Crazy Frog by Axel F
Crazy Frog is one of the most baffling chart-toppers in the history of music. It’s abrasive, it’s mind-numbingly repetitive and completely meaningless. All of these things make it fun to dance to on the first listen, but the novelty gets old fast. Put on repeat, it’s the kind of song that could make a person slide down a wall tearing their hair out.
Friday by Rebecca Black
Friday by Rebecca Black is the quintessential annoying song. It was so immediately and unanimously hated that it became the most disliked video on YouTube while also being one of the most viewed music videos overall. So why does it fill people with such instant rage? It most likely has to do with the uncanny valley, autotuned vocals and vapid subject matter.
What’s New Pussycat by Tom Jones
What’s New Pussycat initially seems like a pretty pleasant song. After all, Tom Jones is a legendary vocalist and the track has none of the hallmarks of detested pop music today. There are no autotuned robot vocals, no migraine-inducing dubstep and no obnoxious or crass language. However, when the third chorus feels like the 15th and there’s half the song still to go, things are pretty dire.
Swagger Jagger by Cher Lloyd
If you put together the discographies of all the previous X-Factor finalists, you’d have a big pile of coal with not too many diamonds to speak of. However, while It’s Chico Time and Alexandra Burke’s Bad Boys both have their merits, Cher Lloyd’s Swagger Jagger is utterly devoid of charm. Head-pounding vocals, a literal nursery rhyme melody and no lyrical content make this track truly unbearable.
Disco Duck by Rick Dees
Rick Dees’ Disco Duck is a novelty song to end all novelty songs. Despite its passable beat, fun stabbing horns and infectious percussion, there’s no getting over the fact that this track makes liberal use of duck noises and features puppets in all its live performances. Science has already concluded that Donald Duck impressions are annoying in isolation, and putting a disco beat behind them makes it worse.
You’re Beautiful by James Blunt
While plenty of songs are annoying because of how loud and brash they are, many more are infuriating for precisely the opposite reason. James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful should be inoffensive with its warbling vocals and tepid instrumentation, but it’s almost more obnoxious because it pretends not to be. This song has been clowned on for decades for just one reason: it’s whiny enough to drive someone to distraction.
Cheerleader by Omi
Cheerleader by Omi has a pretty sweet message, as it aims to show how beautiful life is when you have a romantic partner who is in your corner. Unfortunately, any sincerity it could have had is drowned out by how plastic and artificial the vocals sound. It’s already grating the first time the chorus comes around, and the song is almost entirely chorus.
I’m A Gummybear by Gummibär
The early years of YouTube virality and internet musicians spat out plenty of gems, but for every treadmill-based music video or genius piece of bedroom pop, there was at least one Gummy Bear song. This inane and insane track ticks every box when it comes to sonic hallmarks that make a person see red: pitched-up vocals, relentless choruses, nonsense lyrics and a breakneck pace.
Happy by Pharrell Williams
If there’s one thing almost the entire human race agrees on, it’s that it sucks to be told to be happy when you feel miserable. So it should surprise no one to know that despite the amount of radio play it got, and all the commercials it was featured in, plenty of people’s blood pressure rapidly increases whenever they hear Happy by Pharrell Williams.
Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band
Afternoon Delight isn’t an immediate assault on the ears in the same way that other songs on this list are, but science has concluded it’s enraging nevertheless. While brash vocals and abrasive instrumentation can trigger frustration in listeners, so too can anything too sweet, saccharine or twee. Afternoon Delight definitely falls into the latter category, with its syrupy vocals and coyness that strips any sensuality from the subject matter.