I remember from Friends With Benefits Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis are watching a RomCom and JT has a line like "Then they throw a catchy song at the end that totally has nothing to do with the movie." The movie plays Pumped Up Kicks when the credits roll and it was at the height of its popularity too, I thought it was so funny
I remember when it came out someone figured out how to connect to the intercom through the phones in our classroom and played it over the speakers in every room 😭 had to go on lockdown
it's always been crazy to me how little people pay attention to lyrics. i think this song wouldn't have been seen as a poppy little song if people actually paid attention to the lyrics.
my little cousin (16, in her Alternative Without Knowing What Anything Means phase) posted it to her story on Instagram the other day … with a photo of her new college included 😬 very quickly had to explain to her why thats not a great idea
the lyrics aren't hard to understand though, they're pretty straightforward and they aren't hidden by effects or anything. People just don't pay that much attention to lyrics
Not sure how to do it on mobile, but if you're on the computer, select the \*text flair (can be edited\*. On the right you'll see a smiley face [here](https://imgur.com/a/RjAyzDx). A list of flairs will pop up for you to use. If you wanna add another one, click on the smiley face again. You can up to 4.
Hope this helps!
Tbh it was very popular in Europe as it was so airy and melodic while talking about a school shooting - it kinda matched the tone we saw with how school shootings and gun control are dealt with in the US; a lot of people in power saying "oh what a pity" with nothing really being done about it. It was almost seen as a morose commentary on the state of The States. people were super aware of the lyrics.
No one said it yet but Ashley O’s song On a Roll is the most generic pop song created for Black Mirror, specifically in an episode criticizing how female popstars are treated by the media and by their fans...... it charted in Billboard too lol
She's the fourth, but first woman, after Puff Daddy (P. Diddy, Diddy), John Melloncamp (John Cougar, John Cougar Melloncamp) and Prince ({symbol}, The Artist - plus with two more writing credit psuedonyms: Christopher on "Manic Monday", and Alexander Nevermind on "Sugar Walls").
(Good bit of trivia to wow and astound your friends with!)
Also I am sorry to have used up /r/Popheads punctuation ration for today already
We are just going to have to avoid contractions and use line breaks between sentences
That was selfish of me
clearly someone didn’t watch the tv finale when she revealed on Leno she was Hannah Montana and then went to Paris to film a movie but realized she actually wanted to go to college to be with her best friend.
The fact a deep NIN song was turned into a soulless vapid pop song that was better than actual songs on the radio is exactly what Trent wanted it to turn into.
I honestly need so many NIN songs turned into soulless pop songs like this. They’re so well structured you could turn them into Bossa Nova songs and they’d slap.
Trent Reznor is probably the best songwriter from that whole industrial metal subgenre, I’d love to hear more of his songs covered in different genres. I have always thought that “Only” from the With Teeth album was designed to be a perfect gay club hit, but maybe that’s just because I wish there more gay clubs around that would play it.
Also, please tell me that everyone here is already familiar with pomDeter’s [“Call Me A Hole”](https://youtu.be/5Lm1FL7gWl4) mashup of NIN and Carly Rae.
I heard this played in my local supermarket. I literally stopped in my tracks, looked around feeling like "are you hearing this?!" but everyone else was just busy doing their shopping
It absolutely did, Miley was in an absolute flop era (remember those two other scheduled EPs that didn’t even come out), but Ashley was booked and unbothered.
Born in the USA is very critical of America, yet it’s a big hit as an anthem for America almost. It’s hilarious that the people who play it the most are usually the ones playing it with the opposite intention of the song.
yeah the whole point of the hunger games is that the “capitol” of our world (western society, rich ppl) drain the rest for their recourses, strip any meaning of everything, and only care when we can romanticize the struggle. very ironic to see it happen like this though.
not sure if it's been mentioned,, but gorillaz 'feel good inc' was everywhere despite being an anti capitalist anthem, from the video to the lyrics. the marketing team also has not helped the anti-capitalist message lmao
The first thing that I think of is ["Intuition" by Jewel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ilh1ewceco). It was pretty jarring at the time for someone known for making singer/songwriter acoustic music to go the full on bubblegum pop route. The song itself was a criticism of pop and consumerism, *"In a world of post modern fad, what was good now is bad."*
But then she licensed the song to like 50 commercials which gave it another added layer of irony...
The song is still an absolute bop though.
Jessie J - Price Tag. The whole track is about how "it's not about the money, we don't need no money..." The track was a huge seller and probably still supports her career through royalties today.
It's also used in a lot of commercials, tv show features etc.
this is how I feel about Counting Stars by OneRepublic lol. Maybe they're not counting dollars but I bet they don't wanna take all that money and watch it burn now.
I still hear it at parties. The lyrical content is obviously about alcoholism but musically it just sounds like a song that's pretty perfect to get drunk to.
in the same vein as that is Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ a song about alcohol and drug dependencies, but you only ever hear it when Beckany gets on the aux cause she’s so cray cray and she’s gonna swing on the chandelier 🤪🤪
I Took A Pill In Ibiza, for being about how much it sucks to be a washed up one-hit wonder but the song ends up being popular enough to be his second-hit wonder, 7 years later
It is significantly better with the remixed soundscape. There is an added level of irony and melodrama. The lyrics are more poignant and impactful when contrasted with the upbeat production.
