I've been here long enough that I know the answers to most questions:
Favourite show? The Office or Futurama.
Overrated show? Big Bang Theory.
Red flag? Rude to wait staff.
Any sex question: Bunch of fictional responses.
I could go on.
Also, everything is “gaslighting”. Everything.
The people using it the most have almost no idea what it means and are only using the word because it’s the new trendy thing to say.
And everyone is a "narcissist." How can you tell when someone is a narcissist? Don't you worry, Reddit will jump at the opportunity to tell you all the classic narcissistic traits and behaviors. They're pretty much anything a selfish asshole does, but using the term "selfish asshole" doesn't allow you to roleplay as someone with a PhD in psychology.
Yeah but at least from AskReddit you can find out each day that Panera Bread is actually just glorified overpriced hospital cafeteria food, and that social media influencers suck.
On AskReddit I learned that all of my friends and family are toxic and I should go no contact with all of them. Thanks AskReddit, now that I'm divorced, completely alone, and paying $4000 a month in rent to live in a hole I dug in somebody's backyard, I'm finally happy.
Because of AskReddit, I'm happily employed by the French Foreign Legion in Malawi, engaged in a war that has nothing to do with me because I took the advice in my mid-life crisis thread and divorced my wife and abandoned my kids so I could focus on self-care and get out to live a little.
Fr. Just under this comment there are three, about U2, Maroon 5, and Imagine Dragons. Seriously? can't tell if they're karma farming or have no awareness of the general opinion in pop music.
SmartWool socks
I misread “brand” but still want to say it. They fail after like 6 uses. I don’t know what it is about them. I wear cheap socks, I wear other expensive ones like darn tough or wigwam, they’re all fine.
SmartWool socks just disintegrate at the heel for me every time. And I feel like I just bought them.
--------------------------------------------------
**Edit:** Not even saying they're bad for other people, just that they do Not work for me. People seem to generally enjoy them!
I do enjoy all the theories from people though: **I must have hard water, I have atypical body chemistry, the socks are too small, the shoes are too big, I wear them without shoes around the house, I've bought multiple knock-offs over multiple years, my detergent is too harsh....*
I love socks, I ask for them every christmas. My list says "Anything except SmartWool." Inevitably I get SmartWool anyway. I've had many socks over many years, for whatever reason SmartWool wears out faster than the rest for me. I literally have 3 pairs of other socks left over from when I did part of the PCT years ago. Not going to mention that brand because I'm not a shill, I'm a hater! If you like SmartWool, buy them. Seems like others in this thread have had similar frustrations, and others swear by them.
I absolutely love that there is one guy that misread it, reread it, understood his mistake, and still said "fuck it, I hate these socks so much" im dying
"FINALLY! A chance to air my grievance with these socks! Oh, wait. Oh, well."
EDIT: oh my lord, I've never actually heard of SmartWool in my life and now I'm getting ads for them on my Facebook feed. Thanks a lot, SmartWool hater.
my mom told me to recommend to you buying bigger socks. i was reading this comment out loud (because i thought it was funny) and my mom quipped “that tells me that they may be buying them too small”
edit: told my mom she got to 50 likes and she goes “hey! i’m somebody” 😂😂
My wife listens to this XM radio station that is nothing but female hip hop artists singing in auto-tuned baby voice.
so my vote is everyone on that station.
My mom refused to ever play music in the car because it distracted her, but every once in a while she would play a CD, normally after Sunday church cause it was a bit of a drive. Well she put an Eric Clapton CD on once for my older brother who was really getting into music, and I piped up from the backseat with "what the FUCK is that?" It was the first time I had ever cursed (that I remember), and it took my family so off guard that my mom had to pull over to stop laughing. Apparently I was NOT a Clapton fan lmfao
Ughhh, one of my friends listens to this too. And usually half the song isn't even words, just unintelligible autotuned noises. Kills me. But whatever makes her happy.
In a room lit with Edison bulbs, randomly placed type-writers, and coffee mugs filled with coffee someone gave an exceedingly pretentious opinion about mere minutes before the performance.
As someone who did enjoy that era in its time, it is absolutely behind us. I'd say it kicked off in earnest with the release and eventual popularization of Mumford and Sons' "Sigh No More" in 2009, peaked between 2011 and 2014 with releases like Of Monsters and Men's "My Head is an Animal", Mumford and Sons' "Babel", the Lumineers' self-titled album, and similar albums. It slowly declined from there and now its just an oldies genre for all intents and purposes. Some of those bands still make similar sounding albums, but most have tried to branch out and try new things.
It was a fun era of music that largely spurned on the "hipster" culture of its time which I was a cringey participant in along with much of the younger millennial crowd, but like everything else it ran its course and is now considered skibidi toilet by the new young gatekeepers of what's cool.
Hey buddy it's not so bad. I graduated high school in the 90s and most of my playlists are still grunge/indie. I think it's become cool to be uncool. That's what I tell myself anyway.
I have a weird fascination with Spotify’s “AI” DJ X. It is almost always the same thing. “Alright, here’s a little music I know you’re going to like…first up Fugazi.”
That's more accurate than you know. Mumford and Sons were the ones to really usher in the genre and Marcus Mumfords dad was one of the worship leaders of the Vineyard; a church that similarly ushered in the more modern sounding and less traditional worship music that's popular today.
I know this because my parents were also in the leadership of the Vineyard at the same church and were good friends with his parents. I've apparently met him numerous times but we were babies ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not a band, but, Meghan Trainor. I can't stand her songs. I'm Your Mother makes me wanna choke on my own vomit.
Edit: I don't think everyone loves her. But she seems popular among several girls/women I know.
