Rock's Most Overrated Songs
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foreverblue
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Re: Rock's Most Overated Songs
actually i have to disagree with what you wrote about sunday bloody sunday . i detest the song. its not an IRA song, it never was an IRA song. actually bono has always spoken about the violence in northern ireland and publicly chastised the IRA and the republican/nationalist cause. while um remaining strangely silent about the loyalist side of things.
an IRA anthem, for god sake that is the very first time i've heard of it being described as such. its just a naive little attempt at being a peace anthem. and all one has to do look into it to see bono is very biased toward the british/loyalist side
actually i have to disagree with what you wrote about sunday bloody sunday . i detest the song. its not an IRA song, it never was an IRA song. actually bono has always spoken about the violence in northern ireland and publicly chastised the IRA and the republican/nationalist cause. while um remaining strangely silent about the loyalist side of things.
an IRA anthem, for god sake that is the very first time i've heard of it being described as such. its just a naive little attempt at being a peace anthem. and all one has to do look into it to see bono is very biased toward the british/loyalist side
TheSound
An Englishman in New York
Re: Rock's Most Overated Songs
What I probably meant to say, and should have worded it differently, is that it was undeniably adopted by some Republicans, rightly or wrongly, and against what U2 themselves believe, as a sort of anti-Brit 'call to arms' (fact)..I mean the lyrics are quite explicitly open to being massively misinterpreted for political propaganda purposes, I'm pretty sure Bono and The Edge didn't mean it to be that way, but it is a well documented fact that many Republicans saw lines like "Broken bottles under children's feet, Bodies strewn across the dead end street, And the battle's just begun etc etc" as being a call to arms against the British Army after what happened that day in Londonderry, it's fairly emotive stuff lyrically, so its not difficult to see why the lyrics can be viewed that way taken out of context. So, sorry if I was misleading, I never meant to suggest that U2 were pro-IRA, but being from Irish stock myself back a couple of generations, and knowing the country fairly well, many young Republicans at the time did adopt the song for their own propaganda/political purposes, rightly or wrongly. Cheers
What I probably meant to say, and should have worded it differently, is that it was undeniably adopted by some Republicans, rightly or wrongly, and against what U2 themselves believe, as a sort of anti-Brit 'call to arms' (fact)..I mean the lyrics are quite explicitly open to being massively misinterpreted for political propaganda purposes, I'm pretty sure Bono and The Edge didn't mean it to be that way, but it is a well documented fact that many Republicans saw lines like "Broken bottles under children's feet, Bodies strewn across the dead end street, And the battle's just begun etc etc" as being a call to arms against the British Army after what happened that day in Londonderry, it's fairly emotive stuff lyrically, so its not difficult to see why the lyrics can be viewed that way taken out of context. So, sorry if I was misleading, I never meant to suggest that U2 were pro-IRA, but being from Irish stock myself back a couple of generations, and knowing the country fairly well, many young Republicans at the time did adopt the song for their own propaganda/political purposes, rightly or wrongly. Cheers
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ILoveJimmyPage
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Big Ears
Music Lover
The Oxford online dictionary defines 'overrated' as: an adjective meaning, 'have a higher opinion of (someone or something) than is deserved: an overrated player'. Most dictionaries, inc. OED, will define over-play as the verb, overplay, which is not helpful.
To measure the extent to which a rock song is held in a higher opinion than is deserved is difficult to the point of impossibility and therefore, as has already been mentioned, is highly subjective. For example on what basis is the opinion measured? Is it musical dexterity, artistic feel, style, popularity, radio airplay, sales, marketing, ubiquity, live performances, the judgements of journalists, the opinions of rock stars, or a combination of these? Added to this, is how do we collect the data? Which brings to mind who, why and where?
The disproportionate extent of radio airplay could be relatively easy to survey, but on what grounds should it be measured, by sales, popularity, media hype, media promotion and the like? There are rock songs which gain cult popularity despite sales. There others which gain popularity over an extended period of time.
Don't forget FM radio in the US is a different set-up to radio broadcast in the UK and continental Europe. Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird may have had frequent airplay in the US, but they were hardly played here in the UK. Their popularity grew by word of mouth and an underground following. They also had very tentative press coverage, if any. Indeed, they are still neglected here; I remember Street Survivors being in the sales bins at the time the key musicians were killed in an air crash.
In the UK a combination of press opinion and record sales are often taken as arbiters of good taste, which seems highly unreliable. However, if a song is widely held in high esteem, such as Black Dog or Stairway to Heaven, (in a way which has a ring of truth) why shouldn't it be highly rated? They are not my cups of tea, but that is not the point. The same could be said for enormously popular and big selling records like Born in the USA, Frampton Comes Alive and The Wall. The only proviso I would add here is when a song from a particular genre is rated at the expense of others, ie punk rock over progressive rock, or when the song just advocates killing cops, beating women and whatever else.
