unpopular opinions thread - music edition

[DaleSr]

Expand Quote

Mylo Xyloto

Coldplay is an arena band now. Brian Eno has been working with them for two albums. Everyone was trying to take their korgs with them to the mad max apocalypse we all believe is coming. Rihanna is a feature on princess of China. A lot of people really don't like this album. I personally think up with the birds, Charlie brown and every tear drop is a waterfall are good tracks.

[close]

Dale, thank you for reminding me of this album. I remember it being one of the first albums I got on my new iPod Touch alongside El Camino by The Black Keys in 2011.

I will agree that Charlie Brown is indeed a banger. I really did forget this album existed.

It's got a really great chorus. We'll run wild. We'll be glowing in the dark.
Also you're making me feel old as fuck because that album was on heavy rotation when i moved to Portland right after high school and that was ten years ago

[JB]

Expand Quote

Ok, my hot take.

The Beastie Boys were not that great. Not compared to other contemporary hip-hop.

Experimental? Yes. Boundary-pushing? Yes. But in terms of lyrics, beats, actual skill, they were 2nd or 3rd rate, and probably got a lot of air time due to the fact they weren’t scary like gangsta rap, and of course had ties to the skate scene.

And Check you Head, and to a lesser extent I’ll Communication will always have a safe place in my heart, partially fueled by nostalgia, but it doesn’t change the previous observations for me.
 Their voices, rhyming, cadence, were so-so. I give them a pass on lyrics, because everyone was doing their own thing.

Their beats were unbalanced and grating at the worst of times, basic sometimes, a few times came close to greatness if they could only exercise some restraint and layer the beats less thickly, as with many of the songs on Paul’s Boutique. And sometimes caught a sick one, like with flute loop.

Their most stand-out song for me is Ch-Check it Out, which has an amazing flow, so fucking on point and unlike their other stuff I can’t believe it’s not ghost-written.

And although I still enjoy them, I just feel they were nowhere near the level of what else was coming out at the time.

[close]

Glad you brought this up, as I fucking hate the Beastie Boys. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AW YEAAAAAAH!!" God their voices are like nails on a chalkboard.

I never got into Beastie Boys up until a few years ago. I'd heard License to Ill and Paul's, but never gave anything else a shot. When I found Check Your Head and Ill Communication, I played them both for like a week straight. I remember listening to those albums thinking "damn, they got a sick backing band for a lot of these tracks" not even knowing it's them playing. I think you've got a point that they're not the best rappers, but as a group I really think they deserve all the credit they get. They did their own thing the way they wanted to do it, and I admire that a lot.

[Prinzy]

It's got a really great chorus. We'll run wild. We'll be glowing in the dark.
Also you're making me feel old as fuck because that album was on heavy rotation when i moved to Portland right after high school and that was ten years ago

I think I was roughly 11-12 at the time and listened to Charlie Brown and Paradise on repeat

I never got into Beastie Boys up until a few years ago. I'd heard License to Ill and Paul's, but never gave anything else a shot. When I found Check Your Head and Ill Communication, I played them both for like a week straight. I remember listening to those albums thinking "damn, they got a sick backing band for a lot of these tracks" not even knowing it's them playing. I think you've got a point that they're not the best rappers, but as a group I really think they deserve all the credit they get. They did their own thing the way they wanted to do it, and I admire that a lot.

hard agree, just dropping some heat to be admired

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdJ5e70Q8mw&ab_channel=BeastieBoysVEVO

[DaleSr]

Also i saw some u2 slander, I'm annoyed by their later projects as much as everyone else, but they absolutely didn't get huge for no reason. Sunday bloody Sunday, seconds, electric co, pride, where the streets have no name, i still haven't found what I'm looking for, New years day, 40, beautiful day, even bits off of how to dismantle the atomic bomb. They got some great tracks in their catalog. Their live version of electric co/boy on under a blood red sky is a fucking bop.

