Albums where a weaker single was released first.

My Best Friend the weakest song? That's my favourite one from that album!

 

It's funny cuz I saw this thread and immediately thought of the fly by U2....and then saw that on the first post.

I saw that cuz from the first time I heard it (maybe in 7th or 8th grade when it came out) I loved it, and yet it seemed to take until mysterious ways for achtung to be a hit. I love both tunes but give me the fly anyday....

 

Sign O' The Times

Title track and "If I Was Your Girlfriend" were released before "U Got the Look" and "I Could Neved Take the Place of Your Man."

 

The O'Jays Back Stabbers

"992 Arguments" (#57 pop) was released before the title track (#3) and "Love Train" (#1).

 

Spinners

"How Could I Let You Get Away" (#77) preceded "I'll Be Round" (#3), "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" (#4) and "One of a Kind Love Affair" (#11).

 

Dire Straits Making Movies

A matter of personal preference more than how they charted: I would have released "Skateaway" before "Romeo and Juliet" and "Expresso Love."

 

Apparently, Men Without Hats released "I Like" as the first single from Rhythm Of Youth, before The Safety Dance and I Got The Message. If this is actually the case, it's surprising.

 

In the UK, "Warm Ways" was the lead-off single.

 

I thought "Sign" was a great lead-off single. It certainly had me in heavy anticipation of the album moreso than just a pop single might have done. Plus, it went top ten in its own right. For Prince, I'd pick the "Symbol" album as the obviously unfit for airplay "Sexy MF" was released as the first single (and the dreadful "My Name Is Prince" as the second) when he could have released "7" first and maybe the album wouldn't have bombed as badly as it did.

 

I wish I could agree about the Symbol album, but I can't even remember how "7" goes. Whereas I love "Sexy MF" even if it was unfit for airplay.

 

"Johnny Can't Read" instead of "Dirty Laundry" from Don Henley's I Can't Stand Still is a head-scratcher.

 

I'm surprised that "Hang On To Your Love" missed the Top 40 in the States. I remember hearing it on the radio in the winter of 1985. I just checked the ARSA (Airheads Radio Survey Archive) website and the song is listed in several Canadian charts from early 1985.

 

Yeah, I always liked that one too..it sounded great on AM radio, and it was a top ten hit in the San Francisco bay area.

 

The Beatles released "Yellow Submarine" off Revolver in 1976. It took them 10 years to put out the far superior follow-up, "Got to Get You IntoMy Life."

And yes, I know "Yellow Submarine" did better on the charts.

 

1966.

 

Yes, thank you.

 

Van Halen's "F.U.C.K" "Poundcake" was the first single, while the more catchy "Runaround" was released second, and didn't make the Top 40.

 

Sleepwalk and Passing Strangers were both released by Ultravox before their biggest hit, Vienna.

Changes before Life On Mars? from Hunky Dory by David Bowie.

Down In The Park before Are "Friends" Electric from Replicas by Tubeway Army.

Trash before Dance Away from Manifesto by Roxy Music.

Crosseyed And Painless before Once In A Lifetime from Remain In Light by Talking Heads.

 

Dare by The Human League had "The Sound Of The Crowd" released first, then "Love Action", then "Open Your Heart", and THEN "Don't You Want Me", one of the biggest hits of all time.
IMO, Love Action is the best and one of the best singles of the 80s, but there's no denying the success for "Don't You Want Me", for good reason, it's an amazing pop song.

 

Ah, that's not even the best example from 1994!
Everything But The Girl's Amplified Heart came out that same year. First single was "Rollercoaster"... Folk-pop sound similar to their earlier singles, went nowhere.
Second single was "Missing," which, thanks to a choice remix from Todd Terry, went on to become their biggest worldwide hit EVER by a substantial margin. #3 in England, #1 in Germany, and #2 in the U.S.... In addition to being the first song in Hot 100 history to spend an entire year (!!) on the chart.

 

Can't exactly call "Changes" a weaker single.

 

And at least in America, "Changes" is one of Bowie's best known songs, while "Life On Mars?" is only for the diehards. And I say this as someone who thinks the latter song might be Bowie's finest moment.

 

Same here. "Life on Mars?" is my second favorite Bowie tune (right behind "Station to Station"), but "Changes" was definitely the right lead-off single.

 

Such a great thread!

 

Don't forget though, that Changes was a flop when first released.