Even the best songwriters and performers of the classic rock era put out a few duds. Or, rather, they put out songs that were just a bit too ahead of their time, and were met with general dislike from fans. There are a few songs out there from classic rock greats that are almost universally hated by fans of the bands and artists, but I happen to think they’re genius. Let’s look at a few examples. You might just agree with me on a few of these!
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“Temporary Secretary” by Paul McCartney
I won’t accept any McCartney II slander! This whole album was a pretty sharp departure from McCartney’s sound and an experimental deep dive into what one can do with a synth and lots of creative energy. And while many fans can’t stand the song “Temporary Secretary”, I absolutely love it. This song has grown on people over the years, especially on younger fans of Macca. And it’s the kind of song that will get stuck in your head for days.
“Circle Of Power” by Soundgarden
Soundgarden rarely ever put out a bad song. However, the grunge outfit’s track “Circle Of Power” rarely makes it to lists of favorites. I happen to love it, as it’s one of the most chaotic, punk rock songs to ever come from the band. “Circle Of Power” features the vocals of bassist Hiro Yamamoto and is quite a short track from Ultramega OK. They’re clearly trying to channel something a la Jello Biafra with a surreal flair, and even if the song was intended to be a joke (many believe it was), I think it’s a real treat.
“Bonehead’s Bank Holiday” by Oasis
Some Oasis songs are quite deep. Others, not so much. “Bonehead’s Bank Holiday” is far from an emotional, well-thought-out track. Noel Gallagher wrote it without even really thinking about the lyrics, describing the strange, disjointed story of someone named Bonehead, likely alluding to their guitarist, Paul Arthurs. It’s a bit of a goofball song, and I can’t help but find it quite charming.
“Bugs” by Pearl Jam
It’s wild to think that the band that put together the heartwrenching song “Jeremy” could also come up with “Bugs”. This entry on our list of often-hated classic rock songs was written by Eddie Vedder on an old accordion. The song is basically one long chord set against Vedder crooning about bugs crawling around in his room. There’s no real musical payoff, and the track didn’t really resonate with grunge fans. However, I love this little existential nightmare of a song. I would have paid to see the looks on audience members’ faces the few times Vedder played this one live in the 2000s and 2010s.
Photo by Lester Cohen via Getty Images
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