Guilty Pleasures – Mmm Bop
I was at The Gap recently when I heard this Duran Duran song come on the overhead speakers–
I mentioned to the cashier that I hadn’t heard it in at least two decades, that I was never much of a Duran Duran fan back in the day, but I did like that one and was unashamed to say it. All of which was lost on her because the song was a good ten years older than she was. She did say that she thought the song was pretty and grew on her. Then she came to despise it.
Those of you who have ever worked in retail can probably relate. The music you hear overhead in stores is fun when you’re shopping, but if you’re working you’ve probably heard the song five times a day. I used to work at Williams-Sonoma before the advent of satellite radio, so the playlist wasn’t very long. As a result we would hear the songs even more frequently – more like 453 times a day. The worst was during holiday shopping season when they kept playing the worst of two worlds – jazz versions of Christmas music.
As I walked out of the store and into the main mall area, I heard this gem…
Unlike “Save a Prayer”, there was no way I was going to admit to liking MMM Bop. When it came out in 1997, I was heavily into Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and other hard rocking bands. Guys who looked like this –
freewebcar.tk
There’s no way I could’ve admitted that I liked a song written and performed by Hanson, guys who looked like this…
monsterfresh.com
Boom Boom and I had just gotten married, and I didn’t want her to have buyer’s remorse.
Walking through the mall that day with her, I still wasn’t read to admit to liking it. But since she rarely reads this blog…
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13 comments on “Guilty Pleasures – Mmm Bop”
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wine century
Doppel Member, Baby!
Never heard of MMM Bop. Kind of catchy. I was dealing with a 1-yo at that time when it came out. I know the Barney song! 😀
Oh jeez, Barney… We refused to let our kids watch Barney
Can’t say I’m with you on the Mmm Bop (actually, I rather despised it) but I did love me some D2 back in the day (oh heck, the present day, too) 😉
I liked their album covers, had to Patrick Nadel prints in college..
And now Mmm Bop is once again stuck in my head and never have I ever liked it
You’re welcome!! Whenever I get a song stuck in my head u tell everyone else about it so they get not stuck in theirs. It doesn’t help me at all, but at least I’m sharing the misery.
Save a Prayer is a great song. I think I like it more now than I did then. I used to work at Abercrombie and Fitch, and yes, the songs did get old, but it’s kind of fun now when I hear one of those songs that I heard over and over. It brings me back. Collective Soul– that Spit Me Out song was one of them.
And MMbop– not ashamed to say I love that song! Always did and always will. I was in Spain the year it came out, so when I came home on the tail end of it’s popularity, I never had the chance to get sick of it. This reminds me that whenever I hear Adele’s Hello, I have to turn it off. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard the whole song, and I’m already sick of it– even if it is a catchy song. The radio and the media tend to ruin good things sometimes.
Hello is actually pretty good, which is hard for me to say. I’ve never been a fan of Adele – amazing singer but just didn’t like her songs. Or how people worship her.
Thx for stopping by!!
I feel like if you hear “MMMBOP” and don’t sing along just a little that you’re probably dead inside. 😉
Finally! Someone who’s speaks facts
It’s a mindless, catchy song. In other words, whether we like it or not, the perfect pop song. I don’t know how much influence the adult producers had on the band, but writing a good pop song probably isn’t as easy as some of us might think. I never admitted this to anyone either, but I always felt the band got a bad rap and a bum deal by fans and their label. The music scene is pretty cutthroat, and I for one wouldn’t have minded seeing them develop as musicians. Geez, in the current music landscape (and by “current” I mean the last thirty years; tells you how old I am), we wouldn’t have given The Beatles a second look after “Love Me Do.” We make fun of one-hit wonders, but really, it’s us who are impatient with bands. The list of capable bands that were not given much of a chance is pretty damn long (a FWH post on this, perhaps?): Arrested Development, Digable Planets, Eurogliders for Pete’s sake, are just three bands besides Hansen that probably should’ve been given a chance to grow and refine their song writing skills. They might’ve flopped mightily, but maybe not. So I’ll probably play Mmm Bop sometime today with equal measure guilt and disdain, but also with a little bit of curiosity about what might’ve been.
I’m glad someone else has heard of Eurogliders.
Hanson is actually still recording and has a good following. Actually it’s pretty good.
And they also have a beer company called Mmmmhops. No joke. Haven’t had it yet. http://www.mmmhops.com