# Biggest riches to rags story - rock/pop edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574 "2010-01-04T03:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/41 "2010-01-05T18:52:05Z")
Theodore Flynn, father of Errol, was an early researcher of a bizarre critters known as [sea spiders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_spider). ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/42 "2010-01-05T18:52:58Z")
Boy did this thread take a left turn. I thought it was “riches to rags”, as in struck it rich and is now cleaning toilets for a living. Instead people keep posting one hit wonders and people who faded away. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/43 "2010-01-05T19:00:22Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > My best nominee: JOHN DENVER! > > People forget just HOW big this guy was in the Seventies. He was as big a star as ANYBODY in the music business. Today? Well, I still love his music, but you’d be hard-pressed to find may people who’ll admit liking him or buying his records. NONE of his smash hits gets any radio airplay (TRY asking a Bob FM deejay to play “Sunshine on My Shoulders” and see what response you get!). No way, no how. John Denver’s career lasted longer than most successful pop musicians. Hit first gold album was in 1971, and his last one was in 1982. That isn’t too shabby. Over all, he had 11 studio albums that were certified Gold or better, in addition to 2 live albums. He was touring & selling out large venues up until his death. The reason you don’t hear him on rock stations is due to the fact that he never performed rock music. He was country/folk, folk/pop. country/pop, whatever. You might as well try asking a Bob FM deejay to play something by Carly Simon, James Taylor, or Judy Collins. If you want to hear those people, do what my Mom does and turn it to easy listening, or whatever they call it now. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/44 "2010-01-05T19:03:05Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Boy did this thread take a left turn. > > I thought it was “riches to rags”, as in struck it rich and is now cleaning toilets for a living. Instead people keep posting one hit wonders and people who faded away. Not sure why you’d call t a left turn, when it’s more of a slight left veer. There obviously aren’t terribly many examples of “riches to rags”, or you’d have provided one. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/45 "2010-01-05T19:08:16Z")
> [@Fuji](#): > > As another data point, in Ireland today, “Country Roads” is still a very popular tune and is commonly requested at parties and also as a pub sing-along. No, I don’t understand it either. Because it’s a good song? It was (IIRC) most recently a hit for Hermes House Band, in 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/46 "2010-01-05T19:29:58Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Theodore Flynn, father of Errol, was an early researcher of a bizarre critters known as [sea spiders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_spider). Was this meant for a different thread? ---
**Author:** ![Fuji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Fuji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/47 "2010-01-05T19:45:14Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Because it’s a good song? It was (IIRC) most recently a hit for Hermes House Band, in 2001. Well, sure - it’s a good song. But then again, there are thousands of good songs out there. Moving here from the US, I just found it odd that that particular tune - which I had never heard in decades of US bar-hopping and could probably count on one hand the number of times I heard it on non-country music radio stations during the same period - had such widespread popularity 3000 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/48 "2010-01-05T20:00:06Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Was this meant for a different thread? Yeah. Nevermind.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/49 "2010-01-05T20:06:22Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > No way, no how. John Denver’s career lasted longer than most successful pop musicians. Hit first gold album was in 1971, and his last one was in 1982. That isn’t too shabby. Over all, he had 11 studio albums that were certified Gold or better, in addition to 2 live albums. He was touring & selling out large venues up until his death. > > The reason you don’t hear him on rock stations is due to the fact that he never performed rock music. He was country/folk, folk/pop. country/pop, whatever. You might as well try asking a Bob FM deejay to play something by Carly Simon, James Taylor, or Judy Collins. If you want to hear those people, do what my Mom does and turn it to easy listening, or whatever they call it now. Well, John wasn’t really country, either! Remember how Charlie Rich reacted at the CMA awards when John Denver won “Best Male Vocalist”? So, where DOES he fit? Maybe with the likes of Bread and Cat Stevens (two more acts that have been mostly forgotten). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/50 "2010-01-05T20:07:33Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Not sure why you’d call t a left turn, when it’s more of a slight left veer. > There obviously aren’t terribly many examples of “riches to rags”, or you’d have provided one. Well, if you want actual rags, Chuck Negron comes close. He was lead singer of Three Dog Night, one of the biggest groups of the Seventies. He was one of those who blew a fortune on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/51 "2010-01-05T20:09:39Z")
My nomination (not the biggest story, but a sort of interesting one) is a band we went to see this summer, [The Fixx](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fixx). One of their hits, “One Thing Leads to Another” is a staple of any 80’s compilations, they had a string of fair-to-middling hits in North America, but when we went to see them this summer, they were playing a half-empty casino in Edmonton. What makes their story somewhat interesting is that they have nearly the same line-up now that they’ve had for decades, and in spite of playing in crappy conditions, they put on a fantastic show. I’m not sure what that says about the band - they do it for the love of the music, or they just don’t know when to quit? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/52 "2010-01-05T20:11:03Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Well, John wasn’t really country, either! Remember how Charlie Rich reacted at the CMA awards when John Denver won “Best Male Vocalist”? > > So, where DOES he fit? Maybe with the likes of Bread and Cat Stevens (two more acts that have been mostly forgotten). True. However, certain country fans & artists have been bitching about other country artists not being" country enough" for decades. It’s pretty common, but I think you’re probably close with Bread & Cat Stephens. I still think James Taylor is the best comparison. ---
