# Great Music Acts With Few or No "Hits" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537 "2002-05-17T13:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/1 "2002-05-17T13:04:27Z")
Apropos of the recent VH-1 special _100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders_, what are some “great” rock acts that have had few or no chart-topping singles? The show itself mentioned **The Grateful Dead** : _Touch of Gray_; **Jimmi Hendrix** : _Foxy Lady_; and a couple of others that I don’t remember now. I’m also thinking of **Led Zeppelin**. Though _Stairway to Heaven_ is wildly popular on “Classic Rock” radio, it was never released as a single. **"Weird Al" Yankovic** has a devoted following and plenty of MTV play (particularly in the '80’s), but IIRC his only Top-40 Singles have been _Eat It_ and _The Saga Begins_. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/2 "2002-05-17T13:24:36Z")
I don’t think **Rush** has had too many hits. And while many consider him to be a musical genius (several universities even teach a class about him!), I don’t believe **Frank Zappa** had _any_ hits. A few other bands I can think of that are/were pretty successful despite not being high on the charts: The Talking Heads The Dead Kennedys Thomas Dolby Cibo Matto Webb Wilder ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/3 "2002-05-17T13:46:27Z")
Zappa’s “Valley Girl” reached #32 on the Billboard charts (the album "Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowing Witch reached #23), and garnered a few Grammy nominations. A hit? Not exactly, but some commercial recognition. Of course, “Truckin’,” by the Dead “rose straight to the top of the charts in Turlock, California, numero uno, and stayed there for a week or two. They love us in Turlock and we love them for that.” Extra credit points if you can identify the quote. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/4 "2002-05-17T13:50:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\*And while many consider him to be a musical genius (several universities even teach a class about him!), I don’t believe **Frank Zappa** had _any_ hits. > \*\* “Valley Girl” reached #32 and did spawn a fad. Zappa was too advanced to be popular; I especially like the fact that his one other “hit” – “Dancing Fool” – was a dancing song you couldn’t dance to. Anyway, I’ll add: **Traffic** – Some great albums and terrific songs, that are often played on classic rock stations, but their only successful single was “Paper Sun.” Their best songs tended to be too long for singles, anyway. **Blind Faith** – Only one album, of course, but they deserve a footnote as being the first group to have a number #1 album without having a hit single on it. **Bonzo Dog Band** – Of course I had to mention then. Had a small hit in England, but not in the U.S. **Captain Beefheart** – not for everyone, but he did some great stuff over his career, and never stood a chance of having a hit. **Soft Machine** – great jazz-based rock, but much too avant-garde for single airplay. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/5 "2002-05-17T14:20:00Z")
Well, if you define “hit” purely as a single that cracks the Billboard top 40, I can think of a LOT of very popular bands, bands that sold tens of millions of albums, but rarely or never reached the top 40 with singles. Rush had one top 40 single- “New World Man.” Black Sabbath never reached the top 40 with any single, as far as I know. MOST real heavy metal bands never do (a few 80s hair bands did, and occasionally a metal band will release a “power ballad” that makes the top 40). I don’t believe King Crimson ever had a hit single in America. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/6 "2002-05-17T14:48:57Z")
For a band that contained phenomenal talent, and never broke into the American Top 40, **John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers** have to be considered. The band featured, at various times: Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce of Cream; John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac; Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones; and Aynsley Dunbar of Journey, Jefferson Starship, and Whitesnake. Another artist whose talent never really translated into wild commercial success is **Joni Mitchell** – at least not on the singles chart. I’m not sure how her albums sold. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/7 "2002-05-17T14:49:33Z")
Cowboy Junkies - probably mostly known for their “Sweet Jane”, but they’ve got lots of great stuff that never makes it on mainstream radio. ---
**Author:** ![krazy\_kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@krazy\_kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krazy_kat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/8 "2002-05-17T14:58:43Z")
sonic youth ---
**Author:** ![TelcontarStorm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@TelcontarStorm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TelcontarStorm)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/9 "2002-05-17T15:01:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\* > “Valley Girl” reached #32 and did spawn a fad. > Zappa was too advanced to be popular; I especially like the fact that his one other “hit” – “Dancing Fool” – was a dancing song you couldn’t dance to. \*\* At one point in my misspent youth, a local Detriot AM radio station used to put out a local Top 10 (mind you how long ago THAT was) and **Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow** off of **Apostrophe** made it. Frank has allways been _Only in for the Money_ \*\* Happliy Hums…"Evelyn a modified dog viewed the quivering edge…\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/10 "2002-05-17T15:05:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by plnnr \* > \*\*Extra credit points if you can identify the quote. \*\* Bobby Weir’s spoken intro to “Truckin’” on the _Europe '72_ disc. Vinyl, anyway…was it hacked off when the 3-record set went onto 2 compact discs? Man, I’ll be humiliated if I got that wrong. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/11 "2002-05-17T15:08:04Z")
Have to toss in Jethro Tull. They sold millions and millions of albums for two decades or more. They never had a monster hit. I don’t think they ever had anything close to a hit. Thick as a Brick was one of their most popular, but sheer length kept that from topping the charts. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/12 "2002-05-17T15:28:35Z")
I take this to be sort of “Who has a song or two that’s easily recognizable but not a chartbuster.” NRBQ: Lots of songs you’d recognize, but not any major hits that I can think of. Course, Bonnie Raitt had a hit with “Just me and the boys”. maybe Dave Edmonds Nick Drake (though, thanks to the VW commercial, getting more popoular) perhaps Iron Butterfly: everyone recognizes The Drum Solo from Inna Gadda Da Vida What about Strawberry Alarmclock? Again, most people have heard Incence and Peppermints. Status-quo - Pictures of Matchstick men. ---
**Author:** ![Rubicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Rubicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubicon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/13 "2002-05-17T15:35:48Z")
Janes Addiction (Been Caught Stealing is the only song I can recall being a hit) for sure. Southside Johnny maybe, depending on how you define good music. Soundgarden probably, depending on how you define hit. I second Sonic Youth. Maybe the Pretenders? ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/14 "2002-05-17T16:20:53Z")
Phish. Their career has been so similiar to the Dead’s. Moe and String Cheese Incident seem to be on the same path. Has Ani DiFranco ever had a hit? Bela Fleck, banjo god, solo or with the Flecktones. ---
**Author:** ![A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_wizard_song_for_thee)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/15 "2002-05-17T17:10:16Z")
**The Velvet Underground** practically defined this question. I believe _The Velvet Underground and Nico_ cracked Billboard’s top 200 at a big 199 (mostly due to Andy Warhol’s influence), and “Rock ‘n’ Roll” was a minor hit, but their influence on any kind of left-of-center rock act is incalculable. I’d say even moreso than Zappa, but that might just be because I love VU so much… Oh, and **Rubicon** , Jane’s Addiction had another hit with “Jane Says.” In fact, that was kind of their breakout hit… ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/16 "2002-05-17T17:38:52Z")
You are correct, sir. Nope, the whole thing is still on the CD (which makes listening to Truckin’\>Prelude\>Epilogue\>Morning Dew a much, much nicer experience - it really does hang together much better if you don’t have to get up and change the record). ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/17 "2002-05-17T17:53:31Z")
XTC Robyn Hitchcock Beautiful South (well, no hits in the States, anyway) ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/18 "2002-05-17T19:14:06Z")
**The Ramones** never cracked the US Top 40. “Rockaway Beach” peaked at #66, I believe, and was their biggest chart success. **The Replacements** didn’t have much chart success, but were cited as an influence by many 90s alt-rockers. **The Kinks** are my favorite British invasion band, but despite an impressive collection of albums, they’ve hit the US Top 10 only twice since the 60s. (“Lola” in 1970 and “Come Dancing” in 1983). Still, they were filling arenas in the late 70s- early 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/19 "2002-05-17T19:34:26Z")
**Warren Zevon** is a very talented musician and songwriter, and is respected by his peers, followed by many fans…but he has never had much commercial success aside from ‘Werewolves of London,’ a fun song which really does not begin to demonstrate the depth of Zevon’s genius. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537/20 "2002-05-17T19:42:15Z")
Although he’s regarded as influencial, Elvis Costello had only a couple songs (“Every Day I Write the Book” and “Veronica”) make it into the American Top 40–and even those just barely made it in. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-music-acts-with-few-or-no-hits/109537.md?page=2)