Attention fellow old farts! Worst popular songs of the 1960s and 1970s.

[Munu]

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 ... )

[Ferryboat]

1. Knock 3 times, Tony Orlando & Dawn

1st one to come to mind. A truly horrible earworm. 1970.

[debm55]

3. Agree

[Munu]

4. Twice on the pipe (klunk klunk) ...

Damn. I'd forgotten all about that one.
I'll put it here so that any young whippersnappers reading this thread can suffer too.

[MuseRider]

11. OOOOOOOoooo

that is mean!

[MuseRider]

8. I had forgotten that too.

So icky.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Hell yeah, Honey sucks big time.

[quaint]

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

Every time I heard that, I begged him to join her.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. Thanks, that made me laugh.

[likesmountains 52]

119. We always changed this" Where honey lived, and honey played And love grew up"

to "And Love threw up" when it came on the radio.

[debm55]

5. Debbie Boone, You Light Up My Life

[Munu]

18. Just an aside.

Not really on topic for this thread, but her father Pat Boone did the worst ever cover of Tutti Frutti (originally Little Richard).
I wonder if he knew what the words meant.

No. Even I am not sadistic enough to post it here, but I know it exists on You Tube.

[debm55]

20. Thank you Munu. I'll look it up

[CTyankee]

122. IIRC, this song was "supposed" to be about Jesus. So it was a religious song, not a love song.

Or that was what "some" people said at the time. Now that I think about it, it could have been just a gimmick...claim it was a religious song and more people (who were religious) would buy it, hence selling more records. IDK, if this was a real "thing." Does anybody here know?

[Gaugamela]

6. Schmaltz: Jean, by Rod McKuen

Other: Brandy by the Looking Glass

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Postscript: "Groovy Situation" was INCESSANTLY playing

in the dorms during my tenure at Sweet Briar College.

(( WAVES OF NAUSEA ! ! ! ))

[quaint]

10. Afternoon Delight

?si=gitp5RzYA_l6B4S7

[rickford66]

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

When she asked if I wanted an afternoon delight, it was great.

[quaint]

16. Major turnoff for me.

Give me a good morner.

[rsdsharp]

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

on the menu of Clyde’s bar in Georgetown.

[SADAR]

50. God, what a horrible song. NT

[VanceFan]

103. Yuck

I hate that song.

[rickford66]

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

High volume. He locked his door and went home for the weekend. I still hear that song.

[Grim Chieftain]

15. I remember this gawd awful song from 1964

"Beans in My Ears". It was so hideous, and every time I heard it, I couldn't get it out of my head.

[quaint]

17. winner

[scipan]

60. You reminded me of "I've got tears in my ears"

But it was from 1952. Found it on a jukebox in college in 1967

?si=IeDfImTnVGG2y5-n

[Doc_Technical]

19. ]The Fifth Estate-Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead

[Munu]

43. The story behind The Fifth Estate-Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead

They had a bet they could get a hit with any song, and this was the suggestion.
They won the bet.

[Doc_Technical]

21. Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots Disco Duck

[surrealAmerican]

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

So would "Let 'Em In".

But my choice for the absolute worst would be "We've Only Just Begun".


I'm not posting videos because I don't want to hear them, and I kind of doubt that anyone else wants to either.

[IjustDontlikeRepugs]

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

I’m posting this cover of “let em in” that has haunted me since childhood.

https://m.

[Henry203]

55. Karen had one of the greatest voices

And I didn’t like them at the time but I have changed over the years. Her version of Superstar is great and she is quite the drummer.

[red dog 1]

64. She did have a great voice, and she died way too soon.

She died of anorexia nervosa at age 32.

[OldBaldy1701E]

100. She was a sweetheart.

I met her about a year before she passed. Such a nice person and amazing in her talents.

[ProfessorGAC]

121. Yeah, I've Heard That

But, somehow Hal Blaine or Jim Gordon played on nearly every song they recorded.
I get why they might tour with a drummer to get her to the front of the stage, but if she was really skilled as a drummer, why would she not play on any of their records?
The only conclusion i can draw is that her chops were marginal or lower.

[Maninacan]

67. Willis Alan Ramsey

Willis wrote Muskrat Love. It is on a pretty good album imo. Captain and tenille maybe not so good.

