Music: Famous bands/artists most hated/ridiculed song?

[reckoning]

This thread is inspired by the thread about each bands most iconic song. I wanted to look at it from the other side, and if there are any particular songs that seem to be a consensus pick as the bands worst one.

The songs I'm listing are not necessarily my personal choices as the worst (I actually like D'yer Mak'er a lot), but don't seem to be well liked by the artists core fanbase. Also, a lot of these songs were huge hits, but didn't stand the test of time and wouldn't be high on the wish list of songs fans would like to hear at a reunion show. I'm looking for songs that would likely be brought up if somebody was trying to portray a negative image of the band.


Some of my choices are:

Beach Boys - "Kokomo"
Beatles - "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
Chuck Berry - "My Ding-A-Ling"
Eagles - "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks"
Billy Joel - "We Didn't Start The Fire"
Led Zeppelin - "D'yer Mak'er"
Police - "Mother"
Elvis Presley - "My Way"
R.E.M. - "Shiny Happy People"
Rolling Stones - "Harlem Shuffle"
Bruce Springsteen - "57 Channels And Nothin' On"
U2 - "Numb"
Neil Young - "Wonderin'"

What would be some of your choices?

Click to read more...

 

[Mikeaveli]

I think I see more hate for Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da and Revolution 9 than Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

As for The Beach Boys, I would agree that Kokomo is their most hated song but I have an obligation to bring up "Summer of Love" from their absolute trainwreck 1992 album. Everything about this track is hilarious, from the awful instrumental, Mike Love's nasal lead vocal, the chorus, the more than slightly creepy lyrics, and of course the music video. Brian Wilson looks like he wants to die in this music video and I don't blame him. The track almost reaches "so bad its good" territory but really it's just one of the worst songs I've ever heard and I often come back to it for a laugh. The only reason why this track isn't mentioned as often as Kokomo is because the album is so terrible it literally sold less than 1000 copies on release.

 

[johnjm22]

Hasn't Kokomo gotten to the ironically cool/fun phase yet?

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Steve Miller Band - Abra Cadabra
Jefferson Airplane/ Grace Slick - We Built This City

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Black Sabbath - "Changes"
I'm only looking at the Ozzy Osbourne years (the band released a lot of garbage in their later years). It's a weepy piano ballad on an otherwise heavy album full of great riffs. This song highlights Ozzy's limited vocal range, and minimizes the fantastic interplay between Iommi and Butler.

Iron Maiden - "The Angel and the Gambler"
There's a pretty good five minute rock song in here (it sounds like there's a slight influence from The Who). But the mediocre chorus is repeated something like 70 times. A lot of fans hate this song because it highlights one of the band's worst tendencies. (There's a version on YouTube that extends this 10 minute song into a 23 minute version - it's almost trance-like).

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Rolling Stones - Miss You
Kiss - I was made for Lovin You
Beatles - Revolution 9
Metallica - Frantic tic tic tic tic tic toc!

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

i like these songs but i can see why the core fanbase would not feel the same way:

steve winwood - valerie

iron maiden - bring your daughter to the slaughter

 

[reckoning]

Jefferson Airplane/ Grace Slick - We Built This City

I knew I was missing a really obvious one.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Weezer - Beverly Hills
Pearl Jam - Bugs
The White Stripes - It’s true that we love one another
Radiohead - Creep

 

[HisIceness]

VH1 circa 2004 had a segment called "Most awesomely bad songs ever". I'm pretty sure Kokomo, We Didn't Start the Fire, and We Built this City were on that list so you guys seem to be onto something here so far.

It seems to me a lot of people don't like Against All Odds from Phil Collins. Some local DJ used to hate playing that song but seemed to like Collins as an artist. That would be my contribution to this thread.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Creep by Radiohead is the first one that sticks out to me. Terrible, terrible song.

 

[The Macho King]

i like these songs but i can see why the core fanbase would not feel the same way:

steve winwood - valerie

iron maiden - bring your daughter to the slaughter

Truly terrible, yet somehow still fun. Basically like a B-movie.

Iron Maiden - "The Angel and the Gambler"
There's a pretty good five minute rock song in here (it sounds like there's a slight influence from The Who). But the mediocre chorus is repeated something like 70 times. A lot of fans hate this song because it highlights one of the band's worst tendencies. (There's a version on YouTube that extends this 10 minute song into a 23 minute version - it's almost trance-like).

So Like - I mean anything off of Virtual XI is a f***ing write-off anyway. But the bolded is definitely an issue and it's gotten even worse with the last two albums.

 

[DaaaaB's]

This thread is inspired by the thread about each bands most iconic song. I wanted to look at it from the other side, and if there are any particular songs that seem to be a consensus pick as the bands worst one.

The songs I'm listing are not necessarily my personal choices as the worst (I actually like D'yer Mak'er a lot), but don't seem to be well liked by the artists core fanbase. Also, a lot of these songs were huge hits, but didn't stand the test of time and wouldn't be high on the wish list of songs fans would like to hear at a reunion show. I'm looking for songs that would likely be brought up if somebody was trying to portray a negative image of the band.


Some of my choices are:

Beach Boys - "Kokomo"
Beatles - "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
Chuck Berry - "My Ding-A-Ling"
Eagles - "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks"
Billy Joel - "We Didn't Start The Fire"
Led Zeppelin - "D'yer Mak'er"
Police - "Mother"
Elvis Presley - "My Way"
R.E.M. - "Shiny Happy People"
Rolling Stones - "Harlem Shuffle"
Bruce Springsteen - "57 Channels And Nothin' On"
U2 - "Numb"
Neil Young - "Wonderin'"

What would be some of your choices?

I like Kokomo, We Didn't Start the Fire and Shiny Happy People but they are goofy songs.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I think I see more hate for Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da and Revolution 9 than Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

As for The Beach Boys, I would agree that Kokomo is their most hated song but I have an obligation to bring up "Summer of Love" from their absolute trainwreck 1992 album. Everything about this track is hilarious, from the awful instrumental, Mike Love's nasal lead vocal, the chorus, the more than slightly creepy lyrics, and of course the music video. Brian Wilson looks like he wants to die in this music video and I don't blame him. The track almost reaches "so bad its good" territory but really it's just one of the worst songs I've ever heard and I often come back to it for a laugh. The only reason why this track isn't mentioned as often as Kokomo is because the album is so terrible it literally sold less than 1000 copies on release.

I honestly didn't even know the Beach Boys released any albums as late as 1992. I checked some of these songs out on YouTube.

They are honestly so bad that I wonder if it were intentionally made to be terrible.

 

[Jussi]

Any 80's kid that claims they wouldn't be able to sing along to "Kokomo" or "We didn't start the fire" is lying.

 

[frisco]

Body Language-Queen
Sussudio-Phil Collins
Hip To Be Square-Huey Lewis And The News
Stand-R.E.M.
Pony Boy-Bruce Springsteen
Love Me Do-The Beatles
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses-U2
Do You Think I'm Sexy-Rod Stewart
The Girl Is Mine-Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney
Spies Like Us-Paul McCartney
Ballerina Girl-Lionel Richie
Let's Put The X In Sex-Kiss

I Want Your Sex/Monkey (tie)-George Michael
All For Love-Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting
Do The Clam-Elvis
Feeling Groovy-Simon And Garfunkel
I Am The City-Abba
Got My Mind Set On You-George Harrison
Moves Like Jagger-Maroon 5
Angie-The Rolling Stones
Justify My Love-Madonna
Love Will Keep Us Alive-The Eagles
First Time-Styx

My Best-Carey

 

[Langdon Alger]

Creep by Radiohead is the first one that sticks out to me. Terrible, terrible song.

No it’s not, it was just played way too much on radio.

 

[kihei]

Creep by Radiohead is the first one that sticks out to me. Terrible, terrible song.

I'm a huge Radiohead fan and I hate that song.

Beatles: Why Don't We Do It in the Road
Rolling Stones: Far Away Eyes
The Kinks: Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Neil Young: Old King
Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder: Ebony and Ivory
David Bowie: The Laughing Gnome
Pretenders: I'll Stand by You
The Police: One World (Not Three)
Bryan Adams: (Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah (I know, I know....but I absolutely hate it)
Coldplay: A Sky Full of Stars

 

[82Ninety42011]

Man I must have bad taste I really like a few of the songs listed

 

[AlanHUK]

guns n roses - my world

 

[Deport Ogie]

I think I see more hate for Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da and Revolution 9 than Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

As for The Beach Boys, I would agree that Kokomo is their most hated song but I have an obligation to bring up "Summer of Love" from their absolute trainwreck 1992 album. Everything about this track is hilarious, from the awful instrumental, Mike Love's nasal lead vocal, the chorus, the more than slightly creepy lyrics, and of course the music video. Brian Wilson looks like he wants to die in this music video and I don't blame him. The track almost reaches "so bad its good" territory but really it's just one of the worst songs I've ever heard and I often come back to it for a laugh. The only reason why this track isn't mentioned as often as Kokomo is because the album is so terrible it literally sold less than 1000 copies on release.

I had never seen this video before. Now I can no longer say that. Thanks.

 

[Ceremony]

Hip To Be Square-Huey Lewis And The News

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

styx - mr roboto

 

[frisco]

styx - mr roboto

Good one. Since it and the concept album "Kilroy Was Here" pretty much broke up the classic lineup of the band...

My Best-Carey

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

i like these songs but i can see why the core fanbase would not feel the same way:

steve winwood - valerie

iron maiden - bring your daughter to the slaughter

Valerie is a freking gem. It took me years to realize this.