5 of the Most Controversial Pop Songs of All Time

Some pop songs are addictive, others are awful, and some are just straight up controversially bad. This is the case for the following five controversial pop songs that many listeners are more than happy to leave behind in pop music history.

1. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke

This has to be the most controversial pop song of all controversial pop songs. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke (with T.I. and Pharrell) was a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping hit for weeks in 2013. However, a lot of people didn’t “read between the lines”, so to speak. Or rather, few really listened to the lyrics of the song when it first came out. Once people realized the song was about not respecting consent, it waned in popularity.

2. “Same Girl” by R. Kelly feat. Usher

Basically anything by R. Kelly is controversial now, but this song really takes the cake. The 2007 hit “Same Girl” was one of his last collaborations. “Same Girl” is widely considered to be one of the dumbest song concepts of all time… and also somewhat misogynistic. The song marked the last time that R. Kelly made it to the Top 40 chart.

3. “Get On Your Boots” by U2

U2 was massive in the 1980s and 1990s, and they released a ton of great music during their heyday. However, even the biggest rock bands can still blunder. “Get On Your Boots” from 2009 is just one song caught in the interesting divisive nature of No Line On The Horizon. Print media loved it, online music critics hated it. It marked a change in music criticism, namely the move from print magazines to online publications. And realistically, it was a pretty tough song to vibe to. U2 hasn’t hit the Top 40 since then.

4. “Hello Kitty” by Avril Lavigne

This writer still believes that Let Go is one of the greatest pop-rock albums of the 2000s. Avril Lavigne’s 2014 attempt at a comeback, “Hello Kitty”, did not meet that mark. The Canadian pop-punk princess was dragged through the mud all over the internet when this song and music video came out. Unfortunately, it was arguably deserved. It was overproduced, vapid, reductive, and also—according to some—a little bit racist. Since the lukewarm comeback, Lavigne has returned to her more authentic self, and we’re happy about it.

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5. “Swagger Jagger” by Cher Lloyd

Few remember this 2011 track from Cher Lloyd, and for good reason. After making it far on the popular UK competition show The X Factor, Cher Lloyd released her debut album and hit no. 1 on the UK charts with the single “Swagger Jagger”. Despite the charting popularity of the song, it quickly became one of the most hated pop songs in the country. It was a bit of a dance-pop monstrosity, to be honest. If Cher Lloyd didn’t have to rush to hang onto the coattails of her X Factor fame, she probably would have released a decent debut.

Photo by Kevin Winter

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