Top 20 Worst Songs By Bands We Love
#20: “Nightlife” (2012)
Green Day
Green Day has been a staple in rock music since the early 90s, and they’ve reinvented their sound multiple times over the years to great success. When you’ve been around for that long though, there are bound to be some duds in your catalogue, and there’s no better example of this than “Nightlife”. With obnoxious vocal effects, awful sounding fake drums and worst of all, the bizarre spoken verses by “Lady Cobra” which feels like a stripper rapping in your ear. The entire vibe of this song is just so NOT Green Day; it’s a good reminder of why some bands should just stay in their lane.
#19: “The 2nd Law: Unsustainable” (2012)
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Muse
This English rock band is one of those rare groups who could seemingly do no wrong...until they did. Muse has more than earned the right to do grand operatic things and experiment with different genres. We just wish they’d done them separately for this track. The first part of this song sounds like the score for a bad fantasy film. It’s followed by a section that sounds like a derivative, throwaway attempt at dubstep that might be more at home with the tracks cut from Korn’s 2011 dubstep-infused “The Path of Totality”. Things get a little better around the two-minute mark when the vocals come in and a balance is struck between the two sounds. But by then, it’s far too late.
#18:“Pop is Dead” (1993)
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Radiohead
Nobody can tell Radiohead what to do. And for the most part, that’s a good thing. The band has inspired legions of fans because they can write honest, catchy and haunting tunes, try to grow musicians, are willing to experiment. Unfortunately, that last virtue can also be a bit of a curse, as proven by this song we’d sooner forget. Released just months after “Creep”, this standalone single is so off-base for the band. We get that it embraced a poppy sound to provide a foundation for vocalist Thom Yorke’s criticism of the music industry, but satire only works when the product can also work in its own right. This satirical track just feels lazy.
#17: “Chinese Democracy” (2008)
Guns N' Roses
There’s a huge potential problem when an album you work on experiences a decade of delays. By the time it actually sees the light of day, many of its elements are going to feel painfully outdated― both musically and lyrically. Chinese Democracy, the title track from Guns N’ Roses’ long overdue 2008 album, feels utterly lacking in identity and direction. It’s at once derivative of what the band had already done before and awkwardly indebted to changing production styles in hard rock and metal. Axl's vocals sound weirdly processed, and you’re unlikely to remember the chorus when the song ends. Considering how long we waited, we expected a lot more from the band who gave us “Appetite for Destruction”.
#16: “Get On Your Boots” (2009)
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U2
U2 are known for their strong lead singles, from “With or Without You” to “Beautiful Day”. So when they released “Get On Your Boots” as the first single from their twelfth studio album more than a few heads turned in confusion. On the surface, it’s an OK track, but there’s nothing to really grab the listener – except a hook on par with a One Direction lyric, and an overriding feeling that U2 passed their prime a long time ago. In fairness to Bono though, he doesn’t sing the ‘sexy boots’ line too often during live performances anymore; even he understands he’s not ‘down with the kids’ enough to pull it off nowadays.
#15: “Young and Menace” (2017)
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Fall Out Boy
Evolve or die― that’s the rule in the music industry. Sure, you can try to keep churning out the same sort of music, but that inevitably leads to dwindling sales and concerts where fans demand the old stuff. After a hiatus, pop-punk/emo rockers Fall Out Boy embraced their natural pop inclinations and singer Patrick Stump’s incredible range and returned as a polished arena pop-rock band to strong results. But when they came together for 2018’s MANIA, they went through a questionable evolution by exploring elements of electropop. The roughest single that leans into this genre much too heavily was “Young and Menace.” This lackluster track feels too awkward and contrived to be a Fall out Boy song.
#14: “Might as Well Get Juiced” (1997)
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The Rolling Stones
Taking some cues from U2’s Achtung Baby-era by adding electronic elements to their critically acclaimed sound, The Rolling Stones didn’t quite get as lucky with their change in sound. Mick Jagger’s trademark snarl is toned down for this track, and transformed into more a mild slur – it’s just not as likeable, or as listenable. “Might as Well Get Juiced” is a decent enough mantra, but it doesn’t really demand remembering. It’s a shoulder-shrugger; we’ll take it, or most likely leave it.
