Blast from the past: Agadoo was quite possibly the worst novelty song ever written

The recent death of Colin Gibb, right, a member of the 1980s group Black Lace, will, for many, have reawakened memories of their dreadful mindless hit, Agadoo.
The late Colin Gibb (right) and bandmate Alan Barton of  Black Lace were responsible for AgadooThe late Colin Gibb (right) and bandmate Alan Barton of  Black Lace were responsible for Agadoo
The late Colin Gibb (right) and bandmate Alan Barton of  Black Lace were responsible for Agadoo
By Helen McGurk
Published 28th Jun 2024, 16:03 BST

Regularly voted the Most Annoying Song of All Time, "Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree/Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee", afflicted a whole generation from 1984 and beyond.

Based on a Moroccan tune apparently, Agadoo, the holiday-hit popsong once banned by Radio 1 because it simply wasn't ‘credible’, eventually peaked at No2 and refused to leave the Top 75 for some 30 weeks – as if the 1980s weren’t bad enough!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Agadoo represented the nadir of truly awful novelty songs, and there were plenty, like Orville's Song, by the ventriloquist Keith Harris and his puppet duck, the toe-curlingly sachhrine, There's No One Quite Like Grandma, by St Winifred's School Choir, and Rat Rappin’ – Roland Rat Superstar

Industry experts voted Agadoo the worst song of all time in a 2003 poll for Q magazine – just one of several it topped. Describing it as "magnificently dreadful", the panel concluded: "It sounded like the school disco you were forced to attend, your middle-aged relatives forming a conga at a wedding party, a travelling DJ act based in Wolverhampton, every party cliche you ever heard."

Related topics:Radio 1

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.