10 Underrated Artists: Ben Folds

A little ray of sunshine in the midst of pop music, I decided to continue my 10 underrated artists series today with a look at pop gone right. Ben Folds has been infamous in indie circles since Ben Folds Five first came on the scene. In today's pop culture, you might recognize him more for his judging spot on "The Sing Off," an acapella reality show, than you would for his breakthrough hit "Brick."

Folds grew up listening to piano rock icons like Elton John and Billy Joel, and it shows. Their influences can be heard in Folds' lyrics and piano driven sound. The song "Brick," made Folds' and his band, Ben Folds Five, a household name. I wonder how many people know that song is about Folds' high school girlfriend having an abortion. Yet that song seemed to resonate with crowds across the country, catapulting Whatever and Ever Amen up the charts.

Folds' antics on stage have also proven to be attention grabbing, to say the least. One of the crowd favorites, "Rock this *****," started at a concert. One of the fans in the audience shouted out the request, "Rock this *****!" Folds gladly obliged, belting out an unrehearsed string of lyrics. This improvised chorus has gone on to be a staple in all of Folds' live performances. You can catch it on a few live recordings, but it's nothing as glorious as the live version. You never really know what outlandish thing will come out of his mouth next.

My favorite track to date has to be, "The Luckiest," from his solo effort, Rockin' the Suburbs. If I had been able to hunt down a piano player, I would have walked down the aisle to this song. This beautiful tribute to falling head over heels, silly, crazy in love with a person is heart warming. Hands down one of the best love songs of all time, yet few people have heard it. This one gives Elton John's "Your Song" a run for it's money any day of the week. The winning moment of the song is when he talks about passing on just days apart: " Next door, there's an old man who lives to his 90s/And one day passed away in his sleep/And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days and passed away/I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way/To tell you that I know we belong."

Folds went on to be rather prolific in the 1990s and 2000s. Between solo work, Ben Folds Five, and the vast array of side projects, Folds has released 14 albums. If you haven't got these already, here's a good place to start:

"The Luckiest," Rockin' the Suburbs
"Brick," Whatever and Ever Amen
"Tiny Dancer," Ben Folds Live
"Evaporated," Whatever and Ever Amen
"Not the Same," Rockin' the Suburbs