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iPod guilty pleasures

It’s only Wednesday, but we’re gonna have some Friday-grade fun anyway. I found this iPod guilty pleasures article wherein folks confess the most embarrassing songs on their iPods. Britney, the Carpenters, New Kids on the Block, and Air Supply are all mentioned. I don’t have it in front of me, but my iPod contains the likes of White Town (Your Woman), some post-Thriller Michael Jackson, White Zombie, Guns and Roses, and a bunch of trance that’s probably pretty cheesy and non-credible. After reading the article, I’m gonna have to put some Ace of Base on there at some point as well. How about you? Any dirty little secrets on your smooth white machine?

Reader comments

f5Sep 15, 2004 at 2:39PM

I have 3 Jerky Boys tracks on mine.

RobertSep 15, 2004 at 2:40PM

I have an RNC speech.

KimberlySep 15, 2004 at 2:42PM

Yes to New Kids on the Block. I was a big fan back in my teen years and their songs still make me smile. Yes to Britney as well. I have some Barry Manilow on there, one Debbie Gibson song, and...

and...

EternalFlamebytheBangles.

There, I said it. Actually, my whole 80s playlist would qualify as a guilty pleasure!

Dan CederholmSep 15, 2004 at 2:43PM

ABBA, Journey and Tears for Fears. Oh, and some prank call involving a woman claiming to an auto body shop that a "turd" had been placed on the backseat of her car. *shrug*.

AlexSep 15, 2004 at 2:44PM

The Carpenters: "We've Only Just Begun."

For a 25 year old heterosexual male, that's a bit embarassing.

MikeSep 15, 2004 at 2:46PM

I've queued up the likes of Journey, "Runaway" from Bon Jovi and Aldo Nova's "Fantasy."

keithSep 15, 2004 at 2:47PM

Nazareth, "Hair of the Dog."

Now you're messin with a SON OF A BITCH!

GeorgeSep 15, 2004 at 2:48PM

I've simply labeled the folder on my iPod "Cheesy Tracks" and that lets me off the hook by acknowledging that the contents are, indeed, crap. But don't tell Right Said Fred that!

MattSep 15, 2004 at 2:50PM

the most embarrasing stuff in my /music archive folder: 3rd Bass, Alice in Chains, Buckner and Garcia, Color Me Badd, Justin Timberlake, Lynryd Skynryd, MC Hammer, Sir Mix-a-lot, and cuts from the movies The Three Amigos and Joe vs. the Volcano.

DavidSep 15, 2004 at 2:52PM

"Toxic" by Britney Spears.

MattSep 15, 2004 at 2:52PM

Oh, I forgot I added Journey and Boston to the iPod. I can't believe how much I still un-ironically enjoy the Boston album. A friend heard it cranking in my car as I pulled up the other day, asked "what in the hell was that?" and when I put it on, said "wow, I actually still like this."

spygeekSep 15, 2004 at 2:55PM

If I had to pick one...The Best of the Monkees.

What's interesting to me is that I'm more embarassed to have "Hey Ya" on my iPod than most of ELO's catalog. (and I'm only 30)

webSep 15, 2004 at 3:06PM

I have a little diddy called "Chumba-wumba" by the Tub Thumpers.

*hangs his head in shame*

Sad, I know.

webSep 15, 2004 at 3:07PM

Maybe worse ... "Ice Ice Baby"

Kick it.

MerlinSep 15, 2004 at 3:08PM

"Don't Give Up on Us, Baby," by Mr. David Soul and "Year of the Cat," by Mr. Al Stewart.

Anil DashSep 15, 2004 at 3:09PM

I am not embarrassed by any of my music collection. That being said, almost anybody else would be mortified to carry around Martika rarities, obscure Carmen Electra songs, Al B. Sure tracks, a dance remix of the Outfield's "Your Love", a live Rick James concert, an entire EP of P.M. Dawn remixes, both versions of Sisqo's "Thong Song", Rob & Fab's "comeback" single, representative songs from each of Hammer's studio releases, Tom Hanks and Dan Ackroyd performing "City of Crime" from Dragnet, every known remix of Color Me Badd's "Sex You Up", and "Popcorn" by Hot Butter.

