Discussion: Worst song you've played

There's songs I like that I got tired of playing. I can't think of a song that was the worst song I ever played.

Some I didn't enjoy playing for whatever reason but that's more my problem.

When the crowd is hopping, everything is butterflies and rainbows.

It's the dead nights for me where any negs would rear their ugliness.

Not all dead nights, but definitely a few here and there. Usually after a really great last gig that I want to try and replicate, stupid. They are not all great. I know better by now. But I really don't ha ha. I'll get maybe 3 gigs out of 50 that really feel like work. I can handle that, because I usually never know when they are coming.

My least favorite song, could be someone else's favorite song. There's that too.

Fun experiment, every time I had what I considered a "bad" gig, I looked at my moon charts and sure enough, more bad gigs happened when the moon was "void of course".... transitioning between signs... than not. By a large margin. Basically, it came down to the way I felt...off. The moon goes VOC 12 times each month for varying lengths of time, some a few hours, some last more than a day almost 2. I like to know if my gigs are during a VOC...just so I know to try and out-think it. I'll let you know how that goes lol

OK I got it. My least favorite song is a song that clears the dance floor. It could be a great song picked at the wrong time, or just a bad call.

A bad day drumming still beats a good day at work
 
in my country band, I would have originally said all of 'em, but I now take this approach anymore. I joined the band b/c I like the guys I play with, and I wanted to expand my stylistic and playing horizons, but in general, I can't take country serious...mostly b/c of the lyrics of the songs. I don't generally like that subject matter in any music. On the flip side, I generally don't take the lyrics to most of the black metal stuff I listen to seriously either, but the music is more interesting/entertaining to me

All genres have their gems and lemons. There are some pretty great country lyrics out there if you dig around for them. There are also some downright embarrassing ones. The same can be said of any style of music.
 
The only song you shouldn't like playing is the one that the check for the gig bounced.

That's the proper spirit, really. A gig is a gig no matter the set list. A true professional does his job without protest. That standard should apply to every field. Counting your blessings makes more sense than complaining about them.
 
Last edited:
Uh.oh..i didn't start a food fight with my adversity to kicking off our set with love you more today than yesterday did I?. Not that the song sucks but (to me) you don't open to 1500 party animals with THAT tune. You've heard it said that an audience remembers what you open and close with..everything in between is filler..i kind of agree..NO...i AGREE with that. Just for fun guys our keyboard player wanted to end with Angel is a Centerfold..im like say what?..im requesting we end with lido shuffle or feeling stronger everyday..whos the nerd. Go easy.

Ha! I've never played "Angel in a Centerfold" in a performance context but would love to do it. Killer groove, man.
 
Well, to be honest.......as working drummers I'm sure we can discuss "the worst song ever" just as a bunch of plumbers at the end of the day in the pub discuss "the worst clients ever" or air force pilots discuss "the worst flying mission ever" back at base after a days flying.

It's kinda cool to debrief in any occupation.

Plus it's a direct, simple question with no judgement.

So for me, the worst song I've ever played was Offsprings' "Get a Job".

I swear to the big man upstairs......I seriously considered joining a monastery after playing that friggin lemon gig after gig.
 
Another train wreck for me was doing Stevie Wonder's "Liven For The City", in the 'na-na-na section, the band started missing the count and it slowly fell apart, we all broke up laughing, the audience too.
How would you count that section? I had 6 measures of 3, one of 2 and then 4 to set it up again

( I love this song, the performance was the 'worst)

 
Well, to be honest.......as working drummers I'm sure we can discuss "the worst song ever" just as a bunch of plumbers at the end of the day in the pub discuss "the worst clients ever" or air force pilots discuss "the worst flying mission ever" back at base after a days flying.

It's kinda cool to debrief in any occupation.

Plus it's a direct, simple question with no judgement.

So for me, the worst song I've ever played was Offsprings' "Get a Job".

I swear to the big man upstairs......I seriously considered joining a monastery after playing that friggin lemon gig after gig.

You need the debrief after a gig to vent. The hardest gigs are physically and mentally exhausting.

For me the worse songs are always first dances. People have there incredibly silly ideas when they get hitched and they're not musicians but won't be told otherwise. I had to try and attempt a first dance medley of Endless Love into All Night Long in a 4 piece band made up of blokes and no keys player. We'd try to tell the booking agent there's no way this was going to work but it fell on deaf ears. Went about as well as it sounded. The groom eyeballed us the whole song we had pictures it was hilarious and completely there own fault. Clients were bastards and I sincerely hoped they got the shits on honeymoon! 3x 1 hour sets with 2 10 min breaks in the between. Not even offered a drink of water or any food.

I could hate on Brown Eyed Girl or Sweet Home Alabama but they help to pay my mortgage, holidays and pay bills.
 
Last edited:
Something pops in mind, but that is over 20 years ago when we all were still learning to play our instruments. Guitar player messed up and continued to play a quarter note behind the rest of the band... and did that for the entire song. Pretty cool if you're a progband, but he was totally oblivious that he was out of time/sync for the remainder of the song.
Nothing else pops to mind, besides maybe the most boring song to play. Which is a different discussion really :p
 
The only song you shouldn't like playing is the one that the check for gig bounced.

Biggest insult you can pay a working musician.

I've been there a couple of times where people have tried their luck but none have succeeded.
 
