Unpopular Opinions about Music

[MyAimIsTrue]

11 hours ago, Dancingjaneway said:

Another underrated artist is Donna Summer. Up until the month she passed she was still killing it vocally. It's too bad that she came out during the disco era because it really minimized her abilities

Major amen to all of this.  Donna Summer remains one of my all time favorite female vocalists.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Donna Summer was great! "This Time I Know it's for Real" is one of my workout jams!

[Archery]

On ‎7‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 8:42 PM, Dancingjaneway said:

Demi Lovato is NOT a good singer. She is what I call a screamer. She has no control in her vocals and I won't be surprised if she loses her voice in a few years.

Demi Lovato was one of the headliners at the annual Boston Pops July 4 concert on the Esplanade.  She was . . . not good.  I mean, the Hatch Shell is designed to be acoustically perfect, and she had one of the best orchestras behind her, and it was painful.  (Plus, she had some weird Wonder-Woman-inspired costuming ish going on -- the only good thing about her outfit was that it distracted me from her terrible vocals.)  I was really surprised, because the only other time I heard her "live" sing was on some show like American Idol, where she did "Skyscraper," and I was impressed by her voice.  Just a fail all around. 

[Shannon L.]

I know that loving the song "Hello" by Adele isn't an unpopular opinion, but I like it even more than her first hits off of her first album, which does seem unpopular. 

[PatternRec]

My unpopular musical opinions: the Eagles suck, Hotel California is horrible, Steve Miller Band sucks, Sweet Home Alabama sucks. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

I adore Adele, but confess 19 didn't do much for me. Maybe I need to give it another listen.

[MyAimIsTrue]

4 hours ago, PatternRec said:

Sweet Home Alabama sucks

The only thing I like about that song is it's a semi-response to Neil Young's vastly superior "Southern Man" (even though the story is Neil Young and the band were great friends.)  Oh, and that it negatively mentions that racist piece of shit former Alabama governor George Wallace.

[AimingforYoko]

8 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

The only thing I like about that song is it's a semi-response to Neil Young's vastly superior "Southern Man" (even though the story is Neil Young and the band were great friends.)  Oh, and that it negatively mentions that racist piece of shit former Alabama governor George Wallace.

I don't know, it was kind of mealy-mouthed: "Now we all did what we could do."? Really? And what was that exactly?

[Rick Kitchen]

9 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I adore Adele, but confess 19 didn't do much for me. Maybe I need to give it another listen.

What do you think of "Chasing Pavements"?

[MyAimIsTrue]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

I don't know, it was kind of mealy-mouthed: "Now we all did what we could do."? Really? And what was that exactly?

Good question.  I'd like to think the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd actively campaigned against Wallace but I don't think any of them lived in or were even from Alabama.

[Enigma X]

Just now, MyAimIsTrue said:

Good question.  I'd like to think the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd actively campaigned against Wallace but I don't think any of them lived in or were even from Alabama.

I read they were from North Florida.

[PatternRec]

1 hour ago, Enigma X said:

I read they were from North Florida.

 

[UYI]

5 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I read they were from North Florida.

Yep, Jacksonville. But they are loved in Alabama because of that song. And Neil Young has indeed performed in concert several times over the years--including the night after Ronnie Van Zandt and a bunch of other LK band members were killed in that infamous 1977 plane crash. 

[Blissfool]

On 7/11/2016 at 8:48 PM, 27bored said:

 

I love that it's kind of a sad song. It might sound weird, but I miss the sadness in pop music. Everything's too hip and downtown and turned up. It seems like back in the late 90s and early 2000s, it was okay, or even cool, to be a little sad. Misunderstood. I don't even know that teenagers have that in our culture anymore...where it's okay to be confused and lonely and misunderstood. Our pain makes us real, as Andie McPhee famously said.

I also like songs with angst-ridden lyrics. I listen to XM Lithium, which is 90's alternative, in the car all the time. My son has grown to like the music but tells me "mom, everyone was so depressed back then."