**Author:** ![beatlejuice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@beatlejuice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beatlejuice)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/53 "2010-01-05T20:20:29Z")
I nominate Dave Mason. He was popular in the '70’s and seemed to disappear. I’m not sure about his rags though. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/54 "2010-01-05T20:23:29Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My nomination (not the biggest story, but a sort of interesting one) is a band we went to see this summer, [The Fixx](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fixx). One of their hits, “One Thing Leads to Another” is a staple of any 80’s compilations, they had a string of fair-to-middling hits in North America, but when we went to see them this summer, they were playing a half-empty casino in Edmonton. What makes their story somewhat interesting is that they have nearly the same line-up now that they’ve had for decades, and in spite of playing in crappy conditions, they put on a fantastic show. I’m not sure what that says about the band - they do it for the love of the music, or they just don’t know when to quit? 🙂 I think that is worthy of respect-----The same line-up that played to huge crowds 20 years ago, now reduced to playing small time gigs in front of a less than stellar crowd, yet still playing with passsion and intensity for the few who are still interested. That speaks highly of their character to me. I am glad you went and enjoyed the show!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/55 "2010-01-05T20:41:11Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Zager & Evans are the only group in history who had a **number-one** hit single on both the US and UK charts - _In the Year 2525_ - and then never had another chart single for the entire remainder of their career. > > Their song was so insanely popular that people said they were going to be _the_ biggest American rock group, even comparing them to the Beatles. I’d really, really like to see a cite for this claim. Yes, they had a hit song, like lots of other previously obscure groups. But I don’t remember anyone, even if they were bombed out on drugs, predicting supergroup status for them. In the spirit of the OP, I’d agree with the selection of the Bay City Rollers, who got enormous hype about how they were the next big teen fave, would match or exceed the Beatles’ success and sweep through America to hysterical acclaim. They wound up with one medium hit “S.A. **T.U.R…D**.A.Y. Night!” and a small collection of fans’ undies. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/56 "2010-01-05T20:42:11Z")
Just to add - I have been at the bar and heard John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and the crowd went _wild_. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/57 "2010-01-05T21:03:09Z")
astorian: > [@](#): > > Eighties: Air Supply I don’t think they’re disdained by anyone who wasn’t already disdaining sappy-style romantic ballads during the band’s heyday. Heaven knows, the SDMB is full of people too hip and cynical to enjoy a simple love song. I know they still tour and sing live. Not to, say, Eagles-level crowds, but they still get bookings. They’re not particularly down on their luck. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/58 "2010-01-05T21:11:40Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > astorian: > > I don’t think they’re disdained by anyone who wasn’t already disdaining sappy-style romantic ballads during the band’s heyday. Heaven knows, the SDMB is full of people too hip and cynical to enjoy a simple love song. > > I know they still tour and sing live. Not to, say, Eagles-level crowds, but they still get bookings. They’re not particularly down on their luck. I know- I actually saw them perform with the Austin Symphony Orchestra at a megachurch a few years back. It was cheesy fun, and they seemed to be having a great time (as did most of the audience). I’m not saying they’re destitute. Just that, if you looked at my Billboard list of the best selling artists of the 80s, they’d be the most likely to make people scratch their heads and wonder, “What ever happened to them?” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/59 "2010-01-05T22:34:35Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I think that is worthy of respect-----The same line-up that played to huge crowds 20 years ago, now reduced to playing small time gigs in front of a less than stellar crowd, yet still playing with passsion and intensity for the few who are still interested. > > That speaks highly of their character to me. Agreed. They really did impress me. > [@](#): > > I am glad you went and enjoyed the show!!! The band was available for autographs after the show, and were very approachable - if we weren’t so shy around celebrities, they probably would have talked with us for hours. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574/60 "2010-01-05T23:29:03Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > You know, a lot of HUGELY popular non-rock artists from the start of the rock & roll era are completely forgotten. I couldn’t name a single hit song by ANY of these acts, but the numbers say they were superstars in the Fifties. > > The McGuire Sisters, The Four Lads, Teresa Brewer, The Fontane Sisters I could name one of The Four Lads’ hits, although I’ve only heard the They Might Be Giants cover version: [“Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_%28Not_Constantinople%29). Other than that I’d agree that they’re pretty well forgotten, though. I’ve even seen people online mistakenly attribute the original version of “Istanbul” to the similarly named Four Tops. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-riches-to-rags-story-rock-pop-edition/523574.md?page=4)