Talking Heads' Signature Song

I voted Psycho Killer. Where's The Great Curve?

 

I'd add "I'm Not In Love" and "Pulled Up" from the first, "Warning Sign" and "Thank You for Sending Me An Angel" from the second, "Electricity" and "Heaven" from the third.
I could just list set lists from the early days and call them signature songs. Those first 3 albums are brilliant.
I loved the early days, too. In fact, I like about half of Remain In Light ("Once In A Lifetime" is a very special song, especially live), half of Speaking In Tongues, and after that they lose me up until Naked, which I think is a fantastic album.

 

Yes. To my ears an early song has a more signature potential.

 

He's never been in the audience at one, though. Big difference.

 

Saw them a few times from 78-84, "Take me to the River" always got the biggest response.

 

"The Overload"

 

"Nowhere" didn't even graze the hot 100 in America, although MTV played it a bit. Might be their best video.

 

"Place" only got to #62 on the US charts. "House" made it to #9.

It didn't do much better in the UK, peaking at 51.

 

Liam Lynch did one, too!:

 

Sounds nothing like a Talking Heads song, and his David Byrne impersonation isn't that great either.

Production matters.

 

Completely agree with this. I think OIAL is their most well known global song but I would expect - unscientifically - that a larger portion of the UK population would know Road To Nowhere as it was played a lot here upon release with the video. It went to no 6 in the singles charts at a time when that was (more) significant.

 

Once In A Lifetime - I knew that one before getting into music proper, as in listening to albums.

 

He’s the artist, he’s a thoughtful one, he has reasons and his strategy. Your argument lacks conviction.

 

I know it wasn't a hit. As I noted earlier in this thread, Burning Down the House was their only real hit single, though for sure, the Al Green cover and Life During Wartime and Once In a Lifetime were FM hits. I'm just saying, when Speaking in Tongues came out all the song people were most talking about and seemed special to all the Talking Heads fans and other people I knew was "This Must Be the Place." "Burning Down the House" was the hit single, people liked it, but when people talked about that album, "This Must Be the Place" was the special track.

 

Their best album was More Songs about Buildings and Food. Revolutionary and underrated.

Their most creatively progressive song was Once In A Lifetime.

Their best genius helper was Brian Eno.

 

Don't know about best (for me that would be Fear Of Music), but More Songs... does tend to get overlooked. Some of those songs were part of the set from the beginning, and Eno did a bang up job of giving them a fuller sound. Terrific album.

 

It has to be Once In A Life Time.
To me, this is Talking Heads.

Runner up to me is Psycho Killer, the opening songs from Stop Making Sense and a great song

 

That wasn't my experience at all. Nobody "talked" about "Place", or even acknowledged it existed. "House" was quite popular though. And that tracks with their relative chart performance.

Today? "Place" certainly seems to be about as popular, at least.

I'm trying to think of when I noticed "Place" was retro-popular. Must have been at least a decade ago, when I was in LA, and noticed it cropping up on Muzak or on playlists in bars and restaurants a couple of times in fairly short order.

 

I remember Girlfriend is Better being more of a standout at the time.

 

Jer-ee Todd!

Anyway, I also vote for “Once in a Lifetime” - it’s probably their most widely familiar song, it’s more in their idiom than some of their later, bigger hits, and it’s quotable. Plus, the video concretized David Byrne’s image as a spazzing geek.

 

I voted for Road to Nowhere - perfectly suited to an alienated generation without a cause.

Used to own many of TH albums, but none at present

Oddly enough Stop Making Sense DVD is on its way to me now. Used to have the LP, and frequently quote one of its sleeve liner notes.

 

We had very different experiences obviously. People around here I knew really loved "This Must Be the Place," it was the piece that was commonly noticed as being special and difference and and advance and it got FM airplay around NY

 

My answer...same as it ever was...

 

I really don’t understand why “None of the above” isn’t an option? Maybe I don’t think any of those pieces are ones I had in mind.

 

Some pretty strange choices to put in the list. Wild wild Life, Stay Up Late ?? The correct answer is Once in a Lifetime.