NB, in this context, lets say 'big hit' = top 5.

 

AIUI, 'Someone Like Me' wasn't orignially intended to be Adele's 2nd single from '21', so that got me thinking of similar 'unexpected' hits.

 

How about :

 

Leona Lewis - Run

Nickleback - Rockstar

Adele - Make You Feel My Love (yes, I know it *was* a hit before 2010, but only really an afterthought, as the 4th single from '19').

 

Any others you can think of?

 

 

Pass Out was never intended to be Tinie's major breakthrough, it was originally just a 'street track' which somehow got extremely popular in the mainstream.

 

Same applies to Do It Like A Dude I think.

Adele - Make You Feel My Love (yes, I know it *was* a hit before 2010, but only really an afterthought, as the 4th single from '19').

 

That true, otherwise they might have spent a bit more on the video :lol:

I'm waiing for someone to say "Love The Way You Lie", which is a bit out because I reckon tthe record company knew exactly what was going to happen with a Rihanna-featured track about domesttic violence.

 

Possibly "Empire State of Mind Pt. II"? It only made #55 in the US and I doubt the record company expected it to take off to the same degree.

La Roux - In For The Kill

 

I don't think anyone expected it to sell over 600k & spend an eternity in the Top 40

How about Jeff Buckley with 'Hallelujah'.

Mint Royale - Singin' In The Rain springs to mind...

 

and going back a bit further pre-download era;

 

Atomic Kitten - Whole Again (what on earth happened here? I thought low top 20 at best on release week with them then being dropped, surely the record company must have expected something similar, the 'Woolies chart' which was fairly accurate at the time certainly didn't think it would do much either). And then it smashes in at #1 and sells close to a million, ok so I can understand how it became so big *after* it hit #1 and people started to hear of it more, but how did it get there in the first place? Did I miss ALL of the hype because I don't recall there being any...

I'd have thought you of all people would mention the #3 smash that was Release Me.

 

I can hand on heart say I never expected it to explode like it did. It was a fully deserved explosion likes but the trend with amazing music from Sweden and Norway is that they do absolutely $h!t all [see Tone Damli and her top300 iTunes smash]

I'd have thought you of all people would mention the #3 smash that was Release Me.

 

I can hand on heart say I never expected it to explode like it did. It was a fully deserved explosion likes but the trend with amazing music from Sweden and Norway is that they do absolutely $h!t all [see Tone Damli and her top300 iTunes smash]

 

I thought about it, but it was on AATW (who are the only record company capable of making Scandipop hits really) and doing well on the Radio 1 playlist. It did exceed everybody's expectations (the #1 on iTunes was unbelivable!) but I guess AATW may have had an inkling that it would be big. That said, I think a physical came out a few weeks after the download as a reaction to how well it had taken off, so they can't have expected it to be *that* big.

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor

 

I don't think Domino expected that track to be ANYWHERE near as big as it was despite all the hype..

Atomic Kitten - Whole Again (what on earth happened here? I thought low top 20 at best on release week with them then being dropped, surely the record company must have expected something similar, the 'Woolies chart' which was fairly accurate at the time certainly didn't think it would do much either). And then it smashes in at #1 and sells close to a million, ok so I can understand how it became so big *after* it hit #1 and people started to hear of it more, but how did it get there in the first place? Did I miss ALL of the hype because I don't recall there being any...

 

I was gonna say this one - it was there last chance to have a hit before being dropped and then it goes to number 1; spends 4 weeks there, increasing it sales each week. And even beat U2 in its week of release.

Heartbeat/Tragedy by Steps, looked like it was heading out the top 10 but then the Xmas/New Year party season flipped that on it's head, it shot back to #1, spent an eternity in the top 3/5/10 and went on to sell over 1 million

Kate Nash's Foundations, I don't really think the record company was expecting the single to be as bigger hit as it was

Do we make a difference between surprise hits (songs that were bigger than expected) and unintentional success stories? There are loads of suprise hits

 

Gordon Haskell's How Wonderful You Are is the ultimate example of an unplanned success imo.

Oh, I forgot the OBVIOUS current one.

 

Marry You by Bruno Mars. :)

I was gonna say this one - it was there last chance to have a hit before being dropped and then it goes to number 1; spends 4 weeks there, increasing it sales each week. And even beat U2 in its week of release.

I think the increase in it's sales for 4 weeks just proves that it wasn't that popular (but popular enough to be number 1) in it's first week. So it managed to become a much bigger hit than expected. Shame though as 'Whole Again' has always been one of my least favourite AK singles :( I loved every song before it and most (if not all) songs after it :(

 

if you include Jeff Buckley, might as well include Journey... although I don't think they should count as it's the download era and songs re chart after a boost or two on the biggest show in the UK :lol:

Adele's record label probably didn't expect Make You Feel My Love to be so big last year, definitely not when they first released it :P

 

although it only worked in their favour as it got Adele's name back out there

 

edit: oh dam, already said :P

 

I guess Airplanes wasn't expected to take off (no pun intended) as quickly as it did, as it got to number 1 weeks before it was officially physically released

 

 

Edited February 18, 201114 yr by chart wizard

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor

 

I don't think Domino expected that track to be ANYWHERE near as big as it was despite all the hype..

 

That's what I was going to say. Don't think they expected the same of Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out either.

 

I'd also be surprised if Suburban Base were expecting Sesame's Treet by Smart E's to hit number 2 back in 1992.

Not sure but was 'End Credits' by Chase & Status planned to become a big hit? It's a surprise smash I think. (Not Top 5 I know but still)

Pass Out was never intended to be Tinie's major breakthrough, it was originally just a 'street track' which somehow got extremely popular in the mainstream.

This is what I thought first. It's meant to be just a promotional video I think?

Edited February 18, 201114 yr by FM11

Ellie Goulding - your song