The Most Overplayed Musicians of All Time main image
Scroll Down To Continue

The Most Overplayed Musicians of All Time

There are some musicians you just can't get enough of...and then there are these guys. Let's just say that you're probably not going to find anyone who hasn't heard these artists more than enough for one lifetime. Here are the musicians that get overplayed way too much! 

Metallica

Metallica

Like a lot of other musicians on this list, it's not that Metallica is terrible by any stretch of the imagination. We're just sick of hearing them. 

If you tune into any rock radio station in the country, there's a good chance you'll hear "Master of Puppets" or "Enter Sandman" blaring from your speakers. For any DJs out there, there is classic rock outside of Metallica. 

J. Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is a pop music powerhouse. She started out singing country tunes about teenage love woes, but now she's all about big pop anthems. There's no denying her success - her songs are catchy as heck and get stuck in your head forever. The problem? They might be a little too catchy. You hear them everywhere!

Because of that, some people say her music is overplayed, like that one comfy sweater you wore every day until it got holes. But hey, even if "Shake it Off" gives you an instant migraine, you can't deny her songs are fun.

John Shearer/Getty Images Entertianment/Getty Images

R.E.M.

R.E.M.

Everybody hurts...when R.E.M. comes on the radio. This American rock band had no shortage of time on the airwaves when they were at their peak, or even now when they're long past their expiration date. 

R.E.M. allegedly released 15 albums, but most people only remember the same three, annoying songs by them. And for better or worse, they're one of the best-selling bands of all time. 

Paul Natkin/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is a pop chameleon who constantly switches things up. Remember her Hannah Montana days? Now, she's belting out everything from "Jolene" to powerful rock ballads. Her music is catchy, but she shocked the world with the "Wrecking Ball" music video. That catchiness can be a double-edged sword, however, and makes her super annoying after the radio blasted the song for a year straight.

You might hear her songs everywhere — radio, stores, even that Zumba class you took once. Some folks say she's overplayed, like that one ringtone you couldn't stand to hear one more time. You have to admit Miley always keeps things... interesting.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles are still to this day considered one of the best bands of all time, so is it really surprising that their music is some of the most overplayed of all time as well? Unfortunately for the Fab Four, familiarity breeds contempt. 

And unfortunately for us, the Beatles were wildly successful at all stages of their career. Whether they were a saccharine boy band or a bunch of drug-using hippies, they've got plenty of overrated music for people of all styles and tastes. 

Bob Gomel/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

Beyonce

Beyonce

It's bad enough that Beyonce is overplayed and overrated. But what really makes it worse are her blind fans who act like she's the greatest musician to ever grace the earth. 

Unfortunately, I have bad news for the Beyhive--Beyonce isn't even the best pop musician of the last 10 years, much less all time. Kate Bush was busy claiming that title while Beyonce was still a fetus. 

Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber

Music is subjective, but in the case of Justin Bieber are we all okay with just declaring him objectively bad? I think an exception should be made in this case. 

From his humble beginnings as a Canadian tween sensation to his current life as a grown man still acting like a tween, there has never been a shortage of Justin Bieber on the airwaves. Maybe it's time for an embargo. 

Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

Madonna

Madonna

Madonna is basically synonymous with the 1980s at this point, so there's not much we can do. But things didn't have to be this way. 

Sure, the Queen of Pop put out some great hits during her heyday. We're just confused why every "Best of the 80s" playlist or album seems to be 95% Madonna. 

Taylor Hill/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a unique entry on this list. Because the world needs less Kansas and more...Kansas? 

Listen, my wayward son, you can carry on any way you like, but you're never going to convince me that the stadium rock anthems of late Kansas are more worthy of airtime than their debut LP, which just so happened to be a prog rock masterpiece. It was all downhill for Kansas from there, but people seem to forget that the band existed long before "Dust in the Wind." 

Rick Diamond/Archive Photos/Getty Images

BTS

BTS

The Korean boy band BTS is overplayed and overrated. How do I know? Because I've never heard a song by them, and yet I can't seem to escape people talking about them. 

I'm sure that they aren't any more obnoxious than every other boy band in the world, but that's not saying much. No musician needs to be an omnipresent global phenomenon. 

PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Everyone in the world seems to be over Katy Perry, and yet we can't seem to get rid of her. I'm sure we'll have her bland singles shoved down our throats for years to come. 

Obviously Perry doesn't write her own songs--why in the world would one of the most famous musicians in the world need to do that? But she's clearly bad at choosing which songs to perform, considering every one of them is supposed to be an inspiring anthem that leaves us more sleepy than empowered. 

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The Steve Miller Band

The Steve Miller Band

When "The Joker" comes on, everyone's a Steve Miller Band fan. Unfortunately, that's the only of their songs that ever seems to come on. 

While being a space cowboy or a gangster of love sounds pretty fun, it all starts to sound pretty obnoxious after you've heard it at karaoke for the fourth time tonight. 

