What is Slash’s favorite Guns N’ Roses song? What about his least favorite? You would think it will be something even you don’t know or remember. No, it shouldn’t be something you like. A hit maybe? How about the most popular Guns N’ Roses song? Can an artist dislike or even hate a song he wrote, produced, and helped become one of the anthems of its era? The answer is “Yes.” There are a lot of hit songs that their writers hate.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Wonderwall,” “Ace of Spades,” and other songs have become well-known classics, also memorialized by billions of fans over decades. They’ve encouraged other musicians to pick up a guitar, yet the musicians who recorded them all despised them. In this list, we mention list some of the 6 rockstar musicians who hated their hit songs ever. 

Musicians Who Hated Their Hit Songs Of All Time

Every parents love their children. They watch them fall asleep and raise them; they even give their life if necessary. However, there are some exceptions in the world of music. The process of producing a song bears striking similarities to giving birth. One carries an idea, a spark of inspiration in their mind for months, and when the time is right, after a painful producing process the song is born. That is why we think of songs as rockstar musicians’ non-biological children. 

Here are six artists who won’t sing lullabies to their non-biological children:

Do musicians hate their own songs?

• Lemmy Kilmister – “Ace of Spades”
• Kurt Cobain- “Smell Like Teen Spirit”
• Dave Mustaine – “Crush ’Em”
• Noel Gallagher – “Wonderwall”
• Thom Yorke – “Creep”
• Slash – “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

Let’s find out which rockstars hated their hit songs below!

1. “Ace of Spades” – Lemmy Kilmister

The famous frontman and bass player of the classic rock ‘n’ roll band Motörhead, Lemmy Kilmister, was known for his rough voice, rebellious character, and impact heavy metal music. Despite the massive success of Motörhead’s smash song “Ace of Spades,” Lemmy Kilmester had mixed feelings about the song that would become one of the known songs by fans.

Ian Fraser-Lemmy Kilmister was born on December 24, 1945, in Stoke-on-Trent, England; his music career took off in the 1960s as the bass player for the space rock band Hawkwind. He created Motörhead in 1975, and their sound style grew in popularity, driving them to the forefront of the rock and metal genre.

“Ace of Spades,” released in 1980, became a classic Motörhead’s standing as a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer. The song’s relentless speed and emotional lyrics struck a chord with listeners and are still among their most popular songs.

Lemmy Kilmister shared why he hated “Ace Of Spades” as one of his hit songs:

“I’m sick to death of Ace Of Spades now. We didn’t become fossilized after that record, you know; we’ve had quite a few good releases since then. But the fans want to hear it, so we still play it every night. For myself, I’ve had enough of that song.” 

2. “Smell Like Teen Spirit” – Kurt Cobain 

Kurt Cobain, the iconic vocalist of Nirvana, is a musical phenomenon whose natural, emotional voice and creative process also transformed the grunge and alternative rock genres. Among Nirvana’s most renowned songs, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was a 1990s anthem and a cornerstone of their popularity. 

Kurt Cobain, born on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington, put his rough life experiences into Nirvana’s songs.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit,” released as the lead single of their breakthrough album “Nevermind” in 1991, catapulted the band to global fame, becoming an anthem for disaffected youth.

Despite its cultural impact and credit, Cobain struggled with estrangement from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as its fame grew.

Kurt Cobain revealed why he hated “Smell Like Teen Spirit” as one of his hit songs:

“I literally want to throw my guitar down and walk away. I can’t pretend to have a good time playing it.”

This interview also represents his wish to be acknowledged for his talent outside of the limits of a single successful song. The economic success of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” sometimes eclipsed Nirvana’s entire history, driving Kurt Cobain’s desire for artistic independence and exploration.

3. “Crush ’Em” – Dave Mustaine

Megadeth‘s frontman and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine is known for his exceptional guitar talents and intriguing lyrics. “Crush ‘Em” stands out among Megadeth’s discography as a song that evoked contradictory feelings from Mustaine. Despite the song’s commercial objectives and relative popularity, Mustaine openly expressed doubts about it, emphasizing his desire to strike a balance between creative integrity and commercial appeal.

Dave Mustaine, born on September 13, 1961, in La Mesa, California, was critical in developing the thrash metal genre. Megadeth released “Crush ‘Em” as a single off their album “Risk,” which attempted to experiment with a more accessible sound for popular fans in the late 1990s.

Dave Mustaine mentioned why he hated “Crush ‘Em” as one of his hit songs:

“Crush ‘Em” as probably the dumbest song Megadeth ever did.”

