Although names like Led Zeppelin, ACDC, and Elton John are well known to almost anyone who hears them, they are not without their critiques. From underrated to overrated, fans are leaving no stone unturned when debating the greats, their success, and their failures. Along with these artists are the industry they come from. We are all privy to the struggles of the music industry whether first hand or not, the hard struggles these artists face to make it are no secret. From the dark side of Korean pop to the downfall of rock music, it is no easy battle and these artists are either pushing through or falling behind. Critiques, gatekeepers, and controversy, here are 40 Of The Most Unpopular Opinions On The Music Industry.
Pulp Was The Better Rock Band Of The 70’s
“Pulp was better than both Blur and Oasis.”
Some may agree that 1978 English rock band Pulp, having made top charts and sold millions of records over their time and throughout the 90s’, which knocked both Blur and Oasis out of the park.
According to BBC Culture, Pulp spent most of their careers on the outside looking in, “Being able to observe without being observed yourself, you get to see the real sort of underbelly or workings of what goes off in life,” says Nicholas Banks, Pulp's drummer. Their Album “Disco 2000” reached number one and went on to win the Mercury Music Prize, following a sell-out arena tour. So some might agree that Pulp were definitely underrated.
Alice in Chains For The Win
“Alice in Chains is Better than Nirvana and Pearl Jam.” Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with other Seattle bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Although these bands were predominantly the better known of their era, there are still fans who pin them against each other.
Nonetheless, music comes down to personal taste and subjective opinion. Although some believe that Alice in Chains is the better of the three rock and roll bands, we think their individual success over the years suggests all three are in the win.
Bring Back The Hair Metal
“Hair Metal really isn't that bad”. Glam metal, also known as hair metal or pop metal, directly evolved from the glam rock movement of the early 170s. The decline of this movement suffered heavily from the visual style of rock bands, where as far as grunge and alternative rock fans were concerned, a more natural aesthetic was more in demand during the early-mid 1990s.
According to Rolling Stones, Hair Metal was “Swept under history’s rug and summarily dismissed as fake when thrash and grunge came along.” Despite many opinions over the years we can’t deny the best selling album of rock 'Hysteria' 1987. Def Leppard decided to venture out from their comfort zone leaning more towards the pop of the pop-rock genre, selling over 20 million copies. So despite the many opinions of rock fans, it seems the genre excelled exceptionally well regardless of their visual style.
Best Of The 80’s: Joy Division And Pixies
“Joy Division and Pixies are the most important bands of the 80s” Rating in the top 10 albums of the 1980s according to Pitchfork, for their charming and resonating lyrics these two rock bands of the ’80s were definitely doing plenty of things right!
While Joy Division's first recordings were heavily influenced by early punk, they soon developed a distinguishable sound and style that made them one of the firsts of the post-punk movement. While the Pixies were heavily associated with the 1990s alternative rock boom, their music was known for its dynamic shifts and song structures.
Under-appreciated and Undoubtedly Talented: The Kinks
“The Kinks are the most underappreciated band of all time” The Kinks were an English rock band formed in north London by two brothers, and stand to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Some of their many successes include having five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard chart, with nine of their albums charting in the Top 40.
Although they were undoubtedly talented, The Kinks were believed to have had great potential, ‘but just never quit getting there and rising to the top,’ according to Express News. "Personalities that were virtual opposites helped trigger the energy of their early recordings but in later life, having been through so much together the tension ceased to prompt creativity and instead saw the band shatter into pieces," The Kinks music writer Rob Jovanovic expressed. Which could have possibly been the reason for their ‘under-appreciation.’
Sell Out!
“The concept of selling out is stupid” Artists have long faced the challenges of balancing commercial demands with the integrity of their music. Musicians are often criticized for corporate sponsorship or licensing. Through the years there have been numerous misconceptions around the term “sell-out” and it is no longer regarded in the same animosity as it used to be.
