Top 10 Most Overrated Rock Bands of the 1960s-1990s

Clearly you guys don't understand that when I refer to Classic Rock I`m not referring to the genre I`m referring to rock of the 60's-90's. Anyways let's count down the most overrated of them all! Lastly no bands from the 2000's or 2010's and I`m NOT including Metal bands. 1. Metal is not a sub genre of Rock. 2. Metal doesn't belong on Rock lists. 3. Metal deserves their own lists...
The Top Ten
1 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group's musical pursuits, they have ...read more.
2 Nirvana Nirvana was an American grunge band that was formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. Nirvana disbanded after Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. The drummer of the band, David Grohl, went on to start the Foo-Fighters, an alternative rock band. ...read more.

Its hard for me to consider nirvana as a classic rock band at all. They have a more modern alternative sound.

Anyway, people do worship nirvana and Kurt as if they're god, and can only name one song. But they still are probably the best band of the 90s, and the most popular grunge band.

It bugs me that 99% of teenage girls think Nirvana is a clothing brand sold at Hot Topic.

Seriously they suck! only good songs are - Smells like teen spirit and Heart shaped box.

I'd say more properly rated, but that's just me...

3 AC/DC AC/DC are a Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who continued as members until Malcolm's illness and departure in 2014 . They were fronted by Bon Scott until his untimely death due to alcohol poisoning in 1979, after which they hired Brian Johnson to front the band. Commonly referred to as a hard rock or blues rock band.

This is a good example of overrated. All of their songs have a similar subject, but hey, they sure know how to rock with their instruments.

I disagree, there isn't an AC/DC song that isn't great/popular. They deserve to be one of the most popular rock bands of all time

Metal sucks all together

4 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin was an English hard rock band formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds. The group consisted of Robert Plant (Vocal), Jimmy Page (Guitar), John Paul Jones (Bass, Keyboard) and John Bonham (Drums) and was very much the child of Jimmy Page who even financed their first tour. He had tasted some previous success with The [original] Yardbirds and was friendly with some big names in rock. Page states it was Keith Moon of The Who that claimed the band could only go down, like a lead balloon -- thus prompting the iconic name of Led Zeppelin. The band's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors ...read more.

I've said it many times before and I will say it again - they are the most overrated band of all time. People didn't believe me but now there are lists you can check out and be convinced:
Top 10 Songs That Led Zeppelin Ripped Off
Top 10 Led Zeppelin Songs That Were Ripped Off From Another Artist

The two first albums are ok, than it becomes more and more mainstream crap. And most people are interested in their crap period. Overrated.

Zeppelin isn't overrated.if it was still activate then they would burst out Metallica or iron maiden's ass

There she is! The good ol Led Zeppelin finally made the list rightfully so.

5 Green Day Green Day are an American pop punk/punk rock band formed in East Bay, California in 1987. The members include Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass), Tré Cool (drums) and Jason White (guitar). Green Day are associated with punk rock, pop punk and alternative rock. Some of their influences include The Ramones, Sex Pistols, NOFX, and Bad Religion. They are best known for their songs like ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, ‘Basket Case’ and their ‘American Idiot’ & ‘Dookie’ albums. American Idiot sold 6 million copies in the U.S. and won a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". Green Day have sold over 75 million records worldwide and have won 5 Grammy Awards. They ...read more.

Green Day isn't classic rock at all. They are more of a pop punk type thing, they play completely different from any other classic rock band.

I do, think they are overrated, but mostly because my sister played them all day, every day, and I grew really sick of them really fast. And I just don't think they are a punk rock band at all, and they are looked at on this site as the best punk band.

Are you kidding me? No. Green Day makes amazing music. They're extremely diverse, have experimented with so many genres, Tre Cool is a phenomenal drummer, their lyrics are actually good, & his voice is not whiny or scratchy like most classic rock bands(Green Day's not classic). They are NOT overrated.

A group who have tried to be " punk " but who have failed. There no more than other mainsream American crap rock groups.

