In your opinion, who is the most overrated singer/band/artist in modern music history and why?
10.06.2025 11:53
by Michael R. Burch
Barry Manilow
These are artists sometimes called “overrated” for whom I do NOT agree: AC/DC, Aerosmith, Gary Barlow, Bon Jovi, Kurt Cobain, Celine Dion (I’m not crazy about all her songs but what an amazing voice!), Doors, Eminem, Jackie Evancho, Guns N' Roses, Journey, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Outkast, Steve Perry, Pink aka P!nk, Elvis Presley (in his better songs like “That’s All Right,” “Peace in the Valley,” “American Trilogy” and his amazing covers of “Blue Moon” and “Fever”), Prince, Queen, Rolling Stones, Axl Rose, U2, Neil Young
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Jefferson Airplane aka Jefferson Starship aka Starship had some good songs like “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love” but got pop-fizzy with songs like the unlistenable “We Built this City.”
Black Eyed Peas
Britney Spears
Usher
Mumford & Sons is the #5 on the Hated Band Index and the #17 most overrated artists according to Ranker.
The Dave Matthews Band is #10 on the Hated Band Index and the #1 worst band according to LA Weekly. They made it a clean sweep by being the #16 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar and the #22 overrated artists according to Ranker.
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Drake
Nickelback is the most hated band of all time, with a near-perfect 99.99 score on the Hated Band Index, and is also the #1 worst band of all time according to Ultimate Guitar. David Grohl said that if you play a Nickelback song backwards, you’ll hear the Devil, but if you play it forwards, even worse, you’ll hear Nickelback!
Rebecca Black
Lady Gaga produced great songs like “Paparazzi,” “Poker Face,” “Bad Romance” and “Shallow.” But, as with Madonna, it often seems more about the spectacle than the music.
The Doors are #13 on the Hated Band Index.
Roseanne Barr
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Justin Timberlake
Korn is #15 on the Hated Band Index and the #20 most overrated artists according to Ranker.
Beastie Boys
Dr. Dre
by Michael R. Burch
Cardi B
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Billie Eilish
The early Beatles were overrated for pop-fizzy songs like “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
Piet Mondrian
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One Direction
Billy Ray Cyrus
Katy Perry
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Wu-Tang Clan
Nirvana is #19 on the Hated Band Index.
Coldplay has had good songs like “Fix You,” “Viva La Vida,” “Clocks” and “Yellow” but they do seem overrated overall. Coldplay is #11 on the Hated Band Index and the #12 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar.
The Osmonds
Vanilla Ice
Phish is #7 on the Hated Band Index and the #17 worst band according to LA Weekly.
LL Cool J
Madonna put out some great songs like “This Used to Be My Playground,” “Ray of Light,” “Justify My Love,” “Express Yourself,” “Like a Virgin,” “Like a Prayer” and “Papa Don’t Preach.” But somehow it became more about the spectacle than the music.
KISS is #9 on the Hated Band Index and the #10 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar.
And to make it a perfect menage a trois, there is Beyonce…
Rush is #18 on the Hated Band Index.
THE MOST OVERRATED ACTS IN MODERN MUSIC HISTORY
Metallica is #14 on the Hated Band Index and the #6 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar.
Nicki Minaj
U2 is #4 on the Hated Band Index and the #7 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar. But I like a good number of their songs and disagree here.
50 Cent
JAY-Z
Kesha aka Ke$ha
Poison
Jonas Brothers
Lou Reed
Tiny Tim
I have a number of rappers in my “overrated” list. It’s not that I discriminate against the genre. My favorite rap acts include Tupac Shakur, Arrested Development, Public Enemy, Eminem, Nas and Outkast. But I’m a lyric man and I often find rap lyrics to be high on rhythm and rhyme but not all that compelling otherwise.
I’m a longtime music lover and I’m very liberal, loving the best hard rock, soft rock, pop, blues, R&B, soul, jazz, country, folk, classical and opera. I’m not a huge fan of rap, but I do have favorite rap songs as well. However there are singers, bands and other musical artists who seem overrated to me…
Megan Fox
Bob Dylan is overrated as a vocalist, if anyone rates him as such, but he has written many good and great songs. Dylan said he’s more of a poet than a musician, and I agree. Dylan is the #6 most-hated band of all time on the Hated Band Index and he’s not even a band!
Imagine Dragons
Insane Clown Posse
K.C. and the Sunshine Band don’t just play the same three chords over and over again, they sing the same three or four words over and over and over again.
Lil Wayne
Green Day is #12 on the Hated Band Index and the #13 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar. They are also the #2 worst band according to LA Weekly.
Creed is the #3 most-hated band of all time on the Hated Band Index and the #4 worst band of all time according to Ultimate Guitar.
Skrillex
Barry Manilow heads my lists of concerts I’m not going to attend, and while I love some of his songs I’m not going to sit through a concert of Bob Dylan singing in that nasal monotone of his. Other concerts I’m not going to be attending include those of KISS, Maroon 5,
Kid Rock
Pearl Jam is #17 on the Hated Band Index and the #7 worst band according to LA Weekly.
Radiohead is #8 on the Hated Band Index.
Milli Vanilli
Tool
Miley Cyrus
Grateful Dead
Sex Pistols
Oasis is #16 on the Hated Band Index and the #5 worst band according to Ultimate Guitar. They are also the #18 worst band according to LA Weekly and the #42 most overrated artists according to Ranker.
BTS
Chris Brown
Jennifer Lopez
Garth Brooks did have good songs like “Shameless” and “The Thunder Rolls.”
My Chemical Romance
Kendrick Lamar
NSYNC
Ariana Grande has an amazing vocal range but her songs haven’t wowed me. I do like “Bang Bang” and “The Way.”
Taylor Swift is drop-dead gorgeous and I do like some of her songs, but still… how good can you be when you have to sing in your undies?
Linkin Park
Kanye West is best known for dissing Taylor Swift, no?
Yoko Ono
Maroon 5 and Adam Levine
Mariah Carey has a great voice and and amazing vocal range. I like a number of her songs but none have made my all-time playlist.
Justin Bieber is a good-looking guy who can carry a tune. Does that make him a megastar?
Jenny McCarthy
Ed Sheeran
Weezer
Limp Bizkit is the second most-hated band of all time, with a 96.79 score on the Hated Band Index, and is also the #2 worst band of all time according to Ultimate Guitar.
Rihanna has had good songs such as “Stay,” “Diamonds,” "We Found Love" with Calvin Harris, and "Love the Way You Lie" with Eminem.
Nick Cannon
Wilco
Spin Doctors are #20 on the Hated Band Index and also the #20 worst band according to LA Weekly.
Kings of Leon
On the brighter side for lingerie lovers, Madonna got the whole “singing in our undies” thing going.
#ART #MUSIC #POP #ROCK #MRBART #MRBMUSIC #MRBPOP #MRBROCK