Sgt. Pepper's Overrated Joshua Destruction

 

(Photo: Reddit)

I found myself in a music conversation today.

Which normally means I wind up in trouble.

Look, I have strong takes on what I think is good and what is not (and what is overplayed). That doesn't mean I'm correct.

The topic got going today because I saw a tweet asking about the most overrated album ever.

The answer I saw the most was actually the answer I agreed with. 

U2's The Joshua Tree.

Before you assume I hate U2, I don't I own most of their music and would gladly listen to any of the early 80s work or Achtung Baby.

Again, I own The Joshua Tree. I even like songs on it ("With or Without You," "Where the Streets Have No Name") while if I never heard "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" again, I'd be good.

That's literally the only song that has ever caused me to walk out of a concert, as I used that to go to the men's room at Madison Square Garden years ago.

OK, that was also arguably the worst concert I've ever been to but so it goes. I thought the setlist wasn't great but I digress.

However, plenty of responders to the overrated tweet took umbrage with The Beatles, especially Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

I get it and I don't. Not everyone understands it. Sgt Pepper is, to be honest, much like the movie Citizen Kane. People don't love the story nor do they understand what the fuss is about.

While Sgt. Pepper will never be my favorite Beatles album I quite understand how it changed rock and roll. I also don't think it's the best Beatles album, preferring Revolver and Rubber Soul and probably even Abbey Road. In fact, I think Revolver is the greatest album ever.

But back to Sgt. Pepper. I can rave with the best of them about the true hits -- even if nothing was released as a single. The title track, "With a Little Help From My Friends," and "A Day in the Life" remain truly great works. 

I'd love to have been alive in 1967 to have put the record on the turntable and heard the crowd noise before the thumping opening notes kicked in.

But, as time has gone on, my appreciation for songs like "Getting Better," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" and "She's Leaving Home" has grown. Admittedly I've never really loved George Harrison's "Within You Without You" but I do love the whimsy of Paul McCartney's "When I'm Sixty-Four."

Anyway, this wasn't meant to be a post about Sgt. Pepper but I guess I've made my case of why it's not overrated. Nor is the album that inspired it, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys.

But, as this is always subjective, your mileage may vary.

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac and the catalogs of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin also received heat in the post on Twitter/X. Also, the Eagles are always an easy target and I will admit I understand why. Nevermind by Nirvana was also mentioned a lot.

I generally disagree with that entire paragraph. I can still listen, for instance, to The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Houses of the Holy and enjoy them.

On the other hand, I'd say Appetite for Destruction is a bit overrated but I've explained numerous times I just wasn't in the right place to be dazzled by Guns 'n Roses.

Of course, I saw one person say "Anything by Bon Jovi" and I just smiled.

And, if I'm being honest, I'm not going all in and saying more.

The thing is that when something becomes popular, it immediately earns critics. As that popularity grows, so do the critics. When it becomes arguably iconic, well, here we are.

You've no doubt read my takes on the most overrated/overplayed songs in the past. I think there's a special place in hell for basically anything by John Mellencamp but most notably "Jack and Diane." 

So we all have our opinions. I suppose the thing that grinds my gears is when someone gets so entrenched in an opinion that they fail to recognize any other side.

Oh, wait, that sounds like politics.

The answers to this topic fascinated me and that's why I decided to bring it up today. I'd like to think we all have those things that we simply get sick of or don't understand the hype.

I suffered the indignity of seeing Nickelback on my TV last night performing "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" so I think I've dealt with enough and thus this exercise was enjoyable.

Oh, and Maroon 5 still sucks.

(Sorry, John. I had to)