# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/101 "2010-07-15T15:15:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > 70s: _Disco Duck_ (Rick Dees) > 80s: _Once Bitten, Twice Shy_ (Great White) > 90s: Tie between _What If God Was One of Us_ (Joan Osborne) and _Bitch_ (Meredith Brooks) > 00s: \*Rollin’ \*(Limp Bizkit) > > And the absolute worst song of the last half-century is: _My Heart Will Go On_. No question, really. I’m swapping Once Bitten, Twice Shy for _Unskinny Bop_. That was definitely worse (and I liked hair metal!) I’m also nominating Nickelback as the Worst Band of the Last 50 Years. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/102 "2010-07-15T18:06:13Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Never trust a big butt and a smile. That was “Poison” which was so poisonous that I forgot about it. I don’t know if that’s worse than “Do Me” or not. > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1970’s - Rhinestone Cowboy - Glenn Campbell Can we not give Glen the “Wichita Lineman” exemption? Because that song is still awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/103 "2010-07-15T19:48:05Z")
> [@BlueOhio](#): > > 2000’s: first song I thought of was “Hey Ya” by Outkast. I swear I heard that every 15 minutes for 6 months. WHAT?!?! Admittedly, it got seriously overplayed, but “Hey Ya!” is a _great_ song. I shall give this important research question the consideration it deserves before I return with my own picks. ---
**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 15, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/104 "2010-07-15T19:49:27Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > WHAT?!?! Admittedly, it got seriously overplayed, but “Hey Ya!” is a _great_ song. Agreed. It’s not deep and philosophical, but it’s a great party/dance song. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/105 "2010-07-15T20:04:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Agreed. It’s not deep and philosophical, but it’s a great party/dance song. I don’t think it’s deep or philosophical, but it’s not even just a dance song. It’s about the difficulties of remaining monogamous and maintaining a relationship. It has an actual point even _beside_ all of the requests for people to dance. It’s also a very innovative and musically unique song. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/106 "2010-07-16T03:29:18Z")
The 60’s Yummy Yummy Yummy I’ve Got love in My Tummy actually made it to #4 on the singles chart. For the 70’s I nominate “Funny Face” by Donna Fargo. Or maybe “Convoy”. 80’s “I Made it through the Rain” by Barry Manilow vies with the “Whip It Up” song by Devo. 90’s “She’s Lump” ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/107 "2010-07-16T04:05:49Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > The 60’s Yummy Yummy Yummy I’ve Got love in My Tummy actually made it to #4 on the singles chart. Please don’t destroy my childhood. You might as well have nominated “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” or “Beep Beep”…or even “My Green Tambourine”. You cannot fuck with K-Tel compilations! ---
**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 16, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/108 "2010-07-16T04:09:31Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > Or maybe “Convoy”. Blasphemy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/109 "2010-07-16T07:05:36Z")
> [@Minnie\_Luna](#): > > Mambo No. 5 for the 90’s. It was released in 1999. > > I hate that song with a passion of a thousand suns. But that one is a cover, shouldn’t we limit this to originals? ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/110 "2010-07-16T07:37:33Z")
We need to make this a poll and vote. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/111 "2010-07-16T10:52:15Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > 80’s “I Made it through the Rain” by Barry Manilow vies with the “Whip It Up” song by Devo. But “Whip It” is that way on purpose. I don’t think that counts. > [@Nava](#): > > But [Mambo Number 5 from 1999] is a cover, shouldn’t we limit this to originals? That’s interesting, I didn’t know it was a cover. I looked it up and listened to the Perez Prado version from 1949; it is instrumental, and the melody that Lou Bega used for his lyrics isn’t there. The only similarity is the mambo beat and the chord progression, and I’ll bet there are lots of mambos from that era that sound similar. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/112 "2010-07-16T13:48:29Z")
