Your Music Shitlist

[Don_Preston]

I don't like the Flaming Lips after The Soft Bulletin. Boring arse with stylish shows but not much else. What happened to them doing the fun Acid-fuelled freakouts of olde, setting the drums on fire, revving up motorbikes etc?

Plus I don't like Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and that other UK dance pap.

[drberbatov]

1. Pink Floyd
2. The Offspring
3. Richard Hawley
4. The Sex Pistols
5. Mark Ronson
6. Dire Straits
7. Lionel Ritchie
8. Cast
9. John Lennon
10. Rod Stewart

Is you want reasons then send a PM.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

1. New Order
Most bafflingly overrated band of all time apart from my # 2 choice. Bernard Summner owns the most soulless, anaemic voice in the history of recorded music; "Hooky" has regurgitated the same, dreary bass line on every New Order song for the last 25 years; He's a grown man with a stupid nickname; "Blue Monday" is a tuneless, repetitive dirge, as are all of their songs, but I've singled that one out as it's the most ubiquitous. The fact that they were formerly Joy Division doesn't give them a free pass either: that band only had about four decent songs anyway.

2. The Clash
Just... why? Why do people venerate this shower so religiously? Joe Strummer had a horrible, utterly unintelligible voice; I loathe their grey, turgid, supposedly rousing but actually incredibly dull music; their white jeans, capped sleeve and quiff image was laughable; their "political" stance was hectoring and simplistic; Mojo and Uncut waste far too many issues writing extensive tributes to them; The Sex Pistols were much more fun and had better songs: FACT.

3. Stereophonics
Physically painful to listen to.

4. Bob Marley.
I just don't get the popularity of this chap at all. Insipid, soporific nonsense. "No Woman No Cry" is a truly horrid song: like a reggae-lite Lighthouse Family.

5. Frank Zappa.
Aside from "Peaches En Regalia", I haven't heard a single memorable or tuneful song by him. Most of what I have heard has been smug and interminable jazz-rock bollocks.

Can't think of anymore at the moment.
   

[Borboski]

There are some bands which just totally boggle me however they ever get proper fans:
1. Stereophonics.
2. Travis
3. Etc.

Just average plodding songs, I can see how they get radio play but not fans who are willing to go and see them live.

[chand]

I'd dash Joanna Newsom's brains out on her harp and choke Sandi Thom with her own hair.

Buddy, where I come from, mentioning the shit-awful Sandi Thom (author, lest we forget, of the single worst song of all time) in the same sentence as Joanna Newsom constitutes fightin' talk.

At least three nominations for Bjork as well; it's musical incorrectness gone mad I tells ya and I shan't have it.

[Delete Delete Delete]

A lot of these nominations to me just seem like a reaction against the hype. These bands have been built up in peoples minds to be something that there not, so when they here them they are disappointed. I for one don't give a fuck about hype, I prefer to listen to music on its own merits. How can people not find Pink Floyd's - The Wall album one of the best statements on personal isolation and detachments from society ever record in music? Or not like songs like Break On through To The Other side or People Are Strange by the doors. Some of you I've lost a lot of respect in you as music fans by the choices you've made. Not likening Bob Marley, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Bjork, for gods shake. As for the Arctic monkeys, they have recorded some very well crafted pop songs, that is all, that is why people like them.   

[chocky909]

Well said Delete.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Personally, it's not just about the hype at all. Yes, with the exception of Stereophonics, all of the acts I mentioned are considered amongst the pantheon of musical greats, but then so are so many other artists that I love - yer Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Elvis etc. There isn't a more hyped band in the history of popular music than The Beatles, and yet I think they are thoroughly deserving of the praise. So your argument that I/we are put off simply because an act is immensely popular doesn't really hold water.

Stereophonics aside, I have genuinely tried to get into the music of the acts I listed, and have been left utterly cold by what I've heard. You could argue that "well, you haven't heard enough then" but if you've listened to a couple of their supposedly classic albums about six or seven times in an attempt to form an opinion - and you still think that they're shit - then it's not unreasonable to assume that you're never going to like them. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

I'm really not reacting to any hype with any of my choices.  Things like The Doors I first heard as a kid due to my parent's record collection - didn't like it then, don't like it now.  Granted, my opinion didn't improve any on discovering what a colossal bell-end Jim Morrison was.

