6. Radiohead, "The National Anthem"
Radiohead in experimental mode is every bit as exciting and compelling as Radiohead in pop-leaning mode, and this Kid A track exemplifies the things that go right when the band leaves hooks behind. There's a monster bassline, a semi-nonsensical lyric delivered through echoey effects, and a general sense of dread. Then comes the baritone sax, nearly turning things into a skronky jam fest. Proof that it's questionable: The song inspired a group called Radiohead Jam Band.
7. Madness, "It Must Be Love"
Here's another case of a band trying to get its money's worth from a sax player: The honking is tasteful and integrated throughout most of this sweet little piano-driven song, but like so many bands on the radio in the '80s, Madness apparently felt the need for a solo. Blame Duran Duran. At least this one is mercifully short.
8. The Replacements, "I Don't Know"
The tasteful two-note sax bit that repeats throughout this snarler from Pleased To Meet Me isn't the problem; it's when The Replacements let the sax-man do his own thing that it gets ugly (and incongruously mainstream). Live, The Replacements didn't bother bringing the sax player. (Or being sober.)
9. Galaxie 500, "Blue Thunder (With Sax)"
The warning is right there in the title. "Blue Thunder" is a magnificent example of the evils of saxophone, because both versions—with and without—are readily available. One is a majestic precursor to the slowcore movement, ambling along gently. The other is like a bucket of cold water dumped on an unsuspecting dreamer.
10. Swervedriver, "Never Lose That Feeling/Never Learn"
A sadly forgotten hero of the shoegazer movement that never really fit the mold, Swervedriver added gauze to songs that rocked far more directly than contemporaries like Ride. "Never Lose That Feeling/Never Learn," the final track from 1993's mega Mezcal Head, would be one of the band's greatest accomplishments, if only Swervedriver had let it end at the five-minute mark. Instead, it stretches out to nearly 12 minutes, filled with wandering saxophone that gets more annoying as time elapses. The band apparently knew something wasn't completely right, too: An edit of the song, called simply "Never Lose That Feeling," is the one that made it to the greatest-hits collection.
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