The 50 Worst songs ever

[GreenPartyVoter]

I disagree with several of their choices, but this one was spot on:

22
TOBY KEITH
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” 2002
Oklahoma redneck runs for office on Hate ticket

Outraged by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Toby Keith enlisted in the Air Force — no, sorry, he wrote a fight anthem so vengeful, it makes “The Star-Spangled Banner” sound like “Give Peace a Chance.” Though right-wing radio hosts and politicians called him a hero, Keith (who hadn’t had a hit in years) moaned, “It sucks ass that I have to defend myself for being patriotic.” Wrong. You have to defend yourself for celebrating violence and bloodlust.

Worst Moment“We’ll put a boot in your ass; it’s the American way,” Keith sings, mistaking revenge for ideals of liberty.

http://www2.blender.com/guide/articles786.html

[MysticalChicken]

1. My dad liked that song

He played it for me once and I was cringing throughout. I couldn't listen to more than a few seconds of it.

[begin_within]

2. Toby Keith is a Democrat

according to an interview with him that I read regarding that song. He stated that he is a Democrat. I don't think he's as much of a right-winger as most people think he is.

[Colorado Progressive]

11. REALLY? Where did you read that?

He sure plays the jackass redneck white trash role well.

[fishwax]

12. He's always claimed to be a democrat, and also opposed the iraq war

though not enough to vote for Kerry.

He's a dem, but admittedly a conservative one (that is, after all, the most common kind of dem in Oklahoma).

[begin_within]

16. Here...

I guess he would be labeled as a DINO by people here on DU, but is registered as a Democrat and he has issues with Republicans.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2004/07/toby_keith_democrat/

[SKKY]

30. Yep, he sure is. I have issues with Toby Keith...

...but I do know that when he goes to the desert and performs for the troops on USO tours, he donates his fee to several charities that support veterans. Seems like a pretty stand-up guy in my book.

[KamaAina]

3. More transcendent snark: The 50 Worst Artists in Music History

http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=466

Continuing in the Toby Keith vein, the even more odious Lee Greenwood checks in at No. 9:

9 LEE GREENWOOD
Gives patriotism a bad name

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel," Samuel Johnson said, but in Lee Greenwood's case, it's the ultimate meal ticket for a Nashville hack. A bland balladeer with a weakness for overwrought sentimentality, he wrote the 1984 tune "God Bless the U.S.A." in response to the Soviet downing of a South Korean airliner. It became a campaign theme for George H.W. Bush and was recently excavated in torturous fashion by the American Idol 2 cast during the war in Iraq.

Appalling fact: Greenwood performed a duet with Latoya (sic) Jackson on her dreadful 1994 album, From Nashville to You.

Worst CD: You’ve Got a Good Love Comin' (MCA, 1985)

[Mr. Blonde]

4. He is a Sooner fan

what were you expecting? :)

[hfojvt]

5. I am not sure that "hadn't had a hit in years" is accurate

from cmt.com

http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/keith_toby/bio.jhtml

"Unable to see eye to eye with Mercury, Keith moved to the fledgling DreamWorks Nashville label in 1999. There he worked with label head and producer James Stroud on the studio album How Do You Like Me Now?! The lead single, "When Love Fades," was a modest hit, but the title cut was a five-week No. 1 hit. Another single, "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This," also went to the top spot on the singles chart for three weeks.

The double-platinum success of How Do You Like Me Now?! also earned Keith some long-awaited award nominations. Keith won two Academy of Country Music awards in 2000, for male vocalist and album. In 2001, he won his first CMA award, for male vocalist. His 2001 album, Pull My Chain, produced three No. 1 hits, "I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight," "I Wanna Talk About Me" and "My List." (The latter two spent five weeks each at No. 1.) He was also nominated for six Academy of Country Music awards in 2001, though he didn't win any.

