Played at weddings, funerals, Olympic ceremonies and even the annual New Years Eve celebrations in Times Square, John Lennons song Imagine has been the all-purpose anthem of sentimentality for 45 years.
But if youre one of those people who secretly hates it, dont worry youre not the only one.
Last weekend, British music fan Edward Carter and some friends were casually discussing songs they hated when he decided to extend the conversation to social media.
Dear Twitter, he posted. What is the song you most detest and despise? Thank you.
Within 48 hours, the bemused Brit, who had only around 1,000 Twitter followers, had received several thousand nominations from all over the world, and Lennons ballad was a repeat offender.
I think its the whole idea of talking about poverty and misery, while John was actually hanging around in his palatial New York townhouse, Carter tells The Post. Its the duplicity of the whole thing.
Amazed by the nerve he touched and the speed at which he received suggestions, Carter, a 36-year-old artist living in the southern coastal town of Brighton, collated the results into a blog post containing 337 deplorable ditties (listed below). Since then, its gone viral, with people nominating even more songs they loathe.
A lot of people seemed quite glad they werent alone in hating these songs, he says. It boils down to people feeling everybody is having this great experience, but feeling excluded because they cant see what everyone else sees and it makes them angry.
Another big anti-hit is Big Yellow Taxi in all of its forms. That was the first song to be nominated in its entirety, says Carter, referring to the Joni Mitchell original, subsequent cover by Amy Grant, and the horrendous Counting Crows version featuring Vanessa Carlton.
The sheer ubiquity of songs such as Love Shack by the B-52s and Rude by Magic! also ensured plenty of ire. But for some, it was also a chance to air grievances against overexposed artists in general.
There were some artists that people would tweet and say, Anything by that person, says Carter, noting that Taylor Swift, Phil Collins and Coldplay fell into that category.
As a big Bob Dylan fan, Carter admits to being heartened that not one song by the recent Nobel Prize winner for literature was nominated. But he was pleased to see two of his least favorite bands the Byrds and the Eagles in the cross hairs.
I have never been sold on any Dylan cover versions, especially not the Byrds whiny version of Mr. Tambourine Man. As for the Eagles, I cant stand any band that telegraphs their guitar solos.
Perhaps most surprising? Carter has added the vast majority of the 337 songs to a giant Spotify playlist entitled Kryptonite Songs and theyre a hit.
You would think people would want to avoid such a playlist, but it is getting a lot of play, he says. Maybe theyre gluttons for punishment.
#
10cc Dreadlock Holiday
10cc Im Not In Love
The 88 At Least It Was Here
21 Pilots Ride
4 Non Blondes Whats Up?
A
ABBA Dancing Queen
Ace of Base All That She Wants
Aerosmith I Dont Want To Miss a Thing
Aerosmith Janies Got a Gun
Akon Lonely
Amy Grant Big Yellow Taxi
Andrew Gold Lonely Boy
The Animals House of the Rising Sun
Anohni 4 Degrees
Aqua Lollipop (Candyman)
Artful Dodger ft. Craig David Re-Rewind
B
The B-52s Love Shack
B*Witched Cest la Vie
Babybird Youre Gorgeous
Babylon Zoo Spaceman
Bananarama I Cant Help It
Band Aid Do They Know Its Christmas?
