What's the worst song of all time?

[Aggie87]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Starship may have built this city on rock and roll, but Blender magazine is tearing it down, naming the band's "We Built This City" as the worst song ever.

Some tunes on the "50 Worst Songs Ever!" list were selected for their melodies, others "are wretchedly performed" and "quite a few don't make sense whatsoever," the magazine said.

The list, which appears in the May issue, includes songs by New Kids on the Block, Meat Loaf, The Doors, Lionel Richie, Hammer and The Beach Boys, among others.

Blender describes 1985's "We Built This City" as "the truly horrible sound of a band taking the corporate dollar while sneering at those who take the corporate dollar."

Starship lead singer Grace Slick says, "This is not me," when the magazine reminds her of the tune. "Now you're an actor. It's the same as Meryl Streep playing Joan of Arc."

Rounding out the top 10: "Achy Breaky Heart," Billy Ray Cyrus; "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" Wang Chung; "Rollin'," Limp Bizkit; "Ice Ice Baby," Vanilla Ice; "The Heart of Rock & Roll," Huey Lewis and the News; "Don't Worry Be Happy," Bobby McFerrin; "Party All the Time," Eddie Murphy; "American Life," Madonna; and "Ebony and Ivory," Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.

Other songs on the list: Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" (No. 22); Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All" (No. 30); Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" (No. 39); Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" (No. 41); Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence" (No. 42); The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (No. 48); and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" (No. 50).

Blender and VH1's TV special "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs ... Ever" airs May 12.

[Dan Gould]

Shouldn't "I Write The Songs" be on that list, if not at the top?

I have no idea why Sounds of Silence would make the list.

It may not be classic, but its not Top 50 worst songs either.

[Jazzmoose]

I have no idea why Sounds of Silence would make the list.

It may not be classic, but its not Top 50 worst songs either.

I think it is a classic. Amazing.

I assume that the list makers meant "other than the obvious Seasons in the Sun, by the way...

[couw]

in the nonsense category, right besides "The Sounds of Silence," is that Beatles tune about finding yourself in times of trouble and then mother Mary speaks these indelible 'words of wisdom': "let it be." I mean, what kind of wisdom is THAT? You were just fired from your job, ah let it be! You were hit by a bus on the way home, don't worry! be happy! Then the liquor store went up in flames just as you wanted to stock up on hard stuff to drink & forget. Pfff! peanuts! Let it be! That's not Wisdom, that's just plain MEAN!

oh, and here it is:

Blender Magazine's list of the 50 Worst Songs Ever:

1. We Built This City ... Starship ... 1985

2. Achy Breaky Heart ... Billy Ray Cyrus ... 1992

3. Everybody Have Fun Tonight ... Wang Chung ... 1986

4. Rollin' ... Limp Bizkit ... 2000

5. Ice Ice Baby ... Vanilla Ice ... 1990

6. The Heart of Rock & Roll ... Huey Lewis and the News ... 1984

7. Don't Worry, Be Happy ... Bobby McFerrin ... 1988

8. Party All the Time ... Eddie Murphy ... 1985

9. American Life ... Madonna ... 2003

10. Ebony and Ivory ... Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder ... 1982

11. Invisible ... Clay Aiken ... 2003

12. Kokomo ... The Beach Boys ... 1988

13. Illegal Alien ... Genesis ... 1983

14. From a Distance ... Bette Midler ... 1990

15. I'll Be There for You ... The Rembrandts ... 1995

16. What's Up? ... 4 Non Blondes ... 1993

17. Pumps and a Bump ... Hammer ... 1994

18. You're the Inspiration ... Chicago ... 1984

19. Broken Wings ... Mr. Mister ... 1985

20. Dancing on the Ceiling ... Lionel Richie ... 1986

21. Two Princes ... Spin Doctors ... 1992

22. Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) ... Toby Keith ... 2002

23. Sunglasses at Night ... Corey Hart ... 1984

24. Superman ... Five for Fighting ... 2000

25. I'll Be Missing You ... Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 ... 1997

26. The End ... The Doors ... 1967

27. The Final Countdown ... Europe ... 1987

28. Your Body Is a Wonderland ... John Mayer ... 2001

29. Breakfast at Tiffany's ... Deep Blue Something ... 1995

30. Greatest Love of All ... Whitney Houston ... 1986

31. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm ... Crash Test Dummies ... 1994

32. Will 2K ... Will Smith ... 1999

33. Barbie Girl ... Aqua ... 1997

34. Longer ... Dan Fogelberg ... 1979

35. Shiny Happy People ... R.E.M. ... 1991

36. Make Em Say Uhh! ... Master P featuring Silkk, Fiend, Mia-X and Mystikal ... 1998

37. Rico Suave ... Gerardo ... 1991

38. Cotton Eyed Joe ... Rednex ... 1995

39. She Bangs ... Ricky Martin ... 2000

40. I Wanna Sex You Up ... Color Me Badd ... 1991

41. We Didn't Start the Fire ... Billy Joel ... 1989

42. The Sounds of Silence ... Simon & Garfunkel ... 1965

43. Follow Me ... Uncle Kracker ... 2000

44. I'll Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) ... Meat Loaf ... 1993

45. Mesmerize ... Ja Rule featuring Ashanti ... 2002

46. Hangin' Tough ... New Kids on the Block ... 1989

47. The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You ... Bryan Adams ... 1996

48. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da ... The Beatles ... 1968

49. I'm Too Sexy ... Right Said Fred ... 1992

50. My Heart Will Go On ... Celine Dion ... 1998

[Jim Alfredson]

It is so obvious who that list was compiled by: Gen X-ers. There are what, only 4 songs not from the 80s or 90s or 00s? You're telling me that the 50s, 60s, and 70s had only 4 bad songs in 30 years? Gimme a break.

