Bands that didn't live up to their potential/people's expectations

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Or bands that put out some great albums, but kept putting out the same album, and thus got stale

The Ramones come to mind -- for the latter question, but not really the former, I guess.

― Nigel (Nigel), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:24 (twenty years ago)

What more did people expect from the Ramones?

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:27 (twenty years ago)

Zwan, perhaps?

― mason r butler, Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:28 (twenty years ago)

I know. Only the second thing I mentioned (about getting stale) really applies to the Ramones -- not the expectations bit.

― Nigel (Nigel), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:29 (twenty years ago)

The Ramones seem like a band one could have expected to get stale.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:34 (twenty years ago)

For me, Living Colour. First album is good all the way through and has one kick-ass, anthemic, unlike-anything-you've-ever-heard single (Cult of Personality) and at least one other pretty good single (Glamour Boys.) Second album is also mostly good, and has a good but not earth shattering single (Type). I think there were a couple other singles too -- Love Rears It's Ugly Head, which was kinda weak. They do also put out a good EP, Biscuits, but not many people seem to notice. Doug Wimbish leaves, and then they put out the aptly titled "Stain."

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:37 (twenty years ago)

The Strokes are making a big push for this honor.

― John Hunter, Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:40 (twenty years ago)

Rick James.

Blasted off.......then based out......

― jsoulja (jsoulja), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:43 (twenty years ago)

Ah, see if you wanna go by bands that got stale, you're just gonna get a list of bands that got worse. I mean nearly every band starts declining at some point. As far as bands I think didn't live up/were really hyped, how about TV on the Radio? Their best work remains on their eps.

― Stephen C (ihope), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:43 (twenty years ago)

Howabout Jamiroquai?

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:44 (twenty years ago)

xpost Yeah, but I think Living Colour and The Strokes are both bands that seemed promising and fell off very quickly.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 29 December 2005 04:58 (twenty years ago)

One vote against the Strokes being on this list, and an emphatic nomination for Pearl Jam.

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:02 (twenty years ago)

Well, you could just as easily say "all grunge bands." The only one that doesn't fit the description was saved by suicide.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:03 (twenty years ago)

Clinic.

― mrjosh (mrjosh), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:29 (twenty years ago)

People expected the Ramones to actually be the pop band they were purporting to be. Especially with End Of The Century.

Alas, the world, she was not ready.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:37 (twenty years ago)

Well, you could just as easily say "all grunge bands." The only one that doesn't fit the description was saved by suicide.
First time I read that I thought, man, Suicide is a great band, but aren't they like 15 years before grunge?

― Stephen C (ihope), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:44 (twenty years ago)

an emphatic nomination for Pearl Jam.

Whatever. They didn't even begin realizing their own potential until album #4.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:44 (twenty years ago)

Clinic shminic. They got a signature sound that they like flogging but there's at least five good songs on all their records (including Winchester Cathedral. Shut up). Considering most of their records are less than an hour, that ain't bad.

Anyways: Elastica. I win.

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:45 (twenty years ago)

Oh, also Fluke. Remember how awesome "V Six" sounded on the Wipeout soundtrack? Remember anything since? APTLY NAMED, HAR HAR

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

Maybe Oasis. If they'd never released anything after Definitely Maybe, people would be talking about them in a favorable light these days. Not to take away from What's The Story, because it's actually the superior album... but I can't think of any other English bands from the '90s with a debut that promising and ended up being a bait & switch as far as the rest of their career is concerned.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:50 (twenty years ago)

Maybe Oasis. If they'd never released anything after Definitely Maybe, people would be talking about them in a favorable light these days. Not to take away from What's The Story, because it's actually the superior album... but I can't think of any other English bands from the '90s with a debut that promising and ended up being a bait & switch as far as the rest of their career is concerned.

It's the last two Oasis albums that are great, not the first two.

― John Hunter, Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:56 (twenty years ago)

To answer the original question: I wouldn't know. I only listen to bands that CONSTANTLY live up to my expectations with EVERY FUCKING RELEASE.

I CUT THEM OFF once they slip even slightly. To the gutter their CDs go. *splash* *takes shit*

― dali madison's nut (donut), Thursday, 29 December 2005 05:57 (twenty years ago)

Dude, don't shit in the gutter, that's unseemly.