[proserpina65]

On ‎07‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 4:08 PM, Rick Kitchen said:

What do you think of "Chasing Pavements"?

I hate it.  I haven't heard anything else off 19, but that song would not/did not make me seek out Adele's work.  Fortunately 21 is a masterpiece, imo.  I'm not all that crazy about what I've heard from 25, though.

I don't get what the big deal is about Beyoncé.  I like some of her songs, but I don't think she's all that talented.  I don't begrudge her success, but I don't get it either.

[AgentRXS]

Quote

I don't get what the big deal is about Beyoncé.  I like some of her songs, but I don't think she's all that talented. 

I like Beyonce, but I definitely think she's over-rated. Anytime she farts, people act like its the best thing ever. Its annoying. She just happens to have the ability to be able to sing and dance live during an era where not many artists are groomed to be able to do both. When she started in the late-90s, she was just a regular run-of-the mill R&B/pop singer because we still had Michael, Prince, Aaliyah, TLC, NSYNC, BSB around doing what she did so it wasn't so out of the ordinary.  She only stands out now because the music industry has changed so drastically.

Speaking of Aaliyah, I was listening to her music recently (In remembrance of her passing) and I realized that I missed the soft and light tone to her voice. Beyonce's voice is deep and can sound very harsh live. Rhianna often sounds thin and weak.  I can't really think of the last time a soft sounding R&B chick (besides Janet Jackson) got major airplay.

[GaT]

32 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

I can't really think of the last time a soft sounding R&B chick (besides Janet Jackson) got major airplay.

Tinashe?

[Ohwell]

8 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

I can't really think of the last time a soft sounding R&B chick (besides Janet Jackson) got major airplay.

Sade?

[AgentRXS]

Sade, yes, but its been a little minute since she's put out anything new. I guess I never heard of Tinashe, but she does sort of have that sound. I guess the R&B station I listen to doesn't want to give her much shine.

[Bill1978]

I don't care if an act is incapable of writing their own songs. It's not like songwriters who can't sing are viewed any less than singing songwriters. It's not like we demand actors write their own screenplay to show they are worthy actors. For me I really don't care who wrote the damn song. (Although I understand from a monetary point of view why it is good if an act does write their tunes)

[UYI]

On 9/1/2016 at 8:59 AM, Ohwell said:

Sade?

I always thought of her as being a bit more of a jazz singer than R&B. 

[Sandman87]

On Friday, September 02, 2016 at 1:34 AM, Bill1978 said:

I don't care if an act is incapable of writing their own songs. It's not like songwriters who can't sing are viewed any less than singing songwriters. It's not like we demand actors write their own screenplay to show they are worthy actors. For me I really don't care who wrote the damn song.

Heh. You don't often hear anyone complain about opera singers not writing their own songs.

[WendyCR72]

On 7/2/2016 at 1:54 PM, GaT said:

Britney recorded "My Prerogative", a Bobby Brown song that's definitely out of her genre.It was not a success IMO.

Mariah Carey covered Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak". It was...not of the goodness, IMO.  :-\ But here, decide for yourselves:

 

[GaT]

35 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Mariah Carey covered Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak". It was...not of the goodness, IMO.  :-\ But here, decide for yourselves:

 

She made it boring. Very, very boring.

[topanga]

Many people defend the vocal talent of Kelly Rowland, and some say she's better than Beyoncé. I like her, but...she's not Beyoncé.

I'm don't consider myself part of the Bey hive, and she certainly isn't the most talented singer in the world. But Beyoncé does have that It factor that makes her stand out in a crowd. 

 

I was sad but didn't cry when Prince died. 

I was sad when Left Eye died. And when David Bowie died.

I was somewhat sad--though not surprised--when Whitney Houston died. 

But I cried like a baby when Michael Jackson died. And when Aaliyah died.

[Sandman87]

3 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Mariah Carey covered Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak". It was...not of the goodness, IMO.  :-\

I don't even have to click the video to know what it sounds like: Down-tempo (even more than the original) breathy wailing, right?