[Freelancevagrant]

Disrupting the conversation to say that the first ep power trip made was their best work.

[Prinzy]

Disrupting the conversation to say that the first ep power trip made was their best work.

Hard disagree but I have the utmost respect that hotness of this take

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

 CHeck your Head and Paul’s boutique are classics, maybe they weren’t the best rappers, but they played everything and took influence from so many different genres and in turn influenced a lot of 90s music/ fashion/ culture.
To me, they are something so much bigger than a rap group!

[Hinna]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

in middle school i listened to a lot of nirvana but it kinda cringes me out now. wouldnt want to be a 30something wearing that shirt. u2 isnt the most horrible band in the world or anything. a few of their songs anyway

[close]

it's crazy to me that the older you get the more you cringe at nirvana and the less you do at U2. Which tracks are even good? i think every u2 song i've ever heard was absolutely terrible.

[close]

I‘d wear a Nirvana shirt over a U2 shirt any day. I remember being blown away by Smells Like Teen Spirit when it came out. Same with RATM debut, these albums were genre defining and I kinda felt I was witnessing history being made.

the last band shirt i had was sp and although theyre pretty good idk im kinda over wearing band shirts now. def wouldnt wear a u2 shirt though lmao

[charge]

CHeck your Head and Paul’s boutique are classics, maybe they weren’t the best rappers, but they played everything and took influence from so many different genres and in turn influenced a lot of 90s music/ fashion/ culture.
To me, they are something so much bigger than a rap group!

how do you all feel about their first hardcore ep?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTtQ-uTf1uo

[Easy Slider]

Expand Quote

CHeck your Head and Paul’s boutique are classics, maybe they weren’t the best rappers, but they played everything and took influence from so many different genres and in turn influenced a lot of 90s music/ fashion/ culture.
To me, they are something so much bigger than a rap group!

[close]

how do you all feel about their first hardcore ep?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTtQ-uTf1uo

Loved it.

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

CHeck your Head and Paul’s boutique are classics, maybe they weren’t the best rappers, but they played everything and took influence from so many different genres and in turn influenced a lot of 90s music/ fashion/ culture.
To me, they are something so much bigger than a rap group!

[close]

how do you all feel about their first hardcore ep?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTtQ-uTf1uo

[close]

Loved it.

yes, loved it but I think they fall short if you judge them as a one genre band; that’s why check your head (and Ill Communication) rules so hard, it’s like a perfect 90s mix tape!

[urbneathme]

fuck it, i’m throwing nirvana in the beatles conversation. nirvana is one of the few bands to ever exist that can be honestly compared with the beatles. they were a total sea change for all of music. they legitimately killed a genre that was moments before their ascent the most popular thing on earth. they’re also mostly remembered for their more novelty songs while having more experimental stuff buried on records.

nirvana also influenced music in a way kind of no one has. if you were to ask your favorite current band for a list of influences, even if they didn’t say nirvana, half the bands they listed probably would. that music put guitars in the hands of millions and those people became the taste makers of the next generation. i can’t think of another band that’s done that since the beatles.

[Sleazy]

i like seeing the love for nirvana and beasties in here, wasn't expecting that. i always liked nirvana but was more in the group that was listening to bleach and a bit disappointed with nevermind but then stoked on ineutero and mtv unplug. been watching a lot of documentary's on them and whole lately and i really dug this one about how they broke in britain way before in the US

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5LPeXuZMVo

this might not be unpopular but libertines should have gotten way more shine for up the bracket.

[cucktard]

fuck it, i’m throwing nirvana in the beatles conversation. nirvana is one of the few bands to ever exist that can be honestly compared with the beatles. they were a total sea change for all of music. they legitimately killed a genre that was moments before their ascent the most popular thing on earth. they’re also mostly remembered for their more novelty songs while having more experimental stuff buried on records.

nirvana also influenced music in a way kind of no one has. if you were to ask your favorite current band for a list of influences, even if they didn’t say nirvana, half the bands they listed probably would. that music put guitars in the hands of millions and those people became the taste makers of the next generation. i can’t think of another band that’s done that since the beatles.

