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B-Side

By Cindy Davis | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (55)

sugarcubes.jpg

By request, the flip side of A Seriously Random List of the Best Bands with the Worst Singers. I found this one much more difficult to compile, so feel free to disagree or add your own.


5. Bjork/The Sugarcubes. Bjork is too fine a vocalist and too big a personality to be sharing the singing with anyone else. The Sugarcubes did have some decent songs, but our little swan queen is much better solo.



4. James Grant/Love and Money. I don’t even know if anyone else has even heard of this band, but it’s a terrible case of a good singer and bad music. Now maybe the musicians themselves aren’t actually the worst but the stuff they played was cheesy, corny and porny and I’m surprised it doesn’t play more elevators.



3. Kate Pierson/The B-52s. Yes, I’m ducking and yes, I can hear you screaming. Don’t get your feathers all fluffed. I like the B-52s quite a lot - they’ve had a multitude of danceable, catchy tunes. But Kate could have had a much better career without Fred and Cindy - I’d go so far as to say they held her back. Her voice outshines the band.



2. George Michael/Wham! Do I even need to say anything here? Wham! were fine for getting George’s career started and I’ll always love them. But George was better than that and he knew it. Sorry Andrew!



1. Peter Gabriel/Genesis. Okay, this is kind of a cheat, but clearly Gabriel is a better vocalist than Phil Collins. And I’m not saying Genesis was a bad band so much as the wrong band for Gabriel’s talent.










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Comments

seriously? Careless Whisper?

god damn it.

i'm gonna have that fucking irritating sax line stuck in my head all day now. and i didn't even listen to the song - just thinking about it makes it ruin my day.

thank you.

Posted by: causaubon at January 2, 2011 3:10 PM

hairless whispers is a great song.

i actually love the sugarcubes, but you're right about her being better solo.

i'll take in the air tonight over sledgehammer anytime. (then again gabriel's two most popular songs are his worst.)

Posted by: stopthemadness at January 2, 2011 3:35 PM

Jack White and the White Stripes, Diana Ross and the Surpremes, Liam Gallagher and and Oasis (Just Kidding!)

What about a list of singers who would be nothing without their band? That seems easier:

Mick Jaggar and the Rolling Stones

Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics...

Posted by: brdkelli at January 2, 2011 3:43 PM

Shit, this is really difficult. Hmmm........

I guess....nope, still nothing.

Maybe....

Wow. I commend you for making it to 5.

Josh Homme/Eagles of Death Metal? Justin Vernon/Gayngs? P.O.S./Building Better Bombs?

Oh! Cee-Lo Green/Goodie Mob. Seriously, listen to that shit and then listen to Gnarls Barkley. It's like night and day, and the man's a vocal god.

Posted by: ChristianH at January 2, 2011 3:47 PM

I think Phil Collins has a beautiful singing voice but he's obviously a lot more commercial than Gabriel ever was, thus much less cool... especially at this website. I loved old Genesis but that vid reminded me how very "fey" they used to be. That was enjoyable back in my 20s but now it just looks rather pretentious.

Posted by: snapnhiss at January 2, 2011 3:48 PM

Jack White and the White Stripes, Diana Ross and the Surpremes, Liam Gallagher and and Oasis (Just Kidding!)

I hope you're kidding on all three, because those first two are amazing and that last one is an example of a terrible singer in a mediocre band, so it doesn't really qualify.

Posted by: ChristianH at January 2, 2011 3:48 PM

Christ, Davis, we already knew you were fucked up.

Posted by: Jay at January 2, 2011 3:51 PM

no no no, annie lennox's album diva is the kitten's jazz paw.

Posted by: stopthemadness at January 2, 2011 3:53 PM

Oh, wait a second, WAAAAAAAAAAIT a second.

We've been punked. Dustin is clearly writing these.

RASCAL!

Posted by: Jay at January 2, 2011 4:13 PM

The best thing about Wham:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKSyPoxzT6w

Watch the whole video, "He's playing to a baby!"

Posted by: Mebe at January 2, 2011 4:14 PM

Ooh! ChristianH nailed it.

I want to argue Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie/The Postal Service. Man, I really hated DCFC. It could just not be my cup of tea, but I the instrumentation bogs down the vocals with extra dreariness.

But my hatred for DCFC in no way spreads over to the Postal Service. Give Up WAS my sophomore year -- I didn't listen to anything else. His whimpery voice partnered up with the bouncing beeps and bloops is surreal.

