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Munu

(83 posts) Sat Jan 3, 2026, 09:47 AM Yesterday

Attention fellow old farts! Worst popular songs of the 1960s and 1970s. [View all]

No restrictions as to genre, but it had to be popular enough to get major AM radio play.
Two categories: Schmaltz, and anything other than schmaltz.
Here are my picks. But please suggest your own.

Schmaltz:
Here's a "crossover" hit from 1968.
It's not rock and roll, but it was a big enough hit that it polluted all my favorite rock and roll stations.

Non-schmaltz:
1970. From an artist whose earlier work I admired.
Trigger warnings: Sexism, earworm (can you dig it can you dig it can you dig it can you ... )

123 replies

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Highlight:

Attention fellow old farts! Worst popular songs of the 1960s and 1970s. [View all] Munu Yesterday OP

Knock 3 times, Tony Orlando & Dawn Ferryboat Yesterday #1

Agree debm55 Yesterday #3

Twice on the pipe (klunk klunk) ... Munu Yesterday #4

OOOOOOOoooo MuseRider Yesterday #11

I had forgotten that too. MuseRider Yesterday #8

Hell yeah, Honey sucks big time. no_hypocrisy Yesterday #2

"...and I long to be with you, if only I could." quaint Yesterday #9

Thanks, that made me laugh. no_hypocrisy Yesterday #12

We always changed this" Where honey lived, and honey played And love grew up" likesmountains 52 2 hrs ago #119

Debbie Boone, You Light Up My Life debm55 Yesterday #5

Just an aside. Munu Yesterday #18

Thank you Munu. I'll look it up debm55 Yesterday #20

IIRC, this song was "supposed" to be about Jesus. So it was a religious song, not a love song. CTyankee 1 hr ago #122

Schmaltz: Jean, by Rod McKuen Gaugamela Yesterday #6

Postscript: "Groovy Situation" was INCESSANTLY playing no_hypocrisy Yesterday #7

Afternoon Delight quaint Yesterday #10

My wife and I liked this song describing our afternoon delights. rickford66 Yesterday #14

Major turnoff for me. quaint Yesterday #16

You might be interested to know (or maybe not) that the title is taken from a crab cocktail rsdsharp Yesterday #63

God, what a horrible song. NT SADAR Yesterday #50

Yuck VanceFan 8 hrs ago #103

A guy in my dorm (1966), played Mrs. Brown You Have a Lovely Daughter (repeating on his turntable) rickford66 Yesterday #13

I remember this gawd awful song from 1964 Grim Chieftain Yesterday #15

winner quaint Yesterday #17

You reminded me of "I've got tears in my ears" scipan Yesterday #60

]The Fifth Estate-Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead Doc_Technical Yesterday #19

The story behind The Fifth Estate-Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead Munu Yesterday #43

Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots Disco Duck Doc_Technical Yesterday #21

"Muskrat Love" would rank pretty high on this list. surrealAmerican Yesterday #22

Oh no. Since you reminded me of this horrible memory.., IjustDontlikeRepugs Yesterday #47

Karen had one of the greatest voices Henry203 Yesterday #55

She did have a great voice, and she died way too soon. red dog 1 Yesterday #64

She was a sweetheart. OldBaldy1701E 8 hrs ago #100

Yeah, I've Heard That ProfessorGAC 1 hr ago #121

Willis Alan Ramsey Maninacan Yesterday #67

Muskrat love had nice Chord Patterns. chouchou Yesterday #73

You beat me to Muskrat Love but I disagree with We've only Just Begun. I like it. MIButterfly 23 hrs ago #81

Barry Manilow- Copacabana Doc_Technical Yesterday #23

Oh no! Even people who hated Barry Manilow liked Copacabana. MIButterfly 23 hrs ago #79

Not me. Can't stand Manilow in general, and this song... 3catwoman3 7 hrs ago #106

To each his own. MIButterfly 6 hrs ago #116

Back atcha! 3catwoman3 2 hrs ago #120

I like Jeremiah was a Bullfrog! It's fun to sing along to. MIButterfly 1 hr ago #123

The very worst justaprogressive Yesterday #24

The pathetically inane Sugar, Sugar was the song... 3catwoman3 Yesterday #38

Prefab music! justaprogressive Yesterday #40

About "The Archies" and "The Ballad of the Green Beret". Munu Yesterday #44

It turns out the Monkees were way cooler than one would know. Henry203 Yesterday #51

then watch the movie Head DBoon Yesterday #56

The documentary Henry203 Yesterday #57

Thanks, I just ordered "Laurel Canyon" from the local library's online catalog. red dog 1 Yesterday #65

It is the epix version Henry203 Yesterday #70

The Germs did a punk cover of Sugar Sugar DBoon Yesterday #53

Ok you win hands down with the Green Beret. Biophilic Yesterday #58

From the Seventies: Dancing Queen by ABBA. Polly Hennessey Yesterday #25

I posted this years ago in another thread and I stand by it True Dough Yesterday #26

