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"How was that their highest charting single?"

MikeyTaylor

Can anyone think of any famous bands or music artists whose highest charting single in the UK or US was weird or less known?

Examples:
*Pearl Jam's highest charting single in the US was 'Last Kiss' (#2). In the UK, it was 'Spin the Black Circle' (#10).
*Rage Against the Machine's only top 10 single (until December '09 obviously) was "Bulls on Parade" (#8).
*MC Hammer's 'Pray', 'Too Legit to Quit', 'Have You Seen Her?' and 'Addams Groove' ALL outcharted 'U Can't Touch This' in the US. Pray was the highest charting at #2.

Anyone have any more examples?

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gabria

Just found this out last night while checking Snow Patrol's discography.

Chasing Cars reached #6 in the UK charts. it was the highest selling single from any act not to get into the UK top five, back in 2006.

Was it at least their highest charting single ? Nope.

Was it "Run" or "You're all I have" ? Nope, they were both top ten but neither got as high as.....

"Signal Fire" from the Spider Man 3 film in 2007. #4

Like wtf I watched the film (forgettable) but never even can remember this song

its_steve116

What was Megadeth's highest charting track in the UK? Was it "Peace Sells", "Symphony of Destruction", "Á Tout le Monde", etc?

Nope! It was a cover of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy", which reached #13 in 1990.

[Deleted User]

Masses Against The Classes was also a standalone (non-album) single which meant it has slipped through the cracks somewhat.

Rikand

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626293#Comment_117626293

I more meant in terms of radio play. Once Masses was no longer in the charts it was never heard from again. That was definitely the point being made about other bands earlier in the threads. Maybe I dont listen to the same radio stations you do ?

breezy1985

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626253#Comment_117626253

2 great songs and really surprised they were number ones as they would be pretty political and not the most pop friendly. If I had to guess I would have said Your Love Alone and Everything Must go or maybe Design for Life

No way in hell Masses is instantly forgotten either

Rikand

Manic Street Preachers have, according to wikipedia, the record for most top 40 songs in the UK with 34. However, they have only had 2 number 1s

Some of their big radio play songs didnt get there like Motorcyle Emptiness(#17), A Design of Life(#2), Kevin Carter(#9), Australia(#7), Everything must go(#5), You Stole the sun from my heart(#5), Tsunami(#11) or Your love alone is not enough(#2).

The number ones were "If you tolerate this, your children will be next" (fair enough) and "Masses against the classes" (instantly forgotten)

breezy1985

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626169#Comment_117626169

No surprise really. Most people in the UK dont realize Ulster is in the UK and would not understand the language of the troubles so wouldn't get the double entendres of Suspect Device

its_steve116

Stiff Little Fingers had 3 UK top 40 singles - but none of these were "Alternative Ulster" or "Suspect Device". Their only top 20 hit was the #15 "At the Edge".

"Just Fade Away", which never reached the top 40, was in the charts for longer than "Nobody's Hero", which did reach the top 40.

dark crystal

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

The UK chart peaks of George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice singles is surprising, and gives an inaccurate picture of the overall success, popularity and lasting impact of that era - given how much the album sold

Praying For Time #6
Waiting For That Day #23
Freedom! 90 #28
Heal The Pain #31
Cowboys And Angels #45

Then look at the Older era from 1996/1997

Jesus To A Child #1
Fastlove #1
Spinning The Wheel #2
Older #3
Star People '97 #2
You Have Been Loved / The Strangest Thing #2

The power of promotional vidoes, extra B-sides, mixes, multiple formats and tempting prices (the cheap era of two part CD singles for no more than £1.99) - whereas Listen Without Prejudice had one music video between all the singles and mostly instrumentals as B-sides.

I never knew 'Older' did so much better than 'Listen Without Prejudice' - an album I must have played every day for a year

LWP is far superior, imo.

I guess it had to do with being quite far removed from his previous album 'Faith' which had a much more commercial pop edge to it.

[Deleted User]

In this winter 1988 face-off, you had (I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles on Now 13 and Sunshine On Leith on Hits 9.

its_steve116

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

The original most-played version of I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers stalled in the UK Charts at Number 11 in 1988. Their first hit single was Letter from America which reached Number 3. Another of their singles, King of The Road, reached Number 9. It wasn't until they re-recorded I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) for Comic Relief in 2007 that it actually reached Number 1, but it's still the original version that gets the most play.

Never knew that!

Declan A Walsh

The original most-played version of I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers stalled in the UK Charts at Number 11 in 1988. Their first hit single was Letter from America which reached Number 3. Another of their singles, King of The Road, reached Number 9. It wasn't until they re-recorded I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) for Comic Relief in 2007 that it actually reached Number 1, but it's still the original version that gets the most play.

its_steve116

Ultravox had just one entry on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was not "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes", which only bubbled under at #108, or "Vienna", which didn't chart at all in the US. Instead, it was the forgotten "Reap The Wild Wind"(#71). Averted by the former two songs in their native UK, where they were both Top 10 hits.

its_steve116

Portishead's "Sour Times" is the only US top 100 single by the band, outperforming their most famous song "Glory Box". In the UK, "All Mine" was their only top 10, reaching #8.

Declan A Walsh

U2, from a relatively early stage in their career, had plenty of hits in Ireland - the big fish in a small pond syndrome! Their first Number 1 single in Ireland was The Unforgettable Fire in 1985. The Joshua Tree album was of course a major breakthrough for them worldwide, spawning two Number 1 singles in the US.

