Top 20 Most Hated Songs of All Time

Nickelback
This Canadian rock band from Alberta has quite a stigma attached to their music. While they consistently found success on the radio, many of their songs seem to be disliked, including the very meme-worthy “Photograph.” But perhaps the most hated of them all is “Rockstar.” Perhaps not so coincidentally, both appear on the same studio album - 2005’s “All the Right Reasons.” Despite being a successful single, “Rockstar” has never really been liked. It has been called a terrible song by the likes of The Guardian and Buzzfeed, and it was even named the worst single of the year in a Popjustice poll. Maybe it’s a little too “dad rock” for most.

Pitbull feat. Kesha
Is there anything more 2013 than Pitbull and Kesha? “Timber” was an enormous commercial success, and per Billboard, it was one of the “Hot 100 songs” of the 2010s. But just because it was popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any good. It may have been a club banger, but the incessant harmonica really tends to grate on the ol’ ears. Plus, it just feels like both Pitbull and Kesha are more talented than this. That’s saying nothing of the lyrics, which give off a rather dirty and skeezy vibe, or the involvement of controversial producer Dr. Luke. Let’s all “yell timber” and get rid of this song for good.

Cher Lloyd
We mean, you know what you’re getting into with a title like “Swagger Jagger.” This was the first single from Cher Lloyd, who found success on the seventh season of “The X Factor.” It was…not a good debut, to say the least. Parts of the song’s melody blatantly ripped off “Oh My Darling, Clementine,” so we’re already annoyed about that. Then it bombards us with some obnoxious vocals and a piercing digital beat that sounds like a thousand vuvuzelas at a soccer game. There’s also the fact that the lyrics come across as very egotistical and self-centered. Lloyd may have swagger, but she failed to make a good record in this instance.

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#17: “The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)” (2002)

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Las Ketchup
While not an enormous hit in the United States, “The Ketchup Song” swept Europe and many other countries throughout 2002. Listeners have compared the song to “Macarena,” as they share many stylistic traits. It has a similar propulsive dancing beat, it’s also in Spanish, and it’s meant for nothing more than to get people up and moving. “The Ketchup Song” was tailor-made for success, dance routine and all. But sadly, once the initial impact wears off, there’s not much to enjoy. In fact, you’re left with an unpleasant aftertaste, metaphorically speaking. That chorus is very repetitive and tends to get incredibly annoying after a while.

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#16: “Party in the U.S.A.” (2009)

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Miley Cyrus
Initially meant for Jessie J, “Party in the U.S.A.” marked a pivotal time for Miley Cyrus. With this tune, the superstar proved that she was here to stay, which is fitting since it references a literal move from Nashville to Hollywood. Now, the song is certainly catchy enough, which helps to explain how well it performed back in 2009. But it also reeks of manufactured pop. The backing track is filled with annoying whizzes and “whoop whoop” style sounds, and there’s no variety in the music whatsoever. In other words, it’s a very cheesy number that’s entirely carried by Cyrus’ strong vocals.

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#15: “#Selfie” (2014)

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The Chainsmokers
Even the title “#Selfie” makes us gag. The musical duo wanted to capitalize on the titular photo craze of the early 2010s, so we got this grating tune. From a marketing standpoint, the idea was apparently to make a “Harlem Shake”-esque smash. And boy did it work. But at least the “Harlem Shake” was fun. This was just irksome. The repetitive beat is insanely irritating, but the worst part is easily the shallow and harmful lyrics. Lines like, “I only got ten likes in the last five minutes/Do you think I should take it down?” speak for themselves. Can they take the whole song down while they’re at it?

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#14: “The Hampsterdance Song” (2000)

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Hampton the Hampster
This one really brings back memories. A glorious time capsule back to the early internet, “The Hampsterdance Song” makes for great nostalgia but a horrible listening experience. The Hampster Dance meme came to be in 1998, courtesy of a student named Deidre LaCarte. “The Hampsterdance Song” was released two years later, presumably to play off its success. But looking back, that was a mistake. The squeaky hamster voice makes our ears hurt, and it even features a very unwanted rap portion. It’s just a cute meme, so we obviously weren’t expecting Beethoven. But even so, this was a low point for the internet – and music!

