Highly Acclaimed Artists that Do Not Provide Personal Listening Enjoyment

[Henry]

It is rare that my enjoyment of many of these artists improves with further listenings, especially if I do not enjoy the genre or the vocals. But, over the years I have changed my view of more than a few artists.

The artists listed below have not provided sufficient enjoyment to me (yet) to rate in my top 1500 artists so far.

Please add your lists of less-enjoyed acclaimed artists, and provide song listening suggestions for artists on my list below.

Artist Name - 2020 AM Artist Rank - Comments (if any)

Tom Waits - 38 - I find Martha to be almost okay (4.4/10 - his best for me so far); and the next group to be tolerable (4/10): 1) Time, 2) Ol' 55

Public Enemy - 42 - Give It Up is actually pretty good (5/10); The following are listenable but a bit disappointing (4.2/10): Harder Than You Think, Welcome to the Terrordome, Final Count Of The Collision Between Us And The Damned

Beastie Boys - 44
Pavement - 97

Drake - 113
Captain Beefheart - 128
Run-DMC - 149
Muddy Waters - 170
The Notorious B.I.G. - 184

D'Angelo - 192 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist. So far I enjoy the following songs by D'Angelo: Untitled (How Does It Feel?) (8788), Really Love (9155), Shit, Damn, Motherfucker (BU). Please let me know if you recommend any of the following: Sugah Daddy, Brown Sugar, and/or The Charade

The Prodigy - 205 I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist. So far I enjoy the following songs by The Prodigy: Firestarter (7251), No Good (Start the Dance) (BU). Please let me know if you recommend any of the following: Omen and/or Voodoo People.

Joanna Newsom - 211
Howlin' Wolf - 218
Rage Against the Machine - 239
DJ Shadow - 241
Eric B. and Rakim - 242
N.W.A. 245
Robert Johnson 252.
Nico 253
Wu-Tang Clan 254
Fugazi 255
Gang of Four 271
Snoop Dogg 274
The Jive Five 280
Public Image Ltd. 281
Jane's Addiction 288
LL Cool J 289
Hole 290
Motorhead 291 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
MC5 292
Happy Mondays 293

Mitski 306.
Tricky 327
Dizzee Rascal 330
Jamie xx 332
Nas 335
Bonnie "Prince" Billy 337.
Flying Lotus 345. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Roots 349
Fatboy Slim 364
Slayer 367
Neutral Milk Hotel 391 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

Vince Staples 404.
Lil Wayne 413
Manu Chao 415
Boogie Down Productions 421. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Ghostface Killah 422
The KLF 424
Sun Ra 434. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Justice 438
Charli XCX 440
Dead Kennedys 442
Danny Brown 450 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Blood Orange 454 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Low 456.
Chance the Rapper 459
Chan Romero 459
Japandroids 467 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Swans 473.
The Rapture 485 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Tool 487 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Ice Cube 496

Grace Jones 503
Alain Bashung 504
Minutemen 505 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Hold Steady 509. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Black Flag 510
The 13th Floor Elevators 515 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Waterboys 516 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Run the Jewels 520
The Orb 522 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Damned 523
Cypress Hill 524
The Horrors 527
The Sonics 532.
Sparks 533.
Eric Dolphy 538. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Gun Club 541
System of a Down 549
Deafheaven 555 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Big Black 561
Elastica 563 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Chromatics 569 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Four Tet 570.
Faust 578
Slint 584
The Cramps 593.
The Cult 596
Clipse 597

Haim 604 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Battles 605
Lee (Scratch) Perry and The Upsetters 607.
Neneh Cherry 608. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Future 613 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Leftfield 616 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Bad Brains 617
Cecil Taylor 625.
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force 636
Slowdive 637 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Lead Belly 640
Burning Spear 641
Kelis 647
At the Drive-In 649 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
King Krule 653
Car Seat Headrest 665 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Cloud Nothings 667. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Offspring 668
Goldie 671
The Dismemberment Plan 673
Blumfeld 681
dEUS 684
Jimmie Rodgers 690.
Beirut 691
Goldfrapp 692
Cut Copy 695

