Top 20 Artists That Hate Their Own Songs

Whether they’re sick of playing them or regret writing them, the artists don’t take kindly to these hits. For this list, we’ll be looking at any tracks that musicians have reservations about. Our countdown includes Vanessa Carlton, Lorde, Radiohead, Miley Cyrus, Elton John, and more! Did we forget one of your favorite songs that performers hate? Let us know in the comments below.

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[axepagode]

Vanessa Carlton's problem is that her other songs weren't nearly as strong. Alicia Keys didn't have the Carlton problem because after "Fallin" she wrote better songs as a whole and took her fans on a journey. Even if the song didn't go to number one, the album sold extremely well.

[kblauryl]

Mandy Moore has recorded some beautiful music since her teen pop days. I saw her at a free outdoor show in Cambridge MA in 2007 after she released her record 'WIld Hope' which was lovely. There was hardly anyone in the crowd that day. Sweet as pie, Mandy excitedly askes the small gathering "does anyone have a request?!" to which someone calls out "Candy!" and her face instantly falls. "No" she says, "I mean from maybe this current record, or something from my covers album?" I felt so sorry for her in that moment. She seems like such a genuine and kind person. Every artist deserves to grow up and evolve.

[raynor]

At least Elton John didn’t refuse to play Crocodile Rock on the Muppet Show. Quite possibly the greatest all-around musical performance on the show.

[stuartsiebrand]

It hurts to hear Pat Benatar disliking Hit Me With Your Best Shot.
I used to enjoy the tune.
Selena Gomez despises Come and Get It while Demi Lovato refuses to hear Give Your Heart a Break.
At times, Avril Lavigne refuses to sing Complicated.
Ariana Grande refuses to hear Put Your Hearts Up and Bang Bang.

[jacksyoutubechannel]

I appreciate any artist who continues to play a song that they hate. It shows an appreciation for the people who make it possible for you to have a career, and a realization that -- whether you personally like the song or not -- it's still a great thing to have people who love your work.

[taiopaisley]

Noticed Elton stood up and encouraged the audience to do the rest 😂 he must have played that song 1000s of times the whoo year at the end had me in stitches 😅

[kamsismith]

Smells Like Teen Spirit. While that song has been played to death both on MTV and in the years after its release, nobody hated that song as much as Kurt Cobain. I believe he had his voice sung low during a live TV performance in the UK and he also threw his guitar in the crowd. It's a great song, but it's overplayed.

[imppaco]

It seems like most bands/artists hate that first big song. It's usually understandable, considering the amount of play they got.

[daniellambert]

#1 should be Billy Ray Cyrus "Achy Breaky Heart". He even had a show in Canada named "Doc" when he gets out of a cab and the song is playing he says "I really hate that song"

[blind_t]

I get it for Mandy. totally agree. if I did want her to do a song that she did in the past, it’s gotta be when will my life begin, or at last I see the light. her vocals really were on point there.

[mrtelevisionandmovies]

A Thousand Miles, Don’t Stop Me Now and Smells Like Teen Spirit are for me great songs. But I respect the artists who hate their own songs.

[TraceyUllmanFan]

I saw Vanessa Carlton in Omaha when she opened for Stevie Nicks, and she actually messed up one of the verses for "A Thousand Miles". She said it was the first time that had ever happened.

[josephwest]

The mention of Sinatra and growing tired of singing a song brings to mind something Barbra Streisand said in her patter on her 2010 album, "One Night Only." She talked about how, as a singer, she gets so tired of singing songs like "People" and "The Way We Were" over and over again but she says she does it for her fans. She then tells a story of being in France and going to a Jacques Brel concert and she was so thrilled because she loved his song, "Ne me quitte pas" and, he didn't sing it. She said she was heartbroken but that stayed with her: How disappointed fans will be when you as an artist don't sing their favorites and so she'll sing those old songs because she knows what they mean to the fans. (I also attended a Norah Jones concert--I think it was around the time of her second album--and the couple sitting next to me were waiting to hear her sing "Nightingale" because it had been their wedding song. And Jones didn't perform it. I didn't ask them how they felt but I had kind of hoped Norah would sing the song. And, on another note, when I saw Heart in concert a few years back, I hadn't googled to see what their tour setlist featured but I was beyond thrilled when they started playing "Dog & Butterfly"--that is probably my absolute favorite song from the Wilson Sisters. I was probably the only person who stood up and screamed in delight when the song started.)

[donaldwilson]

Debbie Peterson of The Bangles has often stated that she hates "Walk Like An Egyptian." First, she was the only member of the band that didn't get to sing on the track. Second, the management and producers really wanted to focus on Susanna Hoffs, which started to cause a riff in the band, which later caused The Bangles to break up, at least temporarily.

[crypticghost]

So Vanessa Carlton hates A Thousand Miles because everyone likes it too much

I mean, can she blame them? That song is awesome ❤
Of course, it's gonna receive more love than the rest of her songs

[michael]

Great video! I think Madonna hates Material Girl more than any other song she had because its her nickname.

[rogerrichardson]

What helps a star on the rise is a catchy melody, a catch phase, and with certain cases (Vanessa for instance) was a clever video😊 but most importantly the FANS😊❤

[sarahdeland]

I’ve seen The Who in concert, and the song Pete Townsend really hates is “My Generation”. Before they started playing it, he not-so-jokingly called it a “little piece of s•••”. It’s like, dude, that was your first hit. It put you guys on the map. Most bands would kill for a song like that. Show some gratitude!

[csabavalyi]

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy. I heard he got REALLY tired of singing that song

[alloralou]

Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders are underrated, I grew up in the 80’s and I listened to them so much!