Author: Sean Levinson (4 Articles)

A great man once said, "All we need is just a little patience." Okay, maybe Axl Rose is only my idea of a "great man," but the point is that a decent amount of musicians tend to get hated on before they're even listened to, simply because of something they're associated with that doesn't fly well with some people. This could be their fan base, they way the band looks, or the unusual sound of the music. Due to these judgments, these artists aren't really given a chance, because it seems easy to be turned away by these stereotypes and labels. What this list shows is a group of acts that, in my opinion, don't get the credit they deserve, and that even though some of these stereotypes may be true, there's more to these acts than what people say about them.

5. Creed
-Stereotype: Cheesy, overtly-Christian based music with a bad singer.
-Why It's Incorrect: Yes, Scott Stapp does sound a little like Wierd Al making fun of Eddie Vedder, and some of the
lyrics are of biblical proportion, but with all these things put aside, Creed is epic, hard and heavy. Mark
Tremonti is one hell of a guitar player (he solos like
he's auditioning for a spot in Metallica), and when Stapp
gets intense, the grunge gods he pays tribute to would be
proud. Their softer stuff clearly isn't for everybody, but
when straight up metal is on their minds, the music is
good enough for even Scott Stapp to blend in well.

4. KISS
-Stereotype: A couple of clowns with bad makeup and spandex that only became famous because of how they looked.
-Why It's Incorrect: Why is it so hard for people to see past the makeup? With the exception of their business-obsessed bass player, Ace, Paul and Peter are
actually great musicians. When they were in their prime, KISS played solid rock, similar to the kick-ass style of AC/DC. Take the explosive quality of the music into account, and then it'll seem all so obvious why the fireworks, makeup, and alternate personalities are almost a rather necessary accessory.

3. U2
-Stereotype: "Holier than Thou" music that's only about how much of a saint Bono is and why we should save the
''starvin' children."
-Why It's Incorrect: Sure, a lot of U2's more popular songs do revolve around their lead singer's righteous causes, but it turns out that the pride of Ireland do in fact have a decent amount of good ol' rock and roll tracks. It doesn't matter what the guy's singing about because like it or not, he's got an amazing, ageless voice that any true music fan can respect. They show off,
they're cocky, and their concerts might be a bit much,
but really listen to the music and everything that came
after it...is it possible that U2 might just...deserve it
all?

2. Marilyn Manson
-Stereotype: Nothing but a sick pervert who whines about how much the world sucks and why you should kill yourself.
-Why It's Incorrect: Oh come on, the guy puts his genitals on just one dude's head, and now he's a bad guy? I don't
get it. Anyway, the point is, yes, it's angry and a little evil, but what some people call whining, others call social commentary. Believe it or not, the man is intelligent. Take a second to think about what he's saying, then think of the world we live in, and then maybe, just maybe you'll realize that Mr. Warner's beliefs aren't as impossible to relate to as you thought.

1. Phish
-Stereotype: Just one giant drawn out jam session that can only be tolerated unless the listener is under the
influence of some illegal substance.
-Why It's Incorrect: So it's okay when Jimmy Page or Joe Satriani solo for years on end, but when these guys do it,
suddenly it's bad music? Phish's jam sessions aren't too far off from Cream's style of simultaneous soloing, and throughout their long jams, I can guarantee at least one section will strike the fancy of anyone who appreciates jazz, rock, or even southern blues. Sure, it's better on drugs, but then again, isn't everything?