# Artists who hate their biggest hit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874 "2009-07-31T15:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/61 "2009-08-01T04:05:40Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Van Morrison doesn’t like to sing “Brown-Eyed Girl.” Hell, the one time I saw Van Morrison, he didn’t sing _any_ of his hits. No “Moondance.” No “Blue Money.” No “Domino.” No “Wild Night.” No “Jackie Wilson Said.” Nothing from _Astral Weeks_. He did do a few _other_ people’s hits, like “That’s Life” (Frank Sinatra had just died), “This Is a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,” and “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin.” **RealityChuck** beat me to Matthew Fisher and “Going for a Song.” ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/62 "2009-08-01T04:41:47Z")
The _Beastie Boys_ did **[(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(You_Gotta)_Fight_for_Your_Right_(To_Party!)#History)** as a goof. They were making fun of the frat boy aesthetic, but that’s who ended up making the song a hit. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/63 "2009-08-01T05:17:49Z")
Michael Ian Black on Billy Joel [http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2005/4/27black.html](http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2005/4/27black.html) ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/64 "2009-08-01T05:26:55Z")
Don McLean is apparently the poster child for this sentiment. He says that the only thing worse than being known for one big hit is being known for one big hit that’s eight minutes long. He always does it near the beginning of his live shows to get it out of the way. [His concert rider](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/donmclean/donmclean1.html) even specifies that if you mention one song in your promotional materials, you have to mention at least five. That way you can’t put up a poster saying, “You know, the ‘American Pie’ guy!” ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/65 "2009-08-01T05:45:53Z")
I’m listening to _Sister Christian_ on youtube now. I loved that song when I was 8. 🆒 And now, to go find _Stand_, one of my favorite REM songs… ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/66 "2009-08-01T08:34:25Z")
Grace Slick "apparently didn’t like “We Built This City” much. & Sammy Davis hated Candy Man. (understandably!) ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/67 "2009-08-01T13:03:18Z")
**Lulu** hated _Boom-Bang-a-Bang_, which she won the Eurovision Song Conest with and was a huge hit. But you can hardly blame her! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/68 "2009-08-01T15:42:25Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > Grace Slick "apparently didn’t like “We Built This City” much. It really is a terrible song and completely unrepresentative of the rest of their work. I just finished reading Michael Lang’s book _[The Road To Woodstock](http://www.amazon.com/Road-Woodstock-Michael-Lang/dp/0061576557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249140502&sr=8-1)_ and I would have loved to have met the Grace Slick described in that book. > [@enomaj](#): > > I think Billy Joel mentioned on an Oprah episode that sometimes _Just the Way You Are_ can get on his nerves. I saw him in concert once, and he had this great bit of stage patter about the song. He acknowledged the responsibility to perform the song, because it’s many people’s favorite song, and might be the song couples in the audience fell in love to, so even though he’s tired of it, he owes it to them to do that song. But as a performer, he’s singing about loving someone he’s long divorced from, and his mind wanders: _Don’t go changing_ (What will I have for dinner?) _To try and please me_ (Steak or chicken?) _You never let me down before…_ (I really should eat more fish…) One time while playing it, his long time drummer Liberty DiVito shouted out right after Joel sang: _I just want someone that I can talk to…_ **She got the house, she got the car!** > [@FallenAngel](#): > > I saw (then met and drank with) Zevon at a bar in Scottsdale in 94 or 95. About halfway through the set some putz yelled, “Werewolves!” > > Zevon said (quoted as closely as I can recall it): Ya know the great thing about being around long enough to turn into an oldies act? I can take grim satisfaction from the fact that 10, 15 years from some asshole in some bar is going to yell, “Hey, Alanis! Do that song about the blowjob!” > > Gods, I miss that man. Classic case of one of an artist’s weakest songs becoming their most famous. I don’t kave any evidence, but Todd Rundgren appears to be royally sick of “Bang on the Drum All Day”, performing it on ukulele as a pastiche with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/69 "2009-08-01T20:37:28Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > It really is a terrible song and completely unrepresentative of the rest of their work. I just finished reading Michael Lang’s book _[The Road To Woodstock](http://www.amazon.com/Road-Woodstock-Michael-Lang/dp/0061576557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249140502&sr=8-1)_ and I would have loved to have met the Grace Slick described in that book. I love that song - but I have very commercial tastes! 