DS Forums

 
 

Underrated Icons


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 15-04-2012, 11:38
little-monster
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 30,200

Which artists do you think are underrated icons?
I mean we have the obvious Icons like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Barbra Stresiand etc

It's all down to opinions, so there is no right or wrong answer.

Here are mine

Dusty Springfield - First female to crack america and pretty much was one of the very first British females to be successful. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have Adele, Amy Winehouse etc.

Kate Bush - Like Dusty, she was really one of the first British females to blow up but Kate created her own style of music and pretty much her own world. While Dusty set the standard for White Soul Singers, Kate set a huge standard for Female Pop Singers in general. She was banned in New Zealand for being too sexy, something Madonna would later embrace in her career years later.

Rihanna - She is always changing her style and she has amazing hits. Every era is different and it never feels repeated. While she is influenced by acts like Madonna, she is having other Females be influenced by her due to putting Barbados on the map for success and to bringing a flavour of so many different cultures of music in her music.

Gwen Stefani - Before the likes of Hayley Williams and Avril Lavigne, Gwen was the ultimate Rock chick of the 90's. Her quirky style, her unique voice and her creative songwriting led to the birth of No Doubt and then her own solo career. But Gwen knew how not to be too controversial and still kept it real. Her infamous Blue Hair, the Harajuku girls and the huge brand that is LAMB, I personally feel Gwen will very much be remembered in Pop/Rock Culture.

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez - Lisa was controversial and often seen as a tragic soul. But erase that and your left with an amazing rapper (forget Nicki Minaj for a second) and being the brains behind one of the most successful girlbands. Sadly she died and was never able to continue her Legacy into a solo career. But before the likes of Eve and Lil Kim, she was breaking boundaries of Women in R&B and Rap. How many artist do you know promote safe sex by wearing comdoms on your glasses?
little-monster is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 15-04-2012, 11:58
Eddie Badger
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,354
Gerry Rafferty, a great song writer and perfomer best known for Baker Street but his other work is well worth a listen.
Eddie Badger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 12:38
elasticlove
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Norrbotten, Sweden
Posts: 17,817
Gwen Stefani was the first person who came to my mind. I feel like I should say Kylie but I think most people see it.
elasticlove is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 12:57
spaceoddity
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Living La Dolce Vita
Posts: 4,718
Courtney Love. If people look beyond her strange behaviour and ludicrous antics (though I guess this is what makes 'her' in a sense) Live Through This & Celebrity Skin are two amazing Alternative Rock records, both highly acclaimed albums to, especially the first which in my opinion is a masterpiece.
spaceoddity is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 12:59
RaptureRider
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,796
Cyndi Lauper

Great songwriter, singer, visually interesting, has experimented with different styles of music.
RaptureRider is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 13:00
homer2012
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 5,071
Courtney Love. If people look beyond her strange behaviour and ludicrous antics (though I guess this is what makes 'her' in a sense) Live Through This & Celebrity Skin are two amazing Alternative Rock records, both highly acclaimed albums to, especially the first which in my opinion is a masterpiece.
Courtney Love will always be in Cobains shadow, for me shes not an icon but each to there own.
homer2012 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 13:10
spaceoddity
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Living La Dolce Vita
Posts: 4,718
Courtney Love will always be in Cobains shadow, for me shes not an icon but each to there own.
I don't consider her an icon, more like an underrated one.. if that makes sense. I agree she'll probably be forever known as Cobain's mental wife but her band Hole have made some amazing albums over the years. Great lyricist too, only have to look at a song like Doll Parts to see what a great writer she is. Though I understand your point.
spaceoddity is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 13:51
LostIslands_
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 621
Gwen Stefani - Before the likes of Hayley Williams and Avril Lavigne, Gwen was the ultimate Rock chick of the 90's. Her quirky style, her unique voice and her creative songwriting led to the birth of No Doubt and then her own solo career. But Gwen knew how not to be too controversial and still kept it real. Her infamous Blue Hair, the Harajuku girls and the huge brand that is LAMB, I personally feel Gwen will very much be remembered in Pop/Rock Culture.
Agree, but with the new ND album this summer maybe she'll see some recognition? Not just Gwen but Tony, Adrian and Tom too!