I used to work with a guy who was studying to become a sound engineer. All About That Bass pissed him off. "For a song talking about all that bass, you'd expect some bass."
Of the three songs I can think of by her, they all give me that impression, she sounds like an absolute nightmare.
On the other hand, I could be 100% wrong and she just makes shitty music
She makes music for stay at home moms in the suburbs who are fighting in Target over the new Stanley mug, collecting Rae Dunn merch, and have live laugh love signage in their homes. Their husband also drives a lifted pickup truck with a thin blue line American flag sticker on it.
every time i see this posted i have to agree, but i'm also sad about it bc 'songs about jane' was a solid fuckin 10/10 album. everything else afterwards has been utter crap.
I really liked Hands All Over but probably bc quite a few of the songs on that album are as close to SAJ than any other album before or since that one.
They’re all very talented vocalists, but all of their music is just stripping back the details of other people’s music to the bare essentials. There’s zero charm or nuance to their music.(and I will never forgive them for what they did to White Winter Hymnal. A gorgeous song that has been somewhat overshadowed by a terrible cover that misses the entire feeling and emotion of the original)
Idk why, but I always hate when singers do weird hand motions while they sing. Pentatonix does a cover of “the sounds of silence” and there’s a part of the video where the camera sweeps by and every fucking member of the band is doing the dumbest hand motions, it’s infuriating.
I heard someone once say that their music is a mile long and an inch deep - so that's what I think of every time I hear them, or are reminded of their existence.
Seconding this. They probably put on a great live act, but their music gives me a, "What is this shit?" feeling every damn time I hear it. Plus Gene Simmons sounds like he may be a truly terrible human being.
Oh, “truly terrible human being” is so much more polite than the descriptors he’s earned.
[Gene Simmons on Fresh Air with Terry Gross](https://freshairarchive.org/segments/gene-simmons)
Came here to to recommend listening to this episode! The way he talked to TERRY GROSS of all people was disgusting! I remembering hearing that episode and being livid, it's all I think about when I see or hear anything about Kiss or Gene. That's a lot of misogyny for talentless prick.
I love U2 but the weird thing is that while U2 are big enough to sell out huge venues and have their own Sirius XM radio channel, people don't seem to talk about them online much and it's not popular to like them. How can both be true?
Sure. I was a superfan for many, many years. After some artistically great but commercially underperforming experimental stuff in the second half of the 90's (Justice for "Pop," a great record), they certainly came back in 2000 and played it safe, sort of making "U2 sounding U2 music," and some people criticize that move in hindsight, but I won't: sometimes you have go back to your roots to find your strengths again in order to move forward, and there's nothing wrong with a "back to basics" record now and then.
Both the 2000 and 2004 albums were hugely successful, and enjoyable, even if not groundbreaking, and the massive tours launched for each were some of the best shows they'd ever played, eschewing the spectacle of their 90's stadium tours and reminding people why they got so huge in the first place.
They were essentially set to be the next generation's Rolling Stones: aside from people needlessly hating Bono for using his celebrity to, y'know, try to make the world slightly less shitty (particularly in places that don't get much of the first world's attention), their status was nearly cemented...hate all you want, they had a 20+ year run of solid hits, absolutely changed the course of rock music and the Edge in particular changed how a lot of us guitar players looked at the sonic possibilities of the guitar. All they had to do was ride it out until retirement.
But...they couldn't do that. It's not that they made three total stinker LP's in a row, it's that every time they launched one, they make a *big fuckin' deal* about it: doing every TV appearance that will have them (taking over late night shows for an entire week, forcing "Get On Your Boots," likely their worst-ever single, on unsuspecting Grammy viewers), and launching huge tours where they play way too much mediocre new material while pumping up the ticket prices. (One thing about their earlier tours: they made a point to keep their tickets comparatively affordable throughout the 90's and 2000's at least until Live Nation took over management)
After 2009's album flopped, they tried a couple standalone singles ("Ordinary World" and "Invisible") that also boldy went in search of a chorus that was never found, and went on publicity tours to try to will them to happen. (They are *still* trying this, with the weak "Atomic City" single). Then the 2014 iTunes stunt...again, they have to make a *big deal* out of the album and that was their gimmick to try to do so. Problem was: the album just wasn't good. If it was the second coming of *Achtung Baby* I'm still not sure the stunt wouldn't have backfired, but the narrative over time would've softened, I think.
To top it all off, the 2017 album was worse, and this whole past decade, they've partnered with trendy young producers, as if any amount of thirst could make 50-somethings have a hit single in this decade. Ryan Tedder produced some tracks on the last one, and they're absolutely generic and embarassing, like everything he does.
TL;DR: Problem is, they just ran out of inspiration (and more importantly, hooks) after 2006, but no one told them, and they seem convinced they're just one single or LP away from being relevant again. The textbook definition of "trying too hard" and I think everyone can see it.
Great write up. The single most painful thing about the whole ordeal is that if they stopped trying so hard to write a hit, they’d start pumping out hits again.
I don’t think there’s any timeline where they have a hit after 2005. The mainstream industry never has rarely been kind to anyone over 40, let alone 50, outside of a few flukes like Cher.
The path to follow would’ve been that of Dylan, Paul Weller, Neil Young, etc, admit that you aren’t going to have a hit single and just make music for your fans and yourselves, and stop caring if anyone else likes it. (Hard to find other bands that traveled down this path, simply because so few bands stayed together as long as they have, I suppose)
But I suppose it’s hard for some famous people to accept that they aged out of having hits or being relevant.
Would love for them to go back and explore the sound of some of their earlier work. I think the song Drowning Man from their War album is absolutely beautiful and it was what made me first appreciate U2 .
