Singers/musicians who are underrated or overlooked due to their genre of music?

Bring Me The Horizon hail from Stocksbridge and have been on a steady upwards trajectory for a number of years now. This year's Reading and Leeds Fests got them lots of acclaim and it was strongly rumoured that they were getting the nod for Download this year. Nice to see Download giving the opportunity to some fresher blood to headline.

 

Currently, I feel the Unthanks are overlooked. Critically acclaimed yet still playing in relatively small venues their vocal harmonies and story telling are outstanding. Also, the band leader and pianist is from the Barnsley area

 

I would say Nick Drake and Jefferson Starship are both really undervalued artists, as are the Grateful Dead.

 

Townes Van Zandt another vastly underrated artist.

 

I thought it was Parfitt? Written when he lived in Jersey because he used to moan about paying too much tax.

Parfitt also wrote Rain, which is another monster riff.

 

Yeah you're right. Had it in my head it was Lancaster for some reason.

 

In the mainstream, definitely. The all time greatest songwriter for many in the know..

 

There are few bands that are generally unknown to 9 out of 10 people but whose back catalogue is worth listening to.

The most overlooked band I can think of with whose musical ability is genuinely jaw-dropping are Cardiacs and Tim Smith. I dismissed them in the 80s as mentalists - well, they are a bit, but truly unique.



Another band are Wire, who never quite became a household name like other punk/post-punk bands but who were extremely influential.



I'd also recommend Alberto y Los Trios Paranoias and King of the Slums.

 

Wire originally split in 1979. When they reformed in the mid-80s, they hired a Wire cover band (The ex-Lion Tamers) to open the tour for them and play the older songs...

 

Just looked at the Download line-up for next year and see that Evanescence are returning after appearing at the first one. We were sat backstage at the table next to them when they were playing at the first Download and they had just broken through. I've never seen any group of people so happy just to be there. I might not like their music, but am pleased they are still going strong.

 

J.J.Burnel bassist with the most underated band ever The Stranglers.

 

Steven Wilson

 

Kelly Clarkson. She's only had one number one single in the UK and that was for one week. She doesn't court controversy or live her career by the sex sells motto so hasn't reached the level of Britney, Christina, Gaga etc. When it's just about the voice stood at a mic in trousers and a top it's much harder for a woman singer to get noticed compared to music videos like Dirty or Baby One More Time or Dip It Low.

Then again she has three Grammy awards, her own star on the Hollywood walk of fame and worth around $45 million so she's not done too badly.

 

I saw them at Donny soon after Rattus had been released and it is still the best live performance, from a quality of music point of view, I’ve seen.
Never the same without Cornwell

 

Great tune they did with the lovely Sigrid and quite the motivational song with the lyrics.