These Are The 5 Worst No. 1 Hits Of The '90s
From formulaic movie tie-ins to a butchered cover of a '60s classic, we think these are the worst examples of the '90s music industry forcing slop to No. 1.
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2016
Brian Boone
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Stories By Brian Boone
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Underrated Bon Jovi Songs That Aren't As Overplayed As Livin' On A Prayer
"Livin' on a Prayer" may be Bon Jovi's most famous song, but the band has put out some lesser-known yet excellent genre-mixing and inspirational tunes.
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Top Classic Rock Artists' Most Notable Flop Songs
From Elton John's sluggish "Slow Rivers" to a not-so-epic fantasy track from Kiss, here are the flop songs that classic rock legends probably wish you’d forget.
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Barry Manilow's No. 1 Hit From 1977 Is His Saddest Love Song, Hands Down
Barry Manilow is no stranger to sappy ballads that get stuck in your head, but this 1977 hit is so weepy, you'll want a box of tissues nearby just to listen.
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'70s B-Side Songs That Outshined Their Lead Singles
The record labels had no faith in these now-classic songs by Gloria Gaynor, the Doobie Brothers, Bill Withers and more. DJs and music fans proved them wrong.
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This Wickedly Catchy Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1967
This hit song by the Monkees captures the surprise and joy of new love. It hit No. 1 in the last week of 1966 before staying there for six more weeks in 1967.
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A-Ha's Take On Me Music Video Had An Eye-Watering Budget For 1985 — And It Was Worth Every Penny
In 1985, MTV was in more and more homes, so the brass in charge of the budget for a-ha's "Take On Me" hit music video handed over a massive bag of cash.
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5 Killer Rock Anthems Born From Snoozy Flop Songs
Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, and other artists on this list turned forgettable originals by the likes of Bob Dylan and Judy Collins into hard-rocking classics.
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High School Hits From The '70s That Make Us Cringe Now
Some high school hits that were considered totally groovy in the 1970s just don't hold up today, whether they're cheesy, embarrassing, or just plain offensive.
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The Sanford And Son Theme Song Is The Catchiest Tune To Come Out Of 1972, Hands Down
The iconic "Sanford and Son" theme song is not only quirky and remarkable, but it was written by one of the most legendary music producers in the business.
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'70s Bands That Broke Up Right Before Their Fame Exploded
Whether caused by record label mismanagement, band tensions, or tragic deaths, these '70s bands fell apart before they could bask in future superstardom.
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Essential Nirvana Songs That Aren't As Overplayed As Smells Like Teen Spirit
Songs like "Sliver," "Drain You," and "You Know You're Right" are solid Nirvana songs that haven't been overplayed the same way "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has.
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The Grammys 2026 Tribute To Ozzy Osbourne Was The Killer Send-Off He Deserved
The 2026 Grammys did right by metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne, as a supergroup blasted the iconic protest song "War Pigs" in an incredible "In Memoriam" segment.
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These Are Led Zeppelin's Sappiest Love Songs, Hands Down
Led Zeppelin rarely wrote love songs, but the ones they did write were unforgettable. These tracks reveal the band’s softer side without losing the bite.
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Covers Of Radiohead's 1992 Megahit Creep That Rival The Original
An ever-changing and experimental Radiohead distanced itself from its breakout pop hit, "Creep," but that hasn't stopped other musicians from covering it.
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Elton John Predicted Queen's Biggest Hit Would Fail. His Diss Is What Made The Song Iconic
Elton John and members of Queen were friends, but John had no faith in their biggest hit. It was iconic for the same reasons John thought it wouldn't work.
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'90s Rock Icons That Tarnished Their Own Legacy
From Dave Grohl's scandal to Liz Phair's self-sabotage, here's how these ’90s rock icons damaged their own legacies and changed how fans remember them.
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Actually, Toto's Africa Isn't A Rock Classic
From pretentious descriptions of an entire continent to humdrum sounds that verge on cultural appropriation, we do not think highly of Toto's "Africa."
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The Best Rock Songs Used In Super Bowl Ads, Ranked
Super Bowl commercials go big. Some even commission iconic rock songs to add nostalgia and the cool factor to their products. These are the best yet.
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These 5 Classic Rock Songs From The '80s Are Worth A Head-Turning Amount Of Money
These hit songs from the '80s from bands like Journey and Toto managed to become even more popular in subsequent decades, generating massive amounts of money.
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These Are The 5 Worst No. 1 Hits Of The 1980s
The '80s were a great time for music, but the years were also riddled with duds that make us wonder just what record buyers and radio programmers were thinking.
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This Tongue-In-Cheek Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1976
Written partly as a response to a scathing diss track, this light-hearted love song spent five weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100.
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These Are The 5 Worst No. 1 Hits Of The '70s
The 1970s were a mixed bag. Lots of iconic music came from that decade, but some bad No. 1 hits were spawned too. Here are five of the worst offenders.
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5 Hit Songs From The '80s That Almost Didn't Get Made
These five hit songs from the '80s got so much airplay that they became definitive of the decade, but the artists weren't initially agreeable to recording them.
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These Are The Biggest Scandals To Ever Hit The Olympics
It seems like the sporting world can't get through an Olympic Games without some kind of shocking event — sometimes even a massive scandal.
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The 5 Biggest Grammys Snubs Of The '80s
From ignoring one of the greatest musicians of all time to treating an entire category as a sideshow, we've curated the biggest '80s Grammy brush-offs.
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These Are The Worst No. 1 Hits Of The 1960s
While acts like The Beatles routinely topped the '60s charts, other artists got to enjoy some time at the top too, and some of these songs are pretty bad.
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