Years ago, I was called to play in a freestyle worship conference. Three hours of music, no preacher butting in with buzzkill. I was in a makeshift drum booth, totally isolated from everyone with only my headphones to hear others. About an hour into the set, the two female worship leaders just broke away in their worship, not following anything. I looked at the bassist, he just raised his eyebrows and then laid down on the floor, face up, bass on belly, playing what few notes were needed. In my headphones I begin hearing whispers to God. The singers, all women, were whispering their prayers of worship and, with headphones on, it was just like pillow talk (except for the “do it again” part). Drums were not needed, but I was trapped in the bubble, on stage, hearing sweet, intimate whispers perfectly. This went on for about two hours. I touched a few cymbals in an attempt to participate, but there was no rhythm to speak of.

When the session was finally over, I busted out of my bubble and hustled towards the door. It was some of the worst sounding worship I’d ever been involved with and I wanted to forget it. Within 6 feet of getting out the door, this gaggle of 5 or 6 elderly women stopped me. With tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces they told me it was the best worship they’d heard in 20 years, and why can’t it be like that every Sunday. Had it not been for their tears of joy, I would’ve thought they were spoofing me. Now it’s become a session I‘ll never forget.
 
Something pops in mind, but that is over 20 years ago when we all were still learning to play our instruments. Guitar player messed up and continued to play a quarter note behind the rest of the band... and did that for the entire song. Pretty cool if you're a progband, but he was totally oblivious that he was out of time/sync for the remainder of the song.
Nothing else pops to mind, besides maybe the most boring song to play. Which is a different discussion really :p

that would not even be cool in a prog band!!
 
Years ago, I was called to play in a freestyle worship conference. Three hours of music, no preacher butting in with buzzkill. I was in a makeshift drum booth, totally isolated from everyone with only my headphones to hear others. About an hour into the set, the two female worship leaders just broke away in their worship, not following anything. I looked at the bassist, he just raised his eyebrows and then laid down on the floor, face up, bass on belly, playing what few notes were needed. In my headphones I begin hearing whispers to God. The singers, all women, were whispering their prayers of worship and, with headphones on, it was just like pillow talk (except for the “do it again” part). Drums were not needed, but I was trapped in the bubble, on stage, hearing sweet, intimate whispers perfectly. This went on for about two hours. I touched a few cymbals in an attempt to participate, but there was no rhythm to speak of.

When the session was finally over, I busted out of my bubble and hustled towards the door. It was some of the worst sounding worship I’d ever been involved with and I wanted to forget it. Within 6 feet of getting out the door, this gaggle of 5 or 6 elderly women stopped me. With tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces they told me it was the best worship they’d heard in 20 years, and why can’t it be like that every Sunday. Had it not been for their tears of joy, I would’ve thought they were spoofing me. Now it’s become a session I‘ll never forget.

I don't miss those days. I wish I did, but I don't.
 
I've played some pretty horrible original tunes...but that's where I tell myself that if I come up with a really killer drum part, I can turn the tune around. It's an honest attempt to make lemonade out of lemons - but just as honestly, it rarely works out that way: some songs are so bad that no drum part can save it. Still, it gets me to commit myself and work hard, which means it's not wasted time - I'll learn something from the experience, if nothing else.

As for covers, I just think it's fun playing drums so I don't let what I consider a bad tune bother me...I really dislike any AOR-kind of music, but again, I try to look at it as a challenge, either by trying to nail the original part note-for-note or by coming up with something different that I think improves upon the original. And again, by using that tactic, it all turns into time well-spent learning the craft.
 
There's probably somethng worse I did once, but on the regular it's a tie between this


and this.


They we're #2 and #3 on the set list and once they were done I could mostly live with it.
 
I can't recall hating a song I've played. I look upon every opportunity to drum as a privilege. While some selections appeal to me more than others, I treat each with equal respect. I can garner something positive from just about any composition, even though it may fall short of my ideals. Our days as drummers are brief. I want to revel in every rhythmic second.

I want to hate...hate like there is no tomorrow...denigrate anything slightly off-putting and lay waste to its origin in an orgy of bile filled rage that leaves nothing touched with a sense of decency!

...ohhh, kitten videos....
 
Worst song? that's subjective....

As far as songs I hated, "Margaritaville" tops the list...when I was doing backline at an open mic, there was a guy who insisted on playing the same songs week after week,
it's a pity that not everyone has such a great position in life (y)
after reading this, you breathed motivation into me at least for this day!
 
Years ago, I was called to play in a freestyle worship conference. Three hours of music, no preacher butting in with buzzkill. I was in a makeshift drum booth, totally isolated from everyone with only my headphones to hear others. About an hour into the set, the two female worship leaders just broke away in their worship, not following anything. I looked at the bassist, he just raised his eyebrows and then laid down on the floor, face up, bass on belly, playing what few notes were needed. In my headphones I begin hearing whispers to God. The singers, all women, were whispering their prayers of worship and, with headphones on, it was just like pillow talk (except for the “do it again” part). Drums were not needed, but I was trapped in the bubble, on stage, hearing sweet, intimate whispers perfectly. This went on for about two hours. I touched a few cymbals in an attempt to participate, but there was no rhythm to speak of.

When the session was finally over, I busted out of my bubble and hustled towards the door. It was some of the worst sounding worship I’d ever been involved with and I wanted to forget it. Within 6 feet of getting out the door, this gaggle of 5 or 6 elderly women stopped me. With tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces they told me it was the best worship they’d heard in 20 years, and why can’t it be like that every Sunday. Had it not been for their tears of joy, I would’ve thought they were spoofing me. Now it’s become a session I‘ll never forget.

cb, seriously dude......I read your post to my girlfriend and she was in hysterics.

We both were.

This post is without a doubt the funniest anecdote I've ever seen on this forum.

It's made my day.
 
Back
Top