#13: “Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk)” (2012)
The Offspring
Is this a joke? Or a skit from SNL? Unfortunately, not. California pop-punk rockers The Offspring have always brought elements of comedy and satire to their music, and more often than not, it’s worked pretty well. Just look at "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)". But whatever joke they were going for falls painfully flat in this happy-go-lucky wannabe mainstream summertime party anthem. We get that it’s supposed to be an indictment of pop music. But if you’re not watching the music video or know what the band’s true intentions are, the song crumbles under the weight of its own unabashed poppiness and painfully derivative sound.
#12: “Mother” (1983)
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The Police
Taken from Synchronicity – which is the fifth, final and probably most highly acclaimed record in The Police’s history – “Mother” severely divides opinion to this day. Written by guitarist Andy Summers, it’s a bizarre, slightly psychotic track which some listeners label ‘genius’, but the majority brand ‘garbage’. Supposedly inspired by Summers’ own mother/son relationship, in which he felt pressure as a ‘golden child’, it screams for attention but doesn’t really deserve it. It’s an album filler we’d rather skip than suffer.
#11: “Ride My Rocket” (1983)
Pantera
Let’s be honest… we could have chosen pretty much any one of Pantera’s songs from the early glam metal days for this list. However, “Ride My Rocket” from 1983’s “Metal Magic” feels like a solid representation of everything we’re happy that Pantera outgrew. Seeing as this was the band’s first album, we can cut them a little slack because they were still finding their sound. But it’s still hard to give them the benefit of the doubt when you listen to the generic, hairspray-infused rock sounds of “Ride My Rocket” with the vocal stylings of original singer Terry Glaze. Judging by this song alone, it’s almost impossible to believe that these musicians went on to pen metal anthems like “Walk”, “Domination” or “Cowboys From Hell”.
#10: “Staying Power” (1982)
Queen
The first track, and fourth single, from Queen’s much-maligned 1982 album, “Hot Space”, “Staying Power” signalled the beginning of a bad spell for the iconic band. Having had previous success with “Another One Bites the Dust”, the song’s built around a misplaced belief in a new brand of disco-rock, which never really caught on. “Staying Power” snaps fingers, sure, but it doesn’t possess any of what it’s title talks of. Although the song’s live performances are explosive, the track is utterly forgettable, and is a strange fit on an album that also features the classic “Under Pressure”.
#9: “Wild Honey Pie” (1968)
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The Beatles
Not even the most iconic band in the history of music is immune to misfires. “Wild Honey Pie” was written by McCartney while recording The White Album. By his own admission, this track was an experiment. And there’s nothing wrong with taking risks...as long as you manage to contain whatever monster results from it. Rather than burying this song far from fans’ ears, McCartney decided to include this weird, short, and piercing little ditty on the album. Apparently one of the motivators for keeping it was that George Harrison’s then-wife Pattie Boyd appreciated it. After listening, we can safely say she's one of the few that did.
#8: “Bugs” (1994)
Pearl Jam
A song centred around an old accordion found by Pearl Jam frontman, Eddie Vedder, at the thrift store, most fans would rather he never made that particular purchase. Lyrically, the track tackles the lack of privacy which comes as a by-product of fame – the ‘bugs’ are everywhere, and inescapable. It’s a good idea, but it’s one hell of a strange song. The rhythmic grating sounds like a circus slowed down, but there’s nothing funny, enjoyable or even tolerable about the nearly three minutes of this track. “Bugs” infests our ears, and not in a grungy, grimy, or cool way either.
