So far, not a single decade of pop music was devoid of crappy, annoying songs (or their versions), even those that many fans hold dear in their hearts. The 1970s is surely one of those decades a decade that is currently in high regard as far as the quality of rock/pop music. Maybe it has something to do with nostalgia, the times when some fans were in their prime or any and all of the above and other reasons,
Still, the level of annoying songs produced and released during this decade, as is the case with any other, is on par with all of them. Somehow, it seems that the mid-decade, from 1974-1977 came up with the "crop of the crap."
It might have something to do with the fact that it was the time of musical transition, prog, and hard rock reaching their limits, punk just starting to fly its wings, and disco coming to full prominence. Whatever the case, these six songs, even with their extreme level of annoyance, made it really big, even though they shouldn’t have.
Six horribly annoying songs from the 1970s
Paul Anka - “You're Having My Baby” 1974
Big names from the fifties, like Paul Anka were still around, and they were trying their utmost to reach the charts all over again, very often with some melodramatic, crooner stuff with the annoyance level turned up high. This sticky, sugary one certainly fits the bill, particularly its lyrics but it nevertheless did quite well. Maybe it was Anka’s reputation or it could actually be those lyrics, who knows.
Paper Lace - “The Night Chicago Died” 1974
Bubble gum pop was still around and Paper Lace, one of the key proponents of the genre on the European (British) side of the Atlantic, came up with their share of sticky bubblegum stuff. This one was one of the two big ones for them and one of the stickier bubblegum’s around, with yet another set of confounding lyrics, written by a duo that was never in Chicago themselves.
Morris Albert - “Feelings” 1975
Listening to this one is like drinking a lukewarm coffee with about five to seven spoons of sugar in it. It just might be the way this guy from Sao Paulo, Brazil, liked his coffee then, and it really did it for him, as it became a ‘slow dance’ staple at the time. Whatever the charm of this one, if there was any, it faded away midway through the track the first time you heard it.
Terry Jacks - “Seasons In The Sun” 1975
The proper handling of songs by Belgian songwriter/poet Jacques Brel was well done in the English language only by the greats like Scott Walker. Jacks’ version of this Brel song is a prime example of how to ruin a Brel song. It even beats to that effect the version by poet Rod McCuen, who didn’t exactly have a great singing voice himself, the man who actually re-wrote the lyrics in English.
George Baker Selection - “ Una Paloma Blanca” 1975
George Baker is one Johannes Bouwens from The Netherlands, who already made a hit with the iffy “Little Green Bag.” Yet, compared to that one, “Una Paloma Blanca” beats it, and almost anything else in its level of crappiness. It made it big at the time Spain was becoming a big summer and beach destination in Europe, this one blasting from hotel terraces for years to come.
Ricky Dees & The Cast of Idiots - “Disco Duck” 1977
Well, maybe the name of the supporting band says it all. Everybody loves a good musical joke, but this one wasn’t funny even the first time around.
Coming at the time when disco was in its prime and fans of Donald Duck and "old fashioned" cartoons at their prime too. Yet Dees, originally a disc jockey himself, obviously felt what was going to hit big at the time, so he used his chance, not to be heard of anymore later on.