Most of my music collection is on a server that's offline right now, or else I'd have some significantly worse music to offer. But still, I am not afraid.

JeremiahSep 15, 2004 at 3:10PM

Something called "The Wiener Dog Polka" by a group called Polkacide. There's probably a lot more, but they don't strike me as being embarrassing. Heh. Oh, yes, and I do have Britney's "Toxic," too (although that is kind of embarrassing). I mainly listen to people like Elliott Smith and Iron and Wine, though.

LalitreeSep 15, 2004 at 3:17PM

Merlin! Al Stewart should not be a "guilty" pleasure at all. Al Stewart is cool. And not in an ironic re-examination of past pop hits way, either!

AlexSep 15, 2004 at 3:17PM

The Carpenters - Gold/Greatest Hits not to mention a few songs by Chicago, Britney Spears and assortment of J Pop ;) Just hit >> every time anything like that comes up on the shuffle ;)

scottandrewSep 15, 2004 at 3:20PM

Phil Collins. Both late Genesis and early solo stuff. Including "Against All Odds" from the White Knights soundtrack.

I also have Slayer's Reign in Blood which is kind of fun on shuffle mode when it pops up after Death Cab For Cutie or Nellie McKay.

Chris HuffmanSep 15, 2004 at 3:21PM

Boston
Duran Duran
Easy E
Neil Diamond

scottandrewSep 15, 2004 at 3:23PM

Oops! "Against All Odds" is from the soundtrack of the film with the same name. I was thinking of "Separate Lives," the duet with Phil and Maryln Martin.

Which I also have on my iPod.

Joe MullinsSep 15, 2004 at 3:25PM

Snow - 12 inches of Snow

I know it's sad, but I still love that album.

MattSep 15, 2004 at 3:25PM

What's really embarassing is... I don't have an iPod. I fear I will never be "with it".

Lester NelsonSep 15, 2004 at 3:26PM

Michael Jackson's "Ben" and DC Talk's "2 Honks and a Negro"

fluffySep 15, 2004 at 3:27PM

Sean Paul - Get Busy (single).

Way too much music from Dance Dance Revolution and Para Para Paradise.

Billy Joel - The Stranger (album).

DH.Sep 15, 2004 at 3:30PM

Sesame Street Fever. I had it as a child, and now I get this goofy grin on my face when my iTunes randomly shuffles it in.

Ah, Jim Henson, you kill me.

CorySep 15, 2004 at 3:32PM

These I can't help but sing along to:

Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim
Make Me Lose Control by Eric Carmen
Hulkamaniac by Hulk Hogan
Superbowl Shuffle by the '85 Chicago Bears

Dave M.Sep 15, 2004 at 3:33PM

50+ Doctor Who Audio Drama's :)

NatalieSep 15, 2004 at 3:33PM

I have An awful lot of Europe on mine. And Barry Manilow and John Denver. And my favorite song from when I was two years old, Helen Reddy's "Delta Dawn". And one T. Rex song because it was so beautifuly ludicrous that I had to have it ("Ride A White Swan").

Beau.Sep 15, 2004 at 3:33PM

I want to have all of these songs on my iPod right now. What an amazing playlist this would make.

JasonSep 15, 2004 at 3:34PM

15 episodes of "Car Talk" with Click and Clack

gwenSep 15, 2004 at 3:38PM

"Remember the Time" is one of my faves.

I'm not ashamed. Don't you be.

Jason CosperSep 15, 2004 at 3:42PM

i don't own an ipod yet. i've got the fund set aside for one tho. and the second i get one, i'm unashamedly loading the following guilty pleasures:

the ataris, "boys of summer"
beach boys, "god only knows"
biz markie, "just a friend"
everclear, "santa monica"
freur, "doot doot"
pat benetar, "love is a battlefield"
salt-n-pepa, "push it"
trio, "da da da"

Paul RoubSep 15, 2004 at 3:43PM

Well, let's see.