I'd like to add Debbie Harry to the list. It constantly baffles me as to why she doesn't get the recognition she deserves. She's become somewhat of an underground icon, but she deserves far more. Amazing woman.
LostIslands_ is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 14:16
VoodooChic
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: I am MALE
Posts: 8,267
Agree, but with the new ND album this summer maybe she'll see some recognition? Not just Gwen but Tony, Adrian and Tom too!

I'd like to add Debbie Harry to the list. It constantly baffles me as to why she doesn't get the recognition she deserves. She's become somewhat of an underground icon, but she deserves far more. Amazing woman.
Agreed - without Debbie there'd be no Madonna
VoodooChic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 14:20
andyjohn92
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 30
P!nk.

Need i say more?
andyjohn92 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 14:33
21stCenturyBoy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Stratford-Upon-Avon
Posts: 37,537
I have quite a list

Pioneering female singer-songwriters like Cyndi Lauper, Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar are all too often overlooked for their male counterparts- case in point the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame snubbing all three (very unfairly!)
21stCenturyBoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 15:55
JB86
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 103
Mary J Blige
JB86 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 16:02
Jon Ross
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Somewhere extremely creepy
Posts: 3,088
Peter Gabriel.

He's really never been fashionable (he'll never win the Brit Award for outstanding contribution for example), but he's had a profound and lasting impact on music mainly behind the scenes for most of his career, has done more to promote music from around the world than most of the rest of the music business put together, and does at least as much for humanitarian causes as Bob Geldof and Bono but without the same kind of profile in the media.
Jon Ross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 17:09
ChloeTR
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Manchester
Posts: 11
Ian Curtis of Joy Division and Morrissey of The Smiths
ChloeTR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 17:23
TH14
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 11,543
The Pet Shop Boys are very underrated I think. Their 'discography' album is packed full of classics
TH14 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 17:35
gpk
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Penryn, Falmouth, Cornwall.
Posts: 10,034
sorry, but there are a lot of people that have been mentioned that there very much rated both in terms of commercial success and critical acclaim. i am racking my brains trying to come up with someone more appropriate, but i really cant think of someone. if an artist reaches a certain level of commercial success at some point during their career or they achieve critical acclaim, then surely they are rated?
gpk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 17:55
FanFromHolland
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,930
just wondering, but how can an icon be underrated?
FanFromHolland is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 18:00
Jon Ross
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Somewhere extremely creepy
Posts: 3,088
sorry, but there are a lot of people that have been mentioned that there very much rated both in terms of commercial success and critical acclaim. i am racking my brains trying to come up with someone more appropriate, but i really cant think of someone. if an artist reaches a certain level of commercial success at some point during their career or they achieve critical acclaim, then surely they are rated?
That's why I chose Peter Gabriel. Although he had quite a bit of commercial success a LONG time ago, he doesn't get the coverage a lot of other artists get (Morrissey, Paul Weller, Bob Dylan etc) and most people under the age of about 35 today in my experience have no idea who he is.
Jon Ross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 20:07
__3kerry
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,245
Rihanna? I'd say she is very much overrated.
__3kerry is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 20:20
Smudged
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,282
just wondering, but how can an icon be underrated?
Sounds like an oxymoron to me.
Smudged is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 20:25
BadKid95
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 7,052
Rihanna? I'd say she is very much overrated.
I agree! I don't think she's ever out the papers

I'd say Kylie, been listening to loads of her music today, she's fantastic
BadKid95 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 20:46
Stephenmarra
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 725
Rory Gallagher.
Whenever he's hit the bigtime he hit the self destruct button, disappeared, changed direction and started again.
He is revered by many of the Blues / Rock guitarists, past and present. Not so much the public, shame as they have missed one hell of a talented musian.
Stephenmarra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 20:52
twingle
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 16,266
I don't understand how you can say Dusty was underrated. Back in her day she was as big as Adele is today and considered a British icon that conquered America.
twingle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 21:02
Littlegreen42
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Under The Ivy
Posts: 16,586
Tori Amos
Littlegreen42 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-04-2012, 21:05
VoodooChic
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: I am MALE
Posts: 8,267
I don't understand how you can say Dusty was underrated. Back in her day she was as big as Adele is today and considered a British icon that conquered America.
Dusty In Memphis (considered her best album) didn't chart over here and she was ignored from 1969-1987. Her 70's output is great - esp See All Her Faces and Cameo albums.
She's certainly one of the finest singers of all time - I just wish she was more successful in the 70's and beyond
VoodooChic is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 15:00.