Barry Manilow Mandy
The Beatles Across the Universe
The Beatles Hey Jude
The Beatles Shes Leaving Home
The Beatles When Im 64
The Beatles Yellow Submarine
The Beatles Yesterday
The Beautiful South Perfect 10
Bee Gees More Than a Woman
Belinda Carlisle Circle in the Sand
Belinda Carlisle Heaven Is a Place On Earth
Belinda Carlisle Leave the Light On for Me
Beyoncé Single Ladies
Billy Joel My Life
Billy Joel Piano Man
Billy Joel Uptown Girl
Billy Ocean When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going
Billy Ray Cyrus Achy Breaky Heart
Björk Its Oh So Quiet
Black Crowes Hard to Handle
Black Eyed Peas Ive Gotta Feeling
Black Lace Agadoo
Blondie Heart of Glass
Blondie Rapture
Blue Mink Melting Pot
The Bluebirds Young at Heart
Blur Song 2
Bobby McFerrin Dont Worry Be Happy
Bobby Pickett Monster Mash
Bon Jovi Livin On a Prayer
Bonnie Tyler Total Eclipse of the Heart
Brand New Heavies Midnight at the Oasis
Bruce Hornsby and the Range The Way It Is
Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Bryan Adams Summer of 69
Bryan Ferry Lets Stick Together
Buckcherry Crazy Bitch
The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man
C
Calum Scott Dancing On My Own
Carl Douglas Kung Fu Fighting
Carly Simon Youre So Vain
Carly Rae Jepsen Call Me Maybe
The Carpenters Yesterday Once More
Catatonia Road Rage
Céline Dion My Heart Will Go On
Chas & Dave Rabbit
Cher Believe
Cher The Shoop Shoop Song
Cher Walking in Memphis
Chris De Burgh A Spaceman Came Travelling
Chris De Burgh The Lady in Red
Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya and Pink Lady Marmalade
Chumbawamba Tubthumping
Cliff Richard Mistletoe and Wine
Cliff Richard The Millennium Prayer
Coldplay Clocks
Coldplay Yellow
Coolio ft. L.V. Gangstas Paradise
The Coral In the Morning
Counting Crows Big Yellow Taxi
Courtney Barnett Pickles From the Jar
The Cranberries Zombie
Crash Test Dummies Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Crazy Town Butterfly
Crystal Waters Gypsy Woman
Cutting Crew (I Just) Died in Your Arms
Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun
D
D:Ream Things Can Only Get Better
Danny Wilson Marys Prayer
David Bowie Across the Universe
David Bowie The Jean Genie
Dead or Alive You Spin Me Round
Deee-Lite Groove Is in the Heart
Deep Blue Something Breakfast at Tiffanys
Desree Life
Dexys Midnight Runners Come on Eileen
Diana Ross Chain Reaction
Dire Straits Money for Nothing
Dire Straits Romeo and Juliet
DJ Otzi Hey Baby
Dobie Gray Drift Away
Dodgy Good Enough
Don McLean American Pie
Doobie Brothers What a Fool Believes
Doop Doop
Dream Academy Life in a Northern Town
E
The Eagles Hotel California
Edwyn Collins A Girl Like You
Eiffel 65 Blue
Elbow One Day Like This
Ellie Goulding On My Mind
Elton John Candle in the Wind (1997)
Elton John Crocodile Rock
Elton John Your Song
Elvis Presley Return to Sender
Eminem Lose Yourself
Enigma Sadeness
Eve ft. Gwen Stefani Let Me Blow Ya Mind
Theme from Everythings Rosie Modal Trigger
Many music fans want to check out of the Eagles Hotel California too bad they can never leave.Photo: Henry Diltz/Corbis via Getty Images
F
Fairground Attraction Perfect
Fountains of Wayne Stacys Mom
Frank Sinatra My Way
The Fratellis Chelsea Dagger
Fun Some Nights
Fun ft. Janelle Monáe We Are Young
G
Gary Puckett & the Union Gap Young Girl
George Ezra Drawing Board
Gerry & the Pacemakers Youll Never Walk Alone
Gerry Rafferty Baker Street
Glasvegas Daddys Gone
Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive
Goo Goo Dolls Iris
Green Day Good Riddance (Time of your Life)
Guns N Roses Sweet Child o Mine
Gwen Stefani Hollaback Girl Modal Trigger
Gwen StefaniPhoto: Derek Storm/Everett Collection
H
Hinder Lips of an Angel
House of Pain Jump Around
I
Idina Menzel Let It Go
Inner Circle Sweat
J
The Jam A Town Called Malice
James Blunt Youre Beautiful
James Brown I Feel Good
Jamie Lawson Wasnt Expecting That
Jamiroquai Canned Heat
Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation
Janis Joplin Mercedes Benz
Jay Z ft. Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind
Jennifer Rush The Power of Love
Jim Diamond I Should Have Known Better
JJ Barrie No Charge
Joe Dolce Shaddap You Face
John Lennon Imagine
John Mayer Your Body Is a Wonderland
Joni Mitchell Big Yellow Taxi
Journey Dont Stop Believin
Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris Baby
K
Modal Trigger
Katy PerryPhoto: Reuters
Kate Nash Foundations
Kate Tempest Circles
Katie Melua The Closest Thing to Crazy
Katie Melua Nine Million Bicycles
Katrina and the Waves Walking on Sunshine
Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg California Gurls
Katy Perry I Kissed a Girl
Katy Perry Roar
