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9. Because I Got High - Afroman
Year released: 2000
Album: Because I Got High
Because I Got High went to Number 1 on the New Zealand charts in 2000, where it stayed for four weeks. The tale of a rapper who couldn't tidy his room, pass college, keep a job, attend court or pay child support because he smoked weed was also nominated for a Grammy in 2002. Silent Bob, aka Kevin Smith directed the music video and the song was the theme for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
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8. Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
Year released: 1999
Album: Europop
Three Italian lads - Jeffrey Jey, Gabry Ponte and Maurizio Lobina - got together and produced this terrible tune about a man who was blue on the inside and on the outside. Rolling Stone panned the album and said the song, "blends Cher-esque vocoder vocals, trance-like synth riffs, unabashed Eurodisco beats and a baby-babble chorus so infantile it makes the Teletubbies sound like Shakespeare." The magazine also placed the song on their list of the "20 Most Annoying Songs," reaching No. 14.
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7. Whenever, Wherever Suerte - Shakira
Year released: 2001
Album: Laundry Service
"Lucky that my lips not only mumble
They spill kisses like a fountain
Lucky that my breasts are small and humble
So you don't confuse them with mountains"
I realise there is more to a song than lyrics alone. But how on earth could this offering by Colombian songstress Shakira ever reach number 1?
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6. Sweat (A La La La La Long) - Innercircle
Year released: 1992
Album: Bad to the Bone
Yes folks, this inspiring piece with lyrics, "Girl I want to make you sweat, sweat till you can't sweat no more..." reached number 1 in New Zealand. I don't know why.
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5. Who Let the Dogs Out - Baha Men
Year: 2000
Two countries allowed this travesty of a song to reach number one - Australia for four weeks and, yup, New Zealand for two weeks.
In a poll conducted in 2007 by Rolling Stone to identify the 20 most annoying songs, this song was ranked third.
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4. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
Year released: 1997
Album: Tubthumper
A pub anthem if ever there was one. Tubthumping, or I Get Knocked Down, was anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba's one hit wonder. The song did exceptionally well and the band was offered US$1.5million from Nike to use the song in a World Cup advertisement. The offer was declined.
The interludes before and after the song are from Brassed Off, a 1996 English movie: "Truth is I thought it mattered. I thought that music mattered. But does it? Bollocks! Not compared to how people matter."
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3. Lonely - Akon
Year released: 2005
Album: Trouble
I don't have much of a problem with Akon's debut song. However, the sped-up Bobby Vinton samples which sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks are so annoying, it's a wonder this song did so well.
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2. Barbie Girl - Aqua
Year released: 1997
Album: Aquarium
Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua gave us this kitch song, which fitted into the "Bubblegum dance" genre. Doctor Jones followed soon after. Barbie Girl was voted fourth "Best Number One of All Time" in a VH1 poll.
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1. Crazy Frog - Axel F
Year released: 2005
For 11 weeks this insane, torturous clash of nasty noises stayed at number 1 in New Zealand. Oh the shame. How can we love a ringtone so much? This nonsensical nightmare can never be forgotten - it is by far the most annoying "song" of all time.
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New Zealand, together we have allowed some truly awful songs to reach number 1 on our charts. The late 90s and early 2000s were particularly bad. 1997 boasted some doozies - MmmBop, Tubthumping, Barbie Girl and N-Trance's Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? - all made number 1 that year.
Still, hold your heads high. I have one saving grace for us Kiwis - James Blunt's massive hit You're Beautiful never made it to number 1 in Aotearoa. It peaked at number 4. Phew!
- nzherald.co.nz
