10 Overplayed Songs From Bands I Like

The title is a nicer way of saying I like the bands, but I never want to hear these songs ever again. In some cases, I don’t even want to buy the corresponding albums because I hate these songs so much. The worst part is that these bands play the hits religiously at their shows because it’s what the casual fans want. Those guys are missing out, though, because these bands have great songs in their catalog that are way better than their hits. I apologize in advance if you like some of these songs on the list, and I do not mean any harm. Without further or do; let’s get on with the show!

10. “Run to the Hills ” (1982) by Iron Maiden

Thankfully, I don’t dislike many of Iron Maiden’s overplayed songs. I like “The Trooper,” “Wasted Years,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” and I’m ok with “The Number of the Beast.” But I’m not a fan of “Run to the Hills” because the chorus is too simple. Even with the bass drum opener and the guitar riff, nothing stands out about that song. “2 Minutes to Midnight” was a close call because that’s another one of their big hits that I don’t like. However, I think “Run to the Hills” is a decent choice because of how annoying the chorus is.

9. “Home Sweet Home” (1985) by Mötley Crüe

“Home Sweet Home” was the first Mötley Crüe song I ever heard back in 2012, so it will always have a special place in my heart. I played a lot of Mötley Crüe from 2018 to early 2020, and at the time, I thought it was their best song. It was my fault for not digging into the band’s catalog, but after hearing “Home Sweet Home” a billion times, I got sick of it. “Home Sweet Home” is a ballad, and it’s nothing compared to their hard-rocking hair metal tunes. No big drums or funky bass lines, just pianos! I can’t remember the last time I listened to that track, but I doubt I’ll blast it on Spotify anytime soon. 

8. “Whole Lotta Rosie” (1977) by AC/DC

Hear me out, AC/DC fans! I tried my hardest to get into “Whole Lotta Rosie,” but I couldn’t do it. The lyrics and the storytelling aren’t strong enough, and I’m not a fan of Bon Scott screaming the song. When he sang it live, I could barely understand what he was singing. When Brian Johson sings it, I still don’t care for the song! Phil Rudd’s metronome drumming makes “Whole Lotta Rosie” bearable, like most of the time. I’ll listen to it when the boys perform it in concert, but I will not search up the track on my own because I’d feel bad if I got sick of an AC/DC song. 

7. “You Give Love a Bad Name” (1986) by Bon Jovi

Like “Home Sweet Home,” I enjoyed “You Give Love a Bad Name” at first. But during the first lockdown last year, I was out for a walk listening to music, then “You Give Love a Bad Name” came on, and I went, “why do I like this song again?” The chorus and the melody don’t stand out to me anymore; not even Richie Sambora’s playing could save it. The big 80s hits aren’t my favorite Bon Jovi songs, but some of them are decent. Though, I’m this close to calling it quits with “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

6. “Here I Go Again” (1982 and re-released in 1987) by Whitesnake

The reason why it took me so long to get into Whitesnake was because of one particular song. Nothing about “Here I Go Again” clicked for me, and I didn’t care to check out more stuff because of it. I only got into Whitesnake because someone on Sea of Tranquility, a music Youtube channel, said they like Whitesnake. So I bought a Whitesnake album, and I purposely bought an album that didn’t contain “Here I Go Again” to save myself from the torture. I bought Slip of the Tongue (1989), I played it when I got home, and I was like, “this band is way heavier than I thought!”

5. “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) by Queen

“Bohemian Rhapsody” gets all the hype, which is sad because nobody knows about “Drowse,” my favorite Queen song ever! “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a good song, and it was a masterpiece for its time, but it’s not the best thing the band ever did. Think about all the other gems on A Night at the Opera (1975). There’s “Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…),” “’39,” “The Prophet’s Song,” and my personal favorite, “I’m in Love with My Car.” I wrote a story for Spanish class about how the latter song came to be. For those of you that love “Bohemian Rhapsody,” that’s great, but just hearing the piano opener is enough to annoy me. Also, people sang it on American Idol way too many times.

4. “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” (1981) by Def Leppard

I love Def Leppard, but I never want to hear “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” ever again! I feel guilty for putting down a Def Leppard song because I love the boys with all my heart, but it irritates me how they don’t play their best tracks at their gigs anymore. They play the heck out of Hysteria (1987), nothing from Adrenalize (1992) besides “Let’s Get Rocked,” and whenever they play High ‘n’ Dry (1981), it was always “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” and “Switch 625.” I mean, really? On an album with headbangers like “You Got Me Runnin,'” “Another Hit and Run,” “Lady Strange,” and “Me and My Wine,” the best you guys can do is a ballad? You can do better than that boys, bring on the rock ‘n’ roll!

3. “Breaking the Law” (1980) by Judas Priest

I don’t even know why people like “Breaking the Law” because it’s so tame, and it doesn’t sum up what Judas Priest is about. I like some of their stuff, and I like “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” actually, but I couldn’t stand “Breaking the Law” from day one. The chorus is repeating the title over and over again, and that’s all I remember! For many rock bands, their hit singles aren’t as heavy because they have to be radio-friendly. Casual listeners get tricked into thinking that “Living After Midnight” is the band’s heaviest song, which is nothing compared to “Painkiller.” I’m new to Judas Priest’s catalog, so I’ll have to do more digging on them.

2. “Master of Puppets” (1986) by Metallica

I love Metallica, but why does “Master of Puppets” exist? Again, this song is very tame and does not sum up Metallica overall. I won’t even buy the album because I hate that song with every fiber in me. The chorus is annoying as heck, and it sounded worse with a symphony. There’s too much going on in the track instrumentally. I like the meaning behind “Master of Puppets” because it’s about being controlled by drugs. But I couldn’t vibe with it, nor could I vibe with most of the album’s tracks.

1. “Rock and Roll All Nite” (1975) by Kiss

I’m not a huge Kiss fan, but I like some of their stuff. I mostly wanted an excuse to complain about how annoying “Rock and Roll All Nite” is. The same thing with “Detroit Rock City;” the band plays those two songs the most at their shows, which sucks. Again, the “hits” are not the band’s best work because they don’t show their full potential. Those songs hurt the band because of how overplayed they are, and eventually, people get sick of both the songs and the band. But yeah, I never liked “Rock and Roll All Nite,” and I think they have too many tracks with the words “rock and roll” in the title. AC/DC also has plenty of songs with the words “rock and roll” in the title, but at least they know how to rock! 

I could’ve also put down Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” because those songs are garbage, but I don’t care for those bands. Anyways, again I’m sorry if I offended anyone, and that was never my intention. I did this to rant about the songs that I can’t stand and hope that these bands consider my thoughts the next time they go on tour! 

What are some overplayed songs from the bands you like? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana