The "I can't believe this 'hit" was so popular" Song of the Day thread

[KevShmev]

In this thread, I will feature songs I (the general "I") can't believe were as big a hits as they were, and with a topic like this, I will be able to hit different genres and whatnot.  And when I say "hit," it doesn't necessarily have to be a song that was a hit in the pop charts.

As is normal with these Song of the Day threads, please let me feature the songs, and if you have an idea for one to feature, please PM me and I will feature it (sooner rather than later).

There are many reasons one could point to a song and say, "How was that song as popular as it was?"  So, all of these songs will not fall into the same category in that regard.  Some songs will be ones I like a lot, but maybe have unconventional things going on that you wouldn't have thought would appeal to the masses.  In other threads, this will not be a "KevShmev trashes popular songs" thread (the first entree below notwithstanding).  I will keep this thread going as long as there is interest, and I am sure there will be days I feature more than one, and days I miss as well.

Today's Song of the Day is the one that inspired me to start this thread:

4 Non Blondes - What's Up?

This song is right at the top of my "how in the world do people like this song?" list.  That vocal performance is atrocious. I heard it at work the other day and I wanted to rip my ears off and throw them across the room at the speakers in the hopes that that would make it stop.  I have to think that standards for good music in the mainstream had slipped in 1993, which explains why so many people like this bag of donkey piss.

[Orbert]

Totally ridiculous song.  It is literally the same three chords over and over for the entire song.  Verse, chorus, bridge, whatever.  Same chords, over and over.  The vocal performance is horrible.  Some other band covered it, and it was even worse.

And yet, we've had three different singers in our band who wanted to do the song.  Well, two, plus one who wanted to audition for us and sing that song.  Our drummer flat out refused to play it for the audition, told her to pick a different song.  Singers love the song for some reason.  Maybe because it has almost no substance to it, so it's an opportunity to make something out of it with a truly special rendition.  Except the song sucks, so why bother?

[TAC]

I think it's pretty unique, and honestly, while it's goofy, I never had a problem with it.

[pg1067]

4 Non Blondes - What's Up?

This song is right at the top of my "how in the world do people like this song?" list.  That vocal performance is atrocious. I heard it at work the other day and I wanted to rip my ears off and throw them across the room at the speakers in the hopes that that would make it stop.  I have to think that standards for good music in the mainstream had slipped in 1993, which explains why so many people like this bag of donkey piss.

I had to YouTube it.  Didn't think I'd ever heard it until the chorus started, and it sounded vaguely familiar.  Couldn't tolerate it past about the 1:45 mark.  Wikipedia tells me that it was a #1 song in a bunch of countries and hit #14 in the U.S.  Music was pretty fucked up in 1992.

[Crow]

It's a fine song I don't get why so many people passionately hate it

The he-man version is better tho

[NoseofNicko]

Kinda like that song.

[KevShmev]

Totally ridiculous song.  It is literally the same three chords over and over for the entire song.  Verse, chorus, bridge, whatever.  Same chords, over and over.  The vocal performance is horrible.  Some other band covered it, and it was even worse.

And yet, we've had three different singers in our band who wanted to do the song.  Well, two, plus one who wanted to audition for us and sing that song.  Our drummer flat out refused to play it for the audition, told her to pick a different song.  Singers love the song for some reason.  Maybe because it has almost no substance to it, so it's an opportunity to make something out of it with a truly special rendition.  Except the song sucks, so why bother?

Probably because they hear it and think, "Hell, I can sing it better than that."

[nattmorker]

I didn't know that song was hated, I have always liked it, it bring so many memories. I still like it.

[King Postwhore]

It's a fine song I don't get why so many people passionately hate it

The he-man version is better tho

I hated the song. From her voice to the mid tempo.  There was something that just didn't click with me.

The lead singer went on to be a fantastic singer,/songwriter/producer.

[Stadler]

For all the ragging on the singing, I kind of always got the impression that she thought she was NAILING it.  Linda Perry went on to work with some pretty big names, and it had to stem from that, no?

[Cool Chris]

I remember this song being huge. I think I liked it and wouldn't run to change the channel when it came on MTV or the radio. I can't imagine listening to it now. I don't even care to for the sole sake of curiosity.

In the spirit of the thread, I can actually sorta believe this song was big at the time, despite how it probably shouldn't have been.

[Zook]

I used to hear it all the time at my store. Didn't mind it, but it's not that great.

[SystematicThought]

Today I learned that that song isn't by Melissa Etheridge. I don't know why I thought she sang that song. I'd never seen the music video nor saw who sang it, I've always just heard it in the background. I learned something today.

I don't know, I don't really mind it. I can kinda see why it became a hit at the time, it sounds very early 90s to me. It's catchy, that's for sure.

I also didn't realize Linda Perry went on to become quite the prolific songwriter and is in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame

[wolfking]

Never had an issue with it.  The same three chird thing I didn't know and is pretty interesting.  I wouldn't say it's a brilliant song or anything.

