What is the worst song by a well-respected musician or band?

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses opinions on songs deemed poor or disappointing by well-respected musicians or bands. Participants share their thoughts on specific tracks, exploring subjective tastes and the perceived quality of various songs across different genres and eras.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants criticize "I'm so glad" by Cream as an album-filler and not serious music.
  • Others mention "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam as a bad song, with one participant recalling its poor reception during cheerleader performances.
  • There is a strong negative sentiment towards REM's "Everybody Hurts," with claims of it having no redeeming value.
  • Multiple participants express disdain for "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, with one noting its extended version as even worse.
  • One participant identifies "D'yer Mak'er" by Led Zeppelin as their least favorite song, despite being a fan of the band.
  • Styx's "Plexiglas Toilet" is mentioned as a particularly bad song by one participant.
  • Pink Floyd's "Seamus" is criticized, with one participant claiming it is the only decent song they ever made.
  • Several participants express their dislike for romantic songs like "Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder, describing them as lacking quality.
  • Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is mentioned as a song that some believe charted for good reason.
  • Discussions also touch on the general quality of music from the 90s and various artists, with some expressing strong negative reactions to specific songs and performances.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on specific songs, with no clear consensus on which songs are definitively the worst. Multiple competing views remain, highlighting the subjective nature of musical taste.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference personal experiences and emotional connections to songs, which may influence their opinions. There are also mentions of specific performances and album versions that contribute to the discussion of song quality.

Who May Find This Useful

Music enthusiasts, fans of specific artists or genres, and those interested in subjective critiques of popular songs may find this discussion engaging.

turbo
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Please link to execrable songs by musicians that should have known better. Some "songs" like "I'm so glad" by Cream appear to be album-fillers instead of serious music.

Clapton has gold records on his wall, but this stinker causes me to change the channel or hit "next" on the CD player every time.

 
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Not the worst, but bad: Last Kiss, Pearl Jam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0B-hJ_gotc

 
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Yep! That's bad. It wasn't any good the first time out, when the cheerleaders used to sing it on bus trips.
 
turbo said:
Please link to execrable songs by musicians that should have known better. Some "songs" like "I'm so glad" by Cream appear to be album-fillers instead of serious music.

Clapton has gold records on his wall, but this stinker causes me to change the channel or hit "next" on the CD player every time.



Anything on St. Anger by Metallica. Though I must admit, the songs sound marginally better live than they do on the album.
 
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REM's "Everybody Hurts" has no redeeming value no matter what anyone says.

Michael Stipe channeling Art Garfunkel? What the heck for?

I don't care what anyone says, I'M CORRECT!
 
Wow. I always thought I was the only one who thought that 'Wonderful Tonight' was a truly dreadful song. Other songs that spring to mind as ones that were hugely popular but which I always loathed with a passion are 'Lady in Red' by Chris De Burgh and 'I Just Called to Say I Love You' by Stevie Wonder. I don't hate them because they are romantic songs, I hate them because they are chewing gum for the brain, utterly devoid of any quality that I can discern.
 
Ken Natton said:
Wow. I always thought I was the only one who thought that 'Wonderful Tonight' was a truly dreadful song.

And then he slowed it down for his "unplugged" release; just what we needed, longer dreadfulness.
 
Chi Meson said:
And then he slowed it down for his "unplugged" release; just what we needed, longer dreadfulness.
Exactly what Heart did on their "Road Home" CD. Slow their songs down like Vanilla Fudge and drag them out forever. That CD was a waste of money and time.
 
  • #10
Chi Meson said:
REM's "Everybody Hurts" has no redeeming value no matter what anyone says.

Michael Stipe channeling Art Garfunkel? What the heck for?

I don't care what anyone says, I'M CORRECT!
In the liner notes of the album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003, Buck writes that "the reason the lyrics are so atypically straightforward is because it was aimed at teenagers", and "I've never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the idea that high school is a portal to hell seems pretty realistic to me." Incidentally, the song was used in the 1992 film of the same name that preceded the show.

