19 Musicians Who Have Found Their Hit Songs Offensive, Overplayed, Or Just Plain Annoying

Turns out, "Misery Business" makes Hayley Williams, well...miserable.

Most artists seem to love performing their songs onstage.

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Still, it makes sense that with some of their hit songs, musicians get just a litttttttle bit tired of playing them.

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Here are 19 hit songs that these musicians low-key can't stand playing or hearing!

1. Hayley Williams (of Paramore), "Misery Business"

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Suggested by: sarahg167

In 2018, the band announced they'd no longer perform the song. Hayley Williams said the lyrics, which include the line "Once a whore, you’re nothing more," were written from a narrow-minded perspective and were basically from a page in her diary from when she was 17. 

2. Kurt Cobain (of Nirvana), "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

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Suggested by: punk-kid

“Everyone has focused on that song so much. The reason it gets a big reaction is people have seen it on MTV a million times. It’s been pounded into their brains. But I think there are so many other songs that I’ve written that are as good, if not better, than that song," Cobain told Rolling Stone. Nirvana had stopped playing the song even before the end of their tenure as a band.

3. Jani Lane (of Warrant), "Cherry Pie"

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Lane once said of the song, “Everything about me is ‘Cherry Pie.’ I’m the ‘Cherry Pie’ guy. I could shoot myself in the fucking head for writing that song." Though he later seemed to come to terms with the song, saying he was "happy as a clam" to have written such a lasting song.

4. Cher, "Believe"...

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She called her whole It’s a Man’s World album "crap," and hated the song "Believe," calling it a "nightmare" to record. She actually stormed out while recording, so producer Mark Taylor used a lot of auto-tune.

5. ...and “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves,” “Half-Breed,” and “Dark Lady”

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“I’m not a Cher fan,” Cher told Billboard, saying she was ashamed of her early songs. “I just don’t think my aesthetic taste lies in her direction.” She wanted to sound more like Joni Mitchell or the Eagles.

6. Mick Jagger (of the Rolling Stones), “Satisfaction"

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Suggested by: Rebecca

In 1975, Jagger told People magazine, “I’d rather be dead than sing ‘Satisfaction’ when I’m 45." However, he seems to have changed his tune, as he has performed it many times since reaching that age. 

7. Radiohead, “Creep”

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Suggested by: beatlegeuse

The band got tired of performing their hit, saying that fans would leave after they performed it: "We seemed to be living out the same four and a half minutes of our lives over and over again. It was incredibly stultifying," guitarist and keyboardist Johnny Greenwood said. Thom Yorke later refused to perform it and even said, “Fuck off, we’re tired of it" at a concert in Montreal.

8. Britney Spears, "Sometimes"

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Suggested by: BritneyPeedOnALadybug

At her Onyx Hotel Tour, Britney realized that she hadn't sung "Sometimes" yet, then left the stage while saying she never liked it anyways. 

9. Halsey, "Closer"

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Suggested by: FanosaurusRex

At one performance, in between songs, Halsey said, "Usually by now, there's someone in, like, the sixth row who's like, 'Shut the fuck up! Stop talking, play your songs! Play "Closer!"' I'm not fucking playing 'Closer.'" On another occasion, she skipped the Chainsmokers' parts and said, "My part's the better part anyway."

10. Pat Benatar, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

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Benatar told Songwriter Connection, "There were certain parts of that song that I liked, but most of it that I've sort of outgrown. I mean, it's so hard to sing, 'You're a real tough cookie.' You don't know what...it's impossible."

11. Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin), "Stairway to Heaven"

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Suggested by: InvasiveMage

He said in 1988, "I’d break out in hives if I had to sing that song in every show,” and donated $1,000 to radio station KBOO after they said they would never play the song again if they reached a sponsorship target.

12. ...and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"

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Plant said of the song, "I find my vocals on there horrific now. I really should have shut the fuck up!”

13. Oasis, "Wonderwall"

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Liam Gallagher said, "I can’t fucking stand that fucking song! Every time I have to sing it, I want to gag," and Noel Gallagher agreed, saying, "Outside of England, it’s the one we’re famous for all over the world, and it annoys the fuck out of me.”

14. Jesy Nelson (of Little Mix), "Black Magic"

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Suggested by: gr@c!e

In an interview with BuzzFeed, Jesy said she never liked "Black Magic" and is tired of performing it.

15. Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.), "Shiny Happy People"

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Suggested by: allydelarge

Stipe was apparently embarrassed when it became a hit due to its lighthearted sound (though the underlying message is darker, and the title is taken from Chinese propaganda). Over the years, he reportedly refused to play it live or include it on albums, and said he hated it. Currently, he denies hating the song and even said he now loves it, but then added, "OK, I don’t want it to be the song R.E.M. are remembered by in 100 years’ time, but it should be recognized as one of our minor hits...though not our finest moment.”

16. Eminem, “Cleanin' Out My Closet”

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Suggested by: d

Eminem regrets the song, saying it makes him cringe every time he hears it. In fact, he wrote the song "Headlights" to apologize to his mother for the song and his other harsh words toward her over the years. 

17. Christina Aguilera, "Hurt"

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Aguilera admitted on The Kelly Clarkson Show that she doesn't like singing "Hurt" because of the difficult vocals. 

18. Jay-Z, "Big Pimpin'"

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Jay-Z has apologized for the song, saying, in relation to its provocative lyrics about women, "I couldn’t believe I wrote that. And continued to claim it. What sort of animal would utter such a thing? It’s very harsh to read." 

19. And finally, Jon Bon Jovi (of Bon Jovi), "Livin' on a Prayer"

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Bon Jovi had his doubts about the song, saying it sounded like it was by the Clash and that it "didn’t sound like anything, so I was sort of indifferent. I thought, Well, it’s different, but is it a rock song? Is it us?” He had to be convinced to record it, though the song did get better after the band made some changes. However, Bon Jovi has said he regrets the key change at the end of the song and has "every night for 36 years." However, he's happy with it now!