The Killers Mr. Brightside
Kings of Leon Sex On Fire
Kings of Leon Use Somebody
L
The Las There She Goes
Lady Gaga Bad Romance
Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven
Leonard Cohen Hallelujah
Lighthouse Family Lifted
Lighthouse Family Ocean Drive
Limp Bizkit My Generation
Lisa Stansfield Around the World
Little Eva The Locomotion
Lo-Fang Youre the One That I Want
Los Del Rio Macarena
Lou Bega Mambo No. 5
Lukas Graham 7 Years
Lulu Shout
Lulu The Boat That I Row
M
Madness Baggy Trousers
Madonna Like a Virgin
MAGIC! Rude
Manfred Manns Earth Band Blinded by the Light
Manic Street Preachers SYMM
Marc Cohn Walking in Memphis
Mariah Carey All I Want for Christmas Is You
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars Uptown Funk
Maroon 5 Animals
Maroon 5 Moves Like Jagger
Maroon 5 This Love
Meat Loaf Id Do Anything for Love
Meghan Trainor All About That Bass
Men at Work Down Under
Mercury Rev Goddess on a Hiway
Michael Bublé Its a Beautiful Day
Michael Jackson Earth Song
MIKA Grace Kelly
Mike and the Mechanics The Living Years
MN8 Ive Got a Little Something for You
Mr. Big To Be With You
Mumford and Sons I Will Wait Modal Trigger
Meat LoafPhoto: Everett Collection
N
Natasha Bedingfield These Words
The New Radicals You Get What You Give
Nicki Minaj Anaconda
Nickleback Rockstar
O
Oasis Champagne Supernova
Oasis Shakermaker
Oasis Wonderwall
Oasis All Around the World
Ocean Colour Scene The Day We Caught the Train
Offspring Come Out and Play
OMC How Bizarre
P
Paolo Nutini New Shoes
Paul McCartney We All Stand Together
Paul McCartney Wonderful Christmastime
Peter Sarstedt Where Do You Go To My Lovely?
Pharrell Williams Happy
Phil Collins In the Air Tonight
Phil Collins You Cant Hurry Love
Phil Collins Easy Lover
Picturehouse Sunburst
The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl Fairytale of New York
The Proclaimers Im Gonna Be
(500 Miles)
The Prodigy Firestarter
Psy Gangnam Style Modal Trigger
Psy found a hit albeit a grating one to some with Gangnam Style.Photo: Gregorio T. Binuya/Everett Collection
Q
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen Dont Stop Me Now
Queen We Are the Champions
Queen We Will Rock You
R
R.E.M. Shiny Happy People
Razorlight America
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers Under the Bridge
Rednex Cotton Eye Joe
The Cast of Rent Seasons of Love
Reverend and the Makers Heavyweight Champion of the World
Richard Harris MacArthur Park
Ricky Martin Livin La Vida Loca
The Righteous Brothers Youve Lost That Lovin Feeling
Rihanna Take a Bow
Robbie Williams Angels
Robbie Williams Millennium
Robbie Williams Rock DJ
Robbie Williams Candy
Robbie Williams Freedom
Robbie Williams Mack the Knife
Robbie Williams Rudebox
Robert Palmer Addicted to Love
Robin S Show Me Love
Robin Thicke Blurred Lines
Cast of the Rocky Horror Show The Time Warp
Rod Stewart Do Ya Think Im Sexy?
Roy Orbison Oh, Pretty Woman
Run DMC ft. Aerosmith Walk This Way
Rupert Holmes Escape
S
Sacred Reich 31 Flavors
Sam Smith Money on My Mind
Sandi Thom I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker
Santana Smooth
Sash Encore Une Fois
Savage Garden Truly, Madly, Deeply
Scorpions Wind of Change
Scorpions Still Loving You
Scouting for Girls Shes So Lovely
The Script The Man Who Cant Be Moved
Shaggy It Wasnt Me
Shania Twain Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
Shanice I Love Your Smile
Shut Up and Dance Raving Im Raving
Simply Red Fairground
Simply Red Stars
Sister Sledge Frankie
Sixpence None the Richer Kiss Me
Slade Merry Xmas Everybody
Smash Mouth All Star
Snap Rhythm Is a Dancer
Snow Patrol Chasing Cars
Social Distortion Story of My Life
Sophie Ellis-Bextor Murder on the Dancefloor
Space ft. Cerys Matthews The Ballad of Tom Jones
Spice Girls Wannabe
The Spin Doctors Two Princes
Starship Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now
Starship We Built This City
Stereophonics Hurry Up and Wait
Stereophonics Have a Nice Day
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)
Steve Miller Band Abracadabra
Steve Walsh I Found Lovin
Stevie Wonder I Just Called To Say I Love You
Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney Ebony and Ivory
Stiltskin Inside
The Stranglers Golden Brown
Supertramp The Logical Song
Survivor Eye of the Tiger
Sweet Wig Wam Bam
T
TPau China in Your Hand
Take That ft. Lulu Relight My Fire
Tammy Wynette Stand by Your Man
Taylor Swift I Knew You Were Trouble
Taylor Swift Shake It Off
Terence Trent Darby Wishing Well
Terry Jacks Seasons in the Sun
They Might Be Giants Birdhouse in Your Soul
Tina Turner The Best
TLC No Scrubs
Tom Jones and Mousse T. Sex Bomb
Tom Petty Free Fallin
Tony Christie Is This the Way to Amarillo?
