Can you fit a cultural history of the twentieth century into four minutes? Uh, no
Despite its bombastic production, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” resembles a term paper scribbled the night before it’s due. As the song progresses, Joel audibly realizes he can’t cram it all in: The ’70s get four bellowed words amid the widdly-woo guitars and the meet-thy-maker drums. The chorus denies responsibility for any events mentioned, clearing up the common misconception that Joel developed the H-bomb.
Worst Moment: “China’s under martial law/Rock ‘n’ roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore!”: No way does conflating Tiananmen Square with Michael Jackson selling Pepsi trivialize a massacre.
Our Opinion: Totally agreed – a horrible song that is basically just a shouted list of of pop history cliches
