#56 New Order Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)

 

 

Taken from the hugely influential Mancunian Factory act's 4th album "Brotherhood". It seems hard to believe that my favourite New Order track only reached #56.

#55 U2 - Gloria (1981)

 

 

Taken from the Dublin four-piece's 2nd album "October", this became their second of many Top 75 hit singles in the UK.

#54 Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye (1995)

 

 

This song was the only UK chart entry the son of folk singer Tim Buckley had before he drowned in 1997. To say this song is brilliant, the album it comes from "Grace" is brilliant, and he was ahead of his time is something of an understatement.

#53 Kraftwerk - Neon Lights (1978)

 

 

Taken from the German electronic "robot 'n' roll" pioneers album "The Man Machine" this track still sounds beautiful 30 years on.

#52 Julian Cope - The Greatness & Perfection Of Love (1984)

 

 

Former Teardrops Explodes member, and all round scouse maverick Julian scored a minor hit in the spring of 1984 with this jangly indie pop effort.

#51 Devo - Whip It (1980)

 

 

US New wave pioneers may have had a million seller in their homeland with this track, but it failed to reach the Top 50 in the UK.

A fantasy retro UK Top 75

 

OK, I though about doing this for a while, but the idea behind it is that this chart will feature 75 songs (one song per artist) and the highest position a song peaked at in the UK. To show how low some amazing songs reached.

 

#53 Kraftwerk - Neon Lights (1978)

#54 Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye (1995)

#56 New Order Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)

#58 Elvis Costello & Attractions - Man Out Of Time (1982)

#59 Talk Talk - Give It Up (1986)

#60 Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven (1989)

#65 Sugarcubes - Birthday (1987)

#66 This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren (1983)

#68 The The - Uncertain Smile (1982)

#71 XTC - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (1992)

#72 Alison Moyet - Wishing You Were Here (1991)

#73 Squeeze - Some Fantastic Place (1993)

#74 Prefab Sprout - Faron Young (1985)

#75 Terry, Blair & Anouchka - Missing (1989)

 

crazy that all these great, great songs peaked so low. This Mortal Coil, Jeff Buckley and Alison Moyet in particular.

 

This is a fantastic thread - virtually all the songs are truly great - and it really is amazing they charted so low. Good commentaries too.

#50 Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me (1991)

 

 

This US Top 10 hit, has become an TV Reality (American Idol/Pop Idol/X-Factor,etc) song staple, but don't let that put you off how brilliant the original version was by the original Sheryl Crow. The likes of George Michael, Prince, Bonnie Tyler, Candy Dulfer, Kenny Rogers, Kimberley Locke and a wretched version by Gina G have covered it, but they fail to match the emotional reading of the original.

#49 Suede - The Drowners (1992)

 

 

Words fail to match, how thrilling this The Smiths meets David Bowie debut single (with great B-sides too) sounded at the birth of Britpop. Whilst both Brett Anderson & Bernard Butler have both gone on to do great things, neither matched the intensity of the first two Suede albums.

 

#48 Carter USM - Bloodsport For All (1991)

 

 

A song attacking racism and bullying in the army, which was released at the start of the 1st Gulf War and consequently banned by the BBC. But it helped to build their popularity, not least as Newman & Baddiel adopted it as a song to come onto on their comedy tours.

#47 Jesus And Mary Chain - Never Understand (1985)

 

 

A monumental step towards noise rock. Sticking two fingers up at the establishment with their debut chart single and clearly inspired by Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. Thanks to the use of droning guitars & simple drum riffs - this is like the Ramones for people who are completely numb.

#46 Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness (1967)

 

 

Forget the spirited by ultimately rubbish Commitments version, this is how this should sound. It is incredible to think this failed to reach the UK top 40. What a voice.....

#45 Sundays - Can't Be Sure (1989)

 

 

Sounding like the Smiths meets the Cocteau Twins, this sublime track featuring Harriet Wheeler's vocals became John Peel's Festive 50 #1 of 1989.

 

 

#44 The Cure - Let's Go To Bed (1982)

 

 

In many ways this single signalled a more commercial sound for Robert Smith's band that reeped dividends less than year later with the likes of The Walk & Love Cats starting a run of top 30 hit singles.

 

 

#43 Nick Heywood - Kite (1993)

 

 

I never rated Nick Heywood when he was in Haircut 100 & then a solo career to ever diminishing returns..... But then suddenly in the 1990s he signed to the indie label Creation, and released this fantastic single that reminds me of the Cure on a summers day. It actually went on to be his biggest ever hit in the USA and went top 10 all over Europe.

#42 World Party - Ship Of Fools (1987)

 

 

This truly magnificient single by former Waterboy Karl Wallinger's new band featuring future Robbie Williams ticket to becoming "rich beyong his wildest dreams" co-songwriter Guy Chambers on keyboards, had a Top 40 hit in the USA with this anthem, that is probably more relevant today about our World leaders then it was back then.

 

.... and it is a much better song than Bryan Adams - Summer of 69 :lol:

#41 The Who - The Kids Are Alright (1966)

 

 

The reason this did so poorly was that it was released on the Brunswick label a year after they had left the label for Reaction (Track records), at the same time as their new single "I'm A Boy". Still it is a great song that deserves its place in their extensive canon.

#46 Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness (1967)

 

 

Forget the spirited by ultimately rubbish Commitments version, this is how this should sound. It is incredible to think this failed to reach the UK top 40. What a voice.....

You are so right, this is how it should sound. Fantastic!

This is a fantastic thread - virtually all the songs are truly great - and it really is amazing they charted so low. Good commentaries too.

 

fully agreed....

 

can we try and keep comments though until after the threads ended? it would read better?.. yeah?..