On March 24, 2001, Keith's father, H.K. Covel, was killed in a traffic accident in Oklahoma. Covel's truck was sideswiped by another vehicle, which caused his truck to swerve into another lane, where it collided with a charter bus. Within six months, the events of 9/11 prompted Keith to write "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," a song about his father's patriotism that pulled no punches. As the lead single from the 2002 album Unleashed, the song peaked at No. 1 over the Independence Day weekend. "

[skyblue]

6. 50 worst: that Whitney Houston thing

[Danger Mouse]

7. haha, some of the comments are spot fucking on.

but i like the song 'broken wings' :P

[QueenOfCalifornia]

8. Muskrat Love

pure cheeze whizzzzz

Not even bad enough to think it is cool or fun to listen to... It sucks

[rakeeb]

9. couple of glaring problems with this list::

1. I know that Celine Dion has put out more than one song, ergo she should have more than one song on any "50 Worst" list.
2. If I had to put a Doors song on this list, it sure as hell wouldn't be "The End". Maybe "Touch Me".
3. Eddie Murphy's "Party All the Time"? Are you effing kidding me? That song spoke to a generation, it is very much a part of who I am today. ;)

[fishwax]

14. welcome to DU, rakeeb!

:toast:

I'm not sure I can join you on point 3, but welcome just the same :)

[rakeeb]

18. shukran jzazeelen for the warm welcome

and much thanks for the extra effort in digging up the graphic that compliments my sarcasm, in fact I don't even think I ever saw the original album art on that one so much as I do remember making fun of it on a regular basis from 10th grade until as recently as a few hours ago.

And I do stand by my point regarding Celine, and the Doors to a lesser extent; I could go either way on a couple of The Doors' songs.

[fishwax]

32. hehe

yeah, that art work is pretty bad. :rofl:

Just for kicks, I dragged up another artifact--the video for that song is priceless ;) ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9H9XeB4LbE

[cemaphonic]

64. Oh man, I hate that "we're recording the song" music video cliche

Even at the age of twelve, I correctly identified this song as the moment Eddie Murphy lost the funny.

[rakeeb]

19. delete, not sure how that duped

[MrScorpio]

34. I love TOUCH ME

I can't see any Doors songs on a 50 worst list.

The list was written by some twenty-something dweeb, who has absolutely no taste in music

[OrwellwasRight]

49. I went to a wedding

where the bride walked down the aisle to "Touch Me" and the Pretender's "Message of Love." I was unhappily married at the time, and miserable, and angry. And I sat and fumed about the bad music and had a terrible time. If I went to the same wedding now, I'd laugh and enjoy it. Even if I don't like "Touch Me."

[momophile]

10. "sounds of silence"? really?

I love that song.

[rakeeb]

20. thank you

one of two non-Beatles songs I learned on guitar in 6th grade, (the other being The Boxer). Shit I grew up on riding in the back seat of the Buick Skylark, all the while wanting to learn Stones songs, to the point where I made my college punk band play Brown Sugar and Wild Horses.

[hisownpetard]

52. I absolutely love it, too. n/t

[momophile]

13. okay. that the list even acknowledges "Barbie Girl"

and Aqua makes me just laugh out loud. so many songs by Aqua and the VengaBoys and every other european dance band could have made this list. so why even put one on the list?

on edit: I happen to love this kind of music. it reminds me of my days in the Peace Corps when it's mostly what we had to listen to.

[Malikshah]

40. Barbie Girl is my pick-me-up song.

My own personal anthem...

[Danger Mouse]

15. however, not one nickelsack song?? where is the utterly loathsome 'my humps'??

clearly this list is incomplete.

[KamaAina]

17. Both are excellent suggestions

there is a way for We The People to recommend our worst (over to the right, "You're My Inspiration") -- but, alas, it appears you have to register with the site in order to do so. :puke: Probably not worth it.

[Lil Missy]

21. "You light up my life" is the worst one ever.

[MrScorpio]

22. With a couple of exceptions, the whole list is bogus

Written by some dweebs that wouldn't good music even if was giving them a handjob.

Fuck 'em!

[ghostsofgiants]

36. It's Blender we're talking about.

Never read Blender expecting anything even remotely close to good articles of any kind.

[tigereye]

41. so what is the serious hipster music rag these days?

I can't always tell.

Every music rag i used to read became disgustlingly commercial or facile. Spin, for example.

I read Blender for a laugh when I can find it.

[ghostsofgiants]

42. I don't even know, I just find shit completely independently of anything.

Pitchfork is supposed to be a pretty good website, but I don't really read it.

All I really know is that Blender is awful, haha.

[tigereye]

44. it's too amused by itself

too meta, or something.

How are ya, Primate?

[ghostsofgiants]

45. I'm alright.

Getting ready to go see these guys play: http://www.myspace.com/satanscommathe

They rule for their name alone, haha.

[tigereye]

46. looks like fun!

I was listening to the Horror Pops today, seems like a good time of year for em.

[ghostsofgiants]

47. Most definitely.

:)

[tigereye]

48. I should just stick to talking about music

it seems safer. Forays into GD are scary.

Have a great time at the gig!

[RoyGBiv]

23. Small point ...

Not a fan myself, but Toby Keith had two Top-40 hits in 2001, prior to 9/11, and he'd had several the year before as well.

He's had an astonishingly impressive string of them, actually.

Have to sorta wonder about a publication that advertises itself as "the ultimate guide" to music not knowing that.

And, yes, he is a Democrat. I accidentally met him at a function with a lot of Democrats. Like most Oklahoma Democrats, he's socially conservative and rabidly patriotic by his own terms, but he tends to vote Democratic in state elections.

[Archae]

24. I like this one tune Toby Keith did with Willie Nelson.

"I'll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again" :rofl:

But on that list, no Steve Miller?

And "Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da?"
Where did this horse's ass first start listening to music?
MTV in the 90's?

[RoyGBiv]

26. I had a similar thought ...

I imagine the list of Best 50 wouldn't have anything performed prior to, oh, last week.

Willie also did that "Beer for My Horses" song with Keith. I genuinely loathe his "boot in your ass" song, but I can't completely hate anyone Willie would work with.

[Bzzzz]

25. Torn...

between two lovers.

[OrwellwasRight]

50. Yeah, but #2 is

Funky Town by Lipps, Inc. Virtually unlistenable.

[T_i_B]

27. This list is wrong

The worst song ever recorded is "wannabe" by the Spice Girls.

The only thing that can possibly run it close is pretty much anything ever recorded by Craig David.

[MrScorpio]

35. You, my friend, are so correct about the Spice Girls

I was living in Germany during "Wannabe's" hey-day. And I swear the German radio stations played that fucker at least once an hour.

BTY, thanks for warning me about Craig David. He was never on my radar screen.

THANK GOD FOR BBC 1Xtra!

[Vidar]

28. Pretty crappy list.

[Forkboy]

29. Stairway to Heaven, Dream On, and Freebird.

Freebird moved from number two to three because it was used to perfection in The Devil's Rejects. :)

But if I ever hear these songs again it'll be three billion years too soon.

[SKKY]

31. I'll see your Toby Keith, and raise you Don "Miami Vice" Johnson...

...this song doesn't suck, it suckity suck sucks!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULI5kolBpAk

[Cetacea]

33. Horse with no Name

primarily 'cause there ain't no one for it to give you no pain" or something like that.

[asthmaticeog]

37. While I agree with most of that list, it suffers a glaring defect.

It doesn't include "Who Wears These Shoes" by Elton John.

[carly denise pt deux]

38. I agree with most of the songs...but I don't agree with

We Built This City-what is wrong with this song other than it has been played to death?
The sound of silence? It's a classic?!?!

Greatest love of all is a pretty song, once again it's been played to death

I know of some songs that SHOULD have made that list:
Muskrat love
Macarena
You Spin Me round like a record
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Horse with no name
Africa- Toto It's also been played to death

[Manifestor_of_Light]

39. Two categories

Anything that is considered mainstream shitkick (except for Willie Nelson) and anything that is heavy metal.

Why anyone listens to depressing music is beyond me. With all the negative stuff floating around telling us we're too fat, or inferior, or just basically a piece of shit (I'm including nearly all advertising and Christianity in this), why add to the negative shit?

It's like the country song "I don't know whether to kill myself or go bowling".

Why would anyone listen to all those bad vibes when they could listen to something non-dissonant that makes you feel better? We all have too many people putting us down either directly or remotely thru the media, so we need something uplifting. And I'm not talking about New Age wallpaper music either (that's a different rant).

[Mr. Blonde]

54. Sometimes it can be cathartic

Being able to relate to someone else who has gone through the same thing can help.

Who can't relate to Blood on the Tracks?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

68. Never listened to it. Can't understand Dylan's slurring.

[tigereye]

43. I have to say, I agree with pretty much everything that is on their list,

except for Shiny Happy People (c'mon REM should get an occasional pass), and Everybody Have Fun Tonight. (I think it's a catchy tune.)

I also admit a fondness, however misguided, for "I'm so sexy." Very droll.