Like Ireland, in the UK, U2 had a number of hits before that breakthrough album. What is a surprise is that Desire in 1988 was their first Number One single in the UK.

its_steve116

British industrial band Nitzer Ebb had a few songs in the lower reaches of the UK charts, but their signature "Join In the Chant" never charted there at all.
Their three top 75 hits are "Ascend", "Godhead" and "Kick It", peaking at #52, #56 and #75 respectively.

its_steve116

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

The UK chart peaks of George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice singles is surprising, and gives an inaccurate picture of the overall success, popularity and lasting impact of that era - given how much the album sold

Praying For Time #6
Waiting For That Day #23
Freedom! 90 #28
Heal The Pain #31
Cowboys And Angels #45

Then look at the Older era from 1996/1997

Jesus To A Child #1
Fastlove #1
Spinning The Wheel #2
Older #3
Star People '97 #2
You Have Been Loved / The Strangest Thing #2

The power of promotional vidoes, extra B-sides, mixes, multiple formats and tempting prices (the cheap era of two part CD singles for no more than £1.99) - whereas Listen Without Prejudice had one music video between all the singles and mostly instrumentals as B-sides.

That's interesting.

[Deleted User]

The UK chart peaks of George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice singles is surprising, and gives an inaccurate picture of the overall success, popularity and lasting impact of that era - given how much the album sold

Praying For Time #6
Waiting For That Day #23
Freedom! 90 #28
Heal The Pain #31
Cowboys And Angels #45

Then look at the Older era from 1996/1997

Jesus To A Child #1
Fastlove #1
Spinning The Wheel #2
Older #3
Star People '97 #2
You Have Been Loved / The Strangest Thing #2

The power of promotional vidoes, extra B-sides, mixes, multiple formats and tempting prices (the cheap era of two part CD singles for no more than £1.99) - whereas Listen Without Prejudice had one music video between all the singles and mostly instrumentals as B-sides.

El Tarangu

its_steve116 wrote: »

Just looked it up, he only had 3.

Cheers - i came across it on a podcast, so perhaps they were just using a figurative 'ten'.

its_steve116

El Tarangu wrote: »

On the phone, so can't double-check to see if it's been posted already, but I learned today that Neil Diamond had ten #1 singles in the US - none of which were 'Sweet Caroline', which only made it to #4

Just looked it up, he only had 3.

Ash.J.Williams

Ha watched Alan partridge last night “you can keep your Jesus here’s the real king of the Jews Neil diamond”

El Tarangu

On the phone, so can't double-check to see if it's been posted already, but I learned today that Neil Diamond had ten #1 singles in the US - none of which were 'Sweet Caroline', which only made it to #4

its_steve116

You knew it was 2011 when Royseven's "We Should Be Lovers" was everywhere. The recently reformed Dublin six-piece had the most played song by an Irish artist on the radio that year. But this wasn't reflected in its chart position - it only reached #16.

The band outcharted it by TEN positions, for two weeks no less, in September of 2006, with the almost completely forgotten track, "Older".

gabria

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

All I Really Want to know is what's the highest charting UK hit from Jagged Little Pill?

You Oughta Know it's not Ironic

Or Hand In My Pocket

You'll Learn it's this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iuO49jbovg

Yeah that's a pretty unremarkable song. Her highest charting song in UK overall is Thank You from the next album in 1998. If it weren't for the video of nekkid Alanis I'd say people would be asking why it got to no 5

[Deleted User]

All I Really Want to know is what's the highest charting UK hit from Jagged Little Pill?

You Oughta Know it's not Ironic

Or Hand In My Pocket

You'll Learn it's this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iuO49jbovg

gabria

Betty Boo's Doin' the Do reached no 7 in summer 1990. That was outcharted by the less remembered follow up single Where are you baby which reached no 3. she never made the top ten after that

[Deleted User]

BOSTIK wrote: »

The only non-collaborative single from the Pogues to reach the UK Top 20 was "Tuesday Morning", which peaked at no. 18 in 1993. It featured Spider Stacey on vocals, as Shane McG was outside the wire at that time.

A fine song, which I really like, but nobody appears to have much recall for it

its_steve116 wrote: »

I've heard it on Non Stop 90s.

I included it on Part 1 of my More Forgotten '90s series

loyatemu

BOSTIK wrote: »

The only non-collaborative single from the Pogues to reach the UK Top 20 was "Tuesday Morning", which peaked at no. 18 in 1993. It featured Spider Stacey on vocals, as Shane McG was outside the wire at that time.

A fine song, which I really like, but nobody appears to have much recall for it

in fairness "Fairytale" is a Pogues record that features Kirsty MacColl rather than a full collaboration.

MacColl's own biggest hit was "A New England" which is pretty well known, but for some reason I though her cover of "Days" had done better.

its_steve116

BOSTIK wrote: »

The only non-collaborative single from the Pogues to reach the UK Top 20 was "Tuesday Morning", which peaked at no. 18 in 1993. It featured Spider Stacey on vocals, as Shane McG was outside the wire at that time.

A fine song, which I really like, but nobody appears to have much recall for it

I've heard it on Non Stop 90s.

BOSTIK

The only non-collaborative single from the Pogues to reach the UK Top 20 was "Tuesday Morning", which peaked at no. 18 in 1993. It featured Spider Stacey on vocals, as Shane McG was outside the wire at that time.

A fine song, which I really like, but nobody appears to have much recall for it