I'd argue that Suede's best known songs with the general public would be "Animal Nitrate" (#7) or "Beautiful Ones" (#8), but their biggest hits were "Stay Together" and "Trash" (both #3).

 

The Stone Roses' signature songs include "Waterfall" (#27), "She Bangs The Drums" (#34) or "I Wanna Be Adored" (#20), but their highest charting single was the #2 hit "Love Spreads".

 

The Kooks are best known for "Naive" (#5) and "She Moves In Her Own Way" (#7), although their highest charting single was "Always Where I Need To Be" (#3).

 

Fool’s Gold is also a very well known song for the Stone Roses

Foo Fighters comes to mind, I’m not sure Best Of You is what they are most known for, would anyone else agree?

going by Spotify it is in their top 3 although Everlong seems to be indisputably their signature song, with 458m streams PLUS 137m from an acoustic version. It had a chart run of... 18-38-62-OUT :lol:

 

By The Way is one of their most widely known songs, so I think that is more remembered than some others. But Californifation and Under The Bridge will always be well known, as will the #9 Give It Away from 1994.

it's not by any means forgotten with its 251m Spotify streams, though that only puts it at #8 in their artist chart. Dani California is 7th (Snow from the same album seems to have held up a lot better, and is in 4th, despite having peaked at #16)

Wow I breathed and this thread was on page 2 already :lol: loving the discussion - some great examples!

 

Prince just sprung to mind for me. 'The Most Beautiful Girl In The World' does not feel like his signature song at all! (yes, incorporating all of his monikers x)

Depeche Mode's three #4 hits (People Are People, Barrel Of A Gun, Precious) are good but not in the same league as their most iconic songs

Panic! at the Disco's Nine in the Afternoon (#13) was their highest charting for quite some time - despite probably not being one of their most popular at all now! (It is a tune though)

 

Of course High Hopes (#12) just out peaked that in 2018, and probably feels bigger than I Write Sins at this point?

Another case I’d like to make is for Mumford & Sons, who haven’t had the strongest chart history, but I think of The Cave as one of their signature songs, and it in fact peaked at #31 below other hits Little Lion Man (#24), Believe (#20) and the more recognisable I Will Wait (#12).

REM too, Losing my Religion only peaked at #19, Man on the Moon at #18 etc

but their biggest hit is the less-good The Great beyond

 

Disagree on the Cure, I actually think Lullaby is their signature song.

 

REM too, Losing my Religion only peaked at #19, Man on the Moon at #18 etc

but their biggest hit is the less-good The Great beyond

Ooh now that’s a good one, plus Everybody Hurts is more of a signature song of theirs I feel.

but actually the most bizarre might be Lana del Rey

her highest charting song is Don't call me angel with Ariana and Miley (#2)

beating all her classics and better known songs like Born to Die, Video Games, Summertime Sadness etc

Catfish and the Bottlemen's Longshot charted at #25, and while being definitely one of their biggest songs - 7 and Kathleen are probably bigger.

 

I guess a lot of acts often get a sort of ‘halo hit’ with either the single immediately following a mega smash or the lead single from a new album following a huge previous era, which sometimes throws up examples like this. Taylor is a good example, with LWYMMD following the massive 1989 album.

 

Some others could include:

 

La Roux - Bulletproof (a big No.1 but In For The Kill is her signature song)

 

Nero - Promises (this really doesn’t feel like a No.1 or their biggest hit - Guilt and Me & You feel more memorable)

 

Savage Garden - To The Moon & Back (a wonderful song but it clearly rode off the coattails of the much bigger Truly Madly Deeply to get to their career peak of No.3)

 

Scouting For Girls - This Ain’t A Love Song (pretty much all of the singles from their debut are better remembered than this No.1, particularly their signature hit She’s So Lovely)

Disagree on the Cure, I actually think Lullaby is their signature song.

Really? :o 'Friday I'm In Love' would definitely come into my head first nowadays!

 

In fact 'Boys Don't Cry', 'Just Like Heaven', 'Close To Me' and 'Lovesong' are all outpacing it on Spotify too. I agree that 'Lullaby' is still within the realm of their most well-known but 'Friday I'm In Love' just seems to be referenced a lot more and is their streaming giant.

 

I guess Adele's '21' would've introduced 'Lovesong' to a new generation as well as she covered it on that colossal album

Tom Walker’s no7 ‘Leave a light on’ more well known than the no.3 ‘Just You and I’

Maroon 5 ‘Move like Jagger’ famously only made no.2 but ‘Payphone’ was a no.1

Simply Red’s ‘Fairground’ made no.1 but I would put ‘Stars’ (8) or ‘Holding back the years’ (2) as better known.

but actually the most bizarre might be Lana del Rey

her highest charting song is Don't call me angel with Ariana and Miley (#2)

beating all her classics and better known songs like Born to Die, Video Games, Summertime Sadness etc

 

Guess understandable due to Ariana and Mileys star power tbh. Lana was gifted that no.2 tbh.

I'd say that 5SOS' Youngblood (#4) is probably bigger than She Looks So Perfect (#1) at this point?

 

Certainly not a better tune though!

Fleetwood Mac's highest charting UK tracks are... Albatross (their only #1), Oh Well, and Man of the World - all from the 60s lineup.

 

They have 5 more top ten hits including Oh Diane and Tusk... notably not including Sara, Dreams, You Make Loving Fun, Rhiannon, The Chain, or Go Your Own Way!

Sia’s highest peaking lead single is Cheap Thrills at #2 but I’d suggest people think of Chandelier as her signature single more which only peaked at #6.

People have talked about Foo Fighters but Grohl’s previous band Nirvana is a good case. The iconic ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ peaked at 7 but ‘Heart Shaped Box’ peaked higher at no.5

 

I had to check where the download campaign of ‘Teen spirit’ peaked but that got to 11 in 2011

Don McLean had two number ones, but "American Pie" wasn't one of them. Always seems to catch out the contestant on Popmaster when the name either of Don McLean's number ones question comes up.

Just remembered that The 1975's highest peaking song is 'If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)' and I couldn't even hum that right now :lol:

 

'Chocolate' and 'The Sound' came into my head but didn't realise how big 'Somebody Else' was on streaming also, wow! Feels so much bigger than #55.