A bunch of Kiss demos.

First Meat Loaf album.

Donnie Iris - "Ah, Leah"

Various early McCartney and Wings tunes.

And I have the "Freaky Friday" soundtrack on there for when the kids are in the car, but it's not like I don't shuffle it in and sing along when they're not. Except for the Ashlee Simpson song, which was deleted because even my five-year-old couldn't stand it.

PJSep 15, 2004 at 3:47PM

The Governator's Speach from the RNC

RafeSep 15, 2004 at 3:50PM

Was AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" playing as I read this post? Yes it was.

HarrySep 15, 2004 at 3:56PM

When I'm feeling down, I cue up the "It's Our Time" speech from Goonies. But I'm not embarrassed by that. Embarrassing would be "Vice" from the Miami Vice soundtrack... actually, to be honest, I have the whole soundtrack.

craigSep 15, 2004 at 4:03PM

Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme doing a cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun"...a guilty pleasure if there ever was one.

leeSep 15, 2004 at 4:04PM

stryper - soldiers under command
ripped from the white vinyl edition with scratches, pops, and all

J.D. RothSep 15, 2004 at 4:05PM

ABBA, ABBA, and more ABBA.

Not only do I have all ABBA's big hits, but I have plent of album tracks I can remember my parents playing when I was a kid ("The Piper", "Angel Eyes", etc.)

Best of all, though: ABBA covers. All the ones you already know, and many you've never heard of. I've got an entire playlist of just ABBA-related material.

And you know what? I play the list all the fucking time.

ABBA just puts me into a great mood.

Kevin FoxSep 15, 2004 at 4:07PM

Hit me baby, one more time

ChadSep 15, 2004 at 4:09PM

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite
Stu Hamm - The Urge

Those are definitely the worst.

Ben SaundersSep 15, 2004 at 4:10PM

Anastacia's 'Youll Never Be Alone' and, er, the theme tune to The A-Team...

MarcusSep 15, 2004 at 4:12PM

I've only just got my iPod, but already it's synchronised my entire music collection and with it that track by Joey out of Blossom, "Don't It Make You Feel Good" by Stefan Dennis (TV's Paul from Neighbours) and William Shatner's timeless cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

kenSep 15, 2004 at 4:12PM

Oh yeah! I absolutely need to get me some o' that Donnie iris!

I fear that my wife will come across Lady Marmelade by Patti Labelle in my iTunes.

P. McCarthySep 15, 2004 at 4:19PM

"Heat Miser" from the Animated Rankin and Bass holiday special - Year Without a Santa Clause!

steve bSep 15, 2004 at 4:31PM

OK...
Olivia Newton-John, Kenny Rogers, Carpenters, King Diamond, Girlschool
and right now, "How Deep is Your Love?"


Lars UrlichSep 15, 2004 at 4:38PM

'Genie in a Bottle', which I got off this thing called Kazaa. It's great, I also found some Bell Biv Devoe and a nice ballad by that band with the one armed drummer...man is he ever good.

Buzz AndersenSep 15, 2004 at 4:44PM

I think the best candidates would be:

- Andy Williams' "Moon River"
- Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious"
- Kansas' "Carry on Wayward Son"

I have lots of other stuff that other people might be tempted to appreciate only ironically, but which I am dead serious about liking (TLC's "Creep," Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper", Burt Bacharach's "What the World Needs Now Is Love").

Buzz AndersenSep 15, 2004 at 4:45PM

Oh--also "Three is a Magic Number" from Schoolhouse Rock, which is actually a great song!

