Bad choices for lead-off singles

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by R79, Sep 16, 2020.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Isamet

    Isamet Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    I don't think it affected record sales :D
     
    Man at C&A and bmoc79 like this.
  2. Aar Gal

    Aar Gal Monkberry Moon Delight

    Location:
    Virginia
    Macca’s pretty bad at picking first singles for me

    Hope Of Deliverance - Off The Ground (should have been Off The Ground or Cmon People)
    From A Lover To A Friend - Driving Rain (Should have been Driving Rain or Lonely Road)
    Fine Line - Chaos (should have been Jenny Wren or Friends To Go)
     
    urasam2 and RickH like this.
  3. daveidmarx

    daveidmarx Forem Residunt

    Location:
    Astoria, NY USA
    Hall & Oates might be the kings of this:

    How Does It Feel To Be Back from 'Voices' (an album which had Kiss On My List and You Make My Dreams)
    Back Together Again from 'Bigger Than Both Of Us' (an album which had Rich Girl on it)
    Camellia from their self-titled album (an album which had Sara Smile on it. Sara was the third choice for a single after Camellia and Alone Too Long both bombed)
     
  4. Flippikat

    Flippikat Forum Resident

    Like I said, Beetlebum was not as much a BAD choice, but a bizarre one.

    I can see the point of it, though.. it's a sharp left-turn after The Great Escape & a pointer to their new direction. If they wanted a new "pop smash", there were better choices, but I guess that wasn't the point they were trying to make right away.
     
    Man at C&A likes this.
  5. I believe "Hysteria" started out slow. I think when "Animal" was released as the second single, followe by "Pour Some Sugar On Me", Hysteria started to take off.
     
    Grant and Isamet like this.
  6. Isamet

    Isamet Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Probably because he became I think a teeny bopper star more than anything else and a nice love song would have suited that image well. I would have went with "I Can't Stand It No More"
     
  7. Vocalpoint

    Vocalpoint Forum Resident

    True dat - but "first push" is not "lead off single". Women landed on the Hot 100 on 8/22/87 while Animal didn't land until 10/10/87 . The only reason Animal "appeared" to be first was that it's video was much better. (the music was no slouch either!)

    VP
     
  8. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    It could have been an unlikely club hit, the 12" version is very good.

    Calling All Girls wouldn't have scared people off so much, great production, massive chorus and far more recognisably Queen.
     
    warewolf95, Jarleboy and Lonesurf like this.
  9. I always thought “The Fly” was a brilliant choice as a first single, since it most defining signaled a new direction in sound for the band.

    My choice for worst lead-single from a U2 album was “Numb” off Zooropa.

    The song eventually grew on me a little bit, but it’s definitely one of the strangest singles in the entire band’s history (maybe THE strangest).

    And I say that as someone who usually and frequently really LIKES static-harmony and/or pedal-point bass lines and (many, but not all) two-chord songs. But to this day, “Numb” leaves me a bit numb.
     
    Man at C&A, ARK, warewolf95 and 3 others like this.
  10. Moonbeam Skies

    Moonbeam Skies Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Leader of the Pack was a bad choice for Twisted Sister because it was too cute. They needed to stay edgy and cool to maintain the interest of metal fans.
     
    Stormrider77, ARK, The MEZ and 2 others like this.
  11. daveidmarx

    daveidmarx Forem Residunt

    Location:
    Astoria, NY USA
    I was working in a record store when this came out and we got a promo copy of the album to play in the store. My manager heard Cake once and was like 'F these guys', pulled the disc out of the player and threw it in the trash. Way to bite the hand that feeds you, guys. :crazy:
     
    bmoc79, BluesOvertookMe, Sean and 2 others like this.
  12. blaken123

    blaken123 Your Greater Tri-County CD Superstore

    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    "Union of the Snake" from Seven and The Ragged Tiger. It was a pretty big hit, but I remember that it left a lot of us scratching our heads as kids. The Reflex was pretty odd too, and and even bigger hit... While New Moon On Monday, a more conventionally catchy song than either of those, and the one that I would've picked as the lead single, did the worst, so what do I know?
     
    ARK and uzn007 like this.
  13. Lands End Drums

    Lands End Drums Forum Resident

    I always thought Hymn 43 was a poor choice for a single off of Jethro Tull's Aqualung. I love the song but it doesn't have hit potential written all over it. An edit of Locomotive Breath or Cross-Eyed Mary (or Mother Goose...) would have been better choices.

    Also releasing Bouree as the single off Stand Up when Nothing Is Easy or A New Day Yesterday would have made far more likely candidates...
     
    Buddybud and uzn007 like this.
  14. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    It is a good album, almost forgot the single "One Lonely Night" as well, love that song
     
    Galaga King and carlwm like this.
  15. blaken123

    blaken123 Your Greater Tri-County CD Superstore

    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    I'm still hesitant to buy even a dirt cheap copy of this album because of this song, even though I've heard some of the other awesome songs on there.
     
  16. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    "Think About Me" is a perfect single, but i'm pretty sure there aren't many like that on the album haha :p
     
  17. blaken123

    blaken123 Your Greater Tri-County CD Superstore

    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    The fact that Think About Me wasn't a huge hit is what makes me think that the majority of people simply can't detect good tunes.
     
    Tristero and Galaga King like this.
  18. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Badfinger's debut album after leaving Apple Records at end of 1972, Warner Bros signed the band to a New 3 year contract some promotional ads...not a smart start on the first Single...Lonely You or Shine On with a Radio mix or edit!

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]

     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
    RickH, badfinger54 and Sean like this.
  19. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Corker! :righton:

    Neal Doughty didn't get many songs on REO albums but they all tended to be strong.
     
    Galaga King likes this.
  20. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    I'm aware...I was simply offering some anecdotal info.
     
  21. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    Neither did most of their fans, haha just kidding ! :hide:
     
    mbrownp1 likes this.
  22. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    Does the single have the F bomb in it ? :confused:
     
  23. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    Oh man...LOVED that leadoff single. Also loved "One Lonely Night" and "Live Every Moment" much more than the big hit.
     
    Galaga King and carlwm like this.
  24. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    Amazing how all 3 of those songs sound the same, I wonder if the whole album is like that?
     
    Mechanical Man likes this.
  25. kreen

    kreen Forum Resident

    It was a number one hit, so a good choice in the end: had it come out as a later single, it might not have gotten so high in the charts.
     
    Man at C&A likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine