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Most Underrated and Most Overrrated Artist or Band of the Past 25 Years

This thread might generate some fun debate ...

My most underrated is Patty Griffin

My most overrrated is Coldplay

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by steviedal on May 5, 2012 at 2:14pm

Over : Flaming Lips

Under : Mike Cooley

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Permalink Reply by A.R. on May 21, 2012 at 9:55pm

Cooley - YES.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Gordon on May 6, 2012 at 9:40pm

Brian, I like your choices but I'm going to go with:

Most underrated: Ian Hunter

Most overrated: Kanye West

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Permalink Reply by chris mccarter on May 7, 2012 at 7:18am

Nice to see Ian Hunter mentioned, he's still doing great music in his 70's. There are so many overrated artists? I wouldn't know where to begin. I can't believe Sam Baker isn't a household name in Americana discussions.

This might be an odd place to mention T. Rex, but they certainly influenced many Americana and Blues artists over the past 4 decades. (Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet, Devandra Banhart, Black Keys to name a few) They never caught on in this country, go figure. To this day the Brits recognize great Americana more than we do.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Gordon on May 7, 2012 at 10:11am

You're right. Another good example of the UK's great taste in Americana is Richmond Fontaine. Pretty big band over there -- but not here -- even though they're based in Portland. Talk about underrated...Post to Wire is a great record.

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Permalink Reply by L A Johnson on May 7, 2012 at 10:39pm

T Rex ! Now as a Brit I don't get that..they were at best a boy band led by a pretty boy with little talent - their critical star inreased after the accident but to put them forward on this is frankly ludicrous IMHO.

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Permalink Reply by chris mccarter on May 8, 2012 at 6:45am

I mentioned T. Rex mainly as an influence on music that came after which includes Americana and Blues. Recently Danny Barnes has done a wonderful cover of Bang a Gong, check it out!

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Permalink Reply by steviedal on May 8, 2012 at 10:31am

It's all about opinions eh ? For me T-Tex were a classic singles band and made a classic album in Electric Warrior, brilliant .

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Permalink Reply by victor pearson on June 23, 2012 at 4:25am

completely agree on T. Rex...recycled rock (Chuck Berry ) riffs aimed at pre teenage girls .Held in complete scorn at the time by anyone over 16 with half a brain .But my personal mystery is why Elvis Costello gets the hype .Voice like scratching glass with a nail . And too wordy by half old boy..never heard of "less is more ".But perhaps we overrate everybody in our quest for an omnipotent hero figure .Musos to save the world? Nearly all of 'em are dysfunctional to a marked degree .That's entertainment (read "showbiz") for ya .