Musical abominations: #10 "Seasons in the Sun" Terry Jacks (1973)

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Can you believe the maudlin “Seasons in the Sun” sold 14 million copies worldwide and went #1 in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand, South Africa and Norway. The world went sappy for a song now acknowledged as one of the worst hits ever. “Seasons in the Sun” began as “La Moribond” written by famed French songwriter Jacques Brel. Rod McKuen did an English translation interpretation that left the song bearing no semblance to Brel’s original. The Kingston Trio recorded it first. The Beach Boys were going to then passed it to friend Terry Jacks. The Canadian Jacks and his group the Poppy Family had scored a #2 hit in 1969 with “Which Way You Goin’ Billy” written by Jacks. The song appears on Jacks’ album of the same title. The somber toned “Seasons in the Sun” became something of a Christian anthem. The song has been covered from Andy Williams to Nirvana. Jacks left music to devote himself to environmentalism.