Now Taking Nominations . . .
. . . for the worst popular song ever. You know, the one that pops on the radio or the "greatest hits of the 70's" infomercial and before you can change the station it is stuck in your head and you must kill yourself. Let me throw out a couple of nominees:
1. Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks
2. The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace
3. You Light Up My Life by Debbie Boone
4. Any Song by Paul McCartney produced more than 5 years after the Beatles Split up*
5. Any song by Neil Diamond except Kentucky Woman and Solitary Man*
6. Total Elicpse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler
OK, who agrees or disagrees or has another song to add. Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?
*Nominated merely to annoy a certain Rumpus Related Family
1. Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks
2. The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace
3. You Light Up My Life by Debbie Boone
4. Any Song by Paul McCartney produced more than 5 years after the Beatles Split up*
5. Any song by Neil Diamond except Kentucky Woman and Solitary Man*
6. Total Elicpse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler
OK, who agrees or disagrees or has another song to add. Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?
*Nominated merely to annoy a certain Rumpus Related Family
posted by stewdog | 10:15 AM | Permalink
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14 comments
14 Comments:
Okay, I haven't ranked my nominations, but here goes:
Any song by Jackson Browne (no exceptions).*
Any song by Joni Mitchell, except "A Case of You" and "Both Sides Now."*
*Just to annoy you, obviously -- though I don't really bow down to Jackson Browne's greatness the way some others do. :)
Imagine (yeah, I really mean it).
Ummmm . . . help me out here. Maybe I'm just in a generous mood this morning, but I can't at the moment think of any song, except Imagine, that I hate enough to put on the list. Funny you should mention You Light Up My Life and Total Eclipse of the Heart -- I'm kind of fond of both of 'em. I actually found a Bonnie Tyler album in my parents' garage the other day (along with some other actually good albums). I don't remember which of the siblings it belonged to (I choose to think it couldn't have been me), but I took it home just to listen to that song. Yes, it's corny and bombastic and over the top, but isn't that what we all liked about it in the first place? "Once upon a time there was light in my life; now there's only love in the dark. Nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart."
I don't know what's wrong with me, because the more I look at your list, the more the songs grow on me -- like The Night Chicago Died. If I'm sitting around with me mates at a pub, havin' a jar or two, I'd rather break into a rendition of "The Night Chicago Died" than, say, "Ohio" or "Every Breath You Take." In fact, I'd start with "The Night Chicago Died," and follow with "Come on, Eileen," and then "American Pie." But now I'm ranging far afield.
I guess I have to think about this some more. My tendency would be to nominate songs that people thought were great to begin with, but that haven't worn well.
I thought of "Leather and Lace," which I've mentioned here before, but then I sang this line to myself, "You in the moonlight, with your sleepy eyes, could you ever love a man like me?" and I couldn't put it on the list.
How about "Layla"?
Bonnie Tyler's horrendous voice puts that song on the list.
Leather and Lace is just inane.
Leave Layla alone. You can trash the slow version, but the original is one of the top 10 rock and roll songs of all time. It is 2 songs in one, and the interplay of the guitars of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman is exeptional.
Leave Jackson Browne alone.
Leave Jone Mitchell early 70's alone (she got a little weird after that)
Hey, if you're going to do a best/worst songs blog, how about links to a free listen (via Windows Media Player, please)? I found Paper Lace on Amazon and from the little clip I heard, I vaguely remember it. I can't find nor remember Total Elicpse Of The Heart.
It's very possible that on my poor quality equipment I never made out the words to some songs. I'm certain that I listened to nearly all pop music between, say, 1971 and 1978 plus maybe some before and after. I probably know more disco than I'd like to admit.
But the point is, my memory ain't what it used to be, so I appreciate the links to the words and would ask for links to a listen.
Oh, and how about a "best song" so we don't get stuck with a bunch of songs we hate stuck in our heads. Um, maybe I don't want links to the worst songs after all.
CIV, I post. I give lyrics. If you want sound, you need to work for it.
I hated disco at the time, but must confess I love to hear an occasional song. Also, a bit of funk is fun (Play that funky music, white boy is a gas).
I'll be glad to get a "best of" going, but I find the worst of to be far more fun.
No particular order:
Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay". I've never understood how this lame-ass song ever made it.
Anything in the 80's recorded by a German or Swede.
Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" --
I am sitting
In the morning
At the diner
On the corner
I am waiting
At the counter
For the man
To pour the coffee
da da dada da da dada da da da da da da da da (if you've never heard this song before I kid you not with these da das)
I beg of you to make it stop, please!!
Lionel Richie's "Truly". I dare anyone listen to it all the way through.
Steve Miller Band's "Abracadabra". I wanna reach out and stab ya!
Mac Davis' "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me". Don't worry, we won't.
Yoko Ono's "Woman Power". If you're not familiar with this song, here are the last two stanzas:
Woman power! (woman power!)
Woman power! (woman power!)
Woman power!
Woman power!
Woman power! (woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
(woman power!)
I guess that's enough for now...but don't get me started Stewdog...
Here's a song near the top of my list.
Warning: link leads to sound, video, and Tim Robbins.
Thanks for that one, Jeff. I was planning on going to bed right now but now I'm forced to stay up for at least a half hour as I don't wish to have that playing in my head as I try to sleep.
Good one's Wonderdog. Susan Vega is simply annoying and that song is truly inane. As for Yoko, you didn't need to single out any song or lyric, I think we can stipulate that "Any song by Yoko Ono" belongs on that list. Just thinking about her "music" leads me to suspect that John arranged his own hit.
I must disagree on Lay Lady Lay. One of the few Dylan songs where his vocal is almost pleasant.
Kudos on the Germans and the Sweedes, I guess we won't be seeing you at a Mama Mia revival anytime soon.
Are you sure all these songs are from the 70s?
CIV, who limited this to 70s?
If you will review my original post, I intended the 70's to be words of description, and not limitation.
Sorry. I was thrown by the "greatest hits of the 70's" remark.
I nominate "Spill the Wine" [Animals?] but agree that "Lay Lady Lay" is pretty bad. Also, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" by Melanie. Shoot, most of Melanie. Allowing Yoko Ono into the mix kind of makes it all pointless, as she hands down wins Worst Songs in the Universe.
I don't mind Spill Wine. It isn't the Animals best. That would go to House of the Rising Sun, among others. But I like the organ and Eric Burton had a great voice.
I saw him recently on a retrospective show. He has balooned up and wore a hugh Che shirt. Yuck.
CIV you are so right on Yoko. Perhaps the funniest list is Yoko's Top Ten songs.
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