Hercules and Love Affair 710 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Afghan Whigs 711
Gang Starr 729
Crystal Castles 739
The Jayhawks 741
Badly Drawn Boy 743 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Beta Band 745.
Wild Beasts 748
Korn 749
Alabama Shakes 750
Arca 753
Grandaddy 755
Doves 756
Kyuss 759
Dr. Feelgood 762
Arrested Development 765
Adam and The Ants 777
Placebo 781
Townes Van Zandt 787
The Congos 790
Ash 792
Big Boi 795
Earl Sweatshirt 796

Alvvays 803 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
The Incredible String Band 804
Stiff Little Fingers 811.
Deee-Lite 814
Common 820
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 823 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Japan 825
Hawkwind 828 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Ride 833
Lambchop 839
Bauhaus 840
The Hives 841
Jimmy Giuffre 848.
Liars 857
Death Grips 863
Jungle Brothers 867
The Feelies 869
Calexico 881
The Ink Spots 887
Ruben Blades 890

Saint Etienne 903 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Einstürzende Neubauten 904
Galaxie 500 910
The Sugarhill Gang 911
The Gossip 912
En Vogue 915
The Birthday Party 916
Gil Evans 932. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
J Dilla 934
Fuck Buttons 942
EPMD 943
Labelle 947
The Heartbreakers 948
GZA/Genius 955
Amadou & Mariam 966
The Inner City 970
Deftones 973
Jimmy Reed 974.
Heaven 17 - 977- I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Killing Joke 978
Culture 979
Autechre 989
Jens Lekman 991 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.
Kris Kristofferson 995.
The Adverts 1000 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

Admittedly, not so HIGHLY acclaimed artists with rank below 1000

Danger Mouse 1016
Little Willlie John 1018
LFO 1020
Khaled 1021
Blue Cheer 1022.
Sebadoh 1024
Klaxons 1029
Fennesz 1030
Fehlfarben 1036
Fucked Up 1044
The Sisters of Mercy 1049
The Associates 1053
Georges Brassens 1057
The Divine Comedy 1061
Joao Gilberto 1063.
The Wedding Present 1066
The Sundays 1067
Barbara 1069
L7 1079
The Cardigans 1094
The House of Love 1098
Cannibal Ox 1099
Cameo 1102
Maxwell 1105
The Coral 1118
Cabaret Voltaire 1123
DJ Koze 1130
Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges 1134
Screamin' Jay Hawkins 1145.
These New Puritans 1148.
Digital Underground 1152
Killer Mike 1154
Luomo 1156
Ludacris 1160
Bronski Beat 1168
Against Me! 1189
Glasvegas 1191
Camarón de la Isla 1197
Dead Boys 1199
Ice-T 1200
Death in Vegas 1225
Dr. Octagon 1226
Charles Aznavour 1229
Ciara 1236
Café Tacvba 1243
Art Brut 1244
Grouper 1245
Enya 1246
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft 1248
The Jesus Lizard 1252
Herbert 1253
Editors 1260
The Antlers 1261
Little Walter 1269
Robbie Williams 1280
Actress 1286
Amon Duul II 1289
Lindstrom 1293
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy 1299
Big Daddy Kane 1302
Jawbox 1309
The Electric Prunes 1311
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross 1339.
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band 1344
Flipper 1347
The Church 1348
Grinderman 1356
The Buggles 1364
The Charlatans 1369
Bunny Berigan 1371
The Good, the Bad and the Queen 1373
Carl Craig 1376
The Futureheads 1377
Converge 1378
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 1382
Black Star 1386
Amerie 1392.
AlunaGeorge 1394
Grant Lee Buffalo 1396
Roy Harper 1405
Astor Piazzolla 1406
The Go! Team 1407
Isolee - 1413
The Darkness 1415
Maximo Park 1418
Live 1420
The Field 1427
Althea and Donna 1430
Chico Buarque 1432
Blackstreet 1440
The Count Five 1445
Alaska y Donarama 1446
James 1455
Anthrax 1459
Nina Hagen Band 1465
Geto Boys 1469
Babyshambles 1470
The Chords 1472
EMA 1476
Atlas Sound 1481
DMX 1487
Coolio 1495