#7: “Let's Put the X in Sex” (1988)
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Kiss
If we had access to a time machine, we’d travel back to 1988 and stop this song from ever seeing the light of day. Even the most diehard Kiss fans will acknowledge that between churning out one of their many iconic rock songs, the band has put out their fair share of forgettable filler tracks. Unfortunately, this song is too bad to forget. It occupies a strange space where it sounds like it would be a hit if it were performed by a different artist. But for Kiss, it totally misses the mark in the most spectacular and embarrassing way possible. The lyrics are cringeworthy. Although Kiss usually makes hordes of fans swoon, even they can’t make this song sound remotely sexy.
#6: “Queen of the Supermarket” (2009)
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Bruce Springsteen
With most records on today’s countdown, there’s at least a degree of divided opinion. With this record, there isn’t. Widely panned by fans and critics alike, “Queen of the Supermarket” is literally about a lonely guy who’s crushing on the cute girl at the local grocery store. It’s so far away from Springsteen’s usual rock-infused poeticism, it’s a wonder nobody put the stoppers on it at some point during production. If you actually are in love with the cashier at your convenience store then please, whatever you do, don’t sing this to them.
#5:“The View” (2011)
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Metallica & Lou Reed
When you’ve had a career as long and fruitful as Metallica’s, you’re bound to produce a few bad songs along the way. Case in point, the woefully underwhelming St. Anger. While that song is mediocre, it’s a platinum track compared to“The View”. In the early 2010’s, Metallica decided to team up with experimental art rock legend Lou Reed to create the sort of noise that truly upsets fans. The “Lulu” album was a tough listening experience from start to finish. But its solitary single, “The View”, was the huge red flag that told fans to stay away from the rest of the album. Not only is “The View” absolutely grating, but it’s also painfully boring.
#4: “Funky Man” (1987)
Dee Dee King
A founding member of arguably the most important punk band ever formed, Dee Dee King, more commonly known as Dee Dee Ramone, really should’ve stuck with what he knew. In the late ‘80s the Ramones’ bassist rebranded himself as Dee Dee King and branched out into rap and hip hop music, with this as his lead single. “Funky Man” is ‘funky’, but not in the good sense. An autobiographical, rhythm-less run through Dee Dee’s day-to-day life, it sounds like a very bad version of a Beastie Boys tribute act – and that’s putting it kindly. You've gotta fight for your right to avoid this one.
#3: “Can't Stop Partying” (2009)
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Weezer feat. Lil Wayne
You know that you really managed to create a perfect storm of disappointment when you upset the listeners of two separate musical acts. Co-written by Rivers Cuomo and Jermaine Dupri, “Can’t Stop Partying” sees Weezer attempt to blend different genres. The sound is so super produced in a way that it robs the group of everything that makes their alt rock sound so distinct. This direction also clashes with Cuomos’ vocal style. But his mismatched vocals are miles better than Lil Wayne’s verse, which, despite the iconic rapper’s substantial creative output, sounds totally phoned in. Was this song only written as an excuse to say the line “Weezer and it’s Weezy”? Because that’s the only good thing about the track.
#2: “My World” (1991)
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Guns N’ Roses
A song reportedly recorded by Axl Rose while under the influence of magic mushrooms, even the most die hard Guns ‘n’ Roses fan would likely have to be at least a little medicated to suggest this is a good song. Use Your Illusion II is generally considered a classic hard rock album, marred only by “My World”, it’s dreadful final track. Rose is undoubtedly an awesome frontman, but has a well publicised habit for leading GNR in the wrong direction every so often- and this dud is practically a road map of wrong directions.
#1: “Revolution 9” (1968)
The Beatles
At eight minutes and twenty two seconds, “Revolution 9” is the longest track that the Beatles ever released, and probably the most polarizing as well. An avant-garde effort penned by John Lennon and heavily influenced by Yoko Ono, it’s featured as the penultimate track on the White Album. Paul McCartney tried to persuade Lennon to drop it from the record as he was unimpressed, and popular opinion appears to fall that way as well. Eccentric enough to inspire conspiracy theories concerning Paul’s ‘death’, and to warrant treatment on The Simpsons, it was more weird than wonderful.
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