I can’t believe no one has yet named the worst song ever released: Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting. 
No, no no no no no and again no! Kung fu fighting at least has the attribute of having a catchy tune.
My nomination for the worst song ever was by I think “Tigra and Bunny”, or somesuch.
“We like…the cars that go boom. We’re Tigra and Bunny and we like the boom”, repeated about maybe 15 times in kind of a semi rap singsongy like tone that drills into your head like an ice pick, overlaid (underlaid?) with enough bass to defibrillate you if needed.
Aodhan
Muskrat Love! I just don’t GET it!!! I think it was even top 40.
“Havin’ My Baby” IS totally awful. What about that one that goes “Jean, Jean, roses are red”? Bonnie Jean? Or what about “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro?
Where’s the ralphing emoticon?? QUICK!!!
madfifer9
YES!!! Especially Last Kiss. I remember all the girls at school having the words to that written on paper that they carried with them like some kind of a talisman. I think that was when I started to realize I really hate mindless female chatter!
And “Having my Baby” !!! I can’t believe how much I still hate that song.
Actually I agree with all the previous posts with the exception of MacArthur Park- yes the recording was awful, but it was a pretty piece of piano music to play.
I do remember Run, Joey, Run- truly awful…
I decided to make general picks from the decades-
80’s- the BIG hair metal ballads-- awful- (think Heaven, the Whitesnake ballads,yeck, or anything by Winger) 
70’s- I always say the 70’s (post Joplin/Hendrix) were a vast wasteland- I went for years without buying anything 
60’s- the Bubble Gum music already mentioned- Tommy Roe should be covered in chewed bubblegum and the wrappers(tarred and feathered) 
this stuff was truly embarassing- Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I’ve got love in my tummy…can you believe people actually listened to and paid real money for that!!! 
50’s- Pat Boone, Fabian, etc. all the waspish guys created by record companies in a futile attempt to try to tap into real rock&roll…sad, very sad. 
I feel the pain too.
There are just so many.
‘Ruby Don’t Take your Love to Town’ is right up there with the worst.
Or The Brady Bunch. Not a musical show to start with, yet they somehow thought they could Partridge it up; but, unlike the Partridge Family, they didn’t seem to have studio professionals doing most of the singing.
The Brady kids called themselves The Silver Platters. Does anyone else remember The Brady Variety Hour? The show lasted about four episodes. They had to use a fake Jan, the original refused to do the show (smart girl). Man, I know way too much about this stuff. :roll:
“PopCorn” by Electric Coconut
El Condor Pasa
‘Red Red Wine’ has got to be on that list…
Just did a search only to find the music was written by Neil Diamond.
http://www.ub40-dep.com/discography/lyrics/lol1/redredwine.php
In my tiny high school in the middle of nowhere, the English teacher my senior year was a member of the John Birch Society who used every opportunity to “enlighten” us. I remember specifically the day he ranted on about rock music and its evil effects on us - and he named this song as an example. heehee
(Oh my gosh. I just realized he must have been right - I started drinking that year and am now a recovering alcoholic! Where’s the JBS phone number???..)
Susan
I’ve no association with the John Birch Society, but surely the fight against rock and/or roll is worthwhile. 
Here’s their phone number:
(920) 749-3780
I can only assume that it’s the Neil Diamond version that gets up your nose. There’s a reggae version that is quite beautiful by someone I can’t quite remember. UB40 also did a passable cover of the reggae version which didn’t quite match the earlier effort.
Those Cats were fast as lightening…
And it was a little bit frightening…
HOO! HAH!
Just to point out that it takes all types, I LOVE MacArthur park. Yes, the words are stupid (as were the words to Hoyt Axton’s/Three Dog Night’s Joy to the World, but there’s a story behind both) and Richard Harris couldn’t really sing. But it’s got a lovely tune, great arrangement, and Jimmy Webb did a fine job of writing the song (and the whole album) specifically for Harris’s voice. In fact, I’m gonna listen to the album soon’s I can get to the stereo. Now, the Donna Summer version is criminal.
Some that irritate me:
Ooh that smell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Dust in the wind (Kansas)
Owner of a lonely heart (Yes)
Galveston (Glen Campbell)
Mr. Postman (mostly the Carpenters version, but the others are pretty bad, too)
Let’s get physical (Olivia Newton-John)
I guess those are mostly crappy songs by good groups. As has been mentioned, there’s the whole industry of Osmonds, DiFranco Family, Bobby Sherman et al.
To each his own… the annoying factor may be ‘too much air play’
If I had a dollar for every time I heard red red wine… I might not be working so hard in life!! I guess I need to hear Dust in The wind some more.. I still think it’s a great song and I like it.
The same thing with Milli Vanilli… it’s really not important that Rob & Fab didn’t sing the songs. Those studio singers were actually quite good! However, after hearing their songs 2-3 times an hour for weeks on end, tends to wear on ones ears.
This whole topic is a cheat and a fraud!
It’s limited to pop. Any list of worst songs which by its very nature excludes “Achy-Breaky Heart” is plain BOGUS!
Two thoughts about this song:
First, the cliche “oriental” riff that repeats over and over throughout the song was used again in the song “Turning Japanese” which was done by Devo several years later.
Second, my wife and sons all study martial arts, and so I got them the “Kung Fu Hamster,” a little stuffed animal in a karate suit who sings this song in a very high pitched voice and twirls a pair of nunchucks when you squeeze his hand. It’s much better than the original version.
Also, I happen to love old rock (and roll), R&B, soul and blues music. Please don’t join the John Birch Society and stamp it out.
Correction… it was performed by the Vapors