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#13: “Stars Are Blind” (2006)

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Paris Hilton
Many listeners were going into “Stars Are Blind” wanting to hate it. After all, Paris Hilton was the embodiment of privilege in the early-to-mid-2000s. So the idea of her manufacturing a pop career seemed like nothing more than an attempt to attain more popularity, and it was too much for some. “Stars Are Blind” didn’t do her any favors, either. Granted, the tune is nowhere near as bad as it could’ve been. But her breathy vocals are quite mediocre, leading some to criticize her lack of talent in that department. It’s also a pretty one-dimensional track. All in all, it can be quite maddening.

Crazy Frog
Here’s a fun fact: the person who made Crazy Frog, Erik Wernquist, originally called it The Annoying Thing. When the creator is calling it annoying, you know you’re in for a wild ride. The CG creation became known for its remix of “Axel F,” the famous instrumental from “Beverly Hills Cop.” The source material is the only good part of the song - all the original bits from Crazy Frog are nauseating. The gibberish singing is infuriating, and takes away from an otherwise solid melody. Let’s not even talk about the part where he imitates a revving motorcycle. It gives us a headache. It’s a quaint novelty song, but even the best novelty songs are bothersome.

Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell Williams
“Blurred Lines” isn’t necessarily hated for its music. Rather, a lot of people take umbrage with the song’s lyrical content. Critics and regular listeners alike noticed that the number encourages a type of problematic behavior where consent is overlooked. The speaker in the track is not a particularly likable man, and lines like “I know you want it” have been deemed creepy and uncomfortable. You could maybe even see them as borderline malicious. Even the music video has been criticized as “sexist”, with the unrated version in particular generating controversy. It’s pretty hard to see past all that. It’s an unnecessarily nasty song that many want nothing to do with.

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#10: “My Humps” (2005)

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Black Eyed Peas
This band was on top of the world around 2005, but that doesn’t mean everything they were releasing was worth positive attention. “My Humps” is arguably the worst song of their career, both in terms of musical and lyrical content. It’s both boring and redundant, and contains a really awful vocal melody. Plus, we can only hear “my hump” so many times before it turns to gibberish in our ears. The song’s lyrics were also widely criticized, with many arguing that the shameless sexual content objectifies women. “My Humps” has appeared on numerous “worst songs ever” style lists, and for good reason.

Soulja Boy Tell 'em
This song was a bit of a phenomenon in 2007. It enjoyed seven weeks atop the Hot 100, and the iconic dance was replicated across the world. If it wasn’t for that routine, “Crank That” would’ve probably faded into obscurity. The vocals are annoyingly loud and obnoxious, and whoever decided on a steelpan loop should never work in the music industry again. It doesn’t make for a pleasant sound, and hearing it every couple of seconds makes us want to turn the song off real quick. Though he didn’t stop making music, Soulja Boy disappeared from the mainstream scene as quickly as he came, leaving us this song to remember him by.

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#8: “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017)

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Taylor Swift
We got dark Taylor Swift for the “Reputation” era, and it was…polarizing. The album’s lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” was a drastic departure from her past style, and it tended to divide critics and listeners. The “tough girl” lyrics are a little cringe and try-hard, like Swift is trying to be villainous rather than just being villainous. And the admittedly brilliant pre-chorus is undermined by a very disappointing hook that simply repeats the title of the song over and over again. The number had no trouble dominating the charts and getting people talking. But from a musical standpoint, it felt like a disappointing comeback after the pop culture sensation that was “1989.”

Rednex
We have to commend Rednex’s bravery. Who else would mix techno with bluegrass and expect it to work? But does it work? If you ask the charts, then yes, it succeeded wonderfully. Ironically, this remix of the classic American tune song became a phenomenon throughout Europe. But in terms of enjoyment, no, it did not work. The song is all over the place. Violins and banjos clash with a modern club beat, and the constant chanting gets irritating after a while. Plus, the way the singing swaps between male and female vocals feels disjointed. It’s a lot to digest, and it just sounds messy and unpleasant.

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#6: “You're Beautiful” (2004)

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James Blunt
A OnePoll survey once named this the “most irritating song,” which tells you everything you need to know. It’s not a horrible track in theory, but it’s let down through execution. Well, that and the constant radio airplay. Even James Blunt himself has admitted that it was overplayed, telling Hello! magazine that “it became annoying.” He’s not wrong. The lyrics are a little too saccharine for many, and the nasally vocals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. There’s also no denying the cheesiness of the music video, with the singer dramatically undressing in the rain and then jumping into the ocean. It’s all very hard to genuinely enjoy.

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#5: “I'm a Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song)” (2006)

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Gummibär
The aughts were a very strange time for the internet. They were fun, yes, but strange. “The Hampsterdance Song” must have really done a number on us, because we were suddenly bombarded with annoying virtual creatures performing painfully irksome songs. About one year after “Axel F” came “I’m a Gummy Bear,” by the hilariously-named Gummibär. It’s arguably the worst of the 2000s novelty songs, and that’s saying something. The high-pitched and autotuned vocals couldn’t be more bothersome, and it’s just all-around aggravating. If anything, the song proves the scary power of internet memes. If they can turn this into a popular song, then they can really do anything.

Willow Smith
The best thing we can say about this song is that then-nine-year-old Willow Smith had a heck of a voice. Many critics compared it to Rihanna’s body of work, and that’s no small compliment. It’s a shame that her vocals were overshadowed by one of the worst choruses of the decade. It consists of nothing but the line “I whip my hair back and forth”, which is endlessly repeated over and over again with an unsavory screech. It makes the song seem ten times longer than it actually is, and it completely ruins what could have otherwise been a pleasant listening experience. We’re just a little unclear: does she whip her hair back and forth or not?

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#3: “It's Everyday Bro” (2017)

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Jake Paul feat. Team 10
Jake Paul is one of the most notorious figures on the internet, and not always for positive reasons. But does the song deserve all the hate it receives? If you ask us, yes. It’s a diss track aimed at various internet celebrities, but Paul isn’t a rapper. In fact, his rapping is horrible. And then there are the lyrics. The Team 10 members shamelessly boast about their riches and fame, and it’s not something that people want to hear. Plus, you know you’re getting a lyrical masterpiece with lines like “England is my city.” Sure, the video racked up views – but it was also widely hated. Why don’t they brag about that next time?

Rebecca Black
Poor Rebecca Black was really brought through the wringer after “Friday” was released. The song was immediately criticized by pretty much everyone and became a national laughingstock. Every aspect of the tune was viciously picked apart, from Black’s auto-tuned vocals to the gloriously meme-worthy lyrics like “Tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes afterwards.” The song spread through social media like wildfire and was even the most disliked video on YouTube for a while. Black herself certainly didn’t deserve the vitriol that was spewed her way, but there’s no denying that it really is a dreadful song. At least it serves as a great throwback to 2011?

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#1: “Baby” (2010)

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Justin Bieber feat. Ludacris
Justin Bieber has really come a long way since “Baby.” Released in 2010, it immediately made him a musical pariah. The song was widely reviled, and though Bieber’s fame grew, he personally attracted hatred the likes of which was rather staggering. Despite its chart success, the song remained the most disliked video in YouTube’s history for years. Aside from a temporary knockdown by “Friday,” “Baby” held onto that not-so-desirable spot until the infamous 2018 “YouTube Rewind.” Bieber’s hair, the painfully redundant chorus, and even the romantic lyrics crooned by the teenaged singer came together in a mishmash of true musical depravity. Thankfully, Bieber has long moved on from “Baby,” growing up and maturing musically to become an incredibly beloved and respected artist.