Artists whose biggest hit barely registers on the musical radar

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Even though plenty of their other tracks are well known, E.g. radiohead, known best for songs such as Shiny happy people, everybody hurts, Losing my religion etc, etc but whose biggest hit (In the UK) was (big fanfare..) um, "The great beyond"

Likewise, the Troggs. best known for "Wild thing" and "Love is all around" but who actually topped the UK charts with "With a girl like you" which i know is well known but not on the scale of the afforementioned tracks.

Another good example would be LL Cool J's huge british hit single (number 1 I think) er, "Ain't Nobody"

― Ant, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 09:54 (twenty years ago)

"Radiohead" should, clearly read "R.E.M."

I'm still waking up so bear with me.

― Ant, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 09:57 (twenty years ago)

And here was me thinking this was a fucking outstandingly well-crafted parody post.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 10:02 (twenty years ago)

I was thinking of Radiohead's "Pyramid Song" at the time of posting which also applies here in a way.

― Ant, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 10:09 (twenty years ago)

Chuck Berry's biggest UK hit was "My Ding-a-Ling".

Prince's only UK #1 is "The Most Beautiful Girls", which was an OK song, yet hardly the best thing he's done.

A-ha's only UK #1 is "The Sun Always Shines On TV", which is arguably a better song, yet not even close to being as famous as "Take On Me".

If albums count, then there's Santana as well.....

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 11:26 (twenty years ago)

australians that didn't break into uk and usa but should've - cold chisel,juimmy barnes ,john farnham but somehow litle rive rband and air supply were successful.by the way our most famous exports - acdc ( back in black ) and men at work ( down under)are both scotish.
a-ha had at least 12 brilliant songs that were better than take on me .

― retrogurl, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 11:47 (twenty years ago)

Men At Work is also an example of the original idea here, considering several of their songs were way better than "Down Under".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 13:33 (twenty years ago)

Men At Work is also an example of the original idea here, considering several of their songs were way better than "Down Under".
-- Geir Hongro (geirhon...), February 15th, 2006.

Not really. We're talking more about what registers with, and is remembered and recalled by most people when a certain act is discussed. In this case, most people, given the name, Men at Work and asked to name a song, would go for "Down under"

By the same token, asked to name a track by R.E.M. few would mention "The great beyond"

― Ant, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 14:07 (twenty years ago)

The Stone Roses?

― ewmy (ewmy), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 14:29 (twenty years ago)

The Stone Roses would be otm. Very few would think of "Love Spreads" first.

― Ant, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 14:49 (twenty years ago)

By the same token, asked to name a track by R.E.M. few would mention "The great beyond"

Sure, I agree. (Funnily, "The Great Beyond" is also among my favourite R.E.M. songs :) )

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:08 (twenty years ago)

reminded by the recent XTC threads, I doubt most people have heard of "Dear God"

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:08 (twenty years ago)

I doubt most people have heard any XTC song at all.

Anyway, judging from actual chart performance, their biggest hit is "Senses Working Overtime" (in the USA they haven't had any hits at all)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:14 (twenty years ago)

Chuck Berry's biggest US hit was also "My Ding-a-Ling."

― novamax (novamax), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:16 (twenty years ago)

I'd say "Dear God" is the XTC song with the most notoriety in the US, if not actual sales.

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:20 (twenty years ago)

they tacked it onto skylarking in the states it was so popular

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:26 (twenty years ago)

That is the XTC song I've heard on the radio the most in the US. They used to play it on KROQ a lot - maybe they still do.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:31 (twenty years ago)

("Dear God", I mean, if that wasn't clear from the context.)

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:32 (twenty years ago)

The other ones I remember hearing were "Senses Working Overtime" and "Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead".

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:33 (twenty years ago)

Wierdly, I picked up 2 copies of a 7 track CD EP of Dear God in a charity shop recently (from 1987). As a long time XTC fan I was suprised to say the least as I didn't even know this was available on cd. Anyone shed any light on this? they don't appear to be promos...

― Aol, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:51 (twenty years ago)

No, they were legit -- more of the dub experiment stuff, IIRC.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

Butthole Surfers' "Pepper".

― Mikey and Sharise, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 16:44 (twenty years ago)

? What other Butthole Surfers songs are more well-known than "Pepper"? That's the only one I've ever heard on mainstream radio.

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:11 (twenty years ago)

The "musical radar" spreads wider than mainstream radio. What serious music fan listens to mainstream radio at all?

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

!??! i would consider myself more serious if i listened to the radio.

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:17 (twenty years ago)

more than i do now, that is.

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:17 (twenty years ago)

why, do you consider listening to commercials important to music?

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:19 (twenty years ago)

At least in my own small corner of Canada, the only actual XTC hit (that got pop-radio airplay at the time) was "Making Plans For Nigel."

