This should be fun. I'll start. I really loved the one-hit wonder "Magic" by Pilot. Somehow - lots of people discredit this particular song. What do you think ?

Also - I feel like John Denver songs take a lot of heat...for corniness maybe ? I think they're great - but his is a very distinctive, 'mushy', or dramatic sound that's very unique.

+++ Putting On The Ritz - Taco +++

+++ Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez +++

Not my favourite but lots of people bag then ask for it, then most people get up and dance to it or sing along would be Achy Breaky Heart.

Tony

https://youtu.be/36mPbhpsas8

Jford I rest my case sir

Tony

I like those 2 also Jim...maybe we just like corny, silly songs - or maybe a lot of people have limited appreciation for good music ; )

Ha! What a great thread. There are just too many for me. Great job on the examples btw. I also really like John Denver. There is a just a feeling I get from them that, to me, seem to be echoed in how he lived his life...yet somehow was a huge music success at the same time.

I would not call these "all time favorites" but I TRULY appreciate their appeal... both of these songs have HUGE groups of detractors.

As already mentioned - and is ALWAYS the top of most lists...

Achy Breaky Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQIPdHMpjc

I was in Nashville for the aftermath of this song. It was reviled there, too, by a large majority of writers.

However...

...the song launch and defined Billy Ray Cyrus' career.

Don Von Tress made $2,500,000 from the songwriting royalties. IF you didn't notice that way... 2 and a half MILLION DOLLARS.

I would love to write something that the world would hate that much.

Most writers would do well to embrace the WHYs of "why this song 'worked'". It is commercial in all respects. Even those who say "I don't write commercial. I don't want to write commercial" would benefit from having their songs be "more commercial". You don't have to write Achy Break Heart songs, but it would be nice to add a little more "listenability" to your songs.

Even though the Nashville writer community scoffed at this, they ALL pumped out similar sounding songs from several years after this....



In similar love-to-hate fashion...

Mean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYa1eI1hpDE

Again, a song that has HUGE numbers of detractors. But, also HUGE numbers of this-is-my-favorite-song-ers...

THIS^^^^^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swG6Rry9Tss


this was on the jukebox in the school lunchroom..... a quarter gets you 3 spins..... we'd dump a buck..... 12 times......

John, you beat me to the punch on this one. I'm a big Weird Al fan.

It was the first thing that came to my mind when Tony mentioned the real song.

When I was younger I ran with a group of people who only liked underground, industrial or super gritty, edgy punk music. I did at the time too, but there were a couple mainstream songs I really enjoyed that were on the radio at the time, and I was super embarrassed any time I got caught listening to them. My friends would tease me mercilessly for it and tell me I had poor taste in music.

Luckily I have learned since then that music is incredibly subjective and that's why there is so much of it out there.