Lazlo NibbleSep 15, 2004 at 4:48PM

My least defensible iPod contents are probably the two Kids Of Widney High albums, the Ultimate Hall & Oates best-of, the Japan-only Jesus Jones rarities collection and D-Day's "Too Young To Date" 45. But that's only because I haven't encoded all my vinyl yet -- Will Powers, Ebn-Ozn and a stack of Re-Flex 12"s are all waiting in the wings.

Jason, don't feel guilty about "Doot-Doot". Freur's entire debut album is a masterpiece.

jkottkeSep 15, 2004 at 4:48PM

Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper"

I'm going to preempt everyone here in saying that this could use more cowbell.

DanSep 15, 2004 at 4:48PM

"Highway To The Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins

John NickSep 15, 2004 at 4:54PM

The deadly jingle from Scarborough Hyundai.

And Arab Strap covering AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night." I want to love it, but I just can't.

GregSep 15, 2004 at 4:57PM

2Pac - California Love (featuring Dr Dre), Changes, Hit ‘Em Up & Until the End of Time
I think Tupac is a weak MC, but I can’t help myself

50 Cent - In Da Club
Same as Tupac, weak MC but the song was everywhere and I couldnt help myself

The Atari’s - The Boys of Summer
It’s a good cover song

Avril Lavigne - Both CD’s
I’m sorry... I’m really really sorry

Bachman Turner Overdrive - You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Classic Rock cheesiness

The Blue Collar Comedy Tour
Redneck humour... Git-R-Done!

Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk CD
Yeah, they sold out, but I still like it

Bloodhound Gang - Hooray For Boobies CD
So childish it’s unbelievable, and I love it

Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time, Toxic & Oops! I Did It Again
I know I should hate these, but I don’t... Toxic especially

C.W McCall - Convoy
This here’s the Rubber Duck and I’m about to put the hammer down...

Dixie Chicks - Top of the World Tour CD
I confess to not liking the Dixie Chick til I heard their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide, now I’m hooked

Josie And The Pussycats Soundtrack
Again, another I’m programmed to hate, but I don’t

Limp Bizkit - All the CD’s
Yeah, I still like Limp Bizkit, so what?

Paula Abdul - Straight Up
Hard NOT to like...

Shania Twain - Come On Over & Up! CD’s
I hated country before I came to Georgia, now I can’t get enough, so add Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Terri Clark to this list too

Ween - Piss Up A Rope
Just a great song...

ThomasSep 15, 2004 at 5:07PM

I think I've got about 50% of what everybody else has just said.

I'll go sit in the corner.

Andrew CoffeySep 15, 2004 at 5:11PM

The Wiggles - Big Red Car

It's all part of the deal when you have a 2 year old son.

Roderick HowardSep 15, 2004 at 5:17PM

Nelly - Country Grammar
Digital Underground - Humpty Dance
Sean Paul - Any of his songs

Michael MalcangioSep 15, 2004 at 5:17PM

At this point I'm fascinated by what people are considering as guilty pleasures - Beach Boys circa Pet Sounds? It's arguably one of the greatest albums of all time - no one should feel guilty about having that on their iPod.

Now ... Manilow, ABBA, Neil Diamond, NKOTB - those are guilty pleasures. Sadly I must confess to all them (and more) making cameo apperances on the iPod at one point or another.

shanecavanaughSep 15, 2004 at 5:21PM

Eh, an Alizee song. I might not go screaming from the rooftops about the three Prince tracks I have, but it's not a guilty pleasure. Also the Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head sung to the music of New Order's "Blue Monday" is both embarrassing and nerdy, respectively. That's about it though. I should mention I only have a 5GB iPod. This comment probably would have been more entertaining otherwise.

annetteSep 15, 2004 at 5:39PM

Three Hall and Oates songs.

Andrew KSep 15, 2004 at 5:42PM

G'n'R is not embarrassing. What's embarrassing is that you classify G'n'R as embarrassing, because they, in fact, rock to the tip top. "Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle baby. You're gonna die!"

