Even the greatest legends stumble once in a while.
For every timeless anthem, there’s a song that leaves fans scratching their heads, critics sharpening their knives, or the artists themselves wishing it had never seen daylight. Some are odd experiments gone wrong, others are lapses in taste or tone, and a few are just plain embarrassing. But taken together, they remind us that even rock gods are human – and sometimes hilariously fallible. Here are 25 tracks by icons that history hasn’t been so kind to.
1. Rush – 'Tai Shan' (1987)
Singer/bassist Geddy Lee (pictured) and guitarist Alex Lifeson have been remarkably candid about their dislike for this track from Hold Your Fire. Inspired by drummer Neil Peart’s trip to a sacred mountain in China, the song’s delicate, synth-heavy arrangement felt 'too sensitive' and uncharacteristic for Rush's power trio sound. Lee later called it a 'mistake', and it remains a rare instance of the band publicly expressing regret over a specific piece of music.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival – 'Molina' (1970)
Buried deep on Side Two of Pendulum, Creedence's second album of 1970, 'Molina' is a simplistic, saxophone-heavy track that feels like a shadow of John Fogerty’s best swamp-rock writing. While not 'bad' in a technical sense, it lacks the urgency and grit of hits like 'Born on the Bayou'. Coming just before the band’s acrimonious split, it serves as a sign of the creative fatigue that was beginning to settle in after their incredible run of classic albums.
3. The Eagles – 'The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks' (1979)
Tucked away on The Long Run, this attempt at a rowdy, frat-house rock song feels forced and juvenile compared to the band’s sophisticated harmonies and cynical songwriting. With backing vocals from Jimmy Buffett, it was meant to be a fun throwaway, but it ended up feeling beneath a band of their stature. Most fans view it as a filler track that hasn't aged well at all.
4. Yes – 'Almost Like Love' (1987)
From the Big Generator album, this track attempted to blend the band’s prog rock roots with 80s 'horn-section' pop, resulting in a sound that felt dated upon arrival. Steve Howe was absent from this era, and the remaining members struggled to balance Trevor Rabin’s arena-rock sensibilities with the band's legacy. It’s often cited by fans as a generic, over-produced moment that lacked the spiritual and technical depth of vintage Yes.
5. Fleetwood Mac – 'These Strange Times' (1995)
Found on Fleetwood Mac's largely forgotten Time album, this seven-minute track features Mick Fleetwood delivering a spoken-word performance over a murky, mid-tempo groove. Without the melodic brilliance of Lindsey Buckingham or the mystic charm of Stevie Nicks, the song feels aimless and uncomfortably out of place. It remains a stark reminder of the era when the band’s identity was at its most fractured and commercially stagnant.
6. The Byrds – 'It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)' (1971)
While the Bob Dylan original is a masterpiece, the version on Byrdmaniax is often loathed due to producer Terry Melcher’s heavy-handedness. Without the band’s permission, Melcher layered the track with intrusive brass and gospel arrangements that suffocated the song's folk-rock spirit. Roger McGuinn and the band were reportedly horrified by the result, viewing it as a symbol of the album’s over-produced, 'disowned' nature.
7. Metallica – 'Purify' (2003)
While the entire St. Anger album is controversial for its 'trash can' snare drum sound and lack of guitar solos, 'Purify' is often singled out as a particularly difficult listen. The dissonant, clashing vocal harmonies in the chorus and the jagged, repetitive riffs make for an abrasive listening experience that even some defenders of the album find hard to stomach. It represents the height of the band’s internal tension and sonic experimentation.
8. Genesis – 'Who Dunnit?' (1981)
A jarring departure on the Abacab album, this track features repetitive, staccato synthesizers and Phil Collins singing 'Was it A, was it B?' in a quirky, abrasive tone. While the band intended it as a punk-inspired joke or a rhythmic experiment, it remains one of their most skipped tracks. It famously polarized audiences during live shows, with some fans booing the bizarre shift from their progressive and pop excellence.
