Most overrated band in rock history?

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by pedro

I couldn't find the article, perhaps it was that they'd been on the charts longer than anyone in european history. It actually happened last week. They passed Pink Floyd if IIRC, and since that would mark them as very popular, and since I don't really like them, I do believe that that would qualify them to be called overrrated by me.

I know what else isn't funny: people haranguing others over their OPINIONS.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by Michael Allred

Check your facts, Queen are not the biggest selling band in Euro history.

well my facts were a bit off but here it is.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...ic/4648611.stm

Queen top UK album charts league

Queen are one of the most successful UK bands of all time
Queen have beaten The Beatles to become the most successful music act in UK album chart history, according to Guinness World Records.

The band - whose first self-titled album debuted in 1973 - have spent 1,322 weeks on the chart.

It is the first time Queen have overtaken the Fab Four in the chart, which is compiled by the Book of British Hit Singles and Albums.

Madonna, in seventh place, was the highest female artist in the list.


'TOP 10 UK ALBUMS CHART OF ALL TIME'
Madonna
1. Queen (1,322 weeks)
2. The Beatles (1,293 weeks)
3. Elvis Presley (1,280 weeks)
4. U2 (1,150 weeks)
5. Dire Straits (1,136 weeks)
6. Simon and Garfunkel (1,114 weeks)
7. Madonna (1,032 weeks)
8. David Bowie (1,005 weeks)
9. Elton John (989 weeks)
10. Michael Jackson (966 weeks)
Source: Guinness World Records

Queen, whose albums include A Kind of Magic, The Miracle and Innuendo, have spent 29 weeks more in the chart than the Beatles.

Elvis Presley, who earlier this year was named the most successful music act of all time by the British Hit Singles and Albums, was at number three in the album chart.

David Roberts, editor of the book of British Hit Singles and Albums, said: "Given that Queen's chart career has been much shorter than those of The Beatles and Elvis, this is an incredible achievement.

"They've long been written about with reverence in the pages of our book, and this just serves to cement their legendary status."

Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died in 1991, but the band have continued to perform.

They wind up their current 32-date European tour with former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers this week with a performance in London's Hyde Park on Friday.

Other artists in the top 10 include Irish rockers U2 at four with 1,150 weeks in the chart and Michael Jackson with 966 weeks.

[Michael Allred]

Originally Posted by pedro

I couldn't find the article, perhaps it was that they'd been on the charts longer than anyone in european history. It actually happened last week. They passed Pink Floyd if IIRC, and since that would mark them as very popular, and since I don't really like them, I do believe that that would qualify them to be called overrrated by me.

The article in question was about them posting the most time on the *UK* albums chart. That's quite a bit different than A) selling the most number of albums and B) doing it throughout all of Europe.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by Michael Allred

The article in question was about them posting the most time on the *UK* albums chart. That's quite a bit different than A) selling the most number of albums and B) doing it throughout all of Europe.

fine, but it sure sounds like they were pretty popular to me.

[Michael Allred]

Originally Posted by pedro

fine, but it sure sounds like they were pretty popular to me.

Popularity alone does not make you overrated. If that were the case, Britney Spears would be overrated as well.

[paintmered]

Originally Posted by Michael Allred

Popularity alone does not make you overrated. If that were the case, Britney Spears would be overrated as well.

I think she's overrated for that reason.

[RosieRed]

Originally Posted by paintmered

I think 30 Seconds to Mars is the most overrated band ever. EVER.

(runs and hides from Rosie)

:

:

Hard to be overrated when no one even knows about the band! (Yet, anyway ... give me time and EVERYONE will know about them!)

[Mutaman]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

I know what else isn't funny: people haranguing others over their OPINIONS.

It may not be funny, but it sure is fun.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by Mutaman

It may not be funny, but it sure is fun.

Well, I think your comments were just sparring; I didn't find your contentions to be ad hominem attacks at all. I get the fun in that. A certain someone else's posts strike me as personal.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by Michael Allred

Popularity alone does not make you overrated. If that were the case, Britney Spears would be overrated as well.

The thread was not called the "Most overrated band who were popular in the USA and rated by Rock Critics"

I think you may be taking this all a little too seriously. Really, you can like Queen if you want to, it's OK. I like the Beatles, you don't, so what? I don't think any less of myself because you don't like them and I don't think any less of you because you like Queen. let it go.

[Mutaman]

Originally Posted by M2

The guy writes "Gimme Shelter" and he's not adventurous? The man's a walking riff machine. Can't think of anyone else I'd even put near him in that category - all right I can think of one guy, Neil Young.

Anyway, my vote for most overrated goes to The Beatles. IMO, they got credit for being the radio-friendly face of a lot of stuff others were doing better. Perhaps they'd have been less bubble gum out of the gate were it solely their choice, but when the AOR guys signed every band in England what we discovered was that many of them played far edgier stuff with a more driving tempo than anything The Beatles were churning out in their "She Loves You" phase.

The old saw is The Stones followed The Beatles at every turn. Certainly their marketing followed and some of their tunes did (Ruby Tuesday), but they always had an alley cat relfex that The Beatles (who had more of a hardscrabble upbringing) never could match, grinding out tunes like "Satisfaction", "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Mother's Little Helper".

The Beatles couldn't howl like The Stones did on "Paint It Black" or go down the darkest of alleys like in "Sympathy for the Devil". I've always figured when the Stones cut "Let It Bleed" in 1969 is when they officially ripped the mantle of world's greatest living rock band off The Beatles. At that point it became clear that the boys from Liverpool didn't have that gear. Finally, as the Beatles were petering out with "The Long and Winding Road", The Stones were belting out "Brown Sugar". IMO, it ate at Lennon something fierce. That's the band he wanted to be in. I'm not saying The Stones are the greatest thing ever, just that what I hear when I listen to a Beatles record is a band often playing catch up with The Stones, The Beach Boys and a host of others.

The Beatles brought the music industry through some new doors and wrote lots of great songs, but I figure they were about 25% as good as their press. That's still awfully good, but a louder, broader sound was coming with or without them.

You've really got this thing about the Beatles, sort of like Charles Foster Kane and Rosebud. I'm a Stones man myself, but I figure any band that covers Larry williams and Buck Owens on the same album (Help, UK version) is ok in my book.

[Michael Allred]

Originally Posted by paintmered

I think she's overrated for that reason.

Overrate \O`ver*rate"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Overrated; p. pr.
& vb. n. Overrating.]
To rate or value too highly.

I ask again, just how are Queen rated or valued highly?

When you see those lists from major rock critics and musicians, etc, how often and/or how high are the band or their albums place?

[redsfanmia]

Im sorry but compare the Beatles to the Backstreet boys is quite a stretch. The Beatles were marketed as a boy band yes but the Backstreet Boys didnt play or write the music, I see your point in calling the Beatles a boy band but really. Without the Beatles music would be totally different today I think everyone realizes that. You may not like the Beatles but you have to give them the credit they deserve for revolutionallizing the entire face of music and the music business itself.

[pedro]

Can we stop getting all bent out shape about semantics? This is supposed to be fun. Ease up a little.

[redsfanmia]

The Beatles were never playing catch up to another band the other bands were playing catch up to them.