Music So Cheesy It’s Good

Scorpions  

but hey even Sails of Charon has a prog sound to it, and Uli Jon Roth kicks ass

Ian Gillan with Black Sabbath doing 'Black Sabbath' the song, live in concert. The original version from 1970 was a genuinely chilling, atmospheric song, with a beneficially underplayed vocal by Ozzy Osbourne, which adds to the pathos. However, when Gillan got hold of it, he turned it into a laugh fest- literally. He cackles through most of it like a possessed witch, and Bev Bevan was somewhat lost on the drums as well.

By the way, I should add I actually do like some of those 'hair metal' bands I poked fun at earlier, but the cheese value is hard to ignore.

Whitesnake: don't get me wrong, I think they are a FANTASTIC band, with David Coverdale who I reckon was one of the best singers that ever lived. But some of the lyrics and album titles- sample; 'Slide It In', 'Come An' Get It'- even the covers (check out 'Love Hunter'!) were just ridiculous bordering on the hilarious! This of course adds to the entertainment value!

The Scorpions also were in a similar vein, and there have been few bands cheesier in the metal genre- the album titles such as 'Lovedrive'  and the vocals of the nasal/helium enhanced Klaus Meine, lent them a hilarity value. But again, I love their music!

I believe Saxon also did a tour of the album 'Crusader' complete with a cardboard set of a castle on the stage too. Little wonder it's been claimed that Saxon were the main inspiration for Spinal Tap!

Rainbow's Dio period is doubtless slightly comedic to some, but nothing compared to what followed, with Graham Bonnet delivering one of the ultimate cheese rock anthems ever in 'All Night Long'- one of the dumbest songs ever!

Angel Witch, a much maligned NWOBHM band, did a song of the same name with a hilarious chorus of 'You're an Angelwitch, YOU'RE AN ANGELWITCH!' like it was in a football stadium, and as if it made sense!

salmacis wrote: 'Weekend Warriors'

I first misheard that they sing "Viking Warriors".  That association was quite funny with the feeling in that song.

"See the angels fly..."

I'm not an Abba fan at all, but I wouldn't really call it cheesy as such- they did have good musicians in the band and could pen a good pop hook.

Genesis in the 1980s defines the term 'cheese'- 'Invisible Touch', 'In Too Deep' and 'Illegal Alien' being the worst offenders.

Uriah Heep did quite a few cheesy numbers in the 1980s. Sure, they are my fave band of all, but it's hard to defend rubbish like 'Stay On Top', 'Weekend Warriors' or 'Rockerama', where they seemed to turn into a Def Leppard tribute act.

Ah, Def Leppard- one of cheesiest rock bands ever, but that is their appeal, and they have no pretension of being serious. 'When Love And Hate Collide' is perhaps the most ham, and cheese, filled sandwich of a ballad, but everything I've heard of theirs, such as 'Let's Get Rocked', is dumb in the extreme. Still, I do own their greatest hits CD, and their first album was a good NWOBHM album.