Well classic rock is regular, mainstream rock from the 60s on, Green Day is not that.

6 The Beatles The Beatles were an English pop rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The members consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They were soon known as the foremost and most influential act of rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later ...read more.

Oh, I did not get it before, is "difficulty to master" the measuring criteria? In that case, not a single act listed on TTT for the past year or so should be rated "good", as they are all rock, metal, pop, or at best pop-opera which is sometimes called classical crossover. Now and then somebody does mention Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, etc, or very occasionally Luciano Pavarotti is listed on a singers list, but God forbid that anybody at TTT has even heard of Enrico Caruso, or Maria Callas.
If you want to be picky, Classical artists make any and all "contemporary" musicians sound like children.
Within the confines of how the polls here are customarily done, and that is excluding the historic greats of music, it is not possible for the Beatles to be over-rated, they are the GOAT by 100 miles.

I'm not a fan of The Beatles but I don't dislike them either. But they are overrated. There's even a interview from 1966 ( the T.V. program " A whole scene going on " ) with Pete Townsend from The Who, who says that when you listen closely to the music of The Beatles, you are listening to a " not that good band " like people are trying to tell ( and this is 1966! ).

@Billyv - don't get me wrong, I do actually enjoy The Beatles' music. However, I'm being both subjective AND objective. I don't see how their music can be considered "the best" as it really isn't that hard to master. (Feel free to disagree). Plus I don't even think The Beatles are the most overrated band on this list.

Oh no. They revolutionized rock music, and made it popular in the first place. They started the British Invasion!

Although I can see the overrated thing because of all the teenagers wearing Beatles shirts, when in reality they only know a few songs.

7 The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first settled line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). ...read more.

Question is: do you or did you ever listen to these bands before? Or are you just saying they are overrated without giving them a listen? Because what I'm confused about is why, for example, Led Zeppelin isn't on the list. They're one of my favorite bands, yes, but they plagiarized so many other artists that it makes them overrated at times.

Europe is pretty much known for the Final Countdown, which make them not overrated whatsoever.

Bon Jovi is a rather cheesy band at times with lots of people only knowing their hits and nothing else, so why wouldn't they be on the list?

The Rolling Stones are great! One of the most influential bands of all time! They aren't overrated in any sense

8 Oasis Oasis were an English britpop band formed in Manchester in 1991. Developed from an earlier group, the Rain, the band originally consisted of Liam Gallagher (vocals and tambourine), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, and Tony McCarroll. Noel Gallagher (Liam's Brother) served as the primary songwriter and guitarist for the band. They released a total of 7 albums. Definitely Maybe (1994), (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995), Be Here Now (1997), Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000), Heathen Chemistry (2002), Don't Believe The Truth (2005), and Dig Out Your Soul (2008). They disbanded in 2009 after Noel refused to attend their final gig. Causing Liam and Noel to have a falling ...read more.

Very, Very Overrated

9 Poison Poison is an American glam and hard rock band that achieved great commercial success in the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.
10 Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although they initially lasted just two and a half years and produced only four singles and one studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, they are considered one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music, having initiated a punk movement in the United Kingdom, and inspired many later punk and alternative rock musicians.

I dunno... They revoloutionized the punk rock genre and inspired Nirvana and Green Day.

The Contenders
11 Heart Heart is an American rock band that first found success in Canada and later in the United States and worldwide.

My boss saw heart a few years ago. She described it as "a bunch of menopausal women running around and screaming." Yeah I'm not a fan of female fronted bands for the most part

Heart is a rather overrated band at times. Ann and Nancy sure are talented though.

I'm so sick of heart. Not saying no talent. Just overplayed and dull..

Overplayed, and barracuda sucks

12 Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English hard rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
13 Journey Journey is an American arena rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1973, composed of former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch.

You had Journey as your most unique rock band...

14 Anthrax Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker.

Anthrax is one of my all time favorite bands! They aren't overrated at all

15 Europe Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby, Stockholm in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno.

