The Beatles' 1968 song Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da has been voted the worst song ever in an online poll.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

From the BBC page : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3998301.stm

TOP 10 'WORST' SONGS
1. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - The Beatles
2. Fog on the Tyne - Gazza and Lindisfarne
3. I'll Do Anything For Love - Meat Loaf
4. Diamond Lights - Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle
5. We Will Rock You - 5ive featuring Queen

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)

John Peel would have been pleased. It's an even more random list than usual, though.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)

At least three of these are wrong.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)

And if more than 20 people voted in this "online poll" I'm a wine expert.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Diamond Lights is terrible, but it's not offensively bad, just naff. The truly evil stuff makes you tear your hair out, feel sick and run away...

ladies and gentlemen, I give you....

Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

― stew s, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Two Geordie footballers in the top 5.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Well even Evanescence I would classify as offensively naff.

The correct answers are:
1. Imagine by John Lennon
2. She Bangs The Drums by the Stone Roses
3. No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers
4. Tears In Heaven (Oops, I Left The Window Open Again) by Eric "Ukip" Clapton
5. Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves by Eurythmics and Aretha "Real Music Not Baltimora" Franklin

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Top counting on Auntie's part, there.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)

no, the worst song ever is that "get a job" song by the offspring. the chorus is a really hacky ripoff of "ob-la-di ob-la-da."

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

At least they didn't say MacArthur Park, a common (and unjustified, IMO) "Worst song ever" punching bag.

― Hi, I am a genius. a big one. (AaronHz), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Really? Since when?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Ever since Rolf Harris performed it on his show with the Young Generation in 1970.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 11:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Diamond Lights is good!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

2. She Bangs The Drums by the Stone Roses
3. No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Harumph!

I feel a "Taking Sides: Individualism vs Collectivism" coming on...

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, of course Bring Me To Life Is Naff - it sounds like X-treme T'Pau - but it's also highly offensive to these ears in the way many cheesy 80s pop tunes isn't. It makes my skin crawl, my head feel like it's going to explode.
Radio by Robbie has a similar effect.

4. Tears In Heaven (Oops, I Left The Window Open Again) by Eric "Ukip" Clapton

This is the funniest thing I have seen in some time. OTM Marcello. There was some kinda sick joke about that incident we used to tell at school, but I can't remember it right now. Can anyone help?

― stew s, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Impossible Dream" and "My Way" are pretty bad.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

But, y'know, one day The Stereophonics will release their Greatest Hits collection and none of this will really be relevant any more.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 13:00 (twenty-one years ago)

whats up with 'she bangs...'?!!!!!!!

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 13:40 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not even the Beatles' worst song. It's not even the worst track on the White Album

― bham, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Why do people hate "Ob-La-Di..." so much? I mean, granted, it's light years from their best work, but ultimately it's just an innocent little doodle. Nothing to assert fatwas over. I'd sooner cite, say, "Rocky Raccoon" as a worse Beatle song.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

If a song's actually bad no-one remembers it, nothing here qulaifies

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"Yesterday" is way worse than any Beatles song mentioned so far.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Marcello, you wound me in my heart. But good shout on "Imagine". The Lennon acoustic thing arrived the other day - fucking HORRID.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Maxwell's silver hammer is much worse than this.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't mind "Yesterday."

"Let It Be," however, I do mind considerably.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Fuckin wellknown songs fuck them all

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

We're gonna sing a song that everybody KNOWS!
Not some acid shit 'bout column ruin domin-OES!

― Mike Love "rapping" on 12" of Wipeout by the Fat Boys and the Beach Boys, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

There was some kinda sick joke about that incident we used to tell at school, but I can't remember it right now.

I'm guessing:

Q: What was the first thing Eric Clapton did after writing "Tears in Heaven"?
A: Opened the window and told his son to get some fresh air.

― MC Transmaniacon (natepatrin), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Marcello you are kidding right?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Apparently he still does it on stage as well, rapping included.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"Ob-La-Di" is bad but not not nearly as bad as, say, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

At least Brian Wilson never looked like a bearded ginger tube in a
white gown

x-post

― Bumfluff, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

gah that Lennon acoustic record is the shits. Where are the demo versions of the Walls and Bridges songs that were on Menlove Ave? Are these available at all any more?

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex in NYC otm.