Girls Aloud 1509
Electric Six 1512
The Abyssinians 1516
Macy Gray 1520
American Music Club 1527
Broadcast 1536
Camper Van Beethoven 1539
Bran Van 3000 1541
The Chieftains 1554
Element of Crime 1558
Bikini Kill 1565
The Big Pink 1569
Girl Talk 1581
Friendly Fires 1601
Big Country 1603
Big Youth 1610
The Bug 1612
Autre Ne Veut 1617
Caravan 1618
Fisk Jubilee Singers 1620
Chairlift 1622
Germs 1640
Coil 1646
Juvenile 1649
All Saints 1653
ESG 1654
Django Django 1658
Black Uhuru 1661
The Falcons 1664
Thunderclap Newman 1672.
Family 1680
Kruder & Dorfmeister 1683
Iceage 1686
Liquid Liquid 1687
Lipps Inc. 1689
The Del-Vikings 1690.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 1692
Butthole Surfers 1699
Boredoms 1701
Black Box 1705
CSS 1716
Black Dog Productions 1728
Ketama 1736
The Cadillacs 1745
Junior Senior 1748
Frightened Rabbit 1749
Estelle 1753
Helmet 1754
Albert Collins 1763
Boyz II Men 1764
Dillinger 1767
Icona Pop 1771
The Jaynetts 1772
The Game 1780.
Throwing Muses 1782
Christophe 1783
Dio 1787
Empire of the Sun 1790
Eve 1792
Funky Four Plus One 1793
Black Grape 1797
The Chantays 1798
Guitar Slim 1799
Cults 1803
Duffy 1810
Indeep 1823
EMF 1825
Hoodoo Gurus 1828
Kid Cudi 1831
The Chills 1833
Fischerspooner 1834
Art of Noise 1860
Kid Creole and The Cocomuts 1862
Shakira 1865
Cake 1871
Kasabian 1874
Comus 1885
The Crows 1894
HEALTH 1896
Blawan 1900
Cody Chesnutt 1904
Blind Melon 1905
Big Sean 1920
Harvey Danger 1921
Eddie and The Hot Rods 1935
Enanitos Verdes 1939
The Dictators 1941
Ladytron 1943
The Books 1945
Brandy 1946
Gotan Project 1947
McAlmont and Butler 1951.
The Incredible Bongo Band 1957
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 1968
Sir Douglas Quintet 1969
Died Pretty 1970
The Future Sound of London 1972
Bad Religion 1980
Electronic 1981
Konono No. 1 1987
The Runaways 1988
McFadden and Whitehead 1994.
Black Sheep 1996

Gas 2009
Bomb the Bass 2013
Lil' Louis 2016
Johnny Boy 2017
Ricky Martin 2018.
Kings of Convenience 2028
Archers of Loaf 2031
The Fugs 2032
Company Flow 2048
The Boomtown Rats 2049
Hot Hot Heat 2054
The dB's 2061
Chumbawamba 2074
Best Coast 2076
Air (USA) 2080
Gabinete Caligari 2091
The "5" Royales 2093
Bob & Earl 2094
Band Aid 2095
Big Audio Dynamite 2097
Dungen 2106
The Artful Dodger 2107
DJ Mujava 2111
The Creation 2114
Audio Two 2115
Big Punisher 2117
Dntel 2121
Body Count 2122
Bow Wow Wow 2127.
DJ Jazz Jeff & The Fresh Prince 2139
Digable Planets 2142
Almendra 2144
Garnet Mimms 2151
The Cribs 2156
Adamski 2171
Guillemots 2184
Clinic 2191
Bell Biv Devoe 2192
Global Communication 2193
Akufen 2202
Gomez 2204
The El Dorados 2207
iLoveMakonnen 2208
LTJ Bukem 2212
Fear Factory 2214
Bark Psychosis 2228
Das EFX 2231
Jeru the Damaja 2237
Lil Jon 2249
Console 2266
Chamillionaire 2298
The Flying Lizards 2307
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force 2309
Aterciopelados 2313
Au Pairs 2314
Glenn Branca 2319
Luniz 2329
Bob & Marcia 2337
Freelance Hellraiser 2341
Jungle 2342
The Blasters 2343
Nancy Wilson 2345
Jurassic 5 2351
Les Savy Fav 2353
Girl Unit 2355
Blackalicious 2364
Faithless 2367
The Heptones 2368
cLOUDDEAD 2369
Elizabeth Cotton 2370.
Johnny and The Hurricanes 2379
Falco 2389
The Godfathers 2393
Andrew W.K. 2405
Baroness 2406
Cluster 2410
The Juan MacLean 2415.
Jeans Team 2416
DJ Khaled 2420
Artists United Against Apartheid 2437
Darkside 2442
The Folk Implosion 2448
The Harptones 2449
Codeine 2450
Lightning Bolt 2486
Carla Bruni 2497

