The Top 10 Worst Pop Punk songs of the 2000's, according to Google Bard · 2:26pm Jun 14th, 2023
For those that don't know, Google Bard, or Bardy as I'll be referring to it, is an AI unit that you can give queries to, and it'll search the internet for comments, wiki articles, and other major sources of information to give the best information as a response. So I decided to ask Bardy for the ten worst pop punk songs from the 2000s. This gave... interesting results. The query I gave it was:
What are the top 10 worst pop punk songs of the 2000s? Give reasoning to support your answers
. The overall reasoning it gave me was as follows: I chose these songs because they are all overplayed, cheesy, and/or have lyrics that are cringeworthy. They also represent the worst excesses of the pop punk genre in the 2000s, which was a time when the genre was becoming increasingly formulaic and commercialized.
I'll go through each song and give Bardy's reasoning for each song, as well as giving my own opinion on each song and its placement on the list
The Anthem
Good Charlotte
"The Anthem" is a generic party anthem with lyrics that are about as deep as a puddle
Bardy's reasoning isn't incorrect here, but it's worth noting that a lot of pop punk in the 2000s also went by this logic, Good Charlotte especially. I don't necessarily disagree with this song being considered one of the worst pop punk songs of the 2000s, but I also feel like there are better songs from Good Charlotte that can take its place. "The Anthem" is honestly fine. It's shameless pandering to a troubled youth, and the music is pretty generic, but it's a fun listen
Hey There Delilah
Plain White T's
"Hey There Delilah" is a saccharine love song that is way too overdramatic
I'll take overdramatic over shameless pandering any day, especially if it actually has a bit of depth, which this song does. I'll admit that I think this song is a bit overrated, especially for how much attention it continues to receive, but it's by no means bad. I'm sure there are a few haters of this song out there, but to my understanding, the majority of people still love this song
She's Out Of Her Mind
blink-182
"She's Out of Her Mind" is a juvenile ode to a hot girl that is more annoying than it is funny
Okay, a few things to unpack here. First, and most obvious, this song wasn't released in the 2000's, in was released in 2017 on the album California. To this day, I do not understand the hate people have for the Matt Skiba era of blink-182. The guy does a decent job filling Tom DeLonge's shoes. As for saying the song's more annoying than it is funny, to each their own I guess, but I really like this song.
Fat Lip
Sum 41
"Fat Lip" is a frat boy anthem that is about as original as a frat party
And what exactly is wrong with a frat party anthem? That was kinda Sum 41's whole deal back in the early 2000s when this song was released. At least with this one, I kinda understand how Bardy came up with it, as I'm sure people are upset with Sum 41 having recently retired. But the song has stood the test of time and still manages to stand out in the pop punk scene. Another bad pick
What's My Age Again?
blink-182
"What's My Age Again?" is a self-aware party anthem that is still pretty lame
At this point, I think Bardy just has a deep-seated grudge against blink-182, to the point where they can do no right in his eyes. Just like "Fat Lip," "What's My Age Again?" has stood the test of time and stands for pretty much everything blink-182 stood for in the late 90's and early 2000's.
Misery Business
Paramore
"Misery Business" is a song about a girl who is so insecure that she sabotages her own relationships
I'm running out of things to say. Bardy is just so far off here that my brain short circuited. This is a song about a girl getting out of a bad relationship. The song's great too. At this point, if you haven't already, take everything Bardy says with a grain of salt
Sk8er Boi
Avril Lavigne
"Sk8er Boi" is a song about a girl who is too good for a skater boy, even though she's secretly in love with him
Okay, yeah, can't really disagree with this one. I've never understood the undying love that Avril Lavigne gets, as I don't think she's that good. The song isn't much better in my opinion. It's not really anything to do with the lyrics, more in Avril's one-note delivery, especially in the fact that all she does in chorus is change key. Either way, that's only two picks from Bardy I haven't disagreed with so far
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Panic! At The Disco
"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song about a guy who is so emo that he thinks he's a vampire
I've figured it out! Bardy's a metal elitist who thinks all music should be the same three chord chugga-chug! Look, I'm the first to admit that I'm not a huge Panic! fan, but even I agree that this song is at least unique with its string sections. As for the lyrics about a guy who thinks he's a vampire? Not even close to true. It's about a newlywed groom catching his wife cheating on him during the reception. Just goes to show how unreliable Bardy really is
Dear Maria, Count Me In
All Time Low
Oddly enough, Bardy didn't actually offer any reasons for this one. Maybe that's because, again, this song is fine. It's also a little weird to see All Time Low on a list with so many big names. Don't get me wrong, I like All Time Low, but nearly as many people still talk about them, especially compared to bands like blink-182 and Paramore.
Dance, Dance
Fall Out Boy
"Dance, Dance" is a song about a guy who is so angsty that he thinks he's going to die
I can understand Fall Out Boy being on this list as they've received their fair amount of hate. But "Dance, Dance"? That's probably one of their best efforts of the 2000s. Keep in mind that the 2000s is the time when Fall Out Boy was doing a lot of things right before they sold out and became a pop band pretending to be the same pop punk band they used to be.
This just goes to show how far AI has to go. A good bit of wrong information, as well as very poor reasoning. Not sure if it just wasn't working entirely when I put in the query or what. But out of ten picks, I agreed with a total of two of them. And there were some bizarre picks as well. I'll do the same thing in a few days, but with the top ten best pop punk songs of the 2000s. Who knows, maybe Bardy will put a little more effort into that one.
Yeah, Avril Lavigne is a bit overrated in general, but I can't agree with Sk8tr Boy being her worst song from the 2000s. That "honor" has to go to either All You Will Never Know or I Don't Have To Try.