Most Underrated Music Artist

There is a thread going on right now with the most overrated music artist, what about a most underrated music artist thread. This is my take, all the big pop and rock acts are way too hiped up. I think everyone is entitled to there opinion, but soem just don't make any sense to me. Just like the stones, I lover there early stuff, but anything after 1970 just sounds like noise to me, it isn't great rock, how can anything from the stones match anything from Aerosmith. Why would someone want to see a band like the Stone live(Mick Jagger running around, throwing his arms around, hardling singing) or someone like Peter Gabriel(WOW) it just doen't compare, so why are the Stones more popular, I will never be able to explain that to myself. Well anyway my favorite groups or singers are...

The ones in blue at the bottom are the ones that I feel are underrated.

Queen
Genesis
R.E.M.
Peter Gabriel
Kate Bush
Frank Zappa-the early stuff(Uncle Meat,The Grand Wazoo,Burnt Weeny Sandwich,Hot Rats)none of the goofy comedy stuff from later.
The Beatles
Jethro Tull
Alison Kraus
Metallica
Avril Lavinge(yes)
Charlotte Church
Pink Floyd(DSOTM SACD is amazing,listening right now)
Sarah Brightman
Natilie Merchant or 10,000 Maniacs
Alanis Morrisette
Shiela Nichols
The Stone Poneys or Linda Rondstadt
Jonatha Brooke or The Story
Travis Tritt
The Dixie Chicks
Yes
Tori Amos
Jefferson Airplane
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Garbage
Anything wih Neil Finn(Split Enz,Crowded House)
Belle and Sebastian
Sarah Mclachlan
Norah Jones(If you love Norah, get the Classic Records 200gm LP, it's perfect, well until the SACD)

and there are much more, but as you see, some are very popular, but the best on the list are very underrated, in fact most of what I own, no one I know has any except for maybe Norah Jones and the Dixie Chick. Yet it doesn't seem fair to me that these groups are not more popular than the teeny bopper pop groups(Brittany Spears,NSYNC)what are people thinking, I know they are young, but so I am I, I just turned 21, and over half the artists on the list I was into for years(bought my first Queen album on LP at 10), the problem is that the music isn't pushed to the mainstream, were they belong, and the kids arn't being exposed to them. Everyone I know, could care less about these artist, and will not give them a try, they do not know vinyl exists(the only way to listen to music) or DVD-A or SACD. They say they are music fans, but how can you be a real music fan, and listen to such artists. Oh well thats my rant, I am sure some will not agree(don't get me started on rap)and the Stones fans will kill me. So, start the list, others will most likely eclipse mine, with many more obscure groups or singers, but that way we can expand our music collections with our lists.


Genesis Peter Gabriel Kate Bush Frank Zappa Jethro Tull Alison Kraus Shiela Nichols The Stone Poneys Anything wih Neil Finn(Split Enz,Crowded House) Belle and Sebastian Jonatha Brooke or The Story


Derek

Whoa, made a lot of spelling errors in that post, sorry.

Derek

Aimee Mann
Jon Brion
Fiona Apple

I really don't think of music as being over/under-rated. I think of it as something I want to listen to, or something I don't. What others think about it is just not important. I may hate NSYNC and Brittny, but what I think of them doesn't matter to the people that do listen to them.
What one person loves another will hate. And both people are allowed to have their opinion.
A good example is Derek saying any Stones after 1970 sounds like noise to him. I couldn't disagree more. The Stones put out some poor music in the '70s, but they also put out some great music as well. Many, myself included, think Exile On Main Street is their best album. If Exile, or Sticky Fingers isn't great rock, I don't know what is.

Regards
KrisM

Good ones Marc, forgot Fiona, one of my favorites. I havn't given Aimee much of a chance,though I should, I liked her stuff with Till Tuesday. I didn't think about Exile KrisM.
I really meant the other stuff, the early 70s stones albums had that late 60s sound, so I still like the early stuff, but other than the later stuff, I love the stones,I would never part with my Gimme Shelter Criterion Collection DVD.

Derek

Aimee Mann is an incredible talent. He solo stuff just keeps getting better and better. I highly recommend giving Bachelor No. 2 and Lost In Space a few spins. They're very good on the first listen, but gets so much better after a few more spins.

Mike Farris
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies
Peaceful Knievel
Chris Whitley
The Black Crowes
Chris Robinson
Marc Ford
Hookah Brown
Gov't Mule
Derek Trucks Band
Our Lady Peace

There's plenty of good music out there, just seems the record companies don't really care about what's 'good'. It's what can get them the biggest house. The shame of popular music is; what is today's legacy? Boy bands. Christina, Britany..et al. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Badly Drawn Boy
Josh Rouse
The Push Stars

These artists/groups may not be underrated, but definitley not too known, unfortunately

It seems like this thread is likely to devolve into "My favorite artists who don't have smash #1 singles every other week" or "My favorite artists you haven't heard of." But I'll play along.

