The most cringeworthy moment in pop music

Cafe Society
61

Agreed. I always assumed it was intentionally ridiculous/pathetic.

Welp, I made it to the ripe old age of 33 without ever seeing ‘‘Dancing in the Street’’ or ‘‘Muskrat Love.’’

I don’t even.

(I can forgive Bowie & Jagger. They are clearly having way too much fun.)

I’ve got an obscure one by Paula Cole: Hush, Hush, Hush. One of the most beautiful, heartbreaking songs I have ever heard in my life (it’s about a man comforting his gay son as he dies of AIDS)…

Long white arms losing their strength and form
Sixty year man on twenty year old skin
Skeleton, your eyes have lost their warmth
Look to your father for some support
Hush, hush, hush
Says your daddy’s touch
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Says the hundredth sheep
Peace, peace, peace
May you go in peace

…is utterly fucking ruined by one of the worst Peter Gabriel interludes I have ever heard. (The horror starts about 2:00 in.)

62

Even before I saw this post, I was going to mention Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Wanna Wait.” The entire song is absolutely horrible, but especially the pre-chorus. “Say a little prayer for I.” Did she flunk first grade English? Then she continues with some unintelligible high-pitched wailing.

63

Yeah, that hand gesture makes me cringe. It’s like the shy kid at school who all of sudden decides to “go wild” and half-way through goes: “But… not too wild… people might make fun of me”.

64

I’ve just checked Biffy’s link and that’s the same move… except these ladies have the necessary coordination skills to make it look good.

65

The name’s Bon… Simon Le Bon.

66

I like a lot of these so far mentioned… :o

…but, the talky bit in “Never been To Me” always gives me full body cringe.
Actually most over earnest talking segments are bad, with the exception of “And though my friends just might ask me…” in The Look Of Love by ABC.

67

Maybe she’s a Horta.

68

See what you did there I.

69

Talky bits in any song – not spoken word songs by themselves, but this is a good, but by far from the only, example.

(Herman’s Hermits “I Understand (Just How You Feel)” at the 2:23 mark. )

70

I’m embarrassed for the Moody Blues every time I hear the poetry parts from Nights in White Satin, or Ride My See-Saw. (Especially See-Saw, sounds like he’s splattering jizz all over the place). Yes, I’m sure they blushed all the way to the bank.

71

Breathe deep.

72

Found it. The horror begins at 2:12

73

The only times I ever recall hearing “Float On” (by The Floaters) was on Casey Kasem’s Top 40, and the canned-radio station that aired it. I wonder if it was a big hit on black radio.

74

The answer is always Geddy Lee attempting to rap.

I’m not kidding.

It starts at 3:13. That’s Geddy with his voice phased down.

75

Here’s a good one that many of you won’t have seen or heard before.

Jemini (that’s how they spelled it) were a boy and girl duo selected to represent Britain in the Eurovision song contest in 2003. It didn’t go well. The girl claimed afterwards that the monitors or earpieces that normally help the singer to keep in tune with the band/backing track didn’t work, so she couldn’t hear properly. Even so, it was very, very embarassing.

It goes on for over three minutes, never gets any better, and was broadcast live to about 200 million viewers.
76

There’s a new Maroon 5 music video themed after pokemon go.

I don’t have to watch it to know it’s awful.

Maroon 5 is awful to begin with.

Adam Levine’s voice is like a pneumatic drill to my ears.

They’re lowest common denominator by default, but this takes the cake surely.

77

I love the whole Days of Future Passed album, except for one cringe-worthy moment: in a spoken part, “**senior citizens **wish they were young.” Senior citizens? Why the sterile bureaucratic euphemism, when any other way fo saying “old people” would be more poetic.

78
79

What, that works.
You big fuckin’ jerks.

80

What the…I can’t…but…why would…just who thought that was a good idea?

I actually cringed. I happened to listen to some old Van Halen songs recently, and I was surprised by the awfulness of Roth’s singing. He was terrible but I don’t think I noticed it much at the time.