60 Inappropriate Wedding Songs That Give Us the Ick

The cringiest playlist you'll ever see.
60 Inappropriate Wedding Songs That Give Us the Ick
Photo: Ekaterina Pichukova / Getty
Taylor Carson - The Knot Contributor.
by
Taylor Carson
Taylor Carson - The Knot Contributor.
Taylor Carson
The Knot Contributor
  • Taylor writes wedding venue roundups for The Knot.
  • Taylor was formerly the Assistant Managing Editor at Philadelphia magazine, and she continues to freelance for Philadelphia’s lifestyle and wedding verticals.
  • She received her degree in journalism, with a minor in English, from Temple University.
Updated Nov 19, 2024

When it comes to your wedding playlist, determining what music to include can be overwhelming—especially with a lifetime of hits at your disposal. Which are inappropriate wedding songs? Which are the best wedding songs?

We're here to help. If you're wondering what the top 10 inappropriate wedding songs are, we've done you one better—below you can browse 60 terrible wedding songs that should be eliminated from your wedding-day soundtrack. While many of these tracks at one time topped the charts or are catchy, meaningful or funny, their messaging likely doesn't align with the atmosphere you're dreaming up for one of life's most romantic celebrations. So whatever you do, don't ask your wedding DJ to add these songs to the queue.

Inappropriate Wedding Songs in this Story:

Bonus: You can listen to what our editors think you shouldn't play at your wedding with The Knot's Wedding Ceremony & Reception Songs to Avoid playlist on Spotify.

Inappropriate Wedding Ceremony Songs

To make all 60 songs in this roundup easier for readers to digest, we've broken up our list into two sections: ceremony and reception. Below, browse 30 ballads that your wedding band or DJ shouldn't play during your nuptials.

1. "Mine," Kelly Clarkson

Questionable lyrics: "Go ahead and break my heart, that's fine/Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind/Why am I missin' you tonight?/Someone's gonna show you how a heart can be used/Like you did mine"

2. "Wrecking Ball," Miley Cyrus

Questionable lyrics: "I came in like a wrecking ball/I never hit so hard in love/All I wanted was to break your walls/All you ever did was wreck me"

3. "Falling," Harry Styles

Questionable lyrics: "I'm in my bed/And you're not here/And there's no one to blame but the drink in my wandering hands"

4. "Traitor," Olivia Rodrigo

Questionable lyrics: "You betrayed me/And I know that you'll never feel sorry/For the way I hurt, yeah/You'd talk to her/When we were together/Loved you at your worst/But that didn't matter"

5. "Jar of Hearts," Christina Perri

Questionable lyrics: "It took so long just to feel alright/Remember how to put back the light in my eyes/I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed/'Cause you broke all your promises"

6. "Lose You to Love Me," Selena Gomez

Questionable lyrics: "In two months, you replaced us/Like it was easy/Made me think I deserved it/In the thick of healing, yeah"

7. "What Hurts the Most," Rascal Flatts

Questionable lyrics: "It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go/But I'm doing it/It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends/And I'm alone"

8. "The Night We Met," Lord Huron

Questionable lyrics: "I had all and then most of you/Some and now none of you/Take me back to the night we met/I don't know what I'm supposed to do/Haunted by the ghost of you/Oh, take me back to the night we met"

9. "Too Good at Goodbyes," Sam Smith

Questionable lyrics: "But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry/And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry/And every time you walk out, the less I love you/Baby, we don't stand a chance, it's sad, but it's true"

10. "Skinny Love," Birdy

Questionable lyrics: "And now, all your love is wasted/Then who the hell was I?/'Cause now I'm breaking at the bridges/And at the end of all your lies"

11. "When the party's over," Billie Eilish

Questionable lyrics: "Don't you know too much already?/I'll only hurt you if you let me/Call me friend but keep me closer (call me back)/And I'll call you when the party's over"

12. "Someone You Loved," Lewis Capaldi

Questionable lyrics: "Now the day bleeds/Into nightfall/And you're not here/To get me through it all/I let my guard down/And then you pulled the rug/I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved"

13. "Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis

Questionable lyrics: "But I don't care what they say/I'm in love with you/They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth/My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing/You cut me open"

14. "Stay With Me," Sam Smith

Questionable lyrics: "Why am I so emotional?/No, it's not a good look, gain some self-control/And deep down, I know this never works/But you can lay with me so it doesn't hurt"

15. "All I Want," Kodaline

Questionable lyrics: "When you said your last goodbye/I died a little bit inside/I lay in tears in bed all night/Alone without you by my side/But if you loved me/Why did you leave me"

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16. "All By Myself," Eric Carmen

