13 pop stars who deserve to be bigger
Spread your Top 40 lovin' around to these underrated acts
For every mega-star like Lady Gaga, there are dozens of pop singers who occupy the fringes of the music world, struggling for recognition in a media culture that tends to focus on the same few artists over and over again. As a result, even the most legitimately talented of these lesser-known acts are drowned out by the constant attention afforded to the heavily-rotated likes of Beyonce, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Rihanna.
With that in mind, we decided to highlight 13 pop stars who deserve far more respect than they currently receive - artists who may not be likely to crack the Top 40 anytime soon, but who nevertheless merit a bigger platform to share their underrated musical goodness with the world.
You can check out all our picks in the gallery below. Once you've finished, let us know who you think we missed in the comments.
Trending Now on HitFix Boards
| Topic | Started By | Latest Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|---|
| TerranceMcKnight |
3 months ago
|
1
|
|
| mezoismusic |
6 months ago
|
1
|
|
| Discuss Music General on HitFix Message Boards » | |||
News From Our Partners
-
Shakira Leaving 'The Voice' Next Season
Source Claims Kanye West + Kim Kardashian Will Most Likely Break Up Before the Baby Is Born
Demi Lovato Gets New 'Warrior'-Inspired Tattoo [Pic]
-
'Angry Birds' Film Dive-Bombing Into Theaters In 2016
'Fast & Furious 6' Blasts Forward With Exclusive Clip: Watch Now!
'Riddick' Trailer: Watch Vin Diesel Fight For Survival
-
The Telefile - TNT & TBS Upfront 2013: Reaping What Other Networks Sowed
The Telefile - Fall TV 2013: What's On When
The Telefile - New Girl: Wedding Do's and Don'ts
-
'Riddick' Trailer: Vin Diesel Is Back and Playing for Blood
'Rio 2' Teaser Trailer Has Landed: Let's Dance!
Cannes 2013: Celebs Invade Opening Ceremony (PHOTOS)
-
Total Recall: Star Trek Movies
Parental Guidance: Star Trek Into Darkness
In Pictures: The Stars of Star Trek Into Darkness
-
Reese Witherspoon Joins Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Inherent Vice'
CBS Fall 2013 Trailers: Sarah Michelle Gellar's 'Crazy Ones,' Anna Faris' Mom' and More!
Sony Trademarks Possible PlayStation 4 Slogan "Greatness Awaits"
-
Hear This: Connections gives a Guided By Voices-indebted reason to go for the opener
Watch This: The second half of Twilight Zone: The Movie more than makes up for the first
Tolerability Index: This week we're barely putting up with The Killing
-
Grimm "The Waking Dead" Review: Dead On Arrival
What to Watch Tonight: The Season Finales of Arrow, CSI, and Supernatural
CBS's 2013-2014 Schedule: New Nights for Person of Interest and Hawaii Five-0, More Comedy on Thursdays
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupMelissa
August 22, 2012 at 4:24AM EST Reply to CommentAustralian artist Vanessa Amorosi has one of the best voices in the world. #1 single in Australia but deserves to be a mega international star. Check her out because her time is coming and she will be the next big thing around the world.
katie, a princess was thinking about her, and Missy Higgins. the latter's tried a couple times here and it's like, come on.
August 23, 2012 at 5:54PM ESTLANAfan
August 22, 2012 at 5:05AM EST Reply to CommentWhere's Lana Del Rey?!! :( she's so underrated!
magsmagenta She is not underrated, she is everywhere and she is totally overrated.
August 22, 2012 at 5:49AM ESTEvangelical Especially overrated if you've heard her sing live.
August 22, 2012 at 3:25PM ESTGuy Lodge
August 22, 2012 at 5:29AM EST Reply to CommentOne correction: Emeli Sande's album may have returned to the #1 spot in the UK following her Olympics performance, but it had already spent four weeks at the top upon its release back in February. The Brits were onto her already.
magsmagenta
August 22, 2012 at 5:56AM EST Reply to CommentI agree about Adam Lambert, the media focus so much on his sexual orientation that his massive talent is forgotten, and radio ignores him for no reason whatsoever, even though he bends over backwards for them and his songs are requested all the time and he wins most of the radio show polls he's put in for. it's amazing he got a No 1 album in spite of lack of Radio play and any time he sings live he sells out in minutes.
Victoria Fonseca I agree - I am a huge Adam Lambert fan and it hurts me seeing him virtually ignored by mainstream radio (in USA - he is doing great in many other countries). He is a phenomenal talent, works so hard and I believe, a great human being. I think a US tour with Queen, just a couple dozen major cities could help turn some heads?