9. Van Halen – 'How Many Say I' (1998)
This gravelly ballad from Van Halen III features Eddie Van Halen on lead vocals instead of Gary Cherone. Fans and critics were baffled by the dark, Leonard Cohen-esque delivery that lacked the band’s signature melodic spark. It is widely considered the low point of the band’s discography, representing a moment where Eddie’s experimental studio control led to a track that felt completely disconnected from the Van Halen brand.
10. The Beatles – 'Revolution 9' (1968)
The Beatles could do anything – or so it seemed until 'Revolution 9'. An avant-garde sound collage tucked onto The White Album, it’s eight minutes of tape loops, strange voices, and musique concrète. John Lennon considered it groundbreaking; most fans considered it unlistenable. While it fits the Beatles’ boundary-pushing ethos, sandwiched between beloved songs, it left many wishing for another 'Hey Jude' instead of a dose of highbrow weirdness.
11. The Rolling Stones: 'Indian Girl' (1980)
By 1980, the Stones were still kings of swagger, but 'Indian Girl', from Emotional Rescue, found them drifting badly off course. A pseudo-Latin ballad with cringeworthy lyrics about geopolitical violence and romance, it lacks the bite and grit of their best work. Mick Jagger’s vocal delivery is oddly detached, and the arrangement limps along without conviction. It’s proof that even the 'World’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band' sometimes stumbled when chasing reinvention.
12. Led Zeppelin: 'Hot Dog' (1979)
On In Through the Out Door, Led Zeppelin surprised fans with synth-heavy experiments – but it was 'Hot Dog' that drew the real groans. A tongue-in-cheek rockabilly pastiche, the track plays like a jokey bar-band encore rather than a showcase for one of rock’s heaviest bands. Robert Plant sings it with gusto, but the lyrics are clunky, and the overall effect is more novelty than nuance. Coming just before drummer John Bonham’s death, it felt especially out of place.
13. Black Sabbath – 'The Illusion of Power' (1995)
Featured on the Forbidden album – widely considered the band's lowest point – this track features an ill-fitted guest appearance by Ice-T. While the collaboration was an attempt to modernize their sound, the muddy production and sluggish riffing failed to capture the heaviness of the Tony Martin era or the classic Ozzy years. The band has since essentially disowned the entire album, with Tony Iommi recently remixing it to fix the sound.
14. David Bowie: 'The Laughing Gnome' (1967)
Before he became rock’s great chameleon, David Bowie was floundering. 'The Laughing Gnome', a novelty single featuring sped-up chipmunk-style voices, is pure bubblegum silliness. To Bowie’s horror, it became a surprise hit when reissued in 1973, right as he was conquering the world as Ziggy Stardust. Forever haunted by those helium-voiced gnomes, Bowie spent years trying to distance himself from the song. It remains a reminder that even geniuses sometimes start with gimmicks.
15. Elton John: 'Crocodile Rock' (1972)
It's one of Elton John’s most commercially successful singles, yet 'Crocodile Rock' remains notoriously unpopular with the artist himself. Intended as a nostalgic pastiche of early ’60s rock ’n’ roll, its sugary lyrics and falsetto vocals strike some as lightweight or gimmicky compared with Elton’s more ambitious work. Despite its catchy melody and chart-topping success, John has repeatedly expressed embarrassment over the song, calling it 'a silly record' and admitting he rarely performs it live, a guilty pleasure in his catalogue.
16. Bob Dylan: 'Wiggle Wiggle' (1990)
Bob Dylan is the Nobel Prize-winning poet of rock. Which makes 'Wiggle Wiggle' all the more baffling. The opening track to Under the Red Sky, it features Dylan mumbling childlike rhymes over a plodding blues-rock backing. Critics couldn’t believe the man who wrote “Desolation Row” was responsible. Dylan himself later admitted the album was rushed and unfocused. “Wiggle Wiggle” endures as a head-scratcher, proof that even Dylan can run on autopilot.
