Most critically loved band

musicismylife78

I would have to say the only real answer is Radiohead. Sure there are music legends like Uncle neil and Bruce, but even their albums sometimes get low reviews and bad reviews.

Anytime anything by Radiohead comes out critics love it and drool over it, thats not to say the albums dont deserve serious praise.

So, what musicians new albums will inevitably be met with love and praise?

Besides Radiohead the only other person I can think of is Bob Dylan, but I dont think his 80's period got much love.

Radiohead has gotten mindblowing reviews for pretty much every single album since Pablo Honey.

Fans response is another issue as it seems some dont like Hail.

Red_Dot

U2

Im not a fan myself, but they will always be praised.

musicismylife78

interesting pick with u2. On the surface it seems to work but was the praise for zooropa, actung and pop positive? I dont think they got high marks for the albums from critics, but I may be wrong.

Radiohead seem one of the more interesting and odd bands in musical history. No matter WHAT they do critics love them, which makes it all the more odd.

They started out as this Nirvana copycat band, Creeps a great song but it was a typical song of the 1990's. And they were loved for that album and song. Then when Radiohead went completely out there with Kid A, and Amnesiac and Ok Computer, critics STILL loved them. And when they released In Rainbows which is the most conventional and normal sounding Radiohead album in ages, critics STILL loved them.

I dont see that with any other band including U2. U2 went experimental for the albums I listed above. They didnt go as out there are radiohead. But I dont think critics loved those works. Fan response may be a different issue though.

Radiohead went from normal sounding rock band with Creep, to one of the more experimental phases in modern rock history with Ok Computer, Kid A and Amnesiac. And then became a normal band again with rather conventional songs with In Rainbows. And through it all, critics have praised every single album as a classic.

I cant think of any other band frankly where this happened. Sure there are critical darlings. but when those bands step out of the conventional and become experimental, critics tend to back off and say "hey what happened to this guy?".

soulsinging

M.G wrote:

U2

Im not a fan myself, but they will always be praised.

Pop got destroyed by critics. As did Rattle & Hum.

South of Seattle

The Beatles

musicismylife78

very interesting choice with the beatles. Modern day critics and myself often think of the beatles albums with almost religious fervor. these are perfect albums.

But again, though Rubber Soul and Sgt Peppers and Revolver or beloved now, in those days, in the 60's did critics love the beatles albums? Was Sgt Peppers met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, was Revolver, as those were the albums where the beatles started to experiment.

Was every Beatles album beloved at the time of their release?

LONGRD

radiohead33 wrote:

Fans response is another issue as it seems some dont like Hail.

This is so true with me. I hate HTTT!

I don't read or care about critics that much when it comes to "already established" bands/artists.

milarso

COLDPLAY

Personally, I cannot stand them, but everything I read or hear about them says how wonderful they are...

CHANGEinWAVES

milarso wrote:

COLDPLAY

Personally, I cannot stand them, but everything I read or hear about them says how wonderful they are...

+1 :roll:

musicismylife78

coldplay is a good one and seems to fit the formula. They had a hit with parachutes and critics have loved everything including the new album

CHANGEinWAVES

radiohead33 wrote:

coldplay is a good one and seems to fit the formula. They had a hit with parachutes and critics have loved everything including the new album

yes even though it was crap :?

milarso

radiohead33 wrote:

coldplay is a good one and seems to fit the formula. They had a hit with parachutes and critics have loved everything including the new album

It's funny, too, that you mentioned Radiohead as your first choice.
I think I read something where Chris Martin declared Coldplay, "Radiohead Light"...

Who Princess

radiohead33 wrote:

very interesting choice with the beatles. Modern day critics and myself often think of the beatles albums with almost religious fervor. these are perfect albums.

But again, though Rubber Soul and Sgt Peppers and Revolver or beloved now, in those days, in the 60's did critics love the beatles albums? Was Sgt Peppers met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, was Revolver, as those were the albums where the beatles started to experiment.

Was every Beatles album beloved at the time of their release?

Yes.
Old fart that I am, I was around then and I remember.

But don't just take my word for it. They were the most popular artists of their day. Not only that, until the Beatles came along nobody bought albums. They bought singles. Their early albums were popular but the 3 you've mentioned were critical successes.

dave grolsch

the mars volta get great reviews,i havent"got" them yet though it usually takes me ten years to catch up,led zep dont have many critics tho do they.EDIT- pink floyd as well

PJGARDEN

Rolling Stones - I like the Stones but I just don't know that they're worth all the industry cred they get.

prytocorduroy

I never hear an unkind word about Zep. But I'm not a superfan that reads up all I can on them, just give me the music.

musicismylife78

Led Zeppelin are another one of those bands where you would think they would have been loved, but werent. I mean who wouldnt have gone absolutely bonkers when Zoso was released?

Led Zeppelin were and are notorious in that critics hated the music, when it was released. Rolling Stone hated them and much the same from other critics.

Sian-of-the-dead

dave grolsch wrote:

the mars volta get great reviews,i havent"got" them yet though it usually takes me ten years to catch up,led zep dont have many critics tho do they.EDIT- pink floyd as well

For me, Pink Floyd are one of the few bands that deserve the 'hype' they get. In fact, I think they're better than critics give them credit for.

Zeppelin (IMO) CONSTANTLY have the music media up their arse now (granted, maybe not when they first arrived on the music scene). I like Zeppelin but sometimes, all the media bullshit (especially when there's one off gigs or solo/duet albums :roll: ) pisses me right off.

Mars Volta - I don't get it either

PJGARDEN wrote:

Rolling Stones - I like the Stones but I just don't know that they're worth all the industry cred they get.