He stated that the criticism was not based on hatred towards the music. But instead on his distaste for it. This feeling reflected his dedication to creating music that spoke to him personally.

4. “Wonderwall” – Noel Callagher

Noel Gallagher, the songwriter and lead guitarist of the British rock band Oasis, is known for his beautiful lyrics and memorable melodies. Among Oasis’ remarkable discography, “Wonderwall” is a timeless masterpiece that has touched millions worldwide. Surprisingly, Gallagher’s feelings about the song are distant from the undying love of fans. Despite its enormous success, he had a somewhat perplexing view of “Wonderwall,” which reveals the intricacies of artistic self-critique and the striving for creative perfection.

Born on May 29, 1967, in Manchester, England, Noel Gallagher was the chief architect behind Oasis’ musical brilliance. “Wonderwall,” released in 1995 as part of their album “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?”, became a defining anthem of the ’90s and catapulted Oasis to international fame.

However, Gallagher’s unvarnished thoughts regarding the song are far from the usual appreciation one might expect. When asked about “Wonderwall,” he conceded, “It beggars belief.” To him, the song remained incomplete, perplexing fans and critics. Despite its economic success and prominence as one of Oasis’ most well-known songs, Gallagher expressed his displeasure with it. 

Noel Callagher said why he hated “Wonderwall” as one of his hit songs:

“The only time I laid down the law was Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back In Anger. I was so f***ed off with him walking off stage and me having to take over and do the gig. I remember thinking, if I’m going to do this, I want a big fucking song to sing.

I said, ‘You’re singing one or the other, but not both.’ He hated Wonderwall. He said it was a trip-hop. There speaks a man who’s never heard trip-hop.”

5. “Creep” – Thom Yorke

Thom Yorke is Radiohead‘s lead singer, known for his emotional lyrics and expressive vocal style. Among Radiohead’s extensive discography, “Creep” is an iconic song that reached the band to popularity.

Thom Yorke, born on October 7, 1968, in Northamptonshire, England, distinguished Radiohead as musical pioneer in the 1990s with his contemplative lyrics. “Creep,” released in 1992 as part of Radiohead’s debut album “Pablo Honey,” launched the band internationally. Despite its commercial popularity, the song’s topics and Yorke’s self-reflections have depths that extend beyond the song’s radio-friendly sound.

Thom Yorke’s statements about being a man in the ’90s reveal a deep-seated struggle to assert his masculinity without resorting to the stereotypes often associated with hard-rock bands. “Any man with any sensitivity or conscience toward the opposite sex would have a problem,” he said in an interview. It’s pretty tough to establish yourself in a macho manner without seeming like you’re in a hard-rock band.” His ambition to develop a multifaceted sexual character while simultaneously rejecting it highlights the inconsistencies and difficulties of managing masculinity in the music industry.

Thom Yorke talked about why he hated “Creep” as one of his hit songs:

As Radiohead’s success grew, “Creep” became synonymous with the band, prompting fans to bombard the band with demands to perform the song at their shows. When the fans persisted on hearing “Creep,” Yorke stated, “F— off, we’re tired of it.” This open statement explains Thom Yorke’s conflicted feelings about the song and his battle to combine creative integrity with fans expectations.

6. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” – Slash

Guns N’ Roses‘ legendary guitarist Slash is known for his riffs and rock ‘n’ roll virtuosity and with his clothes and smoking cigarette style. Among the band’s discography, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is a timeless song that has grabbed the hearts of fans worldwide. However, Slash’s opinions towards the song have changed, illustrating the intricacies of artistic identity and popular perception. 

Slash, also born on July 23, 1965, in Hampstead, London, formed Guns N’ Roses‘ signature hard rock sound. “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” from their debut album “Appetite for Destruction,” was a quick smash. 

Slash talked about why he hated “Sweet Child O’ Mine” as one of his hit songs:

“But I’ll tell you one thing… I didn’t hate it, but I wasn’t fond of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine.’ And that gives you a good idea of how credible my opinion is… The actual riff itself I love, but the song itself…

You know, Guns N’ Roses was always a real hardcore, sort of, AC/DC kind of hard rock band with a lot of attitude. If we did any kind of ballads, it was bluesy. This was an uptempo ballad.

That’s one of the gayest things you can write. But at the same time, it’s a great song – I’m not knocking it – but at the time, it just did not fit in with the rest of our, sort of, schtick. And, of course, it would be the biggest hit we ever had.”

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