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What bands do you consider the most unoriginal?

63dot

63dot

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jun 12, 2006
5,269
339
norcal
Some say The Fray copies Coldplay and I have noticed Rascal Flatts copies the early, country-influenced Eagles I grew up with. I also thought the Black Crowes sounded somewhat like the 70s-era Stones. That being said, I don't think those bands, while somewhat unoriginal, are bad per se.

Who are your picks?
 
bartelby said:
Off the top of my head:

U2

Coldplay
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I definitely agree with U2. Their early stuff, to me, was very original and unlike other bands. However, since Joshua Tree, it appears to me that they have tried to sound like roots style American bands.

I don't know if U2 wanted to sound like a retro American rock band, or just wanted to try and get as far away from their old stuff as possible.
 
The majority of post 2000 indie bands (especially indie bands from 2005-7), they all have the same sound, it's infuriating, a genre generally has a broad range of sounds and sub genres where necessary, but there's several bands that could all switch places, and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference... I would post names but I really didn't pay attention to them when I heard their songs.

Of note, I don't hate indie bands, I used to be a massive indie fan, but then there was a massive influx of bands that where very much identical and I got fed up of the genre.
 
steve2112 said:
Nickelback. Not only does Chad Kroeger sound like Scott Stapp (Creed), their songs all sound the same musically.
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I couldn't agree more. If you've heard one Nickelback song, you've heard them all. Although I did somewhat enjoy "Rockstar" :eek:
 
steve2112 said:
Nickelback. Not only does Chad Kroeger sound like Scott Stapp (Creed), their songs all sound the same musically.
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I agree wholeheartedly. Outside of one or two of their songs they all sound very very similar. Same for Creed, Hoobastank, and Maroon 5. There a thousand and one rock groups where the singers all sound like that, the guitar fx are the same, and the songwriting it lame. It seems like it started with Nirvana - that grungy, driving-rock, scratchy-voice type of stuff.

Nowadays you simply don't have the creative music. We haven't had a creative Hendrix in decades.

I disagree about U2 - well, to an extent. I agree that in recent years they've become more or less a rehash of the same sound, but lyrically they still have some good songs. While I have most of their stuff, Achtung Baby was the last true, great U2 album.
 
I'm not a big fan of a lot of current bands precisely because of these very reasons--so I agree with most of what is in this thread. I too do disagree with U2 though--it is hard to continue to innovate and I think they have earned the right to have a lot of their recent stuff sound the same--and not as exciting as their earlier stuff. I too would put Aktung Baby as the last of their best work.
 
bobr1952 said:
I'm not a big fan of a lot of current bands precisely because of these very reasons--so I agree with most of what is in this thread. I too do disagree with U2 though--it is hard to continue to innovate and I think they have earned the right to have a lot of their recent stuff sound the same--and not as exciting as their earlier stuff. I too would put Aktung Baby as the last of their best work.
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Coldplay and U2 hold the same fatuous self important sound in my head.
 
Many of Coldplay's earlier albums sound pretty unoriginal, but to me at least, Viva la Vida has a much more original sound. In fact, while I don't like Coldplay's earlier albums, I really love Viva la Vida.
 
Melrose said:
Nowadays you simply don't have the creative music. We haven't had a creative Hendrix in decades.
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Why do mainstream American beers taste the way they do? Is it that beer brewers are stupid and have no sense of taste? I think not. They taste the way they do because that is what people buy and what sells.

Bands are the same way.

Hollywood movies are the same way

I could go on but you get the idea.

Kurt Cobain's big breakthrough hit has a song that ridiculed music fans and most never realised they were the targets. Pretty much sums up why music (and beer, movies, TV,...) is the way it is. Blame the consumers.
 
Melrose said:
I agree wholeheartedly. Outside of one or two of their songs they all sound very very similar. Same for Creed, Hoobastank, and Maroon 5. There a thousand and one rock groups where the singers all sound like that, the guitar fx are the same, and the songwriting it lame. It seems like it started with Nirvana - that grungy, driving-rock, scratchy-voice type of stuff.
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Huh? Maroon 5 is a funky bass-driven dance/pop band. They're more derivative of Motown than anything else. Their lead singer isn't even close to sounding like Kurt Cobain. He and Justin Timberlake have more in common.
 
ChrisA said:
Why do mainstream American beers taste the way they do? Is it that beer brewers are stupid and have no sense of taste? I think not. They taste the way they do because that is what people buy and what sells.

Bands are the same way.

Hollywood movies are the same way

I could go on but you get the idea.

Kurt Cobain's big breakthrough hit has a song that ridiculed music fans and most never realised they were the targets. Pretty much sums up why music (and beer, movies, TV,...) is the way it is. Blame the consumers.
Click to expand...

Its quite easy to find good beer and good music if you just avoid the mainstream offerings.
 
Jaffa Cake said:
For me, Razorlight also exhibit a quite startling lack of originality.
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Same can be said for the bands that have the same sound as Razorlight, that's the kind of indie sound I meant in my post. It's the same old same old, sloppy vocals and slightly distorted/"bright" guitar.
 
Nowadays you simply don't have the creative music. We haven't had a creative Hendrix in decades.
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I would have to disagree. We have lots of creative music today with bands like Animal Collective and TV on the Radio just to name a few;)
 
I haven't been too excited about the new music coming out recently. I've started listening to more 90s music. That stuff is good :)
 
11800506 said:
Many of Coldplay's earlier albums sound pretty unoriginal, but to me at least, Viva la Vida has a much more original sound. In fact, while I don't like Coldplay's earlier albums, I really love Viva la Vida.
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I guess you haven't heard about Joe Satriani suing Coldplay over copying his song for the song Viva La Vida, then? :D

Have a listen

Or how about Coldplay taking the melody for this Kraftwerk song? (though it was legal in this case)

Kraftwerk vs. Coldplay

I agree, Coldplay is one original band. ;)

P-Worm
 
charlesbronsen said:
I would have to disagree. We have lots of creative music today with bands like Animal Collective and TV on the Radio just to name a few;)
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I could not agree with you more, both of their newest albums are incredible. Animal Collective in my opinion hasn't had a single bad album, because they reinvent their image with every record.
 
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