I listen to a lot of music. I’ve continued to appreciate music as I’ve gotten older. I can say I know one person, Gusto, who knows more about music than me. Also note that he doesn’t listen to present day music but his knowledge of songs from classic artists and groups is deep. I know way more about the 80’s, a decade he forgets, and current pop music and alternative. I’m currently updating myself on the likes of Bob Dylan, Beatles, Stones and other historical groups. That being said I can’t stand these 5 groups listed below. I can listen to just about anything but I generally swap the channel when these artists play. Some good reasons, others not so good, but I still have my opinion.

The Pretenders

Front woman Chrissie Hynde is the essentially the band. She had a daughter with Ray Davies, lead singer of the Kinks, and that actually makes me like her a little more than I did before I wrote this. The band was formed in 1978 and have hits “I’ll Stand By You”, “Brass in Pocket”, “Back on the Chain Gang”, “My City Was Gone”, and “Tattooed Love Boys.” “I’ll Stand By You” is actually pretty good. The others just rub me the wrong way. I can’t explain it but I just don’t like the music. You’ll notice with some of the other members of the list that the female lead singer has this tomboyish, dyke attitude.

Dave Matthews Band

I don’t dislike Dave Matthews. I don’t even dislike his music. I detest his fans. It all stems back to high school when to be cool you had to like Dave Matthews. I didn’t like the group of people that liked him which made me dislike his music. Under the Table and Dreaming was one of my first 10 albums ever purchased and I really liked it. This was back in 1994 when I was in middle school and before the huge hype surrounded Dave. I was 13 when Crash came out and the followers started piling on the bandwagon. I’ve listened to him here or there but to this day I can’t fully like Dave Matthews without thinking I’m being brainwashed by the crowd.

Janis Joplin

The worst. I hate all her songs. Me and Bobby McGee, Mercedes Benz or Piece of My Heart, I dislike them all equally. Apparently she has a great, unique singing voice but it sounds to me like road kill being run over and screeching before they croak. I’m actually happy she passed on young so she didn’t produce more music people would guarantee play because she’s Janis Joplin. I wonder if she wasn’t dead if she’d be as well liked. He music just doesn’t sound like good music to me.

Britney Spears

Sort of a weird one of the list but I wanted to include her. I listen to Gaga, Katy Perry, Nikki Minaj and other female pop artists and she stands out as the worst to me. I don’t think her early stuff was awful (Baby One More Time, Sometimes, You Drive me Crazy) but after her self titled “Britney”, she should have stopped making music. The auto tune is too much now. Her and Kesha are in the same boat of no talent, carried by their producers, please stop making music club. Sure she’s an icon but I won’t listen to her music.

Pat Benetar

Saving the worst for last. I actually don’t dislike her more than Janis but the songs “Hit Me with Your Best Shot”, “Heartbreaker” and “Love is a Battlefield” are so overplayed that I never want to hear them again as long as I live. I think the fact that these songs are played on a daily basis all over the US is what drives me mad. They are never going away. They just keep eating at you until you love to hate them.