August 22, 2012 at 10:08AM ESTRockgrrrrl Adam Lambert is quite possibly THE BEST singer in pop/rock today. He is SO VERY underrated. Yes,the media should stop focusing on his sexual orientation and promote probably the best music and vice out there! The band Queen would have never asked Adam Lambert to front them if he weren`t at least as good as Freddie Mercury.
August 22, 2012 at 10:30AM ESTRedRoseQueen1 I'm going to piggy-back onto what Mags said also. It should be ILLEGAL for radio to blatantly ignore a talent as HUGE and extremely hard/impossible to find in the industry today. Lambert has the BEST voice of any male singer alive.Not just MY opinion but that of many/most vocal and pop/rock music experts.Wake UP radio! smh...
August 22, 2012 at 1:44PM ESTmary Radio needs to turn up the volume. Adam is by far the best live performer today. Why is it so much harder for a male singer? I wonder about mainstream pop.is it money, politics WHAT?
August 22, 2012 at 1:47PM ESTLadyRaynbow I've seen Adam Lambert perform *Live* 7 times, as well as listened to every song from his For Your Entertainment & Trespassing albums (on repeat!) daily since each one came out. Mainstream Radio stations are dealing themselves a bad blow by not playing his songs nearly enough, as he is only going to get more popular and they will be left in the dust. How many other singers, besides Adam Lambert, do you know who sound even better live than on their studio recordings, NONE! Adam is by far the most versatile, talented, artistic, charismatic male singer/songwriter/entertainer/performer on the pop-rock scene today and he certainly deserves major airplay!
August 22, 2012 at 4:21PM EST
August 22, 2012 at 4:45PM ESTRema Vineyard I totally agree with you all! Not only is radio ignoring him but also VH1s top 20!We jump through all the hoops they tell us are needed to get his videos played then they don't do it!I just don't get it! There is no one like him, his voice is not to be believed! I dare you to go see him live just once, i promise it won't be the last time, he is like a drug, the best kind ever!
August 23, 2012 at 3:44AM ESTJacki I have to agree with all of these comments. It is just a pathetic shame that radio/VH1/MTV, etc totally ignore Adam Lambert. THE BEST MALE voice around...no, correct that, the BEST VOICE around. period. Altho I do like Janelle Monaie (sp?) & Sia, I have to say listening to a great male voice goes right to that "happy place" in my brain!
August 24, 2012 at 12:36AM ESTglamity58 I am livid over the music world's obvious snubbing of Adam Lambert. He was out of this world with Queen. He learned all those songs and did such a great job singing them without mimicking Freddie. His album is fabulous and he incredible live. I don't think I'll forgive the music industry and radio anytime soon. I'm depressed having to listen to talk radio while I'm driving in my car (if I don't have my IPOD). I refuse to listen to top 40 radio. The biggest insult of all....Scotty McCreery's success. I know Country and nice religious boys attrack Americans, but he is pathetic.
August 24, 2012 at 10:16PM ESTPia
August 22, 2012 at 8:02AM EST Reply to CommentLeona Lewis should have made your list. Can't for the life of me understand why she isn't bigger than she is...
glamity58 I can agree. She is very good. So let's have Leona and Adam Lambert, two snubbees, do a duet or a concert at Royal Albert Hall.
August 24, 2012 at 10:17PM ESTDaisy
August 22, 2012 at 12:07PM EST Reply to CommentIn my opinion: Emeli Sande is overrated, Ed Sheeran is not underrated, Robyn is underrated, Adam Lambert is extremely underrated.
kiddio
August 22, 2012 at 1:12PM EST Reply to CommentI can't understand why Adam Lambert isn't more popular as a singer. He has an amazing voice and sings beautifully live. For some reason the radio stations give him a hard time about playing his music and this is very unfair. The media should ignore his personal life and concentrate on his extraordinary talent. And he should front Queen again as their lead singer and tour the U.S.
kristi
August 22, 2012 at 1:22PM EST Reply to CommentTo prove your point, I haven't heard of many of these pop stars. Agree about Leaona Lewis should be on this list. Adam Lambert is a phenominal talent, I am a big fan, and it's a shame how he is treated by top 40 when he works so hard trying to prompte his outstaanding sophomore effort, Trespassing.
Kelli
August 22, 2012 at 2:03PM EST Reply to CommentAdam Lambert ROCKS. Period. As far as underrated and left out, check out Paloma Faith y'all ... big talent, big voice, I don't remember the name of her new album, but the song that caught my attention was called "Picking Up the Pieces"
melinda Paloma hasn't gotten the big push yet in the U.S., but it's coming.