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Regarding "Yesterday", when did "overplayed" come to mean the same thing as "bad"?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the world is ready for a(n) Europpop Ob-la-di Ob-la-da cover by Eiffel 65.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I have never really cared for that song.. I can't even complain that it's overplayed because I haven't heard it in ages. What makes you think they're synonymous?

xpost

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not even the Beatles' worst song. It's not even the worst track on the White Album

Absolutely. Worse than "Honey Pie" or "Long Long Long" or "Revolution 9" (which I LIKE)? Ludicrous. The extreme hatred "Obladi" so often receives - even among folks who LIKE the Beatles - has always been inexplicable to me. Honestly, what's to hate? Paul's fake-Caribbean vocal? Dumb lyrics? The title? (Quite stupid, admittedly.) I mean, it's not like this was Paul's only sickeningly sweet (but sweet nonetheless) cutesy-pie excursion, and neither "When I'm 64" or "Your Mother Should Know" had horns & percussions as good as those in "Ob-La-Di" Nope, I can't conceive of anybody hating it - with the possible exception of the authentic Jamaican street singer from whom Paul "borrowed" the title!

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

well, to be fair, I do think it's worse than any of those songs you just mentioned. "your mother should know" is excellent, especially the intro

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Yesterday is v. good, despite it being the Ultimate Geir Record.

― Bumfluff, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

2. She Bangs The Drums by the Stone Roses

Don't you mean Fools Gold, or indeed anything from the Second coming?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I've always wondered if the rest of the Beatles' hatred of this song contributed to a lot of other people hating it. This was one of the ones that Paul pushed on them, and wouldn't let go until they had it "right".

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

1. 'follow me' by uncle kracker

― mattp, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

This is the funniest thing I have seen in some time. OTM Marcello. There was some kinda sick joke about that incident we used to tell at school, but I can't remember it right now. Can anyone help?

Q: Who's the world's fastest reader?
A: Conor Clapton. 30 stories in under a second.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Kelefa told me it's rockist not to like 'obladi...' and you should all go listen to 'yer blues' until you agree.

― irrigation can save your people, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 22:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Sisqo to thread...

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Thursday, 11 November 2004 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I rather like Obladi.
How about the song that never ends?
It just goes on and on, my friend.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Thursday, 11 November 2004 08:46 (twenty-one years ago)

This is the funniest thing I have seen in some time. OTM Marcello. There was some kinda sick joke about that incident we used to tell at school, but I can't remember it right now. Can anyone help?

Q: Who best to sponsor Clapton's next USA tour?
A: Windex

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 11 November 2004 09:32 (twenty-one years ago)

We're gonna sing a song that everybody KNOWS!
Not some acid shit 'bout column ruin domin-OES!

Hahahahahahaha, I've never heard that. Mike Love is such a twat, that "acid shit about column ruin dominoes" is probably my favorite BB song.

I've never had a problem with Ob la di ob la da either.

― Hi, I am a genius. a big one. (AaronHz), Thursday, 11 November 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Thou Must Not Disrespect Ye Reggae.

If Thou Be Not Black Thou Must Not Affect Anything Black, Lest Thou Be Mocked For Wanting To Be Black.

Thou Must Not Have Long Song Titles, For Those Of Sixth Form Mentality Can Make Easy Jokes Thereof.

If Thou Singest Crap, Thou Mightest Not Be Noticed, But If Thou Art Famous For Uncreative Nonsense Like Football And Singest Crap, That Art Somehow Worse. For Some Reason.

Thou Must Respect Ye Rock.

Thou Must Not Appeal To Ye School Girls, For They Hast Not Cool.

Thou Must Not Fucketh Around With Ye Olde Songs, For Nothing Must Changeth.

Thou Must Also Respecteth Ye Rap, Not To Mention Ye Hip Hop. Ye Rap And Ye Hip Hop Be Both So Serious That Thou Canst Have Fun With Them. A Cold Day In Hell It Will Be Before Britain Canst Doeth These Things Like Ye Americans.

― Acme (acme), Thursday, 18 November 2004 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

come on, tell me that Mike Love rapping thing is not real, pleassssee

― jsk baby (jsk baby), Thursday, 18 November 2004 00:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mikshake" is the worst song.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 18 November 2004 01:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Better "Ob-La-Di" than "Fool on the Hill."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 18 November 2004 07:54 (twenty-one years ago)

To listen to, that is.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 18 November 2004 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

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