Musical Careers Built on One Song

flogen

Now this is bound to cause alot of argument, so I'll try and get this as clear cut as possible.
I want to compile a list of musical artists/bands that have a long and profitable career but only have one real hit or memorable song. I dont really mean one hit wonders, because they generally drop off the radar after their 1 hit, I mean lasting celebs that are really famous, but when you ask someone (except really committed fans) to name a song of theirs, there is only one that comes up....hopefully my two examples will help out.

Chris DeBurgh - Lady In Red
Don McLean - American Pie

now i know people will say 'no, don mclean/chris deburgh have loads of other songs like.....' but the point is that the general public only know them for ONE song

hope you all understand, and lets hear your suggestions

Flogen

Capt'n Midnight

Eh?
Crease the Burke sold about 50m records before he got his first No 1

Not exactly a one hit wonder..

secret_squirrel

flogen has a point - the only other CdB I know is that one about jesus being an alien that gets rolled out every xmas.

mike65

Pogues - Fairytale of NewYork

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell

Lionel Richie - Hello

Kim Wilde - Kids in America

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

Mike.

quank

please no one argue with me, but its true

Nirvana - Smell's Like Teen Spirit:)

quank

and shouldn't this be in a music forum?

ferdi

Green Day - Good Riddence (time of your life)

but just because this the only GD song the general public might now, it dont mean their carreer is built on it, they sold about 20million copys of dookie befoe this song came out.

lena

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing compares 2 u

(prince was ahead of his time when he wrote that title ála text eh?)

DMT

The Smashing Pumpkins
Bullet in Butterfly Wings (aka "That Rat in a Cage Song")

Makaveli

Originally posted by mike65

Lionel Richie - Hello

I would have thought All Night Long and Dancing on the Ceiling would be more well known. And that's 3 songs, so I guess he doesnt count.

sceptre

Originally posted by flogen
Don McLean - American Pie

Bah, Vincent. Comes with better lyrics too. Can remember hearing it years before I remember anyone singing American Pie while drunk

You're probably right though in that McLean and de Burgh probably made more money from those two songs than all the others put together (McLean even got money from the people who made American Pie the movie because he went and trademarked the title).

Töpher

2 Unlimited - No Limits LOL
Aqua - Barbie Girl

Pink - all her stuffs the exact same song anyways.
Linkin Park - The one where it goes heavy and quiet and heavy and quiet. And repeats. if you dont know what I'm talking about sue me.

Thin Lizzy - Boys are back in town LOL - JUST JOKING, JEEZ! =D

flogen

capt'n, im not saying cdb is a one hit wonder, im saying that his career is based on 1 song, or that he is only really known for one song,
sinead o connor is a great one, as is meat loaf, but the nirvana, lionel richie (you could say 3 times a lady is his song, or easy like sunday morning) and smashing pumpkins ones are debatable, what about tonight, tonight, or any single off melon colie for that matter?

but as i said, all the suggestions are going to be disputed by someone!!

Flogen

Johnny_the_fox

what about them evil women:

Whintey Houston - that bodyguard song
Céline Dion - that Titanic song

Ro: maaan!

Ooh, Nirvana! That's a good one. Probably is true, but I never would have thought of it...

Undertones - Teenage Kicks
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Stranglers - Golden Brown

Basicly anyone who names their greatest hits after a song...

And maybe The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go (But only if they were asked to name a song. People would know a lot of their songs without knowing it was them)

defo Thin Lizzy - the boys are back in town. When did they ever get close to matching that songs success?

Um...one or 2 more...


Faith No More - Epic

(possibly) Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

POD - Alive

honru

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

Hardly a career built on one song, but its the song that most people are likely to know.

technobob

underworld - born slippy

secret_squirrel

chumbawumba - tubthumping
Chris <someone> - Road to hell
Personally I would say Faith No More - Easy coz its still gets played now, unlike Epic. Same Song deffo rules Lionel out tho
Pearl Jam - Jeremy
Anything by the ****e House Family coz it all sounds the same

joseph brand

@ secret squirrel Chris Rea.


@ johnny_the_fox, you're right, those women are evil. Cant stand those b**ches.

Dont matter what tripe they release, it will sell cos of their name.


I hate Elton John for same reason, "are you ready for love?".