August 22, 2012 at 5:57PM ESTLinda Hays
August 22, 2012 at 2:05PM EST Reply to CommentI agree with everything said about Adam Lambert. He has the most amazing voice ever, but I guess stations would rather play the same old autotuned junk over and over.
He has stage presence, is hugely talented and his new album "TRESPASSING" is one of those you will listen to every song on it albums.
My goodness Whataya What From me was a great song for him and he was nominated for a Grammy for it.
I truly believe that if people could just hear his new songs on the radio they would love them.
I had the privilege of seeing him perform live with Queen in London for 3 shows. This young man is a natural born performer and can sing anything from Opera to Pop with out EVER hitting a bad note.
Something fishy is going on with radio for not playing his music. It is a disgrace. He's the best POP singer of all right now.
I hope he tours with Queen in US so people can see this amazing entertaining talent.
towatei
August 22, 2012 at 2:10PM EST Reply to CommentWhat about Beverley knight? One of UK's classiest soul singers
Kmtgod
August 22, 2012 at 2:13PM EST Reply to CommentChester French should be on the list as well. Had some great pop hits on their debut and continued that slightly differently on the sophomore effort.
katie, a princess I actually dig Chester French. good one!
August 22, 2012 at 4:36PM ESTLauriellen
August 22, 2012 at 3:15PM EST Reply to CommentI've written several blogs on why Adam Lambert isn't being played on Top 40 radio. One of them is "Candyland vs. Chess: Is Adam Lambert too good for radio?" http://lol-psychic.com/2012/06/03/candyland-vs-chess-is-adam-lambert-too-good-for-pop-radio/ This blog was written in June. I've since watched a "movie" of Adam's journey on Idol and have come to some new conclusions as to why he's not played. I'll write that blog over the weekend.
glamity58 I always love to read your posts Lauriellen. You are spot on. Some day I hope us Glamberts get our revenge! When Katy, Taylor, Justin, Britney, and Rhianna have tons of hits and #1 albums, there can't be a god in the music industry. It is a disgrace.
August 24, 2012 at 10:19PM ESTmelinda
August 22, 2012 at 4:17PM EST Reply to CommentLove all these comments-- keep them coming. I'd also include Fitz & The Tantrums if we'd made the list longer... @GuyLodge-thanks. I should have made it clearer that she was going BACK to No. 1. We need to catch up with the Brits on Emeli.
Jonnybon
August 22, 2012 at 4:45PM EST Reply to CommentOops! Looks like HitFix had a small hiccup
Error Code: 500
While trying to deliver you the page you requested, it appears something went wrong. We swear this isn't something we do often; we like to keep things error free.
Mojo CoCo
August 22, 2012 at 4:51PM EST Reply to CommentDemi Lavato? Seriously? She's just another generic disney princess. Coked out and all. Her voice is nothing special.
demi rox no actually she has a strong voice.
December 12, 2012 at 4:45PM ESTnot the best at controlling but neither is xtina and people cream over hers
Cristy Everywhere
August 22, 2012 at 7:52PM EST Reply to CommentAdam Lambert is here as it should be. His voice is better than ever, has matured as a performer, feels more confident and free on stage. I have never seen a better entertainer in my life.
Luz Adam is the best there is and drop dead gorgeous. He is so sweet and looks like the son of Elvis Presley.NO one can sing like him. I am a fan forever and by the way it has nothing to do with his life style.
November 17, 2012 at 6:55PM ESTbonni moschetti
August 22, 2012 at 7:52PM EST Reply to CommentAdam Lambert's new album TRESPASSING is hands down the best album of 2012!! Yet radio is denying people the chance to hear these incredible songs--far better than what is currently being played on radio!
carma
August 22, 2012 at 9:37PM EST Reply to CommentAdam Lambert!! no doubt this man is an incredible talent!! the only reason he is not doing as well as he should- is just because of his sexuality. what a sad world.
Ephyne
August 22, 2012 at 10:31PM EST Reply to CommentExcuse my momentary flail of agreement, but YOU LITERALLY NAILED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE. Finally, some one who gets it. :)
Seriously, you've named all my favorites & the ones I would've picked; plus you've even introduced me to 3 new artists. Thank for a great post. :)
katie, a princess glad we could help :)
August 23, 2012 at 5:28PM ESTKatie Zwemke
November 18, 2012 at 11:31PM EST Reply to CommentADAM LAMBERT NEEDS TO BE BIGGER!!!!!!
kikyo
December 12, 2012 at 4:40PM EST Reply to Commented sheeran is not underrated LOL.
most of these people have boring music and/or are ugly so why would they be more famous/loved?
akhil
April 18, 2013 at 9:21AM EST Reply to Commentlady gaga rules evry pop stuff ok justin biber is the poo