[Aggie87]

I agree with you, Jim. Since it's from Blender, I'm sure it was compiled by and FOR teens & 20-somethins, their target audience.

I mean, if it ain't got "In the Year 2525" on it, how can it be complete? Though I have to give them props for including "Shiny Happy People" - what an awful tune!(and I generally like older r.e.m.)

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, there's some rotten stuff on that list, but for me this is really really annoying:

29. Breakfast at Tiffany's ... Deep Blue Something ... 1995

They always played it in the college cafeteria in '95, on repeat or so it seems. Now, of course, I'll have it in my head until I put on some Kenneth Terroade.

[kulu se mama]

i feel vindicated.

"we built this city" has been my most hated song since the first time i heard it.

i worked at a record store when the that album came out, and one guy that i worked with insisted on playing it all the time.

just a horrible record.

[Dan Gould]

i feel vindicated.

"we built this city" has been my most hated song since the first time i heard it.

i worked at a record store when the that album came out, and one guy that i worked with insisted on playing it all the time.

just a horrible record.

I would agree, except that "We didn't start the fire" is, to me, at least as annoying and lame.

Apparently "Seasons in the Sun" would make the list for the parents of their target audience.

Now that I see the list, I can safely pass up the TV show.

[DTMX]

No. 26 - how could anyone not like a song with the lyric: "The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on. He took a face from the ancient gallery. And he WALKED ON DOWN THE HALL!"? No way that's more melodramatic than Celine Dion's "My Ass Will Go On".

[kulu se mama]

dan - i agree - "we didn't start the fire" is probably as bad, but i never had to work a shift with someone who played it and enjoyed it.

also, "we built this city" was the single of the album, meaning one of the better songs (if that's even possible).

[ghost of miles]

Yeah, there's some rotten stuff on that list, but for me this is really really annoying:

29. Breakfast at Tiffany's ... Deep Blue Something ... 1995

They always played it in the college cafeteria in '95, on repeat or so it seems. Now, of course, I'll have it in my head until I put on some Kenneth Terroade.

Oh God, I f*#@ing hate that song! When I worked in a record store my moniker for that band was Deep B.S.

[John L]

My most hated song is there too at #30: "The Greatest Love of All."

[couw]

if you can't remember what they sounded like, those REALLY crappy songs (so bad, they're mostly not even on the list above) go here

highlights include the ultimate cringe-smash-run-away!!!!!! soundtrack: Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting (how did they miss that one?) and the proud dutch export product Vader Abraham doing two of his all time hits with the smurfs sitting in, all sung in a hilarious accent. Ewwww!

[ralphie_boy]

We Built This City definitely sucks! Especially to those of us who remember the Airplane in its glory days. I'm suprised about The End by The Doors being included - I've always liked this one.

[Big Al]

You mean to tell me there was no room on this list for Creed?!?!?!?

[Dave James]

What's wrong with "Heart of Rock n' Roll? I kind of dug that heartbeat beginning and the opening guitar riff when I was into HL&TN. I'll tell you one thing, those boys put on a helluva good live show. And come to think of it, I liked "I Want to Sex You Up" too. I feel like asking if there something wrong with me, but maybe I should reserve that inquiry for the "Stupid Questions" thread.

Not quite sure why "Sounds of Silence" is on the list when Simon & Garfunkel are responsible for "Bridge Over Troubled Waters." There's no comparison between those two tunes when it comes to sheer, unadulterated lousiness.

I agree that this list with but a few exceptions is heavily slanted towards more recent music. The '50's and pre-Beatle '60's were rife with bad songs. Remember Brian Hyland and "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polkadot Bikini" or "Palisades Park" by Freddy Cannon or Bobby Vee's "Rubber Ball" or just about anything Fabian ever did? How about Lonnie Donnegan' and "Does You're Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor On The Bedpost Overnight?" Bad tunes abounded during those years. As Gertrude Stein once said about Oakland, California, "There's no there there."

Agree that "We Built This City" is one of the all time worst songs although I thought Joan Jett & the Blackhearts gave it a run for its money with "I Love Rock n' Roll." Beyond sophomoric.

Up over and out.

[Eric]

forgot about that Eddie Murphy gem ... didn't it "feature" an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo?

Eric

[chris olivarez]

Three of them that didn't make the cut and should have IMO are "Sugar,Sugar" by the Archies,"Feelings" by Morris Albert, "Mickey" by Toni Basil- excuse me make that four songs that stupid fucking song from Faith Hill from the Pearl Harbor soundtrack. The movie got panned but it was a hell of a lot better than that piece of crap. I could probably think of more but that's all I could stand right now.

[Eric]

Three of them that didn't make the cut and should have IMO are "Sugar,Sugar" by the Archies,"Feelings" by Morris Albert, "Mickey" by Toni Basil- excuse me make that four songs that stupid fucking song from Faith Hill from the Pearl Harbor soundtrack. The movie got panned but it was a hell of a lot better than that piece of crap. I could probably think of more but that's all I could stand right now.

I can actually differentiate between "Sugar Sugar" and "Feelings". One is bouncy bubble-gum pop and the other is pure dreck. I have never heard the Faith Hill song but I will blindly take your word for it.

Eric

[J Larsen]

Where's "Owner of a Lonely Heart"? Where's that damn Savage Garden song I couldn't esape a few years ago? Where's "Oops I Did it Again"? I'd listen to the Beatles trying to do ska all day before listening to those tunes.

[J Larsen]

On the other hand, I have always had profound hatred for...

40. I Wanna Sex You Up ... Color Me Badd ... 1991

That song is SO incredibly annoying it's hard to describe.

[AfricaBrass]

Any song on this record:

[AfricaBrass]

Here's another album chock full of pain:

[AfricaBrass]

More pain: