# What beloved classic rock/pop song do you hate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602 "2013-05-29T02:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Hookit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71e660/32.png) [@Hookit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hookit)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/141 "2013-05-30T05:39:36Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Next, there are a lot of songs played regularly on most “classic rock” radio stations that immediately make me turn off the radio or change stations- but NOT because they’re bad songs! Rather, there are many I loved the first trillion times I heard them, but which I just don’t ever care to hear again (“Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Layla,” “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be”, for instance). Actually, all the songs you’ve listed would definitely be classed as being bad. One of the best things of Hey Jude being so overexposed is that it’s finally being regarded for being the truly awful pop song it always was. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/142 "2013-05-30T05:48:08Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And “Jessie’s Girl” is a transvestite. Really. (Seth & Amy) Really? (/Seth & Amy) Could you explain that one to us, 'cause it’s not, as far as I can tell. Is this one of those misheard lyrics things? “Freebird” is dead to me, as is most Skynyrd. Death by overexposure. I’m a fan of Led Zep, but NEVER liked “Black Dog”. It’s my second-least-favorite song, surpassed only by “Nails on the Chalkboard”, as composed by my middle-school classmate Jimmy Sullivan during our 6th-period study class. I hate the vocals, the lyrics, the guitar. Just wish they could un-write that song. “Stairway to Heaven” nearly died from overexposure, but I took a ~10-year vacation from it and can now enjoy it again, thankfully. “Sympathy for the Devil” either gets the channel changed, or the radio turned off entirely. I hear nothing but the background singers. Similar problem with “American Pie”, except it’s the organ, and it annoys the hell out of me. I hate EVERY Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers song, but that’s kind of general for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/143 "2013-05-30T05:51:13Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > I will always hate “I Will Always Love You”. I hated Whitney’s version for a long time. In my defense, I was 14 when she released it. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/144 "2013-05-30T05:53:25Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > “I Can’t Fight This Feeling”, REO Speedwagon. After using the lyrics to write a love letter to my 1st crush, it was YEARS before I could stomach listening to it on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/145 "2013-05-30T05:59:24Z")
I think I like or at least tolerate almost all the songs mentioned so far. Free Bird is a definite skip for me, especially the solo at the end. I love Layla, both the main song and the “outro” or whatever you call it. Am I the only one who actually likes both? I absolutely loathe with the passion of a 1000 burning suns the acoustic version though. Not a huge fan of Steve Miller and I’ll probably turn the radio if I hear Space Cowboy or whatever the fuck his songs are, but I don’t hate them. Nirvana isn’t my favorite either but don’t hate. The Beatles are almost all good but Hey Jude is one of their weaker songs. Not sure why the hell it’s as popular as it is. I absolutely love crappy soft-rock music, so I’m a huge fan of The Eagles, Journey, and all of their ilk. OH FUCK How could I forget “We Built This City”??? Ok that one, above all others, needs to die in a fire. How have we made it this far without mentioning it? Is there ANYONE who will rise to the defense of “We Built This City”? How did it even become a classic rock song in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/146 "2013-05-30T06:03:03Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I hate EVERY Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers song, but that’s kind of general for this thread. Amen. When asked “Who’s Michael McDonald?” answer “The guy who ruined the Doobie Brothers.” The thought that “Black Water” and “Takin’ It to the Streets” are from the same band is like a kick to the brain crotch. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/147 "2013-05-30T06:12:43Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > How could I forget “We Built This City”??? Ok that one, above all others, needs to die in a fire. > > How have we made it this far without mentioning it? > > Is there ANYONE who will rise to the defense of “We Built This City”? How did it even become a classic rock song in the first place? I guess I would never think of that song as either classic or beloved. Seems like it belongs on a list of crappy songs that everyone agrees are crappy. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/148 "2013-05-30T06:22:13Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > Amen. When asked “Who’s Michael McDonald?” answer “The guy who ruined the Doobie Brothers.” The thought that “Black Water” and “Takin’ It to the Streets” are from the same band is like a kick to the brain crotch. “Brain-crotch” is now a part of my vocabulary. Thank you. In gratitude, I shall refuse to name you as the source of this phrase to the many people I will inflict it upon in the future. And yeah, i think we need to classify “We Built this City” as a given to make threads like this work. My newly-remembered hated song is, “Break my Stride” by Matthew Wilder, which was a hit, so it qualifies. Sadly. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/149 "2013-05-30T06:34:43Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > I guess I would never think of that song as either classic or beloved. Seems like it belongs on a list of crappy songs that everyone agrees are crappy. It’s one of my favorites! 😛 I’d categorize it as “guilty pleasure”. ---
