“Well, here we are, entertain us… You invited us here.”
There are certain songs where only the first note is needed for fans to lose their collective sh*ts with joy, while those providing the sound would rather be doing anything else.
It’s a strange dynamic, but it happens more often than you might think. In fact, you may be imagining one of those tunes right now that will probably appear in the list below.
So, here are eight really popular songs that their creators, for a variety of reasons, just couldn’t stand.
Oasis – ‘Wonderwall’
Noel Gallagher wrote Oasis’ two most mammoth tunes – ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ – back-to-back and when he asked Liam which one he’d rather sing, the younger sibling initially chose the latter, labelling ‘Wonderwall’ as sounding too “reggae”.
One of the most popular songs of the ’90s it may have been, but Liam loathed performing ‘Wonderwall’ live, with Noel also known to be surprised by the song’s massive chart success.
They always played it, but reluctance hung in the air throughout…
Clip via Taylorson
Radiohead – ‘Creep’
Radiohead allegedly went through a period of hating this song so much that guitarist Jonny Greenwood would try to ruin it by playing his guitar too loudly – that only helped with its appeal.
Lead singer Thom Yorke wasn’t much different, responding to a fan’s ‘Creep’ request at a live gig by charmingly retorting “f*** off, we’re tired of it”. They were also renowned for hating ‘High And Dry’, so we reckon they’re just generally repelled by quality music.
But… but… we aren’t, Thom.
Clip via Cylam
Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’
Yup, apparently that legendary man on vocals, Robert Plant, became so sick of this song after playing it solidly for nearly two decades, that it made him actually feel sick when getting around to performing the track every time.
In fact, Plant’s hatred of the song was so strong at one point that it delayed their planned one-off gig for a considerable period, before eventually, after years of waiting, going ahead in London in 2007.
Naturally, ‘Stairway To Heaven’ was performed on that famous night… the big tease.
Here is a classic version of the tune, anyway (this is quality, with Jimmy Page whipping out that famous guitar)…
https://youtu.be/9Q7Vr3yQYWQ
Clip via YeOldeRock
Beastie Boys – “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)”
Beastie Boys knocked some life into a sleepy music scene with this attention-grabbing and breath-of-fresh-air 1986 release, but the message was almost totally lost at first.
Mike D has said that the song was intended to actually mock the party culture scene in America, but many fans ended up literally embracing it.
The band like the song and all, they just wish you bloody well knew what they were actually rapping about.
Clip via TheBeastieBoysVEVO
This wasn’t the only example of a tune being misunderstood, with Manic Street Preachers’ ‘A Design for Life’ and Blur’s ‘Girls And Boys’ also lost in translation somewhere along the lines between a damning indictment of modern day culture and a big, mad session.
Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’
Between Axl Rose and Slash, one of them loved ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ and the other hated it. Who’s your money with on the disapproval stakes?
Well, if you guessed Slash, then you’d be correct. The iconic guitarist has claimed that the go-to Roses track only derived from a very loose and silly jamming session.
He even labelled the tune as “stupid”, claiming that he disliked his own guitar solo. He warmed to it throughout the years, but it took a while.
We, like many of you, liked it from the start, to be fair.
https://youtu.be/JcIM_PL8BAA
Clip via GN’R
Metallica – ‘Enter Sandman’
It may be one of the most iconic song intros in rock history, but try telling that to James Hetfield and the rest of the band when under constant fan pressure to break it out at every gig.
Unlike the Radiohead and Led Zeppelin examples, Metallica usually don’t refuse to play ‘Enter Sandman’.
Instead, when they’re in no mood to perform the 1991 classic live, the band will start the gig with it, essentially getting it out of the way and forcing every casual fan to begrudgingly stand through the rest of the show.
We admire that tactic.
Clip via Metallica and Megadeth HD
Nirvana – ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’
We recently wrote about the cultural significance of Nirvana, with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ acting as an unofficial anthem for teenage angst in the early ’90s.
The band weren’t exactly as passionate.
In fact, when Kurt Cobain first played the song to the rest of the band, they reacted with indifference. Krist Noveselic called the tune “ridiculous”, while Dave Grohl claimed that Kurt Cobain only scribbled the lyrics down five minutes or so before the trio recorded the song that would change each of their lives, beyond recognition, forever.
In truth, Cobain was only taking the piss out of starting a revolution, but off they went.
They even paid a very cheeky tribute to one of the song’s major influences with this version from Reading, in 1992.
Clip via NirvanaVEVO
The Beatles – ‘Let It Be’
The well-known troubles behind ‘Let It Be’ are so significant that you wonder whether it was all worth the hassle. Short answer; yes for the fans and no for the band.
John Lennon distanced himself from the tune, saying it was all Paul McCartney (and not in a good way) and claiming that it was just a rip-off of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, by Simon & Garfunkel.
‘Let It Be’ signalled the beginning of the end for The Beatles, with Lennon and McCartney’s constant bickering, particularly at each other’s creations, playing a major role in their eventual demise.
Here are the lads beautifully rehearsing the poignant tune (listen to Lennon’s “fucked it” at around the 1.50 mark)…
Clip via Beatlez00l
Have you any more examples? Let us know by getting in touch on our WhatsApp number 087-4001102, editorial@JOE.ie or by hitting us up on Facebook or Twitter.
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