What This Is Not
This is not a declaration of a list of bands that are in some way great, but that I don’t like. This is a much more idiosyncratic list of bands that, by some unarticulated set of criteria, I think I should like because they check whatever series of boxes that, on paper at least, add up to me being a fan.
There are a ton of great, world-class, well-respected bands I dislike. Let’s list a few: Fleetwood Mac, GNF’nR, Van Morrison, U2, The Rolling Stones, and MANY MORE. But that IS NOT what this is about.
What This Is
I wrote elsewhere about the one-sided problem here, and it’s as a follow-up to that post that I’m publishing this list. I may amend it, or, more likely, add to it—as time continues to stretch ever onward into the future—until that unfathomable moment when it stops (for me).
To be emphatically explicit: I do not want anyone to attempt to persuade me here. There’s no way to reason me into liking these bands. No set of reasons, nor well-constructed proofs, will persuade BECAUSE, in fact, it is reason itself that’s the very source of this problem. The one-sided problem emerges because there is a gap between what reason (a set of criteria) would indicate about my fandom of a given band, and the actual experience of me listening to the band.
What MIGHT be useful is if you were willing to create a 6-ish song playlist featuring your favorite songs by these bands. I’ll commit to listening and doing a little track-by-track commentary. And after that bit of homework, I’ll be done with each of these bands in turn—forever. Thanks to you! I’ll link to those reflections below as I create them. (If the link takes you to The Stub Post, that means someone has created a playlist for me, but I haven’t posted my commentary, yet!)
Here’s the list:
The Clash
Pink Floyd
Led Zepplin
Pearl Jam/Mudhoney/Soundgarden/Alice in Chains
Husker Du
The Replacements