Toploader Dancing in the Moonlight
Traditional Jerusalem
Traditional Little Drummer Boy
Traditional Im Proud To Be an American
Trio Da Da Da
Twista ft. Anthony Hamilton Sunshine
U
U2 Beautiful Day
UB40 Red Red Wine
Ultrabeat Pretty Green Eyes
Ultravox Vienna
V
Van Morrison Brown-Eyed Girl
Vance Joy Riptide
W
Waterboys The Whole of the Moon
The Weather Girls Its Raining Men
Westlife You Raise Me Up
Wet Wet Wet Love Is all Around
Wheatus Teenage Dirtbag
Whigfield Saturday Night
Whitney Houston I Will Always Love You
Wings Mull of Kintyre
Wizzard I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
Y
Yello Oh Yeah
#1: Gatlin To: Deckard (#0)
Of course, this has to be YOUR favorite from the list.
ROTFL ...
Gatlin posted on 2016-10-28 11:27:28 Reply Private Reply
#2: ConservingFreedom To: Deckard (#0)
No way - I love this song.
Yes, "Imagine" sucks the sweat off a dead goat's balls.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-10-28 11:35:28 Reply Private Reply
#3: Hank Rearden To: Deckard (#0)
Hank Rearden posted on 2016-10-28 11:43:45 Reply Private Reply
#4: misterwhite To: Deckard (#0)
What???
misterwhite posted on 2016-10-28 12:02:18 Reply Private Reply
#5: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite, Deckard (#4)
I can imagine (no pun intended) hearing too much of that song ... but I never did.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-10-28 12:10:14 Reply Private Reply
#6: misterwhite To: Hank Rearden (#3)
misterwhite posted on 2016-10-28 12:11:46 Reply Private Reply
#7: Deckard To: ConservingFreedom (#2)
Yeah - me too, always have.
Don't know how anyone can hate these either.
David Bowie The Jean Genie
Dobie Gray Drift Away
Deep Blue Something Breakfast at Tiffanys
Dream Academy Life in a Northern Town
The Jam A Town Called Malice
James Brown I Feel Good
The Proclaimers Im Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Social Distortion Story of My Life Katrina and the Waves Walking on Sunshine
"Imagine" sucks the sweat off a dead goat's balls.
Dishonorable mentions:
The Eagles Hotel California
Madonna Like a Virgin
Phil Collins In the Air Tonight
Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney Ebony and Ivory
Terry Jacks Seasons in the Sun
Yello Oh Yeah
Deckard posted on 2016-10-28 12:54:58 Reply Private Reply
#8: nolu chan To: Deckard (#0)
nolu chan posted on 2016-10-28 13:57:26 Reply Private Reply
#9: Deckard To: nolu chan (#8)
Better than hearing Yoko howl like a banshee on the other songs.
Deckard posted on 2016-10-28 14:23:50 Reply Private Reply
#10: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#9)
A K A Stone posted on 2016-10-28 14:47:44 Reply Private Reply
#11: Roscoe To: misterwhite (#6)
Or Brownsville Station.
Roscoe posted on 2016-10-28 16:33:09 Reply Private Reply
#12: misterwhite To: Roscoe (#11)
Didn't their drummer blow up during the taping of "Smokin' In the Boys Room"? I hope they burned all copies of that song.
misterwhite posted on 2016-10-28 17:23:56 Reply Private Reply
#13: goldilucky To: Deckard (#0)
goldilucky posted on 2016-10-30 16:26:18 Reply Private Reply
#14: GrandIsland To: misterwhite (#12)
GrandIsland posted on 2016-10-30 17:03:34 Reply Private Reply
#15: goldilucky To: All (#13)
goldilucky posted on 2016-10-30 20:10:03 Reply Private Reply