The following songs have been named by critics, broadcasters, composers, and listeners as the "worst ever". Examples of sources include
VH1's "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever" and ''
Blender's'' "Run for Your Life! It's the 50 Worst Songs Ever!".
1950s–1960s ; "
Yes, Sir, That's My Baby", Harry Kari and His Six
Saki Sippers (1953) : The mock-Japanese novelty record (a cover of a 1925 hit) was one of many released by
dialect comic Harry Stewart under an alias (most of his others were under the name Yogi Yorgesson). While Stewart's records routinely got bad reviews in the press, a brief but particularly scathing review in
Billboard may have earned the record enough publicity to
chart on the magazine's own charts and prompted radio stations to play it. One radio disc jockey disparaged the record on-air as "the worst record (he had) ever heard" when playing it, and the record's poor quality inspired those in the music industry to record intentionally bad songs in the belief that they could become hits, such as "
There's a New Sound". ; "!aaaH-aH ,yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT",
Napoleon XIV (1966) : The B-side of "
They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!," a
novelty hit for Jerry Samuels as Napoleon XIV, consists solely of the A-side played in reverse. In
Dave Marsh's 1981 book
The Book of Rock Lists, Marsh describes the song as the most obnoxious song to have ever been placed in a
jukebox, noting that it once caused a diner with 40 customers to be evacuated in the time it took to play the record in its entirety. ; "Paralyzed",
Legendary Stardust Cowboy (1968): This record features
T Bone Burnett (a guitarist) on drums and consists of one-chord strums, mostly unintelligible screaming, and an abrupt bugle solo. It was identified in the 1994 book
The New Book of Rock Lists as the worst song ever released by a major label. Rhino Records also included it on ''The World's Worst Records''. ; "
MacArthur Park",
Richard Harris (1968) : In 1992,
Miami Herald journalist
Dave Barry conducted a poll among his readers, who selected the Harris original as the worst track ever recorded, both in terms of "Worst Lyrics" (written, along with melody, by
Jimmy Webb) and "Worst Overall Song". This is despite the fact that it topped the music charts in Europe and Australia, won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists, and would again become a number-one hit during the
disco era in the form of a 1978 cover by
Donna Summer; it would also be spoofed by
Weird Al Yankovic in 1993 as "
Jurassic Park"; and also became a modest hit for
country music singer
Waylon Jennings (accompanied by The Kimberlys) in 1969, was nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the
12th Annual Grammy Awards and was re-recorded for his 1976 album
Are You Ready for the Country (as "MacArthur Park (Revisited)"). ; "
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da",
the Beatles (1968): This
Paul McCartney composition was loathed by bandmates
John Lennon and
George Harrison, and was voted the worst track ever recorded in a listener poll organized by
Mars Inc. It was also ranked No. 48 on
Blender magazine's "50 Worst Songs Ever".
1970s–1980s ; "
Seasons in the Sun",
Terry Jacks (1973): This cover version of a 1961 song by Belgian singer
Jacques Brel ranked number five in a CNN poll of the worst songs of all time in 2006. ; "
(You're) Having My Baby",
Paul Anka (1974): The No. 1 worst song as voted by CNN.com users in 2006, the song was criticized for its perceived patronizing take on pregnancy from the expecting father's point of view. It also ranked number four in a CNN poll of the worst songs of all time in 2006. ; "Dance with Me",
Reginald Bosanquet (1980): A disco song with lyrics narrated in the style of a British newscast by a former
ITN news anchor, it was voted number one in the "Bottom 30" by listeners of British DJ
Kenny Everett in 1980. ; "
The Birdie Song",
the Tweets (1981): A straight rendition of the "
Chicken Dance" by
Werner Thomas, "The Birdie Song" was voted the most annoying track of all time in a 2000 Dotmusic poll.
The Clash guitarist
Mick Jones also named it the worst song ever written (along with "
Billy Don't Be a Hero" by
Paper Lace), as did Simon Burnton in
The Guardian. ; "
Ebony and Ivory",
Paul McCartney featuring
Stevie Wonder (1982): This duet used the materials that constitute the black and white keys on a piano as a metaphor for racial harmony. It ranked number one in a BBC 6 Music poll of the worst duets in history and number 10 in
Blenders poll of worst songs ever, and has been described as "saccharine" for its heavy-handed approach to its subject. ; "
True",
Spandau Ballet (1983): "True" was noted as the worst song ever by
St. Petersburg Times music columnist Sean Daly and
The Guardian journalist
Luke Williams;
Seattle Post-Intelligencer critic Robert Jamieson called it the worst love song of all time. The track also appeared in the
Houston Press "10 Songs We Never, Ever Want to Hear Again, Ever" while the line "I bought a ticket to the world but now I've come back again" was included in
NMEs "50 Worst Pop Lyrics of All Time." ; "
Agadoo",
Black Lace (1984): The song was voted the worst song of all time by a panel of professional music writers and industry experts published in a 2003
Q poll, which deemed it "magnificently dreadful" and reminiscent of "the school
disco you were forced to attend, your middle-aged relatives forming a
conga at a wedding party, a travelling DJ act based in
Wolverhampton, every party
cliche you ever heard." It was banned from being played on BBC Radio 1 for a period because it was not viewed as a "credible" song. ; "
Illegal Alien",
Genesis (1984) :
Blender listed "Illegal Alien" as the 13th worst song of all time in 2006.
