Classic rock has brought so much joy to its fans. There is seemingly an endless string of songs that are excellent like those from The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Heart, Jimi Hendrix, and more and more. But occasionally, there are some that you have to admit end up more of a guilty pleasure. Some songs just don’t nail down subtlety.
Here below, just for fun, we wanted to dive into a trio of those tunes. Three songs that make you want to roll your eyes and turn down the dial on your favorite classic rock station should these offerings come on the airwaves—Indeed, these are three somewhat embarrassing classic rock songs.
“Woke Up with Wood,” ZZ Top
Not to be too puritanical, but what’s up with this song? ZZ Top, of course, is one of the best blues-rock bands of all time. And they are clearly not shy about writing tunes about their love of the opposite sex (see: “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man”). But sometimes you have to remember to keep a little subtlety, a little mystery. Art isn’t about putting it all out there, necessarily.
It’s about creating a bit of mystique. And this song, released on the band’s 1985 album Afterburner, doesn’t do that. To say the least.
“Girls, Girls, Girls,” Mötley Crüe
This song comes from the 1987 album of the same name. And to write a song like that and double down on it with the album title really shows the band was feeling the message. But that message today, like the track above, just reads as way too overindulgent and crass.
“Cat Scratch Fever,” Ted Nugent
This song comes from the 1977 album of the same name and while its lyrics are cringey at times, the song’s performer has also become a difficult personality to swallow. However you feel about politics, Ted Nugent is a loud, at times offensive fellow, and this song about his desire for sex makes it that much more repellent. Catchy at times, repulsive at others, it’s just a mix that brings pause whenever the song comes on.