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Welcome to the Ultimate Rejection Playlist!

May 12, 2026May 15, 2026admin 1 Comment

Here are all your songs of innocence and experience! Clicking on any performer/title will take you to the song on YouTube, as well as to the full YouTube playlist, a rejection odyssey from the 1920s to the 2020s.

Would you like to play the Ultimate Rejection Playlist Game? Scroll to the bottom to play in the discussions/comments below!

BUT FIRST… THE ULTIMATE REJECTION PLAYLIST

1920s

Bessie Smith, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (1929)

Lotte Lenya, “Pirate Jenny” (role created 1928, 1966 recording)

1930s

Louis Armstrong, “You Rascal You (I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead)” (1932)

Ethel Waters, “Stormy Weather” (1933)

Georgia White, “I’ll Keep Sittin’ On It” (1936)

Billie Holiday, “God Bless the Child” (1939)

1940s

Édith Piaf, “Tu es partout” (1943)

1950s

Lefty Frizzell, “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time” (1950)

Maria Callas, Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Un bel dì vedremo” (1956)

Little Richard, “Lucille” (1957)

11.
Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)

Ritchie Valens, “Donna” (1958)

1960s

13.
Ray Charles & The Raelettes, “Hit The Road Jack” (1961)

Patsy Cline, “Crazy” (1961)

The Shirelles, “Mama Said” (1961)

Solomon Burke, “Cry To Me” (1962)

Ben E. King, “Don’t Play That Song” (1962)

Danielle Licari, Les parapluies de Cherbourg, “Devant le garage/I Will Wait For You” (1964)

Nina Simone, “Mississippi Goddam” (1964)

Lesley Gore, “You Don’t Own Me” (1964)

Bob Dylan, “It Ain’t Me Babe” (1964)

Otis Redding, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” (1965)

The Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965)

24.
Chuck Berry, “Lonely School Days” (1966)

Dusty Springfield, “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” (1966)

26.
Joni Mitchell, “Just Like Me” (1966)

June Carter Cash & Johnny Cash, “Jackson” (1967)

Loretta Lynn, “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin'” (1967)

Jefferson Airplane, “Somebody to Love” (1967)

Aretha Franklin, “Chain of Fools” (1967)

The Velvet Underground, “Pale Blue Eyes” (1969)

1970s

John Lennon, “God” (1970)

The Temptations, “War” (1970)

Carole King, “It’s Too Late” (1971)

Hildegard Knef, “Holiday Time” (1971)

Harry Nilsson, “Without You” (1971)

Carly Simon, “You’re So Vain” (1972)

The Supremes, “Bad Weather” (1973)

Jeanette, “Porque te vas” (1974)

Linda Ronstadt, “When Will I Be Loved” (1974)

Dolly Parton, “I Will Always Love You” (1974)

Eric Carmen, “All By Myself” (1975)

Patti Smith, “Gloria” (1975)

Original Cast, A Chorus Line, “I Hope I Get It” (1975)

Queen, “Somebody To Love” (1976)

James Brown, “I Refuse To Lose” (1976)

Ramones, “I Don’t Care” (1977)

Meat Loaf, “Two Out of Three (Ain’t Bad)” (1977)

Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Waiting In Vain” (1977)

Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way” (1977)

Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (1978)

Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive” (1978)

Blondie, “Heart Of Glass” (1978)

X-Ray Spex, “I Am a Poseur” (1978)

Kate Bush, “Wuthering Heights” (1978)

Donna Summer, “Bad Girls” (1979)

Rupert Holmes, “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” (1979)

Earth, Wind & Fire, “After the Love Has Gone” (1979)

1980s

Irene Cara, “Fame” (1980)

Bush Tetras, “Too Many Creeps” (1980)

Stevie Wonder, “I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It” (1980)

The J. Geils Band, “Love Stinks” (1980)

Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (1980)

The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” (1981)

The Commodores, “Oh No” (1981)

Daryl Hall & John Oates, “I Can’t Go For That” (1981)

Grace Jones, “Nipple To The Bottle” (1982)

Journey, “Separate Ways” (1983)

Pat Benatar, “Love Is A Battlefield” (1983)

Violent Femmes, “Add It Up” (1983)

Cyndi Lauper, “Time After Time” (1983)

Grandmaster Melle Mel, “White Lines” (1983)

Sonic Youth, “Protect Me You” (1983)

Air Supply, “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” (1983)

74.
Tina Turner, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (1984)

Wham!, “Last Christmas” (1984)

Prince & the Revolution, “When Doves Cry” (1984)

The Smiths, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (1984)

Phil Collins, “Against All Odds” (1984)

Menudo, “If You’re Not Here” (1984)

Sun Ra & his Arkestra, “Nuclear War” (1984)

Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)

Depeche Mode, “Shake the Disease” (1985)

Fishbone, “Ugly” (1985)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985)

85.
Kavita Krishnamurthy & Shabbir Kumar, “Tumse Milkar Na Jane” (1985)

86.
‘Til Tuesday, “Voices Carry” (1985)

Salt ‘N’ Pepa, ‘Tramp (Remix)” (1986)

R.E.M., “Cuyahoga” (1986)

Bon Jovi, “You Give Love A Bad Name” (1986)

Janet Jackson, “Nasty” (1986)

Frances Ruffelle, Les Misèrables, “On My Own” (1987)

Suzanne Vega, “Luka” (1987)

Indigo Girls, “Walk Away” (1987)

U2, “With Or Without You” (1987)

Madonna, “Papa Don’t Preach” (1987)

Public Enemy, “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos” (1988)

Pixies, “Something Against You” (1988)

Queen Latifah, “Wrath of My Madness” (1988)

Paula Abdul, “Cold Hearted” (1988)

Tracy Chapman, “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” (1988)

De La Soul, “Me Myself and I (With Intro)” (1989)

Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time” (1989)

LL COOL J, “Big Ole Butt” (1989)

Biz Markie, “Just A Friend” (1989)

The Cure, “Pictures Of You” (1989)

Chris Isaak, “Wicked Game” (1989)

1990s

Nine Inch Nails, “Head Like A Hole” (1990)

Mariah Carey, “Love Takes Time” (1990)

A Tribe Called Quest, “Push It Along” (1990)

Nirvana, “In Bloom” (1991)

Tori Amos, “Precious Things” (1991)

Pearl Jam, “Jeremy” (1991)

Sinéad O’Connor, “War” (Bob Marley) (1992)

Boy George, “The Crying Game” (1992)

Eric Clapton, “Layla” (1992)

Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You” (1992)

PJ Harvey, “Dress” (1992)

Radiohead, “Creep” (1992)

Bikini Kill, “Suck My Left One” (1992)

Wu-Tang Clan, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta Fuck Wit” (1993)

Beck, “Loser” (1993)

Björk, “Crying” (1993)

Mazzy Star, “She’s My Baby” (1993)

Toni Braxton, “Breathe Again” (1993)

Melissa Etheridge, “I’m The Only One” (1993)

Sarah McLachlan, “Possession” (1993)

127.

Selena, “No Me Queda Más” (1994)

Lisa Loeb, “Stay (I Missed You)” (1994)

TLC, “Waterfalls” (1994)

Ani DiFranco, “You Had Time” (1994)

Patty Loveless, “Here I Am” (1994)

Hole, “Plump” (1994)

Pulp, “Common People” (1995)

Wesley Willis, “Cut The Mullet” (1995)

Alanis Morissette, “You Learn” (1995)

Annie Lennox, “No More “I Love You’s” (Official Video)

The Notorious B.I.G., “Who Shot Ya?” (1995)

2Pac, “Hit ‘Em Up” (1996)

Elton John, “Candle In The Wind 1997”

Green Day, “Reject” (1997)

Natalie Imbruglia, “Torn” (1997)

Matchbox Twenty, “Push” (1997)

Céline Dion, “My Heart Will Go On” (1997)

Chumbawamba, “Tubthumping” (1997)

Brandy – Have You Ever (Official Video)

Lauryn Hill, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (1998)

147.
John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, “Tear Me Down” (1999)

2000s

Macy Gray, “Why Didn’t You Call Me” (2000)