Cybotron 2517
I-F 2521
The Dovells 2527
Behemoth 2529
Jamie T 2533
Golden Boy 2555
The Korgis 2558
Fun Lovin' Criminals 2568
The Flirtations 2579
Familjen 2582
The Capris 2583.
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip 2600
Inspiral Carpets 2613
Human Resource 2621
D.N.A. 2624
Broken Bells 2628
Azzido Da Bass 2635
Silverchair 2637
Hardfloor 2652
Delorean 2660
Gong 2671
Ian and Sylvia 2673
Jamiroquai 2674
Right Said Fred 2685.
Katy B 2686
Half Japanese 2688
The Folkes Brothers 2692
Double Dee & Steinski 2714
Tom Verlaine/ The Verlaines 2719.
The Embassy 2723
Cassie 2736
Fleshtones 2737
Foetus 2740
The Dream Academy 2754
BabyBird 2759
Air France 2773
Belly 2781
Huggy Bear 2786
Catatonia 2796
Ash Ra Tempel 2803
JVC Force 2815
Acen 2818
Ginuwine 2835
The Castaways 2837
Fabolous 2847
Kingdom 2850
Flowered Up 2857
Fearless Four 2860
David Essex 2874.
The Dead Milkmen 2879
The Beloved 2884
Half Pint 2886
Clean Bandit 2890
Little Dragon 2900
Cold War Kids 2908
Felix Da Housecat 2916
Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas 2955
Lil Mama 2965
The Farm 2982
Blonde Redhead 2992

Aphrodite's Child 3021
Late of the Pier 3032
Don & Juan 3033
Benga 3035
Dick & DeeDee 3047
Lumidee 3049
Crazy Horse 3085
The Hollywood Argyles 3100.
The Five Keys 3154
Cold Cave 3159
The Exciters 3171
Hard-Fi 3231
Kings of Tomorrow 3239
Ja, Panik 3250
Love & Rockets 3267.
Add N to (X) 3290
clor 3348
Austra 3377
King Biscuit Time 3397
Hugo Montenegro 3434.
Gold Panda 3444
Roxette 3486.

The Barbarians 3522
Celia Cruz 3552
Alabama 3 3557
Embrace 3569
The Gaslight Anthem 3575.
The Bravery 3607
The Shadows of Knight 3657.
Buffalo Tom 3837
The Kooks 3862
The Chameleons 3895
Dee Clark - 3966

The Brothers Four 4034
The Fratellis 4092

[luvulongTIM]

I’m one of the rare people here that LOVE listing who I think is insanely overrated and I agree with a number of your picks but I know it’s frowned upon and considered taboo by a number of people here to do that. Usually musicians feel this way as well accept the Sex Pistols and just recently I found out The Who, who have no problem listing their resentment at artists they either have a beef with or cannot stand. For me personally it’s the hypocrisy that gets to me. Pavement fans raging on Celine Dion? Sorry her or Whitney don’t have the emotion of a glorified Sonic Youth if they hired Ben Stein as their lead singer.

[Nassim]

Soooooo many of my favorite in your list Henry (not a lot I'm surprised by, but I'd think the album No Cities to Love by Sleater-Kinney would have songs you'd enjoy)

I won't go as far down the list as you (can we call an act ranked 4092 "highly acclaimed") but for me, in the top 200 :
James Brown
Public Enemy (except kinda Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos)
The Byrds
John Lennon (except Jealous Guy)
The Doors
Steely Dan
Pet Shop Boys
Randy Newman
Grateful Dead
Tame Impala
Tom Petty
Van Halen
Love (except Alone Again Or)

Was tempted to add Elvis,close call...
There are a lot of artists though, even in the top 50, where I don't enjoy MOST of the acclaimed stuff (R.E.M., Pink Floyd, , but there is always an exception at least big enough to leave them out of this list

[Jackson]

Isolee - 143

Curtis Mayfield is the #143 artist of all time. I'd be surprised if you didn't like him given what I know about your taste. Isolee is #1413.

