(this was cross-posted to my music blog
A Future in Noise, and here for your perusal!)
Here, by 'underrated', I'm referring to artists that I enjoy that have a relative lack of mainstream acclaim and appeal in the present, though many (if not all) of the artists below have been critically acclaimed and some even did reasonably well sales-wise in their heyday. Check out the list below of my picks for best underrated bands, suggestions from Tumblr users, and be sure to name your personal favorites in the comments!
The Cars
Why They're Great: Ah, where to begin...The Cars are easily one of my most favorite bands ever, and while they've been reasonably respected by critics, particularly for their initial '78 album (one of the rare 5-star getters in my library at Rate Your Music), they continue to be underrated by a great many of those young enough to not have fond memories of hearing these tracks when they first came out. Luckily, I heard The Cars quite a lot growing up, thanks to my Mom playing tapes and later on, the particularly great compilation Anthology: Just What I Needed. Being a keyboardist myself, I always appreciated the innovative use of synths (Greg Hawkes) throughout their music, as well as the seamless melding of the worlds of new wave and straight-up pop-rock. Candy-O (1979) shows off their power-poppy tendencies as well as their darkly ironic side. More hits follow on Panorama (1980), Shake it Up (1981; it contains a hidden gem "A Dream Away"!), and their most commercial endeavor, Heartbeat City (1984). This cool, slick music is perfect where you think it ought to be...in cars.
What People Don't Get: It could be the ever-present aversion to rock-pop song structures, though it's a puzzler how anyone could have an aversion to Ric Ocasek's lyrical genius!
Recommended Albums: The Cars (1978), Candy-O (1979)
Recommended Compilation: Anthology: Just What I Needed (1995)
Felt
Why They're Great: Felt are that great, lost jangle-pop group that should have been huge, though appear to be forever doomed to relative obscurity and a cult following. A dreamlike, autumnal haze surrounds much of the work ("Primitive Painters"), occasionally giving way to isolated melancholy ("Crystal Ball"), which is where Felt truly shine.
What People Don't Get: Lawrence stole Tom Verlaine's voice? Well, Felt were "named after the way Tom Verlaine enunciated the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus", after all. I'd admit that Felt takes some getting used to, which is why I'd recommend going with Absolute Classic Masterpieces to begin.
Recommended Album: Forever Breathes the Lonely Word (1986)
Recommended Compilation: Absolute Classic Masterpieces (1993)
INXS
Why They're Great: 1987's Kick alone would justify the inclusion of INXS in such a list as this, and yet I rarely ever spot that album, or any other, from the band included in any kind of definitive albums list, be it for the 80s or overall. Anyone who is looking for something to dance to, or that has an interest in 80s music, at least ought to love this. 1984's The Swing (with "Johnson's Aeroplane", one of my favorite tracks!) and 1992's Welcome to Wherever You Are are even more underrated, alas.
What People Don't Get: The rest of their albums have scattered hits and aren't nearly as consistent as Kick. Listeners often bash the album (and band, for that matter) for sounding dated and/or mainstream...as if everything that was popular for a time must automatically be irrelevant in the present-day!
Recommended Album: The Swing (1984), Kick (1987)
Recommended Compilation: The Greatest Hits (1994)
The Kinks
Why They're Great: The Kinks deserve just as much props as the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Who, and yet they're not always included up on that pedestal of greatness in the same way those bands are. The Kinks could warrant a whole separate future artist feature here on AFIN, surely, so for now I'll simply say that this is music I enjoy immensely, because of Rate Davies' brilliant songwriting, and the lovely, quintessential Britishness that permeates their work.
What People Don't Get: They have quite a large studio discography, with sharp variations of styles from album to album; compare and contrast Village Green... with Lola..., for instance! Non-UK listeners may also be non-receptive to the Britishisms of The Kinks, and may be disappointed to not hear much else like the proto-punky "You Really Got Me". Many of their best songs are scattered across albums, some of which have more filler than gems.
Recommended Albums: Something Else by The Kinks (1967), The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround (1970)
Recommended Compilation: The Ultimate Collection (2002)
Orange Juice
Why They're Great: Now, I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of Orange Juice myself, but enough people suggested this to me to include that I figured I ought to go back and revisit their material. This band were jangle-poppers ahead of The Smiths (a band people tend to compare them with), frequently playing with a kaleidoscope of sound and a general cheeriness that makes this some of the most uplifting stuff you can expect to hear without the cheeriness getting in the way of musical quality.
What People Don't Get: Erm...the voice?