**Author:** ![Hookit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71e660/32.png) [@Hookit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hookit)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/150 "2013-05-30T06:37:19Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > But to throw in a new one, KC & the Sunshine Band’s _Celebration_. Everyone seems to love this song for parties, but to me, the “We gonna celebrate your party for you” line just reeks of arrogant “cooler-than-thou” party-crashers telling other people what to do. There is a big difference between celebrating “your party **with** you” as opposed to celebrating “your party **for** you.” ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/151 "2013-05-30T09:23:59Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > I like most of the songs mentioned in this thread. Quite a bit. (Not **Imagine** , of course). A friend likes to parody _Imagine_ by singing in a Lennon accent: “Imagine no possessions… except my Bentley… and my million-pound flat in Kensington…and… and…”. Reminds me of the last scene in _The Jerk_: (paraphrasing) “I don’t need much… I’m happy without my things… All I need is this lamp… well, and this VCR…and… and…” ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/152 "2013-05-30T09:57:12Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > It’s one of my favorites! 😛 I’d categorize it as “guilty pleasure”. You can’t be serious. That song is horrendous. Even as a guilty pleasure, I just can’t imagine anyone liking it. It’s almost hilariously bad… like a bad joke that just keeps going on and on. You kind of want to laugh at it but you also don’t want to give it any credit for what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/153 "2013-05-30T11:03:26Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > You can’t be serious. That song is horrendous. Even as a guilty pleasure, I just can’t imagine anyone liking it. It’s almost hilariously bad… like a bad joke that just keeps going on and on. You kind of want to laugh at it but you also don’t want to give it any credit for what it is. [It _insists_ upon itself.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533622) ---
**Author:** ![split\_p\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@split\_p\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/split_p_j)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/154 "2013-05-30T11:43:01Z")
I was only 14 when We Built This City came out, but I remember it being a very popular song that got tons of airplay. It’s a guilty pleasure for me too. Starship is going to be playing a free concert at a riverside park in my city in July. No Grace Slick of course. But Mickey Thomas, the actual vocalist on the song, will be there. I’ll be there too, should be a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/155 "2013-05-30T12:45:46Z")
> [@split\_p\_j](#): > > I was only 14 when We Built This City came out, but I remember it being a very popular song that got tons of airplay. It’s a guilty pleasure for me too. > > Starship is going to be playing a free concert at a riverside park in my city in July. No Grace Slick of course. But Mickey Thomas, the actual vocalist on the song, will be there. > > I’ll be there too, should be a lot of fun. I don’t mind it either, because I’ve heard it probably less than 50 times in my life. Unlike all the other songs here that I know note for note in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/156 "2013-05-30T12:46:43Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > “Brain-crotch” is now a part of my vocabulary. Thank you. In gratitude, I shall refuse to name you as the source of this phrase to the many people I will inflict it upon in the future. > > And yeah, i think we need to classify “We Built this City” as a given to make threads like this work. > > My newly-remembered hated song is, “Break my Stride” by Matthew Wilder, which was a hit, so it qualifies. Sadly. I hereby license to you royalty-free and in perpetuity the phrase “brain-crotch.” Use it wisely. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/157 "2013-05-30T12:51:30Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Honestly, the vast majority of the music on “classic rock” stations (especially '70s rock): muddy, plodding boogie/hard rock/blooze/Southern rock is my least favorite type of music (well, and the corporate rock of Journey/Styx/Foreigner/Boston that gets played on the same stations). I’m just glad I came of age when punk and new wave were breaking - I can’t imagine a sadder high school life than one where Lynyrd Skynyrd or Eric Clapton was the soundtrack. Heh, I’m only a few years ahead of you and I had to cope with the likes of Motley Crue, Dokken, Warrant and the like. So if you had Skynyrd and Clapton you might want to thank your lucky stars! ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/158 "2013-05-30T13:45:04Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I _imagine_ that if McCartney was there, he would have told Lennon it was shit and to write something else. It sounds like middle-school poetry. Unfortunately, Ringo was there, and wow, the original lyrics. Ah what could have been – https://www.youtube.com/embed/nQr8WzY5zUk?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/159 "2013-05-30T14:14:21Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > Shhh. It’s ok. Let it out. Did Kip Winger touch the “bathroom area”? > > Now we know why you’re furious Mr. Marmot. No, nothing like that. But, years ago he keyed my car. Not really. But from now on, I blame him or John Lennon. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602/160 "2013-05-30T14:25:19Z")
The reason you can’t remember the tune to We Built This City (other than the inane 1-line-repeated-over-and-over-again-chorus) is that it really doesn’t have a tune. The “verses” in the song are like a really bad American Idol audition. Wow, so I mention “We Built This City” a couple people say that it’s an automatically hated song not worth mentioning, and then at least 3 people show up saying they like it, love it, looking forward to hearing it again live soon? Wow… just wow ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beloved-classic-rock-pop-song-do-you-hate/659602.md?page=9)