Singles that weren't hits but are now considered classics!

Aerosmith Dream On, made it to #59 when released in 1973

re released in 1975, when it went to #6

 

Which means it was a hit.

 

Rush, arguably not a singles band, fits the bill here. Two of their best known songs didn’t chart very high when released:
Spirit of Radio #51
Tom Sawyer # 44

Those are Billboard Hot 100 numbers in the US. Canadian and US Mainstream Rock chart numbers are higher.

 

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” was the second single off Prince’s Sign O’ The Times, chosen by the artist against the advice of his managers and record label. The first single (title track) had reached #3 and the third (“U Got the Look”) reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Girlfriend” only reached #67. Today it is considered a classic in Prince’s catalogue and many regard it as one of his best songs ever.

 

What's really amazing is that the only Rush song to ever make the top 40 pop charts in the U.S. was, of all songs, New World Man.

 

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division

A decent-sized (Top 20) hit in the UK, in the US it was a different story, as it was barely released at all here. The Factory label had almost no distribution, and the song didn't chart at all on the Hot 100.

 

Around here, what once was an 'Oldies Channel' (as in 50s/60s/occasional early 70s) morphed into what they titled themselves "The 70s and more", but now it's pretty much all 80s with a few 70s things thrown in...

 

The Smiths: How Soon Is Now?
The Waterboys: The Whole of The Moon

 

Like I said, I don't doubt that "Michelle" *was* played on oldies radio, I just don't recall it ever being played around here.

Other Beatles album tracks were though, like "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help From My Friends"...

 

George Michael's Freedom 90 only peaked at 28 on UK chart. Now it is viewed as one of his signature song along with Careless Whisper.

 

That is the most shocking thing I have read on the SHF for a while.
I never knew that. Genuinely stunned.

 

While I love Ashes To Ashes I think Heroes may be his masterpiece

 

#12 in Canada, #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.

 

Another weird "chart gospel" idea, which is odd for many reasons, including the general unreliability of charts.

If a song gets a bunch of airplay, if it gets a bunch of (party, club etc.) DJ play, if it's a "staple" or " signature" song for the artist for any reason, then it is one of their hits.

"Hit" doesn't (solely) denote chart placement. What makes something a hit is that it's popular or well-known, notorious, iconic, ubiquitous, frequently-requested, etc. And this is the case whether it's a hit right away or whether it take some time after a track was released.

 

Genesis - Turn it On Again only made a dismal 58 in the US.

 

Really? would have thought Faith would be his solo signature song

 

Yes, the song didn't chart in Billboard or even Cash Box. There was a third, minor chart that "Record World" magazine published. Their chart went up to 150, and "Heroes" peaked at #126 in its original 1977 run.

 

In America maybe because of the image of that song.

 

This is an incredible song but it could never be a hit single.

Nevertheless it has one of my favourite lyrics in it:
" I saw the rain drenched valley/ you saw Brigadoon/ I saw the crescent/ you saw the whole of the moon."
Beautiful.

 

The Whole of the Moon hit no 26 in the UK chart on first release in 1985. It was something of a breakthrough in the chart performance and radio play for the band. It reached no 3 in 1991 as part of The Best of... campaign. Its the first Waterbooys song most people would have heard and not really surprising it's a signature song. Though many would pick Fishermans Blues as the bands signature song.

 

Lots of love here for "Michelle" as a single that wasn't a hit but is now considered a classic. But it's true that it wasn't released as a single, at least not in the US and the UK.
But.. apparently everyone has forgotten the fudge factor for this, that sort of mists things up.
When George Martin heard the demo of a song called "You've Got Your Troubles" he not only liked the song, but he liked the way the songwriters, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, sang it. So he offered them a recording contract, which they of course very excitedly accepted. This was the producer of The Beatles! It was Martin's wife, Judy, in fact, who, due to her interest in religion, gave them the name David and Jonathan, from the Bible.

From a 2018 interview with Roger Greenaway: "George had just recorded an album with the Beatles. On it was a song called 'Michelle' which he assured us the Beatles were never gonna release as a single. And George thought it was a hit. So it was the first song he recorded with us and of course it was a hit. It went to #7 in the UK and it was a big hit in America as well."

So, the song was all over the radio as a major hit single by David and Jonathan. I have no idea if their version is ever played on oldies radio these days, and since it never came up in this thread, probably most have forgotten it ever existed.

While "Michelle" by the Beatles is considered a classic by many, it was a hit single, just not by them.

Does the song qualify? I'd say yes and no.

 

I think of so many dance hits that did well on the dance charts, but nationally failed to make a dent. Divine's Native Love or Yello's Bostich come to mind among a myriad of other tunes.

 

As far as Oldies radio went, it went down the ol' memory hole, right next to The Silkie.

Most oldies stations I knew, actually had to keep The Beatles in their own separate category, to keep them from coming up "too much", because there were so many titles they could play. Beach Boys as well: you would see a slot in every hour dedicated not to "60's hits" or "60's Secondary hits" or "60's oh-wow"...but an actual Beatles (and usually Beach Boys, and sometimes even "Motown") category...which made scheduling easier for the guy who made out the logs.

 

Bingo! Beatles' originals get the airplay now rather than the actual hit versions by other bands. A Canadian band called Stitch 'n' Tyme covered Got to Get You Into My Life in 1967, but after some years it was always the Beatles version that got radio time, even though it never had in the '60s.

I'm wondering what is the situation in the U. K., where (for example) Do You Want to Know a Secret was the first big hit for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and whether that gets the radio boot in favour of the Fabs ...

 

Good question

Or how about Marmalade's #1 cover of Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da?