Top 10 Good Songs by Terrible Bands

Matchbox Twenty rose to prominence in the late 1990s with radio-friendly pop rock hits, and while they were certainly popular, they received a lot of flak for their safe sound. While “3 A.M.” isn't exactly experimental, it's definitely a step up from their usual soft fare. The music has an interesting combination of acoustic and hard rock, and Rob Thomas' vocals are filled with emotion and sung with his signature twangy voice. The lyrics speak to everyone's inner fear and feelings of loneliness, which helps make this a powerful and memorable tune.

Spin Doctors are known for being one hit wonders, and there's a very good reason for that: this song. Although their career continued, nothing else ever quite caught on like “Two Princes”. Point in case: did you know that they actually made music as recently as 2013? “Two Princes” is justifiably popular, the guitar riff throughout instantly catches your attention and the bass and tight snare keep a hold of it. It's generally considered to be a 90s classic, and is still played on rock stations everywhere. Nothing gets your nostalgia on like this bad boy.

Nugent is known not only for his intensely conservative and backlashing political views but also for this one basic hard rock song he's been playing into the ground since 1977. Nugent was a bit of a name in the mid 1970s, thanks to “Cat Scratch Fever” and its signature guitar riff and chorus that you can't help but sing along to. The song has been covered to death and has appeared in many forms of media, not to mention that it's still being played on classic rock radio. It's a true classic, even if Nugent himself is otherwise very forgettable.

To say that Smash Mouth doesn't get much respect would be a bit of an understatement. The band is basically known for their song “All Star”, which was unavoidable in 1999 (and for years afterwards). They're not great artists by any means, but “Walkin' on the Sun” is a fine tune. Released two years before “All Star”, this song blended ska and psychedelic pop into a fun, bouncy blend that made for an original and unique listening experience. It's nowhere near as safe and bland as “All Star”, and it's much better for it.

This Australian duo were known in the late 90s for their omnipresent radio hits, most notably “I Knew I Loved You” and “Truly Madly Deeply”, both of which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Truly Madly Deeply” saw chart success all over the world, thanks in no small part to its soft, soothing music and Darren Hayes' beautiful vocals. Sure, they're a little whiny sounding, but what pop song in the 90s wasn't? The song embodies the time period and is instantly recognizable to 90s kids everywhere.

“Fly” is notable for not sounding like anything Sugar Ray had done before, or since for that matter. Known as a nu metal band before “Fly” shot them into the stratosphere, and it didn't sound like anything on the radio at the time, thanks to its unique reggae fusion sound. Guest vocalist Super Cat helps elevate the song and give it a fresh voice, and Rodney Sheppard's guitar riff is both distinctive and amusing. “Fly” saw enormous success, and started Sugar Ray on their path to both radio-friendly hits, fame, and D-list celebrity.

The Black Eyed Peas might as well ask themselves that question, as they can't seem to find love anywhere these days, except maybe teenagers at a high school dance. Regardless, the band is infamous for their typically asinine lyrics and bland production, but buried deep amongst all that lays Where Is the Love?, a surprisingly good and tender track. The beat is fun, the rapping is solid, and the message is clear and well-intentioned. Do you see what happens when you actually put some effort into your music, Peas?

There's no denying that Limp Bizkit is a less than stellar band. The music is faux-badass, the lyrics are typically nonsense, and Fred Durst is one of the most widely hated men in the music industry. With that said, Rollin' is actually a pretty cool song. Sure, the lyrics are dumb and meaningless, but they're sung in such an energetic way that we can't help ourselves from singing along, despite our best interests. It may not be essential nu metal listening, but it's a fun song, and that's all that matters. It'll be stuck in your head all day, trust us.

Nickelback is without a doubt one of the most hated bands in music today, with most pointing a finger at their overexposure and Chad Kroeger's ramen noodle hair. With that said, How You Remind Me is their signature song for a reason. It was the most played track on American radio throughout the entire 2000s, proving that, yes, some people actually enjoy Nickelback. The band takes on a more grunge sound for this tune, and it undoubtedly helps. Even the most adamant Nickelback haters have to admit that this song isn't terrible. Overplayed, yes, but not terrible.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“The Reason” (2004)
Hoobastank

“S Club Party” (1999)
S Club 7

“I'm Too Sexy” (1991)
Right Said Fred

“All 4 Love” (1991)
Color Me Badd

“Lips of an Angel” (2006)
Hinder

When the band consists of teenage brothers, you know you're probably not in for a particularly complex or thematically-rich time. MMMBop provides the exact opposite with an extremely light song that provides nothing but unadulterated fun. It may reek of '90s cheese, but what glorious cheese it is. The song is made even better knowing that the Hanson brothers actually wrote it themselves, which is a rarity in the pop industry, especially among kids. Surely they knew their success wasn't going to last, but MMMBop provided a wave of popularity that they certainly rode for a long time.

Do you agree with our list? What song from an otherwise terrible band do you think is good? For more listenable top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.