Starship's "We Built This City" - it sucks or not?
 

What would you say?

I never heard it because everyone says it sucks.

Literally everyone.

I think.

The fact that it’s known at all is proof of payola

here's the song:
Starship - We Built This City


here's the article that says it's the worst song of all time:
Oral History of “We Built This City,” the Worst Song of All Time

My advice to you Texas Boy is don't believe everything you read in the papers.

I like the song. For a band that started out as a San Fran Acid Rock band that re-invited itself twice, i.e. Jefferson Airplane > Jefferson Starship > Starship it aint a bad song. I don't care how many trite 80s clichés they tried to shove into one song - it works. It's a fun song. If it's hated it can only be for it being the type of infectious and contagious song that makes you want to repeat it a million times.

There was a lot of embarrassing crap in the 80s.
This was high up there. A uber-corporate rock song
acting like it's against the corporate music business.
...and what the hell is "Marconi plays the mamba" (?)
What, is he beating on a snake? Both Bernie Taupin
and Grace Slick should be embarrassed - actually,
I think they are, but the money still rolls in...

So they were basically admitting it's a load of wank.

Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio. They are using "Marconi" in lieu of radio. However the use of "radio" within the song represents the whole "corporate music business." Mambas are predatory snake. He doesn't play it like one plays an instrument, he "plays" it like one plays a part. They probably used "mamba" for both alliteration Marconi/mamba and as a malapropism Mambo/mamba - a two-for-one, which makes that lyrical line genius. In short they are saying the music industry is a predator.

Good ****ing answer

Now I like the song, Nea. Thanks a lot.

Mickey Thomas (the vocalist): "When the song went to No. 1, I said to Bernie [Taupin, one of the writers],
"More than ever, people are gonna ask what ‘Marconi plays the mamba’ means." He said, “I have no fucking idea, mate.”