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Name a popular song you just can't understand why it's so loved


stepay

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Originally posted by kanker.:

Originally posted by stepay:

[QBNever knew that Wonderful Tonight was such a bad one for so many. ...

 

Candle In The Wind

Wonderful Tonight and Candle In The Wind also make me want to punch myself in the balls. [/QB]
WOW! I guess I can understand not liking those songs, but nothing would make me want to do that to myself. Hurts just thinking about it.

Steve (Stevie Ray)

"Do the chickens have large talons?"

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Ranking right up there with 'wonderful Tonight' must be Chris whatsisname's 'Lady In Red' and Elton's 'Sacrifice': these were the Captain's (cruise ship's) favourite songs so I was forced to do them every single night :mad: ! Just like I feel now about Sambuca (yup, same cruise ship), I can really do without them for the rest of my life.
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All right, lets get serious. "Stairway to Heaven." I have never, nor do I now, nor do I ever wish to have in future "a bustle in my hedgerow." This is not to forget the always hideous "Taking Care of Business." "Iron Man" is right up there too. Thanks, I feel much better for having unburdened myself.
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"Happy Birthday". What a piece of crap. Whoever wrote this, if they actually gave a damn about someone's birthday, maybe they could have spent more than 10 seconds on some lyrics? I suppose writing adding a clever bridge would be WAY too much to ask.

 

Imagine if you just wrote "Happy Birthday" and you called a fellow musician and played it for them? They would say, "OK, that's the chorus, right? Catchy. What, that's it? Where is the rest of it?"

 

;)

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Originally posted by Mark Zeger:

"Happy Birthday". What a piece of crap. Whoever wrote this, if they actually gave a damn about someone's birthday, maybe they could have spent more than 10 seconds on some lyrics? I suppose writing adding a clever bridge would be WAY too much to ask.

 

Imagine if you just wrote "Happy Birthday" and you called a fellow musician and played it for them? They would say, "OK, that's the chorus, right? Catchy. What, that's it? Where is the rest of it?"

 

;)

My guess is that someone was hungry and just wanted to blow out the candles and eat some cake, so when they got that far, that was it. :)

Steve (Stevie Ray)

"Do the chickens have large talons?"

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In particular to this forum, Superstition.

 

One instrument in the song is a bit funky, but it's overdubbed/layered with multiple parts. Many other songs (and players) are funkier, yet this song has somehow become the standard bearer.

 

And I like funk. :cool: It's just that the entire band has to be participating.

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http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/joatishere/MMA/HackneyJoeSon.jpg

 

"So... you want your balls punched, uh?"

Korg PA3X Pro 76 and Kronos 61, Roland G-70, Integra 7 and BK7-m, Casio PX-5S, Fender Stratocaster with Fralin pickups, Fender Stratocaster with Kinman pickups, 1965 Gibson SG Standard
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I would echo Darren's post, except that I have lost track of how many times I have had the ambiencce of a far-away place in the mountains or the jungles ruined by The Eagles' "Hotel California", which is apparently twice as popular worldwide as the next-most popular song (whatever that is).

 

I can find no redeeming qualities in this song whatsoever. I could live with people having different tastes if I didn't have to hear it so often, and in the least expected circumstances (such as while visiting a place that has no electricity and little contact with outsiders, then having this song blasted out of some battery-fed portable unit).

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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I heard Don Henley do that song in concert one time, and it was extraordinarily cool. He did it with a sudo-reggae groove, and the guitar lead from the end was played note-for-note by trombones. Coolest version I've heard.

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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There are entire groups who make me wonder what it is that makes them popular- it's not that I dislike them, but I don't see what the big deal is. Such as:

 

Grateful Dead

Bruce Springsteen

John Cougar Mellencamp

Eric Clapton (post 1970)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Genesis (post Gabriel)/Phil Collins

ELO

etc.

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k.d. lange - Constant Craving

 

I probably wouldn't notice among the heap of crap that makes me walk away, change the station, block my ears, shut it off, or otherwise attenuate with great haste, but I had to play this dog. Only once, but that was still way too often.

 

It boggles the mind how such a loathsome composition could win a Grammy for song of the year. I'd rather listen to farting cows.

 

It sure stood the test of time. Has anybody heard this dog in the last 10 years?

--wmp
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Originally posted by NoahZark:

... probably deserve a place alongside The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath as one of the greatest bands of all-time.

Now I am REALLY going to get flamed for this. I really never liked Led Zeppelin that much, at least not enough to buy one of their albums. And here is the big one: I dislike almost everything from the Rolling Stones. I probably like (or at least don't mind) maybe a maximum of three songs by them. I just don't like their sound. The one song they did that I really did like was done back in the 60's. It was a blusey song called Little Red Rooster. It was on "The Rolling Stones Now!" album back in 1965. Of course, they did not write such a great song; it was written by Willie Dixon. More info on it is here .