According to Slate, there has been a rise and decline of the term ‘sell-out’ and it is now important to identify that most musicians need to venture out in order to maintain a music career. “And maybe when they grow up a little bit, they’ll realize there’s more things to life than living out your rock & roll identity so righteously.” Boff Whalley of the band Chumbawamba expressed.
Harsh Critiques Of Rock and Roll
“Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Blondie, and Roxy Music should not be in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame” Of the over 200 rock bands that have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame over the years, it is believed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Blondie, and Roxy Music should not have been one of them.
According to Vulture, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers is a “critically unacclaimed frat-boy funksters” who have sucked up to the rock establishment. Green Day who were inducted in by Fall Out Boy, who “are so mainstream now, history will probably forget them.” Blondie were “plainspoken and more than a bit arch,” and Roxy Music being “one of the most challenging bands of its time.” The Rock and Roll community definitely have their unfiltered opinions!
Van Halen Vs Eric Clapton
“Eddie Van Halen is a better and more important guitarist than Eric Clapton” The fight continues in the search for the best rock guitarist, and the two going neck to neck at the moment are Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton. In November 2011, Rolling Stones prepped a list of ‘the greatest guitarists of all time.’ At the time Eddie Van Halen was one of the judges and listed Eric Clapton as being ‘one of his heroes,’ number one to be exact.
“And then came Eric Clapton, who is at the top of my list. What attracted me to his playing and style and vibe was the basic simplicity in his approach and his tone, his sound,” Van Halen expressed. So it turns out these two musicians played a big role in the success of the other, so it’s safe to assume they’re both just as important as the other.
We Preserve The Fire, We Protect The Flames!
“Achtung Baby is the best album of 1991” Achtung Baby was the seventh album made by Irish rock band U2, released on 18 November 1991. It was one of U2’s most successful records and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 Top Albums while topping the charts in many other countries. The album has sold 18 million copies worldwide and won a Grammy Award in 1993 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
According to Paste Magazine, the album was rated number four. “Achtung Baby feels self-consciously (and perhaps overly) ambitious, as if the world’s biggest band desperately wanted to avoid repeating themselves. But that desperation, that ambition—it’s what makes Achtung Baby such a mesmerizing experience.”
Guns N’ Roses Compete Against Themselves
“Use Your Illusion I is better than Appetite for Destruction”. Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on September 17, 1991. Debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, selling over 700,000 copies. Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses which was released on July 21, 1987. Topping off the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling debut album of all time, as well as the eleventh best-selling album of all time in the United States, selling over 30 million copies worldwide.
According to multiple fans, Use Your Illusion I had more variety but Appetite For Destruction was timeless, appeared more cohesive and was “the perfect hard rock album.” It remains a great debate, but what everyone seems to agree on is how great both these albums were despite their differences.
Is Beyonce All That? We Think Maybe Not
“Beyoncé is overrated” From her time as lead singer in Destiny’s Child to her solo career as a singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress, Beyonce Knowles has made quite a name and built quite a career for herself. But is the star overrated?
According to New Daily, “Beyonce’s tactical career moves have made her famous, but also revealed her to be nothing more than a hugely successful product, spouting wisdom and empowerment while pushing Pepsi and calculated narcissism.” It seems that despite her fame and fortune, Beyonce is not everyone’s favorite star.
Producers Get The Hand-Me-Downs
“Sometimes producers should have more credit than artists” If we were to look at cold hard facts, without the producer the song just doesn’t exist, so that begs the question, should producers be getting more credit? Not necessarily more credit than the artist, but just simply get more recognition for their contribution.
According to the Rolling Stones, producers are also getting put at the bottom end of the pile when getting paid. “We’ve had [producer] clients receive a platinum plaque before they received a fee,” says Mike Merriman, president of Parr3 LLC. It seems that producers need to be a little more appreciated in more than one way!
Famous For What?
“Most mainstream musicians focus more on their theatrics and personas instead of music so a lot of it sounds the same and it’s bland Instrumentals are heavily underrated”
We think it’s important to recognize that musicians are not only their music but a compilation of their aesthetic and their brand. In addition, most musicians don’t write their own music, so it’s no wonder that mainstream musicians end up sounding the same. Often it’s suggested to say safe and marketable rather than risk being daring and doing something completely new.
Elton John Who?
“Elton John doesn't get anywhere near the credit he deserves as an all time great.”
Despite his remarkable talent, and the mere fact that saying his name to anyone would get immediate recognition. But regardless, fans still seem to think that Elton John is far more of an artist than he is given credit for.
Despite his remarkable talent, and the mere fact that saying his name to anyone would get immediate recognition. But regardless, fans still seem to think that Elton John is far more of an artist than he is given credit for.
According to Rolling Stones, “Elton and Bernie don't get enough credit for writing truly weird songs. The title track of Madman Across the Water is a quasi-prog-rock song written from the perspective of a psychopath in an asylum.” Despite his highs and lows, we still know who Elton John is and we admire him just the same.
Shazam That Soundtrack!
“Soundtracks from tv shows, movies and video games are as good if not better than original music.”
We’ve all had those moments, where we take out our phone in a hurry to find out what song is playing in the soundtrack of the movie, tv show or video game, to our surprise a song we know but like much better as a soundtrack.
We’ve all had those moments, where we take out our phone in a hurry to find out what song is playing in the soundtrack of the movie, tv show or video game, to our surprise a song we know but like much better as a soundtrack.
According to NME.com, there’s an entire list of songs that sounds better than their originals, including Nirvana, ‘The Man Who Sold The World.’ Which apparently “David Bowie had gotten so many people telling him it’s great that he’s covering a Nirvana song he gets really wound up.”
Love Them Or Hate Them
“U2 is boring” After the Irish rock band from Dublin 1976 received backlash to their documentary/double album, Rattle and Hum 1988, they reinvented themselves into a musical direction influenced by alternative rock and electronic dance music.
Despite being ranked by Rolling Stone at number 22 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and selling, winning 22 grammy awards and selling an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide, fans still have their reservations. The band has been producing new material for the last 40 years, so is it counterintuitive to say they are boring when they have done so well, we think it might just come down to personal preference.
Are You Really A Fan?
“You can still be considered a fan if you’ve only listened to one song but still respect the band. It’s so frustrating seeing people call others fake fans for only knowing like 3 songs. It doesn’t matter as long as you enjoy the music”
We’ve all been accused of being ‘fake fans’ if we don’t know the lyrics to every song, or we can’t list an entire album from the top of our heads, our love for the band second-guessed. But liking the music is enough, enjoying and resonating with the words makes you a fan of the person who made it, despite what the critics believe.
Talent vs Controversy
“For the most part the past 2 decades have been more about the marketability and/or ability of a person to be controversial than actual musicianship and talent.”
We are inclined to agree to some extent that the last few years have seen a different wave of artists than the years prior, where marketing and controversy have been the scope of attention.
We are inclined to agree to some extent that the last few years have seen a different wave of artists than the years prior, where marketing and controversy have been the scope of attention.
But in the era of the internet, fast paced media is a given, and whether a star is involved in any controversy or otherwise, it may give them a spotlight but doesn’t heighten or dismiss their talent.
A Tale As Old As Time
“Every time somebody says that rock is dead I laugh really hard because I’ve heard it before... in 1978 from disco kids.” Rumors of the death of rock have been floating for years, and some celebrities have had something to say about this. According to a recent article Kiss' Gene Simmons has made many comments about the state of rock music.
In 2014, the Kiss bassist “accused record labels of failing to adequately support rock artists and declared the rock genre to be finally dead.” In an interview with Gulf News Simmons expresses, “Rock is dead. And that’s because new bands haven’t taken the time to create glamour, excitement and epic stuff.” Maybe there is some truth to the death of rock music, but fans and celebs aren’t going down without a fight.
