The 111 Wussiest Songs of All Time (51 - 42)
| 51. 'Tutti Frutti' Pat Boone (1956) Thanks, Pat. You took all the fire and fury (not to mention rhythm and blues) out of Little Richard's seminal hit and turned it into a sanitized schmaltzfest. At least you made Richard a millionaire in the process. Listen to 'Tutti Frutti' | |
50. 'I'm in You' Peter Frampton (1977)... You're in me? Whatever sort of love affair was going on here, Frampton charted higher with this dainty single (No. 2) than any of the blockbuster hits off his previous breakthrough album, 'Frampton Comes Alive.' Listen to 'I'm in You' | |
| 49. 'Hero' Mariah Carey (1993) Even the recording academy thought this hit was too sugary for its own good. Despite the song's presence at telethons, tributes and kiddie concerts, the '95 Grammy for Pop Female Vocalist went to Sheryl Crow's 'All I Wanna Do.' Proof that fun in the sun trumps multi-octive soul-searching. Listen to 'Hero' | |
| 48. 'Just the Way You Are' Billy Joel (1977) An instant cocktail-hour classic that featured a sax solo as creamy as a chocolate mousse, this definitive adult contemporary hit made Joel the envy of all sensitive males. "Don't go changing," he sang. Then he divorced his first wife and married Christie Brinkley. Listen to 'Just the Way You Are' | |
| 47. 'Puppy Love' Donny Osmond (1972) If only he'd waited to hit puberty before branching out from the family act: Donny's first solo hit sounds like it was sung by Marie. Listen to 'Puppy Love' | |
| 46. 'Hip to Be Square' Huey Lewis (1986) Huey Lewis, an Ivy Leaguer as a graduate of Cornell University, put his pocket protector on his sleeve and tried to convince the rest of us that it's actually cool to be a goody-goody. T'yeah! It's a darn shame this song never found its way to an after-school special. Listen to 'Hip to Be Square' | |
| 45. 'Don't Give Up On Us' David Soul (1976) Before this singer-turned-actor became famous as Starsky's Hutch, he was a regular on 'The Merv Griffin Show.' Appearing as the Covered Man, he performed folk songs in a ski mask. We kid you not. Listen to 'Don't Give Up On Us' | |
44. 'Invisible' Clay Aiken (2003)After belting out power ballads with Meat Loaf-like intensity on the show, the 'American Idol' salutatorian released this bashful, watered-down single about being too timid (and, apparently, transparent) to approach his heart's true desire. Maybe this is why Clay turned to online dating. Listen to 'Invisible' | |
| 43. 'Annie's Song' John Denver (1974) This John Denver classic will fill up your senses -- and exercise your gag reflexes. It's the perfect song for swaying back and forth 'round a campfire. So, anyone up for a sing-along? We didn't think so. Listen to 'Annie's Song' | |
| 42. 'When I'm 64' The Beatles (1967) No less icky now that Sir Paul has in fact turned 64, this song is a prime example of McCartney's affection for "the old rooty-tooty music" (as producer George Martin once called it) of his father's generation. Any Beatles fanatics out there whose grandkids are actually called Vera, Chuck and Dave? Listen to 'When I'm 64' |
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