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View Full Version : 'We Built This City' ranks as the worst record ever



ALinChainz
04-20-2004, 12:05 AM
By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

We Built This City is the single worst single ever constructed, according to Blender's ranking of reeking tunes.


The magazine's list of "The 50 Worst Songs Ever," which hits newsstands Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles and April 27 nationwide, distills the lamest popular rock-era records into one sonic landfill.


Starship's 1985 anthem, the runaway No. 1 stinker, "seems to inspire the most virulent feelings of outrage," editor Craig Marks says. "It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the '80s."


Also sealing the song's fate were Starship's steep fall from grace as the admired Jefferson Airplane and "the sheer dumbness of the lyrics," Marks says.


The May issue, a sequel to the 2003 roundup of history's worst bands, coincides with a Blender/VH1 special, The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever, which airs May 12.


Harvesting clunkers that range from The Doors' The End to Aqua's Barbie Girl entailed more digging than expected.


Each dud had to be a hit to make the hit list. Though Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy got in, such novelties as Macarena and Who Let the Dogs Out, which by design are cheesy, were nixed. The jury also whittled down the bulk of "rotten, excruciatingly bad low-hanging fruit from the '70s," Marks says.


Blender had no qualms about riding herd on sacred cows, inducting The Beatles' Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, R.E.M.'s Shiny Happy People and John Mayer's Your Body Is a Wonderland. The entry most likely to peeve fans is Simon & Garfunkel's The Sounds of Silence.


"It's the freshman-poetry meaningfulness that got our goat," Marks says. "With self-important lyrics like, 'Hear my words that I might teach you,' it's almost a parody of pretentious '60s folk-rock.


"If Frasier Crane wrote a song, this would be it."


To accommodate coming horrors, the list can't be considered definitive. Noting that Clay Aiken's Invisible landed at No. 11, Marks predicts that "as soon as the American Idol season is finished, there will be a new entry."

Lou
04-20-2004, 12:20 AM
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is a great song. That seems kind of arbitrary to pick that one, it's not like it was one of their smash hits. If they wanted to trash a Beatles tune why not go for something like "Mr. Moonlight" (although I think that's a cover, but nevertheless it's considered by many to be the worst Beatles song).

Is there a link to this? And is there any Van Hagar on there? There should be.

lucky wilbury
04-20-2004, 01:19 PM
couldn't they put all of starships songs on this list?

Mr Badguy
04-20-2004, 01:48 PM
I don`t know about this.

I work next to the radio at work and some of the current pop music they play on it is like purgatory.

They say hard rock is repetative, but this shit is awful.

And all of that black music is rubbish, nobody sings they just talk over a bit of stolen music.

I would gladly listen to Starship all day rather than this shit.

This could be another case of "let`s all laugh at 80`s rock music" by people that weren`t there.

I mean, I remember when I was young and my Dad would play records and thinking that "old" music was kind of goofy.

Ally_Kat
04-20-2004, 02:07 PM
The End was a bad song? heh.

Jesus Christ
04-20-2004, 02:08 PM
Why isn't "How Many Say I" on this list?? Verily, it belongeth there, as that song is not even allowed in Heaven.

Lou
04-20-2004, 03:16 PM
If they put The End and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da on there, but no Van Hagar, what a crock.

Coyote
04-20-2004, 03:19 PM
Originally posted by Ally_Kat
The End was a bad song? heh.

The lyrics must've been traumatic to those people... :rolleyes:

saint
04-20-2004, 03:41 PM
Originally posted by Jesus Christ
Why isn't "How Many Say I" on this list?? Verily, it belongeth there, as that song is not even allowed in Heaven.

What about "when itīs love" doesnīt that qualified to be the worst single ever constructed. I cut this "notes" from the VH official fan site. "Edward recorded the song with a Roland D-50, an Oberheim OB-8, a digital DX7 synthesizer and a six-foot 1920 Steinway Grand piano." What happened to Kramer, Fender, Peavey and Marshall Super Lead 100-watt "Plexi" head?

Jesus Christ
04-20-2004, 05:18 PM
Verily, My son :(

PHOENIX
04-20-2004, 06:41 PM
Cum on feel the noize should have been on there.

Panamark
04-21-2004, 06:27 AM
Originally posted by PHOENIX
Cum on feel the noize should have been on there.

Perhaps the Quiet Riot version, but the original was a Slade classic. Slade Rocked ! :)

I agree with the choice of "Built this City" somebody could tell me that Spammy wrote that and I would fully believe them.

