Of all the songs you’ve listened to, which would you say are the worst? So, we have entered the 2024 but the legacy of worst songs just lives on. We’ve rounded up a selection of 12 songs that, despite becoming quite popular when they were released, have been mauled by critics and the general public alike. Have a listen to these 12 songs that are thought to be among the worst ever recorded if your ears can stand them. Do check out why Baby By Justin Bieber is the most disliked song on YouTube.
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‘Achy Breaky Heart’ by Billy Ray Cyrus (1992)
‘Achy Breaky Heart’ remains Billy Ray Cyrus’ biggest single in the US, even though it’s been voted one of the worst songs ever on several occasions.
2. ‘Fast Food Song’ by The Fast Food Rockers
This song has been voted one of the worst thanks to its repetitiveness and the fact that it seems to promote excessive eating of fast food.
3. ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber’s breakthrough single has been criticised by many for its repetitive and banal lyrics; the song’s video is currently the most disliked video on YouTube, with 6.9 million dislikes (more than twice as many as the second most disliked video, which is the Call of Duty: Infinity Warfare Reveal trailer, which has 3.3 million dislikes).
4. ‘My Humps’ by the Black Eyed Peas
This song by the Black Eyed Peas has been negatively reviewed by critics and fans alike thanks to its overtly sexual lyrics and its general repetitiveness. Despite not being appreciated by some, the song was a huge hit for the group.
5. Friday’ by Rebecca Black (2011)
‘Friday’ was independently released by Ark Music Factory and quickly went viral on YouTube, with many labelling it the worst song ever. Its cheap video, banal lyrics, instrumentation and the autotuning of Black’s voice didn’t do the song any favours. Needless to say, it would go on to gain hundreds of millions of views.
6. ‘Chinese Food’ by Alison Gold
Another Ark Music Factory release, ‘Chinese Food’ attracted a lot of criticism because of its supposedly racist lyrics and video. The song has been ridiculed for its subject matter and for its banality.
7. ‘Stupid Hoe’ by Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj’s ‘Stupid Hoe’ was ripped apart by critics because of its repetitive and confrontational lyrics, its unbearable and aggressive beat and for just being annoying to listen to.
8. ‘Swagger Jagger’ by Cher Lloyd
What rhymes with swagger? Jagger! This song by The X Factor series 7 finalist Cher Lloyd reached number one in the UK, though it got a mauling by the critics, with many labelling it annoying and tearing its lyrics to shreds.
9. ‘Ice Ice Baby’ by Vanilla Ice (2005)
‘Ice Ice Baby’ has been voted one of the worst songs ever recorded, even though it was the first hip-hop song to top the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s lyrics and annoyingly repetitive chorus have been extensively criticised.
10. ‘You’re Beautiful’ by James Blunt (2005)
A huge hit on both sides of the pond, ‘You’re Beautiful’ was a huge seller, though it became so overplayed that people came to find it annoying and even James Blunt himself went on to say he was sick of it and hated.
11. ‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua (1997)
Though some think ‘Barbie Girl’ is a timeless classic and should be a staple of discos everywhere, others think it’s one of the worst pieces of music ever recorded and that its video doesn’t make it any better.
12. ‘Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)’ by The Cheeky Girls (2002)
Despite selling over a million copies, this annoyingly catchy song by Popstars: The Rivals contestants The Cheeky Girls has been voted the worst pop song ever in a 2004 poll by Channel 4.