Michael Putland/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Rush

Rush

Rush was a wildly successful and talented prog rock band, and like most rock legends, their most famous singles get played to death on classic rock stations across the country. Thankfully, DJs have a pretty deep list of Rush singles to pull from. 

But even though that's the case, they all get overplayed eventually. After the 50th time of hearing "Closer to the Heart", the idea of loving your fellow man and working for the common good starts to seem like a really stupid idea. 

Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images

Cardi B

Cardi B

Cardi B is currently having a moment in 2020, but hopefully that will blow over soon. Because her new single was overplayed the moment the first person hit the play button. 

If you're not familiar with her new, disgusting single, "WAP", count yourself lucky. If, unfortunately, you do know what I'm talking about, then I don't need to tell you it would probably be best for humanity if she disappeared forever. 

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Queen

Queen

I'm afraid I'm about to break more than a few hearts, but here we go. Queen's music is overplayed--but it gets even worse. Queen themselves are gimmicky and overrated. 

They weren't operatic superstars. They weren't master songwriters. They were writing boring rock songs for people who (mistakenly) thought they were smarter than everyone else. 

Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend

Here's a life lesson for you, free of charge. If the obnoxious woman with a Harry Potter tattoo in your office thinks a band is cool, they are no longer indie darlings. They are--at the very least--overplayed, but they're also probably terrible, as is the case with Vampire Weekend. 

The world was bad enough when people independently had opinions about the Oxford comma, but things just got so much worse once VW released their single about it. You couldn't escape it then, and sometimes we still have nightmares about it. 

Mariano Regidor/Redferns/Getty Images

David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie's fashion sense was more interesting than his music. Which is fine--except for the fact that, even after his death, you can't seem to escape his music. 

He never did anything actively bad, but that makes it even more obnoxious that tons of people list him as their favorite musician. Even being the worst of the worst is preferrable to being meh. 

Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty Images

Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X

I suppose Billy Ray Cyrus is just as guilty as Lil Nas for this one. And you probably already know what we're gonna talk about--the 2019 nightmare song, "Old Town Road."

The song managed to fuse the worlds of country and rap, which would have been impressive if the rapper had fused the best parts of the two genres instead of the worst. But as terrible as it was, the song climbed to the top of the charts, where it, unfortunately, did not plunge to its death. 

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is a country icon, but if I have to hear "Jolene" one more time, things aren't going to be pretty. I guess you can't blame her for being too popular, though. 

Even though the history books might regard her as a pioneer for women in country music, all the things she's lauded for (like her prolific songwriting) had been done for years by other country women, like Bobbie Gentry. 

Rick Kern/WireImage/Getty Images

Panic at the Disco

Panic at the Disco

Even if you weren't an obnoxious teenager yourself in the 2000s, you probably ran into at least one who couldn't shut up about Panic at the Disco. And they were famous for all the wrong reasons. 

Look, I get it, the band is made up of young, attractive men--who needs the music, really? Let's just be honest about that and drop the charade that anyone actually wants to listen to them as opposed to look at them. 

Simone Joyner/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

U2

U2

U2's wild popularity might be a little more bearable if the band didn't seem so completely in love with themselves and their music. We're looking at you, Bono! 

The band has been around for decades and has had more than their fair share of air time. And to make matters worse, in 2014, they forced their new album, Songs of Innocence, on literally everyone with an iTunes account. 

Frans Schellekens/Redferns/Getty Images

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin tragically died young, and while she definitely made waves in rock and roll, her short life makes her legendary status that more puzzling. 

Joplin only released three solo albums during her life--with a fourth being released after her death. That's a pretty small output for someone considered legendary and who still gets plenty of play decades after her death. 

Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

An infamous blues oldie, Bob Dylan had an unforgettable rise to fame since his prominence in the 1960s. However, some might say his music has recently stalled in popularity.

The younger generation probably doesn’t even know who the 80-year-old singer is, and if they heard one of his songs, they would instantly cover their ears. Don’t get us wrong — his music isn’t bad. It’s just way overplayed. We’re all just a little tired of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

CBS Photo Archive/ CBS/ Getty Images

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

This rock singer has had a six-decade career, most of which he spent with his group, the E Street Band. He’s still kicking it today and has been labeled one of the greatest artists in rock.

If the rock genre gives you a headache, simply take your music taste elsewhere. You can’t deny that Springsteen has some catchy songs, such as “Dancing in the Dark.”

Neil Young

Neil Young

This singer-songwriter is unforgettable. At 78 years old, Young continues to keep rocking the stage for his diehard fans.

Some might claim he is overplayed, but once he hits the hay, his songs will continue to be played for generations to come.

Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was a notable figure of the 20th century. He’s referred to as the “King of Pop” for a reason.

It isn’t that Jackson is a bad musician. In fact, he was a significant part of the music industry. If you think Michael Jackson is overrated, then why are his songs and status still relevant long after his death? It’s okay to admit you sing along to “Thriller” and “Beat It” when you’re alone!

KMazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Celine Dion

Celine Dion

Even if you’ve never seen Titanic, you’ve probably encountered someone who couldn’t shut up about it or the passionate song “My Heart Will Go On.”

