Top 10 Music Artists with Both Great and Terrible Songs

The Top Ten

Eminem

Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor, and music producer born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 220 million records, making him the best-selling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he was a member of D12 and (with... read more

I feel that he ought to be number one or close to it. Fack is sometimes claimed as the worst song ever, yet he has many great songs, some of which are probably amongst the greatest ever.

He mostly puts out good songs, but he also has songs like "Fack" that are so bad to the point they sound like they're supposed to be bad.

Most of his songs are pretty good, but a few make me wonder what the fack he was thinking.
Nicki Minaj

Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj (born December 8, 1982), is a Trinidadian-American rapper and pop artist. She is widely recognized for hits like "Anaconda," "Super Bass," "Starships," and her feature on "Bang Bang."... read more

Pretty bad overall, in my opinion, but "Grand Piano" is definitely one of her better ones.
Chris Brown

Christopher Maurice "Chris" Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he participated in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. He gained international notoriety in 2009 for his physical assault of singer... read more

He can give us some pretty good stuff from time to time like Forever, With You, All Back, Should've Kissed You, and Say Goodbye. However, he also produces not so great and downright awful tracks such as Look at Me Now, Privacy, Deuces, I Can Transform Ya, and Party.
Kanye West

Ye (born Kanye Omari West. June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial artists of the 21st century.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West initially gained fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella... read more
Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber (born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Ontario, Canada, and is Christian. He is the son of Pattie Mallette, an author.
Justin Bieber is best known for his songs "Baby" and "What Do You Mean?" As of mid 2025, 11 of... read more

From his beginning to his Christmas album, I didn't like his music at all. The melodies were not only bad but annoying. His singing didn't sound too good either. On the holiday album, he already had a more mature voice, but really, rap versions of Christmas songs are not what I want to hear to get in the Christmas mood.
What I still like about his first albums is that he wrote most of the songs. Few people this young do that.
"Believe" was a good pop album. I think people hated it just because it was by Bieber and because he used the word "Swag," which people don't like because it's overused. It was really catchy, though, and well-sung with lyrics that are not bad, just what was to be expected from love songs. It's a guilty pleasure you can have lots of fun with.
I seriously consider "Purpose" one of the greatest albums of the 2010s. It is pop perfection. Perfectly written, perfectly produced, creative, and experimental but still catchy and pop-ish enough to be easy to listen to. And Bieber's singing is really emotional. He doesn't try to make girls swoon anymore like he did on earlier records. He's more quiet now, at the album's best moments he sounds melancholic, bleak, and depressed. It sounds more honest and real.
This was when I realized that he is not the little kid he once was anymore. He moved on and found his own distinctive style. He became less of a poser and more of an artist who takes his music seriously.
I just wish more people would recognize that and don't think of the kid that sung "Baby" when they read or hear the name Justin Bieber.
E-Rotic

E-Rotic is a German eurodance group that became popular in the 1990s. The original lineup included lead singer Lyane Leigh, rapper Raz-Ma-Taz, and producer David Brandes. They are best known for provocative hit singles like Max Don't Have Sex With Your Ex and Fred Come to Bed, which found chart success... read more
Maroon 5

Maroon 5 is an American pop and pop‑rock band formed in Los Angeles, California. The group originally came together in 1994 under the name Kara's Flowers, when Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, and Ryan Dusick were still in high school. They self‑released a demo and a studio album before... read more

I liked their older stuff more, especially "She Will Be Loved."

Hate to admit it, but Maroon 5's first album was pretty damn good. It's a shame to see them get destroyed by an overly cocky frontman though.
Jason Derulo

Jason Joel Desrouleaux, known professionally as Jason Derulo, is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. He rose to fame with his debut single "Whatcha Say," which was released in 2009 and went triple platinum. Other hit singles include "Ridin' Solo," "In My Head," "Wiggle," "Talk Dirty," "Trumpets... read more
The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas is an American musical group originally consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and singer Fergie.
They achieved global success with hits like Where Is the Love?, I Gotta Feeling, and Boom Boom Pow. Since Fergie's departure in 2017, more recent releases have featured... read more
Lil Wayne

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was discovered by Brian "Baby" Williams at a young age and signed to Cash Money Records, where he became one-quarter of the rap group Hot Boys. He later founded his own label, Young Money Entertainment, signing artists such... read more

Yeah, I'm not a fan of him, but he does have some great songs, especially from his early career.