[Enigma X]

4 hours ago, GaT said:

She made it boring. Very, very boring.

The original is one of my favorite songs. And yes, this version is very zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Watermelon]

On 10/26/2016 at 10:28 PM, topanga said:

Many people defend the vocal talent of Kelly Rowland, and some say she's better than Beyoncé. I like her, but...she's not Beyoncé.

I'm don't consider myself part of the Bey hive, and she certainly isn't the most talented singer in the world. But Beyoncé does have that It factor that makes her stand out in a crowd. 

 

I was sad but didn't cry when Prince died. 

I was sad when Left Eye died. And when David Bowie died.

I was somewhat sad--though not surprised--when Whitney Houston died. 

But I cried like a baby when Michael Jackson died. And when Aaliyah died.

I thought Kelly was vocally better back in early destiny's child...back when Beyonce was of the yodel, screech mode.  Now?  Nope.  Not close.

[MaryPatShelby]

How did I not know this thread existed til now?? Sigh. Here goes:

I hate Whitney Houston, and I hate singers who cover Whitney Houston. In fact, I pretty much hate all belters. Screaming isn't singing.

The other two performers that find me changing the station ASAP are Van Morrison (yes, even Moondance or whatever it's called) and Ed Sheeran. That "we (pause) found (pause) love (pause) right from the start" song sets me so on edge. 

[Ohwell]

18 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

That "we (pause) found (pause) love (pause) right from the start" song sets me so on edge. 

This is so funny.  I feel the same way.

[Popples]

On 11/2/2016 at 2:50 PM, MaryPatShelby said:

I hate Whitney Houston, and I hate singers who cover Whitney Houston. In fact, I pretty much hate all belters. Screaming isn't singing.

*cough*JenniferHudson*cough* I can't stand her.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Kelly Rowland sounds great singing old standards.

[vibeology]

12 hours ago, Popples said:

*cough*JenniferHudson*cough* I can't stand her.

Crossing into musical movie territory, Beyoncé was a much stronger performer in Dreamgirls than JHud. Beyoncé actually considered the context of each song and performed them accordingly. She didn't growl her way through her early songs just to show off. Hudson delivered every single song at the same intensity. Neither is a strong actress but Beyoncé gave the better vocal performance.

[Shannon L.]

13 hours ago, Popples said:

I hate Whitney Houston, and I hate singers who cover Whitney Houston. In fact, I pretty much hate all belters. Screaming isn't singing.

While I like her earlier songs more than the ones that came later, and think that singers who do all the runs are even worse (at least most of Whitney's stuff consisted of one long-held note instead of a dozen), my UO of Whitney Houston is that she ruined I Will Always Love You.   She was on the right track right up until the first chorus.  Ugh.

[Ohwell]

15 hours ago, Popples said:

*cough*JenniferHudson*cough* I can't stand her.

I can't stand her singing.  Hate it.  While I'm sorry that she lost her relatives in those horrific murders, I think that she got a lot of sympathy for that and it helped her career.  

ETA:  I will give her credit for singing "Purple Rain" though.  I thought she did a nice job with that, but it was supposed to be kind of over the top anyway.  

Edited November 4, 2016 by Ohwell

[Popples]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

I can't stand her singing.  Hate it.  While I'm sorry that she lost her relatives in those horrific murders, I think that she got a lot of sympathy for that and it helped her career.  

My mother tries to use that to guilt me about my dislike for her. And I always have to tell my mother that I would never wish a tragedy like that on anybody, that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to find her highly annoying.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Anika Noni Rose was my favorite singer in Dreamgirls. Still is. Sorry.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 11/3/2016 at 6:30 PM, Popples said:

*cough*JenniferHudson*cough* I can't stand her.

Yeah, she's another one of mine.  When she was shilling for Weight Watchers, her scream-singing at me through the TV sent me diving for the remote.

