“New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits …” Yeah, so did Fine Young Cannibals. And you know what, Michael J. Fox was Alex P. Keaton.

Who cares?

Well, we know the cheesy rapping boy band LFO does because they repeat these random lyrics in their current “hit,” “Summergirls.”

Ever since the Barenaked Ladies got frantic like Harrison Ford, dropping pop culture references has replaced hooking up with Puff Daddy as the annoying hot trend in popular music.

Folk pop singer Bree Sharp may not watch “X-Files” with the lights on, but she pays homage to the show’s star in her breakthrough single, “David Duchovny.”

And there’s Blessid Union of Souls’ “Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me),” which drops about every name but Duchovny.

Case in point: “Not because I’m tough like Dirty Hairy/ Make her laugh just like Jim Carrey/ Unlike the Cable Guy.”

Pop culture references have long been an element in songwriting, but never before have so many songs been made up entirely of them.

And as if this wasn’t bad enough, other annoying trends have snuck into the popular music world.

Here’s a few that truly suck:

Featuring …

Many say rap lost its touch during the East Coast/West Coast wars, but I blame it on Puffy and his peers and their never-ending urge to collaborate.

Sure, some great songs have come from musical match-ups, Queen and David Bowie and Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.

But it’s tough to find a rap single these days that isn’t “Mase, featuring Rob Zombie, Busta Rhymes, Sting, Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Cease, Lil’ Big, Notorious B.I.G., Notorious B.I.G.’s mom and introducing Lil’ Slim.”

Has Puff Daddy or Babyface or Jay Z ever done a song on his own?

Even Will Smith, who kept it real for so long, had to bring in Blackstreet for his “Wild Wild West” tune.

It’s called overkill, and I’m not dropping reference to Men At Work.

Live records

Some of the best records of all time are live records — The Doors’ “In Concert,” Rush’s “Exit Stage Left,” Queen’s “Live at Wembley,” — but they’re not for everyone.

Live records are for performances that marked a moment in music history, not a way for acts like Sarah McLachlan and 311 to release a greatest hits without admitting it.

So, the Counting Crows aren’t exactly in the same category as The Doors, but their live album works because it captures their material in an entirely new light.

“Angel” is a beautiful song, but how different can Sarah play it live?

In the next few months, Marilyn Manson, Metallica and Dave Matthews Band (again!) will release live records that will pollute record shelves that were once reserved for studio recordings.

What’s next? “Hanson Live.” No. Actually “Hanson, Live from Albertane” was released last November.

It didn’t quite capture music history.

Double disc sets

In 1964, The Beatles released eight records.

In 1965, they released five. Sorta makes bands like Nine Inch Nails look stupid for taking five years between albums.

Well, in this case and many others, it could have been avoided had Trent Reznor released half the songs on “The Fragile” a few years ago and half now.

Double disc sets are great — if you’re really bored.

Sitting down to listen to a record used to be a pastime, now egotistical musicians like Reznor, Tori Amos and Billy Corgan are turning it into a challenge.

You know a record is too long when you have to make sure you pee before you hit play.

Vanilla Ice disses

The Offspring did it. Eminem did it. Hell, even Vanilla Ice did it. They all insult the phenomenal early ’90s rapper on their latest records.

And the funny thing is, they are all white guys who rap. Hmm, wonder where they’d be without the Iceman today.

Rapping about girls who wear Abercrombie & Fitch?

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Corey Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.