Which of these 40 extremely overrated 1970s albums is the *WORST* of the lot???

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

Frankly, I'd be a better person not to hear any of these 1970s "masterpieces" ever again... you tell me, which is the absolute worst one?

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Pink Floyd - The Wall 30
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon 11
The Beatles - Let It Be 8
The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols 8
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass 7
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 6
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory 4
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours 4
The Clash - London Calling 4
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys 2
Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson 2
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks 2
The Beach Boys - Surf's Up 2
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model 2
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True 2
The Congos - Heart of the Congos 2
The Specials - The Specials 2
The Who - Who's Next 1
Pink Floyd - Meddle 1
Van Halen - Van Halen 1
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street 1
Ramones - Ramones 1
Randy Newman - Sail Away 1
Joni Mitchell - Blue 1
Blondie - Parallel Lines 1
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions 1
James Brown - The Payback 1
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady 1
Al Green - Call Me 1
The Cars - The Cars 1
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti 0
Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On 0
Paul Simon - Paul Simon 0
The Clash - The Clash 0
Ramones - Rocket to Russia 0
Michael Jackson - Off the Wall 0
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 0
Led Zeppelin - III 0
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy 0
Led Zeppelin - IV 0


ilxor, Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:35 (seventeen years ago)

this is kinda asking for trouble

Young Chizzy (country matters), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:38 (seventeen years ago)

Uhhhh. . . there's a lot of v. good albums on this list.

I mean, they might be overplayed. Maybe played out to someone's ears. But overrated?!?

Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:39 (seventeen years ago)

I've only heard like 10 of these and of those I vote What's Going On which is SOOOO OVERRATED. Marvin has much better records... I feel like people hype that one up because it's "topical" and "important" or whatever... that may be true, but why do all of the songs sound the same? :| Also, Lodon Calling like only half of that album is worth listening to.

and then it comes to me... like an epiphany (The Brainwasher), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:42 (seventeen years ago)

idiocy on parade here

sleeve, Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:44 (seventeen years ago)

Are you sure it's idiocy? I bet you can find several people on ILM who are not fond of each one of these albums. Overrated/overranked/overcanonized, have your pick as to the exact language but I think you can figure what I'm getting at.

The Brainwasher's post is a great example. I do enjoy Marvin Gaye, but it's nowhere near his best album.

ilxor, Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:49 (seventeen years ago)

Also keep in mind I personally enjoy a handful of these albums, but tried to select 40 that are highly canonized, widely heard and any listener with an ounce of discernment, discretion and personal taste should be able to pick out what they think is overrated here.

ilxor, Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:51 (seventeen years ago)

gis results for "challop":

http://www.collider.com/uploads/imageGallery/Be_Kind_Rewind/be_kind_rewind_movie_image_jack_black_and_mos_def.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:52 (seventeen years ago)

Wow, you're right! All of those DO suck! I finally see it!

billstevejim, Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:52 (seventeen years ago)

http://flabonde.free.fr/pix/jr/jan%20hammer.gif

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:52 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.movieactors.com/actors/Freezes-Characters/jfk305donald.jpeg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:53 (seventeen years ago)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/SoundAndFury.JPG

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:53 (seventeen years ago)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/472124207_a003dbd7cc.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:54 (seventeen years ago)

http://soundbiteblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/vultures.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:54 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/original/toilet%20flush.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:55 (seventeen years ago)

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/bozcrow/nailyale.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:55 (seventeen years ago)

Ramones vs Ramones

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:56 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.artloversnewyork.com/zine/wp-content/photos/coco_rosie.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:56 (seventeen years ago)

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/10/24/PH2007102401067.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:57 (seventeen years ago)

http://overstated.net/photos/random/harvardsucks.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:57 (seventeen years ago)

Wow, you're right! All of those DO suck! I finally see it!

Y'know, I asked you to vote for one album... not all of them.

ilxor, Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:58 (seventeen years ago)

http://republika.pl/blog_cm_651744/1219547/tr/garfield_nermal_1_.gif

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 17:58 (seventeen years ago)

In the last thirty years there has been much interest, conflict and uncertainty created by the idea of the 'canon'.

At its most basic, the canon is simply the collection of works or artists that have been widely accepted as the greatest in their field.

Yet such an apparently simple construct embodies a complicated web of values and mechanisms.

The canon is also usually considered to be an inherently elitist concept.

In the popular reception of rock music we are not only trying to organize the past, but also mediate the present, and any canon of rock music must now negotiate a far more pluralized culture, and possibly accept a greater degree of change than has been evident in the canons of literature and classical music in the last two centuries.

ilxor, Saturday, 18 April 2009 18:02 (seventeen years ago)

George Harrison. But this list is retarded.

xhuxk, Saturday, 18 April 2009 18:03 (seventeen years ago)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Cannon_Title_Screen.jpg

macarooni (omar little), Saturday, 18 April 2009 18:06 (seventeen years ago)

George Harrison. But this list is retarded.

― xhuxk, Saturday, 18 April 2009 18:03 (9 minutes ago)

I dunno man, when I used to read music monthlies (mid-late '80's - early '90's) it was the case that a whole bunch of shit was just taken for granted as being "great" and you'd never ever read a dissenting opinion that say "London Calling" (for instance, it being the one I voted for) is actually pretty some fucking tedious shit! It used to annoy the fuck out of me that the stuff I liked from the '70's woul;d never get a look in, just more rehashes about how Neil Young's suffering made for great art or some newly-discovered piece of Beatles trivia published for the first time ever, which is all OK, except it got very repetitive very quickly, and it seemed to go on for years. Also there was this weird cultural cringe thing going on w/r/t Britisher writers, in which they'd prop US acts to high heaven and totally ignore UYK acts for the most part. The only things I'd question are that a bunch of the titles listed I don't recall ever being canonised so in the Brit monthlies at least (plus a bunch of shit that did get canonised isn't there) and probably it's a bit late for this kind of kickback against it anyway, I mean no-one gives a shit anymore, right?

mroo (Pashmina), Saturday, 18 April 2009 18:21 (seventeen years ago)

Just to make a blanket statement that all of these albums are "extremely overrated" without any justification is asking for it though. I wonder about the person who started this thread, what kind of music do they like? Because if they listen to anything that is rock-oriented, they are probably listening to bands that learned a lot from the '70s bands listed here.

o. nate, Saturday, 18 April 2009 18:46 (seventeen years ago)

Most of those are great, but of course "The Payback" isn't.

Geir Hongro, Saturday, 18 April 2009 19:40 (seventeen years ago)

where is this list from, just ilxor's head?

listen to it...put yourself in los angeles (winston), Saturday, 18 April 2009 19:59 (seventeen years ago)

one of these:

The Beatles - Let It Be
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys
Paul Simon - Paul Simon

i voted band of gypsys.

abanana, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:01 (seventeen years ago)

Hmm... "Let It Be" is pretty weak for a Beatles album. "Rumours" is pretty overrated around ILM. I'm not crazy about Paul Simon, but I'm not sure if that record's really that overrated, I rarely hear it mentioned anyway. I'd probably have to go with "Dark Side of the Moon" though.

o. nate, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:05 (seventeen years ago)

never gotten much pleasure out of van halen (sorry, rockers) so them by a long shot.

tylerw, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:16 (seventeen years ago)

I would vote Sex Pistols, but there are so many albums on this list I don't see any reason to pick on any one of them too much

matinee, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:19 (seventeen years ago)

Who the hell has ever called "Let It Be" a masterpiece?

M.V., Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:27 (seventeen years ago)

it's a Beatles album, I'm sure plenty of people have called it a masterpice.

tylerw, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:30 (seventeen years ago)

or a masterpiece, even

tylerw, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:31 (seventeen years ago)

The Wall

Brad C., Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:35 (seventeen years ago)

Wow, you're right! All of those DO suck! I finally see it!

Y'know, I asked you to vote for one album... not all of them.

― ilxor, Saturday, April 18, 2009 5:58 PM (2 hours ago)

I think I better understand what was implied here.. but the title of this poll included the words "extreme overrated" which implies something different.. It means they don't deserve high ratings, which is not true. These are (almost) all very good albums. Like "Who's Next" for example.. i like every song on this record okay, but I never need to hear a note of it again for the rest of my life (except maybe "My Wife"..). The only ones here whose ratings are acccurate (IMO) are Buzzcocks and Sex Pistols, but the rest are rated very highly and probably should be rated just a bit lower.. theyre more 8's or 9's out of 10's, rather than 10's out of 10's.. and mostly overplayed.

billstevejim, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:36 (seventeen years ago)

And also The Cars is underrated if anything.

billstevejim, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:39 (seventeen years ago)

Never heard the Paul Simon album, but all the rest I enjoy. They range from good to unbelievably great.

Mark, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:39 (seventeen years ago)

Paul Simon might be my fave record of the bunch

tylerw, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:42 (seventeen years ago)

These records are all so bad I'm LOLling. Led Zeppelin? The Clash? James Brown? So boring. The only people making good records in that godforsaken decade were Faust, Ennio Morricone and the experimental Zurich scene.

kornrulez6969, Saturday, 18 April 2009 20:44 (seventeen years ago)

Reminds me of the Steven Wright gag: "I got this tape for my car, 'The Best of Music', I only like the first side..."

Dr X O'Skeleton, Saturday, 18 April 2009 21:17 (seventeen years ago)

"Rumours" is pretty overrated around ILM.

It is? From what I can tell, ILX feels Tusk >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Rumours. Not sure I've read much about Rumours on ILX, at least in the past few years, but that "Name 50 Great Things About Tusk" thread keeps bobbing up to the top of the New Answers board every so often.

Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 18 April 2009 21:36 (seventeen years ago)

We played the James Brown album at an after work party, recently. Timeless and underrated in my opinion.

I voted Marvin Gaye. I don't hate the album, but I could never understand all the universal praise it gets.

nicky lo-fi, Saturday, 18 April 2009 22:05 (seventeen years ago)

Is Band of Gypsies really that overrated? I rarely see anyone mentioning it as a Great album.

President Keyes, Saturday, 18 April 2009 22:07 (seventeen years ago)

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson

people let me tell ya 'bout my best troll

velko, Saturday, 18 April 2009 22:11 (seventeen years ago)

it's a Beatles album, I'm sure plenty of people have called it a masterpice.

You'd be hard pressed to find even hardcore Beatles fans who would consider "Let It Be" a masterpiece.

Geir Hongro, Saturday, 18 April 2009 22:52 (seventeen years ago)

Well, it was the only 70s Beatles record, and he HAD to include at least one of them!

Stephen's not really a troll - I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker, like he's the official spokesperson

Myonga Vön Bontee, Saturday, 18 April 2009 22:56 (seventeen years ago)

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker, like he's the official spokesperson

:-x

ilxor, Saturday, 18 April 2009 22:57 (seventeen years ago)

Not really, there's a lot of albums I like but I still think are overrated

Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 11:58 (seventeen years ago)

The Specials got my vote.

My Neighbor Toronto (kingkongvsgodzilla), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 12:14 (seventeen years ago)

The Wall or London Calling, easily.

Exile On Main Street and There's A Riot Goin' On, on the other hand, are not overrated enough!

Marco Damiani, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 13:08 (seventeen years ago)

Wall or Bollocks for me.

now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 13:41 (seventeen years ago)

there's a lot of bullshit of surf's up, too. but then there are like 4 songs which are amazing, so...

now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 13:42 (seventeen years ago)

heart of the congos is amazing!

― just sayin, martes 21 de abril de 2009 10:56 (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

YES

Turangalila, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 13:43 (seventeen years ago)

Don't understand why Band Of Gypsies is on this list, and not one of Hendrix' earlier albums with The Experience if you really want to tip a sacred cow. BOG really isn't that rated, or that good. That's my vote.

Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 14:09 (seventeen years ago)

The others were all released in the 1960s, and are awesome.

My Neighbor Toronto (kingkongvsgodzilla), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 14:11 (seventeen years ago)

^ OTM

Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 14:13 (seventeen years ago)

I must learn to remember thread title at top after reading all the way to bottom.

Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 14:13 (seventeen years ago)

ha, just about all these albums are pretty great and i think i'd be bummed if never heard them again tbh

mark cl, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 18:21 (seventeen years ago)

I really, really like Heart of the Congos, but sometimes I wonder - is it just a teensy bit boring? A crisis that the song Fisherman exemplifies. And for all of the brilliance of the 'Every morning the black sunrise' lyric the confusion of arks in Ark of the Covenant does mildly put me off an otherwise amazing song. Can anyone justify this confusion and thus liberate the song for me to enjoy unreservedly (not including lolnet analysis of type 'brilliant conflation of the two Ark stories in LSP's etc')?

Abbe Black Tentacle (GamalielRatsey), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 18:31 (seventeen years ago)

*The only reggae album I can stand is "Heart of the Congos"*

That's exactly it - it sounds to me like reggae for people who aren't that into reggae.

excuse me, brutality here? (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 19:29 (seventeen years ago)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Joshua_Clover_05.jpg

•--• --- --- •--• (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 19:47 (seventeen years ago)

grandma never likes the records the kids are playing

macarooni (omar little), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 19:51 (seventeen years ago)

xxp you must be confused

http://pasembur.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bob-marley-legend.jpg

mark cl, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 20:18 (seventeen years ago)

but anyways re: 'heart of the congos' i think it's pretty good but i do agree that it can be a little boring. tons of reggae i like a lot more, and def. a lot of LSP that i like a lot more too

mark cl, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 20:19 (seventeen years ago)

The only reggae album I can stand is "Heart of the Congos"

Lots of rating (or overrating) on there.

― Jamie T Smith, Tuesday, April 21, 2009 6:24 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark

lol ilm thread i started sincerely, never followed up on. since that time i have bought one more reggae album--police and thieves. it is more boring than heart of the congos imo.

call all destroyer, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 20:30 (seventeen years ago)

who is that beej?

call all destroyer, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 20:38 (seventeen years ago)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/13/15700696_9a9b6873bd.jpg

•--• --- --- •--• (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 20:58 (seventeen years ago)

Voted for Suggest Ban.

The-Reverend (rev), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 22:05 (seventeen years ago)

Hi.

This thread is nonsense.

(Not meaning the posts on it)

Mark G, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 10:51 (seventeen years ago)

who is that beej?

― call all destroyer, Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:38 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

noted female pop critic jane dark of the blog "jane dark's sugarhigh!"

some dude, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 12:49 (seventeen years ago)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/49/131020731_147bb2c3c7.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/268114159_4d4fbe0c28.jpg

Joshua Clover is a UC Davis professor of English and an accomplished professional writer. He also happens to own an amazing t-shirt that says "Who the Fuck Is Mick Jagger?" on it. Clover said he bought it because he didn't understand it. Other awesome shirts include "Piece Now" (with a large picture of a gun), "I (heart) Baile Funk," and "WWCD?" (What Would Courtney Love Do).

•--• --- --- •--• (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 22 April 2009 15:26 (seventeen years ago)

This guy Clover is fucking serious. He doesn't mess around. the question "Who the fuck is Mick Jagger" is one that I will ponder heavily today, because it is so fucking genius. i have no idea how the lucky people at Prof. Clover's poetry reading in that picture above could concentrate on his art after having been presented with such a profound question.

Bill Magill, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 15:39 (seventeen years ago)

clover does 'the tuck' when he writes as jane, i bet

― gear (gear), Wednesday, February 1, 2006

velko, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 15:42 (seventeen years ago)

did 'jane dark' used to write for spin in the late 90s?

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 15:43 (seventeen years ago)

anyway this thread is easy to me:

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson

never really dug him for some reason.