Wireds Scott Thill described the song as "misguided ... confusing (and confused)". Steve Spears of the
Tampa Bay Times called the lyrics "ridiculous" and asked if it was "one of the most racist songs of the '80s". For ''
Reader's Digest, Jeremy Helligar included "Illegal Alien" on a list of racist songs and wrote that "the fact that it exists at all proves that undervaluing Mexicans has been an American theme for decades". Shannon Sweet of the San Antonio Current wrote that it "goes full-on racist" and "tackles every Hispanic stereotype that exists", while Ryan Reed of Stereogum'' called it "face-palm filler" and a "borderline-racist border-crossing sing-along". ; "
Sussudio",
Phil Collins (1985): Critic Michael Saunders in the
Sun-Sentinel named "Sussudio" as the worst song of the rock era, describing it as "insipid" and "indefensibly stupid".
Guardian journalist
Tom Service wrote: "'Sussudio' brings me out in a cold sweat... there's no colder or more superficial sound in popular music."
Michael Musto in
The Village Voice listed it as the second worst song ever and said that it "could have been the theme song for the
Third Reich, it was that insidious and evil".
Creative Loafing Charlotte writer Matt Brunson called it the worst song of the 1980s. The track has also been criticized for sounding too similar to
Prince's "
1999"; Mark Caro in the
Chicago Tribune labelled it a "ripoff". ; "
We Built This City",
Starship (1985): This lead single from the band's debut studio album,
Knee Deep in the Hoopla, is often cited as the worst song of all time. It was ranked number one on
Blender magazine's list of the worst songs of all time (with Craig Marks deeming it "a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the '80s") and
Rolling Stones list "The 10 Worst Songs of the 1980s". It has also been called the worst song of all time by
GQ and
The A.V. Club, and named one of the worst songs of all time in a readers' poll in the
New York Post. The group's co-lead singer
Grace Slick has called it "the worst song ever" and "awful". It was also voted the third worst song of the
1980s by readers of
Rolling Stone. It was chosen as the sixth worst love song of all time by
Gigwise, who said "it is destined to grate on you at weddings forever more." In a 2001 poll of more than 50,000
Channel 4 viewers and readers of
The Observer, the song was voted the fourth most-hated
UK number-one single.
Neil Norman of
The Independent argued in 2006, "Only
James Blunt has managed to come up with a song more irritating than Chris de Burgh's 'Lady in Red'. The 1986 mawkfest – according to De Burgh – has reduced many famous people to tears including
Diana, Princess of Wales,
Fergie and
Mel Smith. The less emotionally impressionable, meanwhile, adopt
Oscar Wilde's view on the death of
Little Nell – that it would take a heart of stone to listen to 'Lady in Red' and not laugh." ; "
Don't Worry, Be Happy",
Bobby McFerrin (1988): This song was named by
Village Voice critic
Michael Musto as the worst of all time In its "50 Worst Songs Ever",
Blender said that "it's difficult to think of a song more likely to plunge you into suicidal despondency than this" and lambasted its "appalling" lyrics. and
Dallas Observers list of the ten worst songs by great artists.
MEL Magazine named it the worst summer song, and wrote that "a lot of us have taken immense delight in hating this 1988 smash".
NME named the "Kokomo" music video one of the worst ever. Tom Breihan of
Stereogum wrote that "people
hate 'Kokomo' ... [it] has a reputation as a monument to mediocrity. To this day, it serves as a textbook cautionary tale of a once-beloved group poisoning its own legacy and goodwill by making smarmy '80s
yuppie pablum."
1990s–2000s ; "
Ice Ice Baby",
Vanilla Ice (1990) :
Spinner editors ranked this the second-worst track in history, while
Blender staff placed it fifth. The song is also infamous for its
controversial sampling of "
Under Pressure" by
Queen and
David Bowie, who did not initially receive royalties or songwriting credits. ; "
Achy Breaky Heart",
Billy Ray Cyrus (1992): The song has appeared on multiple "worst songs ever" lists. It was named the worst of all time in
The Independent on Saturday, and was ranked second in
Blenders "50 Worst Songs Ever". and was voted by
Chicago Tribune readers as the worst song of 1992. ; "
Could It Be Magic",
Take That (1992): This cover of the 1971
Barry Manilow track was voted the worst song in history in a 2004 public poll organized by Diesel.
NMEs
Anthony Thornton said of the result, "Thank God that 'Could It Be Magic?' has finally been recognized as the worst song in the world. It is the kind of track that makes you wake up screaming." ; "
What's Up?",
4 Non Blondes (1993) :
Carl Barât of
the Libertines and
Stuart Braithwaite of
Mogwai have both named "What's Up?" the worst song ever.
Dean Ween of
Ween called it "as bad as music gets.... Everything about the song is so awful that if I sat down and tried to write the worst song ever, I couldn't even make it 10 percent of the reality of how awful that song is." Tara Dublin in
The Huffington Post called it "without question, the worst song of the 1990s". ; "
Mr Blobby",
Mr Blobby (1993) : The self-titled Christmas release credited to the ''
Noel's House Party character is regarded by many as the worst single of all time. It has been ranked near the top of various "worst songs" lists compiled by journalists and polls by the BBC, The Guardian'', and
Channel 4. ; "
Cotton Eye Joe",
Rednex (1994): The
Eurodance track was ranked number 1 in
CBS News's "Top 10 Worst Songs From '
Jock Jams'", which deemed it an "unholy hybrid of country-fried fiddle kitsch and relentless
Hi-NRG drum sequencing." Démar Grant of
Toronto Star called it the worst song of the 1990s, describing it as "straight drivel with no chaser."
Fozzy's
Chris Jericho considers it to be his least favorite song (alongside "
Mambo No. 5" by
Lou Bega and "
Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" by
Scatman John); he has claimed that "No one has ever waited for or wanted an EDM-hillbilly country mix or mashup." It was also ranked No. 38 on
Blender magazine's "50 Worst Songs Ever", ; "
Barbie Girl",
Aqua (1997): The
novelty dance track has been included on lists including
Rolling Stones "Worst Songs of the Nineties" (at number one) and in
NMEs unranked list "32 of the Very Worst UK Number One Singles of All Time".
NME named it the
Worst Single of 1998. ; "
Life",
Des'ree (1998): One verse has been voted as having the worst lyrics ever in polls by the BBC, ;"
Thong Song",
Sisqó (2000) : "Thong Song" placed first in a
St. Paul Pioneer Press reader poll to determine the worst song in history. It has also been described as containing "marketable sexism" in
Iowa State Daily. ; "
The Christmas Shoes",
NewSong (2000): The song has appeared on various "worst Christmas song" lists. It was named "The Worst Christmas Song Ever" in 2011 by
Gawker following a survey of commenters. ; "
Who Let the Dogs Out?",
Baha Men (2000): The song ranked atop Spinner's "Top 20 Worst Songs Ever". ; "
Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)",
the Cheeky Girls (2002): The song was voted the no. 1 "worst pop record" by Channel 4 viewers in a poll broadcast in January 2004. ; "
Big Yellow Taxi",
Counting Crows featuring
Vanessa Carlton (2003): A cover of the 1970
Joni Mitchell song, "Big Yellow Taxi" was featured in the film
Two Weeks Notice.
The Village Voice named this cover the worst song of the 2000s.
NME also included it on its list of the worst songs of the 2000s and
Ultimate Classic Rock highlighted the song in its
Terrible Classic Rock Covers series. ''The Village Voice's'' scathing review of the cover is archived and displayed on Mitchell's website. ; "
American Life",
Madonna (2003): Upon release, critics reacted negatively towards this song, with many panning its lyrics and the rap.
Blender magazine placed the song on the ninth spot of their ranking of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". The "banal" song earned Madonna a place in
GQ Indias list of the worst rappers of all time. ; "
You're Beautiful",
James Blunt (2005): "You're Beautiful" was voted by music fans as the most irritating track ever recorded in a OnePoll survey. Spike writer D. Sussman called it "the worst song in the history of mankind", and Gigwise editors placed it first in "The 20 Worst Love Songs of All Time". It also ranked first in Heavy.com's recounting of the worst tracks of the 2000s. In 2014, Blunt issued a public apology for the record's overexposure, which he blamed on the record company's promotion techniques. ; "
My Humps",
the Black Eyed Peas (2005):
Robert Christgau described "My Humps" as "a Black Eyed Peas sex trifle some consider the worst record of all time".