[chouchou]

73. Muskrat love had nice Chord Patterns.

[MIButterfly]

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

So many couples had that song at their wedding back then.

[Doc_Technical]

23. Barry Manilow- Copacabana

[MIButterfly]

79. Oh no! Even people who hated Barry Manilow liked Copacabana.

[3catwoman3]

106. Not me. Can't stand Manilow in general, and this song...

...in particular.

[MIButterfly]

116. To each his own.

It's all good. Still love ya anyway!

[3catwoman3]

120. Back atcha!

Elsewhere in the thread, someone disliked one of my favorite nonsense songs, Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog. It’s often what I start singing to myself to drive out an ear worm.

And why is it that a song you like is never what gets stuck in your head?

[MIButterfly]

123. I like Jeremiah was a Bullfrog! It's fun to sing along to.

And why is that a song you like is never what gets stuck in your head - ain't that the truth!

I'm still trying to get Chick-a-Boom out of my head! LOL!

[justaprogressive]

24. The very worst

Sugar sugar

Tie A Yellow...

And the ALL-TIME LOSER

Ballad of the...

&list=RDBugBwt2ESpo

[3catwoman3]

38. The pathetically inane Sugar, Sugar was the song...

Last edited Sun Jan 4, 2026, 02:58 PM - Edit history (1)

…of the year in 1969, the year I graduated from high school. The years before and after were Hey, Jude and Bridge Over Troubled Water.

What the hell was wrong with people’s musical taste in 1969?

[justaprogressive]

40. Prefab music!

Monty Python showed it in their parody of "Yummy, Yummy Yummy"

?t=94

[Munu]

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

First there was "The Monkees", but that show died because the talent acted too much like they really were talent.

So Don Kirschner bought the animation rights to Archie, and combined the hijinks at Riverdale High with Monkees-like solving whacky mysteries. And the studio musicians were kept in the background and could be replaced at will. He also added Jughead's dog Hot Dog (who had never appeared in the comics).

Scooby-Doo was to be Hanna Barbera's ripoff of The Archies, but a lawsuit threat from Kirschner made them drop the traveling rock and roll band angle. But solving whacky mysteries was unprotected prior art.

In my estimation The Ballad of the Green Berets isn't bad as a piece of music despite the cringey lyrics.
There's a German version (not a translation) which is an anti-war song.

[Henry203]

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

They were intimately involved with the Laurel Canyon scene. Peter Tork was Stephen Stills roommate and only when Stills wasn’t chosen for the Monkees that Tork went to a tryout and got the role. Nesmith was also a real musician like Tork.

Many of the parties in Laurel Canyon was at Dolenz’s house. Tork introduced Buffalo Springfield at Monterey pop festival.

Go watch Laurel Canyon on epix. That is the best documentary on the Laurel Canyon scene.

[DBoon]

56. then watch the movie Head

Their raised middle finger to their teenybopper fans

[Henry203]

57. The documentary

On epix is great. It is Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, CS&N and everyone from the LA scene. Tork was a nudist.

[red dog 1]

65. Thanks, I just ordered "Laurel Canyon" from the local library's online catalog.

(The Monkees were underrated, IMHO)

[Henry203]

70. It is the epix version

There is another one that is not that good. This is the one.

?si=lRqI88PpMqgmsVZi

[DBoon]

53. The Germs did a punk cover of Sugar Sugar

Thankfully only 20 seconds long

[Biophilic]

58. Ok you win hands down with the Green Beret.

[Polly Hennessey]

25. From the Seventies: Dancing Queen by ABBA.

My head hurts just thinking about it.

[True Dough]

26. I posted this years ago in another thread and I stand by it

Can't stand this song:

[Henry203]

37. They were pretty great at Woodstock.

[Doc_Technical]

27. Paul Anka- Having My Baby

[Mad_Dem_X]

32. Yes!

That song makes me want to

[JustKay]

48. Winner! Hated that song.

[Doc_Technical]

28. Wayne Newton - Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast

[surfered]

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

[Tom Dyer]

30. Billy Don't be a Hero.

[sueh]

31. Winchester Cathedral.

Ugh!

[Thunderbeast]

33. "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies was Billboard's number one song in 1969

Sold more records than:

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Jimmi Hendrix
Simon and Garfunkel

...and so many more great songs.

One of the great shames of my generation.

