Welcome, metal fan! If you’re wondering how rock can be so grotesquely honored, and how a detail can quickly turn into a catastrophe, our online store team has gathered together a selection of the worst tributes to this musical genre. And believe me, it’s not brilliant!
In this article, you’ll discover:
- How not to honor a Rockstar
- How not to honor a Rock Band
- How not to honor a Legendary Song
Yep, here we’re going to talk about “rock shaming”. Bad ideas and little disasters. Here we go 🤙 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
Honoring rock icons can be tricky, as fans tend to criticize the slightest detail deemed inappropriate. Sometimes, tributes are so poorly executed that it might have been better if they had never taken place…
In any case, this week we’ve compiled a list of the worst of them all, the ones that don’t please any rock fan. Here are the 9 biggest flops, and it starts now.
Tribute 9: Limp Bizkit performing “Killing in the Name”
We’re not sure what Guns N’ Roses has to do with Rage Against the Machine, but Fred Durst and his colleagues thought it was a good idea to mix the two. The result was a live performance of “Killing in the Name” in GN’R gear. It was absolutely ridiculous, especially when you consider the totally different styles of the two bands…
Their effort didn’t go unnoticed, earning Limp Bizkit ninth place on our flop list! There’s just nothing right about this performance, and that’s a real shame. Here’s the video:
Tribute 8: Miley Cyrus sings “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
This one caused quite a stir when it was first posted online, and apparently it’s still going strong. Miley covering Nirvana? What an atrocity! Some would even call it sacrilege. A pop star like her can’t claim to be paying tribute by performing a song like this. Even less convincingly. 👿
Some say it’s not that bad. But for purists like us, it is! Let her go back to making clips on a wrecking ball, right? (No malice, of course).
Tribute 7: Beatles Barkers
These guys have parodied popular Beatles songs. The guitars and other instruments are very similar to the original Beatles recordings, so that’s okay. But the song lyrics have been replaced with animal sounds… In addition to dogs, some tracks include cats, as well as barnyard animals such as sheep, cows and chickens. 🤔
As we say in English: just WTF (what the hell)? We just don’t get it… Parody or not, you don’t mess with a legend like the Beatles. It reduces the music to the lowest level. And these sounds aren’t beautiful at all! Stop it.
Tribute 6: Avril Lavigne in “Fuel”
The 2003 “Metallica MTV Icon” show certainly made metal fans cringe because of certain artists. In fact, this show even earned two spots on our list of worst rock tributes. Here’s the first, Avril Lavigne’s “performance” of Fuel. A real dud, the discomfort was palpable…
The singer disappointed all fans of this legendary song. But that’s not all! The general public also noticed that she wasn’t in her element. And it’s a shame for her. Unfortunately, there’s a second performance from Metallica TV that you’ll discover a little later. 🥴
Tribute 5: Adam Lambert singing with Queen
Adam Lambert was the target of hatred from Queen fans when he performed with the band. This earns him fifth place on this list. It’s not clear why he was targeted that day. See for yourself if he’s that bad in the video below. And don’t hesitate to tell us in the comments at the end of this article. ✍️
Tribute 4: Snoop Dogg performing “Sad But True”
Back to the “Metallica MTV Icon” show. Snoop Dogg really perplexed viewers that night by performing “Sad But True” in a unique way. It was so bad that the video circulated for weeks, especially on social networks.
It’s hard to say whether the artist wanted to pay a sincere tribute to this cult song, or whether he was simply there to show off and create a buzz, as he’s so good at doing. Either way, it was a poor performance. Enjoy the carnage:
Tribute 3: Holograms replacing Rockstars
The idea of holograms replacing rockstars or any other music giants isn’t popular with the metal community. Although holograms pay tribute to icons who are no longer with us, it often boils down to a simple playback of old songs and a disguised way of enjoying the legends of the past through flashy gadgets. 👀
We often get the impression that these tributes are more about charity than genuine recognition of the departed artist… A case in point is Snoop Dogg’s onstage collaboration with Tupac.
Tribute 2: Kurt Cobain’s weeping statue
When it comes to more recent events, the statue of “Kurt Cobain crying next to coffee and an electric drill while holding a guitar that looked inflatable” took the silver medal in our ranking. 🥈
This statue is failed and grotesque, it’s simply shameful. Kurt Cobain made his mark on his era and so much more. Unfortunately, he seems to touch certain populations that are totally uneducated in this field. People easily miss the beauty of his work. And in this case, they even try to pay tribute to him by leaving inglorious marks…
Tribute 1: Jeff Hanneman’s absence from the Grammys
Since 1988, the Grammys have been a thorn in the side of metal fans, and 2014’s ceremony only made matters worse by excluding icon Jeff Hanneman from the “In Memoriam” category. What’s more, Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr was also excluded from the “Tributes” category, and stars QOTSA/Reznor/Grohl/Buckingham’s performance was interrupted by commercials… 🤨
Making peace with the Grammys now seems an impossible task for any self-respecting metalhead. But rock doesn’t need them to exist, so it’s all good.
Rend Homage to Rock in your turn!
We’ve just seen the biggest flops in terms of rock tributes. You understand that the list could go on with many more than 9 examples. But we might as well not sink into the negative and stay in our metalhead bubble listening to some good heavy tunes. 🎸 Sorry for the carnage we’ve just presented, but it was worth it, wasn’t it? 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
