Most overlooked LPs in the last 20 years

Slaw, you seem to have taken a difference of opinion on a subject and turned it into a personal affront. That's not what was intended.

When someone talks about "overlooked" music albums, I tend to think of material that is bit further off the beaten path than The Pretenders. Even the Rolling Stones have some albums that have sold better than others, but I wouldn't call any of those overlooked either.

As others have noted, when one is in a discussion on a public internet forum, the subject can quickly take on a life of its own. There are just certain inherent risks when one throws out a topic for discussion,

Hope your day improves.

Tis a sticky subject because for me if an album by an artist
has been overlooked it seems that the artist is not popular
with the masses, the Rolling and a Stones have always been
popular with old die hards (I am not a fan), whereas an artist that I really do like (Emilie Autumn) as an example is probably an artist many on here have not even heard of and therefore an overlooked artist with overlooked cd's, sadly, very sadly indeed. Then again I prefer for the most part artists' that are more underground and not approved by the masses than the usual mega groups of old and present day.

The post reads "Most overlooked"... maybe it would be safe to say as an example that Led Zeppelin Presence (which has some of their best guitar and drum stuff on it) is more overlooked than Houses of the Holy. The first Patto and Trettioariga Kriget records are not weak when compared to any Zep record, guess which records are more overlooked. Hundreds of similar examples are out there. It's as real as gravity, no Zep or Pretenders records make the cut in a rational list of the most overlooked recordings in the last 20 years, (ok, sorry the above records are more like 30 to 35 years old).

Guadalacanal Diary- 2x4. Awesome!

I suspect that "overlooked" was just a less than perfect choice of words by the OP. On this forum, many posters are avid fans of truly OBSCURE bands/artists. The concept of a Pretenders record being more "overlooked" than their favorite records, cut by musicians who toil on completely unnoticed by almost anyone, seems offensive. Hence the tart responses.

But there is a interesting question buried in there: What record, with all the benefits of a high profile artist, has been overlooked by people who usually pay attention (ie A'goners) and why.

In the case of "Independents", I'd guess the "why" is because the Pretenders are more than a decade past their prime "share of mind" period. I don't know the record (supporting the OP's point), so I don't know if it deserves more attention here or not.

Duane mentions Zep's "Presence" as a candidate. My own choice for a record that suffered this particular fate is Fleetwood Mac's "Say You Will". To the extent that any 'Goners noticed it at all at the time of its release, the response here IIRC was generally hostile. Fleetwood Mac seems to embody, for many 'Goners, (understandably, but quite incorrectly IMO) all that has gone wrong with rock music since the good old days. Yet, "Say You Will" features truly sharp songwriting and consistently riveting guitar work. Even Stevie Nicks' contributions are pleasant enough.

So, in the spirit - if not the letter - of the OP's question, what other records qualify?

Marty