4,000 hoes in blackburn, lancashire (M@tt He1ges0n), Wednesday, 22 April 2009 15:44 (seventeen years ago)

apart from Jump into the Fire who gives one shit?

Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 22 April 2009 19:24 (seventeen years ago)

oh, dark side of the moon is on this? that wins...

hard-core Anglophilic ass kisser (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 23 April 2009 09:43 (seventeen years ago)

so then, who the fuck is Mick Jagger again???

\m/ anger on stick \m/ (Ioannis), Thursday, 23 April 2009 10:00 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Friday, 24 April 2009 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Im going to go listen to these albums and not vote on this.

filthy dylan, Saturday, 25 April 2009 04:34 (seventeen years ago)

Suit yourself.

You can pretend you like all 40 but we all know it's not true.

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Saturday, 25 April 2009 04:38 (seventeen years ago)

Compelled to challenge that ridiculous assertion, but I admit that I don't really like The Wall at all; so, uh, that. Usually, however: "Your favourite albums are awful and you're an idiot with terrible taste" >>>>>>>> "Your favourite albums are awful and you're only pretending to like them".

I just wish you hadn't incorporated my critique of your "ilxor" moniker into your NEW moniker!

I wish he hadn't adapted my critique of his "ilxor" moniker (Myonga Vön Bontee), Saturday, 25 April 2009 09:24 (seventeen years ago)

Mick Jagger, dudes!!!

\m/ anger on stick \m/ (Ioannis), Saturday, 25 April 2009 10:11 (seventeen years ago)

Disappointed at the lukewarm response to 'Heart of the Congos'. The reissue on Blood & Fire is sufficient reason not to smash Mick Huckanll's face with a brick repeatedly.

featuring Strawberry and the Shortcakes (Billy Dods), Saturday, 25 April 2009 10:35 (seventeen years ago)

I just wish you hadn't incorporated my critique of your "ilxor" moniker into your NEW moniker!

My bad. It's gone now. :-)

ilxor, Saturday, 25 April 2009 13:18 (seventeen years ago)

Just kidding.

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Saturday, 25 April 2009 13:41 (seventeen years ago)

anyway this thread is easy to me:

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson

never really dug him for some reason.

Can this album even be considered canonic? It kind of doesn't doesn't fit with the rest of those albums.

QuantumNoise, Saturday, 25 April 2009 14:49 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Saturday, 25 April 2009 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

pink flolyd

velko, Saturday, 25 April 2009 23:10 (seventeen years ago)

Need to see the SB total to make a fair comparison.

Easy Hippo Rider (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 25 April 2009 23:23 (seventeen years ago)

Makes me a little sad how much The Wall is hated. It means a lot to alienated 14-year-olds across the land and has for 30 years. You need to listen to it with the mindset of a kid. It's like reading A Separate Peace or something.

Mark, Saturday, 25 April 2009 23:24 (seventeen years ago)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/noodle_vague/Chinatown.jpg

Easy Hippo Rider (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 25 April 2009 23:26 (seventeen years ago)

Do you all know that the oh-so-cool t-shirt is the same one worn by Keith in like 72 or something?

iago g., Saturday, 25 April 2009 23:29 (seventeen years ago)

a worthy winner

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 26 April 2009 11:29 (seventeen years ago)

there's a lot of bullshit of surf's up, too. but then there are like 4 songs which are amazing, so...

― now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 13:42 (5 days ago)

^^rong. upon reflection there are 5 great songs and 3 other pretty good ones. don't know wtf i was talking about.

nashville - spiritual home of the cougar (will), Sunday, 26 April 2009 14:14 (seventeen years ago)

Disappointed at the lukewarm response to 'Heart of the Congos'. The reissue on Blood & Fire is sufficient reason not to smash Mick Huckanll's face with a brick repeatedly.

― featuring Strawberry and the Shortcakes (Billy Dods), Saturday, 25 April 2009 10:35 (Yesterday) Permalink

Confused -- you would have liked to see more votes for it?

eggy mule (Hurting 2), Sunday, 26 April 2009 17:15 (seventeen years ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.