Ten most overrated musicians in history.
See if you agree....
1. Kid Rock
2. The Beatles
3. Grateful Dead
4. Kiss
5. Bruce Springsteen
6. U2
7. Mariah Carey
8. AC/DC
9. Metallica
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/10-most-overrated-musicians-in-history/ss-AA1fo2gc?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8175499d8da64a408e3f7eae4920360b&ei=9
Any list of "ten most overrated" anything is based on fallacy. It is at best trolling and at worst elitism. It is to say, "These things are exceedingly popular with the peasants, who are too stupid to know what is good and what isn't."
Trolling came to my mind as well, as you have some fairly popular acts here. And since the list was presented as a slideshow, it was the definition of click bait.
Of course. Something can't possibly be "overrated" without being popular. Let's say I assert that "The Waybacks" are overrated. I don't think that, but that's irrelevant, because I'll bet money nobody here but me knows who the Waybacks are. So nobody's going to care.
Here you go, Tony. Here's the response I think you wanted from me earlier, but I had work obligations, so only now making the time to give it to you.
The only things that can be called "overrated" are things that are very popular and well-known.
If I say, "Gurkha cigars are overrated," that will get some response here, likely in the affirmative - though all things considered, we tend to be a pretty reasonable bunch here. We're not talking about Donald Trump, we're talking about Gurkha cigars, so we'd likely say, "Hey, if it floats your boat, smoke up." But take that out to bigger forums, and I guarantee you can get a ruckus started by making that assertion. No useful information will be gleaned from it, because the fact is that Gurkha makes a boatload of cigars, and statistics will tell you that if you make a bunch of cigars, somewhere in there will be some good ones. But it will sure get a ruckus started.
Which is all that can ever be hoped for by posting a list of "overrated" things.
No reasonable person can deny that the Beatles are the most influential music act in popular music history. Were they technically expert guitarists? Not compared to guys like Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Clapton or Jimi Hendrix. Was Ringo Starr as expert a drummer as Neal Peart or Steve Gadd? No. But if you ask a real drummer about Ringo's work, they'll express admiration.
That doesn't make any difference. Does that mean they are overrated? No. Nobody redefined rock and roll the way the Beatles did.
You don't have to like the Beatles' music, certainly I don't like all of it, but if you want to argue that Led Zeppelin was more influential than the Beatles, I'm going to tell you you're bad at math, music, and history, and I'm going to quote Jimmy Page and Robert Plant while I do it. It's an idiotic thing to say. Even Michael Stipe of R.E.M, who famously scorned the Beatles, didn't go so far as to deny their influence...which would have been a stupid thing to do, because without the Beatles, R.E.M wouldn't have had a career.
By the same token, if you tell me Taylor Swift is overrated, I'm going to argue with you, for no other reason than my introduction to the woman came before she was famous, and I watched her open for Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. It was her, an acoustic guitar, and a microphone, in front of twelve thousand people there to see Brad Paisley or Carrie Underwood, and most assuredly NOT there to see some unknown cute girl from Nashville. She performed her own songs, and she accompanied herself, and there were some good songs. I don't care for what she's become, but that doesn't negate the fact that I've seen her play her own songs with an acoustic guitar, and I was fuckin' impressed. She's the real deal, and if you try to equate her with a manufactured pop star like, say, Harry Styles or Demi Lovato, or even a wannabe like Ariana Grande (who is a good singer and performer) I'm going to call you out.
My favorite quote EVER about these things came from Frank Zappa - himself a frequent target of stupid accusations of being overrated, and also a frequent critic of famous guitarists. When asked if he was underrated as a guitarist, Zappa responded,
"I don't think guitarists SHOULD be rated. It's a stupid hobby."