SteveSep 15, 2004 at 5:46PM

I've got the cheesy hair metal band Cinderella with Somebody Save Me

Appropriate song title I would think.

Anthony LuceroSep 15, 2004 at 5:47PM

Toto - Hold the Line
Macho Man Randy Savage - Be A Man
And the "Salute Your Shorts" theme song. I doubt anyone here watched that Nickelodeon show. It was genius.

I also do have the Arnold pranking Gateway Jerky Boys mp3. That too is genius.

Richard EarneySep 15, 2004 at 5:49PM

>re: web says: I have a little diddy called "Chumba-wumba" by the Tub >Thumpers. *hangs his head in shame*

Is it more embarassing to know that it is really Tub Thumping *by* Chumbawumba!!!!

Other than that Billy Joel, Glass Houses!

And all you ABBA fans - there is nothing to be ashamed of!!!

tinistaSep 15, 2004 at 5:52PM

"The Dukes of Hazzard" theme song, "Good Ole Boys." Yee haw!

Jordon CooperSep 15, 2004 at 7:03PM

"The Simpsons Sing the Blues" and some Tom Jones.

Adrian LeeSep 15, 2004 at 7:28PM

What's wrong with White Town - Your Woman?! that was a great tune :D A one hit wonder perhaps, but a great song nonetheless.

Not sure about my digital collection, but there are a few horrors in my CD Collection, a B*Witched CD for example. As that kind of pop goes, pretty good, but compared to some of the brilliant other stuff I've got, hmm, not really upto standard and pretty cheesy. Some similarly cheesy trance/dance stuff, Sash being the main one there. I'm pretty ashamed of the Darkness album too. I'm sure that comment won't be popular with a lot of people, but I really am not impressed by them!

TayBridgeDisasterSep 15, 2004 at 7:41PM

"Don't Leave Me This Way" Thelma Houston
"Brandy, You're a Fine Girl" Looking Glass

and tons of ABBA, but I'm not ashamed

Buzz AndersenSep 15, 2004 at 8:05PM

Oh yeah--I third the recognition of "Your Woman." That's a great song!

Shamed in ChicagoSep 15, 2004 at 8:31PM

I'm also gonna have to admit to having the Hall & Oates Greatest Hits on mine. I don't think it explains or makes the situation any better by also admitting that Hall & Oates was the first "rock" concert I ever went to. With my parents.

My only defense is that I have it on "long-term loan" from a former co-worker.

Yeah, that's pretty lame. I'm gonna have to delete that.

Tom CSep 15, 2004 at 8:35PM

"Take on me" - a-ha
"Love Missile F1-11" - Sigue Sigue Sputnik [Ferris Bewler's day off]

BethSep 15, 2004 at 8:43PM

Here's another one for Hall & Oates' Greatest Hits. Also Duran Duran's Greatest Hits. Also "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey, and, um, "Careless Whisper" by George Michael.

justinSep 15, 2004 at 8:47PM

my cheesiest has to be "peaches - fuck the pain away"

seriously folks...i'd say that i'm not too proud of some of my 311. and that is simply because they're one of the cheesiest bands out there.

cftSep 15, 2004 at 9:28PM

cowbell... don't fear the reaper...
uh, you hit a long dormant memory there, please put me
out of my misery and spell out the connection. It's killing
me. No, really. I can't work until I remember this.

Mine:
Concrete Blonde - all of them, most especially "Joey"
Goo Goo Dolls - "Slide"
Ice T - "Rhyme Pays"
Sneaker Pimps - "6 underground"
And then there's the Tito Puente. I'm not erasing that, even if
I can only play it by myself in the car.

marthaSep 15, 2004 at 9:51PM

The song "99 Problems" by Jay-Z.

the absurdistSep 15, 2004 at 9:54PM

various video rips from Canadian Idol.

shame on me. shame shame shame.

