Has There Ever Been A Good Song About How Rubbish Pop Is?

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This strikes me as one of the most absolute elephant traps in music - writing a song about how other songs/kinds of music are dire: IT NEVER WORKS! You just end up sounding sad and old. The only one I can think of which I have an affection for is "Funk Pop Ah Roll" by XTC and even then it's the worst thing on Mummer except the nuclear war one (another rarity since generally all songs about the imminence of nuclear war are GREAT).

So anyway, yes, counter-examples please?

(And no, not "Panic", as it's not just about that, and the pop bit is more alienation than distaste. Also it's about nuclear catastrophe too so it cancels out the pop stuff, QED.)

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

what about dexy's pre-emptive "hang the DJ" outburst re "searching for the young soul rebels": "for god's sake burn it down!"

(i accept that this phrase is not in itself a song: TimH to thread for in-depth explication...)

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:20 (twenty-two years ago)

OK a further caveat - if YOU YOURSELF then go on to have No.1 hits you can say what you like.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

there's probably some counter-examples here - Sour Grapes from Old Fogeys

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Ice Cube - "True to the Game"

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:24 (twenty-two years ago)

How 'bout young fogeys? Public Enemy "Caught, Can I Get a Witness" ("You singers are spineless, singing your senseless songs to the mindless")

― dave q, Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"An' I hate modern music
Disco boogie pop
They go on an' on an' on an' on an' on
How I wish they would stop"

Buzzcocks - 16

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Blimey, the threads you miss when you go on holiday.

Well on this one we can talk about the excellence of nuclear war songs maybe.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 19 June 2003 08:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"Go read a book/it's so much more worthwhile" - Hymn From A Village by M. Sinkah's old school chum.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 19 June 2003 09:26 (twenty-two years ago)

david sylvian - 'pop song'

― s.r.w. (s.r.w.), Thursday, 19 June 2003 09:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Dr C wins!!

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 19 June 2003 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Edwyn Collins - 'The Campaign For Real Rock'

― rh, Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes that is good but it's about the Levellers surely.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Wrong Dexys song Mark: "BID" is mostly directed at anti-Irish prejudice. But "One Of Those Things" contains a verse about how KR turns on Radio 1 and it all sounds the same. Actually, he says "it was OK" so maybe that doesn't qualify.

Anyway, shut your mouth 'til you know the truth, har.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

but isn't 'hymn from a village' about how rubbish 'hymn from a village is'????
"this song's make up made second rate, cosmetic music powder puff, pop tones, false rhymes and lightweight bluff, second hand ideas no soul no hate" etc
but i suppose he could be talking about *other people's* music which would be huge disappointement - i always liked it as a total meta-crisis anthem

― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe Eminem counts?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Wot about that Beautiful South song ("Song for Whoever", I think!!)?!?!?! That was a nice toe-tapping tune and UK hit about writing corny pop songs for munny!!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

The Beautiful South are pretty unique then in that their song about the rubbishness of pop was the best thing they ever did!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

and *that's* meta-crisis too

i've found my new favourite genre!

― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 19 June 2003 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"Title of the Song" by da Vinci's Notebook is kinda fun.

― cis (cis), Thursday, 19 June 2003 11:01 (twenty-two years ago)

"Mindless Boogie," by Hot Chocolate. About the stupidity of ultra-repetitive disco. Really great.

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 19 June 2003 11:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Rubbish" Carter USM's a winner. Why I'm suddently fixated with Carter (second USM-related answer today) I have no idea - sorry if this offends...

speaking of which, does "Let's Push Things forwards" count? "They say that everything sounds the same..."

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 19 June 2003 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"600 dead in jonestown very strange very strange"

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 19 June 2003 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Helen Love 'God Save the UK Music Scene'

sort of is.. cos at the time Ocean Colour Scene etc were the pop music (well in the charts anyway)

― jellybean (jellybean), Thursday, 19 June 2003 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

"Original" by Silage from "Drive Me Crazy" Soundtrack:

Ok, honestly, it's coming too easy / I'm makin' up an old used verse, chorus, key / This has not been done before / This hasn't been done before

― avery schreiber, Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah The Real Slim Shady ( I'm sick of you little girl and boy groups, all you do is annoy me / so I have been sent here to destroy you )

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Is Morris Minor and the Major's 'This is the Chorus' a good song?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

only supports the 'you just end up sounding sad and old'-hypothesis but i just like to mention denim's middle of the road ánd i'm against the eighties.

― (jg) ((jg)), Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Beck's "MTV Makes Me Wanna Smoke Crack"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I kinda vote for John Doe's "Too Many God Damned Bands" - doesn't put down a genre though .. just says that "now it's totally fucking out of hand."

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The Monkees made a whole movie, "Head," about how much they sucked...

And weren't we just talking about FZ's "Tinseltown Rebellion"?

Speaking of John Doe/X, "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts" ("I hear the radio is finally gonna play neeeeeeew music, y'know, the British Invasion...")

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Thursday, 19 June 2003 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Young Canadians = 'I Hate Music'

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 19 June 2003 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

How about pretty much everything that Luke Haines has ever done, especially 'The Oliver Twist Manifesto'?

― Kate Jane Connolly (fixitgirl), Thursday, 19 June 2003 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Dead Kennedys - "MTV Get Off the Air!"
The Wonder Stuff - "Astley in the Noose," "New Song"

Not sure, but does "Disco Man" by the Damned fit here?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 June 2003 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

does "Let's Push Things forwards" count?

No, because it SUCKS.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 19 June 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Replacements, "Seen Your Video"
Ramones, "Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?" "We Want The Airwaves"
Mojo Nixon, "Stuffin' Martha's Muffin," "Don Henley Must Die," etc.
Steely Dan, "FM"
Hole, "Rock Star"

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Thursday, 19 June 2003 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

does "Let's Push Things forwards" count?
No, because it SUCKS.

eh? its great, and a fair example

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 19 June 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Depeche Mode-"this aint no disco"

― Felcher (Felcher), Thursday, 19 June 2003 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sex Is Boring" Ballboy ("I hate house music/Because house music/Because house music never meant anything at all to me")

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked when Ice Cube wrote off the early '90s R&B scene by declaring "...and you can 'New Jack Swing' on my nuts!" in the "N***a You Love to Hate" from Death Certificate.

― Ben Boyer, Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Killer Mike, "Rap is Dead" (although this is a very mild application of the word "good").

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Data 80 -Don't believe me

― jk_ (jk@gabba), Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I happen to LIKE "Rockin' the Suburbs."

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Negativland - "Michael Jackson," SURELY

― Evan (Evan), Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hit the High Tech Groove" by Pop Will Eat Itself

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i was thinking of let's push things foreward as well

― robin (robin), Thursday, 19 June 2003 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Vic20's 8-Bit Hit and Ibiza Mon Amour; both about how rubbish pop can be, but also about how wonderful it can be too. That's clever.

― harveyw (harveyw), Friday, 20 June 2003 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

"i dig rock n roll music" -mamas n the papas...the song was a sarcastic jab at everything that had replaced them for so long...it ended up being their biggest success on the charts in quite a while--probably because of people who didnt understand it.

― wallace carother's repentence, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

It was actually Peter, Paul and Mary who did that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)

see goodly portions of the FZ songbook.

(if yer so inclined, which many ILMers are not of course.)

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"Cars and Girls" by Prefab Sprout was a pretty good swipe at Bruce Springsteen.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 02:21 (twenty-two years ago)

"Punx Not Dead It Just Sux Now" by, er, someone welsh as I recall, is an ace song.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 12:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Stop It by Pylon.

Don't Rock & Roll! No!

― Jon Pel, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Come to think of it, "A Different Story" (sometimes known as "Rock and Roll Even") by the Subway Sect is one of the greatest records ever made and is kind of about how rubbish rock is. "We oppose all rock and roll" and all that, you know?

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

10cc: "We've Heard It All Before"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance To Anything" by the Dead Milkmen.

― janni (janni), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

#1 Hit Song - Minutemen
On the back of a winged horse
Through the sky pearly grey
Love is leaf-like
You and me, baby.
Twinkle Twinkle
Blah blah blah
E-t-c.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

.. An other example of song, but not necessarily a good song:

"Producer" - Gang of Four

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I really like 'I Don't Know where it comes From' by Ride, off Carnival of Light.

There's Something moving through the air
Years ago it wasn't there
If people feel it, they don't care
Seems like everybody's sterilised
A piece is missing from their lives
They're never going to be surprised.

Turned on the radio Tonight
I was overwhelmed by shite
I got so numb i couldn't fight
What's Going on, i can't Define
How is it everyone's resigned
We're so uptight, we can't unwind

I Dont Know wherte it comes from....

'We're so uptight &etc. - don't think the band were referring to themselves....

― pete s, Thursday, 1 January 2004 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Teen Anthems - 'We're Indie Shit'

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Thursday, 1 January 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'd rather jack / than Fleetwood Mac"

― OleM (OleM), Thursday, 1 January 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate oasis (and the beatles too) by Teen anthems'?
(slagging off the small faces, cast and the who at the same time)

Denim - Middle of the road ?

― Jens (brighter), Thursday, 1 January 2004 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Slagging off The Small Faces? How dare they!

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Thursday, 1 January 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

It was actually Peter, Paul and Mary who did that.
-- Ned Raggett (ne...), December 31st, 2003

Thats what i meant...sorry...i know the difference ...it was just late

― wallace carothers' repentence, Thursday, 1 January 2004 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"Plastic" by Prefuse 73 feat. Diverse

― o. nate (onate), Saturday, 3 January 2004 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Rezillos - "Top of the Pops"
Jello Biafra w. Mojo Nixon & The Toadliquors - "Buy My Snake Oil"
Dead Kennedys - "Triumph of the Swill"

― Ben Dot (1977), Sunday, 4 January 2004 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

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