You Shall Not Pass
“Gatekeeping is just as toxic in the music fan base culture as it is in any other fan base. I don’t need to know everything about someone to enjoy their music. Thanks, though.” Gatekeeping is described as someone who takes it upon themselves to decide who does or does not have access to a community or identity.
In the music industry “fake fans” is a term most heard from “gatekeepers.” While gatekeeping in fandoms may not seem like a huge deal in the grander scheme of things, it does have damaging effects when people feel excluded, and unable to express themselves without being shutdown.
Dedicated Fan Or Just Indecisive
“People who only listen to one genre of music are suspect to me!” Although it is necessary to experience a wide range of different genres to be able to pick the one that suits best, some people decide on one and others like to mix it up from mood to mood.
Whether this means you’re the type of person who enjoys a switch between ACDC, Elvis, and Taylor Swift or you’re a dedicated Hip Hop fan, this opinion is a subjective one and we have to remain open minded.
Burst An Eardrum
“Blasting your music makes no sense to me. I hate loud music. Play it at a volume you can hear it at. That’s all you need. Your neighbors don’t need to hear what you’re listening to.”
Although loud music can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss over time, some people blast music because they may have some hearing impairments. Others enjoy loud music, or want to cancel noise out they prefer to ignore. Your neighbour might enjoy your taste in music, or they can just blast their own.
Classic Rock Is Dead
“Just because it’s classic rock doesn’t make it good”. Most of us feel like if we say the wrong thing about a classic rock band such as Guns N Roses, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin or famous musicians such as Mötley Crüe and Ozzy Osbourne then we’ve committed a cardinal sin.
Aside from the taste of music being very subjective and down to personal taste, we are inclined to agree that regardless of the fame and fortune, sometimes classic doesn’t automatically mean good.
Foreign Passport For Music
“Listening to music in languages you don't understand is far more enjoyable than listening to music in languages you do because you get to enjoy the human presence without having to engage with their problems.”
There are many benefits to listening to music in a foreign language. In addition to being very pleasing to listen to rhythm and sound from other cultures, it is a proven scientific fact that it makes it easier to learn a new language. According to an article by Altissia, when we sing we reproduce sounds and tone so our accent is less pronounced. This enables us to remember words more effectively.
Black Nails and Bold Eyeliner
“That I never grew out of my edgy phase because I still enjoy punk and alt rock. I grew up in the 2000's so my go-to's are: Green Day, Rise Against, The Offspring, Fall Out Boy, Sum 41, Sick Puppies, Paramore, Thousand Foot Krutch, Tonight Alive, Avenged 7x, Red, and Evanescence.”
Most if not all of us have been through a punk rock phase, blasting Simple Plan or Greenday if you were born in the 90’s, rocking a side fringe and bold eyeliner. There is no particular explanation as to why we go through this phase. Maybe we can chalk it up to rebellion and exploring our self-identity, some of us grow out of it, while for others it becomes more than just a phase.
George Harrison: The Better Beatle
“George Harrison was the best Beatle and had the best career after they broke up music wise.” English musician, singer-songwriter, and music and film producer George Harrison, who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles, did just as well after the group broke up.
Before the Beatles' break-up, Harrison had already recorded and released two solo albums: Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound. He released All Things Must Pass, a triple album. The album was regarded by many as his best work, and it topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Real Slim Shady
“Eminem is very talented and I can appreciate that. However, to me, he just sounds like a p!@#$d off chihuahua.” As one of the most successful rappers of all time with an estimated net worth of $230 million and 44 Grammy nominations and 25 wins, it's hard to argue the success he’s achieved.
Over the years he’s started his fair share of feuds which haven’t made him the most favourable person. In a list of celebrities “that dislike Eminem” by Nicki Swift, Christina Agurlera responds to his behaviour, "It's not nice to go after anybody, especially a female and in this business and now.”
The Remarkable Talents Of Mariah Carey
“Mariah Carey is in fact a musical genius” Mariah Carey has derived a magnitude of success in her career over the decades. After being named artist of the decade 1990s, while the World Music Awards honored her as the Best Selling Female Pop Artist of the Millennium, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide, she is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Carey has won five Grammy Awards, nineteen World Music Awards, and has written, co-arranged, and co-produced 95% of her own material. Her knack for engineering her own vocal climaxes is always extraordinary to her fans, she has remarkable talents and we cannot deny the influence she has had in the industry.
Tom Hamilton The One
“Hamilton is so massively overrated it hurts” Best known as the bassist for Aerosmith, Tom Hamilton has regularly co-written songs for Aerosmith, including two of the band's biggest hits: "Sweet Emotion" 1975 and "Janie's Got a Gun" 1989. According to an article written about Hamilton in Grunge, if it weren't for the other co-founders of the band, like bassist Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith might not be around at all.”
To say he’s overrated might not hold much credibility, considering the co-written song “Sweet Emotions” became the band's breakthrough single and their first Top 40 hit. With the re-released version going on to hit No. 6, the highest chart performance in the 1970s for the band. Following the release of “Janie’s Got a Gun” which became Aerosmith's first of two number-one singles to hit Australia.
The Dark Side To K-Pop
“Kpop as a genre demands intense amounts of talent. You can watch one of their live performances and it would be clear. That being said, I despise the industry and how it treats its artists.” Over the last few years, Korean Pop has become increasingly popular amongst people of all ages.
However, there is a side that is often sheltered out that we might not have known. If one manages to pass the high expectations of the audition process, their schedules start as early as 4 am. Dieting requirements are extremely unhealthy with some companies expecting women to be of a certain weight or height. BBC interviewed some of the K-pops who have endured these harsh realities, “The attitude among the trainees after that [collapsing due to exhaustion] was like, “Good for her! She wants it so much!” Looking back on it now, I think it was really disgusting.”
Fans With Low Standards
“You don't need to be an amazing singer to be a worthwhile, talented artist. Taylor Swift can carry a tune but she isn't incredible, yet she really puts on a show and is a great songwriter. I don't really care if an artist autotunes or edits the sound of their voice, especially if it works with the song. Can't sing or play instruments but you've got Garage band and Autotune DOWN? Cool. You can still make good music in my eyes.”
The last few decades of mainstream musicians have obviously had some impact on their fans, who appear to have little to no expectations. It eventually comes down to whether good music or a good show is what you’re after.
The Success Of ‘Songs About Jane’
“Songs About Jane” is Maroon 5’s only good album.” Songs About Jane, released in mid-2002 is the debut studio album by pop-rock band Maroon 5. It topped the album charts in Australia, France, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and reached the top ten in 17 other countries, selling over 10 million copies worldwide as of 2007.
Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone praised the album for its "vaguely funky white-soul stylings, tunefulness and vocals.” In the years since its release the album has steadily built sales of more than 10 million worldwide.
And She's Buying A Stairway To Heaven
“I never got the hype for 'Stairway to Heaven' being some all-time great song. It's a good song but that's about as far as I'd go with it.” Stairway to heaven is a song by rock band Led Zeppelin, which was released in 1971. composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album.
Stairway to Heaven was often regarded as the most popular rock song of all time. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine put it at number 31 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Some people never got the hype, but the success of the song for the band speaks for itself.
The Era Of Indie Music
“Indie music nowadays has been relegated to Ukuleles, random timed beats and nasal voices”. Indie as a defined musical genre descriptor emerged from post-punk, new wave and “alternative” music released on late-1970s UK independent labels, such as Tony Wilson’s Factory Records, Daniel Miller’s Mute, Chris Parry’s Fiction and, Geoff Travis’s Rough Trade, all founded in 1978. By the mid-1980s, Manchester band The Smiths (Rough Trade) came to exemplify indie both musically and culturally.
The most well known form of indie music is indie folk. that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Amongst these genres is Indie acoustic, which is a compilation of what some may describe as “random timed beats and nasal voices” with Ukulele instruments. So as always, personal preference takes precedent on this particular opinion.
Where Are They Now
“The first Limp Bizkit album wasn't bad. S#$t went downhill fairly quickly after that. The same goes for Kid Rock.” Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late 1990s. Achieving mainstream success with its second and third studio albums, Significant Other 1999 and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water 2000. But their fans seem to think otherwise.
The same can’t be said for Kid Rock who seems to have disappeared from our rear view for sometime. Even after his latest release “Quarantine” in 2020, he hasn’t had much new material.
The Time Of Music Piracy
“Music piracy made music better. Money as a motivation to make music was basically removed from the equation. Nowadays, the people who make music do so mostly because they're artists. Loads of musicians these days are compelled to create to express themselves, because making music is in their soul, not to pander to an audience and make cash. Obviously this doesn't apply to mainstream music. Luckily for all of us with Spotify, it's now super easy to ignore trashy mainstream nonsense, dig deep and find some real gems.”
The days of music piracy are of the old days, and maybe to some, illegal downloading of music gave the tunes an edge. But consequences of this weighed heavily on the industry and funding the artists who worked hard on their art. Although we can agree that mainstream music has seen a turn and may lack authenticity and depth, we don’t think this is a consequence of the lack of music piracy.
Jazz Continues To Cause Divide
Jazz is s#$t. It's a group of alleged musicians playing different tunes at the same time. Jazz aficionados that try and claim there's some sort of genius to making a god awful racket talk more s#$%e than wine experts. Although it has no formal structure of its own it’s recognized as one of the truest American art forms.
But the divide between people who love it or hate it is more than any other genre of music has seen. In an article by Justine Moyer a columnist at the Washington Post, who wrote about his feelings for jazz expressed “Jazz was beginning to bring me low-level panic attacks. Listening to, say, A Love Supreme (1964), once my favourite Coltrane record, I found the music sounded more like one damned note after another.”
Diana Ross A Star On Her Own
Diana Ross and a lot of other Motown Acts would be nothing if it wasn't for Smokey Robinson. Diana Ross singer, songwriter and actress rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Whereby front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, Smokey Robinson led for which he was also chief songwriter and producer.
Despite her rise to success in the Supreme, Following her departure from the group in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo career in music, film, television and on stage. Her debut solo album, featured the U.S. number-one hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Ross has also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated performance. It would be a dishonor to her success to claim without Robinson she wouldn’t have had any of it.
The Beach Boys Vs The Rolling Stones
“The Beach Boys were more important than the Rolling Stones” Both Bands were successful in their own right, and comparing these two large scale rock bands from the 60’s would be cause for great debate. The Beach Boys began as a garage band, drawing on the music of older pop vocal groups and 1950s rock and roll to create their unique sound.They are one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide.
Diverging from the pop rock of the early-1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, heavier-driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their estimated record sales are of 240 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. To say one was more important than the other would be doing a disservice to the rock music genre. They each bought their own unique style that played a big part in the rock era.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers Not So Hot
“I'm so f!@#$%g tired of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They play on every radio station from classic rock to contemporary to weird alternative stations. I can't escape them, and all of their songs sound the same, and I've heard every one a thousand times, I'm just sick of them.”
The Chili Peppers' mix of hard rock, funk and hip hop has influenced genres such as funk metal, rap metal, rap rock and nu metal. Their seventh studio album Californication, sold over 16 million copies, and remains their most successful album. Their songs have remained within the same realms over time, but their authenticity and tone will not soon be forgotten, despite unpopular opinions.