I never understood why the Dave Matthews Band was so popular. I live in the central Virginia area, and they seem to be a big deal here. For a long time, I thought they were just a regional band, popular in the mid-Atlantic area only, with some mild success elsewhere. But, when I moved to California several years ago, I was kind of perplexed that they were performing sold out shows in the Bay Area. I know musical tastes vary greatly, but I think I’m a pretty good judge of good music. Even if I don’t like it, I can still understand why some people might. I can’t get the Dave Matthews Band. Their music is so blah to me. Yet they seem to have a large following.
Also, Tori Amos falls into this category. I’ve tried to listen to her music, but I just can’t listen to an entire song without wondering how or why she became so popular. Granted, she’s not necessarily mainstream, but she does have a large, loyal following.
What popular artists/groups puzzle you by being popular?
I can’t understand why the Black Eyed Peas are so huge, while the Fugees fall by the wayside.
I liked the BEP the first time I heard them, around the time of Don’t Phunk With My Heart and the next few songs. Now, it’s just drivel. Crap music and repeating the same lyrics over and over and over. Speaking of that, John Mayer really is a good musician, but how is it that he can put out a song that is essentially “Say What You Need To Say” (x 50) and it’s a huge hit. I don’t care for his music, but I think he has a hundred times more talent then his casual fan realizes. If he wanted to, I think he could be one of the better guitarists of this generation.
Nickelback
Rascal Flatts
Kenny Chesney
Aerosmith
Bon Jovi
All mook rock, ever Kid Rock
Usher
Maroon 5
Daughtry
Train
Rob Thomas (and any group he’s ever been a part of) Hootie and the Blowfish/Darius Rucker Live
The Alan Parsons Project
Michael Bolton
Lee Greenwood
Insane Clown Posse
Tori Amos is a goddess. I would ritually threaten you for insulting her, but not loving her is its own punishment.
As to the thread question, Britney Spears is the first that comes to mind. She’s a comely lass, but her music is … well, not best described as music, frankly. More like electrical engineering.
The same is true of Lady Gaga, except she isn’t comely.
Alabama. Fortunately, they’re not putting new music out anymore (as far as I can tell), and their old stuff doesn’t get as much air play as it used to.
While people joke about all pop music sucking, I think a lot of the women out there these days can actually sing. There some with voices so strong and ranges so wide that even if their music is aggravating, you still have to admit that they have talent (Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys, for instance). Most of the people I’ve talked to agree that for all her antics, Lady Gaga has some admirable talent, as does Taylor Swift and Rihanna.
The one singer who I cannot find an excuse for is Ke$ha. As a lover of pop music, I can excuse a lack of talent, so long as the chorus is catchy or if there’s some sort of redeeming quality. I can also understand why some people like music I don’t like, such as jazz or metal, because even if I don’t like how it sounds I can recognize what might be likable about it. But I can’t comprehend how someone might listen to Ke$ha’s whiny voice and enjoy it.
Britney Spears, for the win. A couple of her songs are catchy, but it becomes clear really quickly that she can’t sing and that the songs are totally engineered.
DMB was the biggest band in Connecticut too. I never got it at all.
And I’m relieved to see that with the exception of Lady Gaga (who is one of the most misunderstood acts in the music industry - I used to think she was retarded too until I finally started paying closer attention to what she does), there’s nobody mentioned on here who I listen to, woo!
I’ve heard her singing just to her own piano accompaniment, and she actually has a fantastic voice.
I don’t know why she released music that clutter it up so much. Well, I guess it’s a particular sound she’s going for, but IMHO, she’d be much nicer to listen to without all of the electronic stuff going on.
OTOH, I’ve never heard anyone describe Brittney Spears’ unedited voice as particularly good.
I put most rappers in this category, except Eminem. But then, I hate most rap (at least most rap that I’ve heard), so I’m probably not objective.
I also don’t know what people ever saw in Van Halen during the David Lee Roth era. Every time one of their songs came on, I wanted to toss the radio out the window. If I hit Roth’s smirky face, that would be a bonus.
However…I don’t know how anybody could listen to Tori Amos’s “Winter” and say she sucks.
