This week Microsoft rocked the world with the release of their Mac killing, do-it-yourself music software called “Songsmith.”

Now, if you know anyone who owns a Mac and has any talent at all, you’ve heard of Garage Band. It’s the Mac software that allows you to put together some really nice music mixes. You provide some vocals, and maybe a guitar riff here and there, and you can add very authentic sounding drum tracks, bass guitar, and maybe even a horn section. It’s very intuitive and has made hundreds, if not thousands, of teenagers wailing angst ridden songs actually sound pretty good.

Naturally, anything that’s really successful in the tech world is eventually copied by Microsoft and made into a pitiful mockery. That’s Songsmith.

You sing into your PC mic (no musical talent required), tweak a few settings (Do you want “rock” or “ballad”? “Bouncy” or “easy”?), then let Bill Gates carry you into the world of the rock superstar. Or… not.

In a matter of days, folks have taken the vocal tracks from some of rock’s iconic songs and turned them into the kind of schlock that I used to do with my Casio keyboard in the mid 80’s. (Click the link below.)

Some of my younger readers may never have heard the original version of any of these songs, so please find them and listen to them *before* you listen to these blasphemous mockeries.

Clicky clicky.

My favorite is the “Love Boat Lounge” remix of Roxanne.