Top 20 Artists That Hate Their Own Songs
#20: Vanessa Carlton
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“A Thousand Miles” (2002) A massive debut single can be a gift and a curse. This was especially the case for Vanessa Carlton, who turned into an overnight success with “A Thousand Miles.” Carlton created many follow-ups since that early 2000s hit, but none of them had the same lasting impact as this track. The singer grew to resent and even hate the song as she was continuously asked to play it over her other music. After years of touring, the performer changed her tune about her masterpiece. Considering that the piece overshadows her other efforts like “Ordinary Day,” it’s easy to see why she didn’t love her breakthrough release.
#19: Chrissie Hynde
“Brass in Pocket” (1979) The Pretenders were one of the highlights of the new wave era. Singer Chrissie Hynde co-wrote many of the group’s most well-known and successful tracks including “Brass in Pocket.” Although the release brought a larger audience to the band, Hynde doesn’t love being solely identified by it. It also reminds her of a time before she felt fully confident with her vocals. On top of that, there was a time where she didn’t even want it set free at all. She was ultimately persuaded to let the song out for the general public. All of her trepidation didn’t stop the tune from rising on the U.S. charts and becoming a radio hit.
#18: Brian May
“Don’t Stop Me Now” (1979) “Don’t Stop Me Now” exemplifies the best elements of ‘70s-era Queen. Its carefree take on living life to the fullest also represented moments from singer Freddie Mercury’s own reality. Years later, guitarist Brian May stated his apprehension about playing the song again. It represents a particular period of Mercury’s where he threw caution to the wind with drugs and relationships. His experimental days inspired one of his best compositions, but May felt it could be irresponsible to encourage that lifestyle. With the singer’s death, the group would go on to play it again and embrace its fun vibes.
#17: Lorde
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“Royals” (2013) When an artist hates their own song, it’s usually because they’ve heard it one too many times. That’s partly the case for Lorde, who doesn’t love having to listen to “Royals.” Since the song represents a specific period in her life, the star now feels that she’s partially outgrown the single's sound. She’s picked apart everything from her performance on the track to the production itself. Her harsh critiques might be the result of her having been a teenager upon its release. For that reason, we can’t blame her for not being so crazy about it anymore.
#16: Elton John
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“Crocodile Rock” (1972) If you hear Elton John play this one during a concert, he’s probably not doing it for his own enjoyment. The singer doesn’t love the song, which he feels is more of a fun sing-along than anything else. Lyricist Bernie Taupin even mentioned that it isn’t even the kind of song he would personally enjoy. John went so far as to say he’ll probably have a celebration the final time he plays it. “Crocodile Rock” represented the artist at his most pop and accessible, which comes with pros and cons from his point of view. At the very least, he recognizes that his listeners want to hear it at shows.
#15: James Blunt
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“You’re Beautiful” (2005) As a true time capsule from the year 2005, James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” has its fair share of fans and haters. The ostensibly sentimental love story stands as a decade-defining hit that some felt sick of listening to over and over. Polls and commentators noted that the piece was among the most annoying of its kind. One of these critics was Blunt himself, who came to recognize that the song was maybe too ubiquitous for its own good. The gifted songwriter, who enjoyed years of goodwill from the track, admitted that radio stations went overboard with playing it.
#14: Liam Gallagher
“Wonderwall” (1995) Never one to mince words, former Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher really doesn’t like “Wonderwall.” Despite its importance in his music career, the performer says that singing it makes him sick. The song has become an anthem for people in and out of the UK regardless. It was so big that Gallagher even performed it at the London Olympics with his other band Beady Eye. Leaving both groups behind, the performer still finds himself playing the track as a solo artist. He sees it as an obligation while many others feel it’s essential that he continues to perform the Britpop opus.
#13: Mandy Moore
“Candy” (1999) As an actor and singer, Mandy Moore excelled far beyond the confines of teen pop stardom. This could be part of the reason she doesn’t love looking back at her hit song “Candy.” The debut single introduced the fifteen-year-old star to the world, but she’s had more time to properly reflect on it in the decades since. The “This Is Us” star also said that, if possible, she would even offer refunds to everyone who bought her initial releases. Considering her later and more refined work in projects like “Tangled,” Moore achieved far greater heights than “Candy.”
#12: Frank Sinatra
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“Strangers in the Night” (1966) Most fans of Frank Sinatra would call “Strangers in the Night” among his greatest selections. Decades of performing a fan-favorite can wear down even the most elite singers, though. This track especially drew ire from Ol’ Blue Eyes, who didn’t hold back his disgust for the tune. Not only did he dislike the song, he openly dissed it during concerts. No one should’ve put a hot mic near Sinatra unless they wanted to hear the absolute truth. “Strangers in the Night” might be your grandparent's favorite tune, but it definitely wasn't this performer’s first choice. If anybody earned the right to despise one of his hits, it was this singing legend.
#11: Billy Joel
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“We Didn’t Start the Fire” (1989) Billy Joel has his fair share of classic hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Near the end of his successful recording run, he released one of his last big tracks “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Contrary to most of his other songs, this one involved an unorthodox writing process. He wrote it with the lyrics in mind and left the music as an afterthought, leading to a lackluster melody. Most of the verses feature monotonous musical choices that Joel never felt particularly proud about. Other than the catchy trip through 20th-century history, this piece works as more of a novelty for the singer/songwriter.
#10: Jani Lane
“Cherry Pie” (1990) It’s the hard rock hit that’s synonymous with the band Warrant, but band member Jani Lane wished he could take it back. The hair metal track signaled the last gasps of the genre on the eve of grunge music. According to Lane, the record label pressured him to write a big single to sell their record. He didn’t have much time to deliver the song which became an innuendo-laden story about anything but pie. The singer didn’t appreciate that a last-minute writing job became his most famous statement. “Cherry Pie” sure is catchy, but we can understand the writer’s frustrations with it becoming his legacy.
#9: Miley Cyrus
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“Party in the U.S.A.” (2009) Miley Cyrus has had her fair share of famous songs since, but “Party in the U.S.A.” represents her peak as a teen pop star. The single might get the crowd hyped up to sing along, but Cyrus has been known to think less of it. The platinum hit isn’t exactly the kind she chooses for her club playlist. If the singer ever finds herself near a DJ, she reportedly asks them not to play this one. Not only does it harken back to her teen years, the track has been overplayed and appropriated for many other reasons. With a life of its own, though, “Party in the U.S.A.” lights up any celebration whether the star likes it or not.
#8: Bob Geldof
Top 10 Artists That Hate Their Own Songs
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (1984) Musician and activist Bob Geldof co-wrote this charitable venture with Midge Ure, as well as organized the subsequent “Live Aid” concert. The holiday track raised funds for the Ethiopian famine, but failed to impress Geldof on a quality level. If it had been a one-off single that was never played again, he might not have developed such a distaste for the song. Instead of fading away, the singer has to endure the tune each December on a continuous loop. The performer really tore into the piece when he called it one of the worst ever written. You can commend him for his good intentions, but the artist might have a point about some of the odd lyrical choices.
#7: Pete Townshend
“Pinball Wizard” (1969) A centerpiece of The Who’s rock opera “Tommy,” “Pinball Wizard” doesn’t stand high among Pete Townshend’s list of favorites. The band’s chief songwriter would rather not play the classic anymore, but he often indulges concertgoers with it. Going on to write many other worthy singles, Townshend prefers almost any of the other tunes he’s written for the band. He finds the song to be a poor representation of his talents and feels that its clumsiness was lost on everyone but him. Unfortunately for the guitarist, the track’s place in pop culture ensures that it stays firmly within their most requested pieces.
#6: Madonna
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“Like a Virgin” (1984) “Like a Virgin” might be one of Madonna’s first major hits, but the artist wishes it would go away. The pop sensation may or may not reserve a special place in Hell for this early single. Given that the singer reinvented herself many times, she would rather stick to performing her later recordings. Next to “Material Girl,” this might be the piece she regrets the most. It’s not a track without its faults, but we think the “Queen of Pop” might be a little too harsh on this tune. If she never plays the song again, it will still hold a charm that fans will forever cherish.
#5: Robert Plant
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“Stairway to Heaven” (1971) With some of the best pipes in music, Robert Plant performed the classic “Stairway to Heaven” over many years as a member of Led Zeppelin. The track’s status as an overplayed masterpiece prompted the vocalist to reconsider the song. After his group disbanded, he looked back less fondly on the piece as something best left in the past. It represented a specific time in his life that he feels much less connected to. His solo career and post-Zeppelin output clearly shows how much he wishes to depart from his early folk and hard rock stylings. Whether or not you’re sick of hearing the famous guitar riff, Plant has moved on and made peace with it.
#4: Michael Stipe
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“Shiny Happy People” (1991) Entering the ‘90s with mainstream success and a huge record called “Out of Time,” R.E.M. had an early-decade hit in “Shiny Happy People.” Singer and co-writer Michael Stipe never felt particularly fond of the song beyond its initial entry on the charts. He considers it to be bubblegum pop that’s mostly nonsensical. Even the track’s satirical lyrics don’t provide additional meaning to the performer. Stipe doesn’t hate all of the pop rock that the group created during that period, but this particular single sticks in his craw. “Shiny Happy People” definitely signifies one of the most debatable R.E.M. releases.
#3: Beastie Boys
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“(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” (1987) Seminal hip-hop group Beastie Boys rocketed to fame with their debut album “Licensed to Ill.” “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!),” was one of their big and audacious hits from the record. Meant as an ironic take on frat boy culture, the track found an audience that didn’t see the irony in its lyrics. Along with its place in their less sophisticated material, the trio stopped playing the single at their live shows. It both represented an audience they didn't want and didn’t have much else apart from a catchy beat. While the song still shows up at parties, it doesn’t bring the same joy to the original writers.
#2: Radiohead
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“Creep” (1992) Radiohead’s debut single “Creep” put them on the map in the early 1990s. It might have started off their career, but the band had no interest in living off the song’s success. They arguably spent the rest of the ‘90s trying to escape the anthem’s lingering influence. Thom Yorke, in particular, avoided the song and the band didn’t play it for many years during live shows. While he made peace with the track, he still refuses to let it define his group's ever-changing sound. Considering their eclectic and experimental output, it's fair to say that the band successfully left behind “Creep” and its shadow by the early 2000s.
#1: Kurt Cobain
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“Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991) For all of the success that he garnered with Nirvana, Kurt Cobain struggled with the fame that came with hits like “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The sheer amount of attention the song generated left the singer worried that his band would be only associated with the single. Mixing alternative instrumentation with a great hook, it represented a slightly more popular aesthetic that welcomed a worldwide audience. Cobain worried that his anti-establishment and punk background was being stifled with the track’s high chart placement. With that in mind, he spent the rest of his life writing music that was far less polished and inviting than “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
