# Best Bands You Can't Stand to Listen To? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583 "2002-03-22T19:08:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/21 "2002-03-23T03:44:34Z")
Ska. All ska. I think it’s really neat, but I just can’t stand to listen to it. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![hegel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hegel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hegel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/22 "2002-03-23T04:14:56Z")
Velvet Underground: This band is like coffee . . . everyone pretends to like them. Bjork: I would rather have a rabid wolverine gnaw on my scrotum than be subjected to one nanosecond of her “music.” Away from me, imp! Blur: What a bunch of wankers. Radiohead: I used to hate them, until their debut album accompanied an important occasion in my life. Now they are tolerable, under certain circumstances. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/23 "2002-03-23T04:25:08Z")
**Rush**. Geddy Lee’s voice is just too “nice” to fit the edgy lyrics, especially pre-Tom Sawyer. Those lyrics with a Chris Cornell type singer might work. ---
**Author:** ![Tabeitha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@Tabeitha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabeitha)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/24 "2002-03-23T05:02:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homebrew \* > \*\ ***Rush**. Geddy Lee’s voice is just too “nice” to fit the edgy lyrics, especially pre-Tom Sawyer. Those lyrics with a Chris Cornell type singer might work. \*\* Rush for me too, I can’t stand his voice. I think it’s to nasal or something. It just annoys me. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/25 "2002-03-23T05:45:32Z")
Pink Floyd and Rush. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/26 "2002-03-23T07:12:50Z")
I’ll cast my vote for **Dire Straits**. A lot of people say Mark Knopfler is a master guitarist, and I won’t argue with those who appreciate his musical virtuosity. I just personally find the band and its songs to be rather bland. I’ll second (third, fourth, whatever) the votes that have already been cast for Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Queen, Bruce Springsteen and Steely Dan. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/27 "2002-03-23T17:12:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dono \* > \*\ ***Steely Dan**. I know they were supposed to be the greatest. All my musician buddies loved 'em. Universal critical acclaim. > > To me, it just sounded like the worst treacly schmaltz I ever heard. \*\* I’m not an SD “superfan” by any means but (IMO) they do have some wonderfully clever, witty and bittersweet songs. I am curious about your assertion though, because I’ve never considered them (even for their songs I’m not as fond of) to be “treacly schmaltz”. Could you provide a lyric sample or cite for some songs of theirs that fall into this category. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/28 "2002-03-23T17:21:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homebrew \* > \*\ ***Rush**. Geddy Lee’s voice is just too “nice” to fit the edgy lyrics, especially pre-Tom Sawyer. Those lyrics with a Chris Cornell type singer might work. \*\* Surely, when you typed “nice” you really meant “banshee wail”, did you not? Mark me as another Doper who has issues with **Rush**. I recognize their technical virtuosity, complex song structures and sophisticated lyrics, but I still _can’t stand_ them. I feel like a traitor to my suburban Ontario roots. Here’s one that hasn’t been mentioned yet, **XTC**. Many critics and a few of my acquaintances think they’re quirky geniuses but I just don’t see it. They certainly have a unique pop sensibility and you can hear their influence in a lot of 80’s music but I just don’t connect with it. Oh, and I still think Sarah McLaughlin’s cover of _Dear God_ is superior to the original. ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/29 "2002-03-23T18:10:43Z")
I wish I could like The Grateful Dead. I know they’re supposed to be wonderful, and I even saw them in concert once thanks to a free ticket. But I didn’t really enjoy the concert that much. The best part of the whole experience was watching the fans. Some guy sitting next to me took five or six tabs of acid in about half an hour. And so many of the fans were walking around barefoot, and their feet were disgustingly filthy. It was all very surreal. Sheri ---
**Author:** ![foxfiregrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3da27b/32.png) [@foxfiregrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxfiregrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/30 "2002-03-23T20:24:38Z")
The Sex Pistols come to mind for me. I don’t dislike them, exactly – they were real important to the punk movement and all. When I started listening to emo and punk-pop music, I figured I should try to give the ‘real deal’ a shot. And… I just didn’t like it. Guess that means I’m just a poser. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/31 "2002-03-23T21:33:12Z")
