Friday Random Ten

Excuse me. But we’re going to go ahead and jack Pandagon’s fantastic idea from last week to list 10 songs that have been almost completely ruined by overplay.

Here’s the rules:

1) The song in question has to be truly great.  If you had never heard it before, and you heard it for the first time today, it would have this amazing power to move you.  Songs that are tired because they sound dated or songs that were never that great to begin with don’t make the list.

2) They are truly done to death.  You would never play them while DJing, even if everyone was in the mood for a beloved song, because they are that tired.  You wouldn’t sing them at karaoke, for the same reason.  They have no more fascination left.  Overplay has robbed them of something essential.

Simple, right? Ok, here’s our list:

1.”Rehab” by Amy Winehouse (Alisa)

Amy Winehouse – New Music – More Music Videos

2. “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye (Jamelle)

3. “This Woman’s Work” by Maxwell (Slb)

4. “Single Ladies” by Beyonce (Brokey). Can you believe this song has been viewed more than 81 million times? Wow.

5. “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys (Monica)

6. “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill (G.D.)

7. “Poison” by BBD (Shani-o)

8. “99 Problems” by Jay-Z (Blackink)

9. “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey (Brokey)

10.”And I Am Telling You” by Jennifer Holliday (Slb). Which was actually nominated twice.

Honorable mentions: “Fallin'” by Alicia Keys; “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell; “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi; “Ignition (remix)” by R. Kelly; “Since You’ve Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson; “P*ssy Control” by Prince; and anything by Beyonce.

Feel free to add your own nominations. But with the volume turned all the way down.

Have a great weekend!

Joel

Joel Anderson —blackink —  writes about sports, politics, crime, courts, and other issues far beyond his competence at BuzzFeed. He has worked at media outlets in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Atlanta and contributed to a number of publications, including The Root and The American Prospect, among many others.

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  • Grump

    How is “P*ssy Control” overplayed?
    If anything by him is overplayed, its “When Doves Cry”

  • Scipio Africanus

    – “Isn’t She Lovely” by Steveland Morris

    – “Before I Let Go” by MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly

    – “Scenario” – by A Tribe Called Quest

    – That song in the club that uses Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm” beat, but it’s a bunch of guys singing, and the big first lyric is “I WAS AT 233RD AND WHITE PLAINS, ME AND MY BOYS, WE WAS RIDING THE TRAIN, I SAW YOUOUOUOUOUOU.”

    • OMG Africanus – The 233rd and White Plains song KILLS ME DED!

      D-E-D DED!! THAT SONG STINKS AND IT IS PLAYED ALL THE EFFING TIME!

      I would also like to add Kiss by Prince is the way that is overdone to death, way more so than When Doves Cry or P&ssy Control.

  • Nice Friday afternoon list. I’ll play.

    “Before I Let Go” is way too important to me to ever get played out. 😛 Everytime they play “When Doves Cry” I wish they were playing “Adore” right before I change the radio. Anything by Beyonce yes.

    1. “OPP” Naughty by Nature
    2. “Roots and Culture” Shabba
    3. “H to the Izzo” PacMan
    4. “You oughta know” Alanis
    5. “Never gonna give you up” Barry (3 kids later, I’ve had enough)
    6. “Me, Myself and I” De La
    7. “Rumors” Timex Social Club
    8. “Lean on Me” Bill Withers
    9. “Family Affair” Mary
    10. “Gypsy Woman” Crystal Waters

    • blackink12

      I can’t believe “Lean on Me” didn’t immediately pop into my head. But then again, the question: Is it truly a great song?

  • Val

    Anything from Sade’s first two albums.

    Your Love is King
    Smooth Operator
    Hang on to Your Love

    Never as Good as the First Time
    Sweetest Taboo
    Is it a Crime

    I’m so glad Sade has a new album coming out.

  • Val

    And how did Beyonce’s Single Ladies make the list? I thought the song had to be truly great?