Should MECO 's body of work get an honorable mention for the 70’s? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/113 "2010-07-16T13:56:08Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I don’t think it’s deep or philosophical, but it’s not even just a dance song. It’s about the difficulties of remaining monogamous and maintaining a relationship. It has an actual point even _beside_ all of the requests for people to dance. > > It’s also a very innovative and musically unique song. On some level, you have to respect the _cojones_ of artists who not only put lyrics like this on their records, but perform them with a straight face: _Hey ya! Oh ohh, don’t want to meet yo’ mama ohh oh Hey ya! Just want to make you cumma ohh oh_ Big Boi, I salute you. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/114 "2010-07-16T16:01:16Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > But that one is a cover, shouldn’t we limit this to originals? “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” listed above is also a cover (originally composed and performed by Ian Hunter. Fun song.) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/115 "2010-07-16T16:10:47Z")
I don’t think it should matter if something is a cover, since a cover can be way better (or way worse) than the original. For example, the original Guns N’ Roses version of _Sweet Child O’ Mine_ is a great song (even though the band originally thought it was just filler for the album), and among my all-time top 25. By contrast, after hearing Sheryl Crow’s version, I wanted to break her fingers and stab her in the throat. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/116 "2010-07-16T16:39:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > On some level, you have to respect the _cojones_ of artists who not only put lyrics like this on their records, but perform them with a straight face: > > _Hey ya! > Oh ohh, don’t want to meet yo’ mama ohh oh > Hey ya! > Just want to make you cumma ohh oh_ > > Big Boi, I salute you. Andre 3000, dude. Big Boi is the other guy in Outkast. (“I Like the Way You Move” is the song he released at the same time that Andre released “Hey Ya!”) ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/117 "2010-07-16T16:43:39Z")
While “My Humps” is a worthy contender, for the 2000s, I nominate “Milkshake” by Kelis. She has all the vocal range and talent of the automated woman who says “We’re sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and dial again.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pGL2rytTraA/maxresdefault.jpg "Kelis - Milkshake (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGL2rytTraA) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/118 "2010-07-16T16:50:47Z")
Milkshake has a pretty cool backing track, though. > [@](#): > > Andre 3000, dude. Whoops. You are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/119 "2010-07-16T16:57:53Z")
Okay, my picks. This involved ~research. (And by “~research”, I mean “I googled a little to make sure I wasn’t repressing anything horrible. Also, I was born in 1978 so I kind of missed out on the first two decades in question.”) 60s - I’m gonna have to go with with “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini”. An abomination unto my ears. 70s - “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).” (P.S. Did you guys know that the Star Wars Cantina song topped the charts in 1977? It’s true.) 80s - Someone else already nominated “Ebony and Ivory”. So close. The actual answer is “That Girl is Mine”. Horrendous. 90s - **JohnT** already hit the nail on the head with “Believe”. I fucking hate that song. Either that or “My Heart Will Go On”. I don’t know. Oh god, they’re both so awful. Maybe one day Celine Dion will cover “Believe” and we will reach the pinnacle of horribleness. 10s - Definitely “My Humps”. Abominable in every way. “My lovely lady lumps”? UGH. The least poetic way of describing the female form EVER. Also, my 7th grade EFL students once asked me what this song meant. Traumatic. “Milkshake” is vastly superior. Kelis may not be a great singer, but it’s a fun song. ---
**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 16, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560/120 "2010-07-16T17:12:16Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > 90s - **JohnT** already hit the nail on the head with “Believe”. I fucking hate that song. Either that or “My Heart Will Go On”. I don’t know. Oh god, they’re both so awful. Maybe one day Celine Dion will cover “Believe” and we will reach the pinnacle of horribleness. Is “Believe” the one with the steampunky black and white zeppelin video? If so, I quite like that song. Actually, I kind of like “My Heart Will Go On” too, but I find it’s safer not to admit it. 🙂 > [@](#): > > 10s - Definitely “My Humps”. Abominable in every way. “My lovely lady lumps”? UGH. The least poetic way of describing the female form EVER. Also, my 7th grade EFL students once asked me what this song meant. Traumatic. That song is appallingly bad. But…I actually like the Alanis Morrissette version enough that I have it in my iTunes. Ditto Richard Cheese’s version of “Baby Got Back.” Amazing what you can do to a horrible song if you re-record it as a slow ballad or a lounge-lizard song. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-bad-song-of-the-decade/546560.md?page=7)