Questionable lyrics: "Livin' alone/I think of all the friends I've known/But when I dial the telephone/Nobody's home"

17. "Dancing On My Own," Calum Scott

Questionable lyrics: "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh/I'm right over here, why can't you see me? Oh/And I'm giving it my all/I'm not the guy you're taking home, ooh/I keep dancing on my own, ah"

18. "Someone Like You," Adele

Questionable lyrics: "Never mind, I'll find someone like you/I wish nothing but the best for you, too/"Don't forget me, " I begged/I remember you said/'Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead'"

19. "Happier," Ed Sheeran

Questionable lyrics: "'Cause baby you look happier, you do/My friends told me one day I'll feel it too/And until then I'll smile to hide the truth/But I know I was happier with you"

20. "Easy on Me," Adele

Questionable lyrics: "There ain't no room for things to change/When we are both so deeply stuck in our ways/You can't deny how hard I've tried/I changed who I was to put you both first/But now I give up"

21. "Wish you well," Wrabel

Questionable lyrics: "Ain't it funny, ain't it sad?/The way that love can hurt so bad/But I'm not digging up the past/I'm letting go in this tug of war"

22. "She Used to Be Mine," Sara Bareilles

Questionable lyrics: "If I'm honest I know I would give it all back/For a chance to start over/And rewrite an ending or two/For the girl that I knew"

23. "November Rain," Guns N' Roses

Questionable lyrics: "We've been through this such a long long time/Just tryin' to kill the pain, ooh yeah/Love is always coming, love is always going/No one's really sure who's lettin' go today/Walking away"

24. "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston

Questionable lyrics: "Bittersweet memories/That is all I'm taking with me/So goodbye, please, don't cry/We both know I'm not what you, you need"

25. "Say Something," A Great Big World (feat. Christina Aguilera)

Questionable lyrics: "Say something, I'm giving up on you/I'll be the one, if you want me to/Anywhere, I would've followed you/Say something, I'm giving up on you"

26. "Good Riddance," Green Day

Questionable lyrics: "So take the photographs and still frames in your mind/Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time/Tattoos of memories, and dead skin on trial/For what it's worth, it was worth all the while"

27. "Sandcastles," Beyonce

Questionable lyrics: "Dishes smashed on my counter from our last encounter/Pictures snatched out the frame/Bitch, I scratched out your name and your face/What is it about you that I can't erase, baby?"

28. "Tolerate It," Taylor Swift

Questionable lyrics: "While you were out building other worlds, where was I?/Where's that man who'd throw blankets over my barbed wire?/I made you my temple, my mural, my sky/Now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life"

29. "The Scientist," Coldplay

Questionable lyrics: "Nobody said it was easy/It's such a shame for us to part/Nobody said it was easy/No one ever said it would be this hard/Oh, take me back to the start"

30. "Apologize," Timbaland (feat. OneRepublic)

Questionable lyrics: "I loved you with a fire red, now it's turning blue/And you say sorry like the angel/Heaven let me think it was you/But I'm afraid/It's too late to apologize, it's too late"

Inappropriate Wedding Reception Songs

Now that we've covered the ceremony, let's switch to the moment the party starts: your reception. Music is an essential component of a reception, setting the scene for your wedding party entrance, when you walk out as newlyweds, your first dance, when guests hit the dance floor and beyond. The below songs, while catchy, are best to be avoided by your wedding DJ because some guests may deem them inappropriate.

31. "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," Tammy Wynette

Questionable lyrics: "Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today/Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away/I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me/Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E"

32. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," U2

Questionable lyrics: "But I still haven't found/What I'm looking for/But I still haven't found/What I'm looking for"

33. "Unfaithful," Rihanna

Questionable lyrics: "And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful/And it kills him inside/To know that I am happy with some other guy/I can see him dying"

34. "Highway to Hell," AC/DC

Questionable lyrics: "Hey Satan/Payin' my dues/Playin' in a rocking band/Hey mama/Look at me/I'm on the way to the promised land/Woo!"

