Just because a song goes No. 1 doesn’t mean it’s universally loved. The success of some songs defies understanding. Moreover, a song can be popular upon its release, but sour with age. For one reason or another, the three No. 1 songs below have sparked major mixed feelings. How do you feel about these chart-topping hits? Deserving classics or confusing flukes?
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“Ebony and Ivory” (Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder)
As far as messages of racial unity go, “Ebony and Ivory” is considered one of the cheesiest. Paul McCartney certainly meant well when he wrote this ballad, but it wasn’t a runaway success.
This track found chart-topping success upon its release, spending several weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, critics immediately started ripping it apart. Many thought the message was naive and overly simplistic for such a vast topic. Those opinions eventually bled into McCartney’s listenership. The lens of time has only made matters worse for this song. If this song was considered cheesy back in the 1980s—an era in which cheese ran rampant—we don’t really have a word for what it’s considered now.
Though McCartney has acknowledged the mixed feelings of this song, he has ultimately stood by its intentions. “I’ve just got to do these songs, whether they’re too simple or not,” McCartney once said. “Not everything has to be very detailed and a great thesis. I’m not writing a thesis here; these are hooks for racial harmony.”
“Blurred Lines” (Robin Thicke)
Art can’t always be separated from the artist. One of the basic tenets of art appreciation is understanding where an artist was coming from when they made their work. So, when an artist like Robin Thicke gets accused of sexual misconduct, it’s hard to really enjoy how catchy his song might be.
“Blurred Lines,” featuring Pharrell and T.I., made its way up the charts. This song features an unshakeable melody and an instantly catchy chorus. It’s really no surprise that it went No. 1. In the years since that song earned Thicke notoriety, it has fallen out of favor with many listeners. Though “Blurred Lines” was an undisputed hit, it’s not one that many people still claim to like.
“Afternoon Delight” (Starland Vocal Band)
Circling back around to the cheese factor, our next entry on this list is the Starland Vocal Band‘s “Afternoon Delight.” This song isn’t very sexy. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. Despite the group’s attempt to convey something with this schmaltzy ballad, it lacks any grip due to its PG lyrics.
Despite its shortcomings, this song reached No. 1. Someone, somewhere, enjoyed it enough to push it to the top. But today, “Afternoon Delight” has been reduced to a joke—or maybe that’s just my Anchorman fandom speaking.
(Featured Photo: Getty Images)
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