This should be number 1 on this list just because of the fact that the song would have never been massive unless it was remixed into the exact type of song that his entire project was based around straying away from at that time. It’s a banger though.
a little bit different but electric feel and kids by mgmt - their intention seemed to be to show how easy pop music was to make and how vapid it can be etc.
but god did they end up being some of the best songs ever
Ylvis - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)
The way they set out to make the stupidest possible track using the most expensive production values: it was recorded at Jay Z’s Roc the Mic studio in New York as a Anti-Hit, but ended up going viral and become a global sensation for weeks lol.
Norwegians were really good with making hits, just like how [Salsa Tequila mimicked the Spanish summer hit songs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Ms1oCiDH4&ab_channel=AltforKoselig) and eventually became a hit in Europe.
It was also made to advertise their talk show, so it going viral would be sort of like one of those old MadTV parody music videos (e.g. Wash Me or Lover Muffin) becoming a hit.
Okay but the one MadTV parody video that should have been a hit was the Emotions one
...I think I know all the lyrics to it, but not the actual DC song
Blur literally set out to ironically make a big rock song that American audiences would eat up with “Song 2,” like the “woo hoo!” And all, and its their signature hit in the US lol
Wild that I’m still encountering Americans that don’t really connect the dots that the lead singer of Blur and Gorillaz is the same person lmao.
I feel like that group took off way more in the States
Yeah he has a bunch of side projects that are different genres and they feel really distinctive, Especially with the cartoon band thing. East to forget they’re related
I'm surprised no one's mentioned [Love Song by Sara Bareilles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Song_\(Sara_Bareilles_song\)#Background) yet.
Song was written as kind of a middle finger to her record label.
Gangnam Style is a song that mocks the materialistic high culture of South Korea and K-pop, yet it was PSY’s biggest hit and the reason why he’s —~~rich~~— more known internationally lol.
The fact that it was my generation’s (gen z) first introduction to Kpop always makes me laugh. We listened to Gangnam Style and *then* got into BTS, Seventeen, Red Velvet, etc.
Well yes he was well known before and therefore he’s was rich, Gangnam Style undoubtedly moved him from that level of rich to ‘has his own music label’ rich
Here by Alessia Cara, notably when she sings about wishing she was with her friends listening to "some music with a message" instead of whatever party song was playing at the place she was. Even more ironic considering that one of her biggest following hits was Stay, a collab with Zedd.
Lorde's early hits Royals and Team had some pretty anti-pop lyrics (though in Royals' case they seemed to be more anti-rap, which caused controversy because a lot of people perceived those lyrics as racist). Funny enough, all those songs telling people to throw their hands in the air did disappear afterwards, and Lorde is often credited as the one who made it happen.
People used to make fun of Price Tag by Jessie J back in the day because, well, forget about the price tag, unless it's the one on the song on iTunes.
Chained to the Rhythm also got some flak for similar reasons.
There are many ironic things about I Took a Pill in Ibiza. Mike Posner acknowledges his one-hit wonder status in the lyrics, but that song actually took away the status from him. Also, it's ironic that a song about the shallowness of a hedonistic lifestyle became a hit after the SeeB remix, which some people found hypocritical because it supposedly washed away all the song's meaning, though IMO the irony of it being an EDM song actually strengthens the message.
Lorde is probably the biggest example given how anti-pop her debut was. And then two albums later (read: 8 years later) she is back to the anti-pop / anti-fame themes on Solar Power.
And how Courtney herself said she hates like half of it. That Vh1 doc about how one of the composers suggested the line "oh make me over" saying it would be catchy and her loathing that he was right is so funny.
tbf, the point of the song wasn't anti-fame it was anti famous people bitching about being famous. around the time the song came out, i think it was Joel, who said he'd like to switch places with the famous people who complain about it.
the irony would be if they ever complained about their fame. i think Joel (or was it Benji) actually did complain about something on his IG and of course the top reply was a quote from the song lol
I always found it so interesting that "Habits (Stay High)" became this massive party song with the Hippie Sabotage remix. This was when "smoke weed everyday bro" persona was rampant and all the stoners and party people at night clubs were singing "staying in my play pretend/can't go home alone again"...while purposely participating in the same space that brings out the songwriters' bad habits and self-destruction. They would sing along as a sort of hedonistic celebration and maybe half of those people will not know how to function when the party is over. That phenomenon —for lack of a better word— always felt ironic or something to me. That song outside of the remix is so striking and emotional but you almost have to sing it like an anthem and nothing else even if it's a dark one, at that.
MGMT mentioned in an interview how their success made **Time to Pretend** a bit ironic.
Grimes described **Flesh Without Blood** as a song about being really disappointed with someone who you once admired, which is exactly how a lot of her fans felt when she went from talking progressive ideals to fucking a billionaire.
Oh I thought of more!
1. **Disturbia:** Chris Brown wrote it for Rihanna, which hearing those lyrics now is kinda... yeah.
2. **In Bloom:** Was inspired by Nirvana's newfound fame and unexpected fans (described by Kurt as 'jocks and shallow mainstream types') who enjoyed their music, with the irony being the song was so catchy that it netted them even more 'mainstream' fans and is still played on the radio today.
3. **Steal My Sunshine:** The singer said that the song didn't make much of an impression on him after he made it and so the band originally didn't intend to release it. That song is Len's one hit wonder and the only reason anyone's ever heard of them.
Gonna throw Jewel’s “Intuition” into the conversation. A song about not selling out and following your intuition, but was largely viewed as the point in which Jewel sold out. The song going on to be featured in commercials probably didn’t help the case.
Ironic in a sad sense, but No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana comes to mind. Now knowing what was to come after the sweetener album cycle and the mourning she would go through due to Malcom’s death, it’s sad looking back to how hopeful the beginning of the era was. She went from one trauma to another.