 

The ONLY things I liked from Rod Stewart is when he was with Jeff Beck a long time ago.

 

I think in most cases, the real problem with hated songs is how much they were overplayed. If you think YOU hate some of those songs, imagine being the DJ that spun those things literally thousands of times. I have spoken to a few who say they literally turn the monitors off or way down when the song is played.

 

Lou

---------------

To B-3 or not to B-3, that is the question.

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I can't stand "American Pie." Maybe if it was 3 minutes long but the same progression over and over for 7 minutes or so drives me nuts.

 

A lot of post-Gabriel Genesis floats my boat, Trick through Duke especially and the occasional track thereafter.

"The devil take the poets who dare to sing the pleasures of an artist's life." - Gottschalk

 

Soundcloud

Aethellis

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Loumi,

 

My former band used to play Little Red Rooster. Nice blues tune. I actually also like the Rolling Stones' version of it. I like Willie Dixon as a writer of great music, but I never enjoyed HIS versions of any of his songs. I always loved other bands' covers of his songs.

 

Speaking of Led Zeppelin, do you like their version of Killing Floor?

 

I'd never flame you for liking or not liking a band -- music is subjective. I love the Stones though, and Led Zeppelin too. Rod Stewart isn't my favorite, but I probably like him more than you do. I'm more apt to like a musician if they also play an instrument.

Steve (Stevie Ray)

"Do the chickens have large talons?"

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Originally posted by stepay:

Speaking of Led Zeppelin, do you like their version of Killing Floor?

Actually, I do. I really don't dislike a lot of Zeppelin's tunes. I guess if I had to narrow it down to one thing, it would be that Plant's voice grates on me after a while.

 

I'd never flame you for liking or not liking a band -- music is subjective.

 

Boy, that's true. I used to know a co-worker who said he would never get involved in discussions on women, religion, or politics. He must not have been much of a music fan, or he would have had that on the list too. I guess we all like the affirmation of having someone else like a group as much as we do - sort of a kindred spirit.

 

The hard part is to appreciate that someone else, who is not stupid in the head, appreciates a band that I might think is horrible. It makes me almost not want to share a group I think is great for fear someone else will think I'm stupid.

 

A question I have that maybe should be a new thread is: what groups have you started out hating and later turned to liking, and maybe liking a lot? None come to mind for me yet, but I know there have been some. I think my liking of the group just erases the dislike I once had. Oh wait, now I can think of some, Dr. John, Tom Waits, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin. Maybe more if I thought about it longer.

 

Lou

---------------

To B-3 or not to B-3, that is the question.

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Hey Lou,

 

I took your suggestion and started a new thread -- gave you credit for the idea. Hope you don't mind.

 

loumi, you should feel free to express your opinions -- that's what a message board is all about. Who cares what other people think? They're YOUR opinions.

 

To add to your buddy's list of topics not to discuss, FOOD is another one. I mentioned once that I didn't like Okra, and a co-worker got so mad at me that she stormed out of the room (we weren't eating okra at the time by the way, so it's not like I just insulted her cooking). Anyway, people get passionate about certain food -- okra, eggplant, peeps. Can't tell you how many times I've heard "You've not have X the way my grandmother makes it!"

 

For the record, I hate okra, eggplant and peeps.

Steve (Stevie Ray)

"Do the chickens have large talons?"

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Originally posted by kanker.:

Originally posted by stepay:

[QBNever knew that Wonderful Tonight was such a bad one for so many. ...

 

Candle In The Wind

Wonderful Tonight and Candle In The Wind also make me want to punch myself in the balls. [/QB]
+1 and you can add "Bell Bottom Blues" to that list.
Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. W. C. Fields
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Elton John - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word...

 

I saw his concert of 2005 in New York on TV, the one with the 40 people choir and about 50 saws ...uh...strings in the background. I liked it, until he pulled out this tearjerker

 

do you really say tearjerker? my dictionary said so.

The Dromb Bopper
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Stepay-

I like your threads. They're usually fun!

 

MAN! You guys cover it all...

 

For the most part you mentioned all the usual overplayed suspects. Fleetwood Mac, U2, FREEBIRD...My gosh, I can't stand it.

 

The Led Zeppelin thing..I've got to admit that certain songs have been played so much I can't stand to hear them anymore, but the trouble with Robert Plant's voice is that it's deteriorated so much in the last 30 years it's hard to deal his present singing style. Of course this all very subjective.

I'd say his voice is no worse than Neil Young, or Rod Stewart. He makes do with what he's got.

Just don't expect to hear "Whole Lotta Love" or the end of "Stairway to Heaven" to sound like the early 70's.

"Music should never be harmless."

 

Robbie Robertson

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a lot of great choices for terrible music here. i'll just add that i dont get how the beatles remain so well loved to this day. i take nothing away from them in terms of respect, but i simply cannot listen to the "i wanna hold your hand" type pop.
so, its not so much about curing it as it is about hiding it...to help spread it faster
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