Admittedly, Dion has a powerful voice, but many of her songs aren’t that catchy. She might have dabbled in pop and rock, but she has several popular songs that are more gospel-esque and classical.

Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Adam Levine

Adam Levine

Adam Levine has several popular songs, such as “Payphone,” “Animals,” and “She Will Be Loved.” But, perhaps their popularity has run its course.

Many of Levine’s songs that are constantly played are older. At this point, you’ve probably heard them at the mall, in a grocery store, or maybe at work. Songs from the past pack a punch of nostalgia, but when does that nostalgia start to become overdone?

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

This might offend newer generations, but older generations are probably smiling with delight. Ariana might have some hits, such as “Dangerous Woman,” but it might surprise you to find out her pop music doesn’t appeal to the ears of many.

Grande’s music and influence are geared toward younger people, and despite her continued popularity, her newest songs are overplayed for months upon release.

Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera

It’s no secret that Aguilera has a voice to be reckoned with. She was even referred to as the “Voice of a Generation.” But was her voice played too often at the height of her fame?

 Even though you don’t hear much from her today, her older songs are consistently played in the media. Whether you think she’s overplayed or not, you can’t deny her voice is beautiful.

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Coldplay

Coldplay

The British rock band is an interesting one, to say the least. They have elaborate music acts on stage and gained popularity from their hit single “Yellow.” Apparently, they think yellow is significant in the color realm.

You might disagree, but Coldplay isn’t that memorable. Yes, they might have won several awards and have a large following, but after hearing their song about a color repeatedly, you can conclude they have a lackluster presence.

Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran

If you hear a song that’s about love, breaking up, or longing for someone, the artist is probably Ed Sheeran. Don’t get me wrong, he has some heartfelt songs, such as “Perfect” and “Thinking Out Loud,” but all of the musicians' songs are the same, just a different font.

You can only hear the same song format so many times before you think, “Okay, we get it. You’re in love.”

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons

The pop-rock band has some bangers that make you want to sing and move to the beat, like “Demons” or “Enemy.” Remember “Believer” though? Yeah, I do too, and I wish I could remove the song from my mind.

Anytime I turned the radio on or walked into a store, I would hear the dreadful cadence of “Believer.” It was so overplayed that I still have my guard up when I hear the band name Imagine Dragons.

Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Kanye West

Kanye West

To put it plainly, West doesn’t have many — if any — good songs. Today, he’s more known for his public controversy than his music. So why are we still playing his songs?

If you’re offended, I hate to break it to you, but the rapper isn’t all that. He’s insulted many artists, Taylor Swift being the most well-known one, and I don’t think someone who thrives in hostility should be played on the radio or in the media.

Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images

Harry Styles

Harry Styles

Formerly a member of One Direction, Harry Styles has moved on from his boy band era and started a solo career that’s pretty successful. He has some catchy tunes, but he’s way overplayed

His hit song “As It Was” was all over the radio, and it was driving us all insane. His cult following also doesn’t help and only fuels the constant play of his songs.

Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Drake

Drake

The rapper popularized R&B impressions in hip-hop, which makes him a notable figure in the music industry. Is his music good enough to be on repeat, though? That’s for you to decide, but personally, I don’t want to hear “God’s Plan” ever again.

His music isn’t terrible, but it seems that today, he cares more about public scrutiny than music. His conflict with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar is taking the media by storm and overshadowing his music.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Lizzo

Lizzo

Have you ever walked into a clothing store and heard an upbeat song about feeling good blasting through the speakers? If you did, it was probably Lizzo’s song “Good as Hell.” It was played nonstop for months.

She’s not a bad artist, but when you hear her songs almost every day, you might start to go crazy. Lizzo isn’t new to her fame, having made her first song in 2017, yet only a select few of her songs have been played. Instead of playing the same old stuff over and over, why not play something more obscure?

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Adele

Adele

Have you heard her voice? It’s powerful and worthy of any stage. Her songs are sentimental and compel you to sing along, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear her songs every time I turn the radio on. 

Her captivating voice is unforgettable and one for the ages. I just don’t want to be on the verge of tears when I’m driving to work or grocery shopping.

CBS Photo Archive/CBS/Getty Images

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars’ songs range from pop and R&B to rock. He has something for everyone, making him a heavy hitter in the music industry. You’ve probably heard many of his songs; his voice is hard to miss.

His songs are catchy and emotion-provoking, but what song gets played repeatedly? “Lazy Day.” Mars didn’t even like the song! It’s time we move onto one of his better pieces, right?

Paras Griffin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish

With a quick and fairly new rise to fame, Billie Eilish has proven her talent isn’t something to play with. She recently became the youngest person to win two Academy Awards, and at 22, she already has nine Grammys.

Despite her achievements, many believe Billie is overplayed. Her voice is whispery and quiet, a far cry from traditional artists. Maybe that’s why everyone is tired of hearing her music, it’s so distinct that it’s easy to identify.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images