# Iconic bad song of the decade **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560 "2010-07-13T17:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/21 "2010-07-13T19:19:29Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > What does this mean? I mean that where once you had a forgettable bubblegum song, now you have a forgettable bubblegum song by a band whose name is retroactively as offensive as “Dead Kennedys”. Which amuses me. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/22 "2010-07-13T19:35:17Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > 1990s - “Hands” by Jewel. Sample lyric: “These hands, they are my own. They are not yours, they are my own.” Really, Jewel? That’s not the lyric. It’s “My hands are small, I know, but they’re not yours, they are my own.” The song is talking about her efforts to affect change and bring about justice, and hands are a metaphor for how little work a person can do on their own, but though that amount is “small” it’s her fullest effort, and it shouldn’t be derided, you do what you can do, she’ll do what she can do. It might be a little overly earnest, but it’s not as trite as you’ve made it out to be. My votes: 80s: _We Built This City_ by Starship. Trite lyric, bubblegum sound, destruction of what was once a great band, with space in the song for local commercialization. 90s: _Do Me_ by Bell Biv DeVoe. Disgusting, hypersexualized lyrics with a healthy dose of sexism, suggestions of sexual violence and some hinkiness about underaged girls. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/23 "2010-07-13T19:38:01Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > My votes: > 80s: _We Built This City_ by Starship. Oh. Yes. I thought I had a winner with _The Final Countdown_ but will now withdraw it in shame. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/24 "2010-07-13T19:44:24Z")
At my work, my otherwise sensible coworkers have agreed that the radio station should be the one that plays both ‘Tik Tok’ and ‘California Gurls’ [sic] at least once every hour. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/25 "2010-07-13T19:47:33Z")
These songs actually make me cringe like nails on a chalkboard: 60s: **Up, Up, and Away** _-The 5th Dimension_ 70s: **Afternoon Delight** _-Starland Vocal Band_ 80s: **We Are The World** _-Various_ 90s: **MmmBop** _-Hanson_ 00s: **Your Body is a Wonderland** _-John Mayer_ Music for people with no taste in music. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/26 "2010-07-13T19:47:58Z")
> [@cdsilv](#): > > So bad it’s been forgotten, but was all the rage at the time - ‘Macarena’. (90’s) That has been temporarily immortalized as the human female dance emote in World of Warcraft. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/27 "2010-07-13T19:57:15Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > 90s: _Do Me_ by Bell Biv DeVoe. Disgusting, hypersexualized lyrics with a healthy dose of sexism, suggestions of sexual violence and some hinkiness about underaged girls. Never trust a big butt and a smile. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/28 "2010-07-13T20:02:01Z")
Ah, I forgot. You people are Americans. The worst song of the 1980’s is without a doubt “Brother Louie” by Modern Talking. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/29 "2010-07-13T20:14:08Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Oh. Yes. I thought I had a winner with _The Final Countdown_ but will now withdraw it in shame. _The Final Countdown_ has a couple of things going for it: it’s enjoyably horrible, which a lot of these other songs are not, and it experienced a renaissance after being featured on many episodes of _Arrested Development_. So at least the song might make you think of the show. We can’t seriously discuss bad songs of the '90s or early 2000s without mentioning Smash Mouth. All of their singles were execrable in my opinion but _All Star_ was the worst. You really couldn’t avoid that song for a while, and it was thoroughly lame in its generic attempts to be uplifting. Gah. For the 2000s I think we have to consider _Hollaback Girl_. As far as I’m concerned this song has the stupidest lyrics ever written, and yes, I’ve heard _Horse with No Name_. The thread title says ‘bad’ and ‘iconic’ and I think this is both. Five years later, nobody is really sure what the title means. I do know that 35-year-old women shouldn’t do songs where they brag about being the coolest kid in high school. Move on already - you’re a famous musician. Nevermind that you got famous with sort of a feminist persona and pretending to be a cool cheerleader or whatever undercuts that just a little bit. But if that’s too good - and it does at least have a really good beat to it - let’s look at Natasha Bedingfield for _Unwritten_. (I wish it had been!) I didn’t know the name of the artist or the song until just now, but it’s the one with this fuck-how-did-you-even-think-this-needed-saying chorus: “Feel the rain on your skin/No one else can feel it for you…” Other people can’t feel rain for me? Shit, I wish you’d told me before I blew all my money on a staff of rain feelers. Their credentials were very impressive. Turns out I don’t know a fucking thing about the weather. Thank god for Natasha Bedingfield’s expertise in meteorology and the galvanic response. I’ve learned a lot today. I also learned that this song sound exactly like a freaking shampoo commercial, and I think it plays every time I am in the supermarket. That’s normally the mark of a bad song right there. Speaking of which, Taylor Swift does a song about Romeo and Juliet but doesn’t appear to know how the play ends. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/30 "2010-07-13T20:20:48Z")