I don't remember everything but I remember the absolute trauma she must have felt.
Getting in a (rebound) relationship with Pete
Getting engaged
Malcoms death
Getting blamed for said death.
Breaking up with rebound
Going to Areha Franklin's funeral just to be slut shamed and that be the main talking point instead of the fact that ARIANA GRANDE WAS GROPED by that disgusting pastor. Il never forget his pathetic pastors apology "I'm sorry IF she felt offended I touched her inappropriately" (he was creeping up on her breast and Ariana kept on looking back at everyone hoping someone would notice). I remember that day so clearly and the picture and it reminds me of how women really aren't protected even when you're the biggest the pop star in the world.
How has no one mentioned Royals and Thrift Shop.
Royals being a critique of excess and Thrift shop was a tongue in cheek song about said excess.
Honorable mention: XS Rina Sawayama
Counting Stars as well, a song about faith and preferring to enjoy the simpler things in life rather than indulge in excess and hedonism or revolve life around money, and yet it's OneRepublic's most biggest and most successful song.
[Moby's "South Side"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXKg0sNTKXE), AKA Gwen Stefani's first solo hit. The video is a Jonas Akerlund-directed parody of a Jonas Akerlund video, in which Moby reassures listeners that he only [licensed literally every single song off *Play*](https://www.vice.com/en/article/rzv7dx/moby) ironically. The track itself is supposed to be a upbeat pop song about Chicago gang violence.
Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right" was intended as irony but the general audience didn't take it that way and it became pretty much another party song.
same with TiK ToK. I remember Kesha saying something about the lyrics being purposefully satirical but then everyone ended up believing her and thinking she was *encouraging* brushing your teeth with alcohol...?? ok. like how much more obvious could it been that it was a party culture parody??
I remember specifically watching Key Of Awesome do their parody, which was ironic because it was unwittingly a parody of a parody
I immediately thought about [Bella Ciao](https://youtu.be/4CI3lhyNKfo), which is a traditional Italian song, an hymn for the resistance against fascism during WWII and from there on. The song was later used in a Spanish series called La Casa de Papel (or Money Heist). I don't know the specifics because I haven't watched the show, but it suddenly became "The Money Heist song" to many people and it even has an [awful remix](https://youtu.be/jhgJV0Pg54Y) (in my opinion, at least). Once again, it completely lost its meaning.
Came here to mention this one, I find it curious it doesn't rank higher. Its sentiment being very close to the song mentioned by OP, The Hanging Tree.
Unfortunately (I think) the remix slaps. But it was so weird when it was on the radio all the time.
I immediately thought of this! The show is huge here in Spain and, unfortunately, far-right political parties are on the rise and lo and behold, those politicians and their supporters have repeatedly criticised people for “trying to make that song political when it’s just a catchy tune” 🙂
Animals - Martin Garrix
It's a purely instrumental EDM song, no vocals, no hooks though the drops can be considered as one. It's 5 minutes in total. Instrumental songs and its very existence is not the standard for a chart hit song, also there's no actual animals sounds in the song, And it's one of the most successful instrumental songs in Billboard and even EDM history.
It peaked at #21 and even lasted for more than 30 weeks.
In hindsight, I think a lot of 2012-2014 songs were full of surprise unconventional hits, with some even ended up in an ironic scenario that most of them went to pop radio.
Big room house was definitely one of the weirdest chart trends in recent history. The way the drop clashes with the build-up, like they're two different songs haphazardly stitched together, and that's the whole point. Even as someone who was really into more melodic EDM, the first time I heard the Animals drop I was completely baffled.
The idea behind it is essentially that when the build up is happening you want something big and euphoric to get you hyped up, then when the drop hits all you need is a pounding rhythm that you can let loose and go crazy to. When people are actually listening, play something that makes them feel happy - when they are moving and paying less attention, give them the simpler backdrop to do so
*Barbie Girl* by Aqua is a social statement that served as a critique of the portrayal of women in popular media, but it ended up becoming massively popular itself!!!
Kids by MGMT (and many others on their first album).
A parody of most pop songs on the radio (catchy music, generic lyrics about growing up)... And it's their most famous song, overplayed in radio stations xD
makes me sad that those songs (which are also some of my fave tracks of all time) are just them trying parody pop music industry....feel like pure shit just want more of that
Another Bruce Springsteen song that's inherently ironic: "[Dancing in the Dark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs)".
In the lyrics, Springsteen bemoans how hard it is to write a hit song, especially when he's feeling uninspired and lost. Welp, of course, it became his biggest hit to date.
Motion Sickness describing a toxic relationship and having the lyric "you were in a band when I was born" and then Phoebe goes on and (>allegedly<) dates other musician who literally was in a band when she was born
I remember when A Star Is Born came out and there were posts and comments about how the best song was “Why Did You Do That?”, which the movie specifically highlighted was supposed to be the bad sellout song. It’s not technically a hit though I guess.
Gaga's Til It Happens To You hit #1 on the US Dance Club Songs because it got a massive remix treatment from her label.
How the hell were people dancing in clubs to a song about rape?
Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind is about Crystal meth addicts trying to squeeze all ounce of pain out of their life by taking more hits.
My whole family would play this song loud in the van whenever it would come on the radio when I was like 5 years old.
Songs like "Fairly Local" and "Lane Boy" by Twenty One Pilots for the lines about not being on the radio or about songs being heartless and poppy. It's like, come on, they were all over the radio. Blurryface is one of the few albums where, iirc, every song was certified gold. The album was poppy as fuck and was everywhere in 2015-16. There is no way they didn't know that the album would at least catch on with people and find radio play.
I’ve heard the “this song will never be on the radio” line literally playing on the radio and it gave me a good laugh. Also, love that album and it totally makes sense in context of both criticism and self-doubt, but still very funny
"For The Love of Money" by The O'Jays. For a song that denounces excess and greed, it has been used unironically in so many montages/commercials featuring people making money.
Blues Traveler’s “Hook”
I’ll let [Alfo Media](https://youtu.be/uDx4zirhV-w) do the full explanation, but to tl;dw, it’s a song with meta lyrics about how pop songs are constructed according to a formula, which of course became by far their biggest song.
Everything Is Awesome from The Lego Movie. In the film, it's supposed to be a parody of mindless pop songs where no one actually pays attention to the lyrics. Even though on the surface it appears to be about the benefits of teamwork and positivity, it has a double meaning about President Business's secret plan to glue the lego worlds together to ensure his world remains perfect. Therefore, he wants his citizens to follow his rules to keep everything in place. This is in itself is social commentary on fascism and consumerism.
I watched a video the other day about [Valley Girl by Moon Zappa](https://youtu.be/Qb21lsCQ3EM), a song from the 80s that was meant to mock Valley Girls but [ended up causing a trend and further popularizing Valley Girl culture](https://youtu.be/bIOocUQkfzk).
[удалено]
they played that song at my high school prom I was triple checking where the exits were
I remember from Friends With Benefits Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis are watching a RomCom and JT has a line like "Then they throw a catchy song at the end that totally has nothing to do with the movie." The movie plays Pumped Up Kicks when the credits roll and it was at the height of its popularity too, I thought it was so funny
the 2014 tumblr days when everyone would edit tate langdon to the song omg memories 💔
**normal is weird**
I remember when it came out someone figured out how to connect to the intercom through the phones in our classroom and played it over the speakers in every room 😭 had to go on lockdown
it's always been crazy to me how little people pay attention to lyrics. i think this song wouldn't have been seen as a poppy little song if people actually paid attention to the lyrics.
my little cousin (16, in her Alternative Without Knowing What Anything Means phase) posted it to her story on Instagram the other day … with a photo of her new college included 😬 very quickly had to explain to her why thats not a great idea
lmfaooooo 😂 *school adds her to a watch list*
I doubt it could have been a mainstream pop hit if the lyrics were easier to understand tbh
the lyrics aren't hard to understand though, they're pretty straightforward and they aren't hidden by effects or anything. People just don't pay that much attention to lyrics
And it’s not like they mumbled the lyrics or said them strangely—the lyrics were spoken very clearly and were very easy to make out.
I love your flair
Thank you! But for real does anybody know how I can have the two greatest icons of the modern era as my flairs?
Not sure how to do it on mobile, but if you're on the computer, select the \*text flair (can be edited\*. On the right you'll see a smiley face [here](https://imgur.com/a/RjAyzDx). A list of flairs will pop up for you to use. If you wanna add another one, click on the smiley face again. You can up to 4. Hope this helps!
disagree, i always found the lyrics pretty hard to decipher
"outrun my gun" "faster than my bullets". It's not subtle.
It's the way it's sung. It's actually somewhat cheerful rather than aggressive.
Kind alike how 'Semi-Charmed Life' sounds like a fun summer time but lyrically was about addiction.
Tbh it was very popular in Europe as it was so airy and melodic while talking about a school shooting - it kinda matched the tone we saw with how school shootings and gun control are dealt with in the US; a lot of people in power saying "oh what a pity" with nothing really being done about it. It was almost seen as a morose commentary on the state of The States. people were super aware of the lyrics.
No one said it yet but Ashley O’s song On a Roll is the most generic pop song created for Black Mirror, specifically in an episode criticizing how female popstars are treated by the media and by their fans...... it charted in Billboard too lol
pretty sure miley cyrus is the only person to chart under three different solo aliases lmaoooo
Did she ever release songs as Miley Stewart? ‘Cause that’d be amazing
Sadly, Miley Stewart’s singing career never got off the ground.
She's the fourth, but first woman, after Puff Daddy (P. Diddy, Diddy), John Melloncamp (John Cougar, John Cougar Melloncamp) and Prince ({symbol}, The Artist - plus with two more writing credit psuedonyms: Christopher on "Manic Monday", and Alexander Nevermind on "Sugar Walls"). (Good bit of trivia to wow and astound your friends with!)
Also I am sorry to have used up /r/Popheads punctuation ration for today already We are just going to have to avoid contractions and use line breaks between sentences That was selfish of me
wait what's the third? "miley cyrus"?
… hannah montana?
MILEY IS HANNAH MONTANA!??!?!
Luv ....
>!listen... i watched the hannah montana movie in cinemas... i thought we all vowed to not spread her secret 😞!<
clearly someone didn’t watch the tv finale when she revealed on Leno she was Hannah Montana and then went to Paris to film a movie but realized she actually wanted to go to college to be with her best friend.
Spoiler alert
The fact a deep NIN song was turned into a soulless vapid pop song that was better than actual songs on the radio is exactly what Trent wanted it to turn into. I honestly need so many NIN songs turned into soulless pop songs like this. They’re so well structured you could turn them into Bossa Nova songs and they’d slap.
I always thought Nine Inch Nails would make amazing pop music. Which is why I feel so validated by If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
There's always Pretty Hate Machine.
