Songs that you thought were big hits but on fact never reached UK top 40?

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  • jackoljackol Posts: 7,887
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    huddsblue wrote: »
    This cover/remixed version by CCS was a UK hit, but the original never charted.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c9GS3SofhdU

    Whole Lotta Love by Led Zep got to 21 in 1997
  • CupidStunt2010CupidStunt2010 Posts: 803
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    jackol wrote: »
    Whole Lotta Love by Led Zep got to 21 in 1997
    Come off it thats cheating :D
    Same goes for Yesterday too
  • dashyork42dashyork42 Posts: 1,439
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    huddsblue wrote: »
    This cover/remixed version by CCS was a UK hit, but the original never charted.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c9GS3SofhdU

    Led Zeppelin's version finally did chart in 1997, albeit briefly.
  • Residents FanResidents Fan Posts: 9,204
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    Free Fallin' - Tom Petty. Only got to no. 64. A sad state of affairs for my favourite driving sing-along song. :o

    Yeah, a shame. :(

    Although often played on British TV & Films, "Oh Yeah" by Yello didn't even chart in the UK.

    Also, the Robert Palmer song "You Are In My System" is often played on Irish Radio
    shows devoted to 80s music, so it's a surprise to learn that it never actually charted here.
  • Residents FanResidents Fan Posts: 9,204
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    Art of Noise - Moments in Love.

    That version (there are several) has approaching 5 million views on YouTube yet it only got to 51 in the UK charts, it was released as a double A-side.

    Also famous as the song Madonna had played at her wedding to Sean Penn.
  • Kirsty_Jones90Kirsty_Jones90 Posts: 1,591
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    this did get in the top 40 but i always thought this made no 1:
    George Michael-Freedom '90
    But it only got to 28 apparently
  • ThorneyThorney Posts: 3,361
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    wakey1512 wrote: »
    Hall and Oates out of touch - number 48 but a US #1. Would have thought this song would have charted a lot better here. My favourite song of theirs.

    the followup 'Method Of Modern Love' reached #22 and it was barely memorable in comparison. I think it was a case of high sales week November against low sales January.
  • Jon RossJon Ross Posts: 3,322
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    afcbfan wrote: »
    Changes by David Bowie got to number 49 in the charts. And that followed his death; it never charted before that.

    I thought of that. A couple more well known Bowie songs weren't hits for Bowie, Oh You Pretty Things and The Man Who Sold the World.
  • Jon RossJon Ross Posts: 3,322
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    huddsblue wrote: »
    Start off with I Ran by A Flock Of Seagulls. This new wave classic only reached no. 43 in 1982:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpfWORQWhU

    One I found out about recently: "On and On" by Stephen Bishop. It was a reasonable hit in America and I've definitely heard it on the radio in this country but according to my Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, he's never had a hit in the UK top 75.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljuJnUYozUg

    Another song I remember being played A LOT on Radio 2 in the '90s was "Shakespeare in Love" by Layla Kaylif. Again, she's never charted in this country.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3DQDWXAhpw
  • sickparrotsickparrot Posts: 664
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    Heaven 17's Penthouse and Pavement

    I was amazed to find only got to 57. Considering they were the true Human League they deserved more success.
  • SarahsaurusSarahsaurus Posts: 3,670
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    Tameside Radio have just played Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London, which was released in 1978 but never a hit.

    True but it did get to Number 1 (sort of ) in 2008 when it was sampled on All Summer Long by Kid Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama was sampled as well, which was never a hit in the UK in the seventies either, in fact I don't even know if it was released. It did get to No44 in 2008, probably as a result of the Kid Rock song.

    I remember phoning up a radio station (which shall remain nameless) when that Kid Rock song first came out to find out what it was after they'd just played it. The presenter answered the phone (it was during the next record being played) and I said, "What was that song you just played? It samples Werewolves of London. You know, the old Warren Zevon song."

