Earworms: The Most Annoying Songs Ever Created

The worst songs are not written. They are created from a vast pit of mediocrity, rising out of their fellow filth to bore into your head and not leave for days, and even weeks.

In this thread, we will discuss the worst written songs of all time. If you have a nomination, please PM me; we don't want to start flame wars on songs we aren't even discussing.



First Up: My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion

From the Titanic soundtrack, it was written by James Horner (music) and Will Jennings (lyrics) and recorded by Celine Dion. It went to number one in several countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. "My Heart Will Go On" won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Song. It dominated the Grammy Awards of 1999, winning Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.

Why it is so annoying?

It was chronically overplayed, and extremely sappy to begin with. A thousand teenage girls have cried to this song in agony, and a thousand music lovers have cried at the thought of it.

Just to get it stuck in your head:

Every night in my dreams
I see you. I feel you.
That is how I know you go on.

 

Yep. this is an annoying song. like you said at the time all the teenage girls wouldn't shut up about it. The only time I actually like listening to the song is when it's a renditition of it on saxophone.

 

I once had the pleasure of hearing a recorder orchestra play it very badly (for humourous results).

 

Good choice as a starter song boogie.

 

Annoying for two reasons, 1: played far too much. The airwaves were saturated by it for months. 2: It was associated with Titanic (annoying for much of the same reasons as above)

If it was just a Celine Dion song I wouldn't have too many problems with it. It's not my cup of tea but hey....

 

Overexposure is the general problem, with the poor lyrics (as pointed out by Boogie) and that sound she makes, between a snort and a neigh as the specific ones.

 

What he said. It was associated with Titanic, which was sort of like a mad marketing blitz all its own. If this song is just released as a single without anything to do with Titanic, it's probably still a hit, but it's just a sappy love song and we move on.

 

There was a show on VH1 about the worst songs of all time, and I remember that this song was one of them. They then went on to say that it was like the most popular funeral song of all time. That fact alone makes it bad.

 

Shrugs.

I like the purely orchestral version well enough, without shrieky old Celine mucking it up.

I once heard a spoof of this on the radio:

"I'm alllll skin and bones.."

 

I actually kind of liked that song REALLY unusual for me.

Not to mention I cried at the end of Titanic too

 

It's not really that bad of a song (compared to the usual stuff in this genre). But I think the main reason it became so disgusting (yeah... ) is that it was played too much. And the Titanic association, too.

But there are very few love songs (or "romantic-sounding" songs) that can be played over and over and you will never get sick of them. At least not as much as cringing every time you hear the song, even after several years... "Yesterday" is one of those songs.

 

I hate that song just because it's trite, anachronistic and an accompaniment to a movie that should have been great, but was cast and written wrong.

 

Hey, so did I, but that doesn't mean I like the song.

Mar - I could name tens of romantic songs off the top of my head that do not get annoying after repeated listenings:

Yesterday
Michelle
My Funny Valentine
Caledonia
I Want You Back
My Baby Just Cares For Me
Criminal
Lilac Wine


I could go on. I think the problem with this is the audience it was aimed at, and the fact that it was part of the marketing plan for a film.

 

I think it's one of Horner's most beautiful melodies.

The problem is the 'instrument' shrieking that melody.

I love the orchestral versions of it.

 

Next Up: I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston

Also from a film (The Bodyguard), I was surprised to learn that this is actually a cover of a Dolly Parton tune. Amazing. Anyway, this spent fourteen weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It went on to sell over four million copies in the U.S. and another six million worldwide, making it the third best-selling single in the world, the second best selling single in the modern era (after Elton John's Candle in the Wind 1997), the biggest selling commercial single of all time, the biggest selling single by a female artist, and the biggest selling non-charity single.

Why it is so annoying?

*ahem*

And IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII - e - IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
will ALLLLWAYs Loooove YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

It has a nasty habit of being sung by people who are grossly uninformed about the quality of their own singing capabilities. "No, really, I can sing - listen to my version of 'I Will Always Love You'!"

It's pretty iconic for a power ballad, but a power ballad it still is, and an earworm it most certainly is.


Just to get it stuck in your head:

No offense to the girl featured, but she does seem to fit the above description: here

 

It's like any belt-song. It can be done beautifully, but is never done that way. It's the bane of every karaoke bar in the world.

 

Parton's version is heartbreaking; a rare moment of understatement for her, she underplays every line.

I have to say, I love the song! Yes, I know: the vowel movement is a little ridiculous, but when they hit it in Moulin Rouge, I just felt like I was flying.

And, yes, I always sing along with the soundtrack. And, yes, I suck. What's it to you?

 

A prolonged glory note, a glory note being a show-off element by the singer unconnected to the song.

 

Leela: Don't worry, Fry. Things look bad but I still have a trump card; the most beautiful love song ever written. And Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii will always love yoooooooooooouuuuuuuu,
[The Omicronians cover their ears.]
Will always love yoooooooooooooooooooou!

Nd-Nd: The humans are attacking!

Yeah, i've hated this song since the first time I heard it, and every subsequent time.

 

That's what makes Parton's version so much better. Parton is one of those people that just seems always happy and excited all hours of the day, but for this song, she tones it down considerably and shows some range. Even her little country warble does not hurt it. But Whitney just seems intent on breaking glass.

 

Whitney is a diva. The songs serve them, they don't serve the songs.

I think Parton actually wrote it, didn't she?

 

I love the original version of "I Will Always Love You," but the Whitney Houston cover was just horrible in my opinion.

 

I would vote for Houston's version of this song as the most annoying vocal recorded ever.