When i look at my CD-collection i see a lot of artists in there that should have been 'big stars' in my opinion, just because of the quality of their music, but who somehow werent able to get further then being 'critics darlings' or who 'survived' by playing for a small, but solid fanbase for years and years.

To name a few:
- King's X
- Urban Dance Squad
- Lyle Lovett
- Matthew Sweet
- Teenage Fanclub
- The Jayhawks
- The Posies
- Grant McLennan (formerly known as G.W. McLennan)

I am curious about your choices.

Easily it would have to be A-ha

Though they are now talked about by fellow musicians as being influences they are totally ignored in the USA as being a one-hit wonder, though they have recorded 8 studio albums, tons of solo stuff and are currently kicking ass in the UK charts once again. The thing that is frustrating is that a-ha are responsible for the "sounds" that the USA loves, bands like Coldplay are nothing more than A-ha slightly younger and a little more rockier. U2 site a-ha as a misjudged band, that were always lumped in with the teen idol thing because of their looks but always ignored as musicians.

lastdecember said:

you know, i keep hearing this, and then i forget to check them out. i want to.

The Toadies
The Fall

Riverpoet31 said:

I'll go along with that one 100%


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Cyndi Lauper. She is the only artist, I repeat, the ONLY artist I can think of who did their best work long after their commercial heyday. To this day many people still have a cartoon image of her running around TV studios with orange hair singing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, but the news is, she didn't really come into her own until the 90s with fantastic songs like "Hatful Of Stars", "Who Let In The Rain", and Product Of Misery" by which time she was in her 40s and the public had long since stopped paying attention. She's now in a situation where she can't get new material released and has been reduced to doing covers albums ( 2003's At Last, which I have to say is a stunning album) and re-recordings of her classic hits( 2005's The Body Acoustic which I haven't bought because I don't need yet another version of Time After Time, even if it was one of the best songs of the 80s).

I forgot to mention she's also one of the best live performers I've ever seen, and I've seen them all.

is just thinking about Kings X - Its love.... a classic track that should have been very high in the top 100 popsongs of all time

I nominate Me'Shell She has a loyal and dedicated fanbase but in a world where video hos go gold, this woman is consistently ignored by both the public and the critics. Shame really.

theAudience said:

Yes.
Fishbone also.
And in a whole other spectrum,
Super Furry Animals.
I don't think that they are underrated so much as no one knows who they are around here. Especially in the U.S.

madartista said:

U really should it is well worth the effort. If u are going to check them out I would start with their latest "ANALOGUE" and work backwards from their just to see the growth of a band and How your best work comes Later in life not earlier, at least creative and artistically, not always true BUT true with alot of bands. As for their solo work I would have to say A-ha Member (MAGNE FURHOLMEN) solo cd from early 2005 is amazing, its called Past Perfect Future Tense, its under the name MAGNE F, in stores that sell imports.

whoknows said:

OMG I saw her live when Hat Full of Stars came out. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

lastdecember said:

thanks for the info!

lastdecember said:

starting with Memorial Beach. i just bought it on itunes.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

and has yet to release a mediocre album.....which will not happen! One of the most consistent artists around when it comes to quality.....

Riverpoet31 said:

Because Rage Against the Machine came along and stole their style and were screaming: 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!'

UBS was one of the best dutch bands ever!

madartista said:

A good choice, the album was a-ha at a crossroad, after that record they called it quits for awhile. Members of a-ha feel that record was a mixed bag, some good songs, overproduced though. Memorial Beach was a strange turn coming off of 1990's "East of the Sun West of the Moon" which was a very Artistic step for a-ha, it represented a Live band sound as opposed to the 80's synth days. Memorial Beach is a more rocky record, though some classic a-ha songs are on their, especially Dark is the Night. When a-ha reunited in 1998 they really became the creative force they are today, 2000's Minor Earth 2002's Lifelines and 2005's ANalogue are 3 perfect records.

Jobriath.
Sparks.
Kate Bush.
Daft Punk(Before Discovery,Human After All)
Rozz Williams
Darby Crash
Diamanda Galas(I Think)
Virgin Prunes
Gavin Friday
and others.

well is this my opinion after all.

madartista said:

She is a truly great lost treasure. There are very few performers who can really grip me on stage. I can usually see they're either trying too hard or not trying hard enough, but she is so expressive and focused that you can't help getting lost in what she does. It's a shame so few people have seen this side of her.

weepingwall said:

that leaves us only one good album in 10 years.....'Homework'

guess there not underrated for nothing....

abierman said:

true...

I'd include Curtis Mayfield (a seriously great singer/songwriter/guitarist.

Also roots reggae master Burning Spear. He's been standing in the shadow of Bob Marley for too long.

Oh, and round here I'd definitely have to say Brian Wilson/ Beach Boys. The amount of threads on here about the Beatles but next to no respect for Brian Wilson, a man who did alone what Lennon/McCartney and George Martin did together, ie. peerless, timeless pop composer/musician/arranger/producer.

And he finally gave us 'Smile' - the greatest work in pop music since George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue'! I really like 'Sgt Pepper' but the finished 'Smile' crushes it.

Donny Hathaway comes to mind

Sam Cooke
Me'shell
King's X
Mint Condition

panther514 said:

I'll second that.
I had King's X in my list as well.

The Judybats.

One of my personal all time favorite bands.

And I know, you've never heard of them.

weepingwall said:

What?

Discovery is a good album

I nominate:
Bobby Conn, Junior Senior

Does anyone know 'Jolly Ship the Whiz-bang'? They are the mad note!

FOLEY
after hearing his latest trk.

Of course the ultimate in underrated rock artists would have to be Todd Rundgren. It's bizarre that many of his compositions aren't classics known by everyone, and being regularily played on the radio.

However many of these names on the lists above I do not consider underrated by any means (Kate Bush? C'mon every student girl in the world has Kate Bush CDs). And artists like Me'Shell or Mint Condition are pretty much in the sales bracket where their style of music genuinely belongs to. It's a conscious choice to choose the style of music you are going to do under your artist moniker. A lot of artists get far less recognition then these names, typical sales figures for an underground artist is only from a couple of thousand CDs, globally. These names easily surpass those figures, even if their songs would have never been honestly speaking of that much commercial potential. And as far as for Curtis Mayfield goes, well if you're considered as one of the five greatest soul icons of last Century I wouldn't call that being especially criminally underrated.

But of course, good music is good music in the end.