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


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Old 11-08-2016, 18:08
jackol
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There were too many to mention with the Beatles.

Yesterday and Eight Days A Week were no 1s in America but never released as singles here.
Yesterday got to number 8 in 1976
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Old 11-08-2016, 18:22
jackol
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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
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Old 12-08-2016, 04:37
CupidStunt2010
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Whole Lotta Love by Led Zep got to 21 in 1997
Come off it thats cheating
Same goes for Yesterday too
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Old 25-08-2016, 13:03
dashyork42
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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.
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Old 10-09-2016, 13:39
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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.
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.
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Old 10-09-2016, 13:47
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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.
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Old 11-09-2016, 21:52
Kirsty_Jones90
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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
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Old 12-09-2016, 07:07
Thorney
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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.
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.
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Old 12-09-2016, 15:21
Jon Ross
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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.
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Old 12-09-2016, 15:27
Jon Ross
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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
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
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Old 12-09-2016, 19:35
sickparrot
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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.
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Old 12-09-2016, 20:00
Sarahsaurus
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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.

I did like All Summer Long, but I think it would have been better if they'd left the "Ah -hoos" in.
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Old 12-09-2016, 22:54
speedy_gonzales
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"(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha and the Vandellas
according to wikipedia it did'nt chart over here.
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Old 13-09-2016, 08:36
mal2pool
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Rainy Days and Mondays by the Carpenters wasnt even released here but made number one in the states
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Old 13-09-2016, 09:27
Deb Arkle
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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.
Agreed - and (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang should have been a huge hit IMO (it reached no 45 according to Wiki).
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Old 18-09-2016, 11:45
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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/arti...ned-by-the-bbc
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Old 18-09-2016, 11:51
Blondie X
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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
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Old 18-09-2016, 13:24
biscuitfactory
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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
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Old 18-09-2016, 22:00
Jon Ross
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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.
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.
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Old 19-09-2016, 08:03
Heston Veston
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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/arti...ned-by-the-bbc
Wasn't it yet another of Mike Read's one-man crusades? That, and 'Relax'.
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Old 19-09-2016, 22:49
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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.
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Old 20-09-2016, 00:07
mgvsmith
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'Diamonds are Forever' by Shirley Bassey only no 38.
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Old 20-09-2016, 10:04
Jon Ross
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'Diamonds are Forever' by Shirley Bassey only no 38.
So it actually did reach the top 40.
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Old 20-09-2016, 18:14
Ollie_h19
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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!
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Old 20-09-2016, 18:22
Pitman
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village green and shangri-la by the Kinks, what was wrong with the public?

also time of the season by Zombies, it still gets big radio air play today on some of the crappy stations
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