Desert Island Lists

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?

An old yet still-relevant criticism of so many bands, past and present is "every song sounds the same." This may be a sign that a particular artist could be what people call a "one trick pony," an act that can't be that talented because they're only good at one seemingly simple style of music. Now, if this is the case, why is it that when so many musicians test the waters of a different type of sound, the majority of the critical reactions are more bad than good? Most can recall how much flack Bob Dylan got when he picked up an electric guitar, or when Metallica traded melody for speed for a brief period. With these past receptions considered, it makes me wonder that maybe it's actually better to be one of those bands where "every song sounds the same." What this list shows is why being a "one trick pony" may be the right path to take, judging by success, quality of sound, and that band's status today.

1. AC/DC
-No one could have said it better than Ozzy Osbourne himself when he referred to AC/DC as "the no-bullshit band." This is because the music of these animals from down under can only be described as straight up rock and roll. And that's it. After all these years, AC/DC has
managed to completely stray away from anything, as Malcolm Young will attest to, they simply don't think they can do. Virtually every track they've put out features a solid, steady drum beat, distorted, blues based riffs, and lyrics that directly from the....well, you know where. Their lyrics, guitars and presentation have never gone soft. They know what their fans like, and, due to their esteemed status and their record breaking sales, AC/DC has proven to all of us that in the world of music, change may very well just be a bad idea.

2. The Ramones
-The Ramones are to punk as AC/DC is to hard rock. The majority of their songs revolve around textbook punk rock song structure: four to five power chords, upbeat drumming, and no solos. They never went slow, bluesy, or clean, throughout their illustrious career. Once they started partying, (and as we've seen, it's unfortunately
taken its toll on the band) they never stopped. A Ramones
show was just a fun ride all the way through, never
turning off the distortion switch, slowing down the drums,
or toning down those vocals, whatever the hell he was
singing about.

3. Slayer
-Ask any hardcore thrash fan who the most important band of that genre is, and odds are, Slayer should be the most
popular answer. This is because, like the other artists in this list, Slayer has stuck to their Satanic guns since
they first came onto the scene and changed metal forever. Their songs have stayed short, fast, heavy, and more evil
than the dark lord himself. By creating consistently good
albums that only contain songs of this nature, Slayer
proved that thrash was a legitimate musical genre, and
that the way to gain the most dedicated fan base was to
stay true to one's roots. It's safe to say that if Slayer
ever tried their luck at a different genre, they wouldn't
have earned their one-of-a-kind fans who carve their name
into their skin and enjoy getting the hell beaten out of themselves at their concerts.

4. ZZ Top
-For almost forty years (I know, right?) ZZ Top have shown the world that the blues are alive and well. How? By shoving it in our faces, song after song, album after album. They've experimented with synthesizers and
different guitar effects, but the majority of these Texans' recordings revolve around southern based riffs,
ballsy lyrics, and of course, Billy Gibbons' signature,
awe-inspiring guitar solos. It's all blues, all the time,
and ZZ Top has never shed their masculine, bad-ass
southern style. Dusty and Billy have even kept those
classic beards that they've had since God knows how long.
These guys have the blues down-pat, and, as they say,
if you've got it, flaunt it.

5. The Beach Boys
-One of the greatest bands of all time, it's safe to say that the legendary Beach Boys owe a great deal of their
success to the fact that once they perfected their trademark, California style, they never looked back. Surf-rock guitar riffs and dreamy, fun lyrics accompanied by those glorious harmonies turned the Beach Boys into worldwide icons. The Beach Boys vast commercial success and undeniable influence on modern music gave them full ownership of their genre, one that has been imitated by countless acts from the same region. Yes,it might all sound the same, but once they had the entire world dancing and swaying, why change at all? Whether it was the vocals, guitars, or toasty-warm lyrics, every Beach Boys song in some way reminded their fans why they were impossible to hate.