After more consideration, I’d like to replace my 1980’s nomination with _Sister Christian_ by Night Ranger. It’s terrible and knows it but still takes itself seriously. It also is iconic with its plodding metal-ballad sound that makes it unmistakably 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/31 "2010-07-13T20:24:25Z")
The vast majority of the songs listed here are ones I like to hear on occasion. Does that make me a bad person? Even “Seasons in the Sun.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/32 "2010-07-13T20:44:41Z")
Some more nominees: 1960s - [Tell Laura I Love Her](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuGiZaaUaj8) - Ray Patterson 1970s - [Feelings](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBcHUe4WeQ) -Morris Albert (Really the 70s were the worst. I could easily come up with another 20 songs that will make you go “Ewwww!”) 1980s - [Morning Train](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huNejF17gzg) -Sheena Easton 1990s - [Achy Breaky Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQIPdHMpjc) - Billy Ray Cyrus 2000s - [Bad Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH476CxJxfg) - Daniel Powter ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/33 "2010-07-13T21:08:04Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > My votes: > 80s: _We Built This City_ by Starship. Trite lyric, bubblegum sound, destruction of what was once a great band, with space in the song for local commercialization. Yes, that’s the first song I came to think of, and when I come to think of this \*horribly \*piece of crap and can think no longer and I have no other propositions from this or any other decade. Damn, I think I’m going to get sick. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/34 "2010-07-13T21:24:33Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > The vast majority of the songs listed here are ones I like to hear on occasion. Does that make me a bad person? Even “Seasons in the Sun.” The “original version” of seasons in the sun (“Le Moribond” by Jaques Brel) is pretty damn good. More bitter and sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/35 "2010-07-13T21:29:05Z")
I’d vote for “I’ve Never Been to Me” for the worst song of the 80s. For the 70s, probably “Havin’ My Baby” by Mac Davis. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/36 "2010-07-13T21:59:18Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > 2000s - [Bad Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH476CxJxfg) - Daniel Powter It might help to imagine he’s singing about a bidet instead of a bad day. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/37 "2010-07-13T22:05:05Z")
You guys are positively blessed if (in my opinion of course) amazing pop songs like Believe, Single Ladies and We Are The World the worst big hits you heard in their respective decades. For the 2000s I nominate ‘How You Remind Me’ by Nickelback or ‘Welcome To My Life’ by Simple Plan. ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus is also horrific but she gets a pass because ‘See You Again’ was brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/38 "2010-07-13T22:21:28Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > That’s not the lyric. It’s “My hands are small, I know, but they’re not yours, they are my own.” The song is talking about her efforts to affect change and bring about justice, and hands are a metaphor for how little work a person can do on their own, but though that amount is “small” it’s her fullest effort, and it shouldn’t be derided, you do what you can do, she’ll do what she can do. It might be a little overly earnest, but it’s not as trite as you’ve made it out to be. I reviewed the [lyrics](http://www.mp3lyrics.org/j/jewel/hands-v2/) and you’re right. That’s what she says. However, I still think the lyrics are amateurish, awkward, mawkish, and fairly trite. Added to that, they are sung in her thin, reedy, grating little girl voice and I still think it’s an epically bad song. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/39 "2010-07-13T22:24:15Z")
For me; **60s** Honey Bobby Goldsboro **70s** Tie between Mull of Kyntyre Wings & Rivers of Babylon by Boney M **80s** Ebony & Ivory Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney **90s** Achy Breaky Heart Billy Ray Cyrus **00s** Crazy Frog by Axel F ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/40 "2010-07-13T22:30:00Z")
If you can call it a “song”, Vanilla Ice’s _Ice Ice Baby_ has to be a nominee for the 90s, complete with [del]plagiarism[/del]sampling of Queen’s _Under Pressure_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560.md?page=3)