Posted by: Roisin at January 2, 2011 4:23 PM

Peter Gabriel wasn't a better vocalist than Phil Collins. He was a more creative artist and pushed the envelop more versus putting out less mainstream stuff than Phil, but vocally they are virtually identical. Sure, Phil eventually sold out to Hollywood and the overly produced song much like Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy sold out later in their careers. Face Value is still one of my favorite albums. I would say both Peter and Phil were far better off without Genesis.

Posted by: Matt at January 2, 2011 4:57 PM

Yes, this is definitely a hard list to compile, but I'm frankly mystified by your choice of Peter Gabriel and Genesis. Gabriel is not technically a good singer, but his emotive style seems like a perfect match for the atmospheric prog-rock they're playing. Exactly how is the band mis-matched to Gabriel's talents?

As for Phil Collins: he may be a commercial hack, but he sure was a heck of a drummer back in the day.

*** alternate suggestion for this list: Alison Moyet and Yaz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaHuzkyurC0

Posted by: spoobnooble at January 2, 2011 4:57 PM

Strange... I thought the name of the band was Yaz, not "Yazoo"... Wikipedia to the rescue:

Yazoo (also known as Yaz in the US) are an English synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex. They had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK charts in the early 1980s. Formed in late 1981 by former Depeche Mode songwriter Vince Clarke (synthesizer) and English singer Alison Moyet (vocals), Yazoo were signed to Mute Records in the United Kingdom and (as "Yaz") to Sire Records in the United States.

Posted by: spoobnooble at January 2, 2011 5:00 PM

"But Kate could have had a much better career without Fred and Cindy - I’d go so far as to say they held her back."


I don't see how ANYTHING you say from that point on should be taken seriously, madam.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at January 2, 2011 5:59 PM

Oh and good call on Alyson Moyet up there.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at January 2, 2011 6:09 PM

I'M NEVAH GONNA DANCE AGAIN
THESE GUILTY FEET HAVE GAHT NAH RHYTHM

Give Up WAS my sophomore year -- I didn't listen to anything else.

This. I found my burned CD of Give Up the other day and was like, "OH GOD!" It was snuggled next to Evaescence's Fallen, too. Kind of like the A-Side/B-Side of these lists, nestled together in perfect harmony under Godtopus' benevolent sucker-pads.

Posted by: duckandcover at January 2, 2011 6:17 PM

I agree with brdkelli on one band - I think the White Stripes are terrible as a band, but Jack White is kind of amazing and some of the songs are good. Meg White is an atrocious drummer. The Raconteurs demonstrate what Jack can do with a better band.

Posted by: llp at January 2, 2011 6:17 PM

Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown anyone? Maybe? No? Alright, back to lurking.

Posted by: black rhino at January 2, 2011 6:53 PM

"But Kate could have had a much better career without Fred and Cindy - I’d go so far as to say they held her back."


I don't see how ANYTHING you say from that point on should be taken seriously, madam.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at January 2, 2011 5:59 PM


