They say that fame comes at a price, and for some musicians, that price is the weight of their own hits. Behind the scenes of their glittering careers, these artists have experienced a paradoxical relationship with their chart-topping songs. What may have started as a spark of creativity and excitement eventually morphed into weariness and even disdain. From refusing to perform their biggest hits to openly expressing their distaste for them, these musicians have found themselves caught in a complex dance with their own success.
1. Oasis – ‘Wonderwall’
Noel Gallagher, the creative force behind Oasis, harbored mixed feelings towards their iconic hit, “Wonderwall.” And “mixed feelings” is an euphemism, because he low-key hates it. Gallagher considered the song overplayed and even referred to it as “a song written for nobody.”
“I can’t ducking stand that ducking song! Every time I have to sing it I want to gag ” Gallagher noted his distaste for the hit in a promotional interview for the release of the album “Dig Out Your Soul.” “You go to America and they’re like: ‘Are you Mr. Wonderwall?'” he said. “You want to chin someone.”
2. Radiohead – ‘Creep’
In 1992, Radiohead released “Creep,” a song that would become synonymous with the band. However, as time went on, the weight of its overwhelming success began to take a toll on the band members. By 1993, the band struggled to find the desire to perform it on tour. Lead vocalist Thom Yorke expressed reservations about the track’s simplistic nature and its overshadowing effect on their later experimental and innovative sound., stating, “It was frustrating to be judged solely on that song when we felt the need to move forward. We were pressured into touring to support it, and it became suffocating. We were on the brink of breaking up.” Consequently, Radiohead decided to cease performing “Creep” for many years.
3. Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway to Heaven’
Led Zeppelin. Photo Credit: more19562003 / Wikimedia
“Stairway to Heaven” is undoubtedly one of Led Zeppelin’s most beloved songs, yet the band’s members, particularly Robert Plant, developed a complex relationship with it over time. Plant has expressed weariness towards performing the song, as its epic proportions and ubiquitous status often overshadowed the band’s other musical achievements and hindered their exploration of newer territories.
In a 1988 interview with Los Angeles Times Plant said that the song didn’t hold up and that he wouldn’t perform it on tour.
“I’d break out in hives if I had to sing that song in every show,” Plant said. “I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don’t know. It’s just not for me.”
4. Madonna – ‘Like a Virgin’
As Madonna’s signature song, “Like a Virgin” catapulted her into pop music stardom. However, the “Queen of Pop” later admitted to feeling tired of its popularity. Madonna wanted to distance herself from the song’s association with a certain image and move towards more mature and sophisticated artistic expressions.
“I’m not sure I can sing ‘Holiday’ or ‘Like a Virgin’ ever again. I just can’t, unless somebody paid me, like, $30 million or something.” Madona said in 2008 during an interview with New York’s Z100 FM radio station.
5. R.E.M. – ‘Shiny Happy People’
Lead singer Michael Stipe isn’t too fond of his group’s 1991 hit—in fact, he appeared on a 1995 episode of Space Ghost and bluntly declared, “I hate that song.” However, today he tempers his dislike, choosing not to speak negatively about songs he doesn’t personally resonate with. He acknowledges that “Shiny Happy People” holds limited appeal for him, but he has developed a respectful perspective. Interestingly, the entire group unanimously agreed that the song should be excluded from their Greatest Hits compilation, highlighting their collective sentiment towards it.
6. Billy Joel – “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
While “We Didn’t Start the Fire” became one of Billy Joel’s biggest hits, he grew tired of performing it live.
In 2014, during a concert in Toronto, Joel made it clear that he harbors a strong dislike for his hit song “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” after messing up the lyrics.
Frustrated by the mistake, Joel halted the band abruptly and unleashed his discontent, stating, “All you gotta do is fork up one word in that song and it’s a train wreck.” In his candid remarks, Joel went on to criticize the song further, exclaiming, “It’s the same thing verse after verse … Just the words change. It’s one of the worst melodies I ever wrote.”
7. Nirvana – ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’
Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana, had a love-hate relationship with their breakthrough hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Cobain grew frustrated with its mainstream success, feeling that it overshadowed the band’s other work and often misunderstood the song’s intended message of rebellion and disaffection.
During a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Kurt Cobain, the singer of Nirvana, was questioned about why the band chose to conclude a performance without playing their hit song.
Cobain candidly responded, saying, “I’m not interested in that kind of stuff. I don’t know if that’s so lazy that I don’t care anymore or what. I still like playing ‘Teen Spirit,’ but it’s almost an embarrassment to play it.”
8. Frank Sinatra – ‘Strangers in the Night’
“Strangers in the Night” became one of Frank Sinatra’s biggest hits, earning him a Grammy Award. However, Sinatra dismissed the song as ” the worst bleeping song he’s ever heard” and rarely included it in his live performances. He believed that the song lacked the depth and sophistication of his earlier work, leading to a strained relationship between the artist and his most popular track.
9. Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’
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Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses, initially resisted recording “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” He found the song too “happy” and struggled with its pop appeal. Despite his reservations, the track went on to become one of the band’s most iconic hits. Rose’s conflicted feelings stemmed from the song’s deviation from the band’s harder and edgier image.
Methodology
We scoured numerous online music magazines and meticulously and combed through interviews with musicians across various news and entertainment outlets.
