Rock music has been one of the most innovative forms of music in recent times and resulted in a large number of very diverse groups who have been known for the style and technique of their lyrics and music. It has unfortunately also given us a number of songs that are barely scraping the bottom of the barrel of good rock music. These are listed below in no particular order. Again these are my choices of song and it need never and probably will never match anyone else’s and is not meant to offend anyone. If some choices have appeared in other reviews then it just goes to show you how much I dislike the song.
1. Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard
This was the band with the one handed drummer that thankfully didn’t impair his ability to drum. It unfortunately didn’t make up for the lack of talent in their song writing. This was a four men in spandex with perms band and what did they end up writing’(Pour some sugar on me), Ooh, in the name of love’. I’m certain this was supposed to be a love song but sounded more like an ode to kinky sex. Deserves its status as one of the worst.
2. The Final Countdown - Europe
Another’4 men in spandex with perms’; band but this time from Sweden. They pretended to be rockers and it showed in their songs. I know a lot of people out there like this song but I never did and so it belongs in my list.
3. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
I must admit that I have never seen the point of this song or the point of any of their other songs either. The lyrics are dire and the tune isn’t particularly good. This is one song that Rolf Harris did actually improve upon.
4. Everything I do - Bryan Adams
Apologies to those of you who truly liked this song but it is really bad. It’s a not very nice tune and fairly basic https://lyrics. This was from the genius who gave us’Summer of 69’, ’Run To You’ and some other really good songs. Was nice the first time around but was really not so nice after hearing it for the 12, 675 time.
5. Lucy in the sky with diamonds - William Shatner
Yes William Shatner the man who was Captain Kirk and T.J. Hooker. His acting was bad enough and his singing was worse. This wasn’t even one of the Beatles good tunes.
6. Living Next Door To Alice - Smokey
A song essentially about some bloke who lived next door to some woman called Alice and wondered what she was up to. Not a very interesting theme. It was livened up by the rude version where the chorus actually asks the question that we all wanted to know’Who the F.k is Alice?’
7. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You - Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is essentially the male version of Celine Dion. The less said about him the better. Well Michael we can live very happily without you thank you very much.
8. Most songs by Pink Floyd
I’ll be honest I never got into their music and the style of their music just never impressed me. Everyone else used to rave about them so I did listen to an album of theirs and I just didn’t like them so they are hear on the list.
9. Most songs by Napalm Death
They were defined by the term Death Metal. Music with lots of very fast guitars and lots of screeching into the microphone. I’m sure they’re songs had lyrics its just you had no idea of what they actually were. They have a few songs that were under half a minute and are literally some one screaming’huh’ down a microphone.
10. We didn’t start the Fire - Billy Joel
A lot of people liked this one. I didn’t. The bulk of the song is just a list of things that have happened over the last 30 years interspersed with’We didn’t start the Fire’. I think its supposed to be a song about revolution and change but it just didn’t start a fire as far as I was concerned.
11. Love Missile F1-11 - Sigue Sigue Sputnik
These were rockers from Russia I think and were noted for having big hair, high heels and cobwebs either tattooed or painted across their faces. Some people obviously liked them and bought the single as Love Missile did well in the UK charts when it was released. I wasn’t one of these people.
12. Big Balls - ACDC
I like ACDC I think they are a very good band. This was one song of theirs that I just didn’t like. It didn’t really have much of a tune and I think it was supposed to clearly be full of double meaning. I have seen people do this joke better than ACDC and they should stick to doing what they do best which is write good songs.
13. Spirit in the Sky - Dr & the Medics/Norman Greenbaum
Possibly an early example of Christian rock. Essentially talks about what happens to you when you die and how as the singer as done nothing wrong he has a friend in Jesus. Very repetitive song and you get sick of the Spirit in the Sky after a while.
14. Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash
The Clash were a good example of a Punk band and has some songs which I quite like. This song has very little meaning to it and consists purely of the question being asked’Should I stay or should I go’ and I think the answer is clear’You should go now&’;
15. All Right Now - Free
I just never liked this song and never saw the point of it.
16. Baggy Trousers - Madness
Again Madness had some really nice songs such as’It must be love’, ’Our House’ &’House of Fun’. It is possible that if I had listened to those first and then listened to’Baggy Trousers’ I might have liked it but no it happened the other way around and unfortunately this song entered my list of worst songs ever.
17. We Built This City Out of Rock n’ Roll - Starship
It was ok the first couple of times and then you realised that the lyrics were poor and the song boring.
18. I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper – Sarah Brightman
The name says it all.
19. Knockin On Heavens Door – Guns N Roses
I never liked this song. The original by Bob Dylan was ok this one wasn’t.
20. Candle in The Wind(Diana Version) - Elton John
The original written by Bernie Taupin was about the life of Marilyn Monroe and had meaning to it. The Diana version was Elton John’s idea to make a commemorative record. Unfortunately he lacks the songwriting skill of Taupin and what resulted was the worst peace of pap ever written. Although this is not strictly a rock I think it deserves a mention somewhere.
I’m sure there are many many more songs that do deserve mention and if I think of more I might update some of the ones above. It was quite difficult to restrict the criteria to only’Rock’ songs and not include a lot of pop songs but I have tried as best as I could. Anyway whether you like the list or not doesn’t really bother me as its my choice anyway.