Kirsty MacColl's 'They Don't Know' reached #2 on the Music Week airplay chart in 1979. However, complications involving a strike at her distributors prevented the single from being shipped and promoted properly, preventing release of the single - it thus failed to appear in the UK Singles Chart.

A wonderful song and the first some people heard from Kirsty McColl. Tracey Ullman got to number two with her version of the song.

REM - Losing My Religion comes to mind.

 

Also, Paul Van Dyk - For An Angel, considered one of the iconic songs of trance, yet it missed the top20 and isnt even one of his biggest hits.

http://www.infoocean.info/avatar1.jpgIt's only a matter of time before it gets used in an ad, performed on a TV talent show or reduced to 59p on iTunes and this is rectified

Edited April 13, 201213 yr by cathe119

REM - Losing My Religion comes to mind.

 

 

Reached No.19. Seems to be the only REM track the oldies station have heard of though. :rolleyes:

Hmm.. whilst its peak is quite low, it was their highest charting song to that date and the follow up single Shiny Happy People reached #6.

 

#19 for their most recognized song is pretty poor. Barely a hit.

It would be stretching it a bit to call this a classic but today is a good opportunity to draw attention to this song which failed to reach the singles chart.

 

Another one of his best known songs was Cats In The Cradle. His version also missed the charts but it was a top ten hit for Ugly Kid Joe in 1993. Sadly Harry Chapin wasn't around to enjoy it as he was killed in a car crash in 1981.

It would be stretching it a bit to call this a classic but today is a good opportunity to draw attention to this song which failed to reach the singles chart.

 

Another one of his best known songs was Cats In The Cradle. His version also missed the charts but it was a top ten hit for Ugly Kid Joe in 1993. Sadly Harry Chapin wasn't around to enjoy it as he was killed in a car crash in 1981.

 

I'd say W.O.L.D is more of a classic than either of those two though.

I'd say W.O.L.D is more of a classic than either of those two though.

W.O.L.D was his only chart hit in the UK but I'm not aware of yesterday being the 100th anniversary of anything connected with the song. Unless, of course, you want to point to the fact that WOLD is about a radio DJ and the Titanic radioed for help.

A couple of non-charting modern 'classics':

 

Tenacious D - Tribute

Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales Of San Francisco

Arctic Monkeys - View From The Afternoon (was released on an ineligible EP)

I actually found out recently that 'All Star' by Smash Mouth only peaked at #24 in the UK and only spent 5 weeks in the top 75, while it managed to peak at #4 in the US. The song has been used in tons of movies/tv shows/commercials etc. since its release (In the US at least) and is definitely a classic 90's hit but i'm surprised its success in the US didn't carry over to the UK.

A couple of non-charting modern 'classics':

 

Tenacious D - Tribute

 

YES, how did I forget this?

Thanks to BBC 6Music for reminding me of another clear choice - Shine On by House Of Love :wub:

Propaganda's Duel still gets very regular airplay on stations like Radio 2 and Magic FM - out of all proportion for what was at the time a minor #21 hit back in 1985.

 

The Days of Pearly Spencer by David McWilliams totally missed the Top 50 back in 1967 for some reason, yet remained a regularly played song on classic oldies radio stations right up until the Marc Almond cover version hit #4 in 1992. I think it was even a Melody Maker single of the week or something like that, but it was on one of the smaller American record labels and distribution problems halted it's sales.

 

And of course 1977's Thank You For Music by Abba was for several years one of their most popular and radio-friendly tracks, known to just about everyone, but not released as a single in the UK until finally slipping out at Christmas 1983 to promote a compilation album of love songs, over a year after Abba had actually split. Peaking at #33 in a New Wave Top 75 at a time when Abba were definately 'old wave'.

Well, Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple only managed to reach No.21 in 1977, five years after its release. Quite disappointing result for one of the greatest and recognizable Rock Songs ever.

Staying with the rock classic, Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream didn't go any further than despicable No. 25 in 1968.

I think it's a rank injustice that She's a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones has never been a hit in the UK. The same may be applied to Gimme Shelter.

 

I actually found out recently that 'All Star' by Smash Mouth only peaked at #24 in the UK and only spent 5 weeks in the top 75, while it managed to peak at #4 in the US. The song has been used in tons of movies/tv shows/commercials etc. since its release (In the US at least) and is definitely a classic 90's hit but i'm surprised its success in the US didn't carry over to the UK.

 

You're right - that's insane. I would have always imagined that as a huge top 10 hit.

 

See also 'You & Me Song' by the Wannadies - 18-29-48-OUT in 1996.

The Beach Boys - Wouldnt it be Nice doesnt seem to have made it to the top 40 even though its one of their most known songs,also surfin USA only got to no37...although it being their first hit in 1963 and being from america probably meant they were quite unknown at the time and had no fanbase as of yet!!

The Beach Boys - Wouldnt it be Nice doesnt seem to have made it to the top 40 even though its one of their most known songs,also surfin USA only got to no37...although it being their first hit in 1963 and being from america probably meant they were quite unknown at the time and had no fanbase as of yet!!

 

Wouldn't It Be Nice was the B-side of 'God Only Knows', which got to number 2. It's definitely as well-known as the A-side though!

In Birmingham around 1981/1982 Welcome To The Monkey House by Animal Magnet & Kiss Me by Tin Tin were massive in the clubs & are still requested today . I know Kiss Me was remixed in 1985 and became a hit but the original version from 81 did not go top 40.

Monkey House did not chart at all.