Artists best known for one unrepresentative song

[Nail Soup]

I saw a show about Top of the Pops last night,  and it featured the Ramones .... and they were inevitably 'performing' "Baby I Love You".

Not written by them and not having their trademark sound, it always bugged me that when I mentioned the Ramones to people (even people who I thought would know better) they would reference Baby I Love You.

 

So what artist can you nominate who is best known (by the general public) for a (or the ) song which does not represent what they do.

[Bolo]

Mr. Big Comes to mind, and Extreme.

[Len_derby]

Jeff Beck........

[Downunderwonder]

My brother bought the Huey Lewis and The News LP. He was bitter that The Power of Love was the only song that was of any interest.

[TheGreek]

Joy Division - most people know them for "Love will tear us apart" which is nothing like anything else they recorded.

[rushbo]

I worked in record shops for many years, and the number of disappointed Little Old Ladies who dejectedly handed me back, played-once copies of Extreme's "Pornograffitti" and No Doubts "Tragic Kingdom", having been suckered in by "More Than Words" and "Don't Speak" was astronomical.

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by rushbo

[warwickhunt]

Cheap Trick - I want you to want me.  If you know the band you know this isn't truly representative!  

The Sweet - Any single 'A' side V the 'B' sides or album material.  'Wig Wam Bam' V 'Someone else will'

[Cat Burrito]

I wasn't a fan myself but Terrorvision's Tequila springs to my mind.

[Shaggy]

49 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

I saw a show about Top of the Pops last night,  and it featured the Ramones .... and they were inevitably 'performing' "Baby I Love You".

Not written by them and not having their trademark sound, it always bugged me that when I mentioned the Ramones to people (even people who I thought would know better) they would reference Baby I Love You.

 

So what artist can you nominate who is best known (by the general public) for a (or the ) song which does not represent what they do.

Already moaned about this in the “Song title association” thread, but I had a ticket to see the Ramones play live in Liverpool (1980?) - had always wanted to see them live - and they cancelled just beforehand to mime “Baby I love you on TOTOP instead.......grrrrrr 

Re OP -

• Greg Lake (most people only know for his Christmas hit single)
• Slade - known for their chart singles, but like The Sweet actually a really heavy band live
• Landscape - a funky jazz fusion band in the early “80’s, but only known for the synth pop “Einstein a go-go”

 

[TheGreek]

Chumbawamba - IIRC they're a left wing protest band.

[Nail Soup]

21 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Chumbawamba - IIRC they're a left wing protest band.

True enough, they emerged from the Anarcho punk scene. I was pretty surprised when they had a chart hit!

I saw them once on a multi-band bill... the abiding memory was as follows:

The singer was doing a kind of speech/poem between songs - intended to deflate macho phallic mythology.... about halfway through he pulled his trousers down and did the rest showing what an actual male appendage really looks like. 

The two skinhead girls sitting next to me were cracking up laughing and nudging each other because they'd seen a willy! 

Aahh, Happy days!

 

[Dood]

Disturbed.

 

awwww wah ah ah ah!

[ezbass]

Don’t Speak - No Doubt. They were a ska band IIRC and that single was anything but. I liked it though.

[BillyBass]

Captain Sensible and 'Happy Talk'. Not quite the same as New Rose & Neat Neat Neat.

It wasn't the Damned but near enough

Edited March 14, 2021 by BillyBass

[Baxlin]

1 hour ago, BillyBass said:

Captain Sensible and 'Happy Talk'.

 

Doesn’t that hold the record (!) for making the fastest charts descent ever from being number one?

To keep on topic, Chuck Berry - My Ding-a-ling.

Bowie - Laughing gnome

Edited March 15, 2021 by Baxlin

[paul_5]

Stevie Wonder's 'I just called to say I love you'

The Cure's 'Friday I'm in love'

[PaulWarning]

12 minutes ago, Baxlin said:

 

To keep on topic, Chuck Berry - My Ding-a-ling.

 

wish I'd have thought of that one, all the great Rock and Roll songs he wrote and recorded and his only number one was that.

Chuck being Chuck asked in an interview what was he favourite song, he said that one because he made most money from it. Of course it could be that he was a bit of a pervert 😃

 

[Baxlin]

Suppose we could include Paul McCartney’s The Frog Chorus?

[Bolo]

7 hours ago, ezbass said:

Don’t Speak - No Doubt. They were a ska band IIRC and that single was anything but. I liked it though.

Not sure if that's accurate to the topic, as Don't Speak was preceded by 'I'm Just A Girl' ?

[wateroftyne]

3 hours ago, Baxlin said:

Suppose we could include Paul McCartney’s The Frog Chorus?

I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I’m pretty sure he’s had a couple of other hits which are a little more well-known.

[BillyBass]

5 hours ago, Baxlin said:

Doesn’t that hold the record (!) for making the fastest charts descent ever from being number one?

I went to see them at the Greyhound, Fulham palace rd, about the time or just after this charted.  Captain Sensible told us all that he was really rich now and that if anyone wanted to borrow a fiver they should ask.  Rat scabies stood up and stuck an outstretched palm towards Captain Sensible asking for the fiver!

[wateroftyne]

Lindisfarne - Fog on the Tyne (with and without Gazza).

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

6 hours ago, Baxlin said:

Bowie - Laughing gnome

 

4 hours ago, Baxlin said:

Suppose we could include Paul McCartney’s The Frog Chorus?

The title of the thread is artists best known for one unrepresentative song. I'm not sure these two examples qualify. 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Jeff Beck - Hi Ho Silver lining

Jethro Tull - living in the past

[MrCrane]

Ralph McTell - Streets of London