’70s Songs We Love to Hate (And Secretly Still Sing Along To)

The 1970s gave us iconic artists and legendary albums—but not every track has stood the test of time. A lifestyle site called FamilyMinded.com curated a list of the “worst” songs of the decade, with some big names on the chopping block.  These tracks weren’t necessarily flops when they debuted—in fact, many were hits—but they’ve since developed a reputation as cheesy, annoying, or downright baffling.

Here are the 15 songs that made the list:

1. “Let ‘Em In” – Paul McCartney and Wings (1976)
2. “Feelings” – Morris Albert (1975)
3. “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” – Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (1974)
4. “Muskrat Love” – Captain and Tennille (1976)
5. “(You’re) Having My Baby” – Paul Anka (1974)
6. “Convoy” – C.W. McCall (1975)
7. “The Morning After” – Maureen McGovern (1973)
8. “The Streak” – Ray Stevens (1974)
9. “Seasons in the Sun” – Terry Jacks (1974)
10. “Sing” – The Carpenters (1973)
11. “Afternoon Delight” – Starland Vocal Band (1976)
12. “Lovin’ You” – Minnie Riperton (1974)
13. “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” – Rupert Holmes (1979)
14. “Disco Duck” – Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots (1976)
15. “Ben” – Michael Jackson (1972)

For music fans, the list is a mix of guilty pleasures, novelty tracks, and polarizing ballads.  “Muskrat Love” and “Disco Duck” are frequent targets of ridicule, thanks to their odd subject matter and production quirks.  Meanwhile, “Afternoon Delight” and “The Piña Colada Song” have been re-evaluated as kitschy or camp, despite their success at the time.

And it’s not just novelty songs or syrupy ballads that get called out—big-name artists like Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are also featured, proving that even legends have their misses.

Of course, calling something the “worst” is subjective.  One person’s cringe is another’s nostalgia.  But if you’re building a playlist of infamous ’70s tunes to revisit (or avoid), this list offers a solid place to start.

So whether you’re laughing, groaning, or secretly adding these to your queue, these songs remain part of pop culture—whether we like it or not.