[3catwoman3]

39. See my comment #38 above.

Definitely shameful.

[Submariner]

34. In the Year 2525

Caution: When you get to about the year 5555, you might start feel like it's coming up...

[Botany]

35. God Bless the U.S.A. Lee Greenwood

[boonecreek]

36. Black Oak Arkansas

Jim Dandy to the Rescue.

[boonecreek]

41. Here's another one.

Particularly where Sonny sings reminisce as "raymoness".

[cloudbase]

42. Telephone Man

Meri Wilson

[Munu]

46. Another one I forgot.

It was awful and also very low effort.

[LogDog75]

45. I agree and disagree with some of the choices

Agree:
You Light Up My Life - What made it bad was it was overplayed too much on the radio.
Disco Duck - Dumb Ditty reserved mainly for the Doctor Demento Show
Sugar Sugar - A nothing song
[Your] Having My Baby - Pure pabulum
The Beat Goes On - Yes, the beat goes on because it gives me a headache
Telephone Man - Sexual innuendo in place of a good song
The Ballad of the Green Berets - A rightwing song promoting patriotism and support of the Vietnam War

Disagree:
Honey - The greatest tearjerker of all time.
Brandy (Your a Fine Girl) - The song stood out from the disco and rock songs sounds of the 70s
Muskrat Love - The Captain and Tennille version is easy to listen to.
We've Only Just Begun - How in the world can anyone not love Karen Carpenter's voice on this love song
Dancing Queen - I wasn't an ABBA or disco fan in the 70s but after seeing the movie The Martian I started liking ABBA

[red dog 1]

66. I agree with you about "Brandy"....I love that song.

And Karen Carpenter did have a great voice.

[JustKay]

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

Ah - ah - ah - ah - stayin' alive, stayin' alive

[Klarkashton]

52. Judy in disguise with glasses.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

82. LMAO--I thought you were being funny about the Beatles...

… and spent way too long searching for the right video to prove you simply hadn’t seen/heard the correct version.

Judy, Lucy, whatever. This whole era was a disaster as far as radio. It’s no wonder this is the earworm my mental gymnastics veered me into in self defense:

At least *this* is fun!

?si=43e5qu4Mo9gmYLJA

[Eugene]

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

I was in middle school at the time, and classmates had a field day poking fun at it.

[subterranean]

61. You beat me to it!

I never could stand that awful song. I rarely heard the whole thing because I turned the radio off or changed the station every time it came on.

[DBoon]

59. nobody has posted Mcarthur Park

How did he manage to lose the cake recipe? He could just buy a Duncan Hines cakemix and nobody would know the difference.

[MIButterfly]

83. LOL! That made me laugh.

I hated the chorus (the cake melting in the rain thing was stupid) but I liked the verses. I didn't like Donna Summer's version at all. Richard Harris sang "After all the loves in my life, I'll be thinking of you and wondering why" which sounds like he's sadly lamenting his long lost love; Donna Summer sang "After all the loves in my life, I'll be thinking of you and I'll ask myself why" which is more like she's saying "what was I thinking being with you?"

[red dog 1]

96. Sorry I didn't see this before I posted MacArthur Park in reply # 69

[marble falls]

102. Ohhhh noooooooooooo .....

[SaveOurDemocracy]

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

Also .... Seatrain 'Song of Job'

[chouchou]

68. "Yummy, yummy, yummy I got love in my tummy"

Just thinking about it, turns my stomach into puking, puking, puking..

[3catwoman3]

110. The title alone is stultifyingly inane.

[chouchou]

111. Your words are true and had me smiling

[red dog 1]

69. Richard Harris - MacArthur Park

[Easterncedar]

87. Beat me to it!

[MIButterfly]

88. See my response 83

[GP6971]

71. Anything by the 1910 Fruitgum Company.

[GreatGazoo]

72. The Osmonds - Crazy Horses (1972)

Was banned in South Africa and France.

Check out the drummer

[Ilsa]

77. I heard plenty of drumming, but didn't see a drummer!!

No movement at all on the back row.

I think that was as "wild" as I've ever seen the Osmonds. The choreography was awful, but well-executed by the lead singer.

[PufPuf23]

74. Two songs already mentioned: Sugar Sugar and In the Year 2025

They were the two favorite songs of my first romantic girlfriend in 9th and 10th grade.