SusanSep 15, 2004 at 10:12PM

Tubthumping is pretty high on the guilt list, as is Adam Ant's Goody Two Shoes, Golden Earring's Radar Love and Ram Jam's Black Betty. But topping the list is I Touch Myself by The Divinyls. Auditory porn. Especially embarrassing when it comes up on shuffle play while driving with my teenage daughters.

MarkSep 15, 2004 at 10:48PM

Ok everyone. I just posted an iMix on the Apple iTunes store that currently has 72 songs from these comments. I did my best to come up with the version of the song mentioned (live, original artist, cover, etc). Where only an album was mentioned, I did my best to pick one song to represent. Some artists are represented multiple times. Feel free to send me edit: markmangano AT mac dot com. Enjoy! -- Mark

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPublishedPlaylist?id=117090

drewSep 15, 2004 at 11:11PM

It doesn't get more embarrassing than my inclusion of David Naughton's "Makin' It."

BoSep 15, 2004 at 11:29PM

The entire Information Society debut album, plus Brand New Lover
by Dead Or Alive. No guilt involved, though: these are great tunes,
and I'm not ashamed to say it. (There is, perhaps, rather too much
Pet Shop Boys, along with every crappy post-Waters song Pink
Floyd ever released. And the Men at Work, well....)

jkottkeSep 16, 2004 at 12:12AM

I just posted an iMix on the Apple iTunes store that currently has 72 songs from these comments.

This is awesome. Thanks, Mark!

Buzz AndersenSep 16, 2004 at 12:14AM

Mark:
Good work! Only one quibble: you got the Andy Williams song wrong--"A Summer Place" instead of "Moon River."

Now to scrape together $80 to buy the whole lot!

Steven MarshallSep 16, 2004 at 12:14AM

Muldaur Maria - Midnight at the oasis

GregSep 16, 2004 at 12:39AM

"Concrete Blonde - all of them, most especially "Joey" "

not a damn thing wrong with Joey, thought it's best sung by a chick called Lara in the Boiler Room in Portland, Oregon

I fell in love with her that night

*sigh*

jkottkeSep 16, 2004 at 12:46AM

Now to scrape together $80 to buy the whole lot!

Don't you get some sort of employee discount, Buzz? I don't see Jobs paying full price when he wants to restock his special 300 GB iPod (just speculating here...what's the point of being CEO of Apple if you can't have all sorts of custom hardware?).

Buzz AndersenSep 16, 2004 at 3:32AM

I'm afraid we don't get free (or even discounted) music--the record companies gots to get paid, y'know. I can, however, get an excellent deal on that 300 GB iPod you mentioned.

Thomas HammerSep 16, 2004 at 3:43AM

What do people mean? What's wrong with Toto - 'Hold the Line', aha - 'Take on Me', George Michael - 'Careless Wisper'... I love them! Guilty!

I'm pretty ashamed of having 2 Unlimited - 'No limit', NKOTB - 'Step by step' and the Dwarfs singing 'Heigh-Ho' along with all the other Disney Classics. I have no kids to put the blame on.

Thomas HammerSep 16, 2004 at 3:46AM

Oh, and I also have all the tracks from Jeffrey Zeldmans Waterbox: http://www.zeldman.com/waterbox/

Let's not get into Top 25 most played...

yafujifideSep 16, 2004 at 3:52AM

Lovefool.

By the Cardigans.

Actually I'm proud about that one. Same with Groove is in the Heart by Deee Lite, and Stick 'Em Up by Quarashi.

JSep 16, 2004 at 4:22AM

Don't have an iPod, but since I'm travelling with my iBook I basically put everything on I can... figure I can delete it later if need be. Oh, there's some bad ones...

- that Macarena song
- an album by the Thai/Chinese duo the China Dolls
- Kenny Loggin's Footloose
- This Little Light of Mine (live) by The Freedom Singers
oh, and sweet jesus...
- Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr. -- it's shudder-ific!

danbeeSep 16, 2004 at 5:16AM

No iPod here either, but I think the guilty pleasure in my collection is the 'Dirty Dancing' film soundtrack...