As an actual reaction to hype, can I say I really dislike all that I've heard from Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong.

[thecuriousorange]

I would just like to add that Jet make me cry tears of blood.

[Delete Delete Delete]

I'm really not reacting to any hype with any of my choices.  Things like The Doors I first heard as a kid due to my parent's record collection - didn't like it then, don't like it now.  Granted, my opinion didn't improve any on discovering what a colossal bell-end Jim Morrison was.

As an actual reaction to hype, can I say I really dislike all that I've heard from Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong.

Oh yeah, there you go with that old trick, disagreeing with what I just said. You'll never learn will you.

[Neville Chamberlain]

A lot of these nominations to me just seem like a reaction against the hype.

Hot damn, you're right! I've just listened to the bands I listed as despising and bugger me if they weren't all absolutely bloody brilliant after all! Silly me!

How can people not find Pink Floyd's - The Wall album one of the best statements on personal isolation and detachments from society ever record in music?

One of the best statements on personal isolation and detachments from society ever record in music or not, the fact remains that the music is insufferable, turgid arse, a bit like stinking globules of shit lumpenly oozing through my speakers.

[quadraspazzed]

Radiohead (there's the odd cracker but 99% leaves me cold and bored)
Pink Floyd (ditto)
Arctic Monkeys (no redeeming features, and to me the worst of all these new indie bands like Milburn)
ELO (and prog rock in general)
Oasis (post 'Whatever' it just seemed like they couldn't be arsed trying)
Red Hot Chili Peppers (boring, if I want funk rock I'll listen to George Clinton and his ilk, not this crap)
Coldplay (was a toss up between these and Travis, but as Travis had about two songs I liked, Coldplay 'win' for having not a single good song)
50 Cent (what the fuck? why is he so popular? shite rhymes and bling bollocks.)

I don't get:
Queens of the Stone Age (some really brilliant songs from the earlier albums, but what I've heard since has seemed to be the same album over and over)
Led Zeppelin (don't hate them by any measure, wouldn't turn them off if they were on the radio, but I'd never chose to listen to a single song, never mind a whole album)

[Funcrusher]

Yeah, Bob Marley's definitely an 'I don't get' for me.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

ELO (and prog rock in general)

ELO aren't prog rock! They're just... ELO. Songs like Don't Bring Me Down, It's A Living Thing, Mr. Blue Sky and many more are just pop, pure and simple. Most actual prog is dire, though, I'll give you that.

[CaledonianGonzo]

I don't dislike Bob Marley, but his ubiquity at the expense of 99% of other reggae does dishearten me.  I could quite happily never hear 'Legend' again - a staple album from halls of residence and backpacker bars that's really become depressing through over-familiarity.

[quadraspazzed]

Well I always categorize them as such because of my mate's da's record collection which had awesome stuff like the Beatles, Doors, Kinks, Stones, T Rex and then a load of dodgy shite like ELO, Yes, Jethro Tull etc which I've obviously just wrongly lumped together. My da has a copy of Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIII somewhere - woeful stuff.

[quadraspazzed]

I don't dislike Bob Marley, but his ubiquity at the expense of 99% of other reggae does dishearten me.  I could quite happily never hear 'Legend' again - a staple album from halls of residence and backpacker bars that's really become depressing through over-familiarity.

Heh, many many years ago (I was about 12), I asked for Legend for a present (I probably asked for "The Best of Bob Marley"). What my ma got was "The Very Best of the Early Years", and I was royally miffed. But in fact it's a cracking little compilation, and responsible for getting me into reggae in general. Thanks ma!

[olafr]

EDIT: I don't get:

Captain Beefheart (I've only heard Trout Mask Replica and thought "People listen to this? Do be serious", although I'm willing to give it another go. Anyone wanna recommend another?)

I quite like Beefheart but I'm always surprised this is the album that always gets bigged-up by journos as it often leads to disappointment and puzzlement.  A far more accessible in-road is something like the Legendary A&M sessions, in my opinion: upbeat quirky 60s r'n'b.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Damn right! Safe As Milk or any of the later ones really do it for me!

[Hank_Kingsley]

Most twee indie pop leaves me cold, not the the stuff from the 80s but the sort of stuff the Swedes crank out in an alarming manner. I'm From Barcelona for example. I don't like that, no sir.

