We usually have these threads where we pontificate about who the gods of their respective instruments are and what not.
What specific commercial music makes you really feel something (anything…jumping up and down, sad, happy, want to dance, etc) when you listen to it even though you know that some or all of the people in the group just aren’t that musically talented?
For me, one of the acts I really like for no discernible reason is Motley Crue. None of the members of the band is particularly all that great as musicians, their songs are often cheesy and contrite, and yet…I just like listening to them.
Not really the instruments, since those are very good, but I love Flogging Molly despite - and partially because - their vocals are so coarsely sung. He’s almost shouting them instead of singing, but I still love 'em.
Samething with Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes. I went to one of his concerts once and his talking voice and guitar playing annoyed me something awful, but it was still one one of the better poprock concerts I’ve been to.
Pretty much the text book answer for the OP. Yet they took their limitations and innovated with them. Johnny Ramone’s all-downstroke style has been FAR more influential than 99% of other players out there…
The Ramones originally just wanted to be a cover band and play rock standards. But they found that it was too difficult, so they had to write their own songs that were simple enough for them to perform.
Sometimes I really wonder whether a band is genuinely bad at playing or the specifically try to sound like that. A lot of indie/alternative music goes that way. Pavement for a start come to mind.
Just a generic “primitive blues” covers it pretty well, but I would point to Richie Havens - Freedom (Woodstock 1969) With Lyrics for something on the cusp of being “particularly well-played” but where passion trumps technical prowess.
Particularly in You Really Got Me, it sounds like Dave Davies isn’t really in command of the solo - he’s just barely holding on.
The Ramones, of course. They saved pop music. I think everything would sound like Year of the Cat if they hadn’t reminded us what makes rock and roll work.
I love that solo; one of the first ones I learned.
Back to the OP, hard not love **Louie Louie by the Kingsmen **- talk about a solo full of suck, and then the vocalist starts to early and has to restart the verse - pure gold, Jerry. But the song works…
I don’t recall Mötley Crüe ever being contrite about anything; yea, just the opposite . . .
As for the OP’s question, I think Jimi Hendrix was well-known for having a lousy voice that nonetheless worked for him. Counterbalanced, of course by being one of the greatest guitar players ever.
Woah, woah, you can say a lot of things about ABBA songs, but “badly played” ain’t one of them. They used some damn fine musicians. The bass player in particular, a guy called Rutger Gunnarsson, was outstanding. I invite people to set aside any prejudices, turn the bass up, and listen to Dancing Queen or One of Us or indeed almost any ABBA song. Gunnarsson must be one of the most overlooked bassists. The rest of their studio band weren’t too shabby either.
Meg White is a pretty terrible drummer, at least compared to most pros. But damn if I don’t love me some White Stripes. Her poor drumming is part of what makes them great.
I feel there’s a contradiction in the OP. Bad players or musically untalented? Plenty of rock musicians are limited technically but that’s not a reliable marker for musical talent. I think Ricky Wilson was a very effective guitar player, but good luck getting him to play a harmonic minor scale, any scale (well he’s been dead for a while now, but apart from that…) The Fall usually sound like they’ve forgotten how to play their instruments. And someone’s broken their fingers. And they’re all drunk (well Mark E. Smith is probably on speed, but he’s probably drunk as well).
I’ll see your Ramones and bring in The Cramps.
And I’ll get in first with The Shaggs game over!
Other than drums, Nirvana doesn’t strike me as particularly well played but I like it. I’m sure someone with better musical training/expertise can tell how good/bad they were at actually playing music.
Classic rock with simple power chord guitar progressions. Anyone could play the tablature with a rudimentary knowledge of the instrument, but the star power and familiar lyrics make it good for me.
That’s be punk, and any kind of good ole rock and roll. Hell, when them white boys was slaves, they used to sing it like birds. Hate all that fancy bullshit in rock music.
