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Comment by dingaling | Hacker News Reader

I remember REM self-nominating 'Shiny Happy People ' as the worst song. And even though it was one of their most successful songs in the charts they refused to play it live.

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Denis Leary: I want you to pull this bus over on the side of the Pretentiousness Turnpike! I want the shiny people over here, and the happy people over here.

Shame they think that. Anything with Kate Pierson singing and moving gets my vote.

On the flip side of this, generally speaking I like every duet I’ve heard with Stipe. Except this one.

Campfire Song with 10,000 Maniacs. And Kid Fears with the Indigo Girls still gives me chills.

Stipe singing other people's songs: good. Stipe writing songs: sometimes acceptable.

I like to joke/start arguments by saying that R.E.M's greatest album was "Sentimental Hygiene".

I was "Lucky" to hear him join Radiohead on stage to sing one of their songs back in 98 (iirc).

Indeed. As with all things, "popular" and "good" are two very different qualities that aren't always correlated with each other.

Shiny happy people is so non- REM by REM. It is just out of place.

I think it was meant to be satirical. Like, it’s supposed to be about how the old folks want the young folks to be. Pleasant times.

No one is ever going to be as happy as the guy in the purple shirt and black beret in that music video. Not even Ren and Stimpy.

Or out of time.

I'll see myself out.

Maybe you'll like the reverse, (possibly) the most REM song by non-REM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSltuCqOzJY

We Built This City is fun forgettable pop music. Shiny Happy People was wretched from day one. Fight me.

SHP is a song for kids. They didn't write it for you.

https://youtu.be/VRfhX-XAIiY?t=3820

The lyrics are cheesy, but I find the music, harmonies/performance to be just fine. Wouldn't be the first decent song with crap lyrics.

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