Top 101 Most Manipulative Songs OF ALL TIME!

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

101. Red Sovine - "Teddy Bear"

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know that song. Is this for songs that try to manipulate the listener or someone in the song?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

100. Pat Campbell - The Deal

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry should have said. Manipulate the listener.

"Teddy Bear" is a truckin' song about a trucker who gets a CB call from a crippled boy whose Dad was a trucker who got killed in a wreck. For instance.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

that one about "burn your draft papers, burn your birth certificate I have no son"

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, that's a good one

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

('Open Letter To My Teenage Son')

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I think pretty much all my favourite songs are manipulative. It's whether I'm happy to be manipulated in that direction (suspension of hardheadedness?) that makes the difference. So a pro-war song, generally no, an anti one, maybe yes.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Total Eclipse Of The Heart?

― Adrian (Adrian Langston), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

99. Ferlin Husky - The Drunk Driver

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Meat is Murder

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Should have
98. Meat is Murder

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

77. "Knocking On Heaven's Door" Dunblanne

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

David Geddes' entire career to thread, but especially
96. The Last Game of the Season (Blind Man in the Bleachers)

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:54 (twenty-two years ago)

95. *Autry Inman - The Ballad of Two Brothers

(*not sure of the artist)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 12 February 2004 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

94. 'Two Little Boys'
93. Friends of Aaliyah (video) 'I Miss You'

― NRQ (Enrique), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

92 lightning seeds w/ newman & baddiel - 'three lions'

― pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

91. Kenny Rodgers - Ruby

― mzui, Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"Three Lions '98" even more so!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

90. The National Anthem

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

haha Tom otm.

89 the shangri-la's 'give us your blessing'

mum & dad please approve of my boyfriend or i'll run away die, no doubt

― pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

'Candle in the wind' - elton John after princess Di's death. So commercially orientated its untrue.

― The Casper Method (The Casper Method), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

88. Roger Miller - Vance

Excruciating, what were you thinking about Rog?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

87. Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes - "I Miss You"

This is manupulation within the song really but it's TERRIFIC - each verse some new tear-jerking come-back-to-me element is introduced (eg "So...how's our little son?") culminating in "Hey...you know that lottery?...I hit it!"

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 12 February 2004 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

For some reason I find 'Won't Get Fooled Agane' really really manipulative, I just don't know why. Self-dramatizing?

― NRQ (Enrique), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"Dear Mister Jesus" to thread.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 12 February 2004 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

86. "Yellow"-Coldplay
85. "The Scientist"-Coldplay
84. "Trouble"-Coldplay
83. "Clocks"-Coldplay
82. "In My Place"-Coldplay

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

81. Dear God, XTC

― Allyzay, Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

80. Marshall Jefferson -- Move Your Body (House Music Anthem)

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

79. Johnny Cash, "Hurt"

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

World War I songs

78. Pack up Your Troubles

77. Are we Downhearted? No!

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

76 The Smiths - "Suffer Little Children"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

75. Francis Scott Key - "The Star-Spangled Banner"

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

74. R.E.M. - The One I Love

― may pang (maypang), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

73. Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner - "Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark"

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

72. "Jimmy Mack"

― jody (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

71 "We'll meet again" by Johnny Cash even more so. shockingly blatant grasping for pathos - he may as well be singing "my wife's just died and i'm going to be dead pretty soon too". it's still terrific though and it takes a harder heart than mine not to be moved by "and will you please say hello to the folks that I know / and tell 'em I won't be long".

the other thing about it is that it reaffirms that what has now become a meaningly 'goodnight sweetheart' ditty to post-war generations must have actually had precisely this meaning to it's original WW2 audience. the terrible sadness of sweethearts joining vera in singing this song when there was a very real chance they wouldn't be meeting again had never occurred to me before.

― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

70. "God Bless the USA" -- Lee Greenwood

― rainman (rainman), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

69. The Kinks - "Sunny Afternoon" (you feel happy for the guy until he talks about how his woman left him "telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty"!!)

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of the Afghan Whigs, especially

68. Be Sweet
67. Hated
66. Hey Cuz

― webcrack (music=crack), Thursday, 12 February 2004 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

65. USA for Africa, "We Are the World"

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

The last Warren Zevon album - he covered "Knockin' On Heavens Door".

And did it pretty horribly too.

― blablablah, Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

D.I.V.O.R.C.E

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

62. Jack Jones - 'Wives & Lovers'

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

61. Spiritual by Johnny Cash
60. I can never go home anymore by the Shangri-Las
59. any corrupt song about a car crash

― Rush Rhees, Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.