Though radio is the primary culprit when it comes to taking perfectly good songs and turning them into triggers capable of inciting homicidal rage in even the gentlest soul, there are also movies, commercials, and annoying friends who can ruin songs by forcing you to listen to them again and again and again.
From Led Zeppelins’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’, Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water’ and Pink Floyd’s’ ‘Another Brick In The Wall’ to The Scorpions’ ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ and Aerosmith’s ‘Dream On’, we have heard them all way too many times. No matter what the cause, there are just some legendary songs that we never ever need to hear again, as long as we live. Bangalore’s musicians share their opinion on these ‘annoying’ songs.
Raghu Dixit of the Raghu Dixit Project, says everything stands its own test of time and the fact that some of those songs have survived till now is a testimonial of their greatness. “But yes, you have heard it so many times it’s like eating the fifth gulab jamun. It’s just too much of a good thing. We’ve heard it so many times that we know every note in the song, every word of the song, where the riff kicks in and where the roll comes in.”
What tops his list are any Guns N’ Roses song, ‘We Are The Champions’ by Queen, ‘Hysteria’ by Def Leppard, ‘Sussudio’ by Phil Collins and ‘Tarzan Boy’ by Baltimora.
Earlier there were no outlets to listen to these songs other than the radio or on tapes, explains Raghu.
“While the radio used to put these songs on almost every night, we would swap and borrow tapes from friends in college and listen to them on a loop over and over again. We love these songs and now we’ve had our full and want to say enough is enough.”
Siddarth Abraham, vocalist of city-based band Solder, says he can’t really call them annoying sings. “If any of our songs become this kind of annoying songs, I’d be quite happy.
“How much ever we love to hate them, people would still ask for them. My top three songs I’ve heard everywhere and I don’t think I can ever play them again are Bryan Adams ‘Summer Of ’69’, Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ and Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’.”
He believes these songs are famous and overplayed because of the time that they came out in. “They were easy to play, had brilliant hooks and were part of our lives. Though there are good singers and songwriters out there now, their songs don’t have that kind of shelf life.”
Singer/songwriter Deepa Jacob says it’s a voluntary phenomenon for her. “I have a few favourites that I play over and over again till I can’t listen to them anymore.”
On the bright side, she says: “When you hear a song which you haven’t heard for a long time, though it was once annoying, you feel like you are visiting an old friend. Songs take on a whole new dimension when you hear them after a long time since they were overplayed. That’s when everyone gets together and screams it out.”
Deepa says she is a child of the 90s so any song from the era is her favourite. “The really old bands like The Bee Gees, more recent songs like Peter Andre’s ‘Mysterious Girl’ and the really annoying ‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua top my list.”
She further says that it’s a surprise the top 40 hits of the last decade do not seem to achieve that kind of longevity. “This appears to be the trend now. As a generation we are not creating music that lasts. Moreover, I believe the artistes are very good at what they do. It’s just what they do doesn’t appeal to me. All of this is subjective of course. There is no such thing as objectivity in music.”
Will these songs ever die out? Nope, affirm the artistes. Raghu says: “These songs are amazing and the bands are legendary. These were the background score for our growing up years.”
Siddarth echoes the same thoughts. “These songs are part of our memories and will always be there.” Deepa adds: “Obviously there are certain songs from certain eras that have become evergreen. You can love them or hate them, but you cannot ignore them. They are here to stay.”
