It’s been nearly 48 hours since I last touched the dead grass of the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, PopWatchers, but after two consecutive weekends of music festival goodness, I’m having a hard time letting go. Specifically, I can’t get over the pained reactions from several of you Pink Floyd fans to my dismissal of Roger Waters’ set at Coachella. It seems you come out in force to defend your rock gods: My friend and picnic-table companion Maura faced the same rage after her post over on Idolator, and even Willman’s informed, articulate critique here led to howling.
So I got to thinking: Surely I’m not the only one who can’t make it all the way through the pretentious muddle of Dark Side of the Moon (pictured), thought "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2" was barely listenable even before classic rock stations beat it to death with the over-programming stick, and never once spent any time staring at a blacklight poster while playing "Mother" on repeat and crying a little because it’s just so deep, man. Of course, from an objective standpoint, I can recognize the talent/craft involved; I can even occasionally tolerate "Wish You Were Here" — although nine out of ten times I mistake it for "I Wish It Would Rain Down." And yes, I understand the Pink Floyd influence on several of the groups I legitimately enjoy today. But do I have to actively like and/or be exposed to Pink Floyd in order to have this understanding? Ugh. Please. No.
Your turn, PopWatchers: What seminal band (or solo artist) can you not stand? Now’s the time to get it off your chest. And hey, you can be anonymous, so one ever need know you secretly harbor a passionate hatred for the Beatles and everything those demented Liverpudlians* stood for! Let it out!
*Not my actual opinion
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Number one on my list is Mariah Carey. Can’t stand to look at her, I think she is an self-absorbed DIVA and I just wish she would go away for ever!
Pink Floyd is the big one, I never got them. But Rush is the one that gets me in most trouble. I’m Canadian, and Canadians are supposed to love Rush. Sorry, but I can’t stand them.
I just don’t “get” the fuss over the following…(although I’m aware and appreciate their contributions)
The Beatles
Elvis
AC/DC
Led Zepplen (Although I think Robert Plant is a great singer)
You nailed it with Pink Floyd. Radiohead (post 90’s) is a close second on my list.
standard “i appreciate their contributions disclaimer.” anyway, I just can’t stand the Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, or Beyonce.
Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi…just never got it, I guess.
the grateful dead. ‘nuf said
The Rolling Stones. Yes they were well before my time, but I get other bands from the same era. I just can’t like them and I do not find even a young Jagger to be even remotely attractive.
I have been forced to listen to Pink Floyd all my life and it’s got to stop! They’re the dullest, dreariest band on the planet. Oh, and I’m hated for not caring for Bob Dylan. Yeah, he writes okay songs, but do I have to listen to him? Oh, and someone mentioned Phil Collins. I heard old Genesis songs when Gabriel was the lead–great, weird band. Why did they take that easy-listening road? And everyone goes on about the Stones. I don’t get it. Most of their stuff sounds the same. Much rather listen to Radiohead. Hell, I’d even listen to Weezer or All-American Rejects over some of the old “pivotal” stuff.
The band I get the most **** for not liking — Dave Matthews. He’s got a couple of okay songs, but most of it is trust fund hippy garbage. I feel like you can sum up Phish, the Dead, and other bands of their ilk in the same way.
At 22, I’m just annoyed with all those nostalgic/elitist/self-centered Baby Boomer and Gen-X journalists who constantly remind us kids that we “missed out” on the good stuff, as if everything in music that was worth happening did so in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I don’t think any one particular artist is overrated, but I do think we’re living in a nostalgia-centric era in which embracing the youthful Billboard spirit is supposedly bringing us one step closer to an artistic apocalypse. Whatever.
Bob Dylan. You can’t understand a word he says and its supposed to be all about the LYRICS! I like some of his stuff when other people cover it but he’s just this gross old crinkly thing. Yuch.
As a teenager I discovered the Pink Floyd song “Comfortably Numb” and loved it. I played it for my older brother, who’s opinion I respected, and he thought it was just a bunch of drugged out depressing garbage. I still like the song, and I still like my brother, even though he was totally wrong. Drugged out and depressing yes, but garbage? Not unless garbage is defined by awesomeness! I love Pink Floyd, but I can see how it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea (or needle induced comfortable numbness).
Here are a few artists who admittedly made a huge influence or are music icons that I just can’t get into
1)the Beatles
2)the Rolling Stones
3)Billy Joel
4)Bruce Springsteen
5)Bob Dylan
6)Johnny Cash
Although they all have songs I like –as a whole I just don’t get what all the fuss is about and can’t get myself as worked up over them as everyone else is
I HATE U2..there, I said it. They’re too political, and Bono always looks like he is constipated. I just NEVER got them at ALL.
