This List Of Uncool Songs It’s O.K. To Like May Be Music To Your Ears

You’ve sung along with that old 1974 semi-disco classic “Kung Fu Fighting”.

You turn up the radio when a Barry Manilow song like “Mandy” comes on.

And you know all the words to “The Night Chicago Died”.

The truth is, all of us like the occasional tune that’s not exactly on the cutting edge. But most of us wouldn’t be caught dead admitting to any of it.

Which brings us to Q Magazine, a British music publication, and the ‘uncool’ records it’s O.K. to like.

The editors have compiled a list of songs they term “guilty pleasures”, tunes that for one reason or another don’t pass the sniff test when it comes to adding to your reputation.

And the chart topper is a single from 1976 – “Living’ Thing” by the Electric Light Orchestra.

The magazine cites the track as the pinnacle of ditties that people secretly sing when no one’s listening. “ELO may never be fashionable but, in terms of sheer aural elation, this betters more revered bands’ entire back catalogues,” the article notes.

Despite that left-handed compliment, someone must have bought the record. It reached number 13 on the Billboard charts. And the band’s leader, Jeff Lynne, has since gone on to become a well known producer for such diverse artists as Roy Orbison and the Beatles.

While some of the list is made up of U.K. hits that never made it to the big time on this side of the pond, there are plenty of familiar songs that North Americans can alternately cringe at and celebrate.

Boston’s “More Than A Feeling”, released the same year as the first place finisher, was the runner-up.

The more modern S Club 7, a TV-created group from Britain, was third with “Don’t Stop Movin'”.

Also getting high – or low – marks: convicted child porn rocker Gary Glitter’s adopted sports anthem “Rock ‘n Roll Part 2”, Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” and Gloria Gaynor’s disco classic “I Will Survive”, which rounded out the Top 10.

There are a couple of Canadian classics on the list. Bryan Adams pulls an unlucky number 13 with his “Summer of 69”. And Canuck icons Nickelback wound up in 21st place with “How You Remind Me”.

The editors claim they’re simply trying to bring a “treasure trove” of lost tunes back into the mainstream, singing their praises, even if no one will exactly sing the songs themselves.

Here’s the Top 50 “Uncool Songs It’s O.K. To Like”

1. ELO – Livin’ Thing
2. Boston – More Than A Feeling
3. S Club 7 – Don’t Stop Movin’
4. 10cc – I’m Not In Love
5. Gary Glitter – Rock’n’Roll Part 2
6. Foreigner – Cold As Ice
7. Billy Idol – Rebel Yell
8. Status Quo – Whatever You Want
9. Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
10. Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive

11. Since You’ve Been Gone, Rainbow’
12. Centrefold, J Geils Band
13. Summer Of 69, Bryan Adams.
14. Never Ever, All Saints
15. Mr Boombastic, Shaggy
16. Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Yes
17. Manic Monday, Bangles
18. Don’t You (Forget About Me) Simple Minds
19. Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper
20. Rock On, David Essex

21. How You Remind Me, Nickelback
22. Mandy, Barry Manilow
23. If You Leave Me Now, Chicago
24. Walking In Memphis, Marc Cohn
25. Life Is A Rollercoaster, Ronan Keating
26. Can You Dig It, Mock Turtles
27. Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes
28. Electric Avenue, Eddy Grant
29. Chant No 1, Spandau Ballet
30. Boogie Nights, Heatwave

31. I Touch Myself, The Divnyls
32. The Bad Touch, The Bloodhound Gang
33. Kids In America, Kim Wilde
34. Ride Like The Wind, Christopher Cross
35. I Could Be So Good For You, Dennis Waterman
36. Criticize, Alexander O’Neal
37. Larger Than Life, Backstreet Boys
38. Heat Of The Moment, Asia
39. Letter From America, Proclaimers
40. Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen), Baz Luhrmann

41. Devil Woman, Cliff Richard
42. Surrender, Cheap Trick
43. Every Day Hurts, Sad Café
44. I Got You, Split Enz
45. Candy Girl, New Edition
46. Spaceman, Babylon Zoo
47. Woman In Love, Barbra Streisand
48. Livin’ La Vida Loca, Ricky Martin
49. Oxygene Part IV, Jean Michel Jarre
50. Tattva, Kula Shaker

Courtesy: Q Magazine