Yes, fructose is uniquely bad, as it must be metabolized in the liver, where it can contribute to fatty liver disease.

But regular sugar contains fructose in almost the same proportion as high-fructose corn syrup, so it's not a much better or worse alternative.

Edited to add: Fructose also has ten times higher glycation activity than glucose, which is the process by which sugar binds to (and destroys) proteins and lipids in the body.