Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Worst Songs of the '90's?

Two posters above dissed "We Built This City" in passing. To me, it's a catchy, fun tune with mysterious lyrics -- the last decent thing Starship ever recorded. (For real dreck, there's "Sara" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" -- both also No. 1 hits (blecch!).)

Now, onto the '90s . . .

I liked and still like "Tubthumping." As for the claim that you wouldn't want another song like it, I invite you to check out videos of some of Chumbawamba's other songs, such as "Timebomb" and "Amnesia." They don't sound like "Tubthumping."

"MmmBop" was brilliant for its time and for the ages of the performers.

I don't understand the scorn heaped upon "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I think it's appealing and captures the singer's desperation to hold onto the girl who's dumping him.

Spin Doctors: ear candy. The epitome of transitory.

Agree about "Ice Ice Baby." Vanilla Ice had the nerve to rip off Queen and David Bowie and then claim that he hadn't because he changed a couple of notes.

"What's Up" seemed like a genuine cry of angst; however, I heard it a few years ago and found it annoying. I guess angst only goes so far.

I slept through everything Celine Dion recorded. I have no memory of her song whatsoever.

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm? Zzz Zzz Zzz Zzz.

I'll nominate Oasis if Eryk doesn't. His description of them above is perfect.

The funny thing about "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is that I thought of it when I first saw this thread, and then I went and listened to it, and started thinking "Hey, that song's actually pretty good!"

There were so few popular songs in the 90's that I knew, I wondered how one might narrow them down to a "worst" list. I'm surprised I have heard of around half of these, but it seems they were picked because they were SO well known.

Both "My Heart Will Go On" and "Ice Ice Baby" I have enjoyed, but only COVER VERSIONS, not the originals. The first was done by Los Straitjackets, who layered on the arrangement of "TELSTAR" to make it actually interesting, while the second was covered by Big Daddy, who gave it a "50's" vibe.

Whenever I think of the song, "Breakfast at Tiffany's," I think of the time I was listening to some countdown where the DJ (I want to say Rick Dees) was telling an anecdote about how the band had changed their name to "Deep Blue Something else else" from the original, "Leper Messiah". Before going to the song, he closed (completely un-ironically) with, "Leper Messiah? Where did they come up with that one?"

I wanted to scream at the radio, "You are a DJ! How do you not get a Bowie reference?"

I don't care what anyone says, this is awesome:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BDuT0l8B4s

I didn't remember JC being an equal focus with Justin back in the start though. He certainly was in this video.

Anyhoo, what's not to like about a bunch of j'adorable lads palling around in tank tops and dancing and stuff?

But if we're talking cute bands, the sketchier-looking ones really could do it for me. Really this song is crap but Morrissey could do NO wrong in my 90s eyes. He could certainly assemble a HOT band and this video shows them all off pretty equally:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PshpA-XRztM

I love it when Morrissey cracks up when offered the ice cream cone...

Hm, I suspect Lash was seduced by young sexiness much like I was by a school girl named Britney Spears. All I can say is that any girl who dated me in my late teens had to put up with that particular fetish if she wanted to keep dating me.

I'm surprised you werent all about 98 Degrees like Lady Cobalt was.

I thought "Invisible Man" was pretty good; that's the only one by them I liked.

Nothing tops Morrissey's band though

Anything by Smashing Pumpkin's. I do not care for thin, whiney voices on men. the 90's version of Rush.

See, now I lurved Billy Corgan's voice. Zwan's "Honestly" is still one of my all-time favorite songs.

Ben Folds Five
Brick

The Pumpkins were boss, Rick!! "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" still captures a certain angst for me and "1979" a certain sadness.

The Pumpkins were BOSS

Loved the Pumpkins.

Depression is no excuse...DON'T FOLD THE COVER BACK.

It's alright...it was a stunt comic.

Heh. I once heard a DJ introduce a solo song by Deep Purple's bassist as by "Roger Glover of Pink Floyd."

I also heard a country & western DJ play "Hearts" by Marty Balin and pronounce his name "bay-lin" instead of "ba-lin" (rhymes with "talon"). I suppose a country DJ can be excused since the Jefferson Airplane/Starship singer probably wasn't on his usual playlist.

I'd rather listen to What's Up AND We Built This City than

Counting Crows
A Long December

UGH

Guys, guys, you all are forgetting THE biggest flop song from the 90's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8z4SEbsqbw

I rest my case.

And, by contast .... one of the BEST songs to come out in the 90's! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADYMP1uWPUM

Local talent.

[snip]

I can't stand either "We Built This City" or "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." The former just sounds like a blatant butt-smooch to Big-City DJs, in the same way "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits sounds like blatant free advertising for MTV. "Nothing's Gonna'..." is just painfully bad and deadly dull. It seems to go on longer than a Dead solo even though it's barely three minutes long.

However, "Sara"... arrggh. That's one of those songs that I like completely against my will without knowing why. It doesn't even sound like it's from the Jefferson Empire. Hell, it doesn't sound like it's from anybody in particular.

I know, I know. Something else else's not right in my head.

Now, see, I like both "We Built this City" and "Money for Nothing," even though you're right: they are blatant attempts to court airplay.

"Money for Nothing" pokes fun at the attitudes some people have toward rock stars: that making music and getting on MTV are easy ("that ain't workin'") -- ironically, the same attitudes MTV helped perpetuate. Plus, a killer guitar riff can cover a lot of sins.

The only part of "Sara" I've ever liked is Grace Slick's haunting back-up vocals toward the end. Mickey Thomas's voice is too bland and indistinct from that of every other '80s power ballad to carry the song by itself. At least on the earlier hit, "Jane," he had inventive hard rock support, including, yes, a killer guitar riff.

This one is my favourite rom the 90's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jmhlyuxULI

[snip]

So true.

I don't listen to music much. I don't seem to like music much anymore. But I gotta say, Future King, I am really liking Blue Rodeo!