# Which musical acts are most universally respected and liked among their peers in their genre? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564 "2010-03-15T18:16:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/61 "2010-03-17T03:23:13Z")
While he is famous (infamous?) for his abrasive, gruff and mercurial personality, Van Morrison’s music is highly acclaimed by almost all serious music industry figures, both critics and performers alike. The list of the various musicians that have covered songs from Morrison’s immense, 40+ year-long catalog of original compositions is a virtual who’s who of the music industry, spanning almost every genre of popular music. Almost every musician I have ever known seems to have a deep respect for Van Morrison’s music and creativity, though his personality is apparently quite a different story… ---
**Author:** ![Bradjam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Bradjam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bradjam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/62 "2010-03-17T03:30:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Totally true. They have the same kind of aura as Mike Patton & Faith No More. And on top of that, they are probably one of the most gracious and humble groups of guys out there, and still pounding away after nearly thirty years. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/63 "2010-03-17T03:35:29Z")
> [@Bradjam](#): > > And on top of that, they are probably one of the most gracious and humble groups of guys out there, and still pounding away after nearly thirty years. I think I read that they should have a live concert DVD out sometime this year. Lemme see if I can find that nugget in one of my mags and I’ll get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/64 "2010-03-17T04:01:16Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Isn’t that true of all early punk? I remember seeing subtitles on Sex Pistols videos because they thought nobody could understand them, when compared to modern hardcore Lydon’s vocals as clear and well-enunciated as Pat Boone’s. > > I’ve always thought of the Ramones as a pop band with attitude. I have a weird relationship with those old punk bands. I give guys like The Ramones and The Clash and The Sex Pistols respect for their contributions back in the day, and for basically setting the standard of what “punk” is, but I’ve never really liked much of any of their music and I don’t like how overexposed they’d become and how…how do I put this?..how unthreatening they’d become. They were people who thought the Sex Pistols were harbingers of the apocalypse at one point, that The Ramones were a bunch of hoodlums out to make kids sniff glue, but now you can hear “God Save the Queen” on the Oldies station, you used to be able to see Joey Ramone on VH1 sometimes. I guess it’s just changing times. Also, for every punk band like that that got the recognition they deserved, plenty of others didn’t. Crass and Discharge should be getting _more_ respect than the Sex Pistols or Clas IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/65 "2010-03-17T04:13:25Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > Punk is tricky, because no matter how awesome a band is, someone will call them posers one day Right. In such an outspoken and opinionated scene as punk or hardcore, which are both all about rebelling against what came before or whatever is popular, is it so inconceivable that someone might think The Ramones are sell-outs? Again, I don’t believe they are, but I wouldn’t be surprised if plenty of punks now think they are. I would tell them they were a pack of dumbasses for thinking so, but I wouldn’t be surprised. And, in mt experience, many people do think that way (though, again, my experience means nothing in and of itself) > [@Equipoise](#): > > Tupac Shakur…He also liked early Sarah McLachlan :eek::eek::eek: Now THAT is a shocker, right there. ETA: in rap and hip hop: Public Enemy, NWA, and Eric B and Rakim. You wont find anyone who has anything bad to say about any of them AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/66 "2010-03-17T05:03:35Z")
Has anyone said anything bad about George Strait or Alan Jackson? I know they stirred up some people when they did Murder on Music Row (I can’t believe it’s been 10 years). ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/67 "2010-03-17T05:08:33Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > One simple question: who cares? Presumably, those who aren’t threadshitting. > [@astorian](#): > > Artists in any genre are frequently LOUSY judges of their peers. The funniest comedians you know are often despised by their peers. On the other hand, guys who are universally admired by their fellow comics are often horrible people and WORSE performers. To give you one example, Colin Quinn is a wretchedly unfunny comedian. That he’s managed to stay in show biz so long is a reflection of the fact that he’s adored by his fellow comics. Which shows you what THEY know. So, because you think that Jeff “You might be a redneck” Foxworthy and Bill “here’s your sign” Engval are funnier than Colin Quinn, that the opinions of professional commedians are irrelevant? > [@astorian](#): > > It’s no different in music. SUPPOSE you learned that the Jonas Brothers are universally adored by their peers, while your favorite band is regarded as a bunch of jerks. What possible difference could that make to you? Learning that, say, The Velvet Underground (since The Jonas Brothers is a horrible example) are univerally respected might make people say “maybe I should check them out.” It makes for a better thread than a poll about who your favorite artist currently is. Or do you think that hearing 50000 thirteen-year-olds scream out “Lady Gaga” would improve your musical knowledge? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/68 "2010-03-17T05:35:16Z")
