5 Most Overrated Songs By Decade

Blink 182 All The Small Things Throughout the years, I've often wondered what exactly makes a song a hit€”and wondered even greater why certain songs are hits in the first place. I think I should qualify what I mean by "overrated." None of the songs on this list are "bad" per se, but I felt they didn't deserve the lavish praise heaped on them after their recording nor the endless plays on the radio. In other words, there are plenty of worse songs out there, but none of them "earned" the success or were played to death like these five (in chronological order by decade):

Most Overrated Song Of The '60s: "My Way" - Frank Sinatra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egY8rUpxqcE Right away, this selection is going to turn a lot of people off, simply because it's so cherished, but that's precisely my point. This song is not only a "classic," it's considered Sinatra's defining standard, but have you ever sat down and really listened to it? The melody is slow, plodding, and predictable (it's really just a long crescendo), and it was based on an even older French tune. The lyrics aren't very admirable either. Frank brags about how he did everything his way, and we should all learn to deal with that. Well, good for him. Being selfish and stubborn isn't something to croon about. This Paul Anka-penned piece should have been one of Sinatra's B-sides, not the one by which all his other hits are judged. I'd rather hear "Come Fly Away" or "New York, New York" any day.
Contributor

Michael Perone has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, The Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), and The Long Island Voice, a short-lived spinoff of The Village Voice. He currently works as an Editor in Manhattan. And he still thinks Michael Keaton was the best Batman.