17. Queen: 'Body Language' (1982)
As the lead single for 1982's dance-heavy LP Hot Space, 'Body Language' was a massive risk that alienated rock fans. The song is almost entirely bass-synth and breathy vocals, lacking Brian May’s signature guitar heroics. While it was a club hit, the "minimalist funk" approach was seen as a cold, mechanical departure from the operatic, multi-layered rock that made Queen legends. Even the band eventually pivoted back to rock.
18. U2: 'Miami' (1997)
The Pop era was U2’s great gamble, blending techno and electronica into their stadium rock. Some of it worked brilliantly. 'Miami' did not. Meandering, monotonous, and lyrically thin, it epitomised the band’s mid-’90s struggles to stay relevant. Bono’s talk-sung delivery falls flat, while the production is cluttered rather than experimental. U2 would quickly regroup with All That You Can’t Leave Behind, but 'Miami' remains a cautionary tale of reinvention gone awry.
19. The Who: 'Don’t Let Go the Coat' (1981)
Released as a single from their 1981 album Face Dances, 'Don’t Let Go the Coat' is the sound of The Who losing their fire. Intended as a spiritual meditation inspired by Meher Baba, the track feels sluggish and uninspired. Without Keith Moon’s wild drumming (he had died three years earlier), the song plods along, leaving critics to wonder what happened to the band that once embodied explosive rebellion. A forgotten single, and for good reason.
20. Bruce Springsteen: 'Queen of the Supermarket' (2009)
Springsteen can turn everyday lives into poetry. But here, his magic deserts him. On Working on a Dream, he sings earnestly about a crush on a supermarket checkout girl, complete with swelling strings. Instead of elevating the mundane, it comes off syrupy and absurd. Fans were left wincing at lines about shopping aisles and barcodes. Proof that even The Boss occasionally over-reaches in his quest for working-class romance.
21. The Doors: 'We Could Be So Good Together' (1968)
The Doors thrived on mysticism and menace – but not here. 'We Could Be So Good Together', a leftover jam released on Waiting for the Sun, is awkwardly upbeat and lyrically clumsy. It lacks the dark magnetism of 'Riders on the Storm' or 'The End'. Even Jim Morrison seems disengaged. The track plays more like filler than revelation, reminding listeners that even The Doors couldn’t conjure transcendence every time they hit 'record'.
22. Pink Floyd: 'The Dogs of War' (1987)
With Roger Waters gone, A Momentary Lapse of Reason tried to reassert Pink Floyd’s power. Instead, 'The Dogs of War' turned into one of their clunkiest tracks. Its heavy-handed lyrics about warmongers, combined with ponderous rhythms, lack the nuance and tension of their earlier work. The song’s bombast feels hollow, as if Floyd were imitating themselves. A rare moment when the band’s reputation for gravitas tipped into leaden parody.
23. The Clash: 'Hitsville U.K.' (1980)
On Sandinista!, The Clash pushed their eclecticism to the limit. But 'Hitsville U.K.', a sugary duet with Mick Jones’ then-partner Ellen Foley (both pictured), feels toothless. A cheery pop tune mocking the British music industry, it’s well-meaning but musically limp – miles away from the fire of 'London Calling'. With its jangly guitars and sing-song melody, it left many fans longing for the snarling rebellion of earlier Clash records.
24. Lou Reed: 'The Original Wrapper' (1986)
Lou Reed was no stranger to provocation, but his foray into rap on Mistrial was disastrous. 'The Original Wrapper' pairs Reed’s monotone delivery with clunky rhymes and dated production. What might have been ironic or experimental just sounds embarrassing. Critics and fans alike were baffled, and even Reed’s defenders struggled to justify it. For an artist who gave us Transformer and Berlin, this was a career low point best left forgotten.
25. Neil Young: 'We R in Control' (1982)
Neil Young’s 1982 LP Trans is one of rock's most polarising albums: some admire its early use of vocoders and synths, others cringe. 'We R in Control' is the worst offender – a paranoid, robot-voiced anthem about technology gone wrong. More awkward than visionary, it alienated fans and baffled critics. Young later admitted the album was partly inspired by trying to communicate with his speech-impaired son, which makes it poignant – but musically, this track is a cold, clunky relic of misjudged experimentation.
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