First thing it reminded me of was the intro to Nickelodeon’s old show, You Can’t Do that On Television. Then I saw his guest was Alex Jones, and realized I was dealing with substantially less adult subject matter.
I agree the question is too broad. I’m going to throw out one I found recently that’s just really odd. I think someone here might have linked it and that’s how I found it. I was probably pretty drunk, you kind of have to be to appreciate it fully.
Of course there are a million unlistenable songs by a million little-known groups, but I assume you mean one that was widely played.
One of Bill Cosby’s TV series, before the one about the Huxtables, had a theme song that I thought was stupid, “Hicky Burr.” While googling it to get the name right just now, I was amazed to learn that it was co-written by Quincy Jones, and was nominated for a Grammy. It still sounds stupid to me, which I guess shows that I have no taste.
If you want the oddest piece of music heard by millions of people, I’ll nominate Revolution 9, from The Beatles’ white album. The album sold 9.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, so at least that many people listened to the song. Most of them only once, but still…
The most unclassifiable and startling thing I think I’ve heard on the radio turned out to be a cover of Sympathy For the Devil by a Ukrainian klezmer band.
My standard response to odd music questions, free jazz saxaphonist Peter Brotzman’s “Machine Gun”. Sounds closer to malfunctioning machinery than music.
I’m really struggling with this topic, there’s so much to chose from.
This stuff is great! I’m having a blast with this.
I am impressed that you know The Locust! Aye, both are grindcore at their heart, just different branches from the same tree.
Rockette Morton Part 1 and 2 are among my favorite tape loop compositions, right up there with Steve Reich’s Come Out.
Excellent album; I’m still not sure what my favorite version is after 30 years. I do think their Let It Be is a better album, just because it has more variety.
Both of you, btw, have excellent taste in music IMO.
I loved that theme song as a kid. My mother thought I was nuts. And it wasn’t til fairly recently I learned who sung it: Bill Cosby.
I’m so glad! They are not for everyone, but I think they’re brilliant.
Having the Eastman School of Music locally means that we get performances by students, faculty, and alumni that may not be heard anywhere else ever. That also means I can’t link to online recordings (or remember any names).
Over the last year or two, I’d say that the two oddest I attended included a church organ presentation of atonal music and an experimental classical percussion foursome that namechecked Meshuggahas an inspiration (strictly for an obscure factor of their favored beat: no similarity in sound implied to them or anything with a melody).
My favorite piece from Russian surrealist project Bardoseneticcube is Illness of Green Color, but I cannot find a link. *Sand Mantras*is a good alternative.
The Residents are the ultimate choice for odd. Here is the entire Diskomo/Goosebump from 1980. The first half is Eskimo disco music. The second half is a collection of nursery rhyme songs played on instruments purchased from Toys R Us.