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:21 (twenty years ago)

"Dear God" and "Making Plans for Nigel" are the only two XTC songs I have ever heard on the radio.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:22 (twenty years ago)

What other Butthole Surfers songs are more well-known than "Pepper"? That's the only one I've ever heard on mainstream radio.

"Who was in my room" and one of the songs from the Weird Revolution were both played on K-Rock in NY.

― Mikey and Sharise, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:26 (twenty years ago)

What other Butthole Surfers songs are more well-known than "Pepper"? That's the only one I've ever heard on mainstream radio.

Wait, I just realized I don't understand what you're asking. NONE of their songs are more well-known than "Pepper." That's the point. That's why it's the perfect answer to "Artists whose biggest hit barely registers on the musical radar." It's their biggest hit and it barely registers.

― Mikey and Sharise, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:31 (twenty years ago)

Weezer: "Beverly Hills" is by far their biggest hit in the U.S., chartwise (#10). ("Undone (The Sweater Song)" is the only other song to have appeared on the Hot 100 at all, reaching #57.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Butthole songs more well known among actual fans of the band: "Sweat Loaf" and "Moving to Florida"

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:39 (twenty years ago)

i like to know what the kiddies are listening to.

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:43 (twenty years ago)

"World In Motion" was New Order's biggest UK hit (#1, although I'm sure that "Blue Monday" has sold more over the years, so maybe this shouldn't count).

I think their biggest US hit was "Regret". It's one of their best singles, but anything released post-"Substance" probably doesn't register with casual fans.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:44 (twenty years ago)

"Regret" probably is the one New Order song - along with "True Faith" that has got the largest amount of airplay though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:22 (twenty years ago)

Did Jeff Beck ever score a bigger hit than "Hi-Ho Silver Lining".

Sure it is famous and all, but he isn't exactly proud of it.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

videos for "senses working overtime" and "generals and majors" were all over early MTV

Steve

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:26 (twenty years ago)

Cheap Trick-The Flame

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:29 (twenty years ago)

"Look Away" was apparently Chicago's best selling single (or one of 'em), but I have no idea what it sounds like.

― mike a, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:40 (twenty years ago)

Cetera:
If you see me walking by
And a tear comes to your eye (?)
Look away
Baby look away...

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Except Cetera had left the band by that time.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 23:01 (twenty years ago)

Bananarama: Help!
Santana: Smooth
Simple Minds: Belfast Child

Paul McCartney's only UK #1 as a solo artist was "Pipes Of Peace".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 23:04 (twenty years ago)

"Knocking On Heaven's Door" was Dylan's biggest hit wasn't it?

It has become a standard, sure, but his version is not the most famous one these days.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 23:08 (twenty years ago)

Dylan's biggest singles: "Like A Rolling Stone" & "Rainy Day Women" (both went to #2)

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 23:15 (twenty years ago)

"Smooth" by Santana??? 5 years later and I still can't spend a week without hearing it one way or another! (x-post)

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:03 (twenty years ago)

Underworld's horrible worthless piece of shit "Stand Up" to thread.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:06 (twenty years ago)

"Candle in the Wind" by Elton John?

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:10 (twenty years ago)

Not sure that counts Re the musical radar although, considering the amount it sold...

― Ant, Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:13 (twenty years ago)

What is the musical radar? I don't get what this thread is about.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:34 (twenty years ago)

No idea. Guess it must have something to do with the Blur single "Music Is My Radar".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:42 (twenty years ago)

http://www.pocketnow.com/html/portal/reviews/0000000413/review/IMgames_035.gif

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:44 (twenty years ago)

Billy Bragg's sorta-#1 hit "She's Leaving Home" - actually a double A-side with Wet Wet Wet, but still.

― Jason Toon, Thursday, 16 February 2006 04:29 (twenty years ago)

underworld's "stand up" wasn't a hit anywhere. are you thinking of "underneath the radar"?

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Thursday, 16 February 2006 04:33 (twenty years ago)

Sisqo, "Incomplete" (per US chart quirkiness, this outdid "Thong Song")

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 16 February 2006 07:46 (twenty years ago)

Okay I don't know if this qualifies because this band didn't have any mainstream hits but, I'm pretty sure that Black Flag's most popular song was "TV Party",and umm.........yeah it shouldn't really be.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Thursday, 16 February 2006 11:26 (twenty years ago)

underworld's "stand up" wasn't a hit anywhere. are you thinking of "underneath the radar"?

"Stand Up" reached #67, while "Underneath the Radar" only got up to #74. Incredibly, those are the only two Underworld songs that have ever made the Billboard Hot 100.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 16 February 2006 12:28 (twenty years ago)

OMD's biggest US hit was "If You Leave" wasn't it?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 16 February 2006 12:50 (twenty years ago)

Big Daddy Kane "Very Special"

Only song to hit the pop charts.

― Englebert Humperdinck Fan Club President (R. J. Greene), Friday, 17 February 2006 07:50 (twenty years ago)

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