On the topic of bad music, what rock cliches drive you nuts?

[Archae]

There are several for me, this one Led Zeppelin seems to be obsessed with.

"Ramblin'"

I've never hear anyone outside of music say "ramblin'" or "ramble."

Another that drives me nuts is mumble mumble mumble.
Bruce Springsteen is notorious for it, just listen to him on "Born To Run."

[Throd]

1. Metal vocalists that sound like Cookie Monster.

[arcane1]

32. Damn right! I can handle some occasional barking but that gutteral crap ruined metal for me

How does one even audition something like that? How do you know who sucks and who doesn't?

They ALL do!

[Populist_Prole]

35. Yeah, same here

Ruins some otherwise good music.

[pipi_k]

2. Baby

Baby, baby, baby

Bayyyybeeee!!!


Oh, Baby, yeah baby, I love you baby

babybabybaby


oooooooh babybaby

[Archae]

3. Oh yeah!

And they don't pronounce it "baby."

It's "bay-buh."

[orleans]

6. first song i thought of was "beautiful ones" by prince

but apparently prince gets rid of all his videos from youtube
so i won't be putting up the video for it.

here's the other one i thought of:

or this version

[cemaphonic]

7. I like when the Violent Femmes make fun of that convention in "American Music":

[lovemydog]

9. Holy crap that's funny.

I also love when Morrissey sings 'etcetera, etcetera etcetera' in a Smiths song.

[Art_from_Ark]

4. "Mumble mumble mumble" has to be sung just right

Preferably by Paw Rugg

[lovemydog]

11. Paw Rugg, rockstar.

He's even doing the signature 'smash the geetar' move at the end.

[Aristus]

5. The lead singer pumping his fist and shouting "YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!"

(For any reason. Or no reason.)

If you play good music, I'll be there with you, and I'll respond. Don't try to substitute enthusiasm for talent...

[lovemydog]

8. Auto-tune

causes me to change the station. Also, when a speed metal band goes 'roooooooooooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggghhhh!!!!!!!!!'

Most rock cliches crack me up. Like when I hear a dj say 'Get the Led Out!' Or when a band self-mythogizes and it's made up. Like Boston singing about all their hard times on the road in 'Rock and Roll Band' when they had never toured and it was just one nerd in a studio. Or Bryan Adams singing about 'The Summer of '69' when he wasn't born till later. Or when someone sings about the 'party on the weekend!' I embrace it, act like a dork, and laugh at myself and the song.

[Kaleva]

33. Or a Kiss song where they complain about being under the thumb of their parents

Life would be so much better for these rich, middle aged rockers if it weren't for their parents!

[lovemydog]

34. Haha, can't remember which Kiss song.

I love this one by the Beastie Boys though, even though at the time they were obnoxious. I think they were sort of parodying the genre. They grew into incredibly cool aware & involved people not long over the course of a few years after this recording. The Beastie Boys I mean. Not Kiss. Gene Simmons has acted like a jerk his whole adult life.

[grasswire]

10. vocalists who adopt an odd dialect or drawl just for singing.

The ones who speak normally in person, but sing with a "persona"

[lovemydog]

12. I love how Dana Carvey made fun of that in the famous skit

'she choppin brah cuh leeeeeee.'

[Aristus]

13. This reply useless without video:

[lovemydog]

20. Shechoppinbrakaluuh...

Shechoinbauculaaaah...
She.
Cho.
In.
Brah.
Ca....
Leeeaaaaaaah!

Best version I've seen. Thanks.

[clarice]

14. Anacondas in the trousers. nt

[lovemydog]

21. Holy crap. Maybe that's how Whitesnake got its name.

[clarice]

37. LOL....nt

[clarice]

15. Oh Yeah....and the guys who wear hats or handkerchiefs on their heads to cover bald spots. nt

[NightWatcher]

16. Songs that ralk about how hard they rock, or "rock n roll"

It's like, "this is a song about singing"

[Archae]

17. When singers try to sound "profound..."

And then all they do is sound like they're blitzed on something.

Worst offender I can think of at the moment, "Horse With No Name" by America.
I mean,

[lovemydog]

22. You're riding in the desert - name the damn horse!

[Initech]

18. Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care.

I also can't stand excessive use of the phrase "pretty baby."

[lovemydog]

23. If you really just don't care you wouldn't bother

waving your hands.

[CBGLuthier]

19. I hate damn near every song that sings about how great RnR music is, with one exception

I do like Argent's god gave rock and roll to you but all the other songs about how great rock is are just plain stupid.

Not really fond of the ones that whine about the road either including that Seger song that every amateur musician in the world insists on singing even if the closest they came to touring was the time they went to their grandmother's and sang a song.

[lovemydog]

25. Here I am. In the basement again.

Here I am. Up on the stage.
There I go. Playin' the star again.
There I go. Alone with rage.

[Archae]

26. "Turn the page," not "Alone with rage."

[lovemydog]

29. Lol, I was making a parody based the post above.

I enjoy playing 'weird al' sometimes.

[Archae]

30. Ok, no prob.

"Because I'm tacky..."

[lovemydog]

31. Haha, love that one!

[cemaphonic]

24. Like most things Zepplin, they swiped the ramblin lingo from old Blues musicians

Listen to a lot of music from the Depression, and just about everyone sings about rambling at one point or another.

[Archae]

27. Whenever Zep did Blues, it sounded awful.

"Baby, baby, baby, I got to ramble..."

[lovemydog]

28. Oh, I been a ramblin

drinkin and a gamblin
no eggs to be scramblin
jus tryin get a handlin
humor, I'm a tramplin
so I best be amblin

[Populist_Prole]

36. Long, dragged out "ooohhhs" or 'Ohs" or "yeahs" as lyrical bridges.

Always seemed so cheap, so trite, so unimaginative.