UNDERRATED BANDS OF 2010S

These 19 underrated bands from the 2010s are worthy of your attention

Because hindsight is forever 20/20, we have a theory about the 2010s. And it’s this: Bigger bands were making a bigger buzz. Consider the existential-pop of twenty one pilots. Or the electronic makeover that Bring Me The Horizon were putting on both their chosen genre and anything similarly adjacent. Black Veil Brides established themselves as more than just haircuts and hereditary cheekbones. But there was a legion of underrated 2010s bands who were trying to make their marks, as well.

A small handful of these bands are still with us. They reinvented themselves, taking chances with both sound and wardrobe. Most of these underrated 2010s bands are no more. But that’s not going to stop them from (hopefully) having a second coming on Spotify.

Read more: These 9 seriously underrated bands broke up entirely too soon

The 19 underrated 2010s bands namechecked here were stylistically vast and pretty committed. There was that one band that married dance beats and electronics in a way best described as  “hard pop.” There were some other outfits who went far to make their mark, but it never panned out. (By that time, someone else ran with their blueprints and got a special parking place at their local bank.) Earnest dudes that breathed poetry from beer-stained breath. There’s even a chiptune band in this mix.

But that’s the thing about these underrated 2010s bands—or any year, actually. They went out and simply did it. They ate bad food, slept in Walmart parking lots and set fire to personal relationships. Solely for the thrill of showing up on a stage and playing their hearts out through a huge PA system. “Swipe left” culture wasn’t going to be enough for them. The good news is that you can still hear the music these outfits created. The other thing they all have in common? They all remind us that the rock (and life, really), is a full-contact sport. You can never see enough bands. Because you’ll never know which ones people will be talking about decades from now.