FORD
04-21-2004, 09:15 AM
Originally posted by Panamark
Perhaps the Quiet Riot version, but the original was a Slade classic. Slade Rocked ! :)

I agree with the choice of "Built this City" somebody could tell me that Spammy wrote that and I would fully believe them.

Don't know about that, but Sammy DID write a few of the songs in Heart's mid 80's cheesification phase.

Steve Savicki
04-21-2004, 11:42 AM
Considering I have "knee deep in the hoopla" I will say "we built this city" stunk. "Tomorrow doesn't matter tonight" and "private room" are my favs. "Before I go" and "hearts around the world will understand" are 2nd place... "Sara" was too slow and sappy.

IRT Slade: Quiet Riot's "noize" was the better version- and yes, Slade do Rock... 70's stuff is classic, '81's "till deaf do us part" is my favorite album.

Heart- popular in the 80's but 70's stuff is more classic. 80's Heart was enjoyable but added extra cheese onto the pizza.

Wayne L.
04-25-2004, 06:44 PM
Talk Dirty To Me is one of the worst songs ever, Poison is the biggest joke of 80's rock & rock history!!!

DLRismydad
04-25-2004, 06:48 PM
Since when is The End a bad song. since when is anything by The Doors bad. complete bullshit

DavidLeeNatra
04-25-2004, 06:51 PM
all the so called "rock"-song like europe's "final countdown" or any bon jovi-pussy pop that van hagar also tried to follow ruined the name of "rock music"...

DavidLeeNatra
04-25-2004, 06:53 PM
Originally posted by DLRismydad
Since when is The End a bad song. since when is anything by The Doors bad. complete bullshit

sorry...but anything of the doors is bad... ;)

can't get into their music...depressing...has that VHIII attitude...

DLRismydad
04-25-2004, 07:03 PM
Originally posted by DavidLeeNatra
sorry...but anything of the doors is bad... ;)

can't get into their music...depressing...has that VHIII attitude...

i understand why youre not a fan but come on Break On Through, Light My Fire, LA Woman,Hello I Love You if you don't like at least one of those there is something wrong

DavidLeeNatra
04-25-2004, 08:23 PM
Originally posted by DLRismydad
i understand why youre not a fan but come on Break On Through, Light My Fire, LA Woman,Hello I Love You if you don't like at least one of those there is something wrong

there is something wrong...but I liked the movie ;)

Lou
04-25-2004, 09:56 PM
Peace Frog...kicks ass.

The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)...kicks ass.

Shaman's Blues...kicks ass.

Waiting for the Sun...kicks ass.

Soul Kitchen...kicks ass.

Alabama Song...kicks ass.

Touch Me...kicks ass.

rustoffa
04-25-2004, 10:27 PM
It's a subjective pile of vomit. I'll tap my foot to anything I want. Fucking critics..........

Hecubus
04-27-2004, 12:14 AM
Originally posted by Ally_Kat
The End was a bad song? heh.

Agreed. One of their best tunes.

Hecubus
04-27-2004, 12:15 AM
Originally posted by Lou
Peace Frog...kicks ass.

The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)...kicks ass.

Shaman's Blues...kicks ass.

Waiting for the Sun...kicks ass.

Soul Kitchen...kicks ass.

Alabama Song...kicks ass.

Touch Me...kicks ass.

Again, agreed.

FORD
04-27-2004, 02:51 AM
Originally posted by Wayne L.
Poison is the biggest joke of 80's rock & rock history!!!


And according to recent reports, they're about to be the biggest joke in country history. And it's gonna be damn hard to top Toby Keith, Darrel Worley, or Billy Ray Cyrus.

Panamark
04-27-2004, 04:45 AM
Hey you know what song makes me think "Spammy" everytime I hear it ? "Is this Love" by Whitesnake. Tell me that wasnt written by the Ched Rocker ??? If not, its a direct copy of his style.....

Viking
04-27-2004, 07:17 PM
Jefferson Starship is a band's who's plane should've crashed in the Arctic tundra 20 years ago. Amidst a herd of rabid caribou.

Big Troubles
04-27-2004, 07:26 PM
If not 30. They went from pretty decent to "what the fuck is this shit?" real quickly. Ive never seen a band fall so fast.

bru87tr
04-27-2004, 07:37 PM
starship didnt even write those songs, either did heart. I think dianne warren had a hand in both those groups 80's songs.

Peace Frog is the best doors song hands down!