24 of the Most Irritating Pop Songs in Music History

Everyone has that one song that they can’t stand. It’s a tune that gets into our heads, and we can’t shake off the earworm. Before long, we’re begrudgingly humming along.

The most irritating songs usually have repetitive lyrics with no depth of meaning.

It’s all nonsense, but somehow, people keep buying these songs, and they end up as hits we can’t escape.

1. Pinkfong: Baby Shark

Lists of this kind will always be open to debate. You won’t agree with every entry, but who could argue about the tune at the top? “Baby Shark” has everything an irritating tune needs – a repetitive hook, nonsensical lyrics, and an annoying video. In a study by TVBee, the Pinkfong version of the song was voted the most irritating, and nobody’s arguing.

2. Sisqo: Thong Song

Sisqo’s “Thong Song” is referenced on many lists and is always mentioned negatively. Is it that bad? I had never heard the track, so I had to take a listen before including it as one of the most irritating songs of all time. I wish I hadn’t: All four minutes and 35 seconds of “That thong th-thong thong thong” may be stuck in my head for eternity.

3. Aqua: Barbie Girl

It’s not a homage to the Barbie Doll, and if you have the patience and resilience to follow the lyrics, you’ll understand why. “Barbie Girl” ticks all the boxes in terms of an irritating tune and repetitive lyrics sung in a babyish tone. Removing the “Thong Song” as my current earworm is its only redeeming quality.

4. Da Da Da: Trio

One-Hit Wonders Trio avoids surveys of this kind, and the compilers may have been fortunate enough to evade this 1981 track. “Da Da Da” flits between English and the band’s native German, but most of it is gibberish, in a mournful tone, that will send you to sleep if you’re fortunate enough.

5. Bread and Butter: The Newbeats

It’s another entry I wasn’t familiar with, and it wouldn’t be fair to include a tune I hadn’t heard. After heading to YouTube and taking a few minutes to calm down, I confirm that “Bread and Butter” is a worthy inclusion. The tune doesn’t change, and the lyrics are ridiculous. The good news is that it’s less than two minutes long.

6. Shaddap Your Face: Joe Dolce

A British newspaper recently asked if there was life beyond “Shaddap You Face.” The artist, Joe Dolce, lived comfortably and spoke of his broad interests, including poetry and classical music. In the interview, he describes the track as “controversial” but shows no remorse over releasing one of the most irritating songs in music history.

7. I Like to Move It: Alvin and the Chipmunks

Any song by Alvin and the Chipmunks could make this list. Record companies take cartoon characters, speed up the voices, and they have an instantly irritating hit on their hands. Their version of “I Like to Move It” is incredibly annoying, but it’s arguably no worse than Alvin’s other tracks.

8. The Birdie Song (Birdie Dance): The Tweets

The 1980s was a golden era for irritating pop songs. The beginning of the decade saw The Tweets cover a traditional folk song and provide an updated version that nobody wanted or asked for. “The Birdie Song (Birdie Dance)” has no lyrics and features artists dressed in animal costumes years before The Masked Singer was invented.

9. Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini: Bombalurina

The Bryan Hyland original is tolerable, but the 1990 remake is unbearable. Bombalurina, led by insufferable children’s TV star Timmy Mallett, covered “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and gave it a 90s club vibe. The result is even more horrific than it sounds.

10. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da: The Police

Including this song will upset a few people, but I suspect even fans of The Police might agree. Sting, the band’s frontman, was reportedly annoyed over criticism of his lyrics. There were too many ‘doos’ and ‘dahs.’ His response was to write this 1980 hit, which answered his critics while dividing music fans at the same time.

11. Crazy Frog: Axel F

“Crazy Frog” is ranked 37 in the TVBee survey but should have been much higher. It has everything an annoying song needs:

• A cartoon character leads the track.
• It’s a repetitive soundtrack.
• Lyrics that don’t make sense.

I headed to YouTube to remind myself how bad this song was, and I lasted ten seconds.

12. MMMBop: Hanson

When a song starts with the lyrics, “Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah,” it’s unlikely to be a classic. “MMMBop” doesn’t improve on that shaky opening, yet it was a global hit on release in 1997. They may have wanted to be serious musicians, but the song is often called “children’s music.”

13. Los Del Rio: Macarena

The song spawned a dance craze, but does that mask the fact that this is one of the most irritating moments in popular music? Los Del Rio gave us the Macarena, but did we have to suffer so much to learn new moves?

14. Cheeky Song: The Cheeky Girls

“We are the Cheeky Girls; you are the cheeky boys.” The “Cheeky Song” somehow reached number two in the UK charts and was a hit all over Europe. If you live in the United States, I envy you so much.

15. Long Haired Lover From Liverpool: Jimmy Osmond

If you’ve heard this 1972 hit, you don’t need me to explain why I’ve included “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool” on the list. If you’ve yet to listen, please don’t. The people of Liverpool are distraught over their association with this track.

16. Disco Duck: Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots

Any novelty song is a contender for this list, but the duck noises on this 1977 release are something else. “Disco Duck” is a crossover that nobody wanted with its funky rhythm and cartoon vocals. It attempts to cash in on the 1970s disco craze but only succeeds in annoying us.

17. The Umpire Strikes Back: Chalk Dust

The worst thing about compiling this list is that it reminded me of songs buried among my suppressed memories. “The Umpire Strikes Back” was released in 1982, referencing tennis legend John McEnroe and his reputation for bad behavior. The song was more irritating than any of McEnroe’s on-court antics.

18. The Lazy Song: Bruno Mars

I’m not a Bruno Mars fan, but I understand why he’s popular. He’s a versatile artist who crosses genres and writes catchy, hit tunes. “The Lazy Song” goes too far and changes from catchy to annoying. That whistle is now stuck in my head; nothing will shift it.

19. Vindaloo: Fat Les

Released in 1998 to coincide with the 1998 Soccer World Cup, “Vindaloo” has all the worst elements of any soccer song. It’s “British” in its construction and lyrics, so if you haven’t heard it in the US, you’re fortunate. Think of a hooligan’s terrace chant, and it’s even more annoying than that.

20. Mahna Mahna: The Muppets

Is it unfair to put a children’s song on this list? Tunes for kids are meant to be repetitive so that they can easily remember them. Unfortunately, some of those tunes become global hits, and that’s the case with this track. Whatever “Mahna Mahna” means, those are the only lyrics.

21. Who Let the Dogs Out: Baha Men

Barking dogs and repetitive lyrics will earn any song a place on this list. “Who Let the Dogs Out” uses the perfect formula for an irritating song and, once heard, never forgotten – unfortunately.

22. Love is All Around: Wet Wet Wet

A song can sometimes become irritating due to over-exposure. “Love is All Around” started as a pleasant cover, but listeners had heard enough after the song’s 15 weeks at number one in the UK. Reports claim that even Wet Wet Wet was tired of this track in the summer of 1994.

23. We’re Going to Ibiza: Vengaboys

Dutch techno duo Vengaboys won’t enjoy comparisons to Alvin and the Chipmunks, but it’s the least they deserve. Like Alvin and his gang, this artist could have seen more songs included on the list, but I’ll opt for “We’re Going to Ibiza.” It’s the most irritating and ruins the tune that inspired it – a perfectly good 1975 song called “Barbados” by Typically Tropical.

24. Fast Food Song: Fast Food Rockers

I’ve suffered while compiling this list, and I hope you have too. I may have brought terrible UK hits to a much wider audience than the tracks deserve. “Fast Food Song” is a catchy tune about all your favorite restaurants. Ironically, it also makes you want to throw up.