Yep, again, they tick the 'over-hyped' box for me.

Others include...

The Smiths (and Morrissey), Radiohead, KoL and The Beatles.

soulsinging

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

For me, Pink Floyd are one of the few bands that deserve the 'hype' they get. In fact, I think they're better than critics give them credit for.

Zeppelin (IMO) CONSTANTLY have the music media up their arse now (granted, maybe not when they first arrived on the music scene). I like Zeppelin but sometimes, all the media bullshit (especially when there's one off gigs or solo/duet albums :roll: ) pisses me right off.

Pink Floyd is better than Led Zeppelin.

thunderDAN

I think Bruce Springsteen sucks, I don't understand why critics love him so much. His biggest hits are some of the most bland lyrics ever. Unless you are a union worker living in New Jersey, it's hard to get into him. I mean 'Born to Run' is about leaving work, and 'Working on the Highway' is about, well, working on the Highway.

Now Radiohead, they are fantastic and are still the best and most talented band in the world. I would classify them as both under and over rated at the same time

Coldplay is very overrated too

musicismylife78

thunderDAN wrote:

I think Bruce Springsteen sucks, I don't understand why critics love him so much. His biggest hits are some of the most bland lyrics ever. Unless you are a union worker living in New Jersey, it's hard to get into him. I mean 'Born to Run' is about leaving work, and 'Working on the Highway' is about, well, working on the Highway.

Now Radiohead, they are fantastic and are still the best and most talented band in the world. I would classify them as both under and over rated at the same time

Coldplay is very overrated too

Too simplistic of an interpretation.

Fortune mag and Time and others have done studies on how many people like their jobs, how many people are in fact doing work they actually love. Surprise Surprise, something like 70 plus percent hate their work. So I dont think you have to be a union worker t like bruce. You just have to be in that majority of america, the majority who do work that they hate. Born to Run is more than a song or an album about leaving work too. in fact, go to his shows, it isnt only a bunch of blue collar workers, alhtough that certainly is part of his audience.

ZosoCat

the beatles, radiohead and neil young were/are seldom bagged. U2 I would say are no where near as popular with the critic's as people would think.

thunderDAN

Honestly though, Radiohead has never really made an album that is worth being overly critical about. Their worst effort in my opinion is Pablo Honey- saying that, it's still better than 95% of albums out there. The worst criticism they got was maybe Amnesiac, which is better than about 99% of albums. I don't even really care for In Rainbows, but it's still as good of an album as you will get from a band in 2008- I just don't like it as much as their other albums

Sian-of-the-dead

soulsinging wrote:

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

For me, Pink Floyd are one of the few bands that deserve the 'hype' they get. In fact, I think they're better than critics give them credit for.

Zeppelin (IMO) CONSTANTLY have the music media up their arse now (granted, maybe not when they first arrived on the music scene). I like Zeppelin but sometimes, all the media bullshit (especially when there's one off gigs or solo/duet albums :roll: ) pisses me right off.

Pink Floyd is better than Led Zeppelin.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better.

JordyWordy

i think HTTT was just a bit all over the place, there was too much going on in it: the "White Album" syndrome. Nothing specific, just tons of different styles. thats why i love both those albums.

In Rainbows though, is the Radiohead album i listen to most now. I never thought id stop listening to Kid A or OK, but there are no real weak songs on In Rainbows for me. Sure, its not groundbreaking or innovative by Radiohead standards, its them playing within rules theyve already set themselves, but writing VERY strong songs. Also the b-sides and alternate versions for Rainbows are great too.


U2 arent loved by critics as far as I can see, since Achtung Baby every album is accused of having U2 "also-rans", cliched bland U2 songs. Which they do, still good songs though. some U2 songs are much stronger live, stripped of all the studio bullshit (Ground Beneath her feet, Stay!, Please, Kite, Staring At The Sun, Original of species)....but some of their finest moments are thanks to studiotrickery/effects. they need to get the balance right when making the album, they can never seem to decide what the best version of a song is.

DewieCox

Beatles, hands down. Even Paul's new music is adored.

corduroy10

Wilco - I wholeheartedly agree with the critics.
Pavement - never heard a song but the band and their records seemed to get named dropped in every mag as one of the most influential and important alternative records of the nineties next to Nirvana's Nevermind.

DewieCox

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

For me, Pink Floyd are one of the few bands that deserve the 'hype' they get. In fact, I think they're better than critics give them credit for.

Zeppelin (IMO) CONSTANTLY have the music media up their arse now (granted, maybe not when they first arrived on the music scene). I like Zeppelin but sometimes, all the media bullshit (especially when there's one off gigs or solo/duet albums :roll: ) pisses me right off.

Pink Floyd is better than Led Zeppelin.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better.

How so, personal preferences aside?

I am as sick as the next guy over the reunion rumors, but it was the exact same stuff when Floyd reunited.

Zeppelin was a better unit and had better musicians overall. They covered alot more ground musically too.

I think the fact that Page and Plant have done Zep songs, but never like they used to be, speaks volumes when coupled with the fact that Waters and Gilmour have toured extensively with different bands and sometimes bettered the classic lineup.

Cob

Ryan Adams..........

South of Seattle

The Arcade Fire.

Awful, but loved by everyone and their mother.

Lifted

i agree with radiohead.

arcade fire so far has gotten rave reviews on their only two albums.
sonic youth is loved by critics as well.

i gotta agree with the critics on those three bands. all are worthy of praise.

sometimes the critics boggle my mind though, like fleet foxes...a descent band that is way overrated. was that album really that perfect? i don't think so. you would also thing that animal collective just released revolver until you listen to it. another pretty good band that is getting way too much praise.