Europe and Survivor can be called one hit wonders but they are not overrated because you don't see them in the Top 10 of every rock list. And most of the people don't think they are the greatest bands of all time.

Final Countdown is a good song, but they're a one hit wonder

The final countdown is not the only song they made!

16 Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu-metal/rap metal/rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 1994. Their lineup consists of Fred Durst, Sam Rivers, John Otto, and Wes Borland. They're mostly known for their singles like Break Stuff, My Way, My Generation, Nookie, Eat You Alive, Rollin', and Take a Look Around... read more

How can they be overrated if everyone hates them?

17 The Who The Who is an English rock band formed in London, England in 1964. The most recognizable lineup was Roger Daltrey (lead vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar), John Entwistle (bass guitar), and Keith Moon (drums). They are best known for their live performances and hit songs Baba O'Riley, My Generation, and ...read more.

The Who overrated? What?!
These guys rock! One of the best live acts ever, their live performances (especially with Keith Moon) are prime examples of how a live rock concert should be played!
If you say they're overrated, then I can't help but feel sorry for you. You just don't know what good rock music is.

The Who not overrated. If anything, they're actually quite underrated.
Most people may have heard of them, but I don't think they get enough of the credit they deserve! They're, along with the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and many others, one of the most influential rock bands ever!
Oh, and not to mention how kick-ass The Who were live! If you say they're overrated without having listened to them, then you're missing out on one of the best bands ever!

How is this band overrated? I repeat, HOW, is THIS band overrated?! They're without doubt one of the most well-known bands in all of rock music and everyone knows at least one song by them, but they can't be overrated if most of the songs from their entire discography are underrated (and very awesome ones, damn shame)!
Also, the fact that Keith Moon gets a lot of attention doesn't make this band overrated! You can't say that the entire band is overrated just because of one member!
Overrated? Are you kidding me? The Who is actually one of the greatest rock bands of all time! They were better than most rock bands at their time, not many could compare to their energy and power live!

How dare you? The Who are just so great, I don't know how in the name of Jesus could anyone call them overrated.
I get it's only opinions and I don't want to disrepect, but anyone who says that about The Who has possibly never listened to their songs!

18 Queen Queen are an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals). Before forming into Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had played together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. He then joined the band in 1970, suggested "Queen" as a new band name, and adopted his familiar stage name. John Deacon was also recruited to complete the line-up. ...read more.

They were not even the most popular band of their own late-70's time period. Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, the Eagles, and even Elton John were much more popular at that time. They got an artificial boost due to one good performance at Live Aid, and inclusion in the "Wayne's World" movie. Enough of them already!

19 Blink-182 Blink-182 is a pop-punk band formed in 1992. The original lineup consisted of Mark Hoppus on bass guitar and vocals, Tom DeLonge on guitar and vocals, and Scott Raynor on drums. Raynor was fired from the band in 1998 and replaced by drummer Travis Barker. They gained mainstream popularity after the release of the album "Enema of the State." The band has gone on to produce eight studio albums during... read more
20 Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwoood (bass guitar), Phil Selway (drums), and Ed O'Brien (guitar).
21 Genesis Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey in 1967. The most commercially successful and long-lasting line-up includes keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins.
22 Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Chris Cornell died on May 17th, 2017.

I disagree - I think they are actually underrated.

My Favorite Seattle Grunge Band.

23 Metallica Metallica is an American Heavy/Thrash Metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup was James Hetfield (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist), Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar), Lars Ulrich (Drums), Ron McGovney (Bassist). The group came into mainstream from their Self-Titled album and the hit single "Enter Sandman".

With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.

Metallica doesn't deserve to be on this list. Yeah, sure they did make some bad albums (i.e. St. Anger). But the good ones out-number the good ones (i.e. And Justice For All, Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, their self-titled album). James Hetfield's voice is recognizable and immortal. I don't know why this is on here.

Way too overrated

24 Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1985. The classic lineup, as signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Apart from hard rock they are also ...read more.
25 Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Rap/Rock group that was formed in 1981 by its three original members, Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, and Adam "MCA" Yauch.
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