Now we could argue about what is a classic until Victoria Beckham has a solo number 1 but there's a whole lot of classic singles that have attained that status without hitting the top 10.

 

Some of our younger members are shocked to find out that REM's Losing My Religion only got to number 19 :o.

 

Anyway, I've thought of another one.....

 

 

Sting - Fields of Gold (#16, 1993)

 

 

 

What say ye?

 

 

 

Good idea for a thread, Anthony ;)

I suppose we set aside the classic songs, which have never been released as the singles in the UK (like LZ's Stairway To Heaven, Beatles' Michelle, ABBA's Happy New Year and a batch full of Stones' classic). Cover versions do not count as well, right?

 

Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour (#12, 1965)

Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher (#11, 1969 and #15, 1987)

The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze (#16, 1974)

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (#24, 1977)

David Bowie - Heroes (#24, 1977)

The Clash - London Calling (#11, 1979)

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (#13, 1980, #19, 1983 and 1995)

Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (#14, 1981)

Roxy Music - Avalon (#13, 1982)

The Clash - Rock The Casbah (#30, 1982 and #15, 1991)

Afrika Bambaataa And The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock (#53, 1982)

Abba - Thank You For The Music (#33, 1983)

Kraftwerk - Tour De France (#22, 1983 and #24, 1984)

Propaganda - Duel (#21, 1985)

Talk Talk - It's My Life (#46, 1984 and #13, 1990)

Patrick Swayze - She's Like The Wind (#17, 1988)

Tanita Tikaram - Twist In My Sobriety (#22, 1988)

Edited January 9, 201312 yr by Andrey71

Abba - Thank You For The Music (#33, 1983)

 

 

Now that is shocking - I had no reason to expect that it went Top 10 but #33? :o

Sting - Fields of Gold (#16, 1993)

What say ye?

 

But it's an awful song, is that genuinely regarded as a classic?

 

 

 

On this topic, I was looking up Shirley Bassey's career the other day - and although she's had two number one singles (I think) they aren't what you'd expect. Both Goldfinger and Hey Big Spender only tickled the lower regions of the chart.

But it's an awful song, is that genuinely regarded as a classic?

 

 

I dont particularly like it but I thought it was. I may be wrong.

On this topic, I was looking up Shirley Bassey's career the other day - and although she's had two number one singles (I think) they aren't what you'd expect. Both Goldfinger and Hey Big Spender only tickled the lower regions of the chart.

 

 

Yeah - both #21

I think the biggest of the biggest has to be Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69. #42 in 1985.

"Run To You" got to #11 the same year.

It's hard to believe, but James Brown's I Got You (I Feel Good) has never reached even Top 20 (#29 in 1966, #52 in 1988).

I dont really find anything surprising any more because I am under no illusion that the charts are a true indication of popularity.

Fields Of Gold is ABSOLUTELY a classic, and a stunning one at that.

 

Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (#13)

Alanis Morissette - Ironic (#11)

Undertones - Teenage Kicks (#31)

Iggy Pop - The Passenger (#22)

Des'ree - What's Your Sign? (#19)

Well, we'll have to disagree, Shoat, I think Fields of Gold is hideous. I will say that the album probably made up for the lack of singles sales there - was it Ten Summoner's Tales? I think that hit the top around the same time on the back of FoG and the fact people who liked it were all ancient and could afford to buy the album ;)

 

Unfinished Sympathy is an interesting one - some claim it's because there wasn't a huge amount of airplay due to the band having to change their name to Massive during the Gulf conflict, but I think it's just because it was a genuine grower. But, again, people held out for the album (Blue Lines). I mean, Safe From Harm only reached 25 and it's arguably better than Unfinished Sympathy. The fact Massive Attack produce such brilliant albums probably accounts for the fact they've only ever had one top 10 single (Teardrop at #10).

 

Ironic reaching 11 is a brilliant return given how many copies of Jagged Little Pill she'd sold by then.

 

ANY punk record hitting the top 40 was a massive achievement - so Teenage Kicks at 31 and The Passenger at 22 would be the equivalent of top 3 nowadays with all the built-in hype.

 

Des'ree...er, not getting that at all, that's not a classic.

A thread like this always has to include Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl which didn't chart at all. Neither did his most famous album, Astral Weeks, which always features highly in any critics' list of greatest albums of all time. It's very tempting to say that the record company should withdraw them from sale the moment he dies just to maintain this record.

I'd say 'Feel So High' is more worthy of a mention here for Des'ree.

