Is There A Worse Song Than "Mr. Roboto"?

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I'm listening to my mp3's randomly and this piece of toxic waste comes on. Why I have it on my computer is a mystery, perhaps a momnet of nostalgic weakness or simple delirium, but anyway - I was listening to and almost marveling at how awful it is. I mean truly waful - from the way T. Shaw pronounces modern as "mod-ren" to the awful, truly awful background vocals to the awful music and the overall awfulness of it all added up to the essence of dreck.

Anyone able to top this? For the sake of arguement it should be a song of similar popularity to have relevance. Mr. Roboto, if I remember correctly, polluted the air waves a lot in 1982-3. Ugh.

― Davlo (Davlo), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:08 (twenty-three years ago)

I really should read my writing before I post stuff. I mangled some perfectly innocent words there. Sorry moment and awful.

― Davlo (Davlo), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry, I think of it as proof that all bands have at least one halfway decent song in them.

And I haven't heard it on the radio in twenty years.

― Christine "Green Leafy Dragon" Indigo (cindigo), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:22 (twenty-three years ago)

As much as I ph34r that the mighty Corgan gods will strike me down: "The Everlasting Gaze"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:24 (twenty-three years ago)

A worse song from that same era?

"Never Ending Story" by Limahl
"Shiney Shiney" by Hayzi Fantazyee

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:33 (twenty-three years ago)

I mean truly waful - from the way T. Shaw pronounces modern as "mod-ren" to the awful,

Dennis DeYoung, actually, not Tommy Shaw.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:37 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Everlasting Gaze"

OUT!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

and it's already coming back to haunt me!!

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:47 (twenty-three years ago)

;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Those are two of my favorite songs of all time, Alex! Ha, I didn't think our tastes differed that much.

A worse song...that "come on you little fighter/no need to be uptighter" Supertramp song, I guess.

― Arthur (Arthur), Saturday, 29 March 2003 03:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry, Arthur.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 29 March 2003 03:28 (twenty-three years ago)

So it was Dennis DeYoung, not Tommy Shaw. See, my Styx base of knowledge is lacking.

I do kind of like the word "waful" though. It conveys awful even better than awful.

I've stopped making sense...my brain hurts

― Davlo (Davlo), Saturday, 29 March 2003 04:28 (twenty-three years ago)

that reminds me of an old onion article which is sadly archived no more. though i found it here: Nation's Rappers Down to Last Two Samples

the funniest part is that i sent it to this guy i knew at the time and he wrote back angry "Puff daddy is on crack "Mr. roboto" is way better than that "tiptoe song". I wouldn't paymore than ten cents for that track." actually he's in a rock band that's an nme darling at the mo.

though seeing how that article was referenced in my search it seems a lot of music fans feel they're getting legitimate news from the onion. well, that's america for ya!

― lolita corpus (lolitacorpus), Saturday, 29 March 2003 04:32 (twenty-three years ago)

"Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung is a million times more soul-destroyingly awful than "Roboto," as bad as it is.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Saturday, 29 March 2003 05:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I once again point everyone to "I Love You Period".

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 29 March 2003 05:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Apparently even the rest of the band fought to keep it off the album and lost

― dave q, Saturday, 29 March 2003 09:57 (twenty-three years ago)

But they kept all the other crap on there anyway (in my callow youth, I owned said record).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 29 March 2003 15:32 (twenty-three years ago)

It's not even the worst song starting with the same sounds: I cite the Stereophonics' Mr Writer.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 29 March 2003 15:50 (twenty-three years ago)

the way DeYoung says "mahnaquehn" = classic

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 29 March 2003 16:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I hated it when I was younger, preferring guitar-based 70s Styx hits. Now I think it's kind of fun, as is "Don't Let It End".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 29 March 2003 16:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I choose "Come Sail Away"

― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 29 March 2003 16:11 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't really get "Come Sail Away".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 29 March 2003 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I also don't really get all the hate for this band, especially considering all the Journey and Foreigner love.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 29 March 2003 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"We Built this City (On Rock and Roll)" by Starship is worse than "Mr. Roboto." It's worse than childhood cancer.

― Killroy, Saturday, 29 March 2003 18:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Am I alone in thinking that every single Jefferson Airplane/Starship song is crap, even "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit"?

― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 29 March 2003 18:31 (twenty-three years ago)

There are many good Jefferson Airplane songs.

