# Famous songs that weren't hits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454 "2008-10-25T00:32:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/21 "2008-10-25T22:31:18Z")
> [@UnwrittenNocturne](#): > > Most of the Iggy Pop catalogue. Which astonishes me Seriously? Iggy Pop / Stooges are pretty edgy, “Candy” notwithstanding. I’m not surprised at his lack of hits. Joe ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/22 "2008-10-25T23:06:31Z")
Louis Armstrong’s **What a Wonderful World** was released as a single in 1968 and went absolutely nowhere. Twenty years later, after being featured in **Good Morning Vietnam** , it did become a minor hit (#32) and is ubiquitious these days. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/23 "2008-10-25T23:34:23Z")
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, … ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/24 "2008-10-25T23:34:56Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” only made it to #44. Yet they play this suckstosity like it hit #1. Rush mostly sucks. The Band and The Blowhard. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/25 "2008-10-26T01:01:26Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > Modern English’s “Melt with you” apparently only ever reached #76 on the US charts I _loved_ that song when it came out. Bought the 12" single, even. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Yet they play this suckstosity like it hit #1. Rush mostly sucks. The Band and The Blowhard. Now was that really necessary? You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but the original question had nothing to do with whether the song or the band that performed it is good or not. “Tom Sawyer” fits the OP’s criteria: It’s famous/well-known, and it wasn’t a “big” hit. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/26 "2008-10-26T02:57:53Z")
Four Strong Winds Ian and Sylvia. Folk singers in the 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/27 "2008-10-26T03:04:21Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Yet they play this suckstosity like it hit #1. Rush mostly sucks. The Band and The Blowhard. Your lack of taste was not a criteria in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454/28 "2008-10-26T03:07:52Z")
If it’s any help, I liked Limelight off the same album. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-songs-that-werent-hits/469454.md?page=1)