Big disclaimer: saying that these bands are overrated does not mean that they are bad. It just means that they might get a little too much credit, or their image was ruined by big music executives looking to make big money. That being said, feelings will be hurt...
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Their popularity makes sense. They were care-free surf punks living in California and singing about it. They have a lot of fun songs to bop around to. In fact, they were the soundtrack for every teenager's life in the 90s. So what makes them so overrated now?
"Now" is the keyword in that question. They were popular back in the day, but their time has surely passed. So why are alternative rock stations constantly playing their music? Get a new soundtrack!
Radiohead
Some people love Radiohead, while others totally hate them. Admitting an affinity for Radiohead is usually a room-splitter just because of how controversial they are to like.
They've done a lot in the music community, but most people can't get over Thom Yorke's voice. In fact, that's usually why people hate Radiohead.
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead is easily the most overrated band on this list. How have they transcended time? How are they still getting newer, younger fans? What even is their music?
Their fans, the Dead Heads, are also pretty brutal. You always know a Dead Head when you see one... The tie-dye shirt, cut-off jorts, and bandana wrapped like a headband are some "dead" giveaways.
Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons kind of popped up out of nowhere and became superstars overnight. Do you know of anyone who would call them their favorite band? Me neither, and yet, they're always on the radio and being talked about on mainstream media. What gives?
Formed in 2008, they quickly grew their fanbase by playing venues in their hometown of Las Vegas. Apparently, their synth-rock vibes were enough for people to talk about them to get them Billboard Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and MTV Music Video Awards.
Maroon 5
This one is probably not so unpopular... A lot of people seem to hate Maroon 5 as a band. Unfortunately, it seems like they have the pop music formula down to a science because they always seem to have a banger hitting the charts. As bad of a song as "Moves Like Jagger" was, it was never not playing on a radio station.
Most people would agree that this band is more like the Adam Levine Band due to his demanding presence. He's even a judge on The Voice, which is a show that basically judges on how well someone sings. They've been a band for almost 20 years... Maybe it's time to quit.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
They seem like a Southern rock band just judging by their sound and even the looks of this photo. A lot of fans like to label them that way, too. In reality, they're a bunch of guys from California who tried to inherit the Southern hardships. That's not the only thing that anti-fans complain about...
It's easy to hate a band just from the singer's voice. A lot of naysayers quote that John Fogerty's voice is the reason for their overrated tag. It's not a "so bad it's good" deal, it's just bad.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones had the look. That's what makes an overrated band work, right? They didn't exactly reinvent the wheel or even push any sort of mainstream-bending narrative, so what's with all of the hype? For real, they have 30 studio albums... That doesn't even count the compilation albums, live albums, and video albums.
Thirty albums and almost 60 years later, they won't quit. They're still rolling with the punches... Is it because they love to perform and tour? Or, is it because they're forced to do so for the money grab?
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews is a historically nice guy and his bandmates are most likely in the same vein, but their music. It's hard to enjoy them mainly because every college dude from the early 00s ruined them. They became a very obvious one-tone band very quicky...
Every song sounds the same for these guys. It's obviously working since their fanbase is a bunch of diehard DMB fanatics, but the rest of us aren't as interested.
Queen
The minds of the guys in Queen are easily the most creative and genius. Sadly, the band became extremely oversaturated. Even diehard Queen fans will call them overrated just because of how top music executives treated them and their brand.
Queen quickly became a staple in a bandwagoner's world. Mainstream brands commonly put their logo on t-shirts as a selling point. The band released 14 albums (way too many) altogether until Freddie Mercury died. They did try and get back together with another singer later on, but that proved to be a bad move.
AC/DC
A lot of old heads will tell you what AC/DC did to rock and roll in the '80s. Most would agree that they killed it. They were basically a result of industry standards and what executives wanted to be profitable.
That isn't to say that they don't have any bops, of course, but they were way too staged. After all, what band from the '80s has as much popularity with the younger generations who weren't even alive at their peak?
Coldplay
Coldplay is another victim of over-saturation from the music industry. None of them are bad instrumentalists. Chris Martin has an amazing voice and is a super decent guy. Their songs are just infuriatingly sappy, overplayed, and overdone.