But Pink Floyd…I love everything in their catalog.
Is Grunge a band? Cause I can’t stand it. Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, etc, are not listening music.
Prince.
(Unless he’s being played by Dave Chapelle and serving pancakes to Charlie Murphy)
I’ve never been into The Doors, and it was made even worse in college when all the ‘yippies’ (yuppies + hippies… you know, the spoiled kids who liked to think they were all countercultural because they smoked pot and didn’t bathe) just made it worse. They pretty much ruined Bob Marley for me, too, which is a shame.
even though i ditto KLF on the Mariah hate- i’m also gonna have to put on some U2 hate- it’s self important garbage that people think can feed starving countries… Green day is another band who’s fake punk has gotten them boatloads of grammy’s.
Ditto on Radiohead. Much like people who say The Wire is the best show on TV (no, good TV shouldn’t require a Ph.D. to decipher), I’m sick of people saying they’re the best band ever. Not one of their songs has ever made me think, “Wow, I love the way that sounds.” Great music should be at least halfway accessible, and Radiohead’s music is not.
i gotta agree with grunge. i mean, smells like teen spirit is a good song, but i never really got the whole deal about nirvana
man what a good topic. i didn’t realize the way i felt about so many bands/artists until now i guess.
bob dylan- you hit it spot on. it’s about the lyrics, but you can’t typically understand what he’s saying.
rolling stones- a lot of their stuff DOES sound the same. and a lot of it is just ho hum. they do have some classic songs that are great. but i dont get the BIG fuss over them.
bruce springsteen- just never got it. hated the voice. can only listen to one or two songs of his.
ac/dc- never got it either. a couple of overplayed songs, only maybe two of which are actually good.
ditto on dave matthews too.
coldplay- i love some of the songs, but then i try to listen to the rest of the cds and everything else puts me to sleep.
big time with Prince.
U2 was always too politically preachy.
never understood pearl jam, nirvana, green day as consistent in “greatness”
Put me down for Bob Dylan as well. To KLF’s point on Mariah Carey – is that considered seminal music (not even sure seminal is really the right adjective)? Some wailing diva who sings in a range only dogs can hear doesn’t seem to even qualify for consideration.
I had a huge crush on a guy who loves the Doors. So I checked them out, naturally. Let’s just say that not too long after I listened to the Doors, my crush for him died because I realized that if we ever were together, I’d have to listen to that.
Also, Paramore. I feel like I should support them because they have a girl in the band, but I can’t. They’re not that great.
All of the stuff listed below. Nice to know I’m not alone in the world. And if we can list grunge as a ‘group’ then rap/hip-hop would also qualify for me. Which brings to mind Justin Timberlake. OMG I do NOT get him or his crapass music at all. Him or Timbaland. Thank you for allowing us to vent!
Used to love Mariah, now I can’t stand her. She can’t sing and just sucks beyond belief. Don’t get Bruce Springstein either. Love “Born in the USA”, other than that I just don’t get the hype. Everyone else y’all have been mentioning I love.
I’m glad I’m not the only person who can’t stand Pearl Jam-too self righteous and boring, and Eddie Vedder is a horrible singer who has influenced others to sing horribly (like Creed). Also, I like Bruce Springsteen the person, but the music…eh. R.E.M. (especially Michael Stipe) are awful as well.
Sting! He’s horrible. And he gets even worse when he attempts to act. When it comes to the Police, I have to agree with N.W.A.
Okay, my wife reminded me that I do like one of Radiohead’s songs — Creep. This led me to search out a list of (what one person considers to be) Radiohead’s best songs (pre-In Rainbows), and read in the comments that Radiohead now hates Creep and won’t play it at their concerts. That to me sums up why I will never like them — gee, let’s disown our only song that makes us halfway accessible! It’s that holier-than-thou B.S. that I can’t stand about bands like Radiohead.
When I was in 6th grade, I embarrassed the daylights out of myself by confidently proclaiming to a bunch of boys waxing rhapsodic about the Beatles that I’d never understood the big deal about the Beatles, they just sounded like a cheap imitation of Paul McCartney and Wings to me. Ahem. These days, I do have more appreciation for their music, but I’m not a huge fan. I cannot STAND anything by Elvis, the Rolling Stones have never done much for me, either, and I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand how Bob Dylan was able to have a career as a singer. Lyricist and/or songwriter, sure! He comes up with some great stuff, but ugh, his voice! Granted, my taste goes a bit the other way – for me I can’t remember the last time I went for even a day without listening to at least some Rush and Pink Floyd. Their music is a bit like air to me – I don’t do well without it.