I don't think there is worst pickup, there are just wrong combination of guitar player style, guitar woods, amps, cabs and pickups. put X2n in "meh" sounding, cheap guitar and you can have pretty lot of fun with it (or in shovel

), EMG became obvious choice in some genres and 81 with its no-bass/hi-mid, compressed character can be just right in some mahogany guitars, in low tunings and with combination with amps that tend to have let's say flubby low end. Even cheap no name pickups can sound good in god instrument plugged into good amp.
different people, different tastes