# Singers/bands that make you want to shove hot rusty screwdrivers into your ears **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 1, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897 "2020-07-01T03:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/81 "2020-07-05T17:20:19Z")
And despite the comments and criticism, any one of the above-named people will never change, because enough other people like their music and singing to have made them very well off indeed. _De gustibus non est disputandum._ _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/82 "2020-07-05T17:35:54Z")
The Decemberists have a lyrical affectation - not sure the word for it but it’s something like vibrato or tremolo – that once it was pointed out to me I couldn’t unhear, and if not for that I’d want to get into their music. Mom Jeans have a controversial voice as well - while the post emo-revival scene has a tolerance for imperfect singing, for many, including myself, Mom Jeans goes beyond that into bad bad. Otherwise, I’d definitely get into them because they have enough of a classic emo revival sound that I want to but can’t get beyond their horrible singing. > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I don’t know what it is but the the singer of Fall Out Boy just has this affectation that makes me stabby. Their douchey songs and song titles don’t help (Thnks fr th Mmrs, Uma Thurman, Sugar We’re Goin’ Down, This Ain’t a Scene It’s an Arms Race) I don’t relate to this at all because Fall Out Boy’s singing seems to be a not-particularly-affected straightforward mix of pop punk and hard rock. That said, I can see why some of the titles can be annoying, except that Sugar, We’re Goin Down is one of the worse examples in their discography since most of the title is actually found in the chorus. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/83 "2020-07-05T17:39:00Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Bob Seger- all his big songs are just him bragging and complaining. If I never hear “Turn the Page” again, it will be too soon. All of Bob Seger’s song are about his penis. I think he has a good voice, though. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/84 "2020-07-05T17:42:52Z")
Well, that explains The Fire Down Below. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/85 "2020-07-05T17:53:01Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Bob Seger- all his big songs are just him bragging and complaining. If I never hear “Turn the Page” again, it will be too soon. Yeah, I don’t hate the rest of his stuff but I’ve long thought that the crocodile tears of Turn the Page, as well as others in the genre like Life’s Been Good and Takin’ Care of Business are self-indulgent to the point of snowflakery (even if TCB is about how easy it is rather than hard, and LBG does have the line “i can’t complain but sometimes I still do” I lump them together in the genre of “boring songs about how being a rock star is actually like”) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/86 "2020-07-07T01:08:23Z")
The difference with “Life’s Been Good” is that he’s _parodying_ what a rock star’s life is like. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/87 "2020-07-07T02:25:51Z")
Rolling Stones, or maybe its Mick Jagger’s mating-cats-going-through-a-thresher-nails-on-a-chalkboard voice, not sure. I know the put out good music because when other performers do covers of their songs, they’re actually enjoyable. When Jagger performs (I just can’t call ot singing), the songs are awful. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/88 "2020-07-07T15:14:29Z")
[Jim Brewer’s Goat Boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXdpIC2AtkY) has nothing on [Shawn Mendes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTJ-oqwxdZY) to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/89 "2020-07-07T15:47:45Z")
In the early 80s, there was a trend of British stars that I characterized as “Whiny Limeys” (apology to any Brits that might be insulted). Morrisy / Smiths; the Cure; etc. “We hate it when our friends become successful” - well stop your %&$@ing whining and do something about it! “Why can’t I be you?” Because you’re not. Get over it. Love the background music, but once the vocals start, I’m lunging for the radio. Can’t handle the whining. Billy Corgan / Smashing Pumpkins - same thing. Van Morrison or Tom Petty might be nasal in their performance, but it isn’t whiny. Joe Cocker has that gravelly voice, but it works with the orchestration he does. You ever hear Randy Newman’s original of “Leave Your Hat On”? I hear Joe Cocker, and I’m imagining a film noir, with a guy wearing a trench coat and fedora, lots of fog, etc. When I hear Randy Newman, I’m imagining a toothless guy wearing stained white undershirt and boxer shorts. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/90 "2020-07-07T17:41:27Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Why do I have to shove hot rusty screwdrivers in MY ears? Can’t I shove them in the horrible musicians’ ears? That would only make them sing louder. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897/91 "2020-07-09T15:09:49Z")
Awhile back I started listening to a couple of Dave Matthews Band songs to see what the fuss was about. His wretched vocals put an end to that fast. Minnie Riperton, who fortunately had only one big hit, was a major threat to one’s ears, plus any glassware within range. Then there’s Phil Alvin, lead singer for the otherwise good '50s-esque rock band The Blasters. His singing is so affected as to destroy many of their songs for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-bands-that-make-you-want-to-shove-hot-rusty-screwdrivers-into-your-ears/913897.md?page=4)