[Henry]

Isolee - 143

Curtis Mayfield is the #143 artist of all time. I'd be surprised if you didn't like him given what I know about your taste. Isolee is #1413.

Thanks for the correction.

Curtis is my 120th favorite artist of all time.

Are you familiar with Percy Mayfield?

My (often incorrect records) indicate that Percy was once rated as the 1982nd top artist of all time per our 2015 ratings. I am not yet familiar with any of his songs

[Henry]

I’m one of the rare people here that LOVE listing who I think is insanely overrated and I agree with a number of your picks but I know it’s frowned upon and considered taboo by a number of people here to do that. Usually musicians feel this way as well accept the Sex Pistols and just recently I found out The Who, who have no problem listing their resentment at artists they either have a beef with or cannot stand. For me personally it’s the hypocrisy that gets to me. Pavement fans raging on Celine Dion? Sorry her or Whitney don’t have the emotion of a glorified Sonic Youth if they hired Ben Stein as their lead singer.

I want to clarify, that I am not claiming that these artist are mostly overrated, just that I don't enjoy them. I have learned to enjoy artists after receiving advice from others about what they find appealing about their music. Sorry, if my post comes across as a rage. I marvel at and greatly appreciate the patience of many AM posters as they attempt to turn others on to the music they love.

[Henry]

Soooooo many of my favorite in your list Henry (not a lot I'm surprised by, but I'd think the album No Cities to Love by Sleater-Kinney would have songs you'd enjoy)

I won't go as far down the list as you (can we call an act ranked 4092 "highly acclaimed") but for me, in the top 200 :
James Brown
Public Enemy (except kinda Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos)
The Byrds
John Lennon (except Jealous Guy)
The Doors
Steely Dan
Pet Shop Boys
Randy Newman
Grateful Dead
Tame Impala
Tom Petty
Van Halen
Love (except Alone Again Or)

Was tempted to add Elvis,close call...
There are a lot of artists though, even in the top 50, where I don't enjoy MOST of the acclaimed stuff (R.E.M., Pink Floyd, , but there is always an exception at least big enough to leave them out of this list

I presently understand your reference to Elvis to be directed towards Presley, not Costello.

I have a lot to learn from someone with a wonderfully discerning ear such as you because our tastes are clearly divergent.

The only artist in your list that we have shared disdain for appears to be Public Enemy.

There are a few songs from Sleater-Kinney that I do enjoy including: Rollercoaster (7604th of all time), Jumpers (8604), and one song that bubbles under my top 10,000 songs - A New Wave (which is from the No Cities to Love album). So, presently it's a close call for Sleater-Kinney to enter into my fave artists list. Please let me know which other songs from the No Cities to Love you recommend I listen to first.

Thanks!

[Nassim]

The only artist in your list that we have shared disdain for appears to be Public Enemy.

There are a few songs from Sleater-Kinney that I do enjoy including: Rollercoaster (7604th of all time), Jumpers (8604), and one song that bubbles under my top 10,000 songs - A New Wave (which is from the No Cities to Love album). So, presently it's a close call for Sleater-Kinney to enter into my fave artists list. Please let me know which other songs from the No Cities to Love you recommend I listen to first.

We would have shared a bit more if I went further down the line, Howlin' Wolf, N.W.A. or Snoop Dogg don't do much to me.
(on the other hand that'd mean seeing Rage Against the Machine, DJ Shadow, Wu-Tang Clan and Fugazi are some of my favorite artists ever).

I was actually thinking of A New Wave in particular, but Fangless could do the trick, or You're No Rock'n'Roll Fun from a different album.
Rollercoaster and Jumpers are possibly my 2 favorite songs of them though (with Sympathy) !

[Henry]

The only artist in your list that we have shared disdain for appears to be Public Enemy.

There are a few songs from Sleater-Kinney that I do enjoy including: Rollercoaster (7604th of all time), Jumpers (8604), and one song that bubbles under my top 10,000 songs - A New Wave (which is from the No Cities to Love album). So, presently it's a close call for Sleater-Kinney to enter into my fave artists list. Please let me know which other songs from the No Cities to Love you recommend I listen to first.

