/photo.php?id=9041
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Cashman1234
2 years ago
SirLDAlot - thank you! I think it’s too much - the way the media fawns over Beyoncé and anything she does. I just don’t care that much about her and Jay Z - and their lives.

Her music is ok.
avatar for azdd
azdd
2 years ago
Wow, tough crowd. We all have strong preferences driven mostly by our age. It’s interesting to me that many of the “old” bands identified as overated have been commercially successful for decades (Stones anyone?). There are plenty of bands that trigger me to change the station, or advance the stream, but that just means I don’t care for them, and doesn’t mean they’re overrated. Somebody likes them or we wouldn’t know who they are!
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