Underrated Music Artists/Bands

[AkronsWitness]

Hey all, wanted to start a thread that could maybe shine some light on some artists you personally love that might not get enough credit. View this thread as a 'I will die on that hill' thread for some music you personally love that people may have forgotten about, dont appreciate enough, are better than you think they are, ect.

I love listening to new music and expanding my understanding of genres. Ive went through phases of Hip Hop, Alternative, Reggaeton, Indie Rock, Classic Rock, Metal, Pop, Country, ect. It would be cool to shed some light on some of your personal favorites and WHY you think people underrate them.

That being said, who are some artists you will die on a hill for?

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by AkronsWitness

[JohnChimpo]

The Band

 

I think people underrate them because they broke up in the 70s. Martin Scorsese directed a film of their last concert called The Last Waltz, which featured Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Ringo Starr, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison and others. Those people wouldn’t have wanted to collaborate with them if they weren’t great, but it doesn’t seem like many younger people even know who they are.

 

Levon Helm is right there with Phil Collins, Don Henley, and Dave Grohl when it comes to greatest drummers who are also great lead vocalists IMO.

[Deadpulse]

 

[Apparition]

K A T A T O N I A 

I know I keep harping on this and they are very popular among metal fans because of their roots as a death/doom metal band, but they ditched that style more than 20 years ago and since then have been playing the most intricate and refined - yet still highly catchy - rock music out there. The fact that they don't have more mainstream penetration basically tells me that rock is essentially dead in the eyes of the music industry.

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Apparition

[Tetsujin]

I think if it wasn’t for Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Cobain’s suicide, The Smashing Pumpkins would’ve became the iconic alt. rock group of the 90’s. They were a lot better musically than Nirvana, IMO.

[Apparition]

1 minute ago, Tetsujin said:

I think if it wasn’t for Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Cobain’s suicide, The Smashing Pumpkins would’ve became the iconic alt. rock group of the 90’s. They were a lot better musically than Nirvana, IMO.

Were you alive/aware during that period? Because in the years immediately following Cobain's suicide, Smashing Pumpkins were probably one of the 2-3 most popular bands in the world. Whether they were better than Nirvana is up for debate, but I don't think calling them "underrated" is very accurate. 

[Tetsujin]

5 minutes ago, Apparition said:

Were you alive/aware during that period? Because in the years immediately following Cobain's suicide, Smashing Pumpkins were probably one of the 2-3 most popular bands in the world. Whether they were better than Nirvana is up for debate, but I don't think calling them "underrated" is very accurate. 

Yes. There was a sea of alt. rock groups that were having a lot of success at that time, but I don’t think the Pumpkins stood out in the music community as much as they should have.

[Apparition]

Just now, Tetsujin said:

Yes. There was a sea of alt. rock groups that were having a lot of success at that time, but I don’t think the Pumpkins stood out in the music community as much as they should have.

idk, man. I remember the video for "Tonight Tonight" being ubiquitous at one point. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was the highest charting rock album in the U.S. for 1996. 

 

[Forge]

50 minutes ago, Apparition said:

idk, man. I remember the video for "Tonight Tonight" being ubiquitous at one point. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was the highest charting rock album in the U.S. for 1996. 

 

1979 as well

[Forge]

Hands like houses is probably one of my favorite bands of the last decade. 

Thrice, despite their musical evolution, never ended up in an area besides a niche market

[Fresh Prince]

Jimmy Eat World

[Tetsujin]

10 hours ago, Apparition said:

idk, man. I remember the video for "Tonight Tonight" being ubiquitous at one point. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was the highest charting rock album in the U.S. for 1996. 

 

If you google “top American rock bands of all time”, you’ll find the rankings from these music critics websites. Nirvana would be in the Top 10, if not the Top 5. The Pumpkins wouldn’t even make the list, regardless of the length, even though some of their contemporaries would. Hence, my belief that they are underrated.

[JohnChimpo]

2 hours ago, Tetsujin said:

If you google “top American rock bands of all time”, you’ll find the rankings from these music critics websites. Nirvana would be in the Top 10, if not the Top 5. The Pumpkins wouldn’t even make the list, regardless of the length, even though some of their contemporaries would. Hence, my belief that they are underrated.

I see your point. You don’t see many people wearing Smashing Pumpkins t-shirts these days like you do with Nirvana. I have a friend who is a high school teacher who told me kids wear Nirvana t-shirts, and those same kids probably don’t even know who the Pumpkins are. I have a buddy who is a big music lover who only remembered their “pop” stuff. I sent him a live performance of “Siva,” and he didn’t realize that they played heavier stuff too. Jimmy Chamberlin is at least as good as any of the drummers in the Seattle “Big 4.”

[Apparition]

8 minutes ago, JohnChimpo said:

I see your point. You don’t see many people wearing Smashing Pumpkins t-shirts these days like you do with Nirvana. I have a friend who is a high school teacher who told me kids wear Nirvana t-shirts, and those same kids probably don’t even know who the Pumpkins are. I have a buddy who is a big music lover who only remembered their “pop” stuff. I sent him a live performance of “Siva,” and he didn’t realize that they played heavier stuff too. Jimmy Chamberlin is at least as good as any of the drummers in the Seattle “Big 4.”

Nirvana shirts are more about the fashion statement than the music these days anyway. It's the same thing with people wearing shirts with the Unknown Pleasures album cover who have never heard Joy Division. Vintage Metallica shirts are in the same category.

[Tetsujin]

50 minutes ago, JohnChimpo said:

I see your point. You don’t see many people wearing Smashing Pumpkins t-shirts these days like you do with Nirvana. I have a friend who is a high school teacher who told me kids wear Nirvana t-shirts, and those same kids probably don’t even know who the Pumpkins are. I have a buddy who is a big music lover who only remembered their “pop” stuff. I sent him a live performance of “Siva,” and he didn’t realize that they played heavier stuff too. Jimmy Chamberlin is at least as good as any of the drummers in the Seattle “Big 4.”

Wearing a Nirvana shirt is definitely a fashion thing. It contributes to my take that the memory/idea of Nirvana has achieved greater acclaim than the Nirvana that existed.

On a side note, I’ve seen a couple of younger black people wear Skynyrd shirts. And I’ve see a lot of people wear Beatles shirts who probably never really listened to them.