In 2005, Buck told the BBC: "If you're consciously writing for someone who hasn't been to college, or is pretty young, it might be nice to be very direct. In that regard, it's tended to work for people of a lot of ages."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hurts

I love this song because it takes my mind back to slow dancing at parties in grade school and high school. Slow dances were a socially acceptable way to get a lot of body contact with girls, and often lead to making out. If it had only existed at the time, "Everybody Hurts" would have precipitated many makeout sessions for me. Maybe even more than "Something" by the Beatles.
 
  • #11
While "Wonderful Tonight" is bad...truly bad...it's hard to come up with one worse than Styx's "Plexiglas Toilet".
 
  • #12
turbo said:


Love it!

lisab said:
Not the worst, but bad: Last Kiss, Pearl Jam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0B-hJ_gotc



Like it

Ken Natton said:
Lady in Red' by Chris De Burgh and 'I Just Called to Say I Love You' by Stevie Wonder. I don't hate them because they are romantic songs, I hate them because they are chewing gum for the brain, utterly devoid of any quality that I can discern.

Love it, like it. But I like pretty much everything. :smile:

Okay, the worst tune... hmmmm... anything from the 90s?
 
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  • #14
zoobyshoe said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hurts

I love this song because it takes my mind back to slow dancing at parties in grade school and high school. Slow dances were a socially acceptable way to get a lot of body contact with girls, and often lead to making out. If it had only existed at the time, "Everybody Hurts" would have precipitated many makeout sessions for me. Maybe even more than "Something" by the Beatles.

Argh! Typical logic. I'm not listening! I'm not listening! nanananananannananananana...
 
  • #15
I'm okay with most Beatles stuff, but I don't know what this is supposed to be:

 
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  • #16
cepheid said:
I'm okay with most Beatles stuff, but I don't know what this is supposed to be:

The long and whining road? :biggrin:
 
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  • #17
If we're talking about respected bands, then these top my list (at least they immediately come to mind).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4jnaznUoQ
(ok, that may more be a reaction to the video than the song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWLpiPlJAA8
(Prior to this his stuff was fantastic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmKeIlJq4gM
(This song always makes me want to vomit)

And if we're talking about someone not respected, just about everything by Britney Spears, N'Sync, etc.
 
  • #18
I wasn't too impressed about Aram Cara on Enya's album 'Sumiregusa'.

But that's not on youtube and this version is much better.

 
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  • #19
Vanadium 50 said:
it's hard to come up with one worse than Styx's "Plexiglas Toilet".

A real bummer of a song.
 
  • #20
George Jones said:
A real bummer of a song.
The butt of many jokes.
 
  • #21
Evo said:
The long and whining road? :biggrin:

Haha yeah, sounds about right! :biggrin:
 
  • #22
Pink Floyd: Seamus
 
  • #23
Pythagorean said:
Pink Floyd: Seamus
You haven't drank enough beer. :rolleyes:
 
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  • #24
daveb said:
If we're talking about respected bands, then these top my list (at least they immediately come to mind).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4jnaznUoQ
(ok, that may more be a reaction to the video than the song)
Holy Moly I have never agreed so heartily with anything ever before in my life. I was trying to recall that very video I saw (partially) fifteen years or so ago, but my brain revolted against me and I had a seizure as soon as I recalled it was Bowie and Jagger. Your identification has served as some sort of balm, ironically, and though I will not watch it again, I know that I am not insane!

Peace!
 
  • #25
Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

The last song of his that charted - for good reason some say.
 
  • #26
"Lady Madona" by the beatles.

Who is Gordon Lightfoot?

From the wikipaedia:
"The page "Gordon Lightfoot." does not exist. You can ask for it to be created, but consider checking the search results below to see whether the topic is already covered.
For search help, please visit Help:Searching."
 
  • #28
daveb said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmKeIlJq4gM
(This song always makes me want to vomit)
I'm pretty sure you mistyped that url...
 
  • #29
Pythagorean said:
Pink Floyd: Seamus
That is the only decent song they ever made.
 
  • #30
http://acousticguitarbuyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/No-Stairway-To-Heaven-Metal-Sign.jpeg
 
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