Ask Lemmy

I think, for a certain mindset (mine), it has been difficult to match his appearance with his music, which is basically pop that tries to be a bit sexy. I have no problem with unconventional-looking artists (Frank Black, Thom Yorke, etc.), but they don't try to sound like players, as such, and I think that is where the disconnect is for me. I also do not enjoy his music, and I don't really thinks he has much to say lyrically. There's something unabashedly commercial about him that just irritates me.

That said he definitely has talent and i'm clearly not his demographic, so what do I know.

He's like the dude version of Brittney. Like they even publicly sexualized him too it just looked a little different because he's male.

Even if you don't grasp the context of the times, it's insane to call them "boring" unless they never listened past "A Hard Days Night" or "Help!"

His ambient stuff is my happy place

That was the soundtrack to my uni years. It got old after a bit as it was pretty much ubiquitous, but I listened recently and really enjoyed it.

I remember my roommate said they should rename the album from 'Play' to 'Songs for Adverts', as it seemed like every commercial used a track from it at one point, which probably didn't help the overplayed criticism.

There's a fun heavyweights podcast episode about Moby's childhood friend who lent him the Folkways album boxed set, which Moby used to make Play, and never gave it back :p

I suspect the real reason a lot of people hate them is because they have mastered the earworm. One line from any of their songs will ruin your day.

I did a studio session with them about 20 years ago, when they were still pretty popular and before they were widely considered to be a joke, but I was not a fan. When the studio I was working for called me to do the session, my wife said, “Watch - they will end up being really nice guys and you will end up liking them more because of it.” In reality, they were arrogant dickheads, and I hated them all the more ever since.

There’s hate for imagine dragons? Or is it just the same Nickelback “ok, but not exciting” hate?

That album definitely doesn't get enough credit. It's got some surprisingly heavy-hitting songs. Nervous in the Alley? The Fonz? Let's Rock?

It's crazy to me how many commercials used Walking on the Sun for the "So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out" line, considering the broader context of the song.

I was definitely too young to understand most of those songs as a kid.