Most of what I dislike is down to over-exposure, living across the hall from a cunt who listened to Jack Johnson and The Killers on constant repeat in my first year at University really turned me against that sort of thing. Then again, I do love a lot of MOR and the sort of bands who were probably overplayed at the peak of their popularity...so horses for courses really.

There are few bands who really make me feel like killing, it's not the ones I think are boring and can ignore (RHCP) but the offensively stupid ones. Like these chaps and their jaunty pop-punk lovesong about concentration camps which baffles and annoys in equal measure:
[youtube=425,350]http://youtube.com/watch?v=cfptieWXEJA[/youtube]

Even for all the pretentious crap The Doors still recorded 'Peace Frog' and i'd take that over some mopey Scots singing about librarians any day.

Edit: 'Clear Spot' is my favourite Beefheart album. I faaackin love 'Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles'. Beautiful song.

[Don_Preston]

I quite like Beefheart but I'm always surprised this is the album that always gets bigged-up by journos as it often leads to disappointment and puzzlement.

I heard it by accident, without having ever seen a journalists viewpoint to taint my perspective, and loved it. Reading about the conditions the album was made removed some of the wonder and mystery however.

[daisy11]

Bon Jovi
The Doors
Chris de Burgh (laaaaaaaady in red, shit my bed).

[olafr]

Oh no! That breaks my heart, I don't know why but they are the first band in a long time that have really really excited me. I spose if you don't get B&S, you're not going to enjoy another scottish twee band though.

I tried and tried and tried with Belle and Sebastian but couldn't get into anything at until I heard 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' - utterly fantastic - which ruined everything for me as I realised I just much prefer Monica Queen singing.

[olafr]

I heard it by accident, without having ever seen a journalists viewpoint to taint my perspective, and loved it. Reading about the conditions the album was made removed some of the wonder and mystery however.

That's surprising as it's easily the most written about Beefheart recording.

[Labian Quest]

Razorlight.
Robbie Williams.
Green day.
Nearly all new punk and Shred based music.

I don't get: Radiohead, I want to like them and some of the lyrics are OK, but there really isn't much to it musically from what I've heard, mainly just fannying about with a load of FX pedals.

[chocky909]

I tried and tried and tried with Belle and Sebastian but couldn't get into anything at until I heard 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' - utterly fantastic - which ruined everything for me as I realised I just much prefer Monica Queen singing.

I haven't been able to get into B&S properly yet but absolutely love a few of their tracks such as Stars Of Track And Field, Dylan In The Movies, The State I Am In and Lazy Line Painter Jane. Maybe these are just the hookiest tracks?

[Viero_Berlotti]

I quite like Beefheart but I'm always surprised this is the album that always gets bigged-up by journos as it often leads to disappointment and puzzlement.  A far more accessible in-road is something like the Legendary A&M sessions, in my opinion: upbeat quirky 60s r'n'b.

Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) his 1978 'comeback' album is good mixture of the accessible and weird. The trombone parts on it are something else.

[Cack Hen]

It hurts to read the thread! Many disappointing admissions at hand here, especially mentioning Joanna Newsom and Sandi Thom in the same sentence. As for Belle & Sebastian, if you're getting nothing out of If You're Feeling Sinister, your love for music is probably dead. Or, possibly, you are a witch of some kind.

However, the most disappointing thing posted thus far is...

Two words.

Bob Dylan.

Nothing comes close to the 'critical acclaim-load of shite' imbalance that makes up this idiot's work.

Your life is so much poorer for this, and I genuinely mean that.

[drberbatov]

It hurts to read the thread! Many disappointing admissions at hand here, especially mentioning Joanna Newsom and Sandi Thom in the same sentence. As for Belle & Sebastian, if you're getting nothing out of If You're Feeling Sinister, your love for music is probably dead. Or, possibly, you are a witch of some kind.

However, the most disappointing thing posted thus far is...


Your life is so much poorer for this, and I genuinely mean that.

Dylan is a hard one to judge because of the share volume of his work. 50% of his work it could be argued is throwaway but that still leaves more material then many artists would produce in ten lifetimes. You almost have to look at Dylan's career in seperate decades to attempt to gauge its quality and relevance and even that could prove to be a fruitless task. As a recent convert I admit its a daunting prospect to attempt to understand Bob Dylan and I think its easier for many just to write off all his work as 'shite'.