We would have shared a bit more if I went further down the line, Howlin' Wolf, N.W.A. or Snoop Dogg don't do much to me.
(on the other hand that'd mean seeing Rage Against the Machine, DJ Shadow, Wu-Tang Clan and Fugazi are some of my favorite artists ever).

I was actually thinking of A New Wave in particular, but Fangless could do the trick, or You're No Rock'n'Roll Fun from a different album.
Rollercoaster and Jumpers are possibly my 2 favorite songs of them though (with Sympathy) !

Thanks for the suggestions. I started listening to all three and each has potential as a grower. It appears that Sleater-Kinney will soon depart from the list above

[Holden]

I love Tom Waits (two of his albums in my Top 30), but I understand he is an acquired taste, and honestly if you don't like Rain Dogs/Swordfishtrombones then he's probably not for you.

Way Down in the Hole is pretty great though (maybe my favorite Waits song), and is probably the best television theme of all time.

[Rocky Raccoon]

To reiterate Henry's point, this is a list of top 100 artists on here I don't enjoy all that much, not that I necessarily think are overrated. I pretty much based this on if whether or not I have any albums of theirs. There might be a few songs from these artists I like, but overall not a big fan. As you'll probably notice, I'm really not a big fan of jazz.

16 Miles Davis
25 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
26 Madonna
39 John Coltrane
47 The Cure
52 Kraftwerk
62 Duke Ellington
65 Daft Punk
67 Frank Sinatra
85 Queen
88 Ray Charles
90 Black Sabbath
93 Charles Mingus

[Nick]

I enjoy Nick Cave, but he's always seemed like an artist that should be sitting comfortably around the #200 position, not #25.

[Henry]

I love Tom Waits (two of his albums in my Top 30), but I understand he is an acquired taste, and honestly if you don't like Rain Dogs/Swordfishtrombones then he's probably not for you.

Way Down in the Hole is pretty great though (maybe my favorite Waits song), and is probably the best television theme of all time.

I tried Way Down in the Hole and it has not yet won me over. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Edre Depeche Head]

Never cared for Bruce Springsteen

[Henry]

Never cared for Bruce Springsteen

I was luke warm based on most of Springsteen's studio recordings. But, he is awesome LIVE!!

[Edre Depeche Head]

Never cared for Bruce Springsteen

I was luke warm based on most of Springsteen's studio recordings. But, he is awesome LIVE!!

I feel like he would be good live, I guess I just never have understood the amount of praise his songwriting recieves

[Jackson]

I enjoy Nick Cave, but he's always seemed like an artist that should be sitting comfortably around the #200 position, not #25.

Cave's ranking is due to longevity over peak value, kind of like a baseball player who never wins MVP but stays in the league 20 years and amasses great career numbers. Even if you don't absolutely love any of his work, there aren't many (or any?) other artists that have produced consistently acclaimed work for 40+ years. Other artists with amazing longevity, like Dylan and Bowie, have a few albums that even their fans concede are clunkers, but Cave has never really had that.

[Nick]

I enjoy Nick Cave, but he's always seemed like an artist that should be sitting comfortably around the #200 position, not #25.

Cave's ranking is due to longevity over peak value, kind of like a baseball player who never wins MVP but stays in the league 20 years and amasses great career numbers. Even if you don't absolutely love any of his work, there aren't many (or any?) other artists that have produced consistently acclaimed work for 40+ years. Other artists with amazing longevity, like Dylan and Bowie, have a few albums that even their fans concede are clunkers, but Cave has never really had that.

I can respect that, but I think I just think about artistic careers differently.

I for one would rather be an artist that put out 4 studio albums, all 10/10s, than an artist who put out 20 studio albums, all 7/10 or 8/10s. And I'm much more interested in the first type of artist than the second.

[slick]

My Top 10 artists I do not enjoy, even just a little...

#38 - Tom Waits
#45 - Joni Mitchell
#52 - Kraftwerk (realize their significance, just cannot listen to)
#63 - The Band
#119 Frank Zappa
#128 Captain Beefheart
#139 Aphex Twin
#201 ANOHNI / Antony and the Johnsons
#207 Air
#213 The Streets

Top 10 artists that I like a couple of songs but just not a fan of...