The Newcomers

?
The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular... read more

Most of their songs are great - except Revolution 9 and Wild Honey Pie.
?
Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as JAY-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and investor born December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. He's best known for influential albums like Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album and is widely regarded as one of the greatest... read more

The Contenders

Insane Clown Posse

Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop, horrorcore, and rap rock duo consisting of rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. The group was formed in 1989 in Detroit.
They are known for their violent and outrageous lyrics that often incorporate horror elements and religious symbolism, all set in... read more

What I absolutely love about them: The meaningful songs, the dark spooky songs, the songs with that taste for a kill. I love such humorously dark characters as are those they portray on records. Also, some of their comedy tracks are funny in a dumb way. Great Milenko and The Mighty Death Pop are great albums as a whole, except for the song "House of Horrors". That is just nonsense and a waste of a great beat.
What I dislike: Their pseudo-metal songs. The 2 Bizarre albums. The songs that have massive gross-out humour. Some of their stupid sound effects. That they often can't stay focused.
Kesha

Kesha Rose Sebert (formerly Ke$ha), born March 1, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, is an American singer and songwriter. She became famous for her energetic pop hits like Tik Tok, Die Young, and her collaboration with Pitbull on Timber.... read more

I hate almost all of her old songs, but I was super blown away when I heard "Praying."
R. Kelly

Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known professionally as R. Kelly, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and convicted sex offender. He has been credited with helping to redefine R&B and hip hop, earning nicknames such as "the King of R&B," "the King of Pop-Soul," and the... read more
Beyonce

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who began her career as lead singer of Destiny's Child. The group scored multiple Billboard No. 1 hits including "Say My Name," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Survivor," "Independent Women," and "Bootylicious." After their split,... read more
Weezer

Weezer is an American alternative rock and power pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1992. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals).... read more

They have El Scorcho and Say It Ain't So. However, they also have Where's My Sex and Can't Stop Partying.
Pitbull

Armando Christian Pérez (born January 15, 1981), known professionally as Pitbull, is a Grammy and multiple Latin Grammy-winning Cuban-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He's released numerous hit singles including I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho), Give Me Everything, and Timber. Pitbull... read more
Nickelback

Nickelback is a Canadian post-grunge band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Canada. The band consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer Daniel Adair.... read more
Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor from Toronto. He first gained public attention as an actor on the Canadian series Degrassi: The Next Generation before launching a music career. Drake's become one of the world's best-selling... read more
Coldplay

Coldplay is a British rock band formed in 1996. The group includes Chris Martin (lead vocals, piano), Jonny Buckland (lead guitar), Guy Berryman (bass), and Will Champion (drums, backing vocals). Their manager, Phil Harvey, is often referred to as the unofficial fifth member.... read more
Kay One

Kenneth Glöckler, better known by his stage names Kay One and Prince Kay One, is a German rapper of Filipino descent, born on September 7, 1984. He rose to prominence due to his strong freestyle rap skills, which helped him win several battle rap tournaments. After being featured on multiple tracks by... read more
Kelly Rowland

Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is a Grammy Award-winning American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. Rowland also achieved success as a solo artist and served as a judge on several talent... read more
Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy and thrash metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup included James Hetfield (vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), and Ron McGovney (bass). They first gained mainstream fame with their 1991 self-titled album (The Black Album... read more
Lil Nas X

Montero Lamar Hill, born April 9, 1999, is better known by his stage name Lil Nas X. He is an American singer and rapper who gained widespread fame with his hit single "Old Town Road." The song was certified diamond and remained at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks.
Blood on the Dance Floor

Blood on the Dance Floor is an American electronic music group from Orlando, Florida, formed in 2006. The group was led by Dahvie Vanity and included several members over time, most notably Jayy Von Monroe, who was active from 2009 to 2016, and Garrett Ecstasy, who joined in 2009. All members contributed... read more
Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, professionally known as Katy Perry, was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California. She is a singer, songwriter, actress, and has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2013.
She is among the best-selling artists ever, with four Guinness World Records... read more