Overrated rock bands? Whoever the fuck said U2. Jesus christ, was there ever a more boring and irrelevant band than U2? Fucking terrible and I never understood how anyone could stand them. As for underrated I'm not really sure as I didn't really pay any attention to 90's rock past grade 6 or 7. There were decent bands that I wouldn't object to hearing like Our Lady Peace. But I remember most of those bands being just too slow and a bit boring for what I was looking for at that time, and honestly probably the same now. But if someone has them on at a party or sometimes my partner plays them, I don't mind them.

I also think its weird to call a band like Stone Temple Pilots underrated. At least over here they seemed pretty well liked and popular, regularly on the radio, playing fests, and not as though they were unknown or something.



I disagree completely with The Offspring being underrated. They were one of the biggest and most popular of the "pop punk" bands in the '90s along with Green Day. Practically everyone I knew then owned Ixnay on the Hombre or Americana since at that time this stuff was still pretty popular among the "cool kids" types around here. The Offspring were one of those quintessential popular "rebellious tween/teen" bands that everyone seemed into.

Slint have 2 albums and an EP (the latter being 2 instrumental outtakes from the 2 album sessions). The first album is a real oddball. All the songs are named after the members' parents and then another is named after somebody's dog or something like that. Its the album you buy after hearing Spiderland, hoping for more of the magic of Spiderland and not finding it. If it weren't for Spiderland it would have disappeared into obscurity long ago. Spiderland IS a masterpiece for sure, but there's 2 reasons I wouldn't list them as one of the most underrated bands of the '90s. One is sort of technical. Slint barely existed in the '90s. Spiderland came out in '91 and the band had already split after recording it. The second is that tons of praise has been heaped upon that band and that album. It routinely makes all sorts of "Best of the 90s", and "Best Alternative" type lists. Slint was never going to reach a mass audience but for the type of audience that they would appeal to (underground indie types) they are almost overrated.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I think Blind Melon is the most underrated band of the 90s. They have often been regarded as a one hit wonder with "No Rain", and while it is a fantastic single, I don't think it's indicative of their overall style and unfortunately it has suffered from being overplayed a bit. It really is too bad, as they had one of the tightest sounds of any rock band from the 90s. A grunge rock approach from a southern band with plenty of jam inspiration thrown into the mix. Excellent musicianship from their bassist and guitarists, superb singing from the late Shannon Hoon (like the male reincarnation of Janis Joplin) and absolutely stellar song writing. Their self titled album is flawless, with every track being perfect (a feat I can only ascribe to Pearl Jam's Ten as far as 90s rock goes), and 'Soup' was a mature album too far ahead of it's time to be properly appreciated.

I don't think anything is more overrated than pop grunge cashing in on the Nirvana explosion, like Smashing Pumpkins or ESPECIALLY Bush. And I hate myself for still liking some of their songs, because they're the most vapid thing to exist.

Then again the bands cashing in on the sucess of Green Day and The Offspring that was inexplicable to begin with take uselessness to a whole new level.

In general, ALL bands that get big by aping a hugely successful trend.

Also, all bands that rose to fame exclusively by their singer coaxing Kurt Cobain into marriage for mass media exposure are so worthless that they should never even be mentioned by name and already shouldn't have in the 90s.

You guys remember Weezer? I grew up with their albums (especially the Green album) but a part of me believes they really didn't amount to their full potential despite getting a huge following. Had some pretty big songs. Haven't bothered keeping up with them in years but I still have good memories of the Green album.

So many bands from the 90s that sprung up, died, or somehow survived. Many of them have been brought up in this thread.

How about one that no one's mentioned yet... Dave Matthews Band. Not really the angle that most in this thread would see but in terms of vanilla horseshit you better plug your ears. Anyone who's been in a law office has been subjected to this band, oddly a go-to band for attorneys. The thing is that they are giants in their genre, yet I just don't know who decided this band would be as well known as they are.

Also, that guy who said Creed. Spot on.

Did anyone say Mad Season? Above was a great record, too bad they didn't do more.

I understand that but I'm thinking underrated in the sense that in all seriousness I would say that they made some of the best albums by any band since 1990. Most people don't seem to agree with that viewpoint though, or find it odd that those albums should be considered as classics.

The Offspring were to pop punk what Limp Bizkit were to nu metal. Massively popular and overrated, they really shouldn't be included as an underrated band despite whatever grandiose personal value you have. Because if they're underrated than Blink 182 is underrated and Green Day is underrated. Sorry but there's a reason for that. There's a thread for best non-metal albums that your love of The Offspring would work much better in.

I always thought Dave Matthews Band was incredibly boring. Neither good nor terrible, overrated nor underrated, but just the musical equivalent of stale saltine crackers- flat, bland, dry, and no flavor whatsoever. Perfect dentist office waiting room music- to fall asleep to. Same thing with Hootie and the Blowfish- they were like some mediocre college dorm rock jam band who inexplicably got popular (Rich uncle who worked at a record label or something?)

Weezer on the other hand- at best, they had some good, catchy, guitar-driven pop songs that reminded me a bit of the Ramones, and while the music really didn't have a whole lot of substance, I actually LIKED Weezer.

Offspring were okay, some decent pop-punk stuff, but some really terrible stuff too (the "Give it to me baby" song) and I would just consider them typical 90's rock n'roll. Again, neither overrated nor underrated, just...dated.

Creed, Nickelback, Stained- There were a whole lot of those rather interchangeable mopey angsty hard rock bands out there from the latter half of the 1990s and they were all pretty much overrated as heck.

Random mention for a kind of underrated band in the world and kind of overrated band in Germany: Fury in the Slaughterhouse is a German rock band that in Germany is as popular if not more so than Scorpions, but somehow never made much of a wave abroad. Strange, annoying as their being overplayed is, they got some insanely catchy songs.

Low certainly deserves a mention in the underrated category. Surprised no one mentioned them yet. When rock was all about getting bigger and louder in the early 90s they slowed and quietened things down, bringing dynamics, intimacy and sincerity to the forefront.