They were pretty great at Woodstock. Henry203 Yesterday #37

This message was self-deleted by its author murielm99 7 hrs ago #113

Paul Anka- Having My Baby Doc_Technical Yesterday #27

Yes! Mad_Dem_X Yesterday #32

Winner! Hated that song. JustKay Yesterday #48

Wayne Newton - Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast Doc_Technical Yesterday #28

Since "You Light Up My LIfe" has already been mentioned, I'll take "Feelings" for $200, Alex. surfered Yesterday #29

Billy Don't be a Hero. Tom Dyer Yesterday #30

Winchester Cathedral. sueh Yesterday #31

"Sugar Sugar" by the Archies was Billboard's number one song in 1969 Thunderbeast Yesterday #33

See my comment #38 above. 3catwoman3 Yesterday #39

In the Year 2525 Submariner Yesterday #34

God Bless the U.S.A. Lee Greenwood Botany Yesterday #35

Black Oak Arkansas boonecreek Yesterday #36

Here's another one. boonecreek Yesterday #41

Telephone Man cloudbase Yesterday #42

Another one I forgot. Munu Yesterday #46

I agree and disagree with some of the choices LogDog75 Yesterday #45

I agree with you about "Brandy"....I love that song. red dog 1 Yesterday #66

I know it was hugely popular, but I hated "Staying Alive," by the BeeGees. JustKay Yesterday #49

Judy in disguise with glasses. Klarkashton Yesterday #52

LMAO--I thought you were being funny about the Beatles... buzzycrumbhunger 23 hrs ago #82

Since "Honey" has already been posted, I'll add "Run Joey Run" by David Geddes. Eugene Yesterday #54

You beat me to it! subterranean Yesterday #61

nobody has posted Mcarthur Park DBoon Yesterday #59

LOL! That made me laugh. MIButterfly 23 hrs ago #83

Sorry I didn't see this before I posted MacArthur Park in reply # 69 red dog 1 9 hrs ago #96

Ohhhh noooooooooooo ..... marble falls 8 hrs ago #102

Joy to the World - Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Three Dog Night SaveOurDemocracy Yesterday #62

"Yummy, yummy, yummy I got love in my tummy" chouchou Yesterday #68

The title alone is stultifyingly inane. 3catwoman3 7 hrs ago #110

Your words are true and had me smiling chouchou 7 hrs ago #111

Richard Harris - MacArthur Park red dog 1 Yesterday #69

Beat me to it! Easterncedar 23 hrs ago #87

See my response 83 MIButterfly 23 hrs ago #88

Anything by the 1910 Fruitgum Company. GP6971 Yesterday #71

The Osmonds - Crazy Horses (1972) GreatGazoo Yesterday #72

I heard plenty of drumming, but didn't see a drummer!! Ilsa 23 hrs ago #77

Two songs already mentioned: Sugar Sugar and In the Year 2025 PufPuf23 Yesterday #74

And honest to God... some_of_us_are_sane Yesterday #75

There must be something wrong with me, FoxNewsSucks Yesterday #76

"Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)" Attilatheblond 23 hrs ago #78

Chick-a-Boom! Now there's a blast from the past! MIButterfly 7 hrs ago #108

Our 'class clown' was lamenting how other people had great songs when they graduated Attilatheblond 7 hrs ago #112

Really? Your class song was Chick-a-Boom? MIButterfly 7 hrs ago #114

We didn't pick it, but it played CONSTANTLY on the radio that spring Attilatheblond 6 hrs ago #115

I love several of these songs. But what is most interesting to me markodochartaigh 23 hrs ago #80

That is so true. Years ago, I heard a song on the radio MIButterfly 21 hrs ago #93

Don't forget this happy gem... Totally Tunsie 23 hrs ago #84

The lyrics are a little corny, but I think it's a good song. red dog 1 9 hrs ago #97

Terry Jacks Morbius 23 hrs ago #85

Agree with many of these Dave in VA 23 hrs ago #86

If I were a carpenter and you were a lady Easterncedar 23 hrs ago #89

Moon River MIButterfly 23 hrs ago #90

I had too much to dream last night bobalew 22 hrs ago #91

Iron Butterfly ABC123Easy 22 hrs ago #92

You know their nickname was Wolf Frankula 20 hrs ago #94

No way ABC123Easy 13 hrs ago #95

My Sharona - The Knack DBoon 9 hrs ago #98

Worst songs from that era: every disco tune ever made. Paladin 8 hrs ago #99

Disco Duck Faux pas 8 hrs ago #101

The Bertha Butt Boogie by the Jimmy Castor Bunch C_U_L8R 8 hrs ago #104

I've got another contender... C_U_L8R 6 hrs ago #117

I spent 3 months in Hawaii in 1976 k55f5r 7 hrs ago #105

Rubber Band Man was by The Spinners. MIButterfly 7 hrs ago #107

My 1st was "Muskrat Love" (and I like several mentioned) Mike Nelson 7 hrs ago #109

Sorry for inflicting this on everyone LogDog75 4 hrs ago #118