Top 10 WTF Did I Just Listen To Pop Songs

#10: “The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)” (2002)

Las Ketchup

“Aserejé,” more commonly known as “The Ketchup Song,” was the global sensation that nobody saw coming. Both the Spanish-language and Spanglish versions share the same nonsensical chorus… No, we’re not kidding; it’s literal gibberish. Supposedly, the idea was to try to channel the opening line of “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. And in that respect, they succeeded. “The Ketchup Song” is an insanely catchy piece of music, but it never stops being a bizarre listen. Would we take it over the “Macarena” any day, though? Absolutely.

#9: “Timothy” (1970)

The Buoys

This one might sound like a pretty harmless number straight off the bat, but once you actually listen to what’s going on, it just gets weirder and weirder. Penned by The Buoys’ songwriter Rupert Holmes, “Timothy” details a mining project gone wrong that leads to a pair of survivors eating their titular friend in order to survive. Yeah, you heard us right: This breezy pop song is actually about cannibalism. Holmes would go on to achieve huge solo success on the back of the hit “Escape (The Pina Colada).” But it should come as no surprise that he was never overly eager to play “Timothy” during his gigs.

#8: “The Hamster Dance” (1997)

Hampton the Hamster

What can we really even say about “The Hamster Dance?” This was a viral hit in an earlier time for the Internet. And looking back, it’s pretty obvious why it became such a success. But Hampton the Hamster is a relic from a bygone era; and these days, listening to this track is bound to summon up a few cringes. This is the type of song that parents show their kids in order to explain to them just how wild and wacky the Internet really was in its infancy.

#7: “Friday” (2011)

Rebecca Black

“Friday” by Rebecca Black was first condemned as the gold standard for terrible songwriting and performance. But over the years, opinions have softened a bit, and people have almost started to appreciate the song’s innocence and total lack of awareness. However, if you’re hearing “Friday” for the first time, then it’s going to hit you like a train. Also, the less we say about the official remix version, the better. For any newcomers, you’re not going to forget your first exposure to “Friday.” In many ways, it’s a jarring, awkward, but totally compelling piece of pop music that has earned its place in the history books, for better or worse.

#6: “Rock Me Amadeus” (1985)

Falco

Did Falco really need to write this epic anthem about Mozart? Probably not. But we’re still glad that he did. “Rock Me Amadeus” is a tune that grabs your attention straight away, bringing all of that ‘80s pomposity to you on a platter within the opening seconds. Anyone can decipher the intention of the German lyrics. On the long list of tunes from that period that have really started to show their age, Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” is right up there. It’s the type of song you really do need to hear at least once in life.

#5: “Cotton Eye Joe” (1994)

Rednex

“Cotton Eye Joe” is a folk song with a history that goes far beyond what the Swedish band Rednex did to it in 1994. The song actually dates all the way back to the American mid-19th century, but as soon as it found a new home as a country-infused Eurodance hit, there was no looking back. This is the type of song that’ll be stuck in your head for weeks after you hear it. Most listeners had absolutely no idea what the song was about or why they couldn’t help but tap their foot along to it. But it’s pretty obvious why it was such a huge sensation worldwide.

#4: “Blue (Da Be Dee)” (1998)

Eiffel 65

Some balladeers compose lyrics about love, loss, or the looming shadow of death. Eiffel 65, on the other hand, decided to write about a guy who lives in a world that is entirely made up of the color blue. Yep, that’s the selling point of Eiffel 65’s smash hit “Blue (Da Be Dee).” We’re not going to sit here and deny that this is one of the biggest earworms to come out of the Europop explosion of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. But if you don’t know what you’re in for, this song is going to leave you scratching your head. It is definitely a novelty song, but there is something especially wacky about it.

#3: “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” (1968)

Tiny Tim

One look at Tiny Tim is not going to prepare you for what happens when he opens his mouth to sing. He came from the same Greenwich Village scene that Bob Dylan got his start during the early ‘60s. And through his 1968 adaptation of the 1920s song “Tiptoe Through The Tulips,” he carved out a place in music history for himself. It’s the type of song that attacks the ears immediately, with Tim’s trademark vibrato-laced falsetto right at the centre of it all. He sounds like a dusty old 1940s radio recording in human form. It should come as no surprise that the song has been featured in horror movies such as “Insidious” and its sequel, “Insidious: The Red Door.”

#2: “Ding Dong Song” (2004)

Günther & The Sunshine Girls

There are many people out there who have heard Günther & The Sunshine Girls’ “Ding Dong Song” and don’t realise that it’s a parody. That’s how perfectly they nail the cheesy, overly suggestive Eurodance vibe on this track. Not only is the video hilarious, but it also functions exactly how so many songs from this era would… Except the explicit nature of the lyrical content has been maxed out. Parodies like this regularly pop up and fade away in the modern world, but that simply wasn’t the case when Günther decided to drop this bona fide classic.

#1: “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” (2013)

Ylvis

There’s not really an in-between when it comes to this global hit by the Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. Either you enjoy it on its merits as a fun novelty song, or you despise hearing even a split second of it. “The Fox,” or as it’s better known, “What Does the Fox Say?”, sounds like a Eurovision entry in every way except for its lyrics. It’s pretty much a nursery rhyme centered around not knowing what sound a fox makes, all delivered with an EDM overcoat that made it perfect for the radio back in 2013. It became a huge hit worldwide. If you somehow missed it during its initial release, we promise you that it’s going to leave an impression – one way or another.

But what pop songs do you think deserve their place among the weirdest in pop music history? Let us know in the comments below.