Their early stuff is good and bearable. The newer stuff is what makes it hard to listen to. They have the obvious hit-making rifts and notes throughout their songs as well as whatever "trendy" sound is marketable. They're no longer authentic!
Slipknot
The guys of Slipknot are definitely a curious bunch. People either love or hate the masks and theatrics. Their fans are way too diehard...
The band formed in 1995 in Des Moines, Iowa. Since then, they've conquered hundreds of tours all over the country. Their heavy-metal attitude makes them even scarier for the mainstream bunch. Some people would call them cheesy...
Led Zeppelin
These guys are overrated not only for their music but for their gnarly attitudes. They weren't the nicest folks off-stage, which is why a lot of other musicians who knew them personally weren't really fans.
They're also notorious plagiarizers. Obviously, it's hard to point the finger at which band member plagiarized the music, so it's easy to just say that they were all guilty. Overall, what did they really contribute?
Sex Pistols
Most people can agree that these guys didn't do anything but cause trouble and get into fights. So-called "true punks" despite their performative anarchy ways.
Not only are their messages bad, but their sound is also bad. Going ahead and using underground recording works fine for the beginning, but always having bad-sounding music isn't necessarily punk rock.
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots blew up quickly after the release of their first album. Their popularity was warranted, but their fanbase soon grew out of control. What was once good music became overrated as their fans demanded their presence everywhere.
Their sound is decent albeit getting a little more boring with each new release. Still, their rabid fans fight with every alternative radio station to stop playing "Car Radio" and play their "underrated" songs at all times of the day. It's insane!
One Direction
They were the biggest band in the world at some point. When a band is going on every TV show, every radio show, and every red carpet, you have to sit back and think about how manufactured they are.
After all, they were just a boy band of singers. You have to be manufactured by the industry to even get together. It's a bit much, and it's no wonder that they broke up and half of them aren't even making music anymore.
Blink-182
A lot of people wouldn't think that Blink-182 is overrated, but true fans of the band would say otherwise. The old stuff was good, but then, of course, the music industry grabbed them away from their DIY punk days.
They were more than just a band as they had hilarious on-stage banter and interviews. That changed once they got older and the punk rock lifestyle outgrew them, but their contracts forced them to keep making music... At least, that's what it seems like.
The Beatles
The British Invasion was all the media talked about back in the day. The Beatles were at the forefront of the invasion as they took over American stages for years. Their rabid fans helped their popularity grow...
Women were fainting at the feet of the Beatles for years. They released 12 studio albums (too many) which definitely classifies them as a "greatest hits band."
Nirvana
Nirvana was an incredible band who did a lot of things that other bands never thought of doing. They were popular in their time and even more so after Kurt Cobain committed suicide. After that, they fell into the overrated category as companies profited off of their grim past.
Nirvana
Some clothing brands even printed Cobain's suicide letter on t-shirts. People will wear Nevermind shirts without even listening to the album. Despite how good a band can be, they can easily get oversaturated and overrated just by how people treat them.
Bon Iver
This band is as simple as you can get. Their soft and moody tones worked for the first few years and got extremely dull and repetitive as time went on. Somehow, they never adapted their style.
Bon Iver
If you can't adapt to the changing music scene, you should probably just quit and start a new project, right? Nope. They're still going at it. Most people who love Bon Iver can't really get into their new stuff but they still support the old stuff. Makes sense.
The Eagles
The Eagles basically survive off of nostalgia. They were great in their heyday, but the fact that they're still going instead of retiring makes you think that their brand is just a money grab...
The Eagles
They weren't exactly original. Their most popular song, "Take It Easy," wasn't even written by them. They can basically be paired up with any other Los Angeles band of that time...
Journey
Everyone's Dad likes Journey. That's just a fact that we all have to live with. "Don't Stop Believing" is still played at every wedding, bat mitzvah, charity event, any event that you can imagine by low-grade DJs.
Journey
They're the most mainstream type of band that you can get. Despite having multiplatinum albums, most fans would agree that they got a little stale. After all, how many other Journey songs can you name?
