# The band that did the most with the least "musical" talent **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2007, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104 "2007-07-17T08:09:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/21 "2007-07-17T14:27:08Z")
A story I heard about the Ramones is that they originally just wanted to be a cover band and play rock standards. Except the songs they liked were too difficult for them to learn, so they had to write their own songs that were simple enough for them to play. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/22 "2007-07-17T14:49:04Z")
Adding two more to keep the thread diversified. Peter Buck of REM has said that they were just a bunch of hackers when they first started. They learned a lot along the way (as any of the above musicians noted above have, except maybe David Lee Roth), but when they started they were just a bunch of guiys who wanted to be musicians. The Replacements. Again, after awhile they were accomplished musicians, but at first, man they turned out some ruogh songs. Oh yeah - I’ve heard it said that the fingering for Liz Phair’s first songs are completely bizarre - she supposedly was self-taught on the guitar and didn’t know they way those chords were _really_ supposed to be. But IANAGuitarist, so I wouldn’t know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/23 "2007-07-17T14:49:05Z")
[QUOTE=Cardinal] My point being that Yngwie Malmsteen may be a player’s genius, but I’ve never heard a song from him on the radio. Apparently he doesn’t write good, popular songs. [/QUOTE] You just unleashed the fury! _You’ve unleashed the fookin’ fury!_ ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/24 "2007-07-17T14:56:55Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] You just unleashed the fury! _You’ve unleashed the fookin’ fury!_ [/QUOTE] Haha…I saw Yngwie on the _Unleash the Fury_ tour last year. That was some good times. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/25 "2007-07-17T15:20:13Z")
I’ve always thought **The Dead Milkmen** had brilliant lyrics but were absolutely horrible musically (including vocals). I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought the same and didn’t really care. I’m still a huge fan of theirs, mind you! ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/26 "2007-07-17T15:27:41Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] I’ve always thought **The Dead Milkmen** had brilliant lyrics but were absolutely horrible musically (including vocals). I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought the same and didn’t really care. I’m still a huge fan of theirs, mind you! [/QUOTE] I agree with that, but I’d have to go with The Replacements. If you’ve ever heard _Stink_, you know how bad they were when they started out. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/27 "2007-07-17T15:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] I’ve always thought **The Dead Milkmen** had brilliant lyrics but were absolutely horrible musically (including vocals). [/QUOTE] Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo stick! ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/28 "2007-07-17T17:42:25Z")
[QUOTE=Robot Arm] Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo stick! [/QUOTE] Oh, don’t get me wrong. They’re fine people. Good Americans. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/29 "2007-07-17T17:45:09Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] I agree with that, but I’d have to go with The Replacements. If you’ve ever heard _Stink_, you know how bad they were when they started out. [/QUOTE] Oh, and that isn’t even the worst, IMHO. \*Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash \* is amazingly bad. It’s shocking that the very same four guys recorded _Tim_ four years later. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/30 "2007-07-17T17:47:41Z")
I have a sudden craving to watch a little Mork and Mindy on channel 57 while drinking a cold Coors 16 ouncer. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/31 "2007-07-17T17:59:38Z")
Sure, blissfully unaware of what the queers are doing to the soil. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/32 "2007-07-17T18:02:54Z")
[QUOTE=Enginerd] Sure, blissfully unaware of what the queers are doing to the soil. [/QUOTE] I’m aware of it. I found out in a pamphlet that was mailed from Pueblo, Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/33 "2007-07-17T18:28:28Z")
I wouldn’t say they have the “least” musical talent, but I think that **U2** – more than any band ever – exemplifies what you can do without speed, “virtuosity”, complexity, etc. Just beautiful melodies, great chord changes, pretty simple guitar solos, and a rhythm section primarily there for support. ---
**Author:** ![dannyness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b77776/32.png) [@dannyness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dannyness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/34 "2007-07-17T18:35:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Sure, blissfully unaware of what the queers are doing to the soil. Rodney Anonymous needs to stop leading his friend Stuart astray. _I’ve_ looked at the soil around Des Moines, Iowa. You can grow PLENTY of stuff there. It’s friggen IOWA, after all. And I’m not aware of any large underground homosexual population there. Then again, if I WERE aware of it, it wouldn’t be underground, eh? ---
**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 17, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/35 "2007-07-17T18:37:46Z")
Jack play a mean guitar, writes powerful tunes, and sings them all for the **White Stripes** but I’ve heard Meg’s drum playing is very amateurish. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/36 "2007-07-17T18:40:13Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] I’ve heard Meg’s drum playing is very amateurish. [/QUOTE] You had me at “I’ve heard Meg’s drum playing.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/37 "2007-07-17T19:35:09Z")
It’s not like Motley Crue accomplished much, but that they did anything at all with their dearth of talent should give hope to the monkey with a typewriter crowd. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/38 "2007-07-17T19:52:52Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] It’s not like Motley Crue accomplished much, but that they did anything at all with their dearth of talent should give hope to the monkey with a typewriter crowd. [/QUOTE] I dunno…everyone in Motley Crue was at least competent, and Tommy Lee is more than competent. You want a _truly_ talentless hair band, try Poison. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/39 "2007-07-17T19:58:16Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I wouldn’t say they have the “least” musical talent, but I think that U2 – more than any band ever – exemplifies what you can do without speed, “virtuosity”, complexity, etc. > > Just beautiful melodies, great chord changes, pretty simple guitar solos, and a rhythm section primarily there for support. U2 is a perfect example of how amazingly good a bunch of teenagers with very little idea how to play their instruments can get when they start a band and play together for 20 or 30 years. In Texas it’s known as the “Butthole Surfers phenomenon.” ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104/40 "2007-07-17T20:00:38Z")
KISS’s talent was in the stage show… this is why thier live albums sold so much more than the studio recordings. But, they were the group that I first thought of when reading the thread title. The Ramones? hardly… thier movie didnt actually suck… KISS’s did. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-band-that-did-the-most-with-the-least-musical-talent/412104.md?page=3)