I'm with BS on this - The B52s were every bit the creative force that Kate needed. And as powerful a singer as Kate is, WITH Cindy, they made a singular instrument.
~~~

Posted by: Meander at January 2, 2011 7:00 PM

People take me seriously?

Posted by: Cindy at January 2, 2011 7:23 PM

No, not anymore.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at January 2, 2011 7:43 PM

This has nothing to do with anything (actually it does, come to think of it, but I was going to post it no matter what the article said), but I'm in a McDonalds right now for its internet (and its food, fuck you) and I never realized just how god awful Dave Matthews is. He's singing "Sitting On the Dock of the Bay" and it's atrocious. His pitch is terrible, he can't even whistle it, and it's making me sick.

That or the McNuggets.

Posted by: Lucas at January 2, 2011 7:45 PM

There are worse things in life.

Posted by: Cindy at January 2, 2011 8:05 PM

You know, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 seem like a really good pick for this. Nobody would really care about the Jackson 4.

Posted by: Matt at January 2, 2011 8:14 PM

Dave Matthews is a candidate for the previous list by himself. Great hands, horf voice.

Posted by: Ian at January 2, 2011 8:45 PM

I'd make an argument for Dallas Green of Alexisonfire.

Don't get me wrong, I love Alexisonfire and think they're one of the best hardcore/post hardcore (wtf genre names?) bands out there. But this is because of Dallas Green. Take him out of the picture and you get an otherwise generic genre band.

But take them out of the picture and you get City and Color, Dallas's solo side project. It's amazing.

Posted by: Lennon at January 2, 2011 8:54 PM

Aimee Mann & 'Til Tuesday? **shrugs**

Posted by: JayJap at January 2, 2011 8:59 PM

I disagree with the Gabriel/Genesis assertion. Selling England by the Pound was a superb vehicle for Gabriel's voice, and the rest of the band was neither mediocre nor held him back. And I agree with others who have said his voice is not so incredible. His stage presence, on the other hand, is mesmerizing.

I'm not a huge fan of the more commercial Genesis as led by Phil Collins, but that's a matter of taste. They were a perfectly serviceable band. I just thing Gabriel has had a more creative and interesting career.

Posted by: Reba at January 2, 2011 9:00 PM

And I’m not saying Genesis was a bad band so much as the wrong band for Gabriel’s talent.

Could you show anymore youngster ignorance? Genesis is probably an extreme of a band evolving - they went from pure pop to progressive back to pop and lastly the ghastly adult contemporary shite that Collins led the way to.

When Gabriel led the band, its progressive sound was collective and Banks, Rutherford, & Collins were just as invested as Peter Gabriel. (The act is another issue . . )

Addendum and tangent - Best musicians in the worst bands:

Slash in Guns'n'Roses
Stewart Copeland in The Police

Posted by: idiosynchronic at January 2, 2011 9:15 PM

Slash in Guns'n'Roses
Stewart Copeland in The Police

I don't see how ANYTHING you say from that point on should be taken seriously

Posted by: Jay at January 2, 2011 9:29 PM

People take me seriously?

Posted by: Cindy at January 2, 2011 7:23 PM

Dear Godtopus. I usually enjoy your columns, Cindy, but you should have passed on this follow-up.

Posted by: Uriah Creep at January 2, 2011 9:56 PM

A classic example was supposedly Janis Joplin and Big Brother & the Holding Company - at least that's what her record company believed.

How about Linda Ronstadt & Stone Poneys?

Posted by: Pat C. at January 3, 2011 12:02 AM

Yaz(oo) were going to be first my contribution as well, although I have to admit really liking Situation and not entirely because her voice tears that song apart.

I'm going to do a tough one here and say Corey Glover. It's tough because I do really like Living Colour, but they weren't consistent enough to do his voice justice. Good Living Colour is fucking awesome, and there was plenty of talent in that band, but Vernon Reid had this annoying penchant for sticking his head up his own ass rather than serving the music. I always want Joey the Lips to come talk some sense into him.

Posted by: Eep at January 3, 2011 1:27 AM

So yeah, obviously Glover doesn't actually fit the article. He's more of a singer held back by his band than a best singer with a worst band.

Posted by: Eep at January 3, 2011 1:29 AM

As the guy who requested this, I have to say that between all of you, you pretty much covered everyone I was thinking of (Bjork, Perry, Jack White, CeeLo). Well played, Pajiba. Well played.

Posted by: Shane at January 3, 2011 3:24 AM

Aimee Mann & 'Til Tuesday? **shrugs**

Her voice really carried.

Posted by: Rykker at January 3, 2011 3:54 AM

totes disagree on the sugarcubes thing.

while her solo stuff is awesome, i MISS the sugarcubes behind her.

Posted by: gp at January 3, 2011 9:28 AM

Hey, Jay - your goat's in my trunk.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at January 3, 2011 10:28 AM

Personally, I think no. 1 should be Ringo. His band really held him back.

Posted by: ed newman at January 3, 2011 11:06 AM

Kate Pierson's solo work was an unmitigated failure, arguing against your point. I'd also say that both Kate and Cindy together are exponentially better than either one alone because they made such dead-nuts-ON harmonies, which is so so difficult to do at all much less live.

re: Peter Gabriel and Genesis. Genesis was good when Peter was still in it, and actually their first album without was pretty good too... but since then, awful.

such lists are futile and kinda dumb.

Posted by: litmus0001 at January 3, 2011 11:30 AM

...and the fact that you call the Sugarcubes a bad band really damages your credibility in anything at all related to music.

