Musical Careers Built on One Song

secret_squirrel · 16-11-2003 10:37PM

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 · 16-11-2003 10:40PM

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 · 16-11-2003 10:41PM

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 · 16-11-2003 11:38PM

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 · 17-11-2003 12:57AM

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 · 17-11-2003 01:07AM

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 · 17-11-2003 01:18AM

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 · 17-11-2003 01:45AM

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!

17-11-2003 01:54AM

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 · 17-11-2003 02:40AM

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 · 17-11-2003 03:25AM

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

Musical Careers Built on One Song

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