What's the most overrated classic rock song?

RhyeInTheJar

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Posts
65
Reaction score
18
Two things worth mentioning. You can be a big fan of a band and yet still think a song of theirs is too overrated from a musical standpoint. Secondly and more importantly don't confuse "overrated" with "sick of hearing in played on the radio"!:) There's many songs I think are actually great buy have no desire to hear again at any point within the next 6 months or so.

I myself have a few candidates, but I'd be interested in hearing others thoughts.
 

Riff Raff

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Posts
20,738
Reaction score
10,436
Location
No
Glad there is someone at least who knows there is a difference between something being overplayed and overrated.

AC/DC Its a Long Way To The Top. I genuinely do not think that is even a great song. Bagpipes are one of the worst instruments I have ever listened to but in general that song just does nothing for me.
 

Hydrazoic Acid

Skeptic
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Posts
13,104
Reaction score
1,172
Location
France
If we talk about Queen songs, for me it's "Another One Bites The Dust" and "Radio Gaga". First - because of excessive dancing style, second - because of pretty annoying chorus. And yes, both songs are really overplayed on the radio.
 

Aero

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Posts
2,740
Reaction score
347
Smoke On The Water. People like this song because of that stupid riff...and it's really pretty simple to play.

The vocals are nothing special, nor are the lyrics transcendent in any way. In fact, they're kind of clumsy.

The guitar solo is probably the best part, IMO.

Not a bad classic rock song...but way overrated.
 

LOU/REALM

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Posts
6,787
Reaction score
61
Location
England
Agreed ! Smoke on the water and Stairway to heaven wouldn't even make my top 20 by either band.....
 

Beady Eye

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Posts
123
Reaction score
26
"Another Brick in the Wall" is IMHO the most overrated while "Satisfaction" is by far the one I'm most sick of listening to.
 

RhyeInTheJar

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Posts
65
Reaction score
18
My bid is for the most overrated classic rock song is Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. I thought it was droning and monotonous in the 70s and I still do. It's mainly a simple ascending riff that goes "duh duh duh- duh duh duh- duh duh duh- (repeat riff only on higher notes) duh duh duh- duh duh duh.... for 9 minutes And before anyone mentions is, yes Beethovens 5th Symphony opens with a very simple riff too, but he at least managed to keep it brief and inject the rest of the symphony with lots more variety. Kashmir has always sounded to me aloof, robotic and very, very boring. By 1975 Plants voice was pretty much shot too, so the vocal delivery is full of whiny and cracked notes. The middle section is a welcome relief and a good performance from Bonham, but he can't save the song.

And it's not so much that, it's the fact that it seems that two thirds of every hard rock band since have felt the need to do their own version of the song at some point on one of their albums. There's so many songs I've heard that have been obvious attempts to emulate the "duh duh duh- duh duh duh" riff. I can't help but think it's something that bands think they're "supposed" to do if they want success.

Runner up- Another Brick In The Wall. This is so untypically Pink Floyd. It almost sounds like a funky disco track! Maybe that's why it was a success. Or it could be the "we don't need no education" chant became a favorite of rebellious schoolkids. I certainly remember it being popular at my school in 1979!
 

Kickstart

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Posts
475
Reaction score
2
Location
Vienna, Austria
Hard to say overall. The thing that agitates me the most about "overrated songs" is when bands get completely reduced to said songs. Smoke On The Water, Satisfaction, Freebird and Stairway to Heaven have been mentioned.
For some bands its one song, for some bands its a handful. I probably get upset the most over people reducing Queen to their Greates Hits I (mainly Bohemian Rhapsody and Don't Stop Me Now) so I'd go with Bohemian Rhapsody though I don't dislike the song.
(Since I don't listen to radio I couldn't tell whether other Queen songs actually get even or more play. This is based on friends and people around me who aren't as interested in classic rock)
 
Last edited:

Find member

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
30,707
Posts
1,067,771
Members
6,366
Latest member
Dustybroom

Members online

Top