YMMV / The Stone Roses

• Americans Hate Tingle: As with the other Madchester artists (until Oasis broke into the scene, though that'd be another scene altogether), the band was much more popular in their native U.K. than they were in the USA. This might be because Red Hot Chili Peppers broke through to the mainstream in their native U.S. around the same time with a similar sound. The fact that they canceled their scheduled tour of the USA at the height of their fame didn't help at all. They still did quite well on College Radio. "She Bangs the Drums" and "Fool's Gold" made the top 10 on the Billboard modern rock chart, as did "One Love" and "Love Spreads." Their videos were also staples of MTV's 120 Minutes in the early '90s, so they did have an American audience. Despite their popularity on alternative radio, they never broke through to the mainstream the way Nirvana did. They're mostly remembered stateside today among serious indie fans and anglophiles.
• Awesome Music: Just about all of the Self-Titled Album, with special mentions to "I Wanna Be Adored", "She Bangs the Drums", "I Am The Resurrection and "Fool's Gold".
• Broken Base: Fans frequently disagree over whether Second Coming is good or not. This debate is even referenced in Shaun of the Dead.
• Chorus-Only Song: "I Wanna Be Adored".
• Epic Riff: "I Am the Resurrection" and "Love Spreads" come to mind.
  • "Something's Burning" and "Fool's Gold" both have epic bass riffs.
• Fan Nickname: Reni habitually wore a bucket hat. The nickname "Reni hat" for these hats is still in use, especially due to the band's 2011 reformation, particularly in the UK.
• First Installment Wins: The Stone Roses is considered their best album, and is often cited as one of the greatest debut albums in history, if not the greatest.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Second Coming was better received in the U.S. than it was in the U.K., to the point where some American fans prefer it over the debut. The bluesy riffs might have fit better into the Grunge scene than the jangly guitars of the first album did.
• Nightmare Fuel: The idea of selling one's soul to the devil is terrifying enough as it is, but the protagonist of "I Wanna Be Adored" already has that base covered. He'd apparently be willing to do it, though, if it meant getting the attention he so desperately craves. The fact that the lyrics consist of nothing beyond "I don't have/need to sell my soul, he's already in me. I wanna be adored. You adore me. I gotta be adored." makes it even creepier. Plus, the desolate atmosphere given off by the guitar at 2:04 feels downright sinister.
• Replacement Scrappy: Aziz Ibrahim and Robbie Maddix.
• Signature Song: "One Love", "I Am the Resurrection", and "Fool's Gold" are their best known songs (ironically, three of their longer songs). The latter has been used quite frequently in film, most notably in Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Yankees are perhaps most likely to have heard "Love Spreads".
• Slow-Paced Beginning: The main criticism of "Breaking Into Heaven" is the long 4-minute intro.
• Sophomore Slump: Second Coming. Still lots of debates over its actual quality, but its commercial slump can't be denied.
• Vindicated by History: While the band was pretty popular at the time, their first album, The Stone Roses received some negative reviews by the press. Infamously, music magazine NME originally gave the album a 5 out of 10 rating, but in recent years has claimed that it's one of the best albums of all time.

---