Friday, September 16, 2011

The Worst of the 90's

So, the other day Rolling Stone magazine published their list of the top 10 worst songs of the 1990's. Apparently it has been long enough that we can look back with (painful) nostalgia. Given I was a teenager in the 90s, it's personally upsetting to me. So was hearing a Nirvana song on the classic rock station. So wrong.

Anyway, so I was curious and had to click over to the article. The 90s had a lot of cheesy potential. But what was THE worst? Apparently, the readers of Rolling Stone magazine voted and selected "Barbie Girl" by the Danish group, Aqua. I had forgotten that obnoxious song even existed, so part of me wishes I'd never clicked on the article and remembered it. Now its stuck in my head, so I'm going to share the pain with all of you. It was awful, but European Pop music is always a little... different. If you don't know the song, you should at least pull it up on YouTube or click the link to the article where they have it. Its hard to imagine something that bad ever got major radio airplay.

Here's the rest of the list:

1. Aqua, "Barbie Girl"

2. Los Del Rio, "Macarena"

3. Billy Ray Cyrus, "Achy Breaky Heart"

4. Vanilla Ice, "Ice Ice Baby"

5. Chumbawamba, "Tubthumping"

6. Hanson, "MMMBop"

7. Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On"

8. Baha Men, "Who Let The Dogs Out?"

9. Right Said Fred, "I'm Too Sexy"

10. 4 Non Blondes, "What's Up?"


Man, I always thought 90s music was pretty good. I liked the alternative thing. But there was some serious crap going on on the other radio stations. And not just music. There was Right Said Fred and their see-through mesh shirts, Billy Ray's mullet... Line dancing to both bad country and bad latin fusion. I remember doing the Macarena at my friend's graduation party. So embarassing. Especially since I can still do it. But I'll admit it, I had or still have no less than 6 of these songs thanks to the NOW 1-6 CDs (yes 1-6, though I think they're on 39 now) I bought in college.


I don't know that all these songs are awful, though. I think Celine Dion's song got a bad rap because they played it to death. I loved it the first time, but the thousandth time, it got annoying. But any song with that kind of airplay is the same way.


What do you think of the list? Any songs on here you (secretly) love? I'll admit that I love me some cheesy old school hip hop, so yes, I know all the words to Vanilla Ice. And I can spout it at any time, which sends PC into giggle fits until her mascara runs. Any songs they left off that you'd nominate? I think I'd add "All I Wanna Do" by the Spice Girls. I do not want to 'zig-a-zig-ahh' under any circumstances. It sounds painful.

SP


PS. And just for PC - "STOP! Bum rush a speaker that booms. I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom. DEADLY! When I play a dope melody. Anything less than the best is a felony. Love it or leave it, you better game play. Better hit the bullseye the kid don't play. If there was a problem, YO, I'll solve it. Check out the hook while the DJ revolves it! Ice, ice, baby..." :)

10 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

OMG! I actually know 8 of those songs. I guess that means my brain started functioning again in the 90's (it's a running joke that I don't know any songs from the 80's because my boys were much smaller then and I was knee-deep in kid-raising). Of course, I can't think of any to add to the list because recognition is far stronger than recall.

Now, though, I'll be humming Ice Ice Baby all day and doing the electric slide in the file room. Gee thanks!

Linda Winstead Jones said...

I know all but number 1 and number 10, and I certainly can't argue that any of them are good. But they are classics, in their own, sick way. I once bought my sister a Billy Ray Cyrus calendar. And she actually wanted it. ;-) The really sad thing is that the 90s were all that long ago. Yikes. - LJ

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

Hey, I liked several of those songs! And I still remember all of the words to most of them, too.

Instigator

Katherine Bone said...

All these songs are my favorite. Hmmmm.... I wonder who they polled.

I could do without Hansen but the others are awesome! ;)

Problem Child said...

You could have stopped at Stop...

Unknown said...

My son loved Ackey Breaky Heart or course he was very small and he would get his little play guitar and just play and sing, I think he was about three or four at the time.

Angel said...

I've gone back and learned some 90s music after-the-fact, due to strange, strange upbringing. But I actually recognize ALL of these songs except #9...

Love me some Ice, Ice Baby!

Angel

Big Easy said...

Ice Ice Baby is on the list, but Rico Suave by Gerardo isn't. I have lost all faith in humanity.

Arlene Hittle said...

Songs 5, 9 and 10 are on my iPod, and I LIKE them. The others? Not so much.

Surprised that "Rico Suave" didn't make the list, though.

Laurie G said...

I got really sick of Smooth by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana , All I Want To Do by Sherryl Crow and Mambo #5 by Lou Bega.