" Sissy, I'm not a sissy, I'm a gay!"

Raz

I would have thought 'Alive' would be Pearl Jams career maker.

Christy Moore - Ride On.

Blink 182 - All The Small Things.

That one that went 'You and me baby ain't nothin but mammals so lets do it like they do on the discovery channel.'

System of a Down - Toxicity.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army.

Queens of the Stone Age - the one with the deer in the video.

Fugees - Killing Me Softly

No Doubt - I'm Just A Girl

Pulp - Common People

Blur - Parklife

Nickleback - How you remind me (Great band imo. They should be better known)

Muse - New Born

Bush - Swallowed (Also a great band imo.)

Stephen

Originally posted by utility_
defo Thin Lizzy - the boys are back in town. When did they ever get close to matching that songs success?

What about songs like Whiskey in The Jar, Jailbreak, Don't Believe a Word, etc?

Creature

Originally posted by Raz
.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army.


Pulp - Common People

Blur - Parklife

I think this is turning into a "Name any song by any band" thread. Blur Pulp and The White Stripes have hardly built their careers on one song. what about Fell in love with a girl and Hotel Yorba for the White Stripes? And Disco 2000 for Pulp? And Blur! the list is almost endless; Country House, Boys and Girls, Coffie & TV?

secret_squirrel

Originally posted by Raz
I would have thought 'Alive' would be Pearl Jams career maker.

That one that went 'You and me baby ain't nothin but mammals so lets do it like they do on the discovery channel.'

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army.

Pulp - Common People

Blur - Parklife

You're right I meant Alive not Jeremy

Bloodhound Gang - Bad Touch was the mammal song.

Blur & Pulp - get real most ppl could name 2 or 3 at least.

White Stripes are too new (to most ppl) to tell.

Creamy Goodness

Weezer - Buddy Holly

one of my favourite bands with lots of songs but people just know them for this buddy holly song.

maybe the fact it was on the windows 95 cd had something to do with it.

ChumpStain

Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5

Oh how the Grammys ever overlooked him I shall never know:(

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by flogen
capt'n, im not saying cdb is a one hit wonder, im saying that his career is based on 1 song, or that he is only really known for one song,

You could say that most musicians from previous decades are known for only one song by people who weren't listening to music during their heyday. Likewise many bands that did not release singles would not be known by "Top of the Pops" viewers.

Point is CDB did very well in Germany and sold shed loads of albums without having to appear on MTV or TOTP

How about Led Zeppelin and their "Stairway to Heaven" song..
Not to mention ACDC or Status Quo (does what is says on the tin musical development wise) who have been re-releasing the same one hit with minor changes for the last three decades...
Riki Martin...

secret_squirrel

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
Point is CDB did very well in Germany and sold shed loads of albums without having to appear on MTV or TOTP

Known forever more as the 'Hasselhoff Effect'

twirly sponge

Originally posted by Raz

Christy Moore - Ride On.

No Doubt - I'm Just A Girl

What about Lisdoonvarna by Christy Moore, EVERYONE knows that one. And Don't Speak by No Doubt.

deco

I think this thread could have been called name a bands most prominant song. Very few of the bands mentioned built there career on one song. I mean Led Zepplin built there career on ablums more than individual songs.

However in the spirit of the thread:

Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy

Töpher

If White Stripes are too new (to people) then so are QOTSA (to most people), particularily those who think Songs for the Deaf is the best debut album ever, lol, muppets! Whenever I think of Queens I think of Regular John off their self-titled album, tho I do tend to think of some Kyuss tracks first, but thats just me!

As much as people are gonna hate me for this one, U2 (one of the worst bands EVER) I think are mainly known for With or Without you, again, just my opinion!

secret_squirrel

Originally posted by Einstürzende
As much as people are gonna hate me for this one, U2 (one of the worst bands EVER) I think are mainly known for With or Without you, again, just my opinion!

Now this is getting ludicrous. One of the biggest rock bands of the last 20 years and they have made their names from only one song?- give me a break.
Its getting to the point where several Generations would be able to name more than 1 u2 song.

Atreides

Originally posted by mike65
Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell

who yea kidding?

I'll do anything for love?
two out of three aint bad?
objects in the rear few mirror?
you took the words right out of my mouth? ...ect

jesus man.