[hisownpetard]

51. I disagree, too, with some of their choices, but the article was really funny.

My choice for worst song, ever:

Bruce Springsteen (I know, I like him, too) - Santa Claus is Coming to Town (quiiiiiiiick, lemme shut it offfff!)

[helderheid]

53. WORST. SONG. EVER.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoYXzFblq6g

[Tommy_Carcetti]

55. "All I Want To Do is Make Love to You"--by Heart

Quite possibly the worst written lyrics I've ever heard. It sounds like something a 11 year old wrote in a note passed during class. For example:


"So we found this hotel,
It was a place I knew well
We made magic that night.
Oh, he did everything right."

"I am the flower you are the seed
We walked in the garden
We planted a tree
Don’t try to find me,
Please don’t you dare
Just live in my memory,
You’ll always be there."

It's sad that this came from the same band that brought us "Magic Man" and "Barracuda", two pretty decent rock songs.

Of the Blender list, I take strong exception to "Sound of Silence" and "We Didn't Start the Fire." The latter, especially--what other song could substitute for a good semester of 20th Century World History? :)

[DrDan]

56. nothing, absolutely nothing is worse than "Feelings"

[Fox Mulder]

57. I would have to agree with the worst song on the list.

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[RFKHumphreyObama]

58. Hmmm....interesting list

I disagree with a great number of their choices

They seem to have missed the point of the "Barbie Girl" song by Aqua -I'm pretty sure it was meant to be spoofing the sugary-sweet image of Barbie and the not-so-subtle sexuality that is evident in the marketing and image of the product. If you look at Aqua's subsequent hits -"Dr Jones", "Candyman" and the like -they are all spoofs of certain aspects of pop/movie/TV culture.

OK, I agree it was annoying but it produced some hilarious spoofs

I don't think "We Built This City" is the worst song -although I agree that it probably deserves to be on that list.

And I personally think that "Sounds of Silence" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard

Besides there's no Britney, the Spice Girls or Nikki Webster

[Deep13]

59. It's a visceral reaction to Sept. 11.

I can't blame anyone for that. Still, I don't care for it. It's no worse that the trite, pointless and empty God Bless the USA.

[Pierre.Suave]

60. ...

"Worst Moment “We’ll put a boot in your ass; it’s the American way,” Keith sings, mistaking revenge for ideals of liberty."

How completely redneck of him... and I would venture a guess that the statement exactly mirrors the thoughts of most of the right wingers in this country. They have no idea what freedom and liberty really is and why it is so important that we not give it away to the government.

[Deep13]

61. Nah. I think the writers of the list are full of it.

That Barbie World song in particular is brilliant.

I also like the Doors' The End and a few other selections on that list.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

62. For good measure, anything by Gwen Stefani

"This ___ is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! This ___ is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" Good lord, what a horrible song that is. Stefani's voice annoys me to no end. Her band career with No Doubt is tolerable. But her solo career--ugh.

Oh, when we are on the subject of annoying pop songs, "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne. That song is so bad it makes my ears bleed. Seriously, listening to "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavingne made my ears very sad, and they cried blood.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

63. More exceptions from the list

#31 Crash Test Dummies, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm." I like that song. Of course, it's 1990s alt rock, so I'm naturally going to tend towards it.

#27 Europe, "The Final Countdown"--Okay, it does suck bad. But on the other hand, it reminds me of Gob from "Arrested Development", so I naturally break out into laughter whenever I hear it. I keep on thinking of Will Arnett trying to perform his "illusions" to an unimpressed audience.

#21 Spin Doctors, "Two Princes"--I sort of like that song.

#14 4 Non-Blondes, "What's Up"--Again, I like it. So sue me.

[Dukkha]

65. consider the source, Blender is a mindless trash rag

published by Maxim and contains the same dumbed downed simplified layouts and articles for misogynistic meat heads.

[Bake]

66. What?? No "Afternoon Delight?????"

Now I've got that damn thing stuck in my head!!!

Bake

[Tommy_Carcetti]

67. Afternoon Delight....

Heh-heh. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st8E9L2Uqmk

I don't know. I think you've got mental problems.

[martymar64]

69. Hollaback Girl

also Muskrat Love

The Night Chicago Died

Afternoon Delight

Perfect Way by Scritti Politti

Too Shy by Kajagoogoo

Wild Boys by Duran Duran

and many many more . . . .