Bruce Cockburn
Sam Phillips
Joe Jackson
T-Bone Burnett
Jane Siberry

Chris Duarte...one of the finest hard electric guitar players in the world today..

Indigenous..this band is phenomenal. And a very unusual story to go with them.

Here's a few outstanding guitarists that don't get much promotion...

Phil Keaggy
Rex Carroll
Jeff Scheetz

Johnny A.
Dave Alvin
Greg Brown
Cracker
Iris DeMent
Bob Schneider
Chris Smither

THE BLUE NILE.

Their 3 albums:

1. A Walk Across The Rooftops
2. Hats
3. Peace At Last

are three of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard.

Blue Nile, WOW, I remember the first time I heard them back around '82. A friend brought over a tape from England and had me listen to it knowing I followed music like Eno. Blew me away. I still take out Walk Across the Rooftops every few months and I'm still amazed by it. To top it off, the original pressings were done for LINN the highend audio company.

Under rated, and I wish would get more praise:

Tori Amos (who's most recent work recaptures a lot of what I loved in the initial recordings.. but damnit, where is Under the Pink in SACD or DTS or anything?)

Deep Forest (who, time and time again turn out beautiful, intriguing music) Comparasa, in SACD is a beautiful, haunting CD

Enigma (people have forgotten about them since "Age of Innocence" and so on, but they still turn out interesting, different music)

Jazz musicians

For rock...Roy Wood and his groups The Move and Wizzard. He also started the Electric Light Orchestra but quit before they started recording. E.L.O. would have been a far better group with him.

For jazz, Manfredo Fest and his Brasilian jazz sound.

N.P.- Nickel Creek THIS SIDE on SACD

Beastie Boys

John, I agree with you on the Duarte...he's a fabulous player. I only have one album, need to get another disc or two.

My favorite underrated artist (especially her early stuff) would have to be Shaun Colvin. "Fat City" is an incredible record that most people have not heard and her debut (can't remember the title off hand) won her a well deserved Grammy.

She's more mainstream now and in the public consciousness, but nothing like the acclaim I feel she deserves.

Ben Folds

Aimee Mann
Jon Brion
Glen Phillips
Nickel Creek (Sean/Sara Watkins)

(coincidentally all four can be found playing at The Largo in West Hollywood!)

Neil Finn
David Mead
Steve Ward
Wayne

Dave Matthews Band, they always seem to get looked at as a college frat band. very talented group of guys in that band....they put on a great live show also. check out their dvd's Listener supported and Folsom Field.

Peace

d

The best band you've never heard of: Dolly Varden.

Is Dolly Varden an all trout band?

Alright...I am a strange bird I know and most will not share in my thoughts on this...but for me, these are the artist that have been the most overlooked and underrated:

1) Barbara Mandrell- To me, this woman will always be the pioneer of why country music is what it is today. Spanning the music scene from 1968 to the early 90’s, she brought into the genre the big show attitude and showed that it took more than simply standing behind a microphone to entertain people. Her music was all over the place, though she was never truly country, she was never truly pop. She made it her own. Barbara also brought white soul music into the country limelight by taking on songs that were normally recorded by men. She was also no stranger to controversy not only with the way she handled herself and her music, but also with the car accident she had September 11, 1984. Bouncing back amid much hatred due to miscommunication, she showed she had the staying power to withstand it all. With a style and grace that had only been seen in few women in country music, she left the business behind in 1997 to focus more on the world of acting. Suggested cuts: “If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want to Be Right,” “Till Your Gone,” “Rolling Stone,” “One of A Kind, A Pair of Fools,” and “Fooled By A Feeling.”

2) Pat Benatar-From hard-edged rocker to soft balladeer, this trained opera singer took the men’s world of Rock and Roll and gave it a women’s flair. She got tired of playing by the rules of the industry and basically took her music into her own direction. Though it didn’t pave the wave for great chart success, it did at a spark to her music that had never been known before and without a major label, released some of her best music to date. Her forthcoming release is entitled “GO” and it is supposed to be released in August of 2003. Suggested cuts: “Girl,” “Here’s My Heart,” “We Belong,” “Life Is Sweet (Strawberry Wine),” and every track of the 1988 release “Wide Awake In Dreamland.”

