Hotel California

A few different folks on here have gone out of their way to claim this is the absolute worst song ever written, or at least one of the top contenders for that title. Could someone please educate me and explain what exactly is wrong with it that makes it so grating? Thanks.

Actually, I’m even more curious about why you see Proud Mary popping up on those "worst of" lists sometimes. I can wrap my head around a global vendetta against the Eagles, sure... but I honestly don't get how any sane person could dislike, or even just feel lukewarm about, Proud Mary and Creedence Clearwater Revival in general.

Because we've got punks in our ranks—oi! OI! 😬

Because some idiot always insists on playing those two songs at every party. It’s just like when someone starts playing those old ballads

It’s an automatic signal that the fun is officially over. AMEN

Plus, let's be honest, they're just total hippies.

Man really can't stand the Eagles.
I’d throw "Sweet Home Alabama" into that mix too, L.S.. Some people just lose their minds when that song comes on. Not me, though.

An absolute masterpiece, my go-to whenever I'm working on guitar cross-picking technique:
F#7, A, E, G, D, Em, F#7🙂

William Rodriguez36 said:Dude hates Eagles.
I'd throw in "Sweet Home Alabama" too, L.S. Some people just lose it when they hear that track. Not me.

Lynyrd Skynyrd might be uneducated, racist Southern hillbillies, but "Simple Man" and "Tuesday's Gone" are legitimate masterpieces.🙏

Heh, you aren't really getting into the party spirit until you hear that bassline all the way out in California. 😁

Drew Adams58 said:Because some idiot always ends up playing those two songs at parties. It’s just like when they play something by Billy Joel.

That basically signals the party is over. Amen

Plus, they're just total hippies.

🙂
I guess you've been the voice of reason lately.😬

I haven't actually heard those one or two songs that William Rodriguez36 and hollowangler68 claim are so good.

hollowangler68 said:Lynyrd Skynyrd are just uneducated, racist Southern hillbillies, but honestly, "Simple Man" and "Tuesday's Gone" are absolute masterpieces.🙏

Yeah, those two are top tier.

The reason I absolutely loathe Proud Mary is because every single damn corner of this country has some pathetic wedding band playing that exact same cover, and I am sick to death of hearing it for the 4444th time—there is just no escaping it no matter where you go. The song itself is probably decent enough, but my brain honestly starts to melt every time it kicks in. I haven't managed to freeze out Hotel California yet... but hey, life is long.

Drew Adams58 said:Because some idiot is always playing those two songs at parties, just like they play that old ballad singer everyone loves.

That’s an instant party killer. AMEN

Plus, they’re just damn hippies.

The absolute worst way a party can end is when the whole thing turns into an Azra concert—it’s basically a sociological phenomenon, those Azra concerts.

Every single time I'm at an Azra concert, I get these chills running down my spine whenever they start playing "krivo je more."

stormyviper11 said:On several different occasions, various posters here have insisted that this is the most obnoxious song ever, or at least one of them. Can someone explain to an uneducated guy like me what exactly is wrong with this track that makes it so irritating to you all? Thanks.

I'm right there with them.
Why? Honestly, I can't put my finger on it. It just gives me this nagging, unpleasant sensation—like the smell of stagnant water.
Picture this: I'm sitting in my mom's kitchen, having a massive breakfast, say Saturday around 11 AM, the radio is playing softly in the background, and then...
Suddenly, "Hotel California" comes on. And immediately, I get hit with that "Groundhog Day" syndrome.
To me, "Hotel California" is just grating. Heaven knows it is.

Don't get me wrong, I love hippies.
And I've got nothing against the state of California in North America either.
I can listen to "North American" and "Stairway to Heaven" without any issues at all.

Drew Adams58 said:Because some idiot always plays those two songs at parties. Just like when they play Billy Joel...

Party's over instantly. Amen

Man, you nailed it!🙏

The thing about Azra is spot on too. There’s plenty of other party anthems and artists that just make you want to gag. Like Far Coast is in that same vein. Seriously, if someone grabs a guitar and starts playing "Sea Witch," I’d instinctively smash that guitar over their head like in a movie... especially when everyone starts swaying and singing along🤮 🙂 🙂 🙂

The moment I saw this thread, I knew 🤣{{Carol Jackson45}}
would show up.
EDIT: I’ve actually never heard Proud Mary. Is that a crime? 😁

Carol Jackson45 said:Every single one of them

I suppose people generally understand what they’re looking for. A street performer will play something they know hits the mark—something catchy enough to draw a crowd. It might not appeal to you or me, but then again, you can't survive on niche tastes alone. It’s the same logic applied to a major radio station.

The song itself is solid. Just because it gets overplayed doesn't mean I'm going to write it off; that would be an irrational way to approach music.

Gregory Walker15 said:I have to ask: I’ve never actually heard Proud Mary. Is that something I should be ashamed of? 😁

I suspect you actually are, though perhaps you haven't quite grasped my true identity yet.

Personally, I’ve never been able to get on board with "Proud Mary." Even from a purely technical standpoint, the instrumentation just doesn't land for me, and don't even get me started on the lyrics. They feel incredibly shallow, wouldn't you agree?

goldenhound32 said:I suspect you actually do, though perhaps you don't recognize them by their official title.

That seems quite likely. Isn't it true that I have plenty of repetitive songs stuck in my head without knowing their names?

goldenhound32 said:The song is good, and just because it gets overplayed doesn't mean I'm going to hate it on principle. That would be irrational.

I can't even wrap my head around it. It's stuck in my ears, and nothing is going to change my mind. The original post isn't asking if the track is actually good; it's asking why we hate it. I already laid out why I despise it, so don't try to lecture me on its quality when that wasn't even the point.

My hatred for this song is so deep that even if it were the greatest masterpiece ever produced—which I highly doubt, since most people just flock to whatever sugary pop trash is on the radio—it wouldn't matter. Just hearing the title makes my skin crawl. Honestly, I've lost all objectivity; the sheer loathing I feel makes it impossible to be rational about it. I'd probably hate caviar if I had to eat it every single day, so yeah, I'm definitely hating this annoying three-chord hit sung by the whiniest guy on the planet.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Too bad this forum won't let you use more than ten emojis.

Carol Jackson45 said:The original post isn't asking if the song is actually good; it’s asking why we hate it.

I tend to read the entire post; the title is often just irrelevant fluff.

"Could someone explain to an uninitiated listener what specifically is wrong with this track that makes it so irritating?"

Two points/questions here. Two: there is logic to it. One: the bass, yes or no.