🙂 I’ll add the Michael Lang book to my must read list. > [@gaffa](#): > > I saw him in concert once, and he had this great bit of stage patter about the song. He acknowledged the responsibility to perform the song, because it’s many people’s favorite song, and might be the song couples in the audience fell in love to, so even though he’s tired of it, he owes it to them to do that song. But as a performer, he’s singing about loving someone he’s long divorced from, and his mind wanders: > > _Don’t go changing_ > (What will I have for dinner?) > _To try and please me_ > (Steak or chicken?) > _You never let me down before…_ > (I really should eat more fish…) > > One time while playing it, his long time drummer Liberty DiVito shouted out right after Joel sang: > > _I just want someone that I can talk to…_ > **She got the house, she got the car!** > Classic case of one of an artist’s weakest songs becoming their most famous. I don’t kave any evidence, but Todd Rundgren appears to be royally sick of “Bang on the Drum All Day”, performing it on ukulele as a pastiche with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Haha! Classic! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/70 "2009-08-01T21:40:31Z")
Sorry, you can’t hate you ONLY hit, it’s what puts food on your table, it’s what they know you from. If you are long time, multiple-album multiple-hit guy, OK hate it. Alec G. is, for me, Prince Faisal and Charles I. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/71 "2009-08-01T22:01:21Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > Grace Slick "apparently didn’t like “We Built This City” much. I always wondered about that–how did Grace Slick, singer for Jefferson Airplane who did “Go Ask Alice,” wind up in that song?? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/72 "2009-08-01T22:17:15Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > I always wondered about that–how did Grace Slick, singer for Jefferson Airplane who did “Go Ask Alice,” wind up in that song?? Peter Wolf, the Starship’s producer for that album, started out with the premise that the project would rely on outside songwriters (I think there’s one song written by Starship members on the finished album), so the band had to take what he came up with for them. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/73 "2009-08-01T22:47:31Z")
John Cleese hates it when people ask him to demonstrate a silly walk. Dave Chappelle got angry at his standup audience after they kept quoting his Rick James sketch. Tom Lehrer stopped performing as he tired of playing the same songs every night. (why I only thought of comedy-related people I have no idea) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/74 "2009-08-01T23:12:26Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > Don McLean is apparently the poster child for this sentiment. He says that the only thing worse than being known for one big hit is being known for one big hit that’s eight minutes long. He always does it near the beginning of his live shows to get it out of the way. > > [His concert rider](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/donmclean/donmclean1.html) even specifies that if you mention one song in your promotional materials, you have to mention at least five. That way you can’t put up a poster saying, “You know, the ‘American Pie’ guy!” He may have had a number of changes of heart about that song. Two years ago, I saw him here in Austin, performing with the Austin Symphony. He did “American Pie” as the last song in the set, and before singing it, he told the audience, “A lot of people think I’m a commercial artist who’s had a long dry spell. In reality, I’m an UNcommercial artist who got very lucky a few times. Whenever people ask what this song means, I say it mean I’ll never have to work again if I don’t want to. I can record when I want, I can tour when I want, or I can stay home. This song gave me a great gift of freedom.” So, he MAY be sick of the song (who wouldn’t be?), but he knows how lucky he was to record it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/75 "2009-08-01T23:51:02Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > He may have had a number of changes of heart about that song. > > Two years ago, I saw him here in Austin, performing with the Austin Symphony. He did “American Pie” as the last song in the set, and before singing it, he told the audience, “A lot of people think I’m a commercial artist who’s had a long dry spell. In reality, I’m an UNcommercial artist who got very lucky a few times. Whenever people ask what this song means, I say it mean I’ll never have to work again if I don’t want to. I can record when I want, I can tour when I want, or I can stay home. This song gave me a great gift of freedom.” > > So, he MAY be sick of the song (who wouldn’t be?), but he knows how lucky he was to record it. For what it’s worth, [he has written to Cecil about the song](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/908/what-is-don-mcleans-song-american-pie-all-about). ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/76 "2009-08-02T00:59:44Z")