Aerosmith
There isn't a hard rock band that's more formulaic than Aerosmith. No matter what they say, they are not metal. Not hair metal. Not glam metal. In fact, they're barely hard rock, but we'll let it slide.
Aerosmith
Truthfully, anyone who went on to judge American Idol lost any pull they had in the music industry. They were golden in their early years where they weren't tainted with fame and fortune, but everything changed once Get A Grip came out.
Metallica
Overrated is a bit of an overstatement- Metallica is overhyped. The amount of arena shows that they've sold out is insane. Their "popular" music is usually not the best but what's the most radio-friendly.
Metallica
The media and their fanbase are the ones to blame for their one-tone brand. However, they make enough money to definitely not care about being overrated.
Green Day
A lot of people seem to hate Green Day. They labeled themselves punk and completely tainted the genre. There wasn't anything revolutionary about their performance activism through their music... They just had the "look" that was wanted.
Green Day
The flagrant eye makeup should have been the first indication that they weren't the punk rockers that mainstream music wanted them to be. They genuinely didn't do much for music, and apparently they're still putting new stuff out? Weird.
Bon Jovi
Sadly, Bon Jovi got extremely commercialized. They had a few good bops that stand up to the test of time, but the rest is meh. Somehow, they became a band that was just all hype.
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi has every single classic rock station wrapped around their finger. Again, it's not their fault that the media treats them this way, but still.
Oasis
These guys might be the messiest of the bunch. Not only is Wonderwall the most overused, overhyped song in existence, but they have no other good ones. So, why are we still talking about them?
Oasis
People seem to be pushing back against Oasis, but Wonderwall still gets plays on the radio. Let's just be thankful that the Gallagher brothers themselves have been out of the spotlight.
Genesis
These guys have talent, there's no arguing that. They're good! No one is saying that they're not! But, they're not the best band in the world. Many of their fans would argue that to death for some reason. And for that, they're overhyped.
Genesis
Peter Gabriel and Phil Collin's are the songbirds of their generation. The music that the rest of the band put out after their departures were meh. Not bad, not great. They're on this list simply because of their fans.
U2
U2 became the world's most hated band when they partnered up with Apple to hijack everyone's iTunes accounts to promote their album. Yes, they've had some hits. Yes, some people like them. No, no one wanted their album forced onto their phone!
U2
Bono is also a point of contention for anti-fans. He's got a pompous attitude and self-righteous worldview that makes him very hateable.
KISS
Once again, the theatrics can make people love them or hate them. Honestly, KISS themselves would probably agree that they are overrated. They obviously wanted the money and fame... Just look at them.
KISS
They have some good songs, of course. When you're a band that's been manufactured to make money, then you're bound to have some hits. Have you ever met someone who has said KISS is the band that inspired them to get into music? Exactly.
The Doors
Real fans of The Doors know how pretentious Jim Morrison was. There's nothing more unattractive than someone who worships his own music. The artsy kids in high school clung to these guys, which tells you something about their legacy...
The Doors
Pretentious art kids aside, The Doors had their moments (as all bands do) but their flame quickly went out. After Morrison passed, the remaining members tried their own projects but didn't have too much success.
Motley Crue
All of the hair should tell you why these guys are overrated. When a band is more into their looks than their music, they are most likely overrated. They're definitely not the best hair metal band.
Motley Crue
Don't get it twisted, they're fun and have some good hits. They're just... not the best. Or even in the top 10. They've got the fun classics and that is that.
Guns N' Roses
Once again, they are not bad. They're iconic for their own reasons. But they're just not legendary. They're mostly hype at this point. They were good in their time but in 2020? No thanks.
Guns N' Roses
These guys definitely fell into the trap of marketing their looks over their music. They were fun to look at and great performers, but their music wasn't anything special.
Third Eye Blind
They were good in the 90s, and that's where they should stay. Instead, Third Eye Blind still tries to bring the 90s surf jams into the 21st Century. It's wrong.
Third Eye Blind
It's weird, but a lot of people still like them. They still get booked for tours and festivals. It's not like they're selling out or anything, but too many people worship this band for them to fall under the radar.