#40 PJ Harvey (3 great songs but the rest of her catalog bores me)
#50 LCD Soundsystem (used to enjoy but have really soured on hearing them now)
#55 Lou Reed
#82 Brian Eno
#98 Sufjan Stevens
#102 Nick Drake
#103 Eminem (Another artist I used to like but cannot stand listening to anymore but still think 3 or 4 songs are okay)
#124 Randy Newman
#127 Animal Collective
#132 Belle and Sebastian

[Nassim]

The Prodigy - 205 I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist. So far I enjoy the following songs by The Prodigy: Firestarter (7251), No Good (Start the Dance) (BU). Please let me know if you recommend any of the following: Omen and/or Voodoo People.

I'd guess stick with songs from the Fat of the Land, maybe Breathe or Mindfields

Motorhead 291 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

If "We Are the Road Crew", "Overkill" and "Ace of Spades" don't work for you, you can pretty much give it up. Like AC/DC or Ramones, there is not a lot of variety in Mötörhead music, they stick to what they do best.

Danny Brown 450 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

That's rough because I love him but I don't picture you liking a lot of his stuff. Maybe start with Grown Up and 25 Bucks

The Rapture 485 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

While their first album is the most acclaimed, I think you'd enjoy more later songs like How Deep Is Your Love, Pieces of People We Love or In The Grace of Your Love

At the Drive-In 649 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

Don't venture out of The Relationship of Command. Maybe try my personal favorites : Quarantined and Enfilade

Car Seat Headrest 665 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

Ok, here's one artist I think you should at least enjoy : Bodys, Drugs with Friends, Weightlifters, Fill in the Blank... I'd say their magnus opus is Beach Life in Death but that's a 13 min ride

Cloud Nothings 667. - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

My favs are the first 2 tracks on Attack on Memory, but go for Now Hear In and Stay Useless maybe.

Hercules and Love Affair 710 - I'm particularly interested in receiving song suggestions for this artist.

It's all about Blind and Time Will imo. They get their ranking pretty much on Blind alone anyway.

[Jackson]

From the top 100:

Since they are the artist of the month, I'm going to call out U2. I would not have guessed that they were as high as 15 on the AM list - I would have guessed in the 40s-50s without looking. I just can't picture sitting down and deciding to listen to The Joshua Tree for entertainment. I admit my dislike of that album as well as Bono's general pompousness has kept me from exploring their earlier work, which I might like more given Eno's involvement. Sunday Bloody Sunday is the only song of theirs on my AT list; I have none of their albums ranked.

I've never enjoyed Jay-Z's music and think he is massively overranked on the AM list due to guest features on songs whose appeal lies largely outside of him: for example, Crazy in Love, Umbrella (which I forgot he was even on without looking), and Monster. I should probably give his first two albums another shot but it's an uphill battle as I really just dislike his voice.

John Lennon - If I was told I could never hear another Lennon solo song again, I wouldn't care at all. A lot of people I respect love Plastic Ono Band, but I've never been able to get into it.

AC/DC - Overexposure on classic rock radio and at sporting events ruined my enjoyment of most AC/DC songs. I can't help but shake the feeling that they are a band you discover in high school as a gateway to classic rock/metal music before moving on to more interesting stuff. Also, so many of their songs sound exactly the same - they were much less inventive and experimental than most other big 70s/80s rock acts.

The Police - Listening to Sting bothers me in the same way that listening to Bono does. They have some bops (Message in a Bottle, Can't Stand Losing You), but I never want to listen to any of their albums outside of pure check-the-box activity like for the recent 70s poll. Every Breath You Take is one of the most inexplicable of the top 200 songs on AM to me.

This thread is fun - it feels good to rant sometimes!

[Henry]

Thanks Nassim.

Your thoughtful suggestions and attempts to understand my preferences (even as they are divergent from yours) are very much appreciated.

[Henry]

This thread is fun - it feels good to rant sometimes!

I'm glad you are enjoying the opportunity to rant

Also, I think you get me Jackson. I also like to rant. But, AM helps me do so in a more restrained and polite manner.

[mileswide]

I don't know if my song recs will be of use but feel free to take these on a spin:

D'Angelo - The Charade comes recommended by me, I'd try Devil's Pie too.

