Top Five Vastly Underrated Rock Bands

[Scandal 2000]

First the rules:

1) List five bands that you consider vastly underrated bands.

2) The bands must be considered rock bands (any genre of rock will qualify)

3) The Band Must Have Been Around At Least 20 Years

4) The Band must have had limited or no commercial success. In other words, you might claim the last four Metallica albums are underrated, but they would not qualify because they have had tremendous success. I will allow bands that perhaps were one hit wonders or had a limited run of successful albums.

5) Here is the kicker. If someone respectfully disagrees with one of your picks, you have the right to request the person (let's have fun with this) to  "defend their thesis." The person defending will have to explain why the band is underrated, but the person who has requested your pick to be justfied must also explain why he/she disagrees with the band being underrated.

For example, let's say I list one of my favorite bands "Uriah Heep." To me, they are vastly underrated with a ton of good albums and good songs. Someone may disagree with me and their argument could be "Their recent albums may be underrated, but they had a fair share of hits and successful albums in the 70's so they had their moment in the sun." I would then have to counter with my justification.

My List:

5) The Spooky Tooth

4) Overkill

3) Junkyard

2) Doro Pesch

1) Rose Tattoo

[RJhog (Admin)]

But I did not include Winger. Am I defending why I didn't include them? Thus I am confused.

[Jon]

Oh yes. Yes I did. 

[Mike Mills]

I like Europe & the Smithereens. Just neither comes to mind, when I think of underated bands.

 

[Randy Culbreath]

5. Canned Heat

4. The Lovin' Spoonful

3. Iron Butterfly

2. Thin Lizzy

1. Nazareth

[Randy Culbreath]

5. Canned Heat

4. The Lovin' Spoonful

3. Buffalo Springfield

2. Iron Butterfly

1. Nazareth

[Randy Culbreath]

Ok, my new list is..

5. Sugarloaf

4. Canned Heat

3. The Lovin' Spoonful

2. Buffalo Sprinfield

1. Iron Butterfly

[Scandal 2000]

Alright everyone, I have thought about this all day and I think I agree with a few of you that Thin Lizzy has some global success, so they are disqualified. They just had too much success overall to really be considered vastly underrated. I have swayed back and forth on this but Thin Lizzy is disqualified. If you listed them take them off of your list.

RJ, no you don't have to defend Winger, I thought they were on your list at first. Some great, great picks so far. I really like the Riot pick. They definitely had some great albums but not a lot to show for it.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I've got 2 more cents to add.  I think success in this topic has to be measured by something.  You can't measure it just because you know some people who know some people who worship Thin Lizzy.  I think you have to look at gold and platinum albums (sales) and Top 40 songs (radio airplay) or at least the number of songs you are likely to hear on the radio.  And although I've heard a few other TL songs on the radio, the two Jon mentioned earlier are the only two you are likely to hear.  And this comes from a "not-so-Thin Lizzy-fan".  

That being said, Scandal is the boss of this thread so what he says goes.  

[Jon]

Ok, if Thin Lizzy is disqualified, shouldn't Nazareth?

[Scandal 2000]

A very valid point Jon. While I don't think Nazareth has quite the name recognition Thin Lizzy does they kind of fall in the same class. You guys are awesome. That was sort of the point of the topic and why I added the "defend your thesis" part, so we could qualify what underrated or for that matter overrated really is. I think we use those words far too often. For instance, I debated Motorhead. Motorhead have never had massive album sales, no real hits and outside of "Ace of Spades" very little airplay. Yet Lemmy is considered an icon, almost every band list them as an influence, and they consistently get on top notch bills as an opening band including arena level tours which many of the older hard rock bands can't say. In the issue of fairness, Nazareth is disqualified as well.

I really like Randy's pick of Iron Butterfly. Most of us know "In a Gadda La Vida" but how many rock fans can name another song they did unless you are a diehard. I got to thinking about Thin Lizzy and Nazareth and realized that I could actually name a ton of songs by both of those bands even though they weren't hits.

[Mike Mills]

Wow, now you shot down Nazareth! They were my first thought, because I always wanted to hear more from them. I felt we got short changed! They were a great band & I always liked their sound, but they only managed a couple of songs that got considerable air play. "Love Hurts" & "Hair Of The Dog".

Now, I have room on my list for the Smithereens, although I'm not sure how underated they are. I think they had several songs that got air play, unless I'm confusing it with how many times I played their cassettes in my car! Nevertheless, they are a Great band! 

On second thought, looking at Scandal's list. I can't say I can remember hearing a song by any of those bands, with the exception of Overkill. Not to beat a dead horse, but I bet the majority of members on here have heard hits by Europe & the Smithereens on the radio. For that reason, as much as I like both of those bands, I may disqualify them from my list.

 

[RJhog (Admin)]

The rules do not say you can't name 'em if you've heard a song or two on the radio.  Europe is known only for The Final Countdown and Carrie.  Tell me who you know (myself not included) that ever.....ever mentions Europe in a conversation about rock bands....I'm waiting....and waiting...

 

Seriously, I thought Europe would get shot down by Scandal before Nazareth or Thin Lizzy.