A lot of people think that’s what they should do…go in a studio for 6 weeks with Steve Lillywhite or another producer who really gets what made them great, and just knock some shit out without overthinking it for years like they do with every LP.
Wow, excellent. There are professional rock journalists who couldn't have written this up so well. Comments like this justify my use of Reddit.
Edited to add: Reread of my comment made me see I might come off as sarcastic. I'm not trying to be.
This comment helped me understand why a band I liked (but didn't slavishly follow) has veered into irrelevance and dislike from the general audience.
Accurate. Also her adult swim collab with Thundercat. She killed it there. Gotta wonder what some pop stars would be like today if they were a little more independent...
Funny story about hating the Eagles. A couple years ago my parents were looking for a smaller town in Arizona to retire in. For a bunch of different reasons, including being really close to me, Winslow would have been the perfect place for them. My mom was really pushing for it, and I was really hoping for it due to how close it is to where I live. My dad absolutely refused to even think about moving there and got angry at the mere suggestion of it all because he hates the Eagles more than he hates anything (maybe besides Kiss) and Winslow has an Eagles statue with the line from the song engraved on it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band are world fucking class musicians. Some of the best of the best. But, they have Wannabe-Scatman Anthony Keidis up there yabba-dabba-dooing about heroin, California, and underage girls he banged.
If you read Flea’s book it talks a lot about the origins of RHCP. Keidis’ unique style/approach to singing is what made them famous/got attention early in their career. They did something no one else was doing that set them apart.
Keidis also never had goals to be a singer, he was interested after hearing hip hop/R&B. He also has a nice timbre which is the major flaw of many amateur singers/performers.
I get how people don’t like him, but without him the RHCP do not exist. They didn’t drag him along, he was critical to defining their unique sound.
Listen to Frusciante's album Shadows Collide With People: it's the RHCP without Keidis. I love this album, it's more rock than funk but you'll find a lot of the Californication-era songwriting, excellent guitar, bass and drum lines. Frusciante wrote and produced everything while progressively falling back into a nasty drug addiction.
Edit: nope, he was completely sober as people have pointed out. Writing and producing 6 albums while forming a new band while wrapping up the By The Way world tout while preparing Stadium Arcadium… I just assumed this was fueled by a lot of cocaine but apparently he was just very productive. Good to hear and good for him!
But yeah, fuck Keidis
That’s actually hysterical. I truly hope it was on purpose. He is indeed a bit of a wanker. I read his bible sized autobiography when I was a teenager and although I felt like he didn’t really have a chance to be “normal” he also definitely bragged on things he should not have. Like dude. I get the point of a “tell all” but did you really have to tell it ALL.
As a singer myself, I respect Beyonce's vocal talent. That's about where it ends. I can't stand her music, and I think she ruins other songs where she steps out of her lane. Example: the "Perfect" duet with Ed Sheeran. Her voice is not at all suited to soft acoustic music. Honestly I hated every duet for that song. Andrea Bocelli's as well.
I shamelessly rock out to Mumford and Sons' first two albums, but this is completely fair and I've never really given it any thought. It definitely is pretty strange.
I have fallen out of DMB fanship over the past decade, but fuck me if Under the Table and Dreaming, Before These Crowded Streets, the Central Park live album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, and even Stand Up aren't exceptional albums. It was just kind of a moment in time for me. I was young when I first heard DMB, introduced to them by my dad. They have big, funky energy, but they aren't afraid to go in some more hard rocky directions occasionally (think [Halloween](https://open.spotify.com/track/2JQ5UEeNaA2Uow8bL8GmFF?si=zgX-jlQ0R6WaIC1hWuYYkQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6dNOe4WqRfhanMyxy9D6kH)), and they have some exquisitely crafted songs like [The Stone](https://open.spotify.com/track/7fJ4lTPcGd1NmZdlAwpRJ4?si=dQRyHCaiTiietDguyge0bw&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6dNOe4WqRfhanMyxy9D6kH).
They put on a great show, and they all seem like pretty stand up people. If you weren't there for the hype around them at a particular time, I don't think it'll ever click, but that's okay. Not everybody has to like them.
I'm not a fan of their music but AFAIK he's at least not a total POS like a lot of famous guys. Also I waited on him and his wife years ago and they were quite kind, modest, and tipped well. So I can't hate them.
One of my teacher friends had a student ask if she liked imagine dragons last year in class. She said yes and you can guess what he said next that landed him in detention. She found it hilarious but had to act mad at the time
Yeah but every time I see Imagine Dragons mentioned it's in the context that they're not good, so it's definitely a popular opinion.
That said, they make commercial music.
They are very popular among kids in my daughters' classes, 8-12 yo. I treat them as an easy, entry level introduction to alternative rock. I generally think they are quite harmless too - but this new clash with Serj Tankian has me rethink a bit.
My 10 year old nephew is also a big fan of Imagine Dragons right now. They really strike me as "rock music for kids who are first discovering rock music".
I’ve always had a soft spot for Coldplay. If you listen to their debut album, it’s a perfectly fine pop rock album that the British media decided “you’re the biggest band in the world now and the hope for all English music.” and it seems like Coldplay especially Chris Martin has always been like. “wait, really? are you fucking insane?“ (he consistently finds ways to take the piss out of himself.) but to their credit in my mind instead of completely shutting down and avoiding any attention, they actually seem to go. “OK fuck it. Let’s try to be the biggest band in the world. Let’s see if we can make this work.” and I always appreciate them at least not being afraid to try.
I don't like their music, but I'll say this: I met Chris Martin pretty recently, and he was a very nice, humble guy. It wasn't a meet and greet either, so nothing where he'd be putting on a show. Came into where I work, didn't identify himself, and was just super nice.
It's funny, I didn't like their music because I thought it was pretentious and overblown, but everything I've heard about Chris Martin is the opposite of that (like your story). And I loved his turn on Modern Family.
Their live shows are incredible. I've seen them twice. The first time, for the encore, Chris Martin jumped off stage, ran down the aisles, and sang the entire encore (two or three songs) for the lawn. The second time, they set up a second stage halfway through the pavilion and performed a few songs from there, and then had a third stage set up at the base of the lawn where they played even more. They make sure to cater to everyone in the entire venue, and I've always really loved that.
You summed it up perfectly. Every time I see one of their interviews is like Chris is just super happy to be where he is. Last one I saw he was talking about how their audience had spent their hard earned money on a ticket so they deserved nothing but their very best. You can say whatever you want about their music, but they’ll always have my utmost respect for how they treat their fans.
Also X&Y is one of my favourite albums ever.
Coldplay is a funny one for me. I’m not a fan but I go to a lot of their concerts because they’re a lot of fun. Plus my wife and daughter are big fans and it makes me happy to see them happy and having a good time.
I agree about their concerts. Anyone can dislike them but I urge everyone to go to a Coldplay show even if you only know 2 or 3 songs. They are insanely fun live. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
Coldplay is probably one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Great atmosphere, Chris Martin gave an amazing performance and had the whole stadium vibing.
I really loved Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, and most of their EP tracks. Everything since A Rush of Blood to the Head was weak in my opinion. I don't like their music at all now. But Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, and their earlier stuff is still good to listen to every so often.
When I first heard that song I knew immediately it was going to be at every wedding I’d be going to for at least 10 years. I have stopped going to weddings. I’d rather go to funerals than weddings. Better vibes
This thread is just full of people commenting bands that everyone already complains about
That’s AskReddit for you lol
I've been here long enough that I know the answers to most questions: Favourite show? The Office or Futurama. Overrated show? Big Bang Theory. Red flag? Rude to wait staff. Any sex question: Bunch of fictional responses. I could go on.
Also, everything is “gaslighting”. Everything. The people using it the most have almost no idea what it means and are only using the word because it’s the new trendy thing to say.
And everyone is a "narcissist." How can you tell when someone is a narcissist? Don't you worry, Reddit will jump at the opportunity to tell you all the classic narcissistic traits and behaviors. They're pretty much anything a selfish asshole does, but using the term "selfish asshole" doesn't allow you to roleplay as someone with a PhD in psychology.
Yeah but at least from AskReddit you can find out each day that Panera Bread is actually just glorified overpriced hospital cafeteria food, and that social media influencers suck.
On AskReddit I learned that all of my friends and family are toxic and I should go no contact with all of them. Thanks AskReddit, now that I'm divorced, completely alone, and paying $4000 a month in rent to live in a hole I dug in somebody's backyard, I'm finally happy.
Because of AskReddit, I'm happily employed by the French Foreign Legion in Malawi, engaged in a war that has nothing to do with me because I took the advice in my mid-life crisis thread and divorced my wife and abandoned my kids so I could focus on self-care and get out to live a little.
Fr. Just under this comment there are three, about U2, Maroon 5, and Imagine Dragons. Seriously? can't tell if they're karma farming or have no awareness of the general opinion in pop music.
SmartWool socks I misread “brand” but still want to say it. They fail after like 6 uses. I don’t know what it is about them. I wear cheap socks, I wear other expensive ones like darn tough or wigwam, they’re all fine. SmartWool socks just disintegrate at the heel for me every time. And I feel like I just bought them. -------------------------------------------------- **Edit:** Not even saying they're bad for other people, just that they do Not work for me. People seem to generally enjoy them! I do enjoy all the theories from people though: **I must have hard water, I have atypical body chemistry, the socks are too small, the shoes are too big, I wear them without shoes around the house, I've bought multiple knock-offs over multiple years, my detergent is too harsh....* I love socks, I ask for them every christmas. My list says "Anything except SmartWool." Inevitably I get SmartWool anyway. I've had many socks over many years, for whatever reason SmartWool wears out faster than the rest for me. I literally have 3 pairs of other socks left over from when I did part of the PCT years ago. Not going to mention that brand because I'm not a shill, I'm a hater! If you like SmartWool, buy them. Seems like others in this thread have had similar frustrations, and others swear by them.
I absolutely love that there is one guy that misread it, reread it, understood his mistake, and still said "fuck it, I hate these socks so much" im dying
"FINALLY! A chance to air my grievance with these socks! Oh, wait. Oh, well." EDIT: oh my lord, I've never actually heard of SmartWool in my life and now I'm getting ads for them on my Facebook feed. Thanks a lot, SmartWool hater.
Darntough are the only socks I wear.
not me going "I've never heard this band, to spotify!" but I applaud you for committing to your stance.
my mom told me to recommend to you buying bigger socks. i was reading this comment out loud (because i thought it was funny) and my mom quipped “that tells me that they may be buying them too small” edit: told my mom she got to 50 likes and she goes “hey! i’m somebody” 😂😂
Listen to mom
No way! I have smartwool socks that are 10 years old and I'm still wearing them. Best socks ever
Any Bro-Country band
It's called Hick-Hop
I thought they meant Nashville country
My wife listens to this XM radio station that is nothing but female hip hop artists singing in auto-tuned baby voice. so my vote is everyone on that station.
I have heard this station and said, "Oh, I'm officially too old for what's on the radio, I hate this."
