I want to get in on this thread even though I think that my answers will go against the majority of the people on this forum. I am not into these bands because I don't think they are that good and I think they are highly overated.

Led Zeppelin
Rush
Kiss
Motley Crue

I could probably think of more if I took the time, but that is probably enough to make a lot of you think I am stupid. I guess that is the beauty of opinions, we can all have different ones and all be right.

Blind Melon, The Doors, U2, Flock of Seagulls, The Go-Go's, Pink Floyd. I'm sure that's not all, but it's a real good start. They all have their fan base, but I just never got it. I listen to just about everything from Chopin to George Jones to Seether on occasion, and played alot of symphonic type music as well as enjoying playing along to AC/Dc as a youngster, so it's not a specific genre for me either.

Never quite got Devo.  Or Iggy Pop.  I'd rather give birth to a flaming porcupine than sit through an Iggy Pop & The Stooges tune.

Yeah, thanks for saving me the typing, I'm with you.  I thought Nirvana was interesting but certainly don't think Cobain was  the pure genius he's been made out to be.  He always seemed like just another angry guy to me.

I agree that a lot of it is within the context of the times. I guess the Sex Pistols were socially important to some groups back then but  I just never took to them and still don't .(although I do like a lot of the Johnny Lydon PIL stuff)

In the Zep "Hammer of the Gods" book there is a story about the lads being somewhere and Billy Idol, then of Generation X was outside screaming at them , giving them the finger, and  protesting their existance.

Although I'm a lot younger than Idol and he was younger than the Zeps, I still Identify more with them than him so I guess a lot of it is cultural.

ALSO, SORRY but I never understood why James Taylor was/is so popular. Never got it, he'll never see my "smiling face" when I hear one of his songs.  

Oh don't get me started on the Pistols ...

The Sex Pistols were as manufactured as any boy band of the 90's, or girl group of the 60's.   They were designed as a promotional method for McClaren's clothing store.   Not saying Steve Jones didn't have his moments, but they were produced into what they were.   That voice of the generation was scripted by the generation before it.  Hardly the stuff of sincerity.  

And PIL?  All about Keith Levine.  When he and Jah Wobble left that band and Lydon had the reins it just started getting tedious.  

Ok ... I'll shut up now.  



Except I have one more to add:

Pink Floyd from Dark Side of the Moon and after.   I never liked Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, The Wall, etc.   I just found them tired and uninspiring.   To me, Floyd reached thier peak with Meddle.  

wow, didn't see the Pink Floyd one coming!

Dream Theatre, despite how great the players are, have alot of music that doesn't sound so hot *to me*.  And that singer, awe man- he needs some lessons from Geddy.

Well, here's the bands that annoy me and have me doing the dash to the tuner when they come on.

Queen
Creedence
Aerosmith
Bob Seger
Santana
ZZ Top
AC/DC
Van Halen
The Clash
Eagles
Phish
Grateful Dead
etc,,,,

I cant stand those bands for some reason.

OK here are some more.

REM
Counting Crows
Blue Oyster Cult
Lenny Kravitiz
Vertical Horizon
Whoever sings "It's Not Easy Being Me"

I'll probably get flamed for some of these but I spent some time over the weekend driving and listening to the radio; it revealed a few more un-favorites of mine.

I don't think all of the above are terrible, they've had their bright spots for sure but overall I fail to see why some are lauded as musical genius material.

Since you asked:

U2 is my all time favorite band, I have been a fan since being dragged to a concert on "The Unforgettable Fire" tour at Madison Square Garden in 84 or 85.  For me, U2 was a groundbreaking band.  They did what they wanted, how they wanted and did it by their rules.  They were and are so dedicated to themselves and their art that on ocassion, they have gone so far as to pull the plug on records and the band as a whole to preserve their integrity.  During the recording of "Achtung Baby" the band felt as if their mission and their art was being compromised to the point that they chose to inform the record company that they were breaking the band up rather than destroy their lifelong friendship over the differences incurred in the recording of the record.  

U2 has always recognized their faith and their beliefs in a manner that is hard to ignore.  They truly believe that the wealth and recognition they have attained as members of U2 comes with a responsibility to assist those less fortunate.  I'm not a fan of celebrities shooting their mouth off about political or social issues, but its hard to ignore Bono describing the poverty levels of Africa after he spends 13 months there with his wife working in a relief capacity.  If there was ever an example of someone practicing what they preach...........

As for the music, U2 writes some very simple, yet effective songs.  I was listening to "Zooropa" the other day and thought to myself just how well crafted it is.  I haven't really run into a U2 song I don't like, except for maybe "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".  But I think that's just because its been played to death.  

U2 is more than a band, they are a force.  They have continued to put out quality music and remain true to their core beliefs.  In a day and age where so much "art" is disposable and bands come and go, it is refreshing to see U2 are still making relevant and fresh music.  It is this relevancy, more than any other trait, that keeps me as a fan today.    

The Beatles?!  

You'll be hearing from my lawyer, I've filed suit in Federal District Court........