Oh, and nothing wrong with liking Josie and the Pussycats at all!

bitzmanSep 16, 2004 at 7:01AM

"What is Love" by Haddaway

:-/

Uhm... can I be anonymous for once? ;)Sep 16, 2004 at 7:14AM

Give that most of my music collection is cheesy music, it's hard to pick the 'most embarassing' ones. (Actually I'm not really embarassed by them... I just like both 'quality' music like Jeff Buckley and the likes *and* over the top 'gay disco' stuff, even though I'm straight. (I really am, thanks for asking)).
Anyway, here comes a random selection

Don't Talk Just Kiss - Right Said Fred
Eternal Flame - The Bangles
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Don't leave me this way - versions from Harold Melvin, The Communards *and* Thelma Houston
Young at heart - The Bluebells
some 2 unlimited stuff
Kids in America - Kim Wilde
Mama Mia, the A-Teens version
some Pet Shop Boys (Go West, Single Bilingual, Se a vida e)
loads of ABBA
Love in an elevator - AC/DC
more ABBA
some cheezy 90's pseudo rock (Two Princes (spin doctors), thubtumbing (Chumbawamba), Countryhouse (Blur))
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep blue something
even more Abba
The Village People Greatest Hits (altough this usually gets skipped)
Songs from Springfield (The Simpsons)

and off course the uber gay song: Let's hear it for the boys!

ariSep 16, 2004 at 11:05AM

Thanks for the list--I will probably be downloading a few too many of these when I get home. Now if someone could only come up with a guilty pleasures radio station ...

Someone mentioned Bel Biv DeVoe. The song to include is "Poison." The volume to play it at is "very, very loudly." There is no shame in this whatsoever.

I would also consider adding "Jump" by Kris Kross.

Buzz AndersenSep 16, 2004 at 6:26PM

Re: Bel Biv Devoe

I think we would be remiss not to recognize Bobby Brown's excellent "On Our Own" (from the soundtrack to one of the Ghostbusters movies--odd how that movie keeps cropping up in this discussion). The lyrics "Too hot to handle, too cold to hold, they're called the Ghostbusters and they're in control" and "To battle out Viggo, the master of evil
Try to battle my boys? That's not legal!" make it a true classic of the "embarassing" genre.

Incidentally, did you know that the Super Furry Animals song "Juxtaposed With U" was originally intended to be a duet with Bobby Brown, but he refused to partcipate? Talk about a missed opportunity for an incredible collaboration!

Vanessa TanSep 17, 2004 at 7:55AM

I have early Depeche Mode tracks like 'Dreaming of Me', 'New Life' and 'Just Can't Get Enough'. Nice n' campy.

jkottkeSep 17, 2004 at 9:17AM

cowbell... don't fear the reaper... uh, you hit a long dormant memory there, please put me out of my misery and spell out the connection. It's killing me. No, really. I can't work until I remember this.

It's from a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Will Ferrell playing a cowbell during Don't Fear the Reaper.

AshleySep 17, 2004 at 12:32PM

Yeah, I own the White Town album with Your Woman on it. It's pretty wacky.

KateSep 17, 2004 at 7:33PM

Shirley Temple singing "Polly Wolly Doodle (from The Littlest Rebel soundtrack)."

Actually, I'm not ashamed of that. I am ashamed of this: "Vaginia Apartment." It's a Transformers skit about a bunch of people who live in a vagina. Like it's an apartment. Also, Spike Jones's "Never Hit your Grandma with a Shovel."

That's just the tip of the iceberg of shame, really.

AnneSep 19, 2004 at 11:24AM

If we were having this conversation in person, I would not be able to look any of you in the eye when I admitted I have "Mmm Bop" by Hanson.

God have mercy on me!

Matt SephtonSep 20, 2004 at 8:16AM

I have the theme from Taito's Bubble Bobble on mine.

This thread is closed to new comments. Thanks to everyone who responded.