Steely Dan. They were the rock band that got rave reviews even from the Jazz music magazines in the 70s. Alex Chilton/Big Star. They got very little airplay and probably no chart action to speak of, but other musicians have always given them major props. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/69 "2010-03-17T05:53:49Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > ETA: in rap and hip hop: Public Enemy, NWA, and Eric B and Rakim. You wont find anyone who has anything bad to say about any of them AFAIK. You can add KRS-ONE to that list, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/70 "2010-03-17T07:02:34Z")
In the classic rock genre, I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say anything bad about **The Band**. In alt-country, **Wilco** , **The Jayhawks** and **Neko Case** seem to be well respected. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/71 "2010-03-17T07:09:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You can add KRS-ONE to that list, I think. Without a doubt. But I think he was mentioned upthread already while the others weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/72 "2010-03-17T09:02:10Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > ETA: in rap and hip hop: Public Enemy, NWA, and Eric B and Rakim. You wont find anyone who has anything bad to say about any of them AFAIK. If we can narrow Public Enemy down to just Chuck D., I’m with ya on this one. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/73 "2010-03-17T10:30:50Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > Re) 2Pac & Kate Bush: Wow, really? I can’t believe it… [Here’s confirmation](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcz1yV6vRks#t=0m54s) from the movie _[Tupac Resurrection](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343121/)_. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/74 "2010-03-17T11:30:30Z")
> [@Rucksinator](#): > > Presumably, those who aren’t threadshitting. > > So, because you think that Jeff “You might be a redneck” Foxworthy and Bill “here’s your sign” Engval are funnier than Colin Quinn, that the opinions of professional commedians are irrelevant? > > Learning that, say, The Velvet Underground (since The Jonas Brothers is a horrible example) are univerally respected might make people say “maybe I should check them out.” > > It makes for a better thread than a poll about who your favorite artist currently is. Or do you think that hearing 50000 thirteen-year-olds scream out “Lady Gaga” would improve your musical knowledge? Interesting that YOU start with the assumption that artists always love and embrace edgy, hip, innovative acts, while the public always chooses crap. You really think COLIN QUINN is a bold, edgy, innovative act??? Gimme a freaking break. As for the Jonas Brothers, yes, I deliberately chose a silly example to make a point. But I’ll address YOUR choice: the Velvet Underground AREN’T universally admired by musicians. They’re worshiped insanely by a certain subgroup of musicians, which is far from the same thing. And many of those musicians have been crushed to find that the real live Lou Reed can be (and often is) a real asshole and a royal pain in the ass to work with. Critics and journalists who’ve adored Lou Reed since their childhood, who’ve had “White Light, White Heat” posters on their walls since junior high, regularly find out the hard way that he’s equally likely to be a charmer or a major dick. So, now that you know Lou Reed’s peers DON’T love him so much once they actually know him, are you going to toss all the VU recordings you liked before? I Hope not, because that would be stupid. YOUR opinion of the music is what should matter, NOT what insiders think. TO look at another walk of life, six months ago, it was “common knowledge” among golf professionals that Tiger Woods was the greatest player of all time (something NOBODY can argue with) and that he was a delightful wonderful guy- unlike that “phony” Phil Mickelson. And a decade ago, EVERYONE in baseball knew that Kirby Puckett was a saint. Oops. It seems Tiger’s colleagues and peers may know golf, but didn’t really know Tiger any better than we did. Nor did Kirby Puckett’s colleagues and teammates really know him any better than we did. The simple fact is, almost NOBODY is universally admired or liked in any field of endeavor. And even if somebody WAS universally loved by his colleagues, what difference could that possibly make to what YOU think of their work? If everyone in major league baseball hates Barry Bonds, and they all adore David Eckstein, are you going to put Eckstein on your fantasy team? ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/75 "2010-03-17T13:37:42Z")
> [@Bradjam](#): > > Kings X. Although they’ve only had limited commercial success, they are extremely well known and respected around hard rock/metal circles There was a point when Robert Plant was preparing to tour for his “Now & Zen” album where he was simply insufferable to listen to. See, he had just come to grips with playing Zep tunes live again and this was biggish news, so you head from the guy a lot. Listening to Robert Plant you would think that every rock band that has come down the pipe since Zeppelin was nothing but a blatant rip-off of everything Zep was. Finally, a local DJ had Plant on and was getting fed up with the act and asked Plant if he could name one quality original rock band playing today. His immediate answer was King’s X. There was also a day when Kip Winger was in the studio here at the now defunct 102.7 WNEW rock station plugging the new Winger CD (their second one.) The DJ let him pick tunes to play and he was super excited about a then unheard of band. Kip Winger told the listening audience that this band is the future of rock music, essentially throwing his own material (rightly so) under the bus. The song was “Man in the Box” by Alice in Chains. After achieving superstardom, when members of Alice in Chains were asked about their biggest influences, the immediate answer was King’s X. Yeah…I’m a fan. The guy I came in to mention though is the fantastic Bela Fleck. I’ve never heard a bad word spoken about Blea Fleck in any genre. From Dave Matthews to Chick Corea to Garth Brooks, everyone loves Bela Fleck. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/76 "2010-03-17T14:32:43Z")