> [@FallenAngel](#): > > Joel is also famous for his hatred of Piano Man. He did a show here in Phoenix a few years ago and the local bubble-headed bleach blonde entertainment reporter asked him something like, “It must be a thrill for you to have audiences singing along with you on Piano Man after all these years.” > > Joel said (again, as closely as I recall), “Not really. I don’t care for the song. The melody is simplistic and repetitive and it’s not really musically interesting at all. I’d love to never have to sing it again, but my fans have given me the gift of this incredible longevity in a career not known for it, and I owe it to them to give them the show they want to see, rather than the one I want to play.” > > I thought he showed some real self-awareness and class there. No cite, but I seem to recall Jimmy Buffett saying something along the same lines, even if it’s more blunt, and possibly more crass (but just as honest). IIRC, he said, “I’m paid, and paid very well, to perform certain songs people want to hear. So I play them.” And to Astorian’s comment about McLean, Carl Perkins wrote “Blue Suede Shoes,” and was grateful for what that song purchased for him (although I don’t know how he felt about the song itself – I can imagine at worst, it’s like what Michael Caine said about Jaws 4). ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/77 "2009-08-02T01:05:51Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I think EVERYBODY in the band except Dennis DeYoung hated the entire “Kilroy Was Here” album and tour. > > Dennis has always been a theater buff, and he conceived the album as a theater piece. The rest of the band wasn’t keen on the idea, and they REALLY hated the stage show that DeYoung conceived to go with it. The stage show that accompanied “Kilroy” was wordy, and had long stretches with no music. Audiences can get VERY bored and antsy during shows like that. And when they performed the show in front of crowds that came to rock out… well, not surprisingly, they heard a lot of boos, and had to dodge a lot of thrown debris. > > Tommy Shaw and J.Y. were furious at DeYoung for alienating the fans (and putting the rest of the bad in danger) to put on a mini-Broadway show, when the band and the audience just wanted a normal rock show. Would you believe that I SAW this tour? Took a girl named ‘Sonji’ when I was sixteen. The talky sections didn’t bother me that much and she seemed to like it a lot, if you get me. Twelve dollars well spent back then. As for the rest of these? They might hate the hit…but I bet they love the royalties. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/78 "2009-08-02T01:40:28Z")
Ronnie James Dio wanted to destroy the master of “Rainbow In The Dark” after the recording session, but was dissuaded from it by the rest of his band. When I saw him in 1996, he introduced the song as a “chain around my fucking neck”. I’m guessing his opinion of it did not improve with time. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/79 "2009-08-02T01:43:03Z")
> [@De\_La\_Rue](#): > > Dave Chappelle got angry at his standup audience after they kept quoting his Rick James sketch. I think that was for a different reason than you’re thinking of. He got sick of white guys coming up to him and saying nigger. I’m pretty sure he still liked the bit as he was talking about making a movie out of it until he effectively blacklisted himself. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874/80 "2009-08-02T11:39:41Z")
Moderator interjection on personal insults: > [@Cisco](#): > > I could, at this point, Claire, give you a list of culturally important things that you are completely oblivious to, but there is a limit on the length a post here can be. **Cisco** : Personal insults are NOT permitted in this forum, as you well know. You may discuss what **Claire** SAYS, but not make comments/assumptions about her as a person. Please do not do this again. I note that there are a number of comments following this, but they all are commenting on the opinion, not the person. As a few examples fop clarification (mainly for any new posters who may not be familiar with our rules): **Contrapuntal** says: “I feel justified in calling that characterization elitist and snobbish at best.” This is acceptable comment, criticizing the characterization (i.e., the opinion), not the person. **Cisco** ’s later comment: “Your standards of cultural literacy are ridiculous and contradictory” is also acceptable discussion, critizing the standards and not the person. I’m not going to issue a warning because it’s two days old, and because it was obviously a temporary lapse. Moderator interjection on hijack: The question of what makes “interesting tangential comments” vs “total hijack” is sometimes not clear. In this situation, a discussion about what constitutes cultural illiteracy or elitism would be interesting, but I suggest a different thread. This is about actors who hate their biggest roles, not about cultural illiteracy or elitims (although a few such comments are not inappropriate.) There’s little question but that STAR WARS was Alec Guiness’s biggest role (defined in terms of seen by the most number of poeple); whether it was his best role, or what you think he should be remembered for, is reasonable comment for a couple of posts, but let’s not hijack the thread down that route. It’s been said now, so back to major topic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-hate-their-biggest-hit/504874.md?page=5)