Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and Babs

This week we're tackling one of the UK's most sacred musical cows and a 90s band on a similar wavelength...
We knew that one day we'd talk about The Smiths, which we discovered at different times in our lives, likely shaping our differing opinions of them. Fran's playlist aims to best showcase the breadth of their sound (and Johnny Marr's skills)....
Underrated pick Gene were discovered by Fran after the height of their career, and he can't understand why they weren't better known at the time...can he convince Babs this British band - who weren't a fan of the term Britpop - should nevertheless be considered as a key part of that pantheon?
You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.
Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss.
Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

As we're halfway through the decade, we decided to each share our top five albums of the 2020s...
We also talk about other great songs from 2025 that didn't make our Best Of shortlist and round up our year in gigs...
You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.
Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss.
Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Part II of our favourite songs of the year!
In this episode, Fran & Babs discuss what they think is the best song to listen to live, fave song in a genre you don't normally like, best solo song, best new act discovered this year and fave song from outside of Europe.
Surprisingly, songs by two previous Taskmaster contestants made the shortlist, plus there are some unexpected hip-hop and emo choices...
Listen to our ⁠Best of 2024⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Best of 2023⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2022⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2021⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2020⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years. And stay tuned for a Part III of sorts...
You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.
Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss.
Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

For the sixth time, we're picking our favourite songs of the year!
In this episode, Fran & Babs discuss what they think is the best collaboration, best song from a group, best non-English song, best sync track and the best rock song.
There are more French songs in there than you would imagine - and find out which of Fran's picks Babs is DYING to try at karaoke.
Listen to our Best of 2024, ⁠⁠Best of 2023⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Best of 2022⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2021⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2020⁠⁠⁠⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years. And stay tuned for Parts II & III where we expand out our faves.
You can find ⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.
Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss.
Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're back in North America discussing two Canadian music pioneers...
These days, Grimes is unfortunately better known by her, er, associations than her music, so we tried to put her personal history aside - as best we could - and focus on her wide-ranging back catalogue. As often happens, we also talk about the complexities of separating the art from the artist...
And Babs chose Peaches as an underrated artist because she feels that most people know her only from her biggest hit - it's clear that Peaches has many more arguably underrated bangers. Will Fran agree?
For further viewing/listening, we recommend Peaches' very NSFW and funny video for Rub and Grimes' 2012 hypnotic KEXP set.
You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.
Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss.
Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.