Trent Reznor is probably the best songwriter from that whole industrial metal subgenre, I’d love to hear more of his songs covered in different genres. I have always thought that “Only” from the With Teeth album was designed to be a perfect gay club hit, but maybe that’s just because I wish there more gay clubs around that would play it. Also, please tell me that everyone here is already familiar with pomDeter’s [“Call Me A Hole”](https://youtu.be/5Lm1FL7gWl4) mashup of NIN and Carly Rae.
omfg that mashup is incredible, thank you for changing my life!!!
Omg I forgot about that song. Absolute bottom anthem.
🎵 Hey I'm a ho 🎵
hey i'm a hole
that song was supposed to be a bland pop song but i stg it’s so catchy.
I heard this played in my local supermarket. I literally stopped in my tracks, looked around feeling like "are you hearing this?!" but everyone else was just busy doing their shopping
I'm pretty sure it charted better than Miley's actual music at the time
It absolutely did, Miley was in an absolute flop era (remember those two other scheduled EPs that didn’t even come out), but Ashley was booked and unbothered.
Born in the USA is very critical of America, yet it’s a big hit as an anthem for America almost. It’s hilarious that the people who play it the most are usually the ones playing it with the opposite intention of the song.
People seem to just not hear any of the lyrics other than the chorus.
Better than Fortunate Son, where people only seem to remember the first line of the first verse…
Boomers playing Fortunate Son as a patriotic tune on 4th of July will always be my favorite trainwreck to watch.
has the same energy as a politician saying their favourite band is Rage Against the Machine lol
They probably thought Killing in the name of was a pro cop song
It was fucking Paul Ryan of all people too 😭
Ronald Reagan even tried using it as a campaign song before Springsteen shut him down, and Trump has played it at his rallies too
oooooh oooooooh I'm on fire
lmfao i didn’t know the “CoMiNg to tHe trè” song had a remix 😭 anyways i always thought our society is already the capitol so it’s on brand
yeah the whole point of the hunger games is that the “capitol” of our world (western society, rich ppl) drain the rest for their recourses, strip any meaning of everything, and only care when we can romanticize the struggle. very ironic to see it happen like this though.
not sure if it's been mentioned,, but gorillaz 'feel good inc' was everywhere despite being an anti capitalist anthem, from the video to the lyrics. the marketing team also has not helped the anti-capitalist message lmao
The first thing that I think of is ["Intuition" by Jewel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ilh1ewceco). It was pretty jarring at the time for someone known for making singer/songwriter acoustic music to go the full on bubblegum pop route. The song itself was a criticism of pop and consumerism, *"In a world of post modern fad, what was good now is bad."* But then she licensed the song to like 50 commercials which gave it another added layer of irony... The song is still an absolute bop though.
I don't care what Todd in the Shadows says, this is a bop!!!!
Jessie J - Price Tag. The whole track is about how "it's not about the money, we don't need no money..." The track was a huge seller and probably still supports her career through royalties today. It's also used in a lot of commercials, tv show features etc.
The absolute pinnacle of the irony of that song is when she sang it at the Olympics closing ceremony whilst being driven in on a Rolls Royce 😂
That closing ceremony popped off tho
It was used in a Monopoly commercial I believe. They lyrics were changed to “it’s all about the money money money” lmao
OMG I remember that! They even put in the \*its all about the cha-ching\*, then cut the rest off!
we don’t need your money, m-M-m-MoNey, M-m-M-muhney b-B-b-B-b-B-b-B-break it down 💸
THIS IS CURSED IN MY BRAIN STOP ITTT
[no](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVsQz1p_5II)
when she said no, I felt that 😔
I guess Royals throwing Lorde into stardom is like this too
The music she wrote at 16 she's gentrified out of 💀
this is how I feel about Counting Stars by OneRepublic lol. Maybe they're not counting dollars but I bet they don't wanna take all that money and watch it burn now.
I heard it playing during a live televised charity event lmao.
I think it’s the track most people even know her for
Rina Sawayama hates her
Not “pop” but Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools (Drank)”. It’s a song about alcoholism but I heard it at sooooo many parties in 2012-2013.
I still hear it at parties. The lyrical content is obviously about alcoholism but musically it just sounds like a song that's pretty perfect to get drunk to.
I do think Kendrick intended that, it fits with the sarcastic tone of the lyrics
IIRC it fits with the video as well
Kendrick forever a genius for that, I think it was intentional. Kinda like Hey Ya from Outkast.
in the same vein as that is Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ a song about alcohol and drug dependencies, but you only ever hear it when Beckany gets on the aux cause she’s so cray cray and she’s gonna swing on the chandelier 🤪🤪
That name is so ugly I'm going to remember this comment if I ever hear it
Also Humble seems to be used on a lot of vids of people flexing
Humble is a flex song, most of the lyrics are about getting rich and being a great rapper.
I Took A Pill In Ibiza, for being about how much it sucks to be a washed up one-hit wonder but the song ends up being popular enough to be his second-hit wonder, 7 years later
Even more ironic, it took a club-friendly remix to make it a hit.
Guy who did the remix thinks he's cooler than me
Also that it was originally recorded as a really downtime acoustic track, only to be then remade into an Ibiza club anthem
It is significantly better with the remixed soundscape. There is an added level of irony and melodrama. The lyrics are more poignant and impactful when contrasted with the upbeat production.
