Least personal favorite artists

[RIN3GUY]

Alternate thread titles: Top 10 sacrosanct artists whose music I secretly despise, or Top 10 artists that (almost) everyone likes except me:

1. Commodores/Lionel Richie
2. Guns N' Roses
3. James Brown
4. Michael Bolton
5. Poison
6. Christopher Cross
7. Bad Company
8. New Kids on the Block
9. Sting
10. Janet Jackson
"(dis)honorable mention," partly due to airplay fatigue -- Glenn Frey/Eagles, Doors, Aretha Franklin, Kansas, CCR, & CS&N (post-1970)

OK, there I've said it! Needed to get that off my chest for a long time.

And also, your most underrated artist:
1. Eric Carmen

 

[Biondi4Mayor]

Least Personal Favorites (in no particular order)
1. Eagles (cause of too much of them)
2. Rod Stewart
3. Mellencamp
4. Commodores (agree, I only like "Nightshift" otherwise they're a snooze-fest for me)
5. Tom Petty
6. U2
7. REO Speedwagon
8. Chicago (most of their 70's stuff I don't really like)
9. The Police (prob. my #1 despised band, sorry Police fans!)
10. Steely Dan
11. Santana
12. Eric Clapton
13. Journey
14. Pat Benatar (most of her)
15. Van Morrison

Underrated-
1. Phil Collins' whole career (only limited to a few big hits on radio)
2. Aretha Franklin (there's more than RESPECT)
3. Tommy James/Shondells (radio airplay not representative of them)
4. Martha & The Vandellas (Plenty of great lesser-hits)
5. Ringo & George (lol, had to, it's always "Lennon & McCartney this and that")

^^^These aren't really that underrated, but misrepresented in my opinion.

GREAT THREAD! ;D

 

[allenv]

I agree for the most part with you list and the reason is we hear the same two or three songs by those artist until I'm ready to scream when they most had 10-15 good sized hits..More variety equals less burnout.

 

[oldies76]

Songs that I'm sick of hearing on the radio: (Sorry Biondi, I changed the thread a bit..)

1 Brown Eyed Girl
2 My Girl
3 Oh, Pretty Woman
4 Unchained Melody
5 You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
6 Sweet Soul Music
7 Take It Easy
8 Boys Of Summer
9 Jessie's Girl
10 Every Breath You Take
11 What I Like About You
12 Just What I Needed

Don't get me wrong, these are great songs.....but overplayed on radio and they are tuneouts!

I could list others, but these are the songs that came to light first.

 

[RIN3GUY]

Totally concur on all 12 counts, oldies76! They've made it to where even songs I sincerely like, such as "Baby Hold On" & "I Will Survive," I don't really want to hear because they play them every single day, sometimes twice a day, and just run them into the ground. And it is 10 times worse when it's a song I never liked in the first place, such as "Every Breath You Take," or the onerous, tiresome dirge, "American Pie." It's very difficult to listen to that on a daily basis. Our local station may be independent, but they are still tapping into that same national corporate playlist. So I really can't listen very much, just go online and read the playlist and hope to see something slightly unusual to pique my interest. But when they have "Super 70's Weekend" and pull out all the stops, then I listen all weekend long! On those special weekends I am amazed at how much they are sandbagging on us.

 

[oldies76]

But when they have "Super 70's Weekend" and pull out all the stops, then I listen all weekend long!

I know I've posted this before, but have you checked out what KRTH Los Angeles (a major market FM oldies radio station) did back in the 1980's?? They actually aired this special exactly as listed. I've heard nothing like this ever since, on radio.


http://crl.ucsd.edu/~buff/krth/

Imagine having that today? or even more?

 

[FRR]

As for songs that are overplayed, don't forget Brandy,(You're A Fine Girl) by Looking Glass. When I hear that song I want to eat nails and vomit.

 

[Biondi4Mayor]

Agree with ya'll!

It's not that the songs oldies listed are "bad" but overdone, overdone, OVERDONE!!!!!

