# What's the worst song ever that reached #1? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170 "2020-04-06T04:28:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/121 "2020-04-07T15:15:51Z")
[quote=“nearwildheaven, post:7, topic:851170”] “Convoy” by C. W. McCall. [/QUOTE] With all due respect, we had this on number 7, and it was what came to mind when I read the title. I challenge anyone to listen to this entire song. Completely and totally mind numbing. And it led to a major film with real movie stars which makes me wonder how we survived the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/122 "2020-04-07T15:45:04Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > “The morning sun is shining like a red rubber ball.” > > Horrible simile that is in the climax of the chorus, so it’s emphasized and repeated several times. I personally think it’s fine. Though I agree with you on the general principle: if the refrain sucks, then there’s no rescuing the song. Like the refrain with Monday…Sunday…fun day…run day…enough, already! 😉 > [@](#): > > Worse, I think, is that insipid. . . I guess it’s a keyboard. . . that sounds sort of like a calliope. Because that’s what the world needs: more calliope. I think it works for that particular song. And even in the mid-1960s, we were hardly getting overrun by calliope music in pop songs. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/123 "2020-04-07T15:57:14Z")
Maynard Ferguson recorded “MacArthur Park” on his 1970 album **MF Horn #1.** I had a high school friend who adored everything Ferguson put out. This friend was a high-note freak, as many high school trumpet players tend to be. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/124 "2020-04-07T15:57:43Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > With all due respect, we had this on number 7, and it was what came to mind when I read the title. I challenge anyone to listen to this entire song. I had a coworker who was among the youngest of the millennials and sometimes when us older folk would reminisce we’d fire up the YouTubes to show her what we were talking about. We fired up Convoy one day and watching her reaction to the song was hilarious and she simply could not believe that the movie was based on the song and not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/125 "2020-04-07T16:11:38Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > _Crank That (Soulja Boy_. That song drove me up the wall. Ahh, but did you have a middle schooler and all his friends dancing to it? See, we had a kid who was ahead of the curve on “urban music for suburban white kids”. So he heard it first, then taught the Soulja Boy Superman dance to all his friends, then they started doing it in the hallways and got a gym teacher to blast it and had I swear forty kids doing it… [like these guys](https://youtu.be/8UFIYGkROII?t=98), only tinier and caucasianier. Can’t find it now, but this cabin fever has led to absurdly white old people dancing to it _“And Superman, oh…”._ ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/126 "2020-04-07T16:27:17Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Anyone else besides me want to admit to liking **“MacArthur Park”**? I liked the Richard Harris version for the instrumental break. “Red Rubber Ball” as recorded by The Cyrkle was a catchy little pop tune. Lyrical transgressions are only a part of what makes a truly atrocious song. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/127 "2020-04-07T16:33:45Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned #1 in classical music. I submit Pachelbel’s Canon, which is nothing more than a descending major scale. It started charting back in the 70s, and has remained near the top ever since. People actually play it for their weddings. > > I have a CD called “Pachelbel’s Greatest Hit”, singular. It contains various arrangements of that horrid piece. I’ve never played that CD all the way through. This. I was already tired of it by the time I reached 12 years old. Then my next door neighbor, who apparently was new to classical music, played it at his house and seemed _so_ impressed with it. I was like…yawn. He probably thought my reaction was because I was a stupid kid in love with pop music, not the real reason. The song is little but a cliche to me. For a distant runner up I’d nominate “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” but it’s hard to dislike Mozart, even the way overplayed stuff. ETA: Speaking of descending major scales, I never tire of Nutcracker’s Pas de Deux. So romantic and full of longing…and it’s basically just a descending scale. If anyone could turn a scale into a heartbreaking and beautiful piece, it’d be Tchaikovsky… ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/128 "2020-04-07T16:37:46Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I liked the Richard Harris version for the instrumental break. Of course. That’s The Wrecking Crew, with supplemental orchestral accompaniment. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/129 "2020-04-07T16:40:59Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I could maybe forgive Simon a bit. It seems he did write it when he was less financially fluid. From [Songfacts](https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-cyrkle/red-rubber-ball): > [@](#): > > In 1964, Simon & Garfunkel’s released their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which was a flop. Paul Simon relocated to England before returning to the US a year later after finding out that the song “The Sound Of Silence” had been overdubbed with electric instruments and was a now a huge hit. It was in this period when Simon was pursuing a solo career that he met Bruce Woodley, who was a songwriter and member of the Seekers, and the two wrote this song. It was intended for The Seekers, but Woodley’s bandmates turned it down. > > This was The Cyrkle’s first hit. It was recorded when the band was in danger of disbanding over creative differences. Tom Dawes (the band’s bassist) was touring with Simon & Garfunkel, when Simon offered his band this song. When Simon & Garfunkel finished their tour, The Cyrkle recorded it, and their manager, Brian Epstein (who also managed the Beatles), hired them to open for the Beatles’ 1966 summer tour, which had audiences of up to 70,000 people. As for [Woodley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Woodley): > [@](#): > > During 1965, while in London, Woodley met Paul Simon, following the poor performance of Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. and just prior to the success of Simon and Garfunkel.[3] Simon and Woodley co-wrote the million-selling “Red Rubber Ball”[6]—later a Top Five hit for US group The Cyrkle.[3] The Simon and Woodley collaboration also provided “I Wish You Could Be Here”[7] and “Cloudy”.[8] The Seekers later recorded these three songs, and “Cloudy” became an album track on Simon and Garfunkel’s hit 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme—the only Simon and Woodley song to appear on both groups’ album.[3] Simon wasn’t rich or successful when he co-wrote the song. He didn’t push the song on The Cyrkle, he graciously offered it. It was a huge hit and made their career, what there was of it. It was a huge hit because it was an ideal mid-60s catchy pop hit. Their arrangement by producer John Simon was better; The Seekers turned it into folk rock. It’s not Simon’s best song, but I like it better than “Cloudy,” which is a pretty but minor throwaway album track. “I Wish You Could Be Here,” though, is a stone cold masterpiece, one of the prettiest songs of the entire decade and should have made The Cyrkle headliners. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/130 "2020-04-07T16:45:26Z")
