#1 ·
Hey everyone, let’s put together a list of 10 albums that are, in my opinion, totally overrated. Just a heads up—please don't even bother mentioning stuff like Bruce Springsteen or Mariah Carey; they're only worshipped by people who live for the Billboard charts...
1. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks... Look, this might be an incredibly influential record, and without it, half these bands wouldn't even exist, but it's honestly a tough listen. Don't get me wrong, I think the Ramones and Buzzcocks are among the absolute best ever, but this lot just gives punk a bad name...
2. David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World - Seriously, what the hell? What a disaster! Aside from the title track, which is basically bait to get you to buy the album, the rest is just pure noise. The only thing notable about it is how it shows Bowie constantly reinventing himself—whether he's playing rock, ambient, or heavy metal, the guy is never boring...
3. Elvis Costello - Armed Forces - This is an album that gives me an instant headache. Those melodies, that voice, that production... it's just not my cup of tea...
4. Dream Theater - Awake - Okay, we all have that list of albums we used to listen to and now feel embarrassed about. I haven't spent much time with this genre, maybe 4 or 5 DT albums at most, and even that feels like too many. I used to be into The Cranberries, too, but listening to Dolores O'Riordan today still feels jarring when she sings so naively about Boston... plus, it's not prog metal
5. Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight - I never really clicked with Eurythmics, though I liked them better early on when they were doing that electro-pop vibe and Annie Lennox looked like Daryl Hannah from Blade Runner. But once Eurythmics tried to blend "rock" and "soul," and when Lennox and Aretha Franklin teamed up for that soul ballad "Sisters Gonna Do It Together"... well, they ended up being worse than the Spice Girls.
6. Jane's Addiction - De Lo Habitual - I actually tried, I really did. Jane's Addiction sucks. And don't even get me started on the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Enough said.
7. R.E.M. - Document - I'm a pretty big fan of R.E.M., but Document is just a collection of confusing, tuneless, irritating, and pathetic little songs. Neither "The One I Love" nor "It's the End of the World..." saved it. Honestly, I trashed this CD thinking I'd never need it again...
8. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast - Honestly, if nothing else, the cover art is a nightmare. I mean, Eddie is iconic and the concept is brilliant, but the music is terrible. I barely lasted ten seconds when a friend played this "classic" for me... The whole thing is just about the packaging!
9. Moby - Play - This isn't as awful as some of the others on this list, but it's not great either. It's definitely not good enough to crack the top 20 albums of the nineties, and it's certainly not worth my 3.7 miles. Ah, Moby... the guy recorded two good songs. There are twenty-two on the album Play.
10. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head - Okay, look, this isn't a bad album—Rolling Stone even called it album of the year—but what's the catch? For me, I couldn't shake the feeling that U2 had already played all these songs years ago. It made Coldplay seem like the ultimate copycats. Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe they really are. Either way, that's why they're here...
Alright, your turn...
1. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks... Look, this might be an incredibly influential record, and without it, half these bands wouldn't even exist, but it's honestly a tough listen. Don't get me wrong, I think the Ramones and Buzzcocks are among the absolute best ever, but this lot just gives punk a bad name...
2. David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World - Seriously, what the hell? What a disaster! Aside from the title track, which is basically bait to get you to buy the album, the rest is just pure noise. The only thing notable about it is how it shows Bowie constantly reinventing himself—whether he's playing rock, ambient, or heavy metal, the guy is never boring...
3. Elvis Costello - Armed Forces - This is an album that gives me an instant headache. Those melodies, that voice, that production... it's just not my cup of tea...
4. Dream Theater - Awake - Okay, we all have that list of albums we used to listen to and now feel embarrassed about. I haven't spent much time with this genre, maybe 4 or 5 DT albums at most, and even that feels like too many. I used to be into The Cranberries, too, but listening to Dolores O'Riordan today still feels jarring when she sings so naively about Boston... plus, it's not prog metal
5. Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight - I never really clicked with Eurythmics, though I liked them better early on when they were doing that electro-pop vibe and Annie Lennox looked like Daryl Hannah from Blade Runner. But once Eurythmics tried to blend "rock" and "soul," and when Lennox and Aretha Franklin teamed up for that soul ballad "Sisters Gonna Do It Together"... well, they ended up being worse than the Spice Girls.
6. Jane's Addiction - De Lo Habitual - I actually tried, I really did. Jane's Addiction sucks. And don't even get me started on the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Enough said.
7. R.E.M. - Document - I'm a pretty big fan of R.E.M., but Document is just a collection of confusing, tuneless, irritating, and pathetic little songs. Neither "The One I Love" nor "It's the End of the World..." saved it. Honestly, I trashed this CD thinking I'd never need it again...
8. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast - Honestly, if nothing else, the cover art is a nightmare. I mean, Eddie is iconic and the concept is brilliant, but the music is terrible. I barely lasted ten seconds when a friend played this "classic" for me... The whole thing is just about the packaging!
9. Moby - Play - This isn't as awful as some of the others on this list, but it's not great either. It's definitely not good enough to crack the top 20 albums of the nineties, and it's certainly not worth my 3.7 miles. Ah, Moby... the guy recorded two good songs. There are twenty-two on the album Play.
10. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head - Okay, look, this isn't a bad album—Rolling Stone even called it album of the year—but what's the catch? For me, I couldn't shake the feeling that U2 had already played all these songs years ago. It made Coldplay seem like the ultimate copycats. Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe they really are. Either way, that's why they're here...
Alright, your turn...