Oddest songs you've heard in public places

[wildojinx]

What are some songs that you wouldnt expect to hear in public (I mean like stores or restaurants), either due to obscurity or due to the lyrical content, that you heard anyway? For me, the winner has to be "Springtime for Hitler" being played in a Borders bookstore in 2001. This was from "The Producers" broadway musical soundtrack, and I guess they were playing the whole album (never heard the musical, so I didnt recognize any of the other songs) but still, hearing it out of context was a very "yipes!" moment.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Does "Sexy Boy", HBK's theme during a WHL training camp game count?

[The Legend of Groose]

Went to a game store the other day and they played a really bad cover of We Are Number One. I was very confused.

[XIII]

Alberto Del Rio’s theme when tacos were being advertised at Cap One arena during a Wizards game a few years ago

[4real]

Hearing Sound of Silence by Disturbed played in pubs here in the U.K. and being on Smooth video music channels was weird back in 2016 when it came out.

[ayumidah]

My favorite was when the local festival played "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy uncensored for the Ferris wheel. They've also played "Some Nights" by fun. at the fireworks show on 4th of July and I've seen complaints about it lol

[Mrs. Potato Dick]

I heard the Too Fat Polka on the overhead at a grocery store. Last week.

[schma]

I once heard the song Wicked Way by Benjamin Taylor in a store. I also once heard an unedited version of She f***in' Hates Me in a grocery store once but it was also 2 or 3 in the morning.

[Ultimo Gallos]

Back in the late 90s we had a family camp up on a lake in east TX. Threw a buddy a bachelor party up there. Was driving back and going through the town of Jasper TX stop at a gas station that is also a bait shop and sells fried chicken. Tell my buddy that is riding with me ,who at the time had his hair dyed 5 shades of purple,blue,green "look when we go in if you get odd looks just ignore them."

Walk in and heard GWAR-Saddam-A-gogo blassting out of hte store speakers. Look over and the guy behind the counter is air guitaring and dancing around.

Learned his grandpa had opened this place back in the 60s. Grandpa passed 2 years ago and this grandson took it over. Became my place to stop grab a drink and snack and maybe piss when coming back from that camp.

And it waas 2004 or 2005 went into a Dollar General near my home. Had earphones on but when I got up to the register to check out pulled them off and realized yep I was right the CD player up near the registers is playing Bad Religion-Don't Prey on Me. Seems this DG like many during the middle of the week would have 2 employees working,a manager and someone to stock. Both liked the band and decidedd to put on the CD.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

It was as public as being in my car, but when I heard “Blame It On the Rain” by Milli Vanilli on the radio around 2018/2019. I remember when I was very young they used to play them all the time. Then the lip syncing scandal happened and at least here it seemed like they never played them again.

I unironically enjoy Milli Vanilli. It was a great collection of session musicians and music producers that unfortunately got eclipsed by the controversy.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Goofing around, me and my friends as a teenager were around soho,went into a sec shop and I realised they were playing "Stan" by Eminem.

The censored version, of all the places you'd think things wouldn't be censored...

[chazraps]

Like nine years ago at an airport terminal gate someone sitting around waiting to board had Rick Rude's WWF theme (not "The Stripper" but the actual WWF theme that cribbed "The Stripper") and it was just so, so random. I miss the era of personalized ringtones for moments like that.

[karl100589]

Arsenal Football Club often play WWE themes at half time for their games.

[tirtefaa]

I was in a Wal-Mart a few years ago and they played Everything Counts by Depeche Mode. Kind of ironic.

[Gunhaver]

Heard Morrissey in a McDonald's once. Somehow I don't think he'd approve of the venue.

[An Dog On An Skateboard]

Jan 11, 2024 14:11:23 GMT -5 Gunhaver said:

Heard Morrissey in a McDonald's once. Somehow I don't think he'd approve of the venue.

This alone is a reason to continue playing his music in McDonald's. 

I'm fairly sure I once heard the French language version of "Sunday Girl" by Blondie on a supermarket radio station. Hearing the original wouldn't have been a surprise, it was a mega hit, but hearing that version was pretty peculiar.

[agent817]

I am not sure if this counts because this was in the storage area, but I remember being at Staples a long time ago and browsing around until I came across the doors to the back area, which I know is restricted to customers. However, I heard some music nearby and when no one was looking, I opened the door and on the radio, I heard "The Wash" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg playing. Now granted, someone in the back could have brought his CD of the soundtrack to "The Wash," or at the very least, a mix CD with that song on it (It was the early-2000s, so those were prevalent then), but still, I found it a bit odd, yet interesting.

I also remember going to a basketball game a long time ago and hearing an old Hardy Boyz theme. No, not the well-known one that Jeff still uses now. This one.

[Andew9001]

I was in a bar in London on a random afternoon with my family. They were obviously playing a Motorhead playlist because The Game came on.

[Urn Anderson]

When I worked at a grocery store as a teenager, they played an easy listening instrumental of KISS’ “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.”

I was once at a Chinese restaurant when I slowly realized they were playing “Aquatic Ambience” from Donkey King Country.

[Ronny Rayguns Is All Elite]

Jan 10, 2024 23:40:59 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

What are some songs that you wouldnt expect to hear in public (I mean like stores or restaurants), either due to obscurity or due to the lyrical content, that you heard anyway? For me, the winner has to be "Springtime for Hitler" being played in a Borders bookstore in 2001. This was from "The Producers" broadway musical soundtrack, and I guess they were playing the whole album (never heard the musical, so I didnt recognize any of the other songs) but still, hearing it out of context was a very "yipes!" moment.

I heard an uncensored version of Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want to" playing in the middle of the day at a grocery store.

The Dollar General down the street from me frequently plays uncensored hardcore rap songs on the stereo, quite loudly.