    She had no idea what I was talking about.:D

    I did like All Summer Long, but I think it would have been better if they'd left the "Ah -hoos" in.:)
  • speedy_gonzalesspeedy_gonzales Posts: 1,167
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    "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha and the Vandellas
    according to wikipedia it did'nt chart over here.
  • mal2poolmal2pool Posts: 5,690
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    Rainy Days and Mondays by the Carpenters wasnt even released here but made number one in the states
  • Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
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    sickparrot wrote: »
    Heaven 17's Penthouse and Pavement

    I was amazed to find only got to 57. Considering they were the true Human League they deserved more success.
    Agreed - and (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang should have been a huge hit IMO (it reached no 45 according to Wiki).
  • Residents FanResidents Fan Posts: 9,204
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    Deb Arkle wrote: »
    Agreed - and (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang should have been a huge hit IMO (it reached no 45 according to Wiki).

    FGT was banned from the BBC because it called Ronnie Reagan a "Fascist" and Auntie
    was afraid the lyric was libellous:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5R152hTbVPQdYjn29q5jt4/16-songs-banned-by-the-bbc
  • Blondie XBlondie X Posts: 28,662
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    This thread probably shows that because you know and love a song, you maybe think it was more popular than it was. I have to say that I have never heard of most of the songs mentioned in this thread so not surprised they weren't hits.

    For me, the shock is Dennis Edwards, Don't Look Any Further. I thought that was a huge hit but turns out it didn't make the Top 40
  • biscuitfactorybiscuitfactory Posts: 29,392
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    Two that spring to mind for me - both got loads of radio airplay when they were released - are;
    Sailing - Christopher Cross
    https://youtu.be/yyYhZ9HH8cI

    Bright Side Of The Road - Van Morrison
    https://youtu.be/rCDZzf4ragg
  • Jon RossJon Ross Posts: 3,322
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    Blondie X wrote: »
    This thread probably shows that because you know and love a song, you maybe think it was more popular than it was. I have to say that I have never heard of most of the songs mentioned in this thread so not surprised they weren't hits.

    You may not recognise the titles but I bet you've heard quite a few of them. If somebody had said "On and On" by Stephen Bishop I would have said I'd never heard of it, then I actually listened to it and realised I certainly had heard it. Sometimes the titles just don't jump out on you. And anyone listening to Radio 2 (the UK's most listened to radio station) in the late '90s would certainly have heard Shakespeare in Love by Layla Kaylif because they played it A LOT.
  • Heston VestonHeston Veston Posts: 6,478
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    FGT was banned from the BBC because it called Ronnie Reagan a "Fascist" and Auntie
    was afraid the lyric was libellous:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5R152hTbVPQdYjn29q5jt4/16-songs-banned-by-the-bbc

    Wasn't it yet another of Mike Read's one-man crusades? That, and 'Relax'.
  • Residents FanResidents Fan Posts: 9,204
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    "+ 1 " by Martin Solveig seemed to get as much airplay on the music channels as his Top Ten hit "Intoxicated", yet the former song only got to number 57 in the UK charts.
  • mgvsmithmgvsmith Posts: 16,452
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    'Diamonds are Forever' by Shirley Bassey only no 38.
  • Jon RossJon Ross Posts: 3,322
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    mgvsmith wrote: »
    'Diamonds are Forever' by Shirley Bassey only no 38.

    So it actually did reach the top 40. ;-)
  • Ollie_h19Ollie_h19 Posts: 8,548
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    Beach Boys, Fun Fun Fun.

    Wasnt a hit in the UK until a collaboration with Status Quo in 1996.

    Every day's a school day!
  • PitmanPitman Posts: 28,495
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    village green and shangri-la by the Kinks, what was wrong with the public? :p

    also time of the season by Zombies, it still gets big radio air play today on some of the crappy stations :D
  • mgvsmithmgvsmith Posts: 16,452
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    Jon Ross wrote: »
    So it actually did reach the top 40. ;-)

    That's the thing, in 1971 the Top 40 wasn't a thing. The chart be it Radio 1 or Melody Maker was the Top 30. It's not to say there wasn't a top 40, it was a top 50 or 75 but Radio and Tv only reported a top 30. Anyway the point to me was I always thought Diamonds did much better. 38 isn't even that great nowadays or do you think that is a big hit?
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