Hope Davis
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We love music, we really do, but not all songs are amazing, in fact, some are outright terrible. Famous artists aren’t immune, as some of the worst songs in history come from professionals who are well-known for being masters of their craft. We guess you can’t always be on your A-game.
Take a seat and get comfortable as we talk about some of the worst songs ever made. From The Chainsmokers to The Beatles, no artist is immune from releasing terrible music at some point during their career.
20 Worst Songs Ever Made
1. “Let Me Take a Selfie” – The Chainsmokers
Great on the dance floor, terrible in the ear. “Let Me Take a Selfie” by The Chainsmokers is one of the worst songs ever made purely because it decided to take an irritating Valley Girl snippet as the intro to the beat drop. At first, it might sound cool, but it gets annoying really quickly.
2. “I’m On A Boat” – The Lonely Island
Yes, The Lonely Island is a parody group, and “I’m On a Boat” is meant to be funny. Something about the ample cursing, autotune, and strange lyrics makes it something you’ll want to turn off as soon as it starts, even though it was written with humor in mind.
3. “What Does the Fox Say” – Ylvis
Who could forget the phenomenon that was “What Does the Fox Say”? This song might be an earworm, but there’s no denying that the beat-dropping song about the strange call from the fox is both inaccurate and terrible. We especially hate the weird dinging noises they use for the fox call, and these alone make it one of the worst songs ever made.
4. “Friday” – Rebecca Black
“Friday” will forever live in infamy as one of the worst songs in history, offering up a celebratory hymn for the weekend that would cause most people to head back to the office. Not only is the tune irritating, but the lyrics are, unfortunately, literal. We guess that’s what you get when you make a song written by a spoiled thirteen-year-old go wide.
Related: 21 Most Viral Moments in Music
5. “We Built This City” – Starship
Some people have referred to Starship’s “We Built This City” as a glittering pile of trash, and they aren’t too far off. The tune is meant to be anti-corporate in nature and yet seems to be straight out of the pop music factory.
6. “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” – Rupert Holmes
Have you ever had the desire to cheat on your spouse, put out an ad in the newspaper, and then realized she was your love after she responded to the ad? That’s the story you’ll get amongst a basic tune in “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” and we are sorry, but that’s the worst premise for a song, maybe ever.
7. “You’re Having My Baby” – Paul Anka
While the writer of the song might have had good intentions, there’s something strange about the lyrics. It’s almost as though he’s congratulating her on becoming pregnant, as if anything otherwise would have shown she didn’t love him. We just can’t believe that some people actually consider this song romantic.
8. “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” – Anonymous
One of the worst songs ever made is the road trip classic “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” Parents everywhere will agree that this hours-long tune is one of the worst things ever invented, passing the time but leading to many family arguments along the way. If you have kids, you have to hope they never discover this song.
9. “How Bizarre” – OMC
The tune of “How Bizarre” is catchy, summery, and one of the most frustrating tunes to listen to. The casually spoken word portions of the song feel lazy, and it feels like there could have been a little more effort put into it.
10. “Rude” – Magic!
Nearly a decade old now, there is no earworm that took over the world quite like “Rude.” It seems sweet – a man asks a father for his daughter’s hand, he says no, and then the turned-down man decides he’s going to marry her regardless. While this song didn’t hold up to the test of time, it really is what the title says it is.
11. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
“Thunder” is one of the worst songs ever made simply because Imagine Dragons is capable of so much more. It takes a basic elevator background and pastes mediocre lyrics on top for a forgettable few minutes on their album.
12. “My Humps” – The Black Eyed Peas
Do we need to say more? Not only is this song by The Black Eyed Peas annoying, but it’s also uncomfortable to listen to Fergie sing and rap about her body in language that doesn’t make the particular part she’s referring to sound remotely attractive.
13. “We Are the World” – U.S.A. For Africa
“We Are the World” is one of the worst songs ever made because it’s a very self-indulgent tune. It manages to put down an entire continent in one simplistic tune, even with wildly talented artists singing various parts of the tune.
14. “Take My Breath Away” – Berlin
While the song isn’t terrible, the repetitive tune can be frustrating to listen to more than once. It almost feels like a song created by a theater kid. We just can’t believe that Top Gun thought this would be the best theme song to pick for their soon-to-be world-famous movie.
15. “PPAP” – Pikotaro
“PPAP” – pen pineapple apple pen – is as bizarre as it is bad. Artist Pikotaro has never been heard of again, taking the world by storm with the random tune and some strange dance moves in his music video before fading off into the background.
16. “The Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats
When this song first came out, no one could figure out what was happening. After much speculation about the terrible tune, lead singer Ivan Doroschuk revealed it was about a ban on new wave dancing – which you wouldn’t get from the tune or music video–making it a flop in our eyes.
17. “Panda” – Desiigner
The only lyric most people can remember in “Panda,” one of the worst songs ever made, is its namesake – panda. The lyrics make no sense, and half of the song is just the singer chanting panda over and over again.
18. “Macarena” – Los Del Rio
Yes, the Macarena is a classic in the group dance world, but that doesn’t make it a good song. The repetitive undertone and lyrics with a slight nod to infidelity aren’t exactly something to commemorate.
19. “Achy Breaky Heart” – Billy Ray Cyrus
We know we are going to get some kickback for this, but yes, “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cryus made the list. Just because it’s famous doesn’t mean it’s good. Honestly, just sing the lyrics once, and you’ll realize how dumb they are when said out loud. Achy, nor breaky, are words that an adult should never say…or sing!
Related: The 15 Easiest Songs to Learn on Guitar
20. “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” – Wang Chang
Eighties music is great, and we normally love it, but “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” missed the mark and is definitely one of the worst songs ever. With the title being practically the only lyrics in the song, listening to this song more than once is pure torture.
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