Actually I think that praise should be heaped upon the Pixies. When I first heard Nirvana, I was bewitched by how they seemingly played a pop song backwards or sideways and somehow came out with something amazing. I thought it was genius (and it was), but it wouldn’t have been possible without the band they obviously took a lot from, The Pixies.

Here I found music so pure, that the only singing that could possibly fit it were nonsense words that were growled, screamed, stuttered in bad Spanish, and crooned.

The Pixies  music for me, and are more important to me than the Beatles. And I didn’t even like them the first few listens, it took me a while for them to grow in me. But they did.

[HeavyAndExpensive]

Disrupting the conversation to say that the first ep power trip made was their best work.

I think their best song is Executioner’s Tax. That song fucking rules

[HeavyAndExpensive]

Not really an unpopular opinion, but I don’t know where else to post this. This guy I work with occasionally, hates the song Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band. Personally I think it’s a pretty non offensive classic rock tune but I get it. But since he seems to bring it up way more than what should be acceptable, whenever he’s working with us I pretend to organically play Abracadabra loudly and act surprised when he explains for the 400th time that he can’t stand the song. If I’m feeling really spicy I’ll play the Sugar Ray cover and act especially ignorant when he expresses his disdain

[skate_or_dingus]

Not really an unpopular opinion, but I don’t know where else to post this. This guy I work with occasionally, hates the song Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band. Personally I think it’s a pretty non offensive classic rock tune but I get it. But since he seems to bring it up way more than what should be acceptable, whenever he’s working with us I pretend to organically play Abracadabra loudly and act surprised when he explains for the 400th time that he can’t stand the song. If I’m feeling really spicy I’ll play the Sugar Ray cover and act especially ignorant when he expresses his disdain

 Fucking god awful song (that chorus makes my skin crawl), but I'd definitely suffer through it to mess with a coworker.

[pro club blanks]

Thrash is way sicker than punk as a genre

Rap still has good shit coming out

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Thrash is way sicker than punk as a genre

Rap still has good shit coming out

I love thrash, but there are only like 5-6 quality bands and the rest are 6th tier imposters. Sure there's lots of shit punk bands too, but punk has enough sub-genres to keep it interesting ... at least imo

[WobbleHeadBob]

I have no useful input but i have to say that i fucking hate Coldplay

[pizzafliptofakie]

fuck it, i’m throwing nirvana in the beatles conversation. nirvana is one of the few bands to ever exist that can be honestly compared with the beatles. they were a total sea change for all of music. they legitimately killed a genre that was moments before their ascent the most popular thing on earth. they’re also mostly remembered for their more novelty songs while having more experimental stuff buried on records.

nirvana also influenced music in a way kind of no one has. if you were to ask your favorite current band for a list of influences, even if they didn’t say nirvana, half the bands they listed probably would. that music put guitars in the hands of millions and those people became the taste makers of the next generation. i can’t think of another band that’s done that since the beatles.

You know Nirvana mattered when the blow up of Nevermind is a significant milestone in other band's biographies that are older than Nirvana. 


People love being contrarians about that band but their impact can't really be downplayed. I don't think Nirvana were the first of their kind but Kurt tended to wear his influences on his sleeve while bringing something new to the table, and with that they went to a place that really opened the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses. Hell, even The Ramones talk about their final years being much more popular because of bands like Nirvana.



Nirvana rules.

[Deputy Wendell]

Expand Quote

fuck it, i’m throwing nirvana in the beatles conversation. nirvana is one of the few bands to ever exist that can be honestly compared with the beatles. they were a total sea change for all of music. they legitimately killed a genre that was moments before their ascent the most popular thing on earth. they’re also mostly remembered for their more novelty songs while having more experimental stuff buried on records.

nirvana also influenced music in a way kind of no one has. if you were to ask your favorite current band for a list of influences, even if they didn’t say nirvana, half the bands they listed probably would. that music put guitars in the hands of millions and those people became the taste makers of the next generation. i can’t think of another band that’s done that since the beatles.

[close]

You know Nirvana mattered when the blow up of Nevermind is a significant milestone in other band's biographies that are older than Nirvana. 

People love being contrarians about that band but their impact can't really be downplayed. I don't think Nirvana were the first of their kind but Kurt tended to wear his influences on his sleeve while bringing something new to the table, and with that they went to a place that really opened the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses. Hell, even The Ramones talk about their final years being much more popular because of bands like Nirvana.

Nirvana rules.

quite literally with this--i always appreciated his K Records tattoo (Olympia, WA) which brought me--among many other splendid things--one of my all-time favorite bands and albums

these are not fall colors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB8_YF_hn04

and i don't think we align regarding Nirvana "open[ing] the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses" being a positive thing, but either way, Bleach is a classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUgI2h35Pcc

[pizzafliptofakie]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

fuck it, i’m throwing nirvana in the beatles conversation. nirvana is one of the few bands to ever exist that can be honestly compared with the beatles. they were a total sea change for all of music. they legitimately killed a genre that was moments before their ascent the most popular thing on earth. they’re also mostly remembered for their more novelty songs while having more experimental stuff buried on records.

nirvana also influenced music in a way kind of no one has. if you were to ask your favorite current band for a list of influences, even if they didn’t say nirvana, half the bands they listed probably would. that music put guitars in the hands of millions and those people became the taste makers of the next generation. i can’t think of another band that’s done that since the beatles.

[close]

You know Nirvana mattered when the blow up of Nevermind is a significant milestone in other band's biographies that are older than Nirvana. 

People love being contrarians about that band but their impact can't really be downplayed. I don't think Nirvana were the first of their kind but Kurt tended to wear his influences on his sleeve while bringing something new to the table, and with that they went to a place that really opened the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses. Hell, even The Ramones talk about their final years being much more popular because of bands like Nirvana.

Nirvana rules.

[close]

and i don't think we align regarding Nirvana "open[ing] the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses" being a positive thing, but either way, Bleach is a classic

How is that not a positive thing? Before Nevermind there was no chance for any punk/punk adjacent band to really make a significant dent in record sales. There were a number of bands that did okay within their niche fanbases but few of them were really "successful" in the traditional sense. Lots of well deserving bands and small labels really got a boost in the 90's cuz of the Nirvana craze despite having little to nothing to do with that scene, many of whom are still doing cool things to this day.

[Deputy Wendell]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

fuck it, i’m throwing nirvana in the beatles conversation. nirvana is one of the few bands to ever exist that can be honestly compared with the beatles. they were a total sea change for all of music. they legitimately killed a genre that was moments before their ascent the most popular thing on earth. they’re also mostly remembered for their more novelty songs while having more experimental stuff buried on records.

nirvana also influenced music in a way kind of no one has. if you were to ask your favorite current band for a list of influences, even if they didn’t say nirvana, half the bands they listed probably would. that music put guitars in the hands of millions and those people became the taste makers of the next generation. i can’t think of another band that’s done that since the beatles.

[close]

You know Nirvana mattered when the blow up of Nevermind is a significant milestone in other band's biographies that are older than Nirvana. 

People love being contrarians about that band but their impact can't really be downplayed. I don't think Nirvana were the first of their kind but Kurt tended to wear his influences on his sleeve while bringing something new to the table, and with that they went to a place that really opened the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses. Hell, even The Ramones talk about their final years being much more popular because of bands like Nirvana.

Nirvana rules.