 

I got these from my iTunes playlists

 

Republica - Ready To Go (#13)

The La's - There She Goes (#13) (Not so much a favourite of mine, but it qualifies)

Placebo - Every You Every Me (#11)

Semisonic - Secret Smile (#13) (Again, not a favourite)

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (#13)

Kim Wilde - Cambodia (#12)

The Cure - Close To Me (#13)

Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (#11) (I suppose this was from Thriller, so y'know...)

Starship - We Built This City (#12)

Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (#14)

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (#13)

Nine Inch Nails - Closer (#25)

Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (#39) (Absolutely criminal, may I say...)

Pearl Jam - Alive (#16)

Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness (#17)

R.E.M. - Nightswimming (#27) (Not so shocking compared to 'Losing My Religion', I suppose)

The Cranberries - Linger (#14), Zombie (#14), Dreams (#27)

Beck - Loser (#15)

Portishead - Glory Box (#13)

Weezer - Buddy Holly (#12)

Skunk Anansie - Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good) (#13)

Mike + The Mechanics - Over My Shoulder (#12)

Sheryl Crow - Every Day Is A Winding Road (#12)

Wannadies - You And Me Song (#18)

Whitney Houston - I Learned From The Best (#19)

Groove Armada - I See You Baby (#11)

 

I tried to include songs that are well known, and songs I do actually hear around every now and then.

Edited January 14, 201312 yr by Silver Rocket

Johnny Cash 'Ring Of Fire'/'I Walk The Line' - is there a particular reason as to why these have never reached the top 75? Were they just album tracks? :unsure: (You can count his cover of 'Hurt' for this thread too, but someone mentioned about trying to stray away from covers so it's up to you :P)

 

Stevie Wonder 'Superstition' (Reached #11 in 1973)

Green Day 'Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)' (Reached #11 in 1998)

Bon Jovi 'You Give Love A Bad Name' (Reached #14 in 1986)

Bon Jovi 'Wanted Dead or Alive' (Reached #13 in 1987)

Guns N' Roses 'Welcome to the Jungle' (Reached #24 in 1988)

Led Zeppelin 'Whole Lotta Love' (Reached #21 in 1997)

Led Zeppelin 'Stairway to Heaven' (Reached #37 in 2007)*

AC/DC 'Highway to Hell' (Reached #40 in 2012 - Original peak #56 in 1979 - LIVE version reached #14 in 1992)

AC/DC 'You Shook Me All Night Long' (Reached #38 in 1980)

AC/DC 'Back In Black' (Reached #27 in 2012)*

 

*Weren't these just album tracks that got recognised and became well known classics, in their own right? (And managed to chart/peak in the digital era as a result)

Taken from UKMix site about Led Zeppelin :

 

Of course, there's an obvious reason why they're no higher - which is that they're simply too cool. They felt they were too cool to actually release things as singles. Therefore, it wasn't until a 1997 release of "Whole Lotta Love" that they made it onto the singles charts at all.

 

+ Andrey wrote about it in his post. :)

Edited January 15, 201312 yr by AlexRange

Now that is shocking - I had no reason to expect that it went Top 10 but #33? :o

 

"Thank You for the Music" was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland only in 1983, peaking at a lowly number 33, despite being released in both a poster sleeve and a picture disc in addition to the regular version. The low chart placing could be attributed to ABBA's declining popularity since their last Top 10 hit in 1981. But also, because of the song's inclusion on ABBA: The Album (1977) and Greatest Hits Vol.2 (both of which topped the UK charts), as well as being performed by the band during their world tours, it can be said that "Thank You for the Music" had been heard by fans and the like many times up to this point.

Edited January 15, 201312 yr by AlexRange

Des'ree...er, not getting that at all, that's not a classic.

 

I think that Shoat was having a joke. :lol:

 

And Alex, Led Zeppelin didn't release singles because they thought it was "too cool" to do so? They didn't release singles because they didn't feel the need to. As Tony said, the singles chart isn't necessarily a barometer of popularity. They were bigger album sellers as well so they put their faith in albums instead of singles.

I think that Shoat was having a joke. :lol:

 

And Alex, Led Zeppelin didn't release singles because they thought it was "too cool" to do so? They didn't release singles because they didn't feel the need to. As Tony said, the singles chart isn't necessarily a barometer of popularity. They were bigger album sellers as well so they put their faith in albums instead of singles.

 

It wasn't my words. I took it from UKMix thread "Top 100 Acts Of All Time"

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?...c&start=100

 

Maybe it was the author's joke. :)

 

and some their singles were realised in United States.

Edited January 15, 201312 yr by AlexRange

Anyway, I've thought of another one.....

Sting - Fields of Gold (#16, 1993)

What say ye?

 

That's a great song from a great album :wub: .

 

Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London (maybe stretching the definition of a classic alot but it was voted as having the best opening line in a song ever!)