3 Famously Bad Songs by Famously Good Musicians

Consistency isn’t always possible when you’re a famous musician. A single artist could put out countless hits that top the charts, and still manage to release a track or two that just doesn’t hit well at all. Let’s take a look at three classic examples of bad songs by objectively good musicians!

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1. “Smart Girls” by Brian Wilson

Who knew that Brian Wilson would end up on this list? The songwriting mastermind behind The Beach Boys has rarely penned an objectively bad song; he’s just on another level of artistry. That being said, even the best of the best can have bad ideas. And “Smart Girls” was a really bad idea.

This “lost” song by Brian Wilson was put together in 1991. It was basically his hip-hop project, and some would even consider the song to be in the realm of outsider music. When you really listen to it, though, this song is basically Wilson rapping for four minutes with a level of camp that’s almost admirable. Still… it’s not an easy listen.

2. “Iced Honey” by Lou Reed and Metallica

There are many bad songs by good musicians out there, but there aren’t as many bad collaborative albums by world-famous musicians and bands. Lou Reed and Metallica famously collaborated for the 2011 album Lulu with the best of intentions to do something totally different. 

Critics and audiences alike hated the album, “Iced Honey” included. However, the record has become something of a cult classic among fans of either party. It’s avant-garde, people! Though, we recommend skipping this one if you aren’t a fan of spoken word poetry over heavy metal instrumentals.

3. “Wiggle Wiggle” by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan could easily make any list of bad songs by good musicians several times with several songs. He’s a genius songwriter, but his periods of experimentation have yielded mixed results. 

“Wiggle Wiggle”, unfortunately, is an experiment that didn’t have much payoff. The whole of this tune seems like it was written in jest. Bringing Slash into the mix was weird, and even the Guns N’ Roses guitarist himself said that recording the song was “such a bad experience.”

Photo by Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock 

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