Oakland Tribune music columnist Oliver Wang reported that the track is "considered by most critics as either the worst song of this decade or in all of recorded music history". Writers who have named it as the worst track ever include
Nathan Rabin in
The A.V. Club,
Laura Barton in
The Guardian, Joseph Kugelmass in PopMatters and Shaun Bruce in
The Stranger; Bruce stated that it "may actually represent the nadir of human achievement". and its lyrics were voted the worst in the history of dance music in a Global Gathering survey. ; "
Rockstar",
Nickelback (2006):
The Guardians Peter Robinson called "Rockstar" "the worst thing of all time." It was listed at number 2 in BuzzFeed's list of the thirty worst songs ever written, with
Ryan Broderick opining: "'Rockstar' is the most unequivocally terrible [song] of their catalog. If aliens came to Earth and asked why everyone hates Nickelback so much, this song would be a perfect explanation." A 2008
Popjustice poll voted "Rockstar" as the worst single of the year.
2010s–2020s ; "
Baby",
Justin Bieber featuring
Ludacris (2010): The official music video for "Baby" was the most disliked clip on YouTube until 2018. It was voted the worst song ever in a 2014
Time Out poll. ; "
Miracles",
Insane Clown Posse (2010): CraveOnline deemed this the worst rap song of all time and the most embarrassing rap moment of all time.
The Phoenix deemed it the worst song ever recorded. The lyrics have been called the worst of all time, most notably: "Fucking magnets, how do they work? And I don't wanna talk to a scientist / Y'all motherfuckers lying, and getting me pissed." ; "
Friday",
Rebecca Black (2011): "Friday" has been widely described as the worst song ever recorded, attracting derision for its lyrical content and heavy use of
Auto-Tune. The song became an
Internet meme and the subject of multiple parodies and ridicule. ; "
Swagger Jagger",
Cher Lloyd (2011):
Missing Andy singer Alex Greaves named this the worst track ever. The song appeared in
NME's unranked list "32 of the Very Worst UK Number One Singles of All Time". ; "
Hot Problems",
Double Take (2012): ABC News stated that this was the worst song of 2012 and of all time. ; "
Chinese Food",
Alison Gold (2013): Produced by
Patrice Wilson, also responsible for "Friday", "Chinese Food" has been called the worst song of all time by publications including
The Huffington Post and
Los Angeles Times and the worst song of 2013 by
Time. The song and video have been criticized for using racist
stereotypes of Chinese people. ; "
Literally I Can't",
Play-N-Skillz, featuring
Redfoo,
Lil Jon, and Enertia McFly (2014):
Billboard ranked the song first on in its "The 10 Worst Songs of the 2010s (So Far)" list.
Music Weekly named it the worst song of 2014. Several media outlets considered it misogynistic. ; "
Stimulated",
Tyga (2015):
Ebony called "Stimulated" "the worst song anyone has ever created", citing the track's lyrics being about rapper Tyga engaging in
sex with an underage girl and featuring "the wors[t] lines anyone has ever written." Many publications took issue with the lines "They say she young, I should've waited / She a big girl, dog, when she stimulated" and noted that the track samples the song "
Children" by
Robert Miles. ; "
It's Everyday Bro",
Jake Paul featuring Team 10 (2017):
Uproxx ranked the song first on its "The Worst Songs of 2017" list. "It's Everyday Bro" was also No. 1 on
Consequence Of Sounds "The Absolute Worst Pop Lyrics of 2017" list. The song was criticized for apparently nonsensical lyrics such as "I just dropped some new merch and it's selling like a god church" and "England is my city". It became the fourth-most-disliked YouTube video as well as the second-most-disliked YouTube music video (behind "Baby" by Justin Bieber) of 2017. The song ignited a wave of
diss tracks, most notably
RiceGum and Alissa Violet's "
It's Every Night Sis". ; "
Facts",
Tom MacDonald and
Ben Shapiro (2024):
Exclaim! and
The Mary Sue called "Facts" the worst song ever. Writing for
Exclaim!, Alex Hudson wrote that the song is "a three-minute self-parody that speed-runs through every talking point that
anti-woke dogmatists are weirdly obsessed with", while Rachel Ulatowski of
The Mary Sue considered its lyrics racist and transphobic. For
HotNewHipHop, Alexander Cole wrote that Shapiro's verse was among the worst ever recorded and that he "sounds like an AI version of himself". He likened his delivery to
Epic Rap Battles of History. ==Others==