More songs-
1. Higher Love (Great song, but it's really getting the plays A LOT lately)
2. Live And Let Die
3. Ain't No Mountain High Enough (used to get played a lot, and both versions Marvin/Tammi or Diana Ross. Those artists have a plethora of HUGE hits to play instead)
4. Rhiannon
5. Dreams

 

[CTListener]

1. Steve Miller Band
2. KC & the Sunshine Band
3. Chicago (except for "25 or 6 to 4")
4. U2
5. Love
6. Yes
7. Barbra Streisand
8. Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66
9. Pink Floyd (except for "On the Turning Away")
10. Robert Palmer

Burnout hits:

1. Spirit in the Sky
2. Sugar Sugar
3. Margaritaville
4. Hotel California
5. Get Ready (Rare Earth version)
6. Celebration
7. Don't Stop
8. Jet Airliner
9. Mrs. Robinson
10. Shake Your Booty

Songs others think are burnouts but I still enjoy hearing:

1. Higher and Higher
2. Brown Eyed Girl
3. My Girl
4. Jessie's Girl
5. Sweet Soul Music
6. Rhiannon
7. Take It Easy

 

[billyg]

Fried to a Crisp:

1) Pink Floyd
2) Bob Seger (except for his 60's-early 70's work)
3) Lynyrd Skynyrd
4) U2
5) Santana
6) Bryan Adams
7) Three Dog Night
8 ) Neil Diamond
9) Queen
10) Micheal Jackson (but not the Jackson 5/Jacksons )

Burnout hits
1) Dream On
2) Still The Same (a BORING BORING record - why does this still test well?)
3) Evil Ways -tie- Black Magic Woman
4) Everything She Does Is Magic
5) Joy To The World
6) Sweet Caroline
7) Mony Mony (Tommy James & Billy Idol)
8 ) What's Your Name?
9) On Broadway (George Benson)
10) Another One Bites the Dust -tie - Bohemian Rhapsody

Songs others think are burnouts but I still enjoy hearing:
1) Misunderstanding
2) California Girls (especially the new stereo remix)
3) Sweet Dreams
4) Cool Jerk
5) Summer In The City
6) Say You Love Me
7) Born To Run
8 ) I'm Not In Love
9) I Can See Clearly Now
10) It Never Rains In Southern California

Underrated Artist: Donnie Iris

 

[firepoint525]

What about "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong? It only hit #116 in 1968, and then still only made #32 after it was used in Good Morning Vietnam. Then later, I found out that the movie was supposedly set in 1965! We have been subjected to near constant airplay of this NON-hit for the past 25 years just because someone didn't properly do their research?

 

[radioman148]

The song did reach #1 on the UK singles chart in 1968

 

[BobSacamano]

1. Journey
2. Dave Matthews Band
3. Phil Collins
4. Madonna
5. Mariah Carey
6. Kenny G
7. Blues Traveler

and special dis-honorable mention to Jimmy Buffet!

 

[CTListener]

1. Journey
2. Dave Matthews Band
3. Phil Collins
4. Madonna
5. Mariah Carey
6. Kenny G
7. Blues Traveler

and special dis-honorable mention to Jimmy Buffet!

You dishonor him even further by misspelling his name! Two t's, please.

 

[Fastphilly]

I will narrow my list to specific songs and groups.

1. Anything by the Eagles (Every one of their songs have been ran in the ground every way to Sunday). The only song I can stomach is "Witchy Woman"
2. Lynard Skynard "Sweet Home Alabama" (The epitamy of Red Neck rock and a record that gets more airplay spins than the "Kars For Kids" commercial spots). I'd rather hear the latter of the two at this point.
3. "Brown Eyed Girl". Sorry it's time to finally bury that record.
4. "American Pie". The most boring #1 record in popular music history. Give me "Dominique" by the Singing Nun over that Don Mclean burnout LOL!!!! At least the "Dominique" hasn't been subjected to burnout.
5. The Beatles. Yes I said it The Beatles! We have all been hearing their hits shoved down our throats here in the Bay Area since KYA turned oldies back in 1980. It's time to retire them retreads.
6. Can we hear something by Huey Lewis other than "Heart Of Rock And Roll" and "Power Of Love"?
7. Early 70's Elton John has been done to death.
8. So tired of late 70's and early 80's Journey. I wonder if I will ever see the day when a cut off "Raised On Radio" gets airplay.
9. Any burnt to a crisp 70's Aerosmith titles.

10. ..and finally the most hated now of all 70's classic rock tunes "Carry On Wayward Sun" by Kansas. Was once one of my favorites prior to the mid 90's when these narrow playlist classic rockers started sprouting up and decided to make that song their staples.

