Worst Song Ever of the Week, Volume 1

Eight stations in my hometown of Toronto. AC CHFI, hot AC/adult CHR CHUM-FM, CHR CKFM, CHR CKIS, CHR/urban CFXJ, rhythmic-leaning CHR CIDC, urban AC CKFG, LGBT-oriented hot AC! CIRR.

Now there is a Canadian content quota system for licensed broadcasters here that's probably helped Robin Thicke, a Canadian citizen through his father Alan, in the past.

But that may not even be a factor (the present song might not meet the points criteria), and it isn't determinative here. Commercial radio in Toronto was exceptionally whitebread and rhythmless before the turn of the century. The city got its first full-coverage local top 40 station only in 1999, its first urban station in 2001.

Then in the next ten years everyone kind of went crazy with these exciting new beats.

 

The music of the 60's and 70's defined generations as did the music of the 40's and 50's before them. True musical genius came forth and flourished when the music industry was open to talent. Now it's become a hodgepodge of posers that think they're great but are far from it. Unfortunately the youth of today wouldn't know good writing if it hit them in their behinds. A good song can make your spirit soar. Again there aren't that many current pop artists that have that ability and that is a cryin' shame.

 

Tell me more about the lack of bad music before 1980. onder:

[video=youtube;cd_Fdly3rX8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd_Fdly3rX8[/video]

 

I'm an 80s baby. I was never into 60s pop or rock and roll music, but I like 70s pop-folk music and some of the funkier hard rock. I also like 80s New Wave and late 80s/early 90s New Jack Swing. I mostly listen to r&b from the 90s to the early 2000s. I didn't appreciate the Neo-Soul trend of about 10 years ago until now: Erykah Badu, India Arie, Bilal, Maxwell, etc. Sigh. I love Maxwell.

 

This is like the 2010s-ironic-t-shirt of 90s songs.

This might make it admirable for being prescient! Or not.

[video=youtube;VvcohzJvviQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvcohzJvviQ[/video]

 

If we don't learn from history we're doomed to repeat it.

 

It's ironic how this is called "Best Song Ever."

[video=youtube;o_v9MY_FMcw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_v9MY_FMcw[/video]

 

I nominate this for worst song of the year.
DAY ABOVE GROUND - "Asian Girlz" (Explicit) - YouTube

If that video is pulled down, then try this.
DAY ABOVE GROUND "Asian Girlz" Music Video (clean) - YouTube

 

Dear God. I'd sentence this group to wear not-what-you-think-it-means Asian character tattoos to announce that they're talentless hacks, but they don't need any help so announcing.

 

Also some other things.

 

"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams is the song I dislike most right now. It's on the R&B charts. It's played constantly on every other radio station in my city, and it's clearly a knockoff of much better classic R&B artists like Prince and Marvin Gaye.

What's that you say, I'm plagiarizing sanantone's post from July? Well now *I* might go sue sanantone for getting in my way. As Thicke et al. are now suing Marvin Gaye's family over the allegations "Blurred Lines" rips off Gaye.

That Horrible Robin Thicke Song You’ve Been Listening To May Have Been Ripped Off (Joe Patrice, Above the Law, August 19, 2013)

 

Unless they can prove that Pharrell sampled the song, I don't think they have a case. Like quoted in the article, you can't copyright a genre or style. If that were the case, reggaeton artists would be constantly suing each other over the same drum beat. "Blurred Lines" is still my most hated radio hit of the year. My finger hits another preset button lightning fast when that song is heard.

 

I get the logic that mainstream pop has been short of harder rock for a while, and that blockbuster-film and comic-book storylines are very much of the moment, but this is just tiring.

[video=youtube;ktvTqknDobU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvTqknDobU[/video]

Come back Nickelback, all is forgiven! …What, Nickelback never left? Go away then Nickelback, you're not forgiven yet. Come back Creed maybe…

 

I like several songs by Creed. Nickelback is just annoying. I actually kind of like that song. I've gotten into dubstep the past couple of years. It's my replacement for hip hop which has been lacking in good songs for a few years.

 

Eric Clapp is a Lutheran pastor in Camanche, Iowa.

How to Talk With Your Sons About Robin Thicke (Eric Clapp, ericclapp.org, August 28, 2013)

I agree strongly. I do recognize the contextual difference that millions of girls have identified with Miley Cyrus for years and now there's this, whereas until a few months ago I don't think anyone not named Robin Thicke thought about the guy much at all.

 

[video=youtube;jofNR_WkoCE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE[/video]

Enjoy, you're welcome.

C