Highly overrated.
There *was *some talent there. Page was brilliant at layering guitars on top of guitars in the studio. And he and Plant seemed to sincerely love the early blues. But most of the material that holds up was the stuff they stole incredibly brazenly from people who did it better (Willie Dixon, Howling Wolf, et al.)
The most telling thing I can say: my opinion of Led Zeppelin went down the more of their influences I became familiar with.
Are you trying to kill the thread? What’s your followup?
All Apologies.
Nirvana.
Just bought my first Clash. I’m a slow starter. They rock.
Led Zeppelin – Overrated. They just didn’t hold up. If you’re just going for a memory lane thing, they’re the bomb. Otherwise, they just bomb.
Santana.
LOL nice segue (that’s probably my favorite Nirvana song). Nirvana is overrated, but through no fault of their own. They broke through as alternative music was going mainstream and became the face of grunge and alternative itself. If you ignore the hype and history, you will find some solid music in their catalog, but if you go into it thinking you are listening to one of the top rock acts ever you will be disappointed.
I’ll let someone else tackle Santana.
Grotesquely overrated.
For a guy who claims Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis and John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery as his idols, he sure spends a lot of time squeezing out the same five tired blues licks. And after a couple of legitimately great Woodstock-era albums, he spent a solid two and a half decades emitting forgettable tripe until he decided to start making albums of duets with people like Michelle Branch and Everlast, whereupon he and his string ties started harvesting Grammys on an annual basis.
Next: David Bowie
David Bowie is underrated, but just a little. His reputation is well deserved. He’s had a couple of dogs in his career, but his fearlessness and creativity make him one of the greats.
Eric Clapton.
Eric Clapton
Depends on how old you are. To my generation, Clapton was God. To young punks, he’s over-rated because he’s gotten older and what he does is…old. But he has grown older with some grace and dignity, unlike so many others.
Steely Dan
Fucking underrated. I always name them in my “Five Desert Island” albums. They are a rich tapestry of sound and lyric. Just awesome.
Don’t break the chain, Kal! Who’s next?
(sorry…I suck)
Don’t apologize, fix it!
How about The Band?
Underrated. The ultimate folksy, rootsy rock and roll band. I think Jerry Garcia put it well when he said something to the effect that The Band were what the Grateful Dead might have aspired to if not for the drug- and ego-fueled meltdowns. Fantastic playing, fantastic singing as individuals and in harmony.
Next: Mariah Carey
Probably underrated by everyone except their huge fans. I had to thrash Wikipedia to find any songs I’d even heard of, let alone any albums I’d heard of. Aja is probably well-known by drummers. If the Wikipedia article is on-target, and they were as innovative as it says, then I guess they must be underrated. Fun fact: I had the privilege to present a classified briefing about missile defense and ballistic missile design features to Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (formerly of Steely Dan). As a missile defense wonk known mostly for his guitar-playing, he was underrated as well - very sharp guy with some serious insights.
I’ll go with Kalhoun’s suggestion and toss out…
Fleetwood Mac.
Fleetwood Mac
Underrated no matter which incarnation you chose. Well, strike that. Once Christine left they were nothing but a bunch of people trying to make a living. But the original Peter Green line-up was stunning as a blues band, but capable of so much more. With the addition of Lindsey and Stevie, of course, the trajectory of rock & roll changed. Truly awesome in their heyday(s).
I’ll leave Mariah Carey on the table.
Ok, so I really suck.
Next up: Jeff Beck.
Underrated. He’s mentioned in the same breath as Clapton and Page and Santana, but almost like the caboose of that train. But of all those guys, he’s the one who has really continued to develop as a musician over the decades, in a way that I imagine Hendrix would have, had he lived. He’s managed to stay abreast of the development of electric guitar music, working in jazz fusion in the 70s and shredding in the 80s, while still sounding utterly like himself. Big ups to Jeff Beck.
Since nobody wants to tackle Mariah Carey, try: Madonna.
Overrated as a singer, underrated as to her media savvy.
Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker.
Overrated, but only considering the enormous buzz the performance has gotten. I thought it was an interesting take, but derivative. He reminded me of Jack Nicholson in The Shining, Brad Dourif in Exorcist 3, and Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, rolled into one. That said, in a lackluster Oscar year, he does look pretty good.
Francis Ford Coppola.