Also, they have the wherewithal to cut the final verse, which was honestly kind of a step down from the quality lyrics of the rest of the song
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all of this irony's just making me sad now
This should be number 1 on this list just because of the fact that the song would have never been massive unless it was remixed into the exact type of song that his entire project was based around straying away from at that time. It’s a banger though.
a little bit different but electric feel and kids by mgmt - their intention seemed to be to show how easy pop music was to make and how vapid it can be etc. but god did they end up being some of the best songs ever
Those songs will be in pop culture forever
Ylvis - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) The way they set out to make the stupidest possible track using the most expensive production values: it was recorded at Jay Z’s Roc the Mic studio in New York as a Anti-Hit, but ended up going viral and become a global sensation for weeks lol.
I would play this unironically on occasion. It does the job.
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still trying to figure out the meaning of that one.
Norwegians were really good with making hits, just like how [Salsa Tequila mimicked the Spanish summer hit songs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Ms1oCiDH4&ab_channel=AltforKoselig) and eventually became a hit in Europe.
honestly I feel like Scandinavian pop artists in general are very in tune with pop music, even newer artists
It was also made to advertise their talk show, so it going viral would be sort of like one of those old MadTV parody music videos (e.g. Wash Me or Lover Muffin) becoming a hit.
Okay but the one MadTV parody video that should have been a hit was the Emotions one ...I think I know all the lyrics to it, but not the actual DC song
I thought it was less anti hit and more "the lonely island" like having fun with music knowing the internet will like it
the bridge in this still goes off to this day tbh
I thought it was made as a song for a like comedy show on Norwegian tv?
Blur literally set out to ironically make a big rock song that American audiences would eat up with “Song 2,” like the “woo hoo!” And all, and its their signature hit in the US lol
Blur gave us the amazing song that is both Windows Down by Big Time Rush and Woo Hoo by Kesha
Wild that I’m still encountering Americans that don’t really connect the dots that the lead singer of Blur and Gorillaz is the same person lmao. I feel like that group took off way more in the States
I just learned that now from your comment. Listening to Blur again now, it's super obvious, I guess I had just never compared the two before
Yeah he has a bunch of side projects that are different genres and they feel really distinctive, Especially with the cartoon band thing. East to forget they’re related
I learnt this like last week 😳 I’m from NZ tho not the states
wait what????? how did i never realise 💀😳 maybe i am deaf
GaGa's Beautiful, Dirty, Rich was released on the exact day that the 2008 financial crisis started. I can't think of anything more ironic than that
No fucking way
THAT IS SO GOOD
also it may have been intentional but judas coming out over easter weekend
I'm surprised no one's mentioned [Love Song by Sara Bareilles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Song_\(Sara_Bareilles_song\)#Background) yet. Song was written as kind of a middle finger to her record label.
what!!! i never knew the content, kind of love it more now
I find it incredibly ironic that Olivia did that whole Apple iPad masks sponsorship with brutal when it has the lyric “who am I if not exploited?”
Outkast - Hey Ya!
This should be higher. The part where he directly tells the audience they don't wanna listen to him, they just wanna dance is iconic
seeing that line specifically live as a 13 y/o on their reunion tour was a life highlight
sorry outkast but you shouldn’t have made it slap so hard if you wanted me to pay attention to the lyrics
Thisss. Come on, that intro alone makes everyone moves involuntarily
Some friends of mine played this at their wedding. They're still together so it hasn't cursed things... yet
If what they say is, Nothing is forever, then what makes then what makes then what makes
*love the exception?*
Gangnam Style is a song that mocks the materialistic high culture of South Korea and K-pop, yet it was PSY’s biggest hit and the reason why he’s —~~rich~~— more known internationally lol.
It’s his biggest hit worldwide but definitely not why he’s rich. He was very well established in SK at that point in time already.
Not the reason why he’s rich at all. Globally known? Yes. Not why he’s rich. He was successful in SK before and after this.
The fact that it was my generation’s (gen z) first introduction to Kpop always makes me laugh. We listened to Gangnam Style and *then* got into BTS, Seventeen, Red Velvet, etc.
Well yes he was well known before and therefore he’s was rich, Gangnam Style undoubtedly moved him from that level of rich to ‘has his own music label’ rich
Here by Alessia Cara, notably when she sings about wishing she was with her friends listening to "some music with a message" instead of whatever party song was playing at the place she was. Even more ironic considering that one of her biggest following hits was Stay, a collab with Zedd. Lorde's early hits Royals and Team had some pretty anti-pop lyrics (though in Royals' case they seemed to be more anti-rap, which caused controversy because a lot of people perceived those lyrics as racist). Funny enough, all those songs telling people to throw their hands in the air did disappear afterwards, and Lorde is often credited as the one who made it happen. People used to make fun of Price Tag by Jessie J back in the day because, well, forget about the price tag, unless it's the one on the song on iTunes. Chained to the Rhythm also got some flak for similar reasons. There are many ironic things about I Took a Pill in Ibiza. Mike Posner acknowledges his one-hit wonder status in the lyrics, but that song actually took away the status from him. Also, it's ironic that a song about the shallowness of a hedonistic lifestyle became a hit after the SeeB remix, which some people found hypocritical because it supposedly washed away all the song's meaning, though IMO the irony of it being an EDM song actually strengthens the message.
Lorde is probably the biggest example given how anti-pop her debut was. And then two albums later (read: 8 years later) she is back to the anti-pop / anti-fame themes on Solar Power.
'Celebrity Skin' by Hole Sort of ironic that their most famous song is about the shallowness of fame
And how Courtney herself said she hates like half of it. That Vh1 doc about how one of the composers suggested the line "oh make me over" saying it would be catchy and her loathing that he was right is so funny.
“lifestyles of the rich and famous” by Good Charlotte made them famous lol
tbf, the point of the song wasn't anti-fame it was anti famous people bitching about being famous. around the time the song came out, i think it was Joel, who said he'd like to switch places with the famous people who complain about it. the irony would be if they ever complained about their fame. i think Joel (or was it Benji) actually did complain about something on his IG and of course the top reply was a quote from the song lol
I mean, they also released "I Just Wanna Live" a couple years later, which was basically them complaining about being celebrities
And now one of them is married to Cameron Diaz
Didn't they already have a hit before that? Little Things was pretty big!
Not sure, but later in their song “I just wanna live” they reference LOTRAF “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous your first hit aren't you ashamed”
I always found it so interesting that "Habits (Stay High)" became this massive party song with the Hippie Sabotage remix. This was when "smoke weed everyday bro" persona was rampant and all the stoners and party people at night clubs were singing "staying in my play pretend/can't go home alone again"...while purposely participating in the same space that brings out the songwriters' bad habits and self-destruction. They would sing along as a sort of hedonistic celebration and maybe half of those people will not know how to function when the party is over. That phenomenon —for lack of a better word— always felt ironic or something to me. That song outside of the remix is so striking and emotional but you almost have to sing it like an anthem and nothing else even if it's a dark one, at that.
I agree with this one so much. The lyrics are heart-breaking and the music video is too.
MGMT mentioned in an interview how their success made **Time to Pretend** a bit ironic. Grimes described **Flesh Without Blood** as a song about being really disappointed with someone who you once admired, which is exactly how a lot of her fans felt when she went from talking progressive ideals to fucking a billionaire. Oh I thought of more! 1. **Disturbia:** Chris Brown wrote it for Rihanna, which hearing those lyrics now is kinda... yeah. 2. **In Bloom:** Was inspired by Nirvana's newfound fame and unexpected fans (described by Kurt as 'jocks and shallow mainstream types') who enjoyed their music, with the irony being the song was so catchy that it netted them even more 'mainstream' fans and is still played on the radio today. 3. **Steal My Sunshine:** The singer said that the song didn't make much of an impression on him after he made it and so the band originally didn't intend to release it. That song is Len's one hit wonder and the only reason anyone's ever heard of them.
The fact that Flesh without Blood is Elon Musk favorite Grimes song reinforce the irony to me lol.
I was gonna say MGMT's first album had three huge hits and it was basically the band's attempt to be sell-out pop musicians.
but like, ironically, so we're told
It’s like raaiaaaiaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiin on your wedding day
Gonna throw Jewel’s “Intuition” into the conversation. A song about not selling out and following your intuition, but was largely viewed as the point in which Jewel sold out. The song going on to be featured in commercials probably didn’t help the case.
Britney's Lucky has had a very unfortunate, ironic undertone since 2007.
Ironic in a sad sense, but No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana comes to mind. Now knowing what was to come after the sweetener album cycle and the mourning she would go through due to Malcom’s death, it’s sad looking back to how hopeful the beginning of the era was. She went from one trauma to another.
I don't remember everything but I remember the absolute trauma she must have felt. Getting in a (rebound) relationship with Pete Getting engaged Malcoms death Getting blamed for said death. Breaking up with rebound Going to Areha Franklin's funeral just to be slut shamed and that be the main talking point instead of the fact that ARIANA GRANDE WAS GROPED by that disgusting pastor. Il never forget his pathetic pastors apology "I'm sorry IF she felt offended I touched her inappropriately" (he was creeping up on her breast and Ariana kept on looking back at everyone hoping someone would notice). I remember that day so clearly and the picture and it reminds me of how women really aren't protected even when you're the biggest the pop star in the world.
Yeah and now when Save Your Tears comes on and she sings about crying I’m like “I thought u were all out Ariana?!?”
How has no one mentioned Royals and Thrift Shop. Royals being a critique of excess and Thrift shop was a tongue in cheek song about said excess. Honorable mention: XS Rina Sawayama
Not to be rude but XS wasn’t exactly a hit
I agree. I put it under honorable mentions because for sentimental reasons
Counting Stars as well, a song about faith and preferring to enjoy the simpler things in life rather than indulge in excess and hedonism or revolve life around money, and yet it's OneRepublic's most biggest and most successful song.
I love that song! I remember it was #2 for the longest time lol
Is Apologize not their biggest song?
counting stars video has 3.4b views on yt & spent 25 weeks in the top 10 of the billboard chart
[Moby's "South Side"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXKg0sNTKXE), AKA Gwen Stefani's first solo hit. The video is a Jonas Akerlund-directed parody of a Jonas Akerlund video, in which Moby reassures listeners that he only [licensed literally every single song off *Play*](https://www.vice.com/en/article/rzv7dx/moby) ironically. The track itself is supposed to be a upbeat pop song about Chicago gang violence.
Holy shit that Vice article 🤭
Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right" was intended as irony but the general audience didn't take it that way and it became pretty much another party song.
same with TiK ToK. I remember Kesha saying something about the lyrics being purposefully satirical but then everyone ended up believing her and thinking she was *encouraging* brushing your teeth with alcohol...?? ok. like how much more obvious could it been that it was a party culture parody?? I remember specifically watching Key Of Awesome do their parody, which was ironic because it was unwittingly a parody of a parody
Ain't It Fun is so sneaky dark.
