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Chuck Small’s Dirty Dozen:

Great Songs… Ruined by Radio Overplay

August 4, 2025
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Today, I listened to Duncan Sheik’s “Barely Breathing.”

"Album cover of Duncan Sheik's 'Barely Breathing' CD single featuring the artist with a guitar."

It’s a song in my “Dirty Dozen:” 

These are songs that radio burned out so badly that it’s still hard for me to tolerate them, even decades later.

I found I could remember its charms. But I have no desire to hear it again for at least another year.

A public service reminder that Alexa is always listening.

The Dirty Dozen: This is a very different category from songs like:

  • “You’re Having My Baby”
  • “My Ding-a-Ling”
"Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, and Emily Ratajkowski posing together in a stylish photoshoot."
  • Or “Blurred Lines.”

Songs I loathe. It’s easy to turn off the radio if any of those ever comes on. My “Dirty Dozen,” however, are songs I like … or, rather, liked.

Unfortunately, the rest of the universe did, too, and they have been played to death.

So much so that hearing them now makes me want to rush for the dial or toggle to the next song.

In no particular order, here are my “Dirty Dozen.”

Let’s start with the already-mentioned “Barely Breathing.”

It was a huge success on Adult Top 40, a format that jumps on songs weeks or months after they’ve already become a hit on contemporary hit stations. And then once added, the stations wouldn’t let go.

"Adult Top 40 chart featuring 'Barely Breathing' by Duncan Sheik at number 3."

Sheik’s song was so massive that the week it fell out of Billboard’s Top 40, the week of Nov. 22, 1997, it had been on the chart for a full year.

(It lasted three more weeks before dropping out of the Top 50, which was the chart’s cutoff at the time.)

Subjectively?

"Duncan Shaw's 'Barely Breathing' album cover featuring the artist with a guitar."

I like “Barely Breathing.”

I’ll admit its style of singer-songwriter pop/rock lends itself easily to jokes about its title. But it does fall squarely into my fondness for adult contemporary music.

That said, it’s a no-go for me. Radio killed it.

Here are 11 other victims of overkill.

  • The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”
  • The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”
  • Irene Cara’s “Flashdance … What a Feeling”
  • Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You”
  • Eurythmics’ “Here Comes the Rain Again”
  • The Eagles’ “Hotel California”
  • Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop”
  • Andy Gibb’s “Shadow Dancing”
  • LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live?”
  • Madonna’s “Holiday”
  • Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”

I’m sure that last one is due to the fact that it has been a hit three separate times: meaning three generations of massive airplay.

One could make the same argument for holiday tunes such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” or Wham’s “Last Christmas,” which I can tolerate between Thanksgiving and Christmas…

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… and immediately switch off on Dec. 26.

Yes, I realize none of these songs became a hit in the 21st century.

That says more about my listening habits (centered on my record collection and old AT40 shows than on contemporary radio) than on the merits of those songs themselves.

I know that songs by The Weeknd, Harry Styles and others have spent more than a year on the charts, but I’m not as familiar with them as my students are.

What are your “Dirty Dozen”?


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cstolliver

Chuck Small

Journalist-turned-high school counselor. Happily ensconced in Raleigh, N.C., with hubby of 32 years (11 legal).

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LinkCrawford
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LinkCrawford
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August 5, 2025 7:57 am

This is an interesting topic. I have songs like this, too. You named a few of them, for sure. “Hey Jude” is way overdone, as are “Hotel California”, and “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The others I’m pretty ok with.

For me, one that always comes to mind is “Sweet Home Alabama”, which I always liked as a kid, but after the 10,000th time, it wears out its welcome. And yet, usually if I’m in a situation where I’m forced to listen to it, I still enjoy it.

So why then can I hear “Baker Street” or “Whenever I Call You Friend” or “What a Wonderful World” or “The Power of Love” (Huey, not Celine) for the 10,000th time, and I don’t mind it at all? I always wonder about the difference.

Conversely, we could have an article about songs we loved to loathe…and then are ashamed to admit in later years that we actually don’t hate them anymore. We may not love them, but it used to be so fun to hate, and now we just don’t. But that’s a different topic all together.

