The worst pop song ever

[maumann]

Basically everything on AM radio from 1974-1977 with a few exceptions, but if you want to lose your dinner ...

"Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" -- Wayne Newton
"(You're) Having My Baby" -- Paul Anka
"Playground In My Mind" -- Clint Holmes
"MacArthur Park" -- all versions
"The Candyman" -- Sammy Davis Jr.
"Don't Give Up On Us" -- David Soul
"You Light Up My Life" -- Debbie Boone
"Alone Again (Naturally)" -- Gilbert O'Sullivan
"Muskrat Love" -- Captain and Tenille
"Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" -- Rupert Holmes
"Undercover Angel" -- Alan O'Day
"Tonight's The Night" -- Rod Stewart

Novelty songs and Red Sovine are in their own category.

 

[FileNotFound]

Basically everything on AM radio from 1974-1977 with a few exceptions, but if you want to lose your dinner ...

"Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" -- Wayne Newton
"(You're) Having My Baby" -- Paul Anka
"Playground In My Mind" -- Clint Holmes
"MacArthur Park" -- all versions
"The Candyman" -- Sammy Davis Jr.
"Don't Give Up On Us" -- David Soul
"You Light Up My Life" -- Debbie Boone
"Alone Again (Naturally)" -- Gilbert O'Sullivan
"Muskrat Love" -- Captain and Tenille
"Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" -- Rupert Holmes
"Undercover Angel" -- Alan O'Day
"Tonight's The Night" -- Rod Stewart

Novelty songs and Red Sovine are in their own category.

When I get sent to heck for all the bad I've done in my life, that's the playlist that will be on eternal repeat.

 

[Slacker]

Two of the most overwritten radio hits ever. Nightmares continue to this day.

 

[FileNotFound]

I was just reminded of how horrendous this song was:

 

[Octave]

Worst song ever, regardless of genre. And as someone that's covered a lot of high school sports over the years, particularly baseball, I've heard that song a few hundred more times than I would like.

No doubt. I've heard it a time or two in a packed arena. Back when it wasn't dated -and- bad.

I have always been a Motown freak and can't bring myself to put any on the list, even though some certainly qualify.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

 

[Jake from State Farm]

"Billy Don't Be a Hero" was even worse and made by the same outfit under a different name, IIRC.

Tony Burrows was the lead singer for four hits fronting four different bands
My Baby Loves Love — White Plains
Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes — Edison Lighthouse
United We Stand — Brotherhood of Man
Beach Baby — First Class

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Tony Burrows was the lead singer for four hits fronting four different bands
My Baby Loves Love — White Plains
Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes — Edison Lighthouse
United We Stand — Brotherhood of Man
Beach Baby — First Class

He doesn't belong in a "worst pop songs" thread, but Paul Carrack has done that too:

How Long - Ace
Tempted - Squeeze
The Living Years - Mike and the Mechanics
Don't Shed a Tear - Paul Carrack

I also saw him live as a touring keyboardist for Madness and Nick Lowe.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

One surprise in this thread is nobody, until now, has brought up the dreck known as bubblegum
Sugar Sugar
Yummy Yummy Yummy
Simon Says
I can't go on

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

So much "so bad it's good" on this thread. Love it. I can thank American Top 40 on the 70s on 7 channel for ideas.

Our friends have the Desiderata poem hanging on the wall (and we're in our mid-40s!) in a 5x7 frame. Every time I see that, I think of Les Crane's rendition. Awful.

Gordon Sinclair's "The Americans" (or Byron MacGregor's version) is also awful. That's one of the most kiss-ass "songs" I've ever heard, and it's an embarrassment to hear.

But this song drives me nuts - Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." The fact that on a scale of 1-10 it starts at an 11 and goes up from there - just makes me want to pull out my hair.



Dishonorable mention:
"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty - I loathe that tenor sax solo.
"Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond - I'm a Red Sox fan and I hate that song - especially when they're losing 10-0 at home and they play that forking song in the eighth inning. I mean, come on.

And lastly ... although this one has the cheesiest lyrics, it puts a smile on my face because of it. Man, the 70s were different.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I was just reminded of how horrendous this song was:

Background music on a love scene in "Play Misty for Me." Billboard ranked it as the number one Hot 100 single of the year for 1972.

 

[garrow]

Walking.On.Sunshine.