And the results are in...

Knopfler is a great player. Dire Straits are a second rate band.

Not sure how you are quantifying that. Over 100 million records sold, Grammys, yada yada. Sure, it comes down to personal preference, but IMHO any band in the world would love to have Brothers in Arms in their portfolio.
 
Not sure how you are quantifying that. Over 100 million records sold, Grammys, yada yada. Sure, it comes down to personal preference, but IMHO any band in the world would love to have Brothers in Arms in their portfolio.

If Brothers in Arms is your best record, you’re a second-rate band.
 
If Brothers in Arms is your best record, you’re a second-rate band.

Really? 30 million copies is second rate?

Just for comparison, name 5 bands from the same era you consider first rate, just so I know who you think was better, say popular from 1980-1991.
 
Really? 30 million copies is second rate?

Just for comparison, name 5 bands from the same era you consider first rate, just so I know who you think was better, say popular from 1980-1991.

The million seller critical gambit? Really?

Here are 5 popular acts doing better work between ‘80 and ‘91

The Cure
REM
U2
Prince
Springsteen
 
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All of whom, save The Cure, are in the HoF...

Which suggests that The Straits are got to the second or third pass through chronological eligibility before getting the nod.

Hence, second rate!

Brothers in Arms sold more records than God but who listens to that record now? Who covers cuts from it? Who is salivating for a DS reunion on the festival circuit? The album is a dead blockbuster, culturally speaking.

The Cure will likely never get in the rock hall because Rolling Stone and the Jan Wenner Cool Table have no love for Post-Punk, Goth, Sissy Rock, and Anglophile cult bands.
 
Which suggests that The Straits are got to the second or third pass through chronological eligibility before getting the nod.

Hence, second rate!

Brothers in Arms sold more records than God but who listens to that record now? Who covers cuts from it? Who is salivating for a DS reunion on the festival circuit? The album is a dead blockbuster, culturally speaking.

The Cure will likely never get in the rock hall because Rolling Stone and the Jan Wenner Cool Table have no love for Post-Punk, Goth, Sissy Rock, and Anglophile cult bands.

The most rock n roll thing you can do is not be in. :embarrassed:
 
Inclusion of REM negates your argument. Also Springsteens best work was before 1980, with the possible exception of Nebraska.
 
stupid institution. artists with integrity would reject the idiotic honor.
No, they wouldn't.

But, pretentious douchebags that take themselves way too seriously and are overt narcissists would.
Yeah. With the exception of Nina Simone those are some thoroughly second-rate bands.

Sure, they had some hits and I’ve enjoyed some of their records, but hardly world-beating trailblazers.

Bob Jovi is quite possibly the most baffling long-term career in all of rock history. As much personality as a catering tray of lukewarm instant mashed potatoes.
Literally mouth agape while reading that. One's personal taste is not a measure of quality or substance. The Cars were absolutely ground breaking in virtually every sense of the word. They are most certainly the first breakthrough American "New Wave" band. The way they seamlessly integrated synths and E-drums into their guitar driven songs was what kicked open the floodgates. They may have lost a few steps with their later material, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more unique and talented guitarist as Elliot Easton. Same goes for Greg Hawkes as a Keyboardist.

Dire Straits? Second rate? I'm not a fan by any stretch, but that's just an asinine statement.

Moody Blues? If for no other reason than "Nights in white satin", they are deserving. The fact that they scored an incredibly successful comeback in the 80s is proof positive that they are legit.

Bon Jovi? Again, not a fan. But, I gained much respect for them when I agreed to take my younger nephew to see them live in '89. They put on a MONSTER performance that caught me totally off guard. Nothing second rate about it. The fact that they found a perfect little niche somewhere between Hair Metal and Commercial Pop is either pure genius or blind luck. Either way, their undeniable appeal to a very wide audience and phenomenal levels of success make them a shoe-in.

Nina Simone is a head scratcher to be sure. Not because she was second rate, but because there was nothing "Rock 'n' Roll" about her music.
 
No, they wouldn't.

My comment and your reply are both non-provable empirically. So argument over. I do however usually feel smugly smarter than people who use the word "douchebag" but that again is not provable.
 
The Cars were absolutely ground breaking in virtually every sense of the word. They are most certainly the first breakthrough American "New Wave" band.

The Cars were hugely derivative of a bunch of bands that came before them like Roxy Music and Talking Heads (first breakthrough New Wave hit with Psycho Killer), but dumbed it down into a palatable pop form for more common tastes. Good hit making machine, but no ground broken on their watch.
 
I had a “best of” cars disc but got rid of it, because all the songs sounded exactly alike, and not in a good way.
 
No, they wouldn't.

But, pretentious douchebags that take themselves way too seriously and are overt narcissists would. Literally mouth agape while reading that. One's personal taste is not a measure of quality or substance. The Cars were absolutely ground breaking in virtually every sense of the word. They are most certainly the first breakthrough American "New Wave" band. The way they seamlessly integrated synths and E-drums into their guitar driven songs was what kicked open the floodgates. They may have lost a few steps with their later material, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more unique and talented guitarist as Elliot Easton. Same goes for Greg Hawkes as a Keyboardist.

Dire Straits? Second rate? I'm not a fan by any stretch, but that's just an asinine statement.

Moody Blues? If for no other reason than "Nights in white satin", they are deserving. The fact that they scored an incredibly successful comeback in the 80s is proof positive that they are legit.

Bon Jovi? Again, not a fan. But, I gained much respect for them when I agreed to take my younger nephew to see them live in '89. They put on a MONSTER performance that caught me totally off guard. Nothing second rate about it. The fact that they found a perfect little niche somewhere between Hair Metal and Commercial Pop is either pure genius or blind luck. Either way, their undeniable appeal to a very wide audience and phenomenal levels of success make them a shoe-in.

Nina Simone is a head scratcher to be sure. Not because she was second rate, but because there was nothing "Rock 'n' Roll" about her music.

When your favorite band is A Flock of Seagulls, it’s gonna be tough to win arguments about taste.
 
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