Universally critically-lauded artists that you just can’t stand

Pink Floyd coming on the radio got me thinking; I can’t effing stand Pink Floyd, I really, really, don’t like or get them, but they’re right up there at the highest levels of the conventional critical wisdom. Same goes for Kate Bush. Or Paul McCartney.

There was some talk on here a while ago about folks who couldn’t stand Amy Winehouse, which I suppose is the same kinda thing. Who else have you got?

Led Zeppelin

ABBA and agree with you on Floyd and McCartney. Not a big fan of Led Zep either.

Elbow.
Bob Dylan.
Coldplay.

Rolling Stones

Wouldn’t say I can’t stand Floyd, but I really struggle to see what the fuss was all about. Same for Zep and – steady now – The Beatles.

Can’t stand though? Muse for sure. A lot of Radiohead. And let’s not forget Oasis.

The latter were probably not “universally critically-lauded” though.

Coldplay definitely weren’t.

Artists? mcmoonter

😉

Coldplay

Fails the universally critically-lauded test

All of them with a few exceptions.

Nirvana

I don’t get Tom Waits at all. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to but leaves me cold.

Fails the universally critically-lauded test

Hmmm…I did think that after I typed it.
Whatever – I can’t **** stand them.

Beatles.

Anyone who doesn’t get Pink Floyd needs to take more drugs…. then you will see.

Sigur Ros
The XX (Jamie excepted)
A lot of Radiohead (but not all)

Yep, Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Does Adele count as Universally critically lauded?
Springsteen
Dylan

There’s loads more that aren’t in the “can’t stand” bracket, but go in the “Really? You think they’re that good” category. So they seem alright, a few good or goodish songs, but nothing deserving the pedestal they exist upon:
Kate Bush
Beatles, especially Lennon
Sheeran
Sade
… basically all that ‘coffee table’ stuff. I might hum along every now and then, but I wouldn’t miss any of it.

I don’t get Pink Floyd and it’s them who need to take more drugs, I’ll let Syd off he did his bit.

McCartney
Coldplay, more accurately chris Martin

Adele
Sheeran
Coldplay, more accurately chris Martin

All fail the universally critically-lauded test

Beatles and Bob Dylan.

I won’t change the song if a Beatles tune is playing, but I don’t actively seek them out. I will change song if Bob Dylan is playing though.

Beatles I just don’t get, clearly unaware of the history but I do think it was purely right place-right time and were the fist produced boy band (happy to have people correct me on that, but afraid my view won’t change).

Dylan, none of his songs work for me, they all just seem to sound like a drone – suspect I’ve never been in the right frame of mind, but stone cold sober clearly doesn’t have the desired impact!

Of late.. Michael Kiwanuka. Absolutely nothing of any quality I can hear in that bland, generic, music.

I read the title and immediately thought Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, pair of talentless twunts.

But, then I read and realised musical (sic) artists so yes Pink Floyd. utter drivel

Tracey Emin was absolutely my first thought.

Then when I realised it was about music my immediate thought was Muse.

Amy Winehouse, a voice like nails dragged down a blackboard.

Agree about the Winehouse thing too, like a drunk pubsinger doing 40s jazz karaoke
(actually, that sounds quite entertaining 😆)

So they seem alright, a few good or goodish songs, but nothing deserving the pedestal they exist upon

You could ask what about those who didn’t even do a few good or good-ish songs or debatably music at all?

The spice girls etc. seem to fit that for me.

Ray Davies – solo or in The Kinks

John Lennon – solo

Jason Williamson – Sleaford Mods

Courtney Barnett

Alex Rice – Sports Team

Adele. **** pub singer.

And while I’m here:

I quite like the Spice Girls. I’d certainly rather listen to the Spice Girls and watch Spiceworld than listen to Pink Floyd and watch The Wall

Just in case anyone is interested,

http://www.stuckism.com/Hirst/StoleArt.html

Adele. **** pub singer.

This is a guess a different question but there are plenty of very good pub singers much better than many universally critically-lauded artists

…whereas I think, I dunno, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, say, or even Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, add something worthwhile to how I see the world.

But yeah, Kiwanuka and Winehouse do zero for me whilst being critics’ faves. Pink Floyd? Echoes is okay, particularly Seamus the Dog. And pre-Echoes that song about the guy who nicked knickers. And the intro guitar to Shine on You Crazy Diamond. And the Scissor Sisters’ version of Comfortably Numb.

Beatles, very variable, some absolute classics like Eleanor Rigby, Lucy in the sky with diamonds and then utter rubbish like when I’m 64 or yellow submarine.

Amy Winehouse and Pink Floyd.

I think a lot of it is whether you’re into that type of music. Also, a lot of successful artists had a great album or two, but also lots of dross.

Pink Floyd had two great albums, Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. You have to be in the right state of relaxation to appreciate it though. Sitting there completely sober would not work for me. Their earlier stuff (the Sid Barrett years) is a bit tiresome. The later stuff (The Wall and The Final Cut) was Roger Waters letting his pretentious ego run amok. Best avoided.

Bruce Springsteen nailed the working class guys driving cars and chasing girls in Born to Run. If you’re not into that, you aren’t going to like his music. He has written an astonishing number of songs. A few of them are excellent, most of them average.

Bob Dylan is probably simultaneously the most overrated and most underrated musician ever. I like his early stuff. The haters who say he can’t sing don’t know what they’re talking about, but he also wrote an astonishing number of songs, most of which aren’t great.

Bands like the Spice Girls and Oasis aren’t in the same league. They’re catchy, but unoriginal.

The singer I really can’t stand is Billy Joel. He’s trying so hard to do the Springsteen working class guy thing, but it’s a nerdy middle class guy’s idea of what working class guys are like. He’s not a terrible singer, but his songs are just cliched rubbish.

Beatles, very variable

they don’t need me to defend them, but whilst for sure there was a right place right time thing, who’d have predicted the place would be Liverpool (or Hamburg)?

Their earlier recordings really swung. And they could sing. And they did a few songs in more of a music hall tradition. The fact they got Ringo to sing most of those should convey that a polished rendition of good music wasn’t the main intention.

I quite like the Spice Girls. I’d certainly rather listen to the Spice Girls and watch Spiceworld than listen to Pink Floyd and watch The Wall

Me too, but, come on people, the universally critically-lauded test isn’t that hard, and I don’t remember the Spice Girls ever passing it.

**EDIT**

Billy Joel

FFS, really?

Sigur Ros
Bob Dylan
Tom Waits

. ABBA and agree with you on Floyd and McCartney. Not a big fan of Led Zep either.

Not having that.

Under attack, on and on. ABBA are great.

Sleaford Mods. Sounds like a drunk ranting at a pillar box.

Elton John, a couple of good tunes but a mega star? Really?

Radiohead have a couple of good tunes but come across, Thom Yorke in particular, as right up their own arses.

I don’t get Pink Floyd and it’s them who need to take more drugs, I’ll let Syd off he did his bit.

Comment of the year 😀

Couldn’t agree more. Always used to think of Floyd as psychedelic music for amateurs. Their only really great work is Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun and the few minutes of Interstellar Overdrive where it really kicks off.

On The Beatles – Yeah they had a few good tunes, but no soul or emotional engagement for me.

I’m excepting Here Comes the Sun and Tomorrow Never Knows, both of which I love.