3) Martina McBride-I cannot help but see her and think of how humbling this woman is. Not only a great heart, but also a wonderful voice. Though she has only been a force in music for the past ten years, she is leaving a legacy already. Suggested cuts: “Independence Day,” “Concrete Angel,” “Where Would You Be,”basically anything on her greatest hits album!

4) Patsy Cline-This one woman has inspired so many of today’s artist in not on the country field, but music overall. Though her life and ultimately her career cut short in 1963 when she killed in a plane crash, there is no denying the legacy that this one person left. She had a talent in her singing that simply doesn’t happen that much in today’s music…you could feel the emotion. Patsy only sang what she knew about and you could tell that she had lived her music. She is neither country nor pop, she simply is her own genre. There will simply never be another Patsy. Suggested cuts: “Crazy,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Faded Love,” “You Belong To Me,” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”

5) Annie Lennox- Not a textbook beauty by any means, but this woman is pure and simply one of the most beautiful people on the planet. Such talent and voice is often missed by most of the general public, but the people that love adore and cherish Annie are truly inspired by her and her art. She also has the ability to take the most tragic of events and turn them into beauty and poetry. Her new album comes out tomorrow, “Bare,” on June 10, 2003. Suggested cuts: “Don’t Ask Me Why,” “Cold,” “Legend In My Living Room,” “Little Bird,” and the latest single “Pavement Cracks.”

6) Tina Turner-Good ol’ Ms. Bullock. With a life of poverty and struggle from childhood to adult, this one woman has symbolized many things all in one package: Talent, beauty, strength and pure raw sex appeal. Not much can be said about this woman than what you can find in any book on music or simply from one listen. The energy is next to nothing. Suggested cuts: “The Best,” “Rock Me Baby,” “Whatever You Want,” “A Fool In Love,” and “Love Thing.”

7) Cyndi Lauper- When she burst onto the scene in the early 80’s the critics said that she would be the one, verses Madonna, to have a long career. In many ways, she has succeeded in leaps and bounds. Again, like Pat Benatar, not being constraint to a major label has brought out the best in Cyndi and her music. Being a long-term supporter of the gay movement, she has endured herself to many a man or woman for her strength, courage and individuality. Suggested cuts: “Shine,” “Ballad of Cleo and Joe,” “I Drove All Night,” “I’m Going To Be Strong,” and the gay anthem, “True Colors.”

8) Dolly Parton-Alright, so she is known for those big breasts of hers, she is also known as one of the best singer songwriters to come out of any form of music. Long a supporter of gay’s, Dolly will always be known as that woman with the big boobs, the big hair and one of the biggest hearts that you will ever come across. Suggested cuts: “Light of A Clear Blue Morning,” “But You Know That I Love You,” “Mountain Angel,” “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You,” and of course the classic song “I Will Always Love You.”

9) Stevie Nicks- Like Pat Benatar, this woman simply rocks. First coming into the music world has the voice behind Fleetwood Mac, Stevie’s solo career has been nothing more than simply amazing. Being one of the best singer songwriters, the emotions conveyed in this woman’s work is astonishing. Also, having been through her share of troubles (most by her own doing) she doesn’t place the blames on others for the problems that she has had. Suggested cuts: “Planets of the Universe,” “Trouble In Shangri-la,” “Talk To Me,” “Leather and Lace,” and “Stand Back.”

10) Shirley Bassey-To most American’s, she is simply know as the lady that sung some of the best themes to the James Bond movie series. To our neighbor’s overseas, she is a consistent artist that continues to sell out venues like Wembley Stadium. Much like Patsy Cline, you can feel the power and emotion behind ever song that Shirley sings. Very classic and very dramatic and a voice like no one else. Suggested cuts: “My Life,” “Never Never Never,” “The Greatest Performance of My Life,” “Can You Read My Mind,” and “Goldfinger.” (There are also dance remixes available of many of her cuts.)

Angie Hart

Who is she, you ask? Well, that's how underappreciated she is!

Her voice hypnotizes me every time I hear it.

Oh yeah....let me also add Jeff Beck..

FRANCIS DUNNERY
ONE OF THE GREATEST BRIISH SINGER SONGWRITERS ALIVE AND IGNORED ..........

YOU ONLY GET TO KEEP WHAT YOU GIVE AWAY!



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/381761.stm

Two words- Ry Cooder. They ought to have him on cereal boxes.


Jon

John, Jeff Beck was not ever underated in his time. Maybe he a little forgotten now?

Jon, that might be the best suggestion yet! Ry has been on so many great albums, not just his own, accross a variety of styles without ever getting particularly famous. He and Nils Lofgren are on Crazy Horse's self-titled album and it's dynamite. Ry done it all seemingly...