35. "Gold Digger," Kanye West

Questionable lyrics: "If you ain't no punk holla, "We want prenup"/"We want prenup!", yeah/It's something that you need to have/'Cause when she leave yo' ass she gone leave with half"

36. "Love Will Tear Us Apart," Joy Division

Questionable lyrics: "Do you cry out in your sleep, all my failings exposed?/There's a taste in my mouth as desperation takes hold/Just that something so good, just can't function no more"

37. "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," Paul Simon

Questionable lyrics: "'The problem is all inside your head,' she said to me/"The answer is easy if you take it logically/I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free/There must be fifty ways to leave your lover'"

38. "Love Stinks," The J. Geils Band

Questionable lyrics: "Love stinks, yeah, yeah/(Love stinks)/Love stinks, yeah, yeah"

39. "Last Resort," Papa Roach

Questionable lyrics: "Would it be wrong, would it be right/If I took my life tonight?/Chances are that I might/Mutilation out of sight/And I'm contemplatin' suicide"

40. "Single Soon," Selena Gomez

Questionable lyrics: "I know he'll be a mess/When I break the news/But I'll be single soon/I'll be single soon"

41. "The 1," Taylor Swift

Questionable lyrics: "We never painted by the numbers, baby/But we were making it count/You know the greatest loves of all time are over now"

42. "Vampire," Olivia Rodrigo

Questionable lyrics: "I used to think I was smart/But you made me look so naive/The way you sold me for parts/As you sunk your teeth into me, oh"

43. "Silver Springs," Fleetwood Mac

Questionable lyrics: "Was I such a fool?/I'll follow you down til' the sound of my voice will haunt you/Give me just a chance/You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you"

44. "Breakeven," The Script

Questionable lyrics: "What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?/And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up, and you're ok?/I'm falling to pieces, yeah/I'm falling to pieces"

45. "Sorry," Beyonce

Questionable lyrics: "Looking at my watch, he shoulda been home/Today I regret the night I put that ring on/He always got them f*cking excuses/I pray to the Lord you reveal what his truth is/I left a note in the hallway/By the time you read it, I'll be far away"

46. "WAP," Cardi B

Questionable lyrics: "Your honor, I'm a freak bitch, handcuffs, leashes/Switch my wig, make him feel like he cheating/Put him on his knees, give him some' to believe in"

47. "Blurred Lines," Robin Thicke

Questionable lyrics: "I hate these blurred lines (Hate them lines)/I know you want it (I hate them lines)/I know you want it (I hate them lines)/I know you want it/But you're a good girl (Good girl)"

48. "Anaconda," Nicki Minaj

Questionable lyrics: "My anaconda don't/My anaconda don't/My anaconda don't want none/Unless you got buns, hun"

49. "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood

Questionable lyrics: "I might've saved a little trouble for the next girl/A-'cause the next time that he cheats/Oh, you know it won't be on me/No, not on me"

50. "New Rules," Dua Lipa

Questionable lyrics: "One: Don't pick up the phone/You know he's only callin' 'cause he's drunk and alone/Two: Don't let him in, you'll have to kick him out again/Three: Don't be his friend/You know you're gonna wake up in his bed in the mornin'/And if you're under him, you ain't gettin' over him"

51. "Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson

Questionable lyrics: "But since you been gone/I can breathe for the first time/I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah/Thanks to you/Now I get what I want/Since you been gone"

52. "Promiscuous," Nelly Furtado (ft. Timbaland)

Questionable lyrics: "Promiscuous girl, wherever you are/I'm all alone and it's you that I want/Promiscuous boy, you already know/That I'm all yours, what you waiting for?"

53. "Don't Cha," The Pussycat Dolls

Questionable lyrics: "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?/Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?

54. "My Humps," Black Eyed Peas

Questionable lyrics: "Whatcha gon' do with all that junk/All that junk inside that trunk?/I'ma get, get, get, get you drunk/Get you love drunk off my hump"

55. "I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor

Questionable lyrics: "Go on now, go, walk out the door/Just turn around now/'Cause you're not welcome anymore/Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?/You think I'd crumble?/You think I'd lay down and die?"

56. "Rolling in the Deep," Adele

Questionable lyrics: "The scars of your love remind me of us/They keep me thinking that we almost had it all/The scars of your love they leave me breathless/I can't help feeling/We could've had it all (you're gonna wish you)/(Never had met me)"

57. "Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye (ft. Kimbra)

Questionable lyrics: "Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over/But had me believing it was always something that I'd done/And I don't wanna live that way/Reading into every word you say/You said that you could let it go/And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know"

58. "Love Yourself," Justin Bieber

Questionable lyrics: "For all the times that you made me feel small/I fell in love, now I feel nothin' at all/I never felt so low and I was vulnerable/Was I a fool to let you break down my walls?"

59. "Grenade," Bruno Mars

Questionable lyrics: "Oh, oh, I would go through all this pain/Take a bullet straight through my brain/Yes, I would die for ya, baby/But you won't do the same"

60. "Flowers," Miley Cyrus

Questionable lyrics: "I can buy myself flowers/Write my name in the sand/Talk to myself for hours/Say things you don't understand/I can take myself dancing/And I can hold my own hand/Yeah, I can love me better than you can"

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