Top 10 Worst Songs By Bands We Love

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.

Say it ain't so! During the mid-‘90s especially, Weezer could do little wrong. When they went with this as the first single for their fifth album, Make Believe, however, fans were forced to face the reality that their favourite alt rockers had gone and sold out. Sure “Beverly Hills” topped the mainstream rock chart, but that’s exactly what it was, and what the band had become; ‘mainstream’. The dreaded label for any ‘alternative’ act, Weezer treaded down an even stranger path in 2009 with “Can’t Stop Partying” which featured Lil Wayne. Luckily they have redeemed themselves since.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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 aby-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.

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.

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.

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

“St. Anger” (2003)
Metallica

“Golden Lights” (1987)
The Smiths

“Dancing in the Street” (1985)
David Bowie and Mick Jagger

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.

Do you agree with our list? Which song do you think sucked most? For more top 10s that won’t disappoint, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.