'We Built This City' ranks as the worst record ever

USA TODAY ^ | Mon, Apr 19, 2004 | Edna Gundersen,

[presidio9]

We Built This City is the single worst single ever constructed, according to Blender's ranking of reeking tunes.

• Kevin Spacey sorry for mugging confusion • Vince Neil sued by former prostitute • Hurdle cleared for James Brown annulment • Frat brothers avoid jail in MTV-taped killing of koi • Worst song... Ever

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The magazine's list of "The 50 Worst Songs Ever," which hits newsstands Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles and April 27 nationwide, distills the lamest popular rock-era records into one sonic landfill.

Starship's 1985 anthem, the runaway No. 1 stinker, "seems to inspire the most virulent feelings of outrage," editor Craig Marks says. "It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the '80s."

Excerpt

[the OlLine Rebel]

Sorry, but I don't think you're correct.

If we can move out of the "rock" era, we mite open our horizons a bit!

The longest song title, done at least by Fred Astaire, started w/something like "How can you forgive me when you know....." and please forgive me, it is too long for me to recall.

In fact, I *think* this song is in "Royal Wedding".

[Vigilantcitizen]

And how many times have we used the word "Dude" in this thread? I can almost see the '75 Camaro with Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet blasting out the windows. :)

Must not grow mullet....must not grow mullet.

She who makes the rules wouldn't allow it anyway.

[the OlLine Rebel]

No, my ever-stalking doggie friend ( ;-) LOL)

it's.....

"The tears I cry, aren't tears of pain; they're only to hide my (sic, golden chain) guilt and shame. I forgive you, and I ask the same of you....."

It IS of course, a sad commentary - but unfortunately most of our songs are!

[the OlLine Rebel]

Correct; cuz you should be wearing short spiked hair, a`la Billy Idol!

(Who the h$%ll ever actually wore a mullet in real life?)

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh yuk! But I was close!

Can't I please spray them down with a high-pressure hose?

[HairOfTheDog]

I like a good mullet!

[Vigilantcitizen]

(Who the h$%ll ever actually wore a mullet in real life?)

[the OlLine Rebel]

Like I said - REAL life....

[AlbertWang]

Van Halen?

The very fact that Van Halen never makes the worst of the worst list has caused me to devalue every music critics opinion.

"Hot for Teacher"? the lyrics sound like they were written by a slow high school freshman. Same for "Beautiful Girl". Van Halen is one of the few groups that will make my turn the dial.

Things improved somewhat with the departure of Diamond Dave. Sam Halen (Van Haggar?) is only marginally better than the much maligned Mr Jacks.

[DameAutour]

Oh man, I like "We Built This City" and "Shiny Happy People"

"We Built This City, We Built This City on Rock and Roll"

[DameAutour]

"Several species of small, furry animals, gathered together in a cave, and grooving with a Pict" Mike Oldsfield, "Tubular Bells" Album

Never heard it, but that sounds like the worst song right there.

[KMG365]

Billy Squire "Stroke" or "Everybody wants you" gets my vote.

To me nothing proves any better how lame the 80's were than the phenomenon of air guitar. I had some buddies that formed an air guitar band. Each one had their own instrument that they played each time. They actually won a talent contest in high school playing air guitar to Night Ranger's "Don't tell me you love me" An awesome solo by the lead guitar..

[grellis]

Rundgren is without any doubt the single most underrated, underappreciated musician that has ever lived. Its not an opinion, its a fact. My friend told me.

[grellis]

IMO its one of the worst songs Pink Floyd (not Mike Oldsfield) ever performed. They were capable of so much better than that.

[freebilly]

My my my my Sharona....

[blackdog]

Todd also raised both of Steven Tyler's wonderful, well balanced childred into their adulthood from the time they were born.

I once heard Guns N Roses refer to an attempt at working with Rundgren in their productions as "Rundgren's chamber of horrors". They of course parted ways.

[Bobby777]

I nomiate:

'Disco Duck' as worst song ever

followed by 'The Pina Colada Song'

'Don't Worry, Be Happy' was tolerable the first 135,000 times I heard it ...

also 'Flashlight' by Parliment Funkadelic ... real bad

'D.O.A.' probably was the worst 'song' ever, but it hardly rates as a song ... that was just in poor, poor taste

I won't even mention Helen Reddy's atrocities by name ...

Culture Club's 'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?' deserves dishonorable mention ..

barf!!!

[Bobby777]

"Who Let The Dogs Out"

relaxing at home at the 2000 New Year's Eve (12/31/99 of course) I flipped channels to find Dick Clark's 'Rockin' New Year's Eve ... the 'hit' song? ... 'Who Let the Dogs Out' ... oh yeah, it was bad ... especially when several of the lead singers got down on all fours and lifted one leg to imitate dogs peeing ... real class act ...

that being said, fans of 'Frasier' may have seen a commercial with Eddie the Dog doing a 'Who Let the Cranes Out? ... that was actually pretty funny ...

[GreatOne]

How any discussion of this topic could omit "MacArhtur Park" eludes me completely.

Forgive my ingnorance, but why is "MacArthur Park" so reviled? I'm familiar with the lyrics, and have a version of The Four Tops singing it. It's not great, but why the worst?

[StoneColdGOP]

LOL... Reminds me of that one episode of "The Simpsons" when they go down to Florida for spring break. Homer ends up at a Kid Rock concert, jumps on stage, and sings... "We Built this City".