The Resume

(November 3, 1899-January 11, 1968)
Born in Budapest, Hungary
Pianist and composer
Best known song was 'Gloomy Sunday' (1933)
Recorded (with translated lyrics) by Paul Robeson (1935) and Billie Holiday (1941)

Why he might be annoying:

He never learned to write music and had to whistle his tunes for someone to transcribe.
'Gloomy Sunday' was blamed for inspiring a wave of suicides in Hungary.
It was promoted in America with dubious taste as 'the famous Hungarian suicide song.'
'Gloomy Sunday' was banned by the BBC.
He allegedly became depressed over his inability to write another hit as big as 'Gloomy Sunday.'
He committed suicide by jumping from the window of his fourth-floor apartment.

Why he might not be annoying:

After hearing him playing piano, Otto Klemperer said, 'He is not a musician -- just a genius.'
'Gloomy Sunday' did not trigger a rash of suicides in America. (Maybe it lost something in the translation.)
For that matter, the original wave of deaths in Hungary may have had a lot more to do with that country's historically high suicide rates than any property of the song itself.
During World War II, he and his mother were sent to a forced labor camp by the Nazis; he survived, but his mother did not.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• BBC Radio 4’s Saddest Classical Works [2004] (Ranked: 4)
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 39]
• Hungary for a Bagel [Hungarian Jews]
• I am Hungarian
• I Committed Suicide
• I Died in 1968 (Ranked: 68)
• I Died in the City I Was Born In
• I Fell to My Death
• I Joined the Circus
• I Recorded 'Gloomy Sunday'
• I'm Depressed [Reportedly Uni-polar]
• Look at Me, I've Been Caught Smoking
• My Song was Banned on the BBC
• Profiles 31751-32000 (Ranked: 31992)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 58 Votes: 65.52% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying