What relatively successful artists have had singles that flop really badly and miss the charts altogether. I don't mean singles released before they were famous, but after. Not at the end of their chart career either, when they were losing their appeal. But somewhere in the middle. Is it because the tracks were just really bad, or badly marketed. Usually diehard fans buy all singles whether they are good or bad, and the additional sales by the occasional buyer determines the chart position.

 

Most well known artists once they first have a hit single, usually chart with every release whether it hits number 1 or number 75, but every now and again they totally miss the charts.

 

Some examples I know about are....

 

David Bowie - After the top 10 hit "Space Oddity" in 1969, his next 4 releases failed to chart between 1970 and 1972, "The prettiest star","Memory of a free festival", "Holy Holy", "Changes". He then hit the top 10 with "Starman" and then his run of hits began until the decline 20 years later.

 

Kate Bush - After her hits from 1978 Wuthering Heights onwards she released "There goes a tenner" in 1982 which totally missed the chart, before the following singles all charted.

 

Dexy's Midnight Runners - after 3 hits in 1980 they released "Keep it part two" which failed before they came back in 1982.

 

Peter Gabriel - after his number 13 hit "Solsbury Hill" in 1977, his next two singles "Modern love" and "DIY" failed, he then charted in 1980 with "Games without frontiers".

 

 

Can you think of other successful acts who have songs which totally missed the charts?

David Bowie also had a flop single in 1977, which broke his run of hits. "Be My Wife" was the follow up to "Sound And Vision" but failed to chart. His next single, "Heroes" returned him to the charts.

 

Cliff Richard famously missed the chart (then a top 50) with Honky Tonk Angel in 1975. The song was, as far as I am aware, his first single to miss the chart. It did make it to the Breakers Chart, which was the next 10 songs below #50 on the way up (the Breakers Chart ran from 1966 to May 1978 when the main chart expanded to a top 75). After that flop he then charted with his next single, Miss You Nights.

 

Paul McCartney released "Temporary Secretary" as a 12" only single in September 1980 and this failed to reach the top 75, thus breaking his long run of hits. It only just failed to chart though - Alan Jones in Record Mirror reported that it entered the extended top 200 chart at #76 before falling to #121 the following week. It became his first single to miss the official part of the chart and I'm not sure if he's actually had any other single that failed to make the official chart.

Edited June 5, 200916 yr by Robbie

Paul McCartney released "Temporary Secretary" as a 12" only single in September 1980 and this failed to reach the top 75, thus breaking his long run of hits. It only just failed to chart though - Alan Jones in Record Mirror reported that it entered the extended top 200 chart at #76 before falling to #121 the following week. It became his first single to miss the official part of the chart and I'm not sure if he's actually had any other single that failed to make the official chart.

 

Actually Wings' Venus and Mars/Rockshow medley failed to reach the UK Top 50 in 1975 (Although it made USA#12), hence becoming Macca's first post Beatles release to fail to chart in the UK. After the limited release of Temporary Secretary his next single that failed to reach the UK Top 75 was this rather abstract sounding track from his Pause To Stop Press To Play album.

 

Paul McCartney - Pretty Little Head (1986)

 

Since then, he has only had one other single fail to chart in the Top 75, the UK#85 single 2007's Ever Present Past.

I forgot about Venus and Mars/Rock Show missing the chart - it seems to have been rush released after Letting Go failed to make the top 30 (the part of the chart the BBC broadcast back then) and doesn't seem to have even made the Breakers chart. I just looked up Pretty Little Head and like Temporary Secretary it came so close to charting in the official part of the chart - it entered the extended chart at #76 on the chart week ending 08/11/86 and dropped to #85 the following week

Edited June 6, 200916 yr by Robbie

Established acts used to miss the charts quite frequently, especially less well-received singles (by radio) from already well-selling albums.

 

Doesn't happen now in these days where singles seem to ONLY get released if the label can guarantee a certain amount of airtime on radio and the music channels.

This topic basically covers ALL artists (bar Madollar and U2) over 40 who sell heaps of albums, but who Radio One won't touch with a bargepole....

 

So...

 

Morrissey (although he does still have fleeting single chart success)

Paul Weller

Alison Moyet

Siouxsie

David Bowie

Bjork

 

in fact, MOST of the iconic music legends still releasing music fail to reach the singles charts these days.

 

This topic basically covers ALL artists (bar Madollar and U2) over 40 who sell heaps of albums, but who Radio One won't touch with a bargepole....

 

So...

 

Morrissey (although he does still have fleeting single chart success)

Paul Weller

Alison Moyet

Siouxsie

David Bowie

Bjork

 

in fact, MOST of the iconic music legends still releasing music fail to reach the singles charts these days.

 

Very true, but I did say in the opening paragraph that I wasn't meaning towards the end of their career, but during their heyday.

Genesis:

Hit the charts in 1973 with I Know What I Like - their next 3 singles flopped (Counting Out Time - Carpet Crawlers - A Trick Of The Tail)

Their next hit wasn't until 1977 with You're Own Special Way reaching #43, it was then plain sailing)

 

Small Faces had 2 flops inbetween all their hits:

Their second single I've Got Mine and their last Decca single Patterns (due to lack of promotion when they changed labels) both flopped

 

a good thread bri, that ive not properly addressed yet...

 

of course neil diamond had several 'misses' until he got famous with sweet caroline in '70, i really rate his early material...'solitary man', 'cherry cherry', 'girl youll be a woman soon'..but these were before he was famous, not during.

 

dusty had a few... 'your hurtin love' in 65 #37, 'give me time' 1967 # 24

 

pet clarke (another 60's songstress i rate) had loads, in 65 'you better come home' 'round every corner', 'youre the one' and from 66 'colour my world', a crackin little popsong.

Kate Bush missed the chart in 1982 with "There Goes A Tenner"

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Goes_a_Tenner

 

Edited June 17, 200916 yr by Joinwithus