― Sean (Sean), Saturday, 29 March 2003 18:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I love "The Everlasting Gaze" (I wanna be in a band called The Everlasting Gays), the two Jefferson Airplane songs and even "I Love You Period" (I cracked myself up the other day singing it) and Alex's two picks are charming. So I'm tempted to say yes, but then I haven't actually heard Styx's entire discography so it's tempting to assume they have suckier sucks that I never even heard about.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 29 March 2003 19:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm tempted to say Yes there is no worse song than Mr. Roboto, to clarify.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 29 March 2003 19:03 (twenty-three years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf400/f464/f46417rqzc4.jpg

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 29 March 2003 20:22 (twenty-three years ago)

DIE!!

― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 29 March 2003 20:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Is There A Worse Song Than "Mr. Roboto"?
Yes. In fact, I can name two:
"Babe" and "Lady"

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 29 March 2003 22:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Styx isn't that bad
Paradise by the Dashboard light-Yuk!!

― brg30 (brg30), Saturday, 29 March 2003 23:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually, every other song on the Kilroy Was Here album was worse than Mr. Roboto.
And now that Larry Gowan is lending his pipes, they are all classic.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Saturday, 29 March 2003 23:35 (twenty-three years ago)

"Paradise. . ." is even more classic.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 29 March 2003 23:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Paradise is very nice.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 29 March 2003 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Now I think it's kind of fun, as is "Don't Let It End".

I am the modern man
With my guitar in hand
I'll do my best to try
To keep Rock & Roll alive!

(if you listen closely at the end he even lists his influences: Elvis, Chuck Berry, The Platters and Little Richard. Then he lets loose a Little Richard scream and I realise that I really do have far too much free time.)

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 29 March 2003 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Off the top of my head, some popular songs which are much worse:

Lee Aaron - "Watcha Do To My Body?"
Warrant - "Cherry Pie"
John Mayer - "Your Body Is a Wonderland"
Lou Reed - "Dirty Blvd"
Creed - "With Arms Wide Open"
Garbage - "Not My Idea Of a Good Time"
Kim Mitchell - "Rock N Roll Duty"
Leonard Cohen - "Closing Time"
Semisonic - "Closing Time"
Sarah McLachlan - "Possession"
"Mambo No 5"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 30 March 2003 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sarah McLachlan - "Possession"

I kinda like this song, I must confess.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 30 March 2003 00:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I have no idea what you're talking about.

At the end of "Don't Let It End" Dennis DeYoung lists his musical influences- Elvi, Chuck Berry, Platters, etc.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 30 March 2003 00:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Sundar, sundar sundar....
Though I agree that most of your list is a catalogue of crime so vile that it all but demands an immediate War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague...I find that half of your list is filled with great 'choons deserving much more respect.

< DYLAN VOICE>THERE AIN'T NUTHIN' WRONG WITH THESE SONGS< /DYLAN VOICE>
Lou Reed - "Dirty Blvd"
Garbage - "Not My Idea Of a Good Time"
Semisonic - "Closing Time"
Sarah McLachlan - "Possession"

and for my sins...

Lou Bega - "Mambo No 5"

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 30 March 2003 00:11 (twenty-three years ago)

The Damned - In Dulce Decorum
is worse...

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Sunday, 30 March 2003 00:39 (twenty-three years ago)

who let the dogs out?

― Tad (llamasfur), Sunday, 30 March 2003 00:43 (twenty-three years ago)

There is nothing wrong with Mambo No. 5. NOTHING. Ok?

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 30 March 2003 01:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Daniel, I just listened to "Don't Let It End" and failed to hear the list. I am, however, very pleased that you have listened to this song with enough detail to notice subliminal messages. I will try harder at a time when there's less chance of someone noticing that I'm blasting the song.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 30 March 2003 04:21 (twenty-three years ago)

coming soon: The ILx "Laser" Light Show Of Kilroy Was Here and Tarkus !

― Paul (scifisoul), Sunday, 30 March 2003 13:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm sooo fuckin there.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 30 March 2003 13:32 (twenty-three years ago)

The Damned - In Dulce Decorum
is worse...

Pardon me, but SHUT UP!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 30 March 2003 14:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Mr Blobby!

― man, Sunday, 30 March 2003 15:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Wasn't there a joke song on Dr Demento back in the 80s which features the golden (or is it tungsten alloy) throat of Marvin the Paranoid Android?
Even *that* was 10x better than "Mr Roboto"

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 30 March 2003 19:37 (twenty-three years ago)

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