Posted by: litmus0001 at January 3, 2011 11:31 AM

Screw anyone who doesn't like The White Stripes. You watch them play the Grammys on Youtube and tell me that video doesn't just kick you straight in the ass. That band basically is Jack White. Nothing he ever does after that band is over will compare, though I do quite enjoy his other projects as well.

Posted by: ChristianH at January 3, 2011 11:36 AM

Peter Gabriel makes the (very) short list of rock music geniuses. Solid singer, hell of a showman.

Posted by: , at January 3, 2011 11:43 AM

I love George Michael. My 15 y/o self was so crushed when I finally accepted the obviousness of his sexuality.
Peter Gabriel vs. Phil Collins is such utter bullshit. I'm sorry, but I love them both. I also prefer them both as solo artists. Let's just agree that Genesis held them both back.

Posted by: courtney at January 3, 2011 12:10 PM

*pokes head up*

I like Jack White's work with the Raconteurs better; it's more focused, like having someone other than Silent Sally over there on the drums was good for his process.

Please don't throw things at me.

*ducks back down*

Posted by: Ian at January 3, 2011 1:42 PM

ChristianH makes a good point. I would also say that his voice is more interesting than good, if I'm being diplomatic. I happen to like it, but I don't think it would be a universally held opinion. Also, even if you think he's holding himself back, he's in several other bands and I personally don't find any of them particularly superior to the White Stripes.

Posted by: Eep at January 3, 2011 1:43 PM

I beg to differ regarding Jack Black - I think everything he does from here on in will surpass the White Stripes. His work on Cold Mountain was incredible and his performance for Obama was excellent. He, wisely, attached himself to a commercially-successful project that ensures his ability to do other, more creative and daring things.

Posted by: samantha t at January 3, 2011 1:50 PM

Oh God, Wham. (or, Wham!, I guess.)

I just worked a wedding reception at which the middle-aged DJ chose "Careless Whisper" as the very first track once the live jazz combo started packing up. My more charitable side thinks he might have just been looking for a nice aural segue from the live, human sax wambling into recorded background crap, but really? At a wedding? Sad dated 80s cheating tune?

It was followed by Dan Fogelberg: "Same Old Lang Syne," and then....and then....Peter Cetera's thing from the Karate Kid sequel thing. Awful, awful.

Then it devolved into a bunch of 40s swing and 50s bubblegum pop. I despaired, because I was to be off the clock when people started dancing and who could imagine anyone under 75 dancing to....wait, what did you say? He's playing Cher? OK, that's a step in the righ--SHOOP SHOOP SONG?

I tried to bribe my co-worker into sneaking into the guests and yelling "Let's dance!" but he declined on the grounds of not wanting to mess up the knees of his suit with the Kevin Bacon slide.

Posted by: Salieri2 at January 3, 2011 3:10 PM

I can tell My Morning Jacket is trying really hard to be inventive with their music and I appreciate that, but the overall level of musicianship is just not up to the task. The band is always at its rocking best when in the familiar Skynrd territory. So what makes them any better than your local southern fried cover band? Jim James. The guy is an incredible singer. Can't wait for James to ditch the baggage, go solo and crank out some truly amazing stuff.

Posted by: dagnabbit at January 3, 2011 4:33 PM

I like the Sugarcubes as well, but have always wanted to find versions of the songs with Einar's(?) voice taken out...Whenever I listen to one of their songs, the thought "Dude, would you shut up, please!" always comes up...

Posted by: DaveKan at January 3, 2011 5:03 PM

I just feel like, with the exception of Get Behind Me Satan, The White Stripes have made some of the best rock music of this generation. Hard-nosed, challenging garage rock that manages to thrive in several genres because of Jack's flexibility and musicianship and Meg's rigid but easy-going beatkeeping. Honestly, it's Meg's simplistic drumming that makes The White Stripes so much better than The Raconteurs or The Dead Weather; Jack can't play drums while he's playing every other instrument, but he doesn't have to share the spotlight with anyone else. It's his show, and the minimal backing lets his true talents shine. He's a stronger performer than songwriter, and his other bands don't break any new ground, as tight as they are. When he's loose, he's a god. When he's constricted, he's just another musician, better than most, but not this generation's greatest rock star.

P.S. My Morning Jacket is awesome, and Evil Urges is a classic.

Posted by: ChristianH at January 3, 2011 5:36 PM

How about Neko Case/The New Pornographers? She's not the "main" vocal (I don't think the band actually has one, per se, like a normal band, since it's just a collection of people from every other band), but she's the best one, hands down, in my opinion.

Posted by: FDBluth at January 3, 2011 5:50 PM

Harriet Wheeler >The Sundays.
Dolores O'Riordan >The Cranberries.
Morrissey > Smiths (continued from past thread). Think that while Morrissey=Marr in the Smiths that on Viva Hate & You are the Quarry Morrissey matures & moves far beyond Marr, shows greater imagination/ diversity.

These come to mind but im not sure follow the rules...since they are really frontmen / backing bands.
Alison Krauss > Union Station
Bruce Springsteen > E Street Band
David Bowie > The Spiders from Mars
Bob Marley > The Wailers

Posted by: Will at January 4, 2011 8:05 AM

Intreseting post

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