 

[Biondi4Mayor]

I will narrow my list to specific songs and groups.

1. Anything by the Eagles (Every one of their songs have been ran in the ground every way to Sunday). The only song I can stomach is "Witchy Woman"
2. Lynard Skynard "Sweet Home Alabama" (The epitamy of Red Neck rock and a record that gets more airplay spins than the "Kars For Kids" commercial spots). I'd rather hear the latter of the two at this point.
3. "Brown Eyed Girl". Sorry it's time to finally bury that record.
4. "American Pie". The most boring #1 record in popular music history. Give me "Dominique" by the Singing Nun over that Don Mclean burnout LOL!!!! At least the "Dominique" hasn't been subjected to burnout.
5. The Beatles. Yes I said it The Beatles! We have all been hearing their hits shoved down our throats here in the Bay Area since KYA turned oldies back in 1980. It's time to retire them retreads.
6. Can we hear something by Huey Lewis other than "Heart Of Rock And Roll" and "Power Of Love"?
7. Early 70's Elton John has been done to death.
8. So tired of late 70's and early 80's Journey. I wonder if I will ever see the day when a cut off "Raised On Radio" gets airplay.
9. Any burnt to a crisp 70's Aerosmith titles.

10. ..and finally the most hated now of all 70's classic rock tunes "Carry On Wayward Sun" by Kansas. Was once one of my favorites prior to the mid 90's when these narrow playlist classic rockers started sprouting up and decided to make that song their staples.

Agreed!
1. Eagles - Enough already
2. Sweet Home Alabama gets old
3. Michael will tell you Brown Eye Girl isn't all that common - well just turn on the radio
4. A little disagree with American Pie, but yes it's overdone
5. I can see your Beatles point - There's more to music than them
6. Huey Lewis is one of my favs but all I get is "Do You Believe In Love" on 3 stations
7. Elton John is SO done to death!!!!!
8. I HATE Journey
9. Don't actually hear any Aerosmith on my Classic Hits station
10. YES!!!! Used to enjoy Wayward Son, just two days ago I heard it 3 TIMES in ONE DAY on 2 stations!!!! AHHH!

 

[oldies76]

I will narrow my list to specific songs and groups.

1. Anything by the Eagles (Every one of their songs have been ran in the ground every way to Sunday). The only song I can stomach is "Witchy Woman"
2. Lynard Skynard "Sweet Home Alabama" (The epitamy of Red Neck rock and a record that gets more airplay spins than the "Kars For Kids" commercial spots). I'd rather hear the latter of the two at this point.
3. "Brown Eyed Girl". Sorry it's time to finally bury that record.
4. "American Pie". The most boring #1 record in popular music history. Give me "Dominique" by the Singing Nun over that Don Mclean burnout LOL!!!! At least the "Dominique" hasn't been subjected to burnout.
5. The Beatles. Yes I said it The Beatles! We have all been hearing their hits shoved down our throats here in the Bay Area since KYA turned oldies back in 1980. It's time to retire them retreads.
6. Can we hear something by Huey Lewis other than "Heart Of Rock And Roll" and "Power Of Love"?
7. Early 70's Elton John has been done to death.
8. So tired of late 70's and early 80's Journey. I wonder if I will ever see the day when a cut off "Raised On Radio" gets airplay.
9. Any burnt to a crisp 70's Aerosmith titles.

10. ..and finally the most hated now of all 70's classic rock tunes "Carry On Wayward Sun" by Kansas. Was once one of my favorites prior to the mid 90's when these narrow playlist classic rockers started sprouting up and decided to make that song their staples.

1. Agreed, "Take It Easy" and "Hotel California" are played to death.
2. I actually like "Sweet Home Alabama", but it does get played tooooo much!
3. My #1 overall complaint!!
4. Gotta disagree there, "American Pie" is a legendary song from 1971/72....8 1/2 minutes of mastery!
5. Gotta play the Beatles, but the frequency of airing them has to be cut a bit.
6. Agreed! I like "Heart and Soul" the best.
7. True, but his work is nothing short of legendary! Some songs are played too much though.
8. 110% agreed here! "Don't Stop Believing" is way overplayed today, way overplayed!
9. Agreed, "Dream On" is played too much.
10. What ever happened to 'Dust in the Wind"???

 

[Fastphilly]

I will narrow my list to specific songs and groups.

1. Anything by the Eagles (Every one of their songs have been ran in the ground every way to Sunday). The only song I can stomach is "Witchy Woman"
2. Lynard Skynard "Sweet Home Alabama" (The epitamy of Red Neck rock and a record that gets more airplay spins than the "Kars For Kids" commercial spots). I'd rather hear the latter of the two at this point.
3. "Brown Eyed Girl". Sorry it's time to finally bury that record.
4. "American Pie". The most boring #1 record in popular music history. Give me "Dominique" by the Singing Nun over that Don Mclean burnout LOL!!!! At least the "Dominique" hasn't been subjected to burnout.
5. The Beatles. Yes I said it The Beatles! We have all been hearing their hits shoved down our throats here in the Bay Area since KYA turned oldies back in 1980. It's time to retire them retreads.
6. Can we hear something by Huey Lewis other than "Heart Of Rock And Roll" and "Power Of Love"?
7. Early 70's Elton John has been done to death.
8. So tired of late 70's and early 80's Journey. I wonder if I will ever see the day when a cut off "Raised On Radio" gets airplay.
9. Any burnt to a crisp 70's Aerosmith titles.

10. ..and finally the most hated now of all 70's classic rock tunes "Carry On Wayward Sun" by Kansas. Was once one of my favorites prior to the mid 90's when these narrow playlist classic rockers started sprouting up and decided to make that song their staples.

1. Agreed, "Take It Easy" and "Hotel California" are played to death.
2. I actually like "Sweet Home Alabama", but it does get played tooooo much!
3. My #1 overall complaint!!
4. Gotta disagree there, "American Pie" is a legendary song from 1971/72....8 1/2 minutes of mastery!
5. Gotta play the Beatles, but the frequency of airing them has to be cut a bit.
6. Agreed! I like "Heart and Soul" the best.
7. True, but his work is nothing short of legendary! Some songs are played too much though.
8. 110% agreed here! "Don't Stop Believing" is way overplayed today, way overplayed!
9. Agreed, "Dream On" is played too much.
10. What ever happened to 'Dust in the Wind"???

Hitting on your comment about #10. I'd say what ever happened to Kansas's "All I Wanted", "Play The Game Tonight". Even "Point Of No Return" would be refreshing. It's the same old story as to why they will hand pick a couple songs from an artist that had several and ride those "couple safe songs" right into the ratings graveyard after a few books.

 

[RIN3GUY]

Guys, you are spot-on, and I am with you 100%!

This "burnt to a crisp" phenomenon of "least-common-denominator" radio has weakened the format. I saw one of my local DJs today at a promo, and he confided in me that the radio staff gets just as sick of the repeats as anybody else! Their ears probably get even more numb, since they can't escape it.

The problem is, the results of music testing are apparently being used by most programmers as a rule of law rather than just as a guide. It should be remembered that testing can only be done on a finite number of people with just song snippets from a cross-section of the genre, but actual audiences and their musical tastes could never be quite so constricted. Common sense needs to prevail.

Am. Pie must still be played, but should be limited to once a week at MOST, as well as all songs of excessive length. (And preferably relegated to overnights!) And a one-year moratorium on the Eagles would be awesome. Although there are a few Beatles hits that I never seem to tire of, those are not the ones in common rotation today. None of this music should ever go away totally, but they just need to back off and play them less frequently so the songs can retain their appeal and to combat listener fatigue.

 

[landtuna]

What about "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong? It only hit #116 in 1968, and then still only made #32 after it was used in Good Morning Vietnam. Then later, I found out that the movie was supposedly set in 1965! We have been subjected to near constant airplay of this NON-hit for the past 25 years just because someone didn't properly do their research?

Please explain to me why a piece of movie music must have been released/popular in the movie's time period? Isn't the whole idea of musical accompaniment to give added depth to the scene(s)? And if the music does that what difference does it make if it doesn't dovetail from the specific time period?

Now, another consideration.....

1968 was a period of terrible troubles in the USA and around the world. This song most likely didn't make it up the charts because (a) it was not a protest song, (b) it was not a rock song and (c) it was the opposite of the attitudes of most radio listeners. Even used in the movie it was sarcasm.

But it is a beautiful song by one of the most famous and beloved musicians in American history. I personally don't have a problem in the world putting it in regular rotation.