Photo: Jefferson Santos / Unsplash
Cannot. Stop. Listening.
By Hannah Kern — Written on Dec 11, 2021
When you think of some of the best guilty pleasure songs on your favorite playlist, you might think of names like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, and Sia. The list goes on and on.
But did you know that it's not only women who can't stop playing these critically panned but much-beloved pop music hits?
Women often believe that those campy songs are a big turn-off for the average guy, but this may be nothing but a stereotype-laden misconception.
When it comes to a guy's musical tastes, it's easy to assume men prefer hard-core heavy metal, punk rock, or rap. Why is that, though?
Heavy metal, punk, and rap are more aggressive in both tone and lyrics, so maybe that's why we avoid playing Kelly Clarkson or Katy Perry when we get into a car with a guy we like. Nonetheless, you might be surprised to find out that some guys actually do prefer the very same overly-played pop songs that have made it on the Top 50 Countdown.
Most guys might be too embarrassed to admit their true favorite tunes to anyone, and one Redditor wondering about the same thing asked the guys visiting Reddit's Ask Men forum this question: "What's a song you really like but are too embarrassed to admit?"
So if you're interested in finding out which music your boyfriend might be jamming out to in secret read on.
Here are 21 of the best guilty pleasure songs to add to your favorite playlist (along with music videos for each), as shared by men on Reddit.
1. "MMMBop" by Hanson
"I will never admit this in person."
2. "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry
"I think Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is absolutely amazing."
3. "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga
"I'm embarrassed just to type that."
4. "Hung Up" by Madonna
"I'm not embarrassed by anything I listen to, but when I was in college my buddy and I were driving and the Madonna song Hung Up came on and we sat there in silence for a little bit then he all of a sudden says 'Man I love this song' and I reply right back 'Dude me too!' and we just both busted out laughing."
5. "Fergalicious" by Fergie
"Fergalicious is on all of my workout and running playlists."
6. "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen
"Carly Rae Jepsen is pretty awesome."
7. "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha
"I used to work at one of those 'digital music on cable TV' companies when Kesha's Tik Tok was insanely popular and seemingly on a two-hour rotation. Somewhere in there I discovered I liked it."
8. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
"My God, whoever wrote that song is a frigging genius."
9. "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls
"Soooo good."
10. "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" by Celine Dion
"Anyone that doesn't appreciate Celine is lying."
11. "The Sweetest Thing" by Camera Obscura
"The Sweetest Thing is one of the cutest/sweetest love songs I've heard in a while. It's got a great throwback feel, Just infectious."
12. "Wolves" by Selena Gomez and Marshmello
"As a metalhead ... Wolves by Selena Gomez and Marshmello."
13. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen
"I'm not embarrassed by any songs I like. With that said, most of the time when a pop song catches my interest it turns out to be ... Call Me Maybe, by Carly Rae Jepsen."
14. Pretty much anything by Drake
"I have plenty of shameless guilty pleasures. Basically everything Drake does is bomb."
15. "Tootsie Roll" by 69 Boyz
"Cotton Candy Sweet as gold let me see that tootsie roll. Note: this is only true if I'm at a roller-skating rink and the year is 1995."
16. "Misty's Song" from Pokémon
"Anyone remember Misty's Song, the song that was on the old Pokémon 2.B.A. Master album? That song is still my jam all these years later."
17. "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John
"How can you be embarrassed about Elton John??"
18. Anything Euro Pop or J-Pop
"Probably my favorite genre of music is mid-2000s Euro Pop, also into J-Pop and my favorite artist makes electronic music. Almost all of my friends seem to prefer indie/rock stuff, so I keep my music library a closely guarded secret."
19. "If You Leave Me Now" by Charlie Puth (feat. Boyz II Men)
"Don't be ashamed, brother. Been listening to this song nonstop. Believe his new album comes out in May(?)"
20. "War" by Edwin Starr
"'War' by Edwin Starr. I have friends who are hypebeasts."
21. Anything on the "Muppets Treasure Island" soundtrack
"I sing along to the Muppet's Treasure Island soundtrack a lot and also I really liked that one song Paris Hilton came out with that one time, hush."
Hannah Kern is an avid writer with a passion for delving deep into interpersonal relationships.