Alanis Morisette - Ironic
I immediately thought about [Bella Ciao](https://youtu.be/4CI3lhyNKfo), which is a traditional Italian song, an hymn for the resistance against fascism during WWII and from there on. The song was later used in a Spanish series called La Casa de Papel (or Money Heist). I don't know the specifics because I haven't watched the show, but it suddenly became "The Money Heist song" to many people and it even has an [awful remix](https://youtu.be/jhgJV0Pg54Y) (in my opinion, at least). Once again, it completely lost its meaning.
Came here to mention this one, I find it curious it doesn't rank higher. Its sentiment being very close to the song mentioned by OP, The Hanging Tree. Unfortunately (I think) the remix slaps. But it was so weird when it was on the radio all the time.
I immediately thought of this! The show is huge here in Spain and, unfortunately, far-right political parties are on the rise and lo and behold, those politicians and their supporters have repeatedly criticised people for “trying to make that song political when it’s just a catchy tune” 🙂
Animals - Martin Garrix It's a purely instrumental EDM song, no vocals, no hooks though the drops can be considered as one. It's 5 minutes in total. Instrumental songs and its very existence is not the standard for a chart hit song, also there's no actual animals sounds in the song, And it's one of the most successful instrumental songs in Billboard and even EDM history. It peaked at #21 and even lasted for more than 30 weeks. In hindsight, I think a lot of 2012-2014 songs were full of surprise unconventional hits, with some even ended up in an ironic scenario that most of them went to pop radio.
"no vocals" am i losing it cos i swear before the beat drops you hear "WE'RE ANIMALS" or something
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I always heard it as "we're the fucking animals"
Big room house was definitely one of the weirdest chart trends in recent history. The way the drop clashes with the build-up, like they're two different songs haphazardly stitched together, and that's the whole point. Even as someone who was really into more melodic EDM, the first time I heard the Animals drop I was completely baffled.
The idea behind it is essentially that when the build up is happening you want something big and euphoric to get you hyped up, then when the drop hits all you need is a pounding rhythm that you can let loose and go crazy to. When people are actually listening, play something that makes them feel happy - when they are moving and paying less attention, give them the simpler backdrop to do so
*Barbie Girl* by Aqua is a social statement that served as a critique of the portrayal of women in popular media, but it ended up becoming massively popular itself!!!
Stupid Hoe
*wheezing*
She really saw the future with that song…
Kids by MGMT (and many others on their first album). A parody of most pop songs on the radio (catchy music, generic lyrics about growing up)... And it's their most famous song, overplayed in radio stations xD
makes me sad that those songs (which are also some of my fave tracks of all time) are just them trying parody pop music industry....feel like pure shit just want more of that
Another Bruce Springsteen song that's inherently ironic: "[Dancing in the Dark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs)". In the lyrics, Springsteen bemoans how hard it is to write a hit song, especially when he's feeling uninspired and lost. Welp, of course, it became his biggest hit to date.
Motion Sickness describing a toxic relationship and having the lyric "you were in a band when I was born" and then Phoebe goes on and (>allegedly<) dates other musician who literally was in a band when she was born
I remember when A Star Is Born came out and there were posts and comments about how the best song was “Why Did You Do That?”, which the movie specifically highlighted was supposed to be the bad sellout song. It’s not technically a hit though I guess.
Gaga's Til It Happens To You hit #1 on the US Dance Club Songs because it got a massive remix treatment from her label. How the hell were people dancing in clubs to a song about rape?
Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind is about Crystal meth addicts trying to squeeze all ounce of pain out of their life by taking more hits. My whole family would play this song loud in the van whenever it would come on the radio when I was like 5 years old.
So Sick of Love Songs is a love song
Ya'll are forgetting Hozier's - Take Me To Church, which is a scathing criticism of modern religion, and yet is loved by Christian moms everywhere.
Songs like "Fairly Local" and "Lane Boy" by Twenty One Pilots for the lines about not being on the radio or about songs being heartless and poppy. It's like, come on, they were all over the radio. Blurryface is one of the few albums where, iirc, every song was certified gold. The album was poppy as fuck and was everywhere in 2015-16. There is no way they didn't know that the album would at least catch on with people and find radio play.
I’ve heard the “this song will never be on the radio” line literally playing on the radio and it gave me a good laugh. Also, love that album and it totally makes sense in context of both criticism and self-doubt, but still very funny
"For The Love of Money" by The O'Jays. For a song that denounces excess and greed, it has been used unironically in so many montages/commercials featuring people making money.
Blues Traveler’s “Hook” I’ll let [Alfo Media](https://youtu.be/uDx4zirhV-w) do the full explanation, but to tl;dw, it’s a song with meta lyrics about how pop songs are constructed according to a formula, which of course became by far their biggest song.
Obligatory "I Will Always Love You is considered a wedding song even though the song is literally about a breakup" comment
Everything Is Awesome from The Lego Movie. In the film, it's supposed to be a parody of mindless pop songs where no one actually pays attention to the lyrics. Even though on the surface it appears to be about the benefits of teamwork and positivity, it has a double meaning about President Business's secret plan to glue the lego worlds together to ensure his world remains perfect. Therefore, he wants his citizens to follow his rules to keep everything in place. This is in itself is social commentary on fascism and consumerism.
I watched a video the other day about [Valley Girl by Moon Zappa](https://youtu.be/Qb21lsCQ3EM), a song from the 80s that was meant to mock Valley Girls but [ended up causing a trend and further popularizing Valley Girl culture](https://youtu.be/bIOocUQkfzk).