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


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Old 09-08-2016, 07:14
Thorney
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Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes incredibly only reached no.82
They didnt release many copies they want to sell the Soundtrack, think it was only out for a week.
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Old 09-08-2016, 09:02
Elvisfan4eva
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They didnt release many copies they want to sell the Soundtrack, think it was only out for a week.
Smooth Radio plays that several times a day.
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Old 09-08-2016, 13:33
doffer
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Prefab Sprout - Cars and Girls. Only made no.44
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Old 09-08-2016, 18:55
Billy Hicks
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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
Great pick - did much better in the United States where it's seen as an early 80s classic, and that's how it's become much more well known here. Thankfully the other big Flock of Seagulls hit, 'Wishing I Had A Photograph of You' went top ten here.

Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes incredibly only reached no.82
First time I heard this was aged about fifteen, not the Carmen original but the Eurodance cover that reached #16 here in 2004! Listen (if you dare): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWMoLNLisv8
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Old 09-08-2016, 19:08
Hitstastic
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LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

Always thought this was one of the big rap hits from the late 80s but turns out it only reached #41 in the UK charts.

Elton John - Step Into Christmas

Being a Christmas song you're likely to hear this at some point in December but when released it peaked at #24. I thought it had been a top 10 hit at least in the 70s. Also interesting to note that the original Are You Ready For Love? peaked at #42 in 1979 whilst Norman Cook's remix got to #1 in 2003.
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Old 09-08-2016, 19:12
Thorney
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Great pick - did much better in the United States where it's seen as an early 80s classic, and that's how it's become much more well known here. Thankfully the other big Flock of Seagulls hit, 'Wishing I Had A Photograph of You' went top ten here.

]
I think GTA:Vice City was what made it more popular here as I didn't know it at all until that game came out
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Old 09-08-2016, 19:20
huddsblue
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First time I heard this was aged about fifteen, not the Carmen original but the Eurodance cover that reached #16 here in 2004! Listen (if you dare): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWMoLNLisv8
I've heard it before, bloody awful 😁
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Old 09-08-2016, 19:44
EStaffs90
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Also interesting to note that the original Are You Ready For Love? peaked at #42 in 1979 whilst Norman Cook's remix got to #1 in 2003.
And, iirc, those who brought the single didn't actually get the remix version.
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Old 09-08-2016, 19:58
Ancient IDTV
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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.
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Old 09-08-2016, 20:05
huddsblue
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Prefab Sprout - Cars and Girls. Only made no.44
Great pick!
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Old 09-08-2016, 20:24
dirtyrat
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All proof that the charts mean nothing .

It's always the ones that became hits that were not intended at first to be released that interest me. B sides etc
Or big classics that were never even singles that we all know.
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Old 09-08-2016, 20:53
wakey1512
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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.
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Old 09-08-2016, 21:56
doffer
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Cheers!
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Old 09-08-2016, 23:10
Anne-Marie_Rowe
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Starbuck - Moonlight feels right 1976. Big hit in the US and big radio hit .
Harry Chapin - Cats in the cradle
Janis Ian - Fly too high
Godley & Creme - Englishman in new york
Kansas - Carry On Wayward son
Flash and the Pan - And the band played on
Donald Fagen - New Frontier
Don Henley - Dirty Laundry
Chris White - Spanish wine.....another radio hit
Carry On My Wayward Son My ringtone so I know it's correct
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Old 09-08-2016, 23:26
Brummy Girl
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'Summer of 69' by Bryan Adams always gets a mention in these type of threads.
Played all the time on Heart FM and their like but never made the UK Top 40.
The same applies to Heaven which barely scraped the Top 40 in 1985 to reach No.38. The DJ Sammy version in the early 00s was much more successful. It got to No.1

ETA: Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea only reached No.53 in 1988. Over the last few years with the advent of downloads it re-enters the lower end of the Top 40 every December.

Dolly Parton's 9 To 5 only reached No.47 in 1981 which is surprising as it's become somewhat of a karaoke classic
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Old 10-08-2016, 07:05
mal2pool
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The same applies to Heaven which barely scraped the Top 40 in 1985 to reach No.38. The DJ Sammy version in the early 00s was much more successful. It got to No.1

ETA: Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea only reached No.53 in 1988. Over the last few years with the advent of downloads it re-enters the lower end of the Top 40 every December.

Dolly Parton's 9 To 5 only reached No.47 in 1981 which is surprising as it's become somewhat of a karaoke classic
Dolly's Here You Come Again never entered the 40 either. Got lots of radio play and a perfect pop song. Better than 9 to 5
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Old 10-08-2016, 22:02
mrkite77
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A lot of my favorite 80s music didn't do well in the UK.

The Church - Under the Milky Way hit #24 in the US, only hit #90 in the UK.

Til Tuesday - Voices Carry #8 in the US, never charted in the UK at all.

General Public - Tenderness #27 in the US, #95 in the UK.

Talking Heads - Burning Down The House #9 in the US, failed to chart in the UK

Real Life - Send Me an Angel #26 in the US, failed to chart in the UK.
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Old 10-08-2016, 22:06
Multimedia81
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Tameside Radio have just played Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London, which was released in 1978 but never a hit.
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Old 10-08-2016, 22:17
mrkite77
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One more that's kinda funny:

The Allman Brothers - Jessica #29 in the US. Never charted in the UK, which is ironic once you listen to it and realize where you know it from.
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Old 11-08-2016, 09:30
starry
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The radio hit side of this is more interesting to me, things that got airplay but didn't make the top 40. Gerard Kenny's New York New York could be an example.
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Old 11-08-2016, 14:26
JurassicMark
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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.
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Old 11-08-2016, 14:59
Elvisfan4eva
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Stella Parton's Danger Of A Stranger got lots of airplay but never charted.
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Old 11-08-2016, 17:23
SonOfPurple
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...
General Public - Tenderness #27 in the US, #95 in the UK.
..
80s kids may remember this as the song from 'Weird Science' that wasn't "Weird Science". 90s kids will remember this as the song from the end of Clueless - well, the penultimate song before the credits roll to "Need You Around" - which I have the UK CD single release of, so it probably counts for this thread itself!
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Old 11-08-2016, 17:41
Foxster Hotpot
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LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

Always thought this was one of the big rap hits from the late 80s but turns out it only reached #41 in the UK charts.

Elton John - Step Into Christmas

Being a Christmas song you're likely to hear this at some point in December but when released it peaked at #24. I thought it had been a top 10 hit at least in the 70s. Also interesting to note that the original Are You Ready For Love? peaked at #42 in 1979 whilst Norman Cook's remix got to #1 in 2003.
Wasnt Tiny Dancer also a non charter when it was released that has become popular since?
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Old 11-08-2016, 17:54
Hound of Love
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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.
Good call!

Just remembered another Xmas tune: Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses.
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