Last edited 19 days ago by LinkCrawford
Virgindog
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August 5, 2025 9:56 am

“Hotel California” is the one that came to mind first, so I’m glad it’s on your list. I’d add “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” Styx’s “Lady,” and most everything (The) Eagles ever did. Link’s suggestion of “Sweet Home Alabama” is a good one, made worse when you’re in a band that has to play it for the tourists.

In my little punk 1980s world, I got sick of “Hungry Wolf” by X. It was overplayed on underground radio, but I’ve just listened to it for the first time in years and, man, I love it.

https://youtu.be/2Ag1-t-7dRI

Last edited 19 days ago by Bill Bois
JJ Live At Leeds
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August 5, 2025 4:18 pm

Great subject. I’m sure there are plenty of these but I’m struggling to remember them. Perhaps I’ve buried them too deep to access so I can pretend they don’t exist.

Its not radio play that I tend to have an issue with, more when a song starts turning up everywhere other than radio that I know there’s trouble.

One that does come to mind is Journey: Don’t Stop Believing.

It barely registered til the Sopranos closed with it. Then it popped up in Rock Of Ages. And it kept cropping up in TV shows and in ads. That’s quite enough thanks.

rollerboogie
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rollerboogie
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August 5, 2025 6:00 pm

Rock of Ages was disappointing.

cappiethedog
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cappiethedog
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August 6, 2025 2:51 am

The “I Want to Know What Love Is” sequence with Tom Cruise and Malia Akerman never fails to cheer me up. Underrated. Underrated how? I’m not sure.

rollerboogie
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August 5, 2025 6:08 pm

Agreed on Every Breath You Take. I never loved it, but I at least liked it. Not anymore. Least favorite Police single.

I Just Called to Say I Love You got overplayed at Polish weddings. I loved that it was played at ours. But not so much after that.

Bohemian Rhapsody has been left in tatters from being overhyped over the years. Still love the guitar solo.

I still enjoyed hearing 867-5309 until a guy sang it nearly every week for 3 years at karaoke and I was done. It’s a good song, but not quite durable enough to take that level of abuse.

Last edited 19 days ago by rollerboogie
hungryghosts
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August 12, 2025 2:02 am
Reply to  cstolliver

Didn’t Jenny end up a victim of a murderous Brandon Flowers in 2004? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQwu08Sc2vA

Zeusaphone
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August 5, 2025 7:12 pm

“Shadow Dancing” over “Staying Alive” is a bold choice. I love the latter, but it has been so beaten into the ground at this point. Every movie and commercial with somebody walking down a crowded street plays it. “Gonna Fly Now” is in the same category.

Ozmoe
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Ozmoe
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August 5, 2025 7:56 pm

So, songs we love that we think are nevertheless overplayed? OK then, two come immediately to mind: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers, which BMI announced was the most played record of the 21st century, and “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. She had dozens of other hits on the pop charts, but every damn oldies channel I’ve listened to only seems to play this one from her. Why?!

Oh, and having grown up during the mid-1970s through mid-1980s, if I never hear “Stairway to Heaven” again, I’ll be just fine. It’s a classic, I know, but give it a rest, classic rock stations!

rollerboogie
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August 5, 2025 9:38 pm
Reply to  Ozmoe

I’ll co-sign on all of these. I never thought it would be possible for Respect to be ruined but too many paint by number wedding deejays nearly destroyed it for me. I’m just now getting it back but it will never be the same.

Last edited 19 days ago by rollerboogie
reggie
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reggie
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August 5, 2025 11:43 pm

Hmmmm…in no particular order

1) Every Breath You Take
2) Don’t You Want Me
3) Maniac
4) My Prerogative
5) Candle In The Wind
6) You Make My Dreams
7) Freeze Frame
8) You Light Up My Life
9) Minute By Minute
10) Still Rock And Roll To Me

I love 80’s music but sheesh, some of those songs wore out their welcome.

blu_cheez
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August 7, 2025 5:09 pm

My list:

Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
The Eagles – “Hotel California”
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Under The Bridge”
Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive”
Green Day – “When I Come Around”
Blink-182 “All The Small Things”
Nine Inch Nails – “Closer”
REM – “Losing My Religion”
ABBA – “Dancing Queen”
Olivia Newton-John – “Physical”
Journey – “Lights”
Guns n’ Roses – “Sweet Child O Mine”

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