My choices 1 through 43 are all the same: U2. It’s not too much of a mystery what it is I dislike about the group when you consider my 2 favourite songs by them: _Numb_ and _The Wanderer_. **Henry Rollins** has also moved from someone I liked to someone who really annoyed me, but I still have total respect for his hysterical spoken word piece about trying to stop his mother from buying a U2 record. **David Bowie** is another one that people expect me to like, seeing as I love Lou Reed, Iggy and so on. His music is pretty much below average as far as I’m concerned, but I can handle it in the background. On the other hand, any time he opens his mouth to expound on ‘the Wit and Wisdom of David Bowie’, I instantly crave a comfortable pillow and not too soft bed, because I’m heading for a coma at double speed. If he was telling me next weeks lottery numbers, I would still be unable to stay awake to write them down. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/32 "2002-03-23T21:50:34Z")
**Bob Dylan** : For the reasons already mentioned. **Rage Against the Machine** : I like their message, but I don’t like the type of music. I’d rather read the lyrics. **Pink Floyd** : I like _some_ of their songs, but most of them I do not. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/33 "2002-03-23T22:13:51Z")
**Ramones** - I know, punk’s originators and all that. Whatever. To me, it sounds like… well, it doesn’t sound much like anything. Shlocky classic rock, maybe. “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Bonzo Goes To Bitburg” are good, tho. **Husker Du** - Something just does not compute. ---
**Author:** ![reoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@reoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reoch)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/34 "2002-03-24T10:52:37Z")
**Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed** Can’t stand them…his voice…UGH…creed…yuckity yuck yuck… Reoch ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Dead\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@Living\_Dead\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Dead_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/35 "2002-03-24T11:42:41Z")
**Reoch** - yeah, but the difference here is, Creed is emphatically NOT a good band. Them even being on this thread is giving me shudders. 😉 For me, it’s **Nirvana** - there are some songs of theirs that I absolutely love, mostly from the MTV Unplugged performance, but otherwise… to me, they just weren’t that great. Not a bad band by any standards, but nothing I’d choose to spend the day listening to. ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/36 "2002-03-24T12:55:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reoch \* > \*\ ***Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed Creed** > > Can’t stand them…his voice…UGH…creed…yuckity yuck yuck… > > Reoch \*\* Did you miss the first word of the thread title? ---
**Author:** ![reoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@reoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reoch)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/37 "2002-03-24T20:57:07Z")
Hey, someone mentioned They might be Giants…so I figured the floor was open 😛 Reoch ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/38 "2002-03-24T21:14:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ludovic \* > \*\*on Pink Floyd, they are my favorite, absolutely favorite band of all time! Now, since all art is relative, I can understand people’s not liking MOST of their art, but the guitar soloes on The Wall are, in my mind, without a doubt the absolute highest form of musical craftsmanship, sublimnity and virtuosity ever to appear on this planet, bar none. Rooted in the blues yet touching the heavens with exactly the right transcendental deviations from orthodoxy. okay, i’ll stop now 🙂 \*\* I’ll have to take your word for it. In high school, my best friend was one of the many people who discover Pink Floyd in high school. And who think they’re the first ones to do so, and no one appreciates the band like they do. And I had to hear about The Wall ad nauseum. Pink Floyd may be the greatest band in all of history and The Wall might be the finest work of art known to man but I will never know because he totally soured me on the idea of ever listening to it. I do own Dark Side of the Moon and I enjoy it, but it hasn’t exactly been worn out. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/39 "2002-03-24T22:31:36Z")
Artists already mentioned: Bob Dylan, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Bob marley. And I’ll add one new name: **Elvis Costello** : By all rights, I ought to love him. All my favorite artists credit him as an inspiration. He played a big part in helping the Pogues (The Greatest Band in History[sup]TM[/sup]) when they were just starting out, executive producing their breakout album and getting them to open for him on his world tour. And yet, listening to him always gives me this low-grade headache right behind my eyes. Hell, speaking of Elvis Costello, I’ll throw out **Elvis Presley**. Important, talented, ground-breaking, and (to me, anyway) total crap. **Legomancer** : I was your friend in High School, or at least someone very much like him. I apologize on behalf of everyone who bought The Wall in high school and didn’t take it out of the CD player until college. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583/40 "2002-03-25T06:39:02Z")
Rush - great musicians, most annoying singer ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bands-you-cant-stand-to-listen-to/99583.md?page=3)