One of my favourite quotes is from Robert Graves who said Shakespeare is a very good poet despite everyone saying he is. This (as very good songs) applies to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and others. I love some of them, but not necessarily all. That doesn't make their songs overrated in my opinion.
Apologies for making this verbose, but, finally, isn't this a negative thread which invites negative comments? Sorry Bruce, but couldn't one person's fun be another's inflammatory remark, especially as what constitutes 'overrated' rock songs is difficult to define?
To measure the extent to which a rock song is held in a higher opinion than is deserved is difficult to the point of impossibility and therefore, as has already been mentioned, is highly subjective. For example on what basis is the opinion measured? Is it musical dexterity, artistic feel, style, popularity, radio airplay, sales, marketing, ubiquity, live performances, the judgements of journalists, the opinions of rock stars, or a combination of these? Added to this, is how do we collect the data? Which brings to mind who, why and where?
The disproportionate extent of radio airplay could be relatively easy to survey, but on what grounds should it be measured, by sales, popularity, media hype, media promotion and the like? There are rock songs which gain cult popularity despite sales. There others which gain popularity over an extended period of time.
Don't forget FM radio in the US is a different set-up to radio broadcast in the UK and continental Europe. Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird may have had frequent airplay in the US, but they were hardly played here in the UK. Their popularity grew by word of mouth and an underground following. They also had very tentative press coverage, if any. Indeed, they are still neglected here; I remember Street Survivors being in the sales bins at the time the key musicians were killed in an air crash.
In the UK a combination of press opinion and record sales are often taken as arbiters of good taste, which seems highly unreliable. However, if a song is widely held in high esteem, such as Black Dog or Stairway to Heaven, (in a way which has a ring of truth) why shouldn't it be highly rated? They are not my cups of tea, but that is not the point. The same could be said for enormously popular and big selling records like Born in the USA, Frampton Comes Alive and The Wall. The only proviso I would add here is when a song from a particular genre is rated at the expense of others, ie punk rock over progressive rock, or when the song just advocates killing cops, beating women and whatever else.
One of my favourite quotes is from Robert Graves who said Shakespeare is a very good poet despite everyone saying he is. This (as very good songs) applies to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and others. I love some of them, but not necessarily all. That doesn't make their songs overrated in my opinion.
Apologies for making this verbose, but, finally, isn't this a negative thread which invites negative comments? Sorry Bruce, but couldn't one person's fun be another's inflammatory remark, especially as what constitutes 'overrated' rock songs is difficult to define?
TheSound
An Englishman in New York
Actually no BE.
All it is, actually, is a bit of harmless fun.
Which I believe is still allowed around here.
And which the Oxford Online Dictionary defines as '...Diversion, amusement, sport; also, boisterous jocularity or gaiety, drollery...'
Cheers!
ILoveJimmyPage
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That was an absolutely fantastic post Big Ears, and thank you for showing that the topic of this thread can be taken different by everyone. 
True this thread invites negativity to some extent, but like I said before as long as we respect each others choices and don't try to question everything I don't think arguments will ensue. Been pretty peaceful so far.
True this thread invites negativity to some extent, but like I said before as long as we respect each others choices and don't try to question everything I don't think arguments will ensue. Been pretty peaceful so far.
gcczep
Ever Onward...
I tend to use the term "over-rated" more in my discussions about sports players. Music and art is subjective. I only listen to the radio on my to and from work anyway. Oooh..that reminds me...I have to get an iPod dock to take its place.
BTW...well written and thoughtful post Big!
BTW...well written and thoughtful post Big!
AboutAGirl
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I agree about Livin' The Vida Loca but FREEBIRD? An unmitigated classic, there can be no question.
My point about Freebird was that at the time of it's release, it was not considered a great song by rock music critics. It's underwhelming critical reception leads me to think of it as overplayed but not overrated, crititcally speaking.
That being said, critics sometimes get it wrong. Rolling Stone magazine rock critics consistently slammed Led Zeppelin albums when they were released. Then around the late '80 they finally backtracked and admitted that LZ was a great band and reassessed their albums. Most recieved 4 to 5 stars when previously they had only garnered 2 or 3 at best. (a case of underrating
)But I do look at overrated differently than overplayed. Bad Company is another example. They weren't slammed by critics, most of their albums recieved fair grades but some of their songs are completely overplayed. I don't think Bad Co. is overrated just overplayed.
An example of overrated, to me anyway, is Jimi Hendrix. Critics and rock music fans loved the guy and alot of his songs are overplayed as well. To my ears though, I've never heard anything special in his music whatsoever that warrants critics drooling on themselves upon hearing his music.
But this is about songs not artists or bands, so I'll end it now.
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