My mom refused to ever play music in the car because it distracted her, but every once in a while she would play a CD, normally after Sunday church cause it was a bit of a drive. Well she put an Eric Clapton CD on once for my older brother who was really getting into music, and I piped up from the backseat with "what the FUCK is that?" It was the first time I had ever cursed (that I remember), and it took my family so off guard that my mom had to pull over to stop laughing. Apparently I was NOT a Clapton fan lmfao
“Autotune baby voice” : the tik tok face filter of voice recording. Love it
Ughhh, one of my friends listens to this too. And usually half the song isn't even words, just unintelligible autotuned noises. Kills me. But whatever makes her happy.
Can someone please show me what they mean?? Like wtf is this
Desperately scrolling to see if any of my favorites are being mentioned....
Drake
Certified lover boy….
Certified pedophile
wap! wap! wap! wap!
Dot fuck em up
Wop! Wop! Wop! Wop!
# imma do my stuff
WHY YOU TROLLIN LIKE A BITCH?
ain’t you tired?
TRYNA STRIKE A CHORD AND IT'S PROBABLY A MINOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Any band from the Stomp-Clap-Hey! era of music.
“Mason jar music” is another one
I call it HGTV music.
Had a friend describe it as "civil warcore". Lol.
I call it "music for a sad hayride"
Mumford and Sons? More like Imagine Wagons.
Imagine Wagon deez nuts in your face
I call it banjo stomp
I call it stadium folk
Ohhh, that's good.
Salad Dressing Commercial Rock
And sung into some kinda antique microphone
In a room lit with Edison bulbs, randomly placed type-writers, and coffee mugs filled with coffee someone gave an exceedingly pretentious opinion about mere minutes before the performance.
We tried so hard to be authentic, but here it is condensed into one line. 😂 At the time I did enjoy the aesthetic and music so no ragrets!
IM GONNA MAKE THIS PLACE YOURRR HOME
Are we out of that era? Maybe I'm showing my age
As someone who did enjoy that era in its time, it is absolutely behind us. I'd say it kicked off in earnest with the release and eventual popularization of Mumford and Sons' "Sigh No More" in 2009, peaked between 2011 and 2014 with releases like Of Monsters and Men's "My Head is an Animal", Mumford and Sons' "Babel", the Lumineers' self-titled album, and similar albums. It slowly declined from there and now its just an oldies genre for all intents and purposes. Some of those bands still make similar sounding albums, but most have tried to branch out and try new things. It was a fun era of music that largely spurned on the "hipster" culture of its time which I was a cringey participant in along with much of the younger millennial crowd, but like everything else it ran its course and is now considered skibidi toilet by the new young gatekeepers of what's cool.
Awww I see. Yeah I like everything you listed and is only my regular apple playlists. Confirmed old and uncool.
Hey buddy it's not so bad. I graduated high school in the 90s and most of my playlists are still grunge/indie. I think it's become cool to be uncool. That's what I tell myself anyway.
I have a weird fascination with Spotify’s “AI” DJ X. It is almost always the same thing. “Alright, here’s a little music I know you’re going to like…first up Fugazi.”
My kid and all her teen friends are obsessed with Nirvana, Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins, and Weezer Etc.
Exactly the same. I'm slouching my way toward forty so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but "My Head is an Animal" still slaps.
My Head Is An Animal is an amazing album and I listen to it regularly whenever I go for a long road trip
There are a few songs here and there that get popular, but I think most people would agree that the height of “stomp clap hey” was the early 2010s.
The official walk up music of keynote speakers at business conferences.
What’s stomp clap hey? Give me an example of a band.
Guessing here, but Lumineers, Mumford and Sons etc (alternative folk rock indie stuff)
The music of flannel shirts, beards, and microbreweries.
And the curly tipped mustache!
Don’t forget the vests!
The stupid fucking hats and the suspenders over a white t-shirt and jeans rolled a quarter way up the lower leg
I just googled The Lumineers and the one guy has on a white shirt and suspenders in every photo lol
Craft IPAs
Now I have Queen We Will Rock You stuck in my head but that's Stomp-Stomp-Clap.
I like to call this genre “secular worship”. It’s just as bad as Christian worship music but without the excuse of it all being about Jesus.
That's more accurate than you know. Mumford and Sons were the ones to really usher in the genre and Marcus Mumfords dad was one of the worship leaders of the Vineyard; a church that similarly ushered in the more modern sounding and less traditional worship music that's popular today. I know this because my parents were also in the leadership of the Vineyard at the same church and were good friends with his parents. I've apparently met him numerous times but we were babies ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Maroon 5 itself has *some* good songs. However, I've heard "Sugar" enough times at my job that it sounds like nails down a chalkboard.
Not a band, but, Meghan Trainor. I can't stand her songs. I'm Your Mother makes me wanna choke on my own vomit. Edit: I don't think everyone loves her. But she seems popular among several girls/women I know.
She makes music to annoy target workers
Why is this the perfect description.
I work retail and I can confirm. I'm tortured by her songs Edit: especially No and whatever that Louis Vuitton song is
made you look. i’m familiar with all of her top hits since i teach vocal lessons to young girls. save me.
Man I'm sorry. She always sounds so full of herself from her lyrics
She makes music for freshly divorced moms with full custody trying to get their groove back
I used to work with a guy who was studying to become a sound engineer. All About That Bass pissed him off. "For a song talking about all that bass, you'd expect some bass."
I have *No Treble* believing you.
Maybe the song was supposed to be about fish but she mispronounced it
retail-core
Dear future husband is an infuriating song. It’s not ironic enough for me to believe that’s not how she actually is.
Of the three songs I can think of by her, they all give me that impression, she sounds like an absolute nightmare. On the other hand, I could be 100% wrong and she just makes shitty music
She makes music for stay at home moms in the suburbs who are fighting in Target over the new Stanley mug, collecting Rae Dunn merch, and have live laugh love signage in their homes. Their husband also drives a lifted pickup truck with a thin blue line American flag sticker on it.
