Since Redliner is being so hypothetically limiting with the all-time greatest hits by AD.

I thought I would allow a larger sampling of nominations in the other directions.

This was inspired by a VH1 show I saw last week. I was thinking, what makes a truly horrible song. I think part of a truly horrible song is that it is produced by someone with talent (a la Tommy Shaw playing guitar while taking part in Mr. Roboto)

So for this category of songs I am looking for the worst songs produced by performers or bands with the talent that makes the song even more obscene,

The VH1 show picked
We Built this City by Starship

I would add

Rough Boys by ZZ Top. (If the Bangles were a little more talented I might add a song I keep in the sam cubby hole, Eternal Flame)

Have fun.

Phil Collins

A Groovy Kind of Love

-and-

Another Day in Paradise

I would have to say just about anything by Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Lenny Kravitz. Perhaps it is just these bands that I have seen some kind of unplugged bit or documentary on, all of them are extremely talented. But at the same time, I can hardly think of any songs I actually like by any of them.

Aerosmith? Dude looks like a Lady - come on! Why do I want to hear about somebody's transvestite fantasies?

Bon Jovi? I'll be there for You - A forced ballad

Lenny Kravitz? I want to Fly Away - enough, go (fly) away already!

There is usually something at work in cases like these: A record company putting pressure on artists to come up with something to boost their sales and this is the garbage you get. Do I feel compassion for these artists for this pressure? Hardly.

I'll add another: Metallica. After their self titled album (commonly referred to as the black album), these guys went south in a hurry.

QM beat me to it. I love the earlier Metallica albums, but Load and Reload were seriously sub-par.

For a particular song by a great artist...well not everyone likes David Bowie or Mick Jagger, but there is no doubting they are of legendary status. Enter Dancing in the Street. I cannot change the channel quick enough when this comes on VH-1.

...Hey, I liked Groovy Kind of Love... but then again.. I do like Two of Hearts by Stacey Q...

Anyhow... worst song by the best band would have to be Lorelei by Styx...which I admittedly have on my comp just for sentimental reasons I suppose... I used to listen to Styx with my folks on long car rides back in the day.

But good lord...

I call her on the telephone, she says be there by eight
Tonight's the night she's moving in and I can hardly wait

[Chorus]
The way she moves, ooh-ooh
I gotta say
Lorelei let's live together
Brighter than the stars forever
Lorelei let's live together
Brighter than the stars forever

Some of the worst lyrics ever. His girlfriend is moving in and he writes a three and a half minute song. God only knows how long the song would be if he had a good bowl movement or if he found a dollar bill on the ground... if he only knew that when she moves in...


"Honey, you left the toilet seat up... again!"

Anyways, enough of my hatred for this song by what otherwise is a good band...