The Prodigy - go feast on Omen but I'd opt for the Pendulum remix of Voodoo People instead of the original if you're looking for similar high-octane aggression offered by their songs that you already like. Have to concur with Nassim about Breathe, it's like Firestarter II for me but a sequel that's more satisfying in every way.

Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane is rightly often held up as the go-to FlyLo track, the Denzel Curry feature Black Balloons Reprise goes hard too.

Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn (the single version if you can find it) is a lighthearted Black history lesson with a beat.

Neneh Cherry - Kong is just smouldering, Buffalo Stance will eternally be a feel-good jam, Beat the Beast (by her old band Rip Rig & Panic) is a collision between jazz-funk and post-punk.

Badly Drawn Boy - Silent Sigh soothes, Banana Skin Shoes takes an Odelay-era Beck-like freewheeling approach.

Gil Evans - only heard anything at all by him in preparation for our 1961 poll, La Nevada and Sunken Treasure, innovative big band numbers by turns explosive and brooding, are two of my most pleasing recent discoveries.

Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing is a handy barometer for whether you'll get into its parent album Penthouse and Pavement but it's a danceable anthem on its own too.

Jens Lekman - Your Arms around Me reminds us that love transcends all problems, even accidentally causing your partner to slice off part of his finger while chopping avocado (it makes sense in the song).

[Henry]

Thanks Mileswide!

[Rob]

I enjoy Nick Cave, but he's always seemed like an artist that should be sitting comfortably around the #200 position, not #25.

Cave's ranking is due to longevity over peak value, kind of like a baseball player who never wins MVP but stays in the league 20 years and amasses great career numbers. Even if you don't absolutely love any of his work, there aren't many (or any?) other artists that have produced consistently acclaimed work for 40+ years. Other artists with amazing longevity, like Dylan and Bowie, have a few albums that even their fans concede are clunkers, but Cave has never really had that.

I can respect that, but I think I just think about artistic careers differently.

I for one would rather be an artist that put out 4 studio albums, all 10/10s, than an artist who put out 20 studio albums, all 7/10 or 8/10s. And I'm much more interested in the first type of artist than the second.

I'd argue Nick Cave has many albums should be a 9 or a 10 at least. In a way I always felt he was underrated, probably because he was not massively successful like most acclaimed acts (though he seems to peak in popularity nowadays and not just critically), was not part of clear scene and didn't obviously influence later acts. He and Tom Waits are both somewhat outsider figures lost in music history, but who now come out strong through perseverance, consistency and longevity. To me Cave is one of the most creative, surprising and deep musicians around. He also happens to have one of the greatest voices and is one hell of lyricist. And that's only the solo career. There is also The Birthday Party and Grinderman to take into account, both of which don't count for his #25 placement.

[Holden]

Cave's ranking is due to longevity over peak value, kind of like a baseball player who never wins MVP but stays in the league 20 years and amasses great career numbers. Even if you don't absolutely love any of his work, there aren't many (or any?) other artists that have produced consistently acclaimed work for 40+ years. Other artists with amazing longevity, like Dylan and Bowie, have a few albums that even their fans concede are clunkers, but Cave has never really had that.

I can respect that, but I think I just think about artistic careers differently.

I for one would rather be an artist that put out 4 studio albums, all 10/10s, than an artist who put out 20 studio albums, all 7/10 or 8/10s. And I'm much more interested in the first type of artist than the second.

I'd argue Nick Cave has many albums should be a 9 or a 10 at least. In a way I always felt he was underrated, probably because he was not massively successful like most acclaimed acts (though he seems to peak in popularity nowadays and not just critically), was not part of clear scene and didn't obviously influence later acts. He and Tom Waits are both somewhat outsider figures lost in music history, but who now come out strong through perseverance, consistency and longevity. To me Cave is one of the most creative, surprising and deep musicians around. He also happens to have one of the greatest voices and is one hell of lyricist. And that's only the solo career. There is also The Birthday Party and Grinderman to take into account, both of which don't count for his #25 placement.

I haven’t heard every one of Nick Caves albums but all the ones I have are 9 or 10/10. He is easily on of the best songwriters (today and of all time) in my opinion, even discounting the volume of work as a factor.