*NSYNC, “Bye Bye Bye” (2000)

Eminem, ft. Dido, “Stan (Short Version)” (2000)

Mary J. Blige, “2 U” (2001)

Ricky Martin, ft. Christina Aguilera, “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” (2001)

Destiny’s Child, “Survivor” (2001)

Ludacris, ft. Mystikal, I-20, “Move Bitch” (2001)

Shakira, “Objection (Tango)” (2002)

LCD Soundsystem, “Losing My Edge” (2002)

Missy Elliott, “Go to the Floor” (2002)

Usher, “Confessions” (2004)

Alicia Keys, “Karma” (2004)

Black Eyed Peas, “They Don’t Want Music” (2005)

Amy Winehouse, “Rehab” (2006)

Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (2006)

Kiki & Herb, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (2006)

Lady Gaga, ft. Beyoncé, “Telephone” (2009)

2010s

Wiz Khalifa, “Incompatible” (2010)

Gotye, ft. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used To Know” (2011)

Lil’ Kim, “Black Friday” (2011)

Rush, “Halo Effect” (2012)

Bruno Mars, “When I Was Your Man” (2012)

Beyoncé, ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “***Flawless” (2013)

Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off” (2014)

Ariana Grande, ft. Iggy Azalea, “Problem”

Julien Baker, “Everybody Does” (2015)

Rihanna, “Needed Me” (2016)

Cardi B, “Bodak Yellow” (2017)

Chicano Batman, “Freedom Is Free” (2017)

Billie Eilish, “hostage” (2017)

SZA, “Drew Barrymore” (2017)

Lizzo, “Truth Hurts” (2017)

Mr. Cardamom, “Nani” (2019)

Lil Nas X, “Panini” (2019)

Key & Peele, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (2019)

Keke Palmer, “Sorry To This Man” (2019)

2020s

Chappell Roan, “Casual” (2022)

Bad Bunny, ft. Tony Dize, “La Corriente” (2022)

Megan Thee Stallion, ft. Key Glock, “Ungrateful” (2022)

Charli XCX, “Sorry If I Hurt You” (2022)

Laufey, “California and Me” (2023)

Olivia Rodrigo, “vampire” (2023)

Drake, “Family Matters” (2024)

Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (2024)

Rosalía, ft. Björk & Yves Tumor, “Berghain” (2025)

Audrey Hobert, “Sue me” (2025)

Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild” (2025)

Selena Gomez, benny blanco, Gracie Abrams, “Call Me When You Break Up” (2025)

Alemeda & Doechii, “Beat A B!tch Up” (2025)

Jeongyeon, Jihyo & Chaeyoung, KPop Demon Hunters, “Takedown” (2025)

♥ ♥ ♥

GAME RULES!

Would you like to play the game? You may nominate your own Rejection & Acceptance songs to be added to the Ultimate Rejection Playlist! BUT… In order to nominate a song, you MUST simultaneously reject one already on the list, then win FOUR votes for your nomination to be voted into the playlist!

RULES:
1. Gameplay happens in the comments/discussion at the bottom of this post. You may up- or down-vote other choices and/or comment.

2. The playlist may include only one song from each principal artist, because some people just specialize in rejection (I’m looking at you, PJ Harvey). Who counts as principal artist: e.g., Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child may each appear separately, AND Beyoncé can be a featured artist on a different principal’s song. You may vote laterally, though, to bounce “Flawless” in favor of “Hold Up.”

3. Your nomination will automatically earn 2 out of the 4 votes necessary for installation in the list! But you must earn 2 more points from at least two more upvotes!

AND…

4. You can win a bonus vote by identifying a song from the book that isn’t already on the list! You can win a bonus vote by including any song that has a relevant permutation of the word “reject”!

5. But…you’ll receive one downvote each time your nomination + rejection combo:

makes the list whiter and/or more male and/or brings in more S.A.!
eliminates a 21st-century song for a song 20+ years older but less than 67 years older!
rejects a song that I’ve alluded to in my book! or a song with the word “reject”!

Now you know what you shouldn’t reject. But what should you accept here? Who knows?! Good luck!

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3 months ago

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