People will tell you that there are “good” songs and “bad” songs.
But who can judge me if I say I’m a Rebecca Black Friday fan? It’s catchy, fun and relatable. And factual: after all, we all have to go home on Friday.
Of course, knowing all the words to so-called goofy pop ballads is an achievement that comes with its fair share of shame.
Not anymore! 2022 is the year to own it. So I asked the ABC Everyday crew to tell me about the most embarrassing song they still like anyway.
“I’m a sucker for a British boyband”
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As a teenager, I ridiculed my friends for shutting down One Direction. But then I fell in love with McFly – hard.
They were famous about 10 years before I “discovered” them, mostly in the UK. Their album “Greatest Hits” was the first I got into.
One of my favorite songs was Star Girl. I wholeheartedly believed that the line “Hey, there’s nothing on earth that can save us, when I fell in love with Uranus”, was incredibly funny and clever. I even planned to get a “Galaxy Defender” tattoo when I turned 18.
Star Girl is dorky, rocky, and fun. Even now I can’t hear it without singing. Of course, it’s cringe. And of course no one else in Australia has ever heard of it. But it still gives me an instant mood boost, like I’m surfing the sun as it begins to rise.
-Rachel
“There’s a lot of hate for this earworm”
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We like to party. We love, we love to party.
If you don’t respond to that battle cry by immediately donning your 90s crop top and sequined cowboy hat and jumping onto the dance floor, then I suggest you seek therapeutic intervention immediately because I am personally concerned. for your ability to love, laugh and LIVE.
YES there’s a lot of hate for the stickiness of this earworm, but whose heart isn’t warmed by a bit of childhood nostalgia?
There’s just something so comforting about knowing that yes, the Vengabus is coming. Don’t think too much about it: if you like to party, just get on and get your body moving.
– Genevieve
“Every song is a wave of positivity”
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If I ever feel flat, nothing picks me up faster than the Rocky IV soundtrack.
Each track is an outpouring of positivity and affirmation in the face of insurmountable odds, the crown jewel being Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.
This playlist is so over the top that consecutive songs will repeat the same themes just to punch them into your brain. Burning Heart is followed by Hearts on Fire, then later One Way Street follows No Easy Way Out.
It’s perfect for studying, cleaning or doing your taxes. Play it in your car, and even a drive to the post office will feel epic.
-Christian
“Savage Garden taught me to believe in karma”
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I’m the boy who never stopped loving social music in school.
Choosing my most embarrassing song is like asking a parent to choose their favorite child. It’s really hard for me to choose. I love them all equally.
But I think Savage Garden’s Affirmation takes the cake. Because “I believe junk food is so good because it’s bad for your health.”
The claim is particularly embarrassing to me because I loved the song so much.
Looking back, I don’t know if that’s how you make friends. But if Savage Garden has taught me anything, it’s that I believe in karma – what you give is what you get.
– Luke
“The songs are anchored in my subconscious”
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Most car trips to daycare with my two young children result in one or the other of two song requests: anything from The Wiggles or Baby Shark.
As a result, the songs are so ingrained in my subconscious that I find myself singing said songs (on repeat) even when my daughters are no longer in the car.
Baaaaby shark doo doo, doodoo, doodoo… It’s in your head now, isn’t it?
-Amanda
‘No regrets’
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What makes a song “awkward” to like is entirely subjective, and I have no shame in admitting it. Yes, I love The Tide Is High by Atomic Kitten.
It’s a catchy, sweet, catchy pop song with the decidedly sinister tone of a girl chasing someone despite no sign of reciprocal interest (“All the girls want you to be her man/But I I’ll wait here until it’s my turn”).
Wrapped in the latex, blonde streaks and chap stick aesthetic of its time that only recently came back into vogue – hearing Tide Is High reminds me that I’m a teenager again, without any angst.
It also reminds me of the time I saw them play, alongside B*Witched and S Club 3 (downgraded from 7 due to fewer bands), at Sydney’s Luna Park in 2017. No regrets, 10 /10.
-Farz
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