Töpher

hey hey hey! i said it was just MY OPINION. One of the biggest rock bands in the world - true, one of the worst, unbelievably boring, rock bands in the world - also true, IN MY OPINION. They lack one main ingredient in being a good rock band, originality, again, just my opinion. hell i didnt shoot down your faith no more claim!

gurramok

Originally posted by mike65

Kim Wilde - Kids in America

Mike.

Along with the other objectors of the other names on your list, Kim Wilde had a few more hits like 'keep me hanging on', 'cambodia', 'you came', 'chequered love', 'never trust a stranger'.

Guess this thread exposes the generation gap in which artists are one hit based careers or not

Have to add recent 'wonders'
Britney Spears - baby one more time
eminem - slim shady
spice girls - wannabe

flogen

black hole sun is definitly true, Ill admit that even though im a fan. like when someone asks what you like, you say soundgarden, and they say 'oh, deadly, i love black hole sun'

I think perhaps tom waits - big in japan...

wouldnt agree with white stripes or qotsa, what about feel good hit.....?
and id agree that dont speak was the bigger for no doubt, however theyve done well with their re-birth in hey baby! since, so their not relying on it

Flogen

Oswald Osbourne

Originally posted by DMT
The Smashing Pumpkins
Bullet in Butterfly Wings (aka "That Rat in a Cage Song")

I'm a big pumpkins fan but I'd have estimated that Disarm, Tonight-Tongiht & 1979 were more familiar to general (ie non-rock) music fans? They certainly did better in the pop charts than BWBW anyway.

Here's some more anyway ....

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

Mansun - Wide Open Spaces

Pixies - Debaser

sceptre

Originally posted by Oswald Osbourne
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

Was Bad Moon Rising a hit before Levis came along?
(that's a question rather than a statement)

Giblet

Originally posted by f®eak s©enery
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

Hardly a career built on one song, but its the song that most people are likely to know.

Yeah I really doubt you could say they built their career on this song, it was off the 4th album!

Originally posted by Raz
I would have thought 'Alive' would be Pearl Jams career maker.

Christy Moore - Ride On.

Blink 182 - All The Small Things.

That one that went 'You and me baby ain't nothin but mammals so lets do it like they do on the discovery channel.'

System of a Down - Toxicity.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army.

Queens of the Stone Age - the one with the deer in the video.

Fugees - Killing Me Softly

No Doubt - I'm Just A Girl

Pulp - Common People

Blur - Parklife

Nickleback - How you remind me (Great band imo. They should be better known)

Muse - New Born

Bush - Swallowed (Also a great band imo.)

For System of a Down, if it's any ONE song they'd be known for it's Chop Suey. Then again they don't have a career based on one song.


lol@ White Stripes; Pulp; Blur; No Doubt...and Bloodhound Gang had a few albums out before You and ME baby...

You're really looking at it from a MTV point of view. I.e. it's only songs that you've seen on mtv(1) that you'd know from these bands, even if they've been famous for years.

Originally posted by Stephen
What about songs like Whiskey in The Jar, Jailbreak, Don't Believe a Word, etc?

They didn't even come close to the world wide success of 'The Boys are Back in Town'.

blondie83

Some good ones here, I'm downloading 3 on Kazza at the moment!!!

What about Lisdoonvarna by Christy Moore, EVERYONE knows that one. And Don't Speak by No Doubt

Agree with you the Embee, "I'm just a girl" was a great song, but No Doubt are best known for "Don't Speak"

Bard

Gotta agree, Blondie (and embee)... I'd still say that No Doubt, while not one hit wonders (and currently in the charts with a half-decent cover version of Talk Talk's "It's My Life"), would have been better known for "Don't Speak", being their 'breakthrough' single, and the one that spent enough time at the top of the charts to be plenty of couples "special" song and to do plenty of heads in, (as it were)...

I'll add a few genuine responses here though...

Chesney Hawkes - The One And Only
Alannah Myles - Black Velvet
Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
Chumbawumba - Tubthumpin'
Joni Mitchel - Big Yellow Taxi
Joan Osborne - One Of Us
Europe - The Final Countdown
Aslan - Crazy World
The LA's - There She Goes
Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is