[Ohwell]

Upon hearing of Leonard Cohen's death, which was sad, I remembered that I can't stand "Hallelujah."  My favorite songs of his were "I'm Your Man" and "Suzanne."  

[Silver Raven]

12 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Upon hearing of Leonard Cohen's death, which was sad, I remembered that I can't stand "Hallelujah."  My favorite songs of his were "I'm Your Man" and "Suzanne."  

I'm a longtime fan of "All My Children", and to me, "Suzanne" is the iconic song of early, early, early teen couple Philip and Tara.  I think of that every time I hear it.

[Silver Raven]

I loved "Titanium" by Sia, but ever since then, all I can think is that she damn well needs to enunciate.  I can't understand half of what she says.  In her new one, "The Greatest", when I first heard it, I was scratching my head when I heard her sing, "I gotsh dominos".  What?  What does that mean?  Only after a few hearings did I understand that she was singing, "I've got stamina."  Plus her ridiculously poseur persona, "I don't show my face so my music will speak for itself" is just nonsense.

[Silver Raven]

And now we have "Gold" by Kiiara.  I'm not even sure she's singing in English, let alone enunciating her words.

 

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 10/26/2016 at 5:58 PM, WendyCR72 said:

Mariah Carey covered Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak". It was...not of the goodness, IMO.  :-\ But here, decide for yourselves:

 

 

I remember hearing it on a rock station and they tore it down. BIG time. It was very, very bad in terms of covers.

[KatWay]

Quote

Plus her ridiculously poseur persona, "I don't show my face so my music will speak for itself" is just nonsense.

to be honest I think that's a clever way of getting around the age limit for (especially) female pop acts. Sia is in her 40s, that's long past the age where the "pop girls" get radio play and high profile performances. Not showing her face & her artsy schtick is pretty smart, considering. As is letting dancers do the performing while she sings, she could easily do this for another ten years if she wanted.

[UYI]

I also think she has a genuine fear of large crowds,  and while she did show her face earlier in her career, she was more of an indie artist/behind the scenes songwriter then. Now that she has more fame, I can see her using her wigs/masks as a way to guard her privacy.

[GaT]

On 11/14/2016 at 1:22 PM, Silver Raven said:

 Plus her ridiculously poseur persona, "I don't show my face so my music will speak for itself" is just nonsense.

 

9 hours ago, KatWay said:

to be honest I think that's a clever way of getting around the age limit for (especially) female pop acts. Sia is in her 40s, that's long past the age where the "pop girls" get radio play and high profile performances. Not showing her face & her artsy schtick is pretty smart, considering. As is letting dancers do the performing while she sings, she could easily do this for another ten years if she wanted.

4 hours ago, UYI said:

I also think she has a genuine fear of large crowds,  and while she did show her face earlier in her career, she was more of an indie artist/behind the scenes songwriter then. Now that she has more fame, I can see her using her wigs/masks as a way to guard her privacy.

Personally, I am sick to death of that dancing girl in the wig. She's in every video of Sia's & every video looks the same. When the video for "Cheap Thrills" first came out & it was that awesome TV dance show, I loved it even though it had the couple in the wigs. Then all of a sudden there was another video for the song with the dancing girl & two boys. I am sick of the dancing girl. The choreography doesn't even change, it's the same wacky looking crap every time. Enough already, show some imagination.

[Ohwell]

There's something abut Josh Groban's voice that annoys me.  Sure he can *sing* but there's an annoying tone to it.

[WendyCR72]

I don't like Michael Bublé's singing. There, I said it. And I hate what he did to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You".

[Sandman87]

On Monday, November 28, 2016 at 2:16 PM, WendyCR72 said:

I don't like Michael Bublé's singing.

I can agree with that. Maybe it's because his style reminds me of Frank Sinatra's cold, dessicated, joyless singing.

Here's one to horrify classic jazz & blues fans: I can't stand Billie Holiday's singing. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

[Ohwell]

I don't like Harry Connick Jr.'s singing either.