  • nichole

    “vogue” madonna
    “it ain’t over till it’s over” lenny kravitz
    “beat it” michael jackson
    any version of “i’ll be there”
    “caught out there” kelis
    “ms. jackson” outkast
    “crazy” gnarls barkley

    borderlines:
    “inside my love” minnie riperton
    “adore” prince (and i LOVE prince so much i thanked him during my HS graduation speech)
    “fly away” lenny kravitz
    “hey ya” outkast
    “roses” outkast

    • blackink12

      Oh, Nichole. You reminded me “Billie Jean.” Damnit.

  • Someone asked me how “Hey Ya” didn’t make the list and I had to be honest, I do not know.

    • i couldn’t have nominated “Hey Ya.” i still play it at least once a week. *sigh*

    • blackink12

      I think it’s fair to ask whether “Hey Ya” is legitimately a great song. Like G.D., I never really got the hype. But “Prototype,” yes.

      • Uh, #cmonson. Hey Ya is totally genius. (And Prototype was overrated.)

        • blackink12

          I can’t even fathom someone saying “Prototype” is overrated and in the same breath say “Hey Ya” is genius. That’s just wild to me.

        • I’m with Blackink on this one – Hey Ya was cute for 2 weeks; Prototype is a truly beautiful song where, I swear, Andre is channeling his own personal Jimi/Prince moment at the end.

          An it gives me a hint of Voyage to Atlantis as well. Now that’s a DAMN GOOD SONG!

  • Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
    Lots and lots of Prince, but esp “Raspberry Beret,” “Kiss,” and “I Would Die 4 U”
    Blackstreet, “No Diggity”
    Missy Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On”
    Blur, “Song 2”
    Living Colour, “Cult of Personality”
    Thin Lizzy, “The Boys Are Back In Town”

  • April

    Wait, how does anything by Beyonce qualify? She doesn’t meet criterion #1!

  • Seth in LA

    As I was reading this, I was thinking, “Empire State of Mind” better be on this list.

    I’m not sure that I agree that any song is ever permanently on this list. Truly great songs can be done almost to death, but it seems to me, if they are truly great and you can avoid hearing them for a couple years, they be reborn. Let’s Get It On, for example may have qualified, but I don’t hear it that often now, so, I think it can be great again.

    I never got tired of Poison and now hear it so rarely that it is still a special occassion for me when it turns up on the radio.

    Ms. Jackson is the other song that list seems to have been created for. However, I’m pretty sure that I’ve heard Hey Ya more times, but it still tickles me.

    The Gnarls Barkley Crazy made the list early for me (as opposed to the Patsy Kline Crazy which still gives me chills), but if you want to love it again, check out this cover by Alice Russell:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjYYgbrW7xw

    The song that should have made the list for me years ago, was Oye Como Va, but I still pound the steering wheel whenever it comes on.

  • keke

    Hard Knock Life–Jay-Z
    On & On–Erykah Badu
    Sexy Back–Justin Timberlake

    those songs make the list for me. I still bang Empire State of Mind, so I can’t cosign that pick….yet

    I agree with those who have pushed back against Beyonce. Her songs aren’t great and they tend to grow on me because they are played to death. I don’t really care for her songs on the 1st listen, well except for Baby Boy ft. Sean Paul, that song was hot.

    Speaking of Sean Paul, are any of his songs great enough to make the list? They are extremely popular but are they great? I gotta think on that.

    And yes Hey Ya! is awesomely great and I still listen to it throughout the week! Prototype is very overrated but I know many men who love that song.

    Speaking of many men….In The Club–50 Cent is a legit pick for the list as well.

  • I had a different take on this list at my old blog, called Function Hall Anthems I Hate, which is all those songs played at weddings, sweet 16s, proms, etc. that just make me want to gouge out my eyes while everyone else squeals and gets psyched. These would include:
    It Takes Two, Rob Base
    You Shook Me All Night Long, ACDC
    Dancing Queen, Abba
    I Will Survive
    YMCA (Although this one has kind of fallen off the map, finally)
    Celebration, Kool & the Gang
    We Are Family, Sister Sledge
    Shout, Isley Brothers

    Also, Jump Around.