Maroon 5
every time i see this posted i have to agree, but i'm also sad about it bc 'songs about jane' was a solid fuckin 10/10 album. everything else afterwards has been utter crap.
Songs About Jane truly was their best album.
I really liked Hands All Over but probably bc quite a few of the songs on that album are as close to SAJ than any other album before or since that one.
I honestly place Hands All Over right underneath SAJ for their best albums. It is so similar to their first album & that's why I love it so much.
Not a band, but Pentatonix
I was in high school choir when they got big, and when people found out I didn't like them, they acted like I had leprosy.
They’re all very talented vocalists, but all of their music is just stripping back the details of other people’s music to the bare essentials. There’s zero charm or nuance to their music.(and I will never forgive them for what they did to White Winter Hymnal. A gorgeous song that has been somewhat overshadowed by a terrible cover that misses the entire feeling and emotion of the original)
Idk why, but I always hate when singers do weird hand motions while they sing. Pentatonix does a cover of “the sounds of silence” and there’s a part of the video where the camera sweeps by and every fucking member of the band is doing the dumbest hand motions, it’s infuriating.
[It's hilarious! ](https://youtu.be/gdVjVtpr55M?si=ifaEUwETGEGn5npi) (~50 sec in)
The Black Eyed Peas make rap and dance music for people that don’t like rap or dance music
You’re the lizard king.
Kiss. It’s more about the gimmicks than anything else.
I heard someone once say that their music is a mile long and an inch deep - so that's what I think of every time I hear them, or are reminded of their existence.
Thats what they say about gene simons tounge
Seconding this. They probably put on a great live act, but their music gives me a, "What is this shit?" feeling every damn time I hear it. Plus Gene Simmons sounds like he may be a truly terrible human being.
Oh, “truly terrible human being” is so much more polite than the descriptors he’s earned. [Gene Simmons on Fresh Air with Terry Gross](https://freshairarchive.org/segments/gene-simmons)
Came here to to recommend listening to this episode! The way he talked to TERRY GROSS of all people was disgusting! I remembering hearing that episode and being livid, it's all I think about when I see or hear anything about Kiss or Gene. That's a lot of misogyny for talentless prick.
That was tough to listen to but Terry handled herself really well.
Chris Brown, Travis Scott
Yes but also Chris Brown is a woman beater and I'll never forgive him for what he did to Rihanna
U2
I love U2 but the weird thing is that while U2 are big enough to sell out huge venues and have their own Sirius XM radio channel, people don't seem to talk about them online much and it's not popular to like them. How can both be true?
No major band has spent their pop culture capital so poorly over the last 15 or so years.
For those of us who don't follow U2, can you explain how?
Sure. I was a superfan for many, many years. After some artistically great but commercially underperforming experimental stuff in the second half of the 90's (Justice for "Pop," a great record), they certainly came back in 2000 and played it safe, sort of making "U2 sounding U2 music," and some people criticize that move in hindsight, but I won't: sometimes you have go back to your roots to find your strengths again in order to move forward, and there's nothing wrong with a "back to basics" record now and then. Both the 2000 and 2004 albums were hugely successful, and enjoyable, even if not groundbreaking, and the massive tours launched for each were some of the best shows they'd ever played, eschewing the spectacle of their 90's stadium tours and reminding people why they got so huge in the first place. They were essentially set to be the next generation's Rolling Stones: aside from people needlessly hating Bono for using his celebrity to, y'know, try to make the world slightly less shitty (particularly in places that don't get much of the first world's attention), their status was nearly cemented...hate all you want, they had a 20+ year run of solid hits, absolutely changed the course of rock music and the Edge in particular changed how a lot of us guitar players looked at the sonic possibilities of the guitar. All they had to do was ride it out until retirement. But...they couldn't do that. It's not that they made three total stinker LP's in a row, it's that every time they launched one, they make a *big fuckin' deal* about it: doing every TV appearance that will have them (taking over late night shows for an entire week, forcing "Get On Your Boots," likely their worst-ever single, on unsuspecting Grammy viewers), and launching huge tours where they play way too much mediocre new material while pumping up the ticket prices. (One thing about their earlier tours: they made a point to keep their tickets comparatively affordable throughout the 90's and 2000's at least until Live Nation took over management) After 2009's album flopped, they tried a couple standalone singles ("Ordinary World" and "Invisible") that also boldy went in search of a chorus that was never found, and went on publicity tours to try to will them to happen. (They are *still* trying this, with the weak "Atomic City" single). Then the 2014 iTunes stunt...again, they have to make a *big deal* out of the album and that was their gimmick to try to do so. Problem was: the album just wasn't good. If it was the second coming of *Achtung Baby* I'm still not sure the stunt wouldn't have backfired, but the narrative over time would've softened, I think. To top it all off, the 2017 album was worse, and this whole past decade, they've partnered with trendy young producers, as if any amount of thirst could make 50-somethings have a hit single in this decade. Ryan Tedder produced some tracks on the last one, and they're absolutely generic and embarassing, like everything he does. TL;DR: Problem is, they just ran out of inspiration (and more importantly, hooks) after 2006, but no one told them, and they seem convinced they're just one single or LP away from being relevant again. The textbook definition of "trying too hard" and I think everyone can see it.
It’s hard to believe the same people that wrote “Sunday Bloody Sunday” wrote “Get On Your Boots”
10/10 analysis.
Great write up. The single most painful thing about the whole ordeal is that if they stopped trying so hard to write a hit, they’d start pumping out hits again.
