Top 10 Pop Songs That Didn't Age Well

When you’re a famous pop star and your little brother is unemployed and stuck in a rut, some would consider it bad form to stick the knife in. Lily Allen clearly didn’t feel the same way in 2006. That’s when she released a song that told her beloved sibling and the world that he needed to get a job and get a life. The video, which featured her brother in puppet form, was particularly unflattering. Nowadays, Alfie Allen is best known for his role of Theon Greyjoy on Game of Thrones”’ The Emmy nominated actor has since established himself as a successful actor. In theory, the song may have helped push him in a new direction. But it definitely doesn’t represent where he is now.

If ever a Taylor Swift song was a guilty pleasure it’s this one. The country-rock banger sees Swift unleash her barbed tongue and leave sisterhood at the door. It’s a no-holds-barred takedown of an alleged boyfriend-stealer that’s executed with real venom. While the amount of pettiness is a lot of fun, the slut-shaming is uncomfortable. It’s an unfortunate blast from the past that puts a dent in the singer's feminist credentials. When later asked about the song, Swift said: "I was 18 when I wrote that. That's the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend.” It’s clear that she recognized what elements of the track didn’t age well.

Beyoncé has come a long way since her “Destiny’s Child” days. She’s cultivated a fierce and feminist image. However, her early material doesn’t always fit the brand. Many fans have called out the irony of “Cater 2 U”. Its lyrics about women singing about submissively serving their men seemed like an odd step in Beyoncé’s discography. However, “Nasty Girl” arguably looks more bizarre on her resume. The song urges scantily clad women to “put some clothes on.” Additionally, the lyrics insist that men don't like someone who looks like they’ve been “around the block”. The heavy criticism against women for what they choose to wear makes what could’ve been a fun track into a well, nasty one.

We know that the artists behind this charity Christmas single had good intentions for this memorable song. But almost forty years on, the lyrics feel like a relic of a bygone age. The Band Aid hit aimed to raise funds for a specific crisis in Ethiopia in the 1980s. However, the song generalized the entire continent by only naming Africa. The lyrics suggest that everyone there suffers from a lack of food, intense heat and the inability to read a calendar. Despite the tone deaf nature of the song, it was enough of a hit to get re-recorded in 2004 and 2014. The only silver lining is that this misfire of a tune did raise money for charity.

Back in 2006, P!nk made her feelings plain about the state of female representation in the media. Her song “Stupid Girls” was a critique of women in the spotlight who act dumb to get male attention. But surely there’s an easier way to empower women and girls than by mocking female celebrities? The only thing more problematic than the song itself is the music video. In it, celebs like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Mary-Kate Olsen were viciously mocked. It also trivializes disordered eating, upholds traditionally male pursuits and denigrates anything pink or girly as “stupid.” What better way to smash the patriarchy than by tearing other women down?

There was controversy surrounding “Blurred Lines” almost from the very beginning. While the song may sound like a bop, the lyrics will give you serious pause.The refrain of “you know you want it” speaks for itself. Not only does the song seem to trivialize consent, but it also compares women to animals. The infamous video also gives sleazy-older-man-in-the-club vibes. Additionally, the song feels intrinsically linked to that time Miley Cyrus twerked on Robin Thicke at the VMAs and got the bulk of the criticism. The final nail in the coffin came when the song became a subject of a legal dispute over allegations it violated copyright. No matter how you look at “Blurred Lines”, it’s clear to see it has a bad reputation.

If you’re referencing real life couples in a love song, you might want to do so with caution. When looking back at Alicia Keys ‘Unbreakable’, very few of the celeb relationships she name-drops seem romantic under a modern microscope. The song ironically reads more like a run-down of toxic couples. While Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons might have been great at the time, they’ve since separated and often make headlines for their ongoing legal battles. The controversy around Bill Cosby makes his name drop particularly disturbing. And even at the time, mentioning fighting Ike and Tina seemed odd. Keys just couldn’t seem to catch a break with the celeb couples she picked.

One of Katy Perry’s earliest songs has pretty much faded into obscurity. But we’re willing to bet most people wouldn’t mind it staying in the past. In the opening lyric of the song, a person is encouraged to harm themselves with “a H&M scarf.” The chorus later describes an ex-boyfriend of the singer who is, in Perry’s opinion, “so gay” despite the fact that he “doesn’t even like boys” The singer later stated that it was all supposed to be about someone who is metrosexual. However, it’s hard to see that message come through over all the other problematic elements like the rampant stereotyping and body-shaming.

Any song with the chorus “Do what you want with my body” is already setting itself up to be problematic. But this track is definitely forever tainted by its association with R. Kelly. Back in 2013, the “I Believe I can Fly” singer was deemed an acceptable choice for this collaboration. Over a decade later, he’s been charged as a sex offender with a history of assaulting women. When Kelly’s dark history is combined with the lyrical content, it becomes incredibly hard to listen to. Lady Gaga herself ensured the song was no longer available to stream when media highlighted the numerous allegations against Kelly in 2019.

This former number one hit hasn’t been performed by Elton John for over thirty years. While the star has never specified a reason, we think the answer is pretty obvious upon a second listen. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics tell the story of a Black Man who’s implied to be of Caribbean descent and the female Jamaican sex worker he is fixated on. This unnamed narrator is convinced that he needs to rescue her from her life. As if the male gaze throughout the song wasn’t bad enough, the fact that this downbeat story is set to an upbeat melody is downright jarring. The combination of the offensive content and sexist lyrics made this song age worse than 30 year old milk.