Recommended Albums: You Can't Hide Your Love Forever (1982), Rip it Up (1982)
Recommended Compilation: In a Nutshell (1985)
Silver Apples
Why They're Great: The artists they've influenced are far better known (including Sonic Boom from Spacemen 3/Spectrum, Kraftwerk, and Suicide, a band I'll be featuring momentarily) than this genuinely strange group that came out with a psychedelic-synth sound (the melding of which had, I think it's safe to say, had not been heard before) in their first album, Silver Apples, released in 1968. Sounding like music from outer-space, with unsettling drumbeats and a warbling hum of vocals and electronics, it's little wonder this went over the heads of many and still remains a cult favorite.
What People Don't Get: It's dang weird.
Recommended Album: Silver Apples (1968), Contact (1969)
Recommended Compilation: Just get the albums!
Sparks
Why They're Great: Oh my, where to begin...a somewhat-warped, theatrical take on glam/art-rock, with a very European feel about it all (despite the band hailing from Los Angeles) and heavy theatrics - this applies particularly to the Sparks masterpiece Kimono My House. Much zany, over-the-top silliness is to be found in the world of Sparks, in equal measure to some of the most memorable, catchy tunes you can hope to hear ("This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", "Something For the Girl With Everything").
What People Don't Get: They can be a bit much to take in, sometimes...?
Recommended Album: Kimono My House (1974), Propaganda (1974), Hello Young Lovers (2006)
Recommended Compilation: Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection (1991)
Suicide
Why They're Great:As the AMG indicates, "Although they barely receive credit, Suicide (singer Alan Vega and keyboardist Martin Rev) is the source point for virtually every synth pop duo that glutted the pop marketplace (especially in England) in the early '80s", and not only that, but they've been cited as being influential by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, U2, and R.E.M. Hearing this band for the first time is probably in the topmost important moments in my musical life (and all from a Last.fm Music Advice Center recommendation!). Oddly enough, it wasn't their seminal debut album that I first heard, but their second released in 1980, and produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek (a big-time fan of the band!).
What People Don't Get: I. Don't. KNOW! I think, luckily, Suicide are getting their long overdue props, what with Blast First Petite's series of singles from artists, including The Horrors, Primal Scream, and Sun O))), covering Suicide in honor of Alan Vega's 70th (?!) birthday and the fact that the band are going to be playing, their 1977 album in it's entirety, live at ATP New York 2009.
Recommended Albums: Suicide (1977), The Second Album (1980), A Way of Life (1988)
Recommended Compilation: Get those albums! Live 1977-1978, released last year, is no place for beginners, but makes for some seriously intense listening.
XTC
Why They're Great: Their slow transformation from first-rate post-punk (Drums and Wires) to psychedelic-chamber pop (Skylarking), to soundtrack-esque bliss (Apple Venus Vols. 1 and 2) make XTC a truly singular entity in music.
What People Don't Get: Inconsistent albums - you're better off beginning with a compilation for starters.
Recommended Albums: Drums and Wires (1979), Skylarking (1986), Apple Venus Vol. 1 (1999)
Recommended Compilation: Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992 (1996)
Yello
Why They're Great: As is the case with The Cars, I know about and like this band primarily due to hearing them quite a lot growing up. I am a sucker for dark, eerie electronic music, and this is what this band excelled at. Yello's music is characterized by otherworldly instrumentation, unique samples, and haunting vocals.
What People Don't Get: It's a safe bet that the majority of people that have heard Yello and aren't into them have really only heard "Oh Yeah". If that was the only song I heard, I'm not sure that I would've gone any further. Those who have become acquainted with more material and still aren't impressed might be off-put by their hodgepodge sound-collages and arty strangeness in general, particularly on their first release Solid Pleasure. A suspicion of electronics in music may also be responsible, which I believe is a silent, widespread plague among us!
Recommended Album: Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess (1983)
Recommended Compilation: Yello 1980-1985: The New Mix in One Go (1986) This is truly the best place to begin with Yello; even though these are remixes, nearly all are superior to the originals, particularly "Daily Disco" and "Pinball Cha Cha".
...and More (thanks to the Tumblr users I polled! I still have more investigating in regards to some of these artists, particular faves of mine are bolded):
14 Iced Bears,
a-ha,
Black Tambourine,
Cheap Trick,
The Chills,
The Clean,
Flamin' Groovies,
The Flesh Eaters,
Gallows,
The Gun Club,
Jazz Butcher,
Joy Zipper,
Magazine,
Metal Urbain,
Prefab Sprout,
The Pretty Things,
The Saints,
Small Faces,
Violent Femmes,
Wipers,
The Yardbirds
Felt
