Three types of over-rated bands, who's on top?

The upcoming release of the album from Them Crooked Vultures got me thinking for obvious reasons about Led Zeppelin.  The discussion on the TCV fan forum amazed me with the blind devotion some people have to Zeppelin.  I've never understood it, so that naturally got me thinking about over-rated bands throughout rock music history.

When I was trying to put together a list of the most over-rated bands I found it difficult to compile one comprehensive list.  I found that I band's really fell into three categories of over-ratedness.  There are mega-star bands that are over-rated, there are highly over-rated "indie" bands, and there are bands who sell more records than their talent would reasonably dictate.

I struggled with adding a fourth category: band's that were once good but are now over-rated.  Acts like U2, R.E.M., and Red Hot Chili Pepper would fall into this category.  I decided against this designation, because at one point in time (generally 1987) these bands actually did have the talent and produce music that warranted their accolades.

So here we are.  Three categories worth of my most over-rated bands.

All-time over-rated acts:

5. The Doors

Once you strip away the stage antics and charisma the music is middling at best and the lyrics are downright awful.

4. Led Zeppelin

The blues rock was decent, but the level of acclaim far outstrips the quality of the music they produced.

3. The Grateful Dead

Even when stoned these grubby hippies are boring as sin.

2. The Beatles

I'm not saying they are a bad band, but for guys who wrote meaningless 3-minute pop songs they get way more credit than they deserve.

1. Pink Floyd

They embody the worst qualities of all of the aforementioned over-rated bands.

Big selling over-rated bands:

5. Wilco

When they played country rock they were killer.  Now they just noodle and call it art and the critics swoon.

4. Coldplay

I think this one is self-explanatory.

3. Green Day

There are better punk bands.  There are better pop bands.  There are bands that combine the two better.

2. White Stripes

A brilliant lego-based video launched the band into the stratosphere and with the except of Elephant, they've been floating along on monotone garage rock almost ever since.

1. Radiohead

They produced one masterpiece album in OK Computer and now everything they touch gets praised, even if it's just some unorganized blips and farting noises.

Indie and over-rated:

5. Iron & Wine

Bad poetry set to boring music.

4. Sufjan Stevens

See "Iron & Wine"

3. Bon Iver

See "Sufjan Stevens"

2. Vampire Weekend

So the recipe for success is to take a song that's half written and toss some half-assed world rhythm on top.   Great.

1. Animal Collective

Sometime at the very beginning a hipster decided to play a practical joke.  He found the most unlistenable band and tricked people into thinking it was uber-cool.  Nobody wanted to look lame and call him on it.  The result is this festering heap of aural garbage.

I'm sure more than one person will disagree with me.  But I ask you, look into yourself.  Deep down you know that there is some truth in which I speak.