These Rock Tunes Took The No. 1 Spot, But Totally Tanked With Critics

The charts are a mark of validation for fans and artists alike, but they don't always get it right, at least not in the mind of critics. In the age of streaming, chart hits are easier to avoid, or at least be unaware of, but when it comes to classic rock, any No. 1 hit was sure to be fresh on the mind — for better or for worse — of any serious fan. Classics have been made at No. 1, like the iconic "Hey Jude" by The Beatles and  Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" — but not all No. 1 hits are created equal. 

We've looked back at the history of these No. 1 songs, where some have showcased the triumphs and heights of rock 'n' roll, and some have faded into obscurity, lacking the longevity and respect given to the classics. And at the time, critics got some right, and some dramatically wrong. At times they agreed with fans' skepticisms over certain tracks, but on at least one occasion, they marked an unforgettable hit as unsatisfactory. In this list, we'll take a trip back into a few hit songs that fans at the time seemed to love (or at least buy) that critics didn't feel the same about.

This rapid-fire anthem of current events soared to the top of the Billboard Top 100 in 1989, spending two weeks in the top spot. It was released in September as a single before Joel's album "Storm Front" hit shelves in October. 

A list song, uncommon usually among No. 1 hits, Joel whirls out references to celebrity and political names, historical figures  — 59 total, in fact — then-current events, and much more from the 20th century: "Birth control, Ho Chi Minh / Richard Nixon back again / Moonshot, Woodstock / Watergate, punk rock / Begin, Reagan, Palestine / Terror on the airline / Ayatollahs in Iran / Russians in Afghanistan / Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride / Heavy metal suicide." 

The jarring back-and-forths between serious events and silly topics felt natural to some fans, but didn't especially resonate with critics as the song picked up steam. Joel himself became critical of the track in the years following its release, calling it a "terrible piece of music" (via Far Out Magazine). Still it has remained a memorable moment from the iconic American singer, but Joel seems to have agreed that critics got this one right.

Strangely, this now-regarded classic — that even made lead singer Freddie Mercury's mother sad —  wasn't always thought of highly. Queen has since shouldered an impressive legacy, dominating rock fans' favorite bands and songs of all time, and they're regarded for a number of classics. But the initial reception of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was, at best, mixed. 

Its orchestral, epic soundscape is the unmistakable quality that's lent it classic status in the eyes of fans, but upon release on Halloween 1975, critics were (perhaps fairly) skeptical of the six-minute ballad with shades of whimsy and opera. Mercury's iconic vocals shone on the iconic section of the track — "Mama, life had just begun / But now I've gone and thrown it all away" — and fans quickly gravitated toward the unconventional, yet catchy, progressive rock track. 

"Bohemian Rhapsody" spent a stellar nine weeks atop the UK singles chart in 1975 and '76, debuting on Nov. 29, and remaining at the top through January 1976. Intentionally going against the grain, with distinct sections across genres, all within the same track, Queen took a big swing that paid off in the end, as the song has been remembered among the greatest rock songs of all time.  

This list would be incomplete without the inclusion of this 1985 hit, which many fans and critics alike have found synonymous with the corporatization of rock and roll. To this day, major publications in lookbacks mark it as among the worst tracks of all time, and critics of the time agreed. 

The track hit No.1 on Nov. 16, 1985, and spent two weeks at the top spot. Before reemerging as Starship to top the charts, the band Jefferson Airplane was respectably producing psychedelic-rock sounds in the 1960s, so this shift to radio-friendly music that soon blew up left much of the band's former audience behind. Initially, criticism was light, with the track even receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1986.

But its legacy quickly soured, and any favorable reviews became sparse. "We Built This City" is remembered for its seemingly random lyrics, bright synths and repetitive chorus: "We built this city / We built this city on rock and roll / Built this city / We built this city on rock and roll." Critics weren't too far off in their concerns, as the track's legacy is still that of a strange, poppy hit.