Songs that make you cringe at the self-reference to "Rock 'n' Roll"

As far as I know, no. Now it's possible that I heard it when I was a kid, but I never owned a Sean Cassidy album and when his star was ascendant, I was allergic to nearly anything that even looked like bubblegum. But either way, I don't want my memory jogged!

 

Oasis - Rock n Roll Star

 

I hadn't heard it for years until it popped up on Sirius 70s on 7 a couple of times.

 

Yes. I actually get embarrassed whenever I see James Taylor do that number live, trying to get all funky and ballsy. Great singer. Great songwriter. Great guitar player. But he is not a rock 'n' roller by any stretch.

 

Always hated that friggin' song.

 

Dobie Gray - "Drift Away"

 

I gave the DJ a list of "DO NOT PLAY" wedding tunes, and thought I'd covered everything. Then that piano intro started and I was angry at myself.

 

Perhaps Bowie was thinking about a different type of rock and roll?

 

Still R n R to me............Barf

 

For those that despise the Shaun Cassidy version (but you may hate this too):

 

Then again, compared to Mac Davis, Shaun Cassidy positively shreds . . .

 

Nah, these aren't the best examples....

Joan Jett - I Love Rock and Roll.

Now we're talkin!

 

It's an odd thing with me, because I don't like 'Old Time Rock N Roll' at all, and I don't like self-referential rock & roll songs,
and I'm not much of a Bob Seger fan; but for some reason 'Rock & Roll Never Forgets' doesn't bother me. Hmmmmmm....

 

Prince - Rock 'n' Roll Love Affair

 

I love BOC, but the "That's the way it goes...that's rock and roll" in The Marshall Plan is pretty annoying, IMO.

This is a good parody of the phenomenon behind the thread topic:

 

I think this one wins.

 

But the Tull song is about an "Old Rocker" from the mods vs. rockers days. In fact, it was originally conceived as a musical. Plus, when the temp shifts, it does become a rock and roll song, complete with honking saxes and '50's licks.

 

Just having some fun here... Maybe they were "The Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the World" for a few minutes in the 70s, but whenever the Stones actually sing about "Rock & Roll," they fall short.

Exhibit 1 - A Keef outtake on an album of outtakes that should have been left out during his "dwip dwip dwip dwip dwip dwip" guitar phase:

 

Exhibit 2 - No wonder Ronnie "gave" this to The Glimmer Twins and the sailor suit is likely the real reason Mr. Taylor left the band:

 

Exhibit 3 speaks for itself:

 

The better mix of a rotten song

 

This one too gets a pass because of the rock and roll bagpipe solo. IT'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP (IF YOU WANNA ROCK 'N' ROLL) - AC DC

 

"I Knew The Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)" by Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds drives me batty. I've attended way too many weddings where this has been played...It's to the point I can't listen to it anymore.

 

It was sour grapes after being pushed off the charts since the British Invasion. But it put them right back on top.

 

nah. Then the song would be called "that ain't rock n roll to me".