# The worst song in the world -- scientifically
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 18, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435 "2009-02-18T19:47:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/1 "2009-02-18T19:47:37Z")
Scientifically designed to displease everyone. How long can you stand it?
[http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/02/the\_scientifically\_engineered.php](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/02/the_scientifically_engineered.php)
---
### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/2 "2009-02-18T20:12:36Z")
Isn’t that part of one of the Fallout games soundtracks?
---
### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/3 "2009-02-18T20:13:44Z")
That’s not bad. That’s just stupid. I have no idea who “scientifically designed it”, but it’s simply parts of other, decent tunes stuck together randomly. I hear vastly worse songs all the time. This doesn’t even rate on the scales O’ badness although I wouldn’t rule out smacking whomever wasted their time on this.
---
### Author:  [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/4 "2009-02-18T20:14:40Z")
Ohhhhkaaaay…
I had thought you were talking about songs that contain bad science - like Carly Simon’s “Diamonds and Rust”, with the lyric about an old romance “a couple of light-years ago”. Drive me nuts every time I hear it. Kinda like the “Kessel run in under 12 parsecs”.
---
### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/5 "2009-02-18T20:19:30Z")
And at 8 minutes I gave up. It didn’t so much drive me away but that it’s so worthless as a song that I can’t imagine why anyone would bother listening to it. Seriously, all they did was chop a few other songs and slap them together.
---
### Author:  [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/6 "2009-02-18T20:24:03Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#):
>
> Ohhhhkaaaay…
>
> I had thought you were talking about songs that contain bad science - like Carly Simon’s “Diamonds and Rust”, with the lyric about an old romance “a couple of light-years ago”. Drive me nuts every time I hear it. Kinda like the “Kessel run in under 12 parsecs”.
At least this kinda makes sense, in that maybe they found a shorter route other ships were unable to navigate for some reason or another.
---
### Author:  [@Lungfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lungfish)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/7 "2009-02-18T20:32:19Z")
I listened to all of the 21:59 minute length of it. Some of it was catchy and some of it was beautiful. I in particular like the last 90 seconds of it. While I can understand why some bits would not be to some people liking, in no circumstances can this composition can be accurately be described as the “worst song in the world”.
---
### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/8 "2009-02-18T21:35:11Z")
This thread reminds me of the two Russian artists who surveyed 1001 Americans for their art preferences, and based on the answers painted a supposed [potentially favorite painting](http://americanhistory.si.edu/paint/Images/Large_Images/116.jpg). Many declared it to be blandly awful. Well, at least it was based on some sort of “scientific” process.
---
### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/9 "2009-02-18T21:39:55Z")
I’ve heard way worse.
---
### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/10 "2009-02-18T21:45:18Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> This thread reminds me of the two Russian artists who surveyed 1001 Americans for their art preferences, and based on the answers painted a supposed [potentially favorite painting](http://americanhistory.si.edu/paint/Images/Large_Images/116.jpg). Many declared it to be blandly awful. Well, at least it was based on some sort of “scientific” process.
The same people were behind both projects. The “Most Unwanted” song project was based on an Internet survey. There was an accompanying “Most Wanted” song (a schlocky smooth rock/R&M love song), designed to appeal to the largest group of people.
The point of all this was more a commentary on commercialized art and the creative process than a genuine attempt to produce the “best” painting or song.
---
### Author:  [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/11 "2009-02-18T21:49:03Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> This thread reminds me of the two Russian artists who surveyed 1001 Americans for their art preferences, and based on the answers painted a supposed [potentially favorite painting](http://americanhistory.si.edu/paint/Images/Large_Images/116.jpg). Many declared it to be blandly awful. Well, at least it was based on some sort of “scientific” process.
That’s hilarious. Is that George Washington standing there?
---
### Author:  [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/12 "2009-02-18T23:05:37Z")
I thought it was the [Blue Boy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Boy), but you might be right.
---
### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/13 "2009-02-18T23:41:56Z")
[Didn’t we do this before](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=482157)? Discussion starts at post 60, with links following.
---
### Author:  [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/14 "2009-02-18T23:47:54Z")
::shrug:: Kind of fun actually.
The operatic rapping around the 1:45-2:00 mark caught me off guard and gave me, probably, the biggest smile I’ve had today.
This tried so hard that it ended up being kinda good in it’s own right.
Oh, there she she goes again at the 6:00 mark! When I hear her rapping I picture it being sung by a hen in a Parappa the Rapper game.
9:00 in, I’m going to enjoy every bit of this. Wait. I think the Kingston Trio is about to come on…
---
### Author:  [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/15 "2009-02-18T23:54:49Z")
Hey Everybody! It Labor Day!
Schools are closed…Pools are open…
something, something something
Do a lot of shopping at WalMart!
“Worst song in the world” - Great song, or greatest song?
Halloween, halloween…
---
### Author:  [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/16 "2009-02-19T00:03:12Z")
Then it finishes the last minute or so off with an ode to another classic epic, Pink Floyd’s The Wall (specifically “Outside the Wall”), with the spoken word accompanied by the choir and accordion.
Brilliant!
---
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/17 "2009-02-19T00:12:53Z")
They obviously never heard [Florence Foster Jenkins](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h4f77T-LoM).
(I dare you to listen to the whole thing.)
---
### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/18 "2009-02-19T00:26:19Z")
It’s funny! 😃
I want an MP3 of this; it would be the perfect thing to have on hand when they open the pool across the street from my house this summer!
---
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/19 "2009-02-19T01:23:28Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> This thread reminds me of the two Russian artists who surveyed 1001 Americans for their art preferences, and based on the answers painted a supposed [potentially favorite painting](http://americanhistory.si.edu/paint/Images/Large_Images/116.jpg). Many declared it to be blandly awful. Well, at least it was based on some sort of “scientific” process.
It is slightly better than a Thomas Kinkade painting.
---
### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435/20 "2009-02-19T01:25:35Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#):
>
> It’s funny! 😃
>
> I want an MP3 of this; it would be the perfect thing to have on hand when they open the pool across the street from my house this summer!
We had a previous thread where I mentioned this song, and it turns out it is available on iTunes.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-song-in-the-world-scientifically/486435.md?page=2)