Bands one either loves or hates there's usually not much of a middle

[Arcanetrance]

MANOWAR - Battle Hymn - Battle Hymns MMXI (2011) …:

[Dr. Strange]

1. I've often thought that Rush and Radiohead fall in that category.

[Coventina]

17. I don't have a problem with either band, but their FANS are so obsessed!

It doesn't annoy me so much as puzzle me, especially Rush.

Their music is "meh" but their fans think that they are practically gods and I just don't get it.

[Arcanetrance]

24. I like radiohead but I fell out of love with rush after awhile

[freethought]

2. Been a Rush fan since the mid-eighties

I don't ever recall anyone saying that they thought Rush was just "OK". You were either a fan or you couldn't stand them.

[Chan790]

3. Nobody seems "Meh!" about Nirvana.

[shenmue]

4. Saw them live once

What a show.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

53. Same problem as mentioned above about Rush/Radiohead.

I'd be "Meh!" about them if they weren't held up as some kind of ultimate quality watershed. The narrative has become that no rock music in the years before Nirvana had any redeeming qualities, and that everything that came in their wake had some kind of automatic validation.

The truth is that most music after Nirvana was just as shit as it was before them.

[Chan790]

5. Oddly, any band that one could make an argument for "greatest band ever"

Name one and people immediately say "Man, I love ______!" or "Wow, they fucking suck!"

For me, that band is the Beatles. I hate the Beatles. A whole lot of songs I hate and 1 song that reduces me to a sobbing puddle on the floor.

This one:

[lame54]

13. I've met a few people that hate the Beatles...

I've also met people that hate pizza

and those who hate chocolate (not allergic but hate it)

Some things you just can't explain

[Wait Wut]

22. Uh huh.

I also hate Steely Dan. Apparently, that is some type of sin. Combined with my hatred of the Beatles, and I'm a living, breathing harpy.

[Tobin S.]

6. Metallica. Hell, I love them and hate them at the same time, but they've never been boring.

[lame54]

15. I hate Metallica but...

I always respected that they made it on their own terms

Then came Napster when they sold out their own fans

now I just hate them altogether

[Skittles]

29. I've never cared for their music

but I've loved the band since I heard how they reacted to a fan, a young gal, who had gone missing after a concert (later found murdered) - the band members did all they could to help find her, reaching out to their fans for information and calling her family (we are fathers too, they told her dad)...............that's a true test of character and they came through with such humanity and respect and sympathy

[Throd]

31. No, they have managed to be boring at times.

I have big respect for Metallica, but some of their later stuff sounded mailed in.

Testament is better than Metallica. That is all.

[Bosonic]

7. A small sample

Aphex Twin

Gorillaz

Dethklok

[Skittles]

8. Journey

f*** the haters - I like 'em

[JCMach1]

9. Sorry Skittles, but they are nails on chalkboard for me

Guess that proves the OP's premise...

[Skittles]

10. I can think of many nails on chalkboard bands

Journey would not even come close

[Coventina]

14. Oh man, same here. They drive me up every wall within reach.

on edit: dons ass-protection....

[KamaAina]

21. You would be wise to avoid the Bay Area, then

they're HUGH!!11!!1!11!! out here. Don't Stop Believin' is the unofficial theme song of the Giants, and so is heard everywhere, all the time.

[WinkyDink]

26. You stopped believin'.

[Arcanetrance]

23. Have to agree with the other three can't listen to journey

*prepares for ass kicking*

[GoCubsGo]

48. I liked them until after I saw them in concert.

That was back around 1979 or so. Then, I got sick of them Now, they are "meh."

[Miles Archer]

11. There are no words to adequately express how much I loathe these cockroaches

Had an ex girlfriend who loved 'em.

[Throd]

28. I bet she looked like 'em too.

[herding cats]

36. I have no idea who that is.

Some 80's Hair Band or another. They all looked alike and sounded alike. Thankfully that was a moment in music history which died a timely death.

[Coventina]

12. The Smiths often are of that category.

I'm in the "love" part of that battle.

[lame54]

16. What is your favorite album by them?

[Coventina]

18. Well, that's really hard for me to answer, and it depends on how you categorize them.

My very favorite album that they released is "Hatful of Hollow", but it's kind of a compilation album, rather than a studio creation.

Limiting it to a cohesive studio production I'd say "Meat is Murder" and "The Queen is Dead" are neck and neck.

But, they're ALL great!!!

[KamaAina]

19. Oasis.

[Taitertots]

20. ICP....

Edit: probably NSFW

[Arcanetrance]

25. Icp perfectly proves my point so many love them but for the life of me I don't get the appeal

[Throd]

27. Bob Fucking Dylan. Can't change the radio fast enough.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

43. Great words but he mumbles too much.

The words have overtaken what little melody there is.

Great songs for other people to make standards out of
(All Along the Watchtower comes to mind.)

Took me a few years to appreciate Hendrix.

Yeah, I'm old!

[lame54]

47. Odds are you will land on a song written or inspired by him

[ZombieHorde]

30. Five bands that I love, but many seem to hate...

Naked City

Coil

Merzbow

Nurse With Wound

Throbbing Gristle

[Tom Ripley]

33. Love 'em all!

[ZombieHorde]

34. Then you're a person of refined tastes.

[Arcanetrance]

38. Honestly idk how I feel about these

The atmosphere that's created in them are pretty cool but it's not personally my cup of tea

[Throd]

40. The Oven Is My Friend

[ZombieHorde]

44. Nice.

I will have to check out more of their stuff.

[Flaxbee]

41. "Throbbing Gristle"???

Sounds like something out of a Douglas Adams novel.

But I shall dutifully listen to these tomorrow. To expand my world.

[kentauros]

42. I like all of those, too :)

Here's another one for your collection:

[ZombieHorde]

45. That is fun.

I have never heard that before.

[kentauros]

49. Caspar Brötzmann is a great German musician/guitarist.

I learned about him in the 1990s, I think. Also got to interview him once before a show here

Public radio introduced me to his music. It was great to find that live (and professionally produced) video. I love that venue! It looks like an old power station by the way things are designed. And it looks like that video was part of an entire night headlined by Einstürzende Neubauten, one of my favorite German industrial bands ever!

[ZombieHorde]

52. I love Neubauten! nt

[Reter]

46. I think they fall mostly into non mainstream bands

Never heard of any of them.

[KG]

32. don't really hate any bands, but it's great I've been able to arrange a 'no-phil-collins-world'

myself...

[Tom Ripley]

35. Velvet Underground, Sex Pistols, Whitehouse

[jmowreader]

37. Nickelback

[Tom Ripley]

39. Neutral Milk Hotel

Me? I'm with the haters on this one.

[GoCubsGo]

50. Not a band, but a couple of individual singers I can't stand.

Lorde and Suzanne Vega. Both have that mealy-mouthed style that makes me want to jab sharp pencils into my ear drums.

[Arcanetrance]

51. I can honestly say I've never listened to either

[GOLGO 13]

54. Dylan, the Dead

Way before my time. No, don't care about their contributions to the zeitgeist.

When I hear Dylan my mind goes into a trance like state but without the fun. The Dead is like the drone of the air conditioner for me. It neither soothes nor annoys me. I feel nothing.