Songs you like, by bands/artists you don't

I think denying yourself music because it's "dreamed up by a record company" you might find limiting options. At least In the mainstream field.

Not listening to "mainstream" music is something I would have said when I was 14 listening to papa roach. Fully unaware they were pushed on everyone and I wasn't as unique as i thought lol.

The new watermark for getting old is when you relate to We Never Have Sex Anymore by The Offspring.

I've been struggling to think of a song by a band I don't like but the posts above have helped me find one:



I can't quite believe that merging an ELO pastiche arrangement and melody with lyrics on the brutal reality of a loved one dying from that nasty piece of shit disease would work...but it does, at least for me. 

If you’re feeling sniffy about Fall Out Boy you could always listen to all the hardcore bands they’ve played in like Racetraitor and Vegan Reich

Probably a bit of a cheat, but I'll add Appetite for Destruction to the list (all 12 songs of it!).

I think the album holds up very well indeed, and I'll always have a soft spot for it as it got me into rock music in the first place. The rest of Guns' discography* can do one, though.


* I haven't heard Chinese Democracy, and have no desire whatsoever to do so.

There are a few decent tunes on CD. Just treat it as an Axl solo album.

Regarding the emo type bands discussed above…

I think Avril probably was manufactured.

The others just strike me more as bandwagoneers.

Out of all the bands we were in at sixth form/college/school two halves of two bands joined together and rode that sort of wave and these were bands that previously sounded like Green Day and Good Riddance respectively. Now to be fair they had started listening to all that stuff but it was excruciating hearing them listen to the music of others from the almost sole perspective of what they could nick for ideas for their next song.

They ended up signed to a UK independent label and touring with people like Funeral for a Friend and people like that, and sounding exactly like that too. They had picked up on the vibe, thought ‘well have some of that’ and just completely repackaged themselves. I guess you could argue a similar thing with Symposium to Hell is Heroes.

What I’m saying in a long winded way is never underestimate the capacity for bands to deliberately manufacture their own sound to try and succeed in the context of a zeitgeist or scene - that’s what I think for example Paramore and Panic are. Doubtlessly producers will have worked with them but they’d probably streamlined/sold out (delete to your tastes) before they ever got in a studio. We are also looking at the last hurrah years for purchased music - so labels would have been looking for people like that - see also the landfill indie discussion.

Like somebody else said, not all manufactured music is bad either. Motown was almost entirely manufactured and made a lot of the greatest music ever and was socially important in the process. The Swedish (I think) guys that wrote all the Britney/N Sync etc wrote objectively brilliant pop music.

I was absolutely blown away when i first heard it when it came out. It will always have a special place in my heart.

The second album(s) were a disaster though, and i was into grunge & dancey stuff by then anyway! 😜

I've been into Vukovi since before their first album and they are great. It's ironic though as they've had a similar trajectory to Paramore where now it's literally 2 members in the band, as they lost their bassist and drummer, so their live shows rely far too heavily on backing tracks for my liking, as much as Janine is a great frontwoman.

Hundred Reasons are doing the Royal Albert Hall with Rival Schools supporting next year if you want to really indulge.

zisssou Nice!

I genuinely like(d) My Vitriol.

Fountains of Wayne and Deep Blue Something have to be right up there in terms of one hit wonders.

Have to say it. "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys.