# Hit songs of the '60s through the '80s that didn't endure - and do you think they should have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 14, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509 "2022-12-14T14:00:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/101 "2022-12-15T23:46:22Z")
I suspect Umpire may be British - I am, and I recognise all but the first two (which I might recognise if I heard them) They were all hits to varying degrees here. I’d nominate Redbone - their Witch Queen of New Orleans was a big hit here but gets effectively no airplay, and Come and Get Your Love is only recognised now since it was used in the Guardians of the Galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/102 "2022-12-16T01:56:42Z")
Great song, but unfortunately the only one on the album that was any good MHO. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/103 "2022-12-16T02:11:56Z")
Here’s what a professor of classical music has to say about “Hocus Pocus.” I will add that he takes a few rips off a bong if anyone’s offended or triggered. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OfC6-rlEO0Q/hqdefault.jpg "Classical Composer Reacts to Hocus Pocus (Focus) | The Daily Doug (Episode 253)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfC6-rlEO0Q) For a long time when I was a kid, I thought this song was by Grand Funk Railroad. Interesting that I would, because it turns out Mark Farner and Mike Pinera, the singer, were born on the same day. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HqFFjoRnltg/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgQCgzMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBBY8JhnLpsGSh9bpEydCGYPWJt8Q "Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image - 1970") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqFFjoRnltg) This was a staple on the oldies station when I was a data entry operator with a Walkman, in the late 1980s. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8lN_KC_XnW4/hqdefault.jpg "Five Americans - Western Union 45rpm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lN_KC_XnW4) I also looked up a-ha’s “The Sun Always Shines on TV” and didn’t remember the video, but did remember the song. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/104 "2022-12-16T03:40:35Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > reiterate that the Lost Hits webpage I think it would be interesting for the lost hits algorithm be rerun, but using Spotify plays. To me, that would represent more which music is in the public’s mind, versus program director’s mind. For example, the Debby Boone version of _You Light Up My Life_ was #3 in 1977, and has 28 million plays. That ain’t nothin, but’s far from a monster hit. The #25 song of that year was _We Will Rock You_ which has 966 million Spotify plays, so a few more. I always find it fascinating which art becomes a cultural touch stone, and what just fades away. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/105 "2022-12-16T03:59:04Z")
My junior high health class was right over the girls’ locker room, and one day, we could hear the girls beating on the lockers. Who’da thunk people would still be doing that more than 40 years later? One song I remember topping the charts, but getting very little airplay (in my area anyway) was a song called “Float On” by the Floaters, a hit around that same time. Until now, I didn’t know it had a video. Never heard it on any station since, either. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZklwTGZutc) ETA: This is not the same song that was also a big hit by Modest Mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/106 "2022-12-16T05:02:56Z")
I propose this: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/W2Taxuott5s/hqdefault.jpg "After The Goldrush - Prelude") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Taxuott5s) I loved it when it came out, but diget the recording. Didn’t hear it again until the ex got it on CD 20+ years later. Lost it again when we broke up, and had to go search for it. I still haven’t heard it on the radio and I listen to a station that pulls all sorts of less played oldies ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/107 "2022-12-16T05:15:37Z")
Here are some that I think have largely fallen out of public consciousness: Mais Que Nada by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/30IePC8c99g/maxresdefault.jpg "Mais Que Nada") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30IePC8c99g) Hello, Stranger by Barbara Lewis: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J5BRuWS9iAk/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC8AKKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAwfY3EmV6L0xDnj5gZ2KOtAMu05g "Barbara Lewis - Hello Stranger") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5BRuWS9iAk) Botte of Wine by The Fireballs: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/I0UVZePwlg0/maxresdefault.jpg "Bottle of Wine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0UVZePwlg0) The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp by O.C. Smith: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fLobfNN5X84/hqdefault.jpg "O C Smith - The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLobfNN5X84) The Show Must Go On by Leo Sayer (the cover by Three Dog Night is better known, but Leo Sayer wrote it): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UwW2pQaCc1Y/maxresdefault.jpg "Leo Sayer - The Show Must Go On") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwW2pQaCc1Y) Cry by Godley and Creme: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EAwd4X0bD_Y/maxresdefault.jpg "Cry") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwd4X0bD_Y) Just\_Asking\_Questions brought up Grazing in the Grass by Friends of Distinction. The original by Hugh Masakela actually is an instrumental: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qxXZF60EPdM/maxresdefault.jpg "Hugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass (1968)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXZF60EPdM) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/108 "2022-12-16T05:20:28Z")
@Zyada , thank you! That _a capella_ version of “After the Goldrush” is one I remember, but I haven’t heard in decades–not since I played it on my own record player, off one of those K-Tel compilation albums. A much better version than Neil Young did, IMHO. Thanks again for posting it. It was nice to hear again. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/109 "2022-12-16T05:24:47Z")
what about whole groups that were big but they just faded off the charts …i mean, other than those 20 song records that they sold on tv (until the time life licensors took it over), who still buys air supply albums or leo sayer ? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/110 "2022-12-16T13:46:50Z")
It’s been a long time since I heard any Steve Forbert songs: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vYMu2qgOiJs/maxresdefault.jpg "Romeo's Tune") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYMu2qgOiJs) Also a lot of bands from the Punk/New Wave era. I haven’t heard any Buzzcocks or Stranglers in a long time. I’m sure there’s a relevant Sirius channel, though. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/111 "2022-12-16T19:46:12Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > _I think the king, or queen I guess, has to be You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone._ If she’s the Queen, the King was definitely Morris Albert, who had a monster hit with an insipid balled called “Feelings” in 1975. Not as big as YLUML, but close. “Feeeelings. Whoa whoa whoa Feeeelings. Whoa whoa whoa Feeeelings”… and on and on. Albert “wrote” the song but it was later revealed he’d “borrowed” some of it from an obscure 1957 French recording. The 1970s produced a lot of awful stuff like that. I should know. I had to play them on the radio. Fortunately, songs like that had a way of disappearing from station playlists after their chart run. I don’t remember playing either one of them later. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/112 "2022-12-16T20:17:31Z")
I’m a little more familiar with the parody version [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YLmzZmmK3R4/hqdefault.jpg "Cheech Y Chong - Bloat On") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLmzZmmK3R4) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/113 "2022-12-16T20:51:31Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Thee King was definitely Morris Albert, who had a monster hit with an insipid balled called “Feelings” in 1975. Not as big as YLUML, but close. It was featured on network TV: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8thmn6LwLBo/hqdefault.jpg "Carol Burnett - The Family: “The Gong Show”") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8thmn6LwLBo&t=673) The video starts at the appropriate moment. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/114 "2022-12-16T21:25:31Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1-8xMWA6_ZE/hqdefault.jpg "The Veterans - There Ain't No Age For Rock N Roll (1980)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-8xMWA6_ZE) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xqTBlft8gQA/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGD4gVyhyMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCUNiMh7RefwmNETKfWvcW8J7DJsw "Trio Da Da Da Official Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqTBlft8gQA) ---
**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:** [December 16, 2022, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/115 "2022-12-16T22:05:46Z")
The song got to #2 but I barely remember hearing it either. It also never got any airplay on oldies stations. I suspect the astrology/“What’s your sign?” theme quickly turned the song into an overripe piece of '70s cheese. If you want to know more, here’s a link to Todd In the Shadow’s “One-Hit Wonderland” profile of the song and group. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/n6y329rggtw/hqdefault.jpg "ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Float On"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6y329rggtw) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/116 "2022-12-16T22:48:08Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Trio Da Da Da Most famously made it into one of those clever VW cult ads: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KmQvOT1Sxkg/hqdefault.jpg "Volkswagen Da Da Da Commercial Spot") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmQvOT1Sxkg) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/117 "2022-12-17T00:37:42Z")
My brother loves to tell the story about being at the local food co-op a few years ago, and hearing the Buzzcocks’ “Orgasm Addict” over the P.A. He likes to tell that story almost as much as I enjoy relating the time that I opened the grocery store pharmacy at 7:55AM to the tune of King Crimson’s “In The Court of the Crimson King.” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p2Mi995ggFU/hqdefault.jpg "The Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict - 1977 45rpm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Mi995ggFU) Now that I think about it, I heard “Romeo’s Tune” recently on an overhead speaker, although I don’t remember where. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/118 "2022-12-17T02:31:58Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > “Romeo’s Tune” I thought of that song instantly