I was going to suggest “Silent Running” by Mike + The Mechanics - a weird juxtaposition of lyrics describing some kind of armed rebellion against tyranny set against the most banal, syrupy pop arrangement you can imagine. But it was only #1 on the rock charts (#6 overall). Also styling your band as “Mike + the Mechanics” is pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/131 "2020-04-07T16:45:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No! That’s a great bubblegum pop song! No one shall besmirch “Sugar Sugar” on my watch! > [@pulykamell](#): > > What is wrong with you people?!?!?!! 96 Tears is a garage rock classic I understand, I too have multiple personalities with widely varying tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/132 "2020-04-07T17:01:59Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “Red Rubber Ball” as recorded by The Cyrkle was a catchy little pop tune… I’ll admit to liking it, partly out of nostalgia for my high school years when it was a hit. I don’t think it’s any worse than Simon’s _59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)_. (Of course, you may think that’s too treacly itself.) ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/133 "2020-04-07T17:12:51Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Also a (dis)honorable mention for the Bee Gees’ awful “I’ve Just Gotta Get a Message to You.” If you haven’t ever heard this song, I recommend keeping it that way. Heh. “I Started a Joke” is the nadir of the pre-disco Bee Gees. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/134 "2020-04-07T17:44:06Z")
When did the general consensus come to be that these were bad songs? We Built This City was nominated for a grammy, it received a lot of airplay in 1985 and 1986, and I don’t recall a backlash against the song at that time. I’m sure some people hated it but when did we all agree it was terrible? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/135 "2020-04-07T17:55:20Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > When did the general consensus come to be that these were bad songs? We Built This City was nominated for a grammy, it received a lot of airplay in 1985 and 1986, and I don’t recall a backlash against the song at that time. I’m sure some people hated it but when did we all agree it was terrible? I recall a backlash about it being a sellout to commercial interests, or something like that, but not about the quality of the music. I personally found it uninspired from someone like Grace Slick, but you shouldn’t take much stock in my musical taste. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/136 "2020-04-07T17:56:04Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > When did the general consensus come to be that these were bad songs? We Built This City was nominated for a grammy, it received a lot of airplay in 1985 and 1986, and I don’t recall a backlash against the song at that time. I’m sure some people hated it but when did we all agree it was terrible? All these songs reached #1, so obvious many people like them. But why would you think there is a correlation between popularity and quality? We Built This City was listed by _Rolling Stone_ as one of the worst songs of the 1980s, and GQ as one of the worst songs of all time. I think to some extent its reputation is made worse because of the link to Jefferson Airplane, in the sense of “how the mighty have fallen.” It’s as if Jimi Hendrix had turned into Donny Osmond, or Paul McCartney had turned into Paul McCartney.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/137 "2020-04-07T18:11:45Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > “Silly Love Songs”. Paul McCartney took the record as the composer of 27 number one hits with this vile piece of schmaltz. The fact that the other 26 were awesome makes this offense all the more inexcusable. Indeed. There was no need and no reason for that. It’s hardly as though he was homeless and starving at the time and desperately needed extra money. Possibly he did it as a joke to see whether people would buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/138 "2020-04-07T18:12:15Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > All these songs reached #1, so obvious many people like them. But why would you think there is a correlation between popularity and quality? We Built This City was listed by _Rolling Stone_ as one of the worst songs of the 1980s, and GQ as one of the worst songs of all time. I made no correlation. I noted that I don’t recall a common consensus that the song was terrible the year it was released and I’m wondering when that changed. Was Rolling Stone writing about how terrible it was in 1986 or did they come to that conclusion later? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/139 "2020-04-07T18:20:59Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Are you familiar with the term [assonance](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=assonance)? > > Anyone else besides me want to admit to liking **“MacArthur Park”**? > mmm No, but I’ll cop to maintaining a lifelong devotion to Seventies schmaltz like “You Light Up My Life”, “Sometimes When We Touch”, “Angel Of The Morning”, and yes, even “Afternoon Delight”. I owned the greatest hits albums of the Little River Band, the Carpenters, and Air Supply. I like pineapple on pizza, fruitcake, and the smell of mothballs, too. > [@JohnGalt](#): > > Question: “When did Paul McCartney write Silly Love Songs?” > > Answer: “All his life.” > > Did anyone mention “Tie a Yellow Ribbon?” yet? Post #43. ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170/140 "2020-04-07T18:42:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What is wrong with you people?!?!?!! 96 Tears is a garage rock classic John Lennon supposedly loved 96 Tears. I think it is a stupendous piece of elegant simplicity that always sounds good. On the other hand, my vote for a number one that I never really cared for is I Want to Hold Your Hand by a once-popular British group. Feel free to hate me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-song-ever-that-reached-1/851170.md?page=8)