4 Famous Musicians Who Hated Their Biggest Songs (And Why)

Any musician out there knows what it’s like to listen to an old track and cringe. Sometimes, we’re harder on ourselves than anyone else. And even the biggest bands and artists of all time deal with the same thing. Let’s look at four musicians and bands that outright hated their biggest songs, and why they came to dislike those songs so much.

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1. Oasis

When one thinks of Oasis, one often thinks of the 1995 hit song “Wonderwall”. Unfortunately, most of the band members aren’t exactly happy about that, especially frontman Liam Gallagher.

Even though the tune is one of the most influential tracks in indie rock history, Gallagher has explicitly said that he has gotten sick of the song.

“I can’t fucking stand that f***ing song!” said Gallagher back in 2008. “Every time I have to sing it I want to gag. Problem is, it was a big, big tune for us. You go to America and they’re like, ‘Are you Mr. Wonderwall?’ You want to chin someone.”

2. Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys definitely evolved their sound through the years. But at their peak, they were a hip-hop group best known for the hit track “Fight For Your Right” from 1986. They’re one of many musicians who hate their early-career songs, and we understand why they weren’t that fond of the almost comedic bro-hop song later on in their career.

The track itself was meant to be a parody, a song meant to poke fun at toxic fraternity culture at the time. Instead of everyone being in on the joke, the song blew up among the very people the Boys were aiming to criticize. Which brings us to our next, very similar situation… 

3. Nirvana

Like Beastie Boys, Nirvana wrote music to criticize a group of people who honestly deserved to be criticized. Kurt Cobain spent much of his career writing songs about jocks and bullies who mistreated him growing up. When “Smells Like Teen Spirit” blew up in 1991, suddenly the very people Cobain hated started showing up to Nirvana’s shows in droves.

“Everyone has focused on that song so much,” said Cobain in an old Rolling Stone interview. “The reason it gets a big reaction is people have seen it on MTV a million times. It’s been pounded into their brains. […] I can barely, especially on a bad night like tonight, get through ‘Teen Spirit.’ I literally want to throw my guitar down and walk away.”

4. Queen

Out of all the musicians on our list who hated their biggest songs, this band is surprising. Though, it’s worth noting that the whole of Queen didn’t voice their distaste for “Don’t Stop Me Now”. Rather, guitarist Brian May voiced enough hatred for the 1978 track on his own. Specifically, May called the hit “flippant” and claimed that the song underplayed the horrors of the AIDS crisis.

However, in later years, May admitted that he doesn’t “have any quarrel” with the song now after years of hearing it give people joy.

“It’s wonderful that everyone wants to sing it,” said May. “In singing with us, they express their own joy and their own determination to make the best out of their lives, and to keep on and not get knocked down by things.”

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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