Her last name was Evans so she called me Zager.

Both songs and the nickname irritated the heck out of me.

[some_of_us_are_sane]

75. And honest to God...

I LOVE(D) ALL OF 'EM. That was MY era.

[FoxNewsSucks]

76. There must be something wrong with me,

I actually like a lot of those.

How can you not like Sugar Sugar?

Even the Riverdale version

[Attilatheblond]

78. "Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)"

is a song written by Janice Lee Gwin and Linda Martin and performed by Daddy Dewdrop. It was featured on his 1971 album

[MIButterfly]

108. Chick-a-Boom! Now there's a blast from the past!

[Attilatheblond]

112. Our 'class clown' was lamenting how other people had great songs when they graduated

Songs like Dream The Impossible Dream, Come Together, My Way.... and we had 'Chick-a-boom' He figured it did not bode well for our collective futures.

[MIButterfly]

114. Really? Your class song was Chick-a-Boom?

If true, that is hilarious! Or was he joking? If he was, it's still funny.

[Attilatheblond]

115. We didn't pick it, but it played CONSTANTLY on the radio that spring

He wasn't joking. It's usually the jester who speaks the hard truths. He did that often, but too few noticed. He was very wise & old for his age.

[markodochartaigh]

80. I love several of these songs. But what is most interesting to me

is hearing a song for the first time in half a century and remembering how it goes.

My Grandmother told me to learn as much as I could while I was young because what you learn as a child is stronger in your memory at 80 than what you learned at 79.

[MIButterfly]

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

that I hadn't heard in over 30 years and I sang right along with it, every word. I really surprised myself. It was practically automatic; I didn't even have to think about it. When the song was over, I said to myself "where did that come from?"

It wasn't even a song I particularly liked. And now I can't even remember what song it was! LOL!

Edited to add:
But if it came on the radio today, I bet I could remember all the words.

[Totally Tunsie]

84. Don't forget this happy gem...

and, IMO, anything by the Carpenters! Waaaaa, WaaaaAwaaa, Waa, Waa, Waa.

[red dog 1]

97. The lyrics are a little corny, but I think it's a good song.

After your Last Kiss video ends, the next music video is Mazzy Star's "Look On Down from The Bridge" which is, imo, a great song.

[Morbius]

85. Terry Jacks

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

[Dave in VA]

86. Agree with many of these

and no I don't care for a great number of these songs, but every time the wife and I hear one of these, it still reminds us of a time and place in our lives. We call them all, "The soundtrack of our lives."

Good and not so good.

[Easterncedar]

89. If I were a carpenter and you were a lady

Would you marry me anyway? Would you have mah bay bee?

[MIButterfly]

90. Moon River

I just never liked that song.

[bobalew]

91. I had too much to dream last night

by the electric prunes... someone gave me the album for free... in 1968 or so...

[ABC123Easy]

92. Iron Butterfly

IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA

BABY

SO BAD IT WAS GOOD

[Wolf Frankula]

94. You know their nickname was

Iron Butt.

[ABC123Easy]

95. No way

I was born in the middle 70s so never heard that.

🤣🤣🤣

[DBoon]

98. My Sharona - The Knack

hence "Knuke the Knack"

From 1979, so it is a 70s song

[Paladin]

99. Worst songs from that era: every disco tune ever made.

With one exception: Donna Summer's "I Feel Love." Gotta love her voice and the electronic skills of all those Teutonic technocrats.

[Faux pas]

101. Disco Duck

[C_U_L8R]

104. The Bertha Butt Boogie by the Jimmy Castor Bunch

So bad it’s maybe…. well, you decide.

[C_U_L8R]

117. I've got another contender...

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by The Middle of the Road

[k55f5r]

105. I spent 3 months in Hawaii in 1976

And the song that they played every half hour on every radio station was Rubber Band Man I believe. Leo Sayers. I won't post a video of it here cuz no one deserves that earworm.

[MIButterfly]

107. Rubber Band Man was by The Spinners.

[Mike Nelson]

109. My 1st was "Muskrat Love" (and I like several mentioned)

&list=RDAIPGyKGuWeA&start_radio=1

[LogDog75]

118. Sorry for inflicting this on everyone

Tiptoe Through the Tulips but Tiny Time