[close]

and i don't think we align regarding Nirvana "open[ing] the floodgates for lots of interesting and provocative music to reach the masses" being a positive thing, but either way, Bleach is a classic

[close]

How is that not a positive thing? Before Nevermind there was no chance for any punk/punk adjacent band to really make a significant dent in record sales. There were a number of bands that did okay within their niche fanbases but few of them were really "successful" in the traditional sense. Lots of well deserving bands and small labels really got a boost in the 90's cuz of the Nirvana craze despite having little to nothing to do with that scene, many of whom are still doing cool things to this day.

yeah, i know, you're right, "'successful' in the traditional sense" is definitely important...people do have to make a living...

...anyway, it would be disingenuous of me to act like i was really that surprised that so much of the "independently released" music of the 1990s fit so easily and neatly into the "indie" category on i-tunes and other reputable streaming services...

[beatifk]

Expand Quote

in middle school i listened to a lot of nirvana but it kinda cringes me out now. wouldnt want to be a 30something wearing that shirt. u2 isnt the most horrible band in the world or anything. a few of their songs anyway

[close]

it's crazy to me that the older you get the more you cringe at nirvana and the less you do at U2. Which tracks are even good? i think every u2 song i've ever heard was absolutely terrible.

The thing that got me interested in U2 was the podcast "U talkin' U2 to me?" which is fucking hilarious. The more I listened to this absurd comedy podcast disguised as an honest discussion about U2, the more I genuinely became interested in their music.

Boy and War are great front to back and not plagued like Joshua Tree with too many songs that have been overplayed for the past 30 years.

Out of Control from Boy is my favorite song of theirs. Supposedly in their early years they were influenced heavily by post-punk like Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

https://youtu.be/y2iXPAdaSlM

Bono was 20 when it was released and The Edge was even younger. This is crazy to me. By their mid 20s (when Joshua Tree released) they were the biggest band in the world.

I definitely think a huge portion of their music is corny as hell but I respect their hustle and they never really did the same thing over and over, they always were trying something new and weird, even if a lot of their weird gimmicks were failures, at least they tried. And I think The Edge (the names are defintely one of the cringe-worthy aspects of U2) is a great guitar player and I'm waiting until the day I can find a Memory Man pedal for a decent price just because I love his guitar sound.

Maybe I am just getting old.

[Hinna]

not a fan of the beastie boys at all. their 1 good song
https://youtu.be/of2MUreDMvM

[JB]

Not really an unpopular opinion, but I don’t know where else to post this. This guy I work with occasionally, hates the song Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band. Personally I think it’s a pretty non offensive classic rock tune but I get it. But since he seems to bring it up way more than what should be acceptable, whenever he’s working with us I pretend to organically play Abracadabra loudly and act surprised when he explains for the 400th time that he can’t stand the song. If I’m feeling really spicy I’ll play the Sugar Ray cover and act especially ignorant when he expresses his disdain

had no idea sugar ray covered my favorite steve miller song. 

[charge]

all steve miller jokes aside this song rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngiQtQSUSxw

[PuffinMuffin]

I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, I can't fucking stand Eminem. He sounds like a whiny little bitch, and upon repeated listens; crazy frog. Every day some annoying fuck brings his portable music player to the skatepark and subjects everyone to his shitty tastes in white rappers. He's in his 30's and hardly rides his board. He's there to annoy and posture as a tough guy. I've been avoiding the park and skating curbs instead. Part of me wants to buy a huge speaker system, place it right next to his, and blast exclusively show tunes or anything to drown out Eminem.

[Deputy Wendell]

I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, I can't fucking stand Eminem. He sounds like a whiny little bitch, and upon repeated listens; crazy frog. Every day some annoying fuck brings his portable music player to the skatepark and subjects everyone to his shitty tastes in white rappers. He's in his 30's and hardly rides his board. He's there to annoy and posture as a tough guy. I've been avoiding the park and skating curbs instead. Part of me wants to buy a huge speaker system, place it right next to his, and blast exclusively show tunes or anything to drown out Eminem.

fuck Eminem

love,
the actual city of Detroit