A postscript: there are many different reasons that a musical act might or might not be loved by other professionals in the music biz. Some of those reasons are relevant to us, and some aren’t. If, say, Chris Squire, Sting and Paul McCartney all tell me, “That guy is the most brilliant bass player I’ve ever heard,” I figure they know what they’re talking about, and I’ll give that bassist’s work a listen. If a performer is universally ADMIRED by his peers for his musical skills, I take that seriously. The music may or may not be great (many virtuoso musicians have made terrible records), but the performer’s skills will undoubtedly be top-notch. But as for being “universally liked,” really, who cares? SUPPOSE you happened to run into a veteran session guitarist, veteran studio engineer, and a veteran producer, and started talking to them. They share some gossip about artists they’ve worked with. Imagine that they tell you, “We’ve worked with Miley Cyrus. Gosh, she’s a sweet kid. A real doll. Always smiling, always polite, treats all the musicians wonderfully, always eager to try whatever the producers suggest… just a wonderful girl to work with.” Then the conversation turns to YOUR favorite musician. I don’t care who it is (could be Springsteen, could be Wynton Marsalis, could be Yo Yo Ma, could be Dylan or Dr. Dre). The session man, engineer and producer all agree, “That guy is a real putz. Always late for recording sessions, always drunk or high, treats everybody around him like dirt. Nobody can stand him.” That might be a very interesting conversation, but does it really make any difference to you? Are you now going to trade in your Springsteen albums for Hannah Montana CDs? ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/77 "2010-03-17T14:34:24Z")
Richard Thompson ---
**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:** [March 17, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/78 "2010-03-17T14:47:36Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > But as for being “universally liked,” really, who cares? Based on the number of threads we’re had on here about the real life personalities of celebrities, and which are or are not dicks in real life, I’d say quite a few people here care. Maybe YOU don’t care. > [@astorian](#): > > SUPPOSE you happened to run into a veteran session guitarist, veteran studio engineer, and a veteran producer, and started talking to them. They share some gossip about artists they’ve worked with. Imagine that they tell you, “We’ve worked with Miley Cyrus. Gosh, she’s a sweet kid. A real doll. Always smiling, always polite, treats all the musicians wonderfully, always eager to try whatever the producers suggest… just a wonderful girl to work with.” > > Then the conversation turns to YOUR favorite musician. I don’t care who it is (could be Springsteen, could be Wynton Marsalis, could be Yo Yo Ma, could be Dylan or Dr. Dre). The session man, engineer and producer all agree, “That guy is a real putz. Always late for recording sessions, always drunk or high, treats everybody around him like dirt. Nobody can stand him.” > > That might be a very interesting conversation, but does it really make any difference to you? Are you now going to trade in your Springsteen albums for Hannah Montana CDs? Well, that’s why my OP is specifically looking for people who are both liked and respected. There aren’t all that many in the music biz who are both. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/79 "2010-03-18T03:20:18Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Interesting that YOU start with the assumption that artists always love and embrace edgy, hip, innovative acts, while the public always chooses crap. > > You really think COLIN QUINN is a bold, edgy, innovative act??? Gimme a freaking break. > > …[Irrelevant rant ommitted]… The only assumption that I started with was that you were threadshitting. If the OP wanted to know “Who is your favorite artist?”, then he would have just done a poll. If he wanted to know “who is the favorite artist of the general populace?”, the he would have just consulted Billboard’s website. Instead, he asked a thoughtful and interesting question. You came in to basically say “That’s a stupid question.” Based on the number of replies, most don’t think that it’s a stupid question. You seem to have a problem with Colin Quinn. That has nothing to do with this thread. (Although, he is more respected amongst other comedians than the general populace.) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564/80 "2010-03-18T03:57:42Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > [Here’s confirmation](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcz1yV6vRks#t=0m54s) from the movie _[Tupac Resurrection](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343121/)_. Something else I thought of - the music industry for the last few decades has been about white kids from the suburbs listening to music produced by black kids from the ghetto. What’s so surprising about a black kid from the ghetto listening to music produced by a white kid from a suburb? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musical-acts-are-most-universally-respected-and-liked-among-their-peers-in-their-genre/532564.md?page=5)