John Tyler, fiddler

National Archive/Newsmakers

John Tyler is frequently listed among the 10 worst presidents in American history. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact he was the first to gain the presidency without having been elected, following the death of William Henry Harrison. Or maybe it was due to the fact that Tyler, who played the fiddle, reportedly organized his 15 children into a White House minstrel band, cementing that his calamitous presidency also matched his bad taste.