The desperate scrabbling for content in late 3e threw up some dreadful shovelware races, I have to agree. Most of which have mercifully vanished from my memory. Some definite wtf memories being inspired by posts about Raptorans etc. Oh, and the late 2e love affair with Every Elf Variant Imaginable Because Elves Are Special And Wonderful is something I suspect people are a bit embarrassed about now. The elves with not just wings, but FIERY wings were a particular romance-novel-cover low point.
From a 5e mechanical point of view, it’s hard to go past goblins though. The iconic goblin pc would be a rogue, but goblin racial abilities duplicate rogue abilities so you gain little, and their only other ability of note is a teeny tiny damage boost a couple of times a day. For a race that should be one of the most obvious ‘monster pc’ options, it’s a dud.