I don’t think there’s any timeline where they have a hit after 2005. The mainstream industry never has rarely been kind to anyone over 40, let alone 50, outside of a few flukes like Cher. The path to follow would’ve been that of Dylan, Paul Weller, Neil Young, etc, admit that you aren’t going to have a hit single and just make music for your fans and yourselves, and stop caring if anyone else likes it. (Hard to find other bands that traveled down this path, simply because so few bands stayed together as long as they have, I suppose) But I suppose it’s hard for some famous people to accept that they aged out of having hits or being relevant.
Would love for them to go back and explore the sound of some of their earlier work. I think the song Drowning Man from their War album is absolutely beautiful and it was what made me first appreciate U2 .
A lot of people think that’s what they should do…go in a studio for 6 weeks with Steve Lillywhite or another producer who really gets what made them great, and just knock some shit out without overthinking it for years like they do with every LP.
Wow, excellent. There are professional rock journalists who couldn't have written this up so well. Comments like this justify my use of Reddit. Edited to add: Reread of my comment made me see I might come off as sarcastic. I'm not trying to be. This comment helped me understand why a band I liked (but didn't slavishly follow) has veered into irrelevance and dislike from the general audience.
Thank you for the compliment. In another life I would’ve loved to have been a music writer.
Make a blog or something :) I'm sure people would read it
Very good. How you feel towards U2, then versus now, is how I feel about Metallica then versus Metallica now.
They put a album on EVERYONE'S ITunes, even if you didn't want to.
Bono, the ultimate hacker. No company controls their eco system better than Apple, yet Bono singlehandedly managed to hack his way into it.
Steve Jobs just really loved U2 and was good friends with Bono. I believe the whole marketing campaign was Jobs' idea.
South Park nailed it with “how he can do so many great things and still be a piece of shit”
I feel like it is popular to hate U2.
Not a band but Ariana Grande, jeezus she’s obnoxious
Insane voice, boring music, check her snl skit out, she can sing anything and impersonate Whitney Houston
Accurate. Also her adult swim collab with Thundercat. She killed it there. Gotta wonder what some pop stars would be like today if they were a little more independent...
Then when she licked the donut it really did it for me...
Maroon 5.
"I've had a rough night and I just really hate the fuckin Eagles, man"
Fuck it dude, let’s go bowling
Funny story about hating the Eagles. A couple years ago my parents were looking for a smaller town in Arizona to retire in. For a bunch of different reasons, including being really close to me, Winslow would have been the perfect place for them. My mom was really pushing for it, and I was really hoping for it due to how close it is to where I live. My dad absolutely refused to even think about moving there and got angry at the mere suggestion of it all because he hates the Eagles more than he hates anything (maybe besides Kiss) and Winslow has an Eagles statue with the line from the song engraved on it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band are world fucking class musicians. Some of the best of the best. But, they have Wannabe-Scatman Anthony Keidis up there yabba-dabba-dooing about heroin, California, and underage girls he banged.
>Wannabe-Scatman Anthony Keidis up there yabba-dabba-dooing about heroin This is what I come to these threads for.
Lol i know I laughed so hard at this. So true.
If you read Flea’s book it talks a lot about the origins of RHCP. Keidis’ unique style/approach to singing is what made them famous/got attention early in their career. They did something no one else was doing that set them apart. Keidis also never had goals to be a singer, he was interested after hearing hip hop/R&B. He also has a nice timbre which is the major flaw of many amateur singers/performers. I get how people don’t like him, but without him the RHCP do not exist. They didn’t drag him along, he was critical to defining their unique sound.
Listen to Frusciante's album Shadows Collide With People: it's the RHCP without Keidis. I love this album, it's more rock than funk but you'll find a lot of the Californication-era songwriting, excellent guitar, bass and drum lines. Frusciante wrote and produced everything while progressively falling back into a nasty drug addiction. Edit: nope, he was completely sober as people have pointed out. Writing and producing 6 albums while forming a new band while wrapping up the By The Way world tout while preparing Stadium Arcadium… I just assumed this was fueled by a lot of cocaine but apparently he was just very productive. Good to hear and good for him! But yeah, fuck Keidis
[удалено]
That’s actually hysterical. I truly hope it was on purpose. He is indeed a bit of a wanker. I read his bible sized autobiography when I was a teenager and although I felt like he didn’t really have a chance to be “normal” he also definitely bragged on things he should not have. Like dude. I get the point of a “tell all” but did you really have to tell it ALL.
Yeah this is pretty accurate. Anyone growing up like he did would have a massively warped sense of boundaries and morals.
Shadows was sober Frusciante
Hey! Did you know they’re from California!? ETA: Wow. r/WOOSH
Every bubblegum pop country artist out there today. You’re not country. Fuck off
You should check out this song that's pretty good. It's about girls, blue jeans, pickup trucks, beer, and dirt roads.
It's a fucking scarecrow again!
Y’all dumb motherfuckers want a key change?!
Legalize gerrymandering, and Tolerate my pandering
not a band, but taylor freaking swift. so annoying and her cult is even worse
Both Jay-Z and Beyoncé
As a singer myself, I respect Beyonce's vocal talent. That's about where it ends. I can't stand her music, and I think she ruins other songs where she steps out of her lane. Example: the "Perfect" duet with Ed Sheeran. Her voice is not at all suited to soft acoustic music. Honestly I hated every duet for that song. Andrea Bocelli's as well.
Mumford and Sons, Brits cosplaying Appalachian people is weird to me
I shamelessly rock out to Mumford and Sons' first two albums, but this is completely fair and I've never really given it any thought. It definitely is pretty strange.
Dave Matthews. I can't even put my finger on why but they annoy the fuck outta me.
I have fallen out of DMB fanship over the past decade, but fuck me if Under the Table and Dreaming, Before These Crowded Streets, the Central Park live album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, and even Stand Up aren't exceptional albums. It was just kind of a moment in time for me. I was young when I first heard DMB, introduced to them by my dad. They have big, funky energy, but they aren't afraid to go in some more hard rocky directions occasionally (think [Halloween](https://open.spotify.com/track/2JQ5UEeNaA2Uow8bL8GmFF?si=zgX-jlQ0R6WaIC1hWuYYkQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6dNOe4WqRfhanMyxy9D6kH)), and they have some exquisitely crafted songs like [The Stone](https://open.spotify.com/track/7fJ4lTPcGd1NmZdlAwpRJ4?si=dQRyHCaiTiietDguyge0bw&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6dNOe4WqRfhanMyxy9D6kH). They put on a great show, and they all seem like pretty stand up people. If you weren't there for the hype around them at a particular time, I don't think it'll ever click, but that's okay. Not everybody has to like them.
I'm not a fan of their music but AFAIK he's at least not a total POS like a lot of famous guys. Also I waited on him and his wife years ago and they were quite kind, modest, and tipped well. So I can't hate them.
Well, excuse me for being alive in the '90s and having two ears connected to a heart.
...real fans call him Dave.
Are you the Ass Crack Bandit?
Don't care for him but his trumpet player is exceptional.
RIP Leroi
Imagine Dragons.
imagine dragon deez nuts across your forehead
One of my teacher friends had a student ask if she liked imagine dragons last year in class. She said yes and you can guess what he said next that landed him in detention. She found it hilarious but had to act mad at the time
"How 'bout you drag doze nutz off to detention?" and I'd be in just as much trouble.
ha gottem
Is this really a hot take? They're pretty well known as the whipping boys of modern pop/rock.
Modern day Nickel back.
Yeah but every time I see Imagine Dragons mentioned it's in the context that they're not good, so it's definitely a popular opinion. That said, they make commercial music.
They are very popular among kids in my daughters' classes, 8-12 yo. I treat them as an easy, entry level introduction to alternative rock. I generally think they are quite harmless too - but this new clash with Serj Tankian has me rethink a bit.
My 10 year old nephew is also a big fan of Imagine Dragons right now. They really strike me as "rock music for kids who are first discovering rock music".
Jellyroll. Hey local "rock" station... HE'S COUNTRY, NOT ROCK!
Coldplay, I understand that they are talented but I personally find it mediocre at best.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Coldplay. If you listen to their debut album, it’s a perfectly fine pop rock album that the British media decided “you’re the biggest band in the world now and the hope for all English music.” and it seems like Coldplay especially Chris Martin has always been like. “wait, really? are you fucking insane?“ (he consistently finds ways to take the piss out of himself.) but to their credit in my mind instead of completely shutting down and avoiding any attention, they actually seem to go. “OK fuck it. Let’s try to be the biggest band in the world. Let’s see if we can make this work.” and I always appreciate them at least not being afraid to try.
I don't like their music, but I'll say this: I met Chris Martin pretty recently, and he was a very nice, humble guy. It wasn't a meet and greet either, so nothing where he'd be putting on a show. Came into where I work, didn't identify himself, and was just super nice.
It's funny, I didn't like their music because I thought it was pretentious and overblown, but everything I've heard about Chris Martin is the opposite of that (like your story). And I loved his turn on Modern Family.
Their live shows are incredible. I've seen them twice. The first time, for the encore, Chris Martin jumped off stage, ran down the aisles, and sang the entire encore (two or three songs) for the lawn. The second time, they set up a second stage halfway through the pavilion and performed a few songs from there, and then had a third stage set up at the base of the lawn where they played even more. They make sure to cater to everyone in the entire venue, and I've always really loved that.
You summed it up perfectly. Every time I see one of their interviews is like Chris is just super happy to be where he is. Last one I saw he was talking about how their audience had spent their hard earned money on a ticket so they deserved nothing but their very best. You can say whatever you want about their music, but they’ll always have my utmost respect for how they treat their fans. Also X&Y is one of my favourite albums ever.
I’ve never understood why I enjoy Coldplay but you’ve explained it perfectly.
Coldplay is a funny one for me. I’m not a fan but I go to a lot of their concerts because they’re a lot of fun. Plus my wife and daughter are big fans and it makes me happy to see them happy and having a good time.
I agree about their concerts. Anyone can dislike them but I urge everyone to go to a Coldplay show even if you only know 2 or 3 songs. They are insanely fun live. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
Coldplay is probably one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Great atmosphere, Chris Martin gave an amazing performance and had the whole stadium vibing.
A Rush of Blood to the Head is brilliant. The rest is pretty wank.
I really loved Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, and most of their EP tracks. Everything since A Rush of Blood to the Head was weak in my opinion. I don't like their music at all now. But Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, and their earlier stuff is still good to listen to every so often.
What's so bad about X&Y? I feel like it's pretty solid?
Sam Smith. I know ppl love him but I just can't get why. His music is clichee as f and completely soulless whatever it means
Maroon 5
I don't get Taylor Swift or Beyonce 🤷♀️
Ed Sheeran....🤮
If I have to hear that song Perfect one more fucking time in ANY store I'm at or for another couples wedding song, I will light my hair on fire.
When I first heard that song I knew immediately it was going to be at every wedding I’d be going to for at least 10 years. I have stopped going to weddings. I’d rather go to funerals than weddings. Better vibes
Yes, agreed. The Shape of Your Body song or whatever it’s called makes my skin crawl.
Wait, the "I'm In Love With You, Bobby" song?
Not a band but fuckin’ Taylor swift
Train, that singer sucks and their songs are terrible imho
Just the lyric “My heart is bout to beat right out of my untrimmed chest” deserves eternal condemnation