Han’s Worst Hits of the 90’s– “Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice. Yesterday I selected MC Hammer- and “U Can’t Touch This”- a bad and annoying song but- it was hard working up any kind of dislike for MC Hammer himself. He always seemed to me to be a likeable sort. Robert Van Winkle on the other hand- from day 1 to me seemed like that guy in you went to school with who you would have liked see beaten to a pulp every day. Van Winkle was easy to dislike- from his ‘made up past” to his ripping off Queen and David Bowie and denying it. Madonna dated Van Winkle in 1990- how pathetic is that? They probably deserved each other. Suge Knight according to the Ice Man- once dangled him over a balcony, threatening to drop him to his death. I am glad Suge didn’t drop him but if he had no one would have written a song about Ice claiming it was ‘the day the music died.” 99% of the artists or ballplayers or whatever-say Styx I think they are musically bankrupt but I have nothing against them at all as people. The fellas in Rush seem like great guys and I wish I could like their music [and they are great musicians I know} but I don’t like their music. Van Winkle was so easy to dislike on a number of ways. The only good thing about him was his five minutes were up quickly.
Eventually after threatening to sue Van Winkle for ripping them off- it was settled out of court and Queen and Bowie were given songwriting credit and were compensated but I can still remember hearing Van Winkle talking about how it was original and how the songs were different. It was ridiculous. I don’t know how much Queen and Bowie eventually received eventually- but it couldn’t have been enough money to compensate being thought of as being associated with this creep every time someone heard this song played- and it was all without their consent.
Ice Ice Baby went to #1 becoming the first hip-hop single to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. But thankfully this was it- he never had another hit and it didn’t seem too long before he was more likely to be laughed at than anything else. Today the mention of Vanilla Ice would bring laughter from most folks I believe- even those who liked this song.
Queen with Bowie –
3rd Bass went after the Vanilla Ice- MC Hammer types in “Pop Goes The Weasel” – with Henry Rollins as Ice.
slicethelife 
Worst worst baby!! After some consideration this “song” has to be in running as worst song of all time! So agree re how annoying and dislikable Vanilla Ice was – the whole phony I’m a real rapper thing. At least he didn’t win a Grammy? Or did he?!?!??
He was nominated for best rap solo performance but lost.
Well I guess that’s a very small something ….
when i in high school i remember when Elvis Costello got beat by A Taste of Honey for Best New Artist– after that I lost all respect for the Granny Awards.. and then when I looked back at the history of the awards well… some pretty bad choices.
Yes agree! My moment was when Dionne Warwick and that’s what friends are for best Paul Simon Graceland Peter Gabriel So and Steve Winwood Higher Love for song of year. Pretty much stopped watching after that.
I forgot that one- a real travesty.. the Grammy’s so conservative through the years..
And remember when I think it was Jethro Tull won for best heavy metal album the first year of that category ??
The Grammy’s seemed to always be a little square- and lacking knowledge. I don’t pay much attention to them any more but I figure it’s probably still that way..
I was so happy Queen and Bowie sued him… they waited until it peaked and then stuck it to him.
The bad of this song is timeless. This isnt even funny bad like Seasons of the Sun… no redeeming qualities.
I agree with that- some stuff can make you chuckle- this just makes me mad!
I love this post in so many ways. I love the “worst-off” between MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, so similarly horrible. I didn’t realize you didn’t like Rush, but you know, I refuse to listen to them because they throw off an evil vibe (can’t explain it), like hornets buzzing from hell. Didn’t know about Queen & Bowie suing him. Pathetic. I think he sells real estate somewhere now or something similar. I thought he was kind of cute and hot back then, but now…
” hornets buzzing from hell”
I will have to remember that.
🙂
Even years and years later when he was on a reality TV show (no, I was not watching it! we had to caption it for my job!) he was still a laughingstock and suffering from a kind of PTSD from the fallout and sad “legacy”, decades later!!
I forgot about that- the reality tv later on..
All right. Stop, collaborate, and listen. Ice is back with a brand new invention… and that’s all I got.