Sometimes, just because a song is a chart-topping hit doesn’t mean it’s actually good. Quite a few songs that have come to be known as annoying or downright awful have spent more than 10 weeks at the coveted no. 1 spot on the charts. These four songs, specifically, are a few of the worst offenders.
Videos by American Songwriter
Listen, we’re not going to judge you if you’re a fan of any of these songs. Objectively, a few of these jams are guilty pleasures. Don’t come for us, please!
1. “The Box” by Roddy Ricch
Listen, maybe I’m just getting old. Maybe I’m just not wired correctly to enjoy new music and new evolutions of genres. That being said, “The Box” by Roddy Ricch gets real old real fast.
This 2019 hip-hop/track hit spent about 11 weeks at no. 1 in the United States and elsewhere, and was also nominated for a handful of Grammys, so it’s clear that it’s not all bad. The bulk of the song is actually pretty solid. However, that “eee-err” sound is like nails on a chalkboard after you’ve heard it about 100 times.
2. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
Sometimes, a genuinely good song gets so overplayed that it becomes very easy to hate. The 2013 hit “Happy” by Pharrell Williams is one such song. It’s a well-produced, excellently written pop tune.
However, if you’ve heard that chorus one too many times, it’s hard to be anything even remotely close to “happy”. This hit from out list of worst top songs spent 10 weeks at no. 1 around the world back in the 2010s.
3. “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber
We’re giving this one the same treatment as “Happy”. Luis Fonsi is a great singer, Daddy Yankee has a large fanbase, and Justin Bieber was once one of the biggest pop stars of his generation. However, “Despacito” quickly became grating due to all the radio play it got. This hit song spent 16 weeks at no. 1 on the US charts.
4. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, T.I.
Well… We couldn’t leave this one out. Back in 2013, the musicality and pop-melody-addictiveness of this track was what catapulted it to no. 1 on the Hot 100 for 12 weeks straight.
However, a lot of listeners didn’t initially read between those “blurred” lines. The lyrics of this song are wholly misogynistic and downright predatory. It fell out of favor once people caught on, and even Pharell regretted his association with the song.
Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.