Popular Artists or Bands you never really 'got'?

 
On the local radio station, some of the shows have a 'Featured Album' or 'Featured Artist', where they play a number of tracks from a band or artist throughout the programme.
 
Recently, the featured album was Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, which I'm aware sold in vast numbers and is held up to one of the best albums of all time.
 
But it got me thinking, I've never liked any of Stevie Wonder's music. Yet he seems to be almost universally popular and an acclaimed songwriter and performer.
 
I wonder if there are very popular artists you just don't get, thereby flying in the face of overwhelming public opinion?

The CHB

The Doors. I just never got what the big deal was. At one time, a band I was in all lived together. The bassist and lead guitarist were big Doors fans and played the stuff all the time. I could never wrap my head around what the fascination was. Still can't. Although I must admit, that band did a version of Roadhouse Blues that was great fun, but that was due to our constant messing around with the lyrics. The most memorable was one night our drummer was singing the song, and the section where Morrison does the "Ya gotta blah blah blah", our drummer sang "I'm a masturbator, lick my alligator, gonna eat your little sister while we listen to Mister Mister, yeah right!" Everyone else on stage completely lost it with laughter while the full dance floor of people were just dancing away completely clueless.
 
Randy

Since most of the members in here are musical aficianados and have have studied their trade much further than what the average "pop listener" has done, will of course form a more indepth opinion/reason to what's seen/heard from these popular artists. Also, the record industry has a lot to do with molding these artists into this popular persona.
 
Justin Bieber......nuff said.      

rsp@odyssey.net
The Doors. I just never got what the big deal was. At one time, a band I was in all lived together. The bassist and lead guitarist were big Doors fans and played the stuff all the time. I could never wrap my head around what the fascination was. Still can't. Although I must admit, that band did a version of Roadhouse Blues that was great fun, but that was due to our constant messing around with the lyrics. The most memorable was one night our drummer was singing the song, and the section where Morrison does the "Ya gotta blah blah blah", our drummer sang "I'm a masturbator, lick my alligator, gonna eat your little sister while we listen to Mister Mister, yeah right!" Everyone else on stage completely lost it with laughter while the full dance floor of people were just dancing away completely clueless.
 
Randy

OT: This proves my theory about cover bands. After the audience recognizes the song being played they no longer "hear" the cover band anymore. What they hear is the original song in their head.
 

OK, here's my real response. The band America.
 

Sort of get the Stevie Wonder thing, although I like Superstition and Mistra Know It All.
 
Big +1 on Coldplay and the Doors. Don't get it. The Stones..meh. U2 were fine up to the 2nd album before it became obvious that Bono was an utter wonker.
 
OK.
 
Deep breath.
 
Eric Clapton. Voice AND playing bores me to tears.

Artists or bands? There are entire genres of music I don't get.
 
But if others enjoy something that isn't pop's fleeting flavor of the moment, then I assume it just isn't meant for me. God knows a lot of other people don't "get" music that I love.
 
For some reason many people seem to want to believe that their favored music is somehow "universal". It isn't.
 
I also don't believe someone can intelligently criticize something they clearly don't understand, but what do I know? 

UbiquitousBubba
U2. I know. They're everybody's favorite band. I know I'm a terrible person for not liking them. I know Bono supports a lot of great causes. His voice grates on my nerves and I can't make myself like their music. In my utterly worthless opinion, they bore me. I hear a U2 song and I'm instantly looking for something else to do.
 
Rolling Stones. WHAT??? Yeah, I'm sorry. I know Mick is one of the best front men in history and Charlie Watts is half metronome, but it leaves me cold. Sure, Keith is a fascinating zombie, but I can't get past the things I would like to change in their sound. You can direct all of your hate mail to me now.
 
Kiss. Oh, now I've done it. I can feel the mushroom blast of intense loathing and searing anguish from deep inside my bunker. The Kiss army has just dusted off the plans labeled, "Scorched Earth." Sorry. I never liked them. I think it has to do with the fact that I prefer bands that focus on playing music as opposed to bands who focus on playing dress up.
 
The people at the Witness Protection Program aren't returning my calls anymore.

Kind of agree on U2.  Actually, I like them OK.  I just don't understand the religious ferver that people have for them. 

Off the top of my head:
 
Rush. 
Steely Dan.
Springsteen.
The Eagles.
Cat Steven.
 
In some cases, I know it might hit me some day - like Bowie did a few years back. I used to appreciate what he did but I just didn't get it. Then one day for no apparent reason, it all changed. Rush probably is on that list - I heard a few songs after a couple of Guinness the other night and I actually enjoyed it.
 
In other cases, I know it's not likely to change - I don't like Bruce Springsteen. I just don't. Which says nothing against him.
 
About KISS...
 
Obviously, I dug them as a kid. Then as I grew up, I started seeing how silly it all seemed and put them down for years. I thought they were ridiculous (though I always recognized that Stanley and Simmons were, at times, decent songwriters.)
 
Until recently, when I started realizing that maybe my reasons to put them down were the result of a biased perspective - we tend to believe that a band is about 4 or 5 relatively guys playing music but that's really just the surface.
 
For anyone familiar with KISS' biography, the amount of hard work and dedication those guys put into it is phenomenal. I don't think they could have made it just because of their look - it's their professionalism and their dedication - and years of hard work. 
 
I think they've written some very decent pop rock songs and I'm guessing that it's often people who end up putting so much focus on the make up and the costumes that they discard the musical side. They couldn't have lasted 40 years without a couple of good songs, you know...
 
I know it's often not well seen for artists to have a business-oriented mind - especially back then. We expect them to be the sloppy type, dreamers and misfits. So a guy like Gene Simmons who's never had a drink in his life and is a business man at heart makes for an odd rock star. But then again, it's called show business...
 
My perspective changed when I got with my wife. Not only is she a phenomenal singer (and a classically trained one, at that) with tremendous stage presence and charisma, but she has a gift for memorizing lyrics in a blink of an eye, she is an accomplished dancer, and equally proficient with related skills, like acting, stage make up and such. I've learned to appreciate the different layers that make a genuinely great singer/performer, as opposed to just a person who sings.
 
I guess what I mean is that people with musical talent are a dime a dozen - at least in pop music. I've come to appreciate people with as much related skills. And dedication.

There are many, some of them are mentioned above, but most of all............
 
 
 
Pink Floyd.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

paulo
There are many, some of them are mentioned above, but most of all............
 
 
 
Pink Floyd.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It's funny because that's the one I had in mind when I typed the above - just like The Beatles, PF most often overrated OR underrated. 
 
Personally, I love them and they're one of my favorite bands. But they're nowhere near the level of genius where many fan insist they are.

Actually I had a Yellowhead Amazon who like the Wiggles (and many kids songs). I used to turn on the kids channel on the TV for him on my way out the door. I'd come hoe at night and he'd be whistling or singing snippets of things I did not recognize until one day I was home from work and had the TV on his channel and discovered the source.