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 29 December 2005 06:05 (twenty years ago)

that's rock n roll

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 29 December 2005 06:18 (twenty years ago)

I think pretty much anything that makes it #1 on Pitchfork's year end list falls into this category

― Mickey (modestmickey), Thursday, 29 December 2005 06:31 (twenty years ago)

o i think sting's lived up to his potential/people's expectations

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 29 December 2005 06:45 (twenty years ago)

Mickey OTM

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 29 December 2005 06:47 (twenty years ago)

http://www.pillepalleproductions.com/images/tiny_tim.jpg

i expected him to start something more worthwhile than freak folk. he could've been a contender!

― corey c (shock of daylight), Thursday, 29 December 2005 10:02 (twenty years ago)

emf and jesus jones went to three lps .the first one is the best then second is ok and third must be a record company contractual agreement and hard to get into.
emf had a brilliant greatest hits but i don't now if jesus jones have a greatest hits.

― retrogurl, Thursday, 29 December 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

Not a band, but I nominate the entire grime movement.

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 29 December 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

Stereolab, apparently.

Tori Amos, although more in a "disappeared up her own ass and became a self-parody" kind of way.

xpost The first Clinic album I ever listened to was Winchester Cathedral and I still didn't like it. That one song that sounds like a takeoff was awesome but the rest was absolutely unmemorable.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 29 December 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

I remember when The Stone Roses were proclaimed by the British Music Press as more important than the Beatles.

All I have now is a short "Best of" CD. And I don't want more.

― KLW (infrathin), Thursday, 29 December 2005 17:20 (twenty years ago)

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Canibus

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 29 December 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, but you're all wrong. The real winner is Television.

One alltime immortal album, then a slightly dull folow up, then fourteen years later, a really dull follow up.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 29 December 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

Some good choices here, but we need to go back further in time, back to the first "supergroup"...

Depending on how you feel about their individual talents, I think CREAM is a very strong contender for this award.

― sleeve (sleeve), Thursday, 29 December 2005 17:58 (twenty years ago)

i thought craig mack was going to be the next biggie based on flava in your ear alone.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 29 December 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Jonathan Fire*Eater?

― alex in montreal (alex in montreal), Thursday, 29 December 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

Cyndi Lauper

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Thursday, 29 December 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

THE BEATLES

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 29 December 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

by which I mean people expected waaay too much of em -- world peace, revolution, enlightenment etc etc -- and then they broke up, made fair-to-middling solo albs and fucking died just like everybody else.

its only rawknroll innit

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 29 December 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

haha, I came to say ZWAN.

― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:00 (twenty years ago)

The Rolling Stone have not lasted as long as their fans hoped and expected and have really failed to both make money and sell albums.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

expected more from :let loose , brother beyond,kim wilde,europe and acdc.

― retrokid, Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:11 (twenty years ago)

I second stereolab. Thats a textbook example of a band churning out similar sounding tripe again and again...

― Stephen C (ihope), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:14 (twenty years ago)

This thread is painful to read. I bought the Craig Mack hype (and the Keith Murray hype too!) the Beatles hype, even the Zwan hype. Maybe as counterbalance we should link the who went the longest without jumping the shark thread.

And the stereolab hype too. xpost

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:17 (twenty years ago)

Fishbone.

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

DJ Shadow
N.E.R.D.

― DougD (DougD), Saturday, 31 December 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

most disappointing bands

ramones
genesis
my bloody valentine

― loveless, Saturday, 31 December 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

The band whose hype has furthest exceeded their miniscule achievements is unquestionably The Fall. Sure, they made a couple of decent albums ('Grotesque', 'This Nation's Saving Grace') but how do you explain the God-knows-how-many shite ones in between those?

― Niall, Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

Of course that should have read:

"in between and after those?"

― Niall, Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

Royal Trux after their first album for Virgin. (Hi Gear.)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

Gotta agree with whoever said Rick James. Because he had a (white) rock image and background, you expected his take on funk to be as out-there and edgy as George Clinton's. Instead, he sounded just as typical and unadventurous as any Gap Band release. I like his stuff, don't get me wrong, but you'd expect bolder, more experimental music from a frustrated rock star who smoked joints onstage and always told interviewers that he'd do a flat-out rock LP if it were left up to him.

― Rev. Hoodoo (Rev. Hoodoo), Saturday, 31 December 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

More or less every new band that has been on the front page of NME since they decided Britpop was dead.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 31 December 2005 22:21 (twenty years ago)

If they'd never released anything after Definitely Maybe, people would be talking about them in a favorable light these days.

They did. But that was a year after. "Morning Glory" is clearly a way better album, and most of their most well-known songs are from that album rather than their debut.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 31 December 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

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