Life in Tokyo by Japan. Released two or three times and still never a major hit in spite of being produced by Giorgio Moroder (Blondie, Donna Summer, Sparks, Three Degrees) and starting the sound later used by Duran Duran.
It still sounds like a lost number one hit record to me.
From this century the Top 5 shockers I can think of which have not yet been mentioned are:
Melanie C - The First Day Of My Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9n5AkJU-so (co-written by Guy Chambers, this song topped the charts in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and sold over 1.8 million copies across Europe in 2005/6, but in Britain it was ignored (did not make the Top 100) as the solo Spice Girls were now regarded as embarrassing has-beens as it was all about Girls Aloud & The Sugababes)
Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshinehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gte3BoXKwP0 (This 2008 song made USA#5 (& 18th Best Seller in the USA in 2008 with 3 million + sales), Canada #3 & Mexico #1, and was a Top 40 hit in most territories in Europe & Australia, but in the UK her career was as good as dead thanks to the twins crimes of the career nadir "(I Wanna Have Your) Babies" single; and perhaps more importantly being a good friend of Girls Aloud Nadine Coyle and speaking out at the time of the media campaign against her compared to "The Nation's Sweetheart" Cheryl Cole. Even this very site (which seems to give 90% of releases 4 or more stars) wrote a fairly catty 2 star review of this single criticizing its lack of originality, writing that "it sounds as American as 'The Star-Spangled Banner' being belted out by a redneck Texan." Ouch!!!
Röyksopp ft Robyn - The Girl & The Robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfckrfOYAy4 (This amazing track was released between her Robyn & Body Talk album(s), and went to Norway #1; Sweden #2; Belgium #3; but in Britain it peaked at #138).
Donkeyboy - Ambitionshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ek0Q24-oE (This brilliant electropop track from this Norwegian act spent 13 weeks at #1 in their home country in 2009, and also topped the charts in Sweden & Denmark; but it was ignored in the UK despite its Reality talent contest mocking video. I guess what it needed to be a Top 5 success in the UK was for a Reality TV winner to do a very bad cover version of it!)
Emiliana Torrini - Jungle Drumhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9vkd7Rp-g (This Icelandic born singer/songwriter has been releasing music for well over a decade, an is most famous in the UK for writing Kylie Minogue "Slow". In 2009 this song went to #1 in Iceland, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and was a big hit all over Europe, but in the UK only BBC Radio 6 Music gave it any airplay)
I completely agree with all the comments on Eva Simons and Natalia Kills. Eva Simons needs a lot more promotion, especially since I Don't Like You and Renegade could be big hits if they were given the right promotion. As for Natalia, Free should have been her big hit but sadly it wasn't. Hopefully Trouble brings her a few more hits.
Not really an AMAZING song, but Janet Jackson's song Feedback had hit written all over it, and the video was a good production, yet it did absolutely nothing. If somebody else had the video or song it would have been a hit... agism probably, also her song Rock Witchu or however it was spelt was great too... but of course, her Discipline album was just a fluff record that she had nothing to do with other than laying down vocals.
Hurts - Wonderful Life
Foster the People - Call It What You Want
Scissor Sisters - Any Which Way
Clare Maguire - The Last Dance
Lana Del Rey - National Anthem
The Other Tribe - Skirts
Comments
Eh? RITD was massive. It sold like 850k.
:rolleyes:
Some people just don't get humour do they
I would second this, love this song!
It was early
When I'm Alone - Lissie
Hanging by a Moment - Lifehouse (in the UK anyway)
An amazing song,
It still sounds like a lost number one hit record to me.
Zeb Atlas, agree with you re Army of Lovers..another of their singles, Obsession, should have been big, too.
Your name?!:eek:
Are you Zeb Atlas the porn star?
Melanie C - The First Day Of My Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9n5AkJU-so (co-written by Guy Chambers, this song topped the charts in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and sold over 1.8 million copies across Europe in 2005/6, but in Britain it was ignored (did not make the Top 100) as the solo Spice Girls were now regarded as embarrassing has-beens as it was all about Girls Aloud & The Sugababes)
Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gte3BoXKwP0 (This 2008 song made USA#5 (& 18th Best Seller in the USA in 2008 with 3 million + sales), Canada #3 & Mexico #1, and was a Top 40 hit in most territories in Europe & Australia, but in the UK her career was as good as dead thanks to the twins crimes of the career nadir "(I Wanna Have Your) Babies" single; and perhaps more importantly being a good friend of Girls Aloud Nadine Coyle and speaking out at the time of the media campaign against her compared to "The Nation's Sweetheart" Cheryl Cole. Even this very site (which seems to give 90% of releases 4 or more stars) wrote a fairly catty 2 star review of this single criticizing its lack of originality, writing that "it sounds as American as 'The Star-Spangled Banner' being belted out by a redneck Texan." Ouch!!!
Röyksopp ft Robyn - The Girl & The Robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfckrfOYAy4 (This amazing track was released between her Robyn & Body Talk album(s), and went to Norway #1; Sweden #2; Belgium #3; but in Britain it peaked at #138).
Donkeyboy - Ambitions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ek0Q24-oE (This brilliant electropop track from this Norwegian act spent 13 weeks at #1 in their home country in 2009, and also topped the charts in Sweden & Denmark; but it was ignored in the UK despite its Reality talent contest mocking video. I guess what it needed to be a Top 5 success in the UK was for a Reality TV winner to do a very bad cover version of it!)
Emiliana Torrini - Jungle Drum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9vkd7Rp-g (This Icelandic born singer/songwriter has been releasing music for well over a decade, an is most famous in the UK for writing Kylie Minogue "Slow". In 2009 this song went to #1 in Iceland, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and was a big hit all over Europe, but in the UK only BBC Radio 6 Music gave it any airplay)
Agreed. Kill my boyfriend & free were amazing too all 3 should've been hits
True that. And Obsession also.
Foster the People - Call It What You Want
Scissor Sisters - Any Which Way
Clare Maguire - The Last Dance
Lana Del Rey - National Anthem
The Other Tribe - Skirts