[Kwyjibo]

Atrocious song that is very similar to the not very much better Don't Worry Be Happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0mMPLDIzlg

[wolfking]

As is normal with these Song of the Day threads, please let me feature the songs, and if you have an idea for one to feature, please PM me and I will feature it (sooner rather than later).

[Kwyjibo]

If this is directed at me, have you watched the provided link? It's not that I wanted to feature another song, just to show how similar the featured song is to Bobby McFerrin's.

[The Curious Orange]

There's a hippy-chick busker with an acoustic guitar who stands outside my local supermarket most Saturdays. She sings the "hey hey ya ya I Said what's going on" line of the song, strums her guitar for a few bars, then sings the same line again. I'm convinced that's all she knows.

At the time that song came out, it was quite kooky, quirky, fresh and unlike anything around at the time. That's why it was a hit. Since then we've had Alanis Morisette and all sorts of hippy chick folk-rock singers doing it so much better, but at the time it was good. Looking back on it now - yeah, it's not so good, and really annoying.

[wolfking]

If this is directed at me, have you watched the provided link? It's not that I wanted to feature another song, just to show how similar the featured song is to Bobby McFerrin's.

Sorry, no I haven't clicked the link.  Fair enough, my fault.

[Kwyjibo]

All's good, no problem. 

[Cruithne]

The vocal performance is horrible.  Some other band covered it, and it was even worse.

Oh come on. Soft Cell's Tainted Love it is not.

It's not a song I've listened to in 20+ years but now I've been reminded, yeah, it's a decent tune. Very in keeping with the early 90s when hair metal was getting pushed out of the mainstream and the look of the lead singer was quite striking in the video that was released for it.

Personally I'd like to nominate Oasis' Wonderwall. What a miserable, tepid, dirge of a song.

[wolfking]

All's good, no problem. 

I checked it out and yeah they work pretty well.  It does sound slightly forced but was more sold when Bobby's verse came in.

[Zantera]

I don't mind that song that much really, I'd say it's perfectly fine. Nothing super special but not terrible either.

[T-ski]

one of the worst songs I've ever heard.

[Adami]

I mean, it's not a great song, but it's weird and quirky and not unpleasant. I don't see the big deal with it.

[DTA]

Awful song. I appreciate the unique vocal approach but the delivery is just horrendous.

[hefdaddy42]

Boring, and I've never liked it.  Not even a little bit.

There are certainly worse songs, of course.  Just nothing here that appeals to me in the slightest.

[The Walrus]

Totally ridiculous song.  It is literally the same three chords over and over for the entire song.  Verse, chorus, bridge, whatever.  Same chords, over and over.

Is that inherently bad? Countless songs do exactly that. Most big hits actually do exactly that...

I YouTubed this 4 Non Blondes song. 781 million views?! I've never heard of this before (but I was only 1 when the song came out...)  - the singer sounds familiar... that big rising, slowly falling melody in the hook sounds very familiar, too. Maybe I have heard this band before but maybe it was another song. Either way, I've heard far worse...

[Orbert]

I have to admit to not hating the song back when it was out.  It wasn't anything special, but I don't listen to much radio so I mostly ignored it.  But after having to learn the song (which took about 30 seconds) and play those same three chords over and over for two and a half years, I have come to truly hate it.

You're correct that a lot of hits do the same thing, the same progression for the verse, chorus, everything.  There's a beauty to the simplicity, the song is easy to learn and therefore sing along with, and it gets stuck in your head pretty easily as well.  Those are all things can help make it a hit.  So I guess in that sense, I can believe the song was a hit.  But every one of those songs that do that?  They all suck.

 

[KevShmev]

Today's Song of the Day is...

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion

Really good song, one I was never that big on until recently, and a tune I am not surprised at all was popular, but for it to be the band's biggest and most popular song (arguably) ever is a bit surprising.  I mean, who figures a rock tune with no chorus and where a mandolin is the lead instrument is going to be that big?

[Zantera]

Losing My Religion is a great tune, though I might agree slightly just because they've made so many great tunes.

[Zook]

Great song. Always liked it.

[The Walrus]

So I guess in that sense, I can believe the song was a hit.  But every one of those songs that do that?  They all suck.

 

Damn this made me laugh

How the hell did LMR get a Grammy? This song is truly the embodiment of average imo.

[pg1067]

Today's Song of the Day is...

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion

Starting off this thread with some heavy early 90s flavor.  I never have been an REM fan.  This song is ok.  I certainly don't find it distasteful.  It's catchy enough.  But it's nothing special IMO.  For my money, the best thing REM ever did was "Furry Happy Monsters" on Sesame Street.  For whatever reason, that song kept my son's attention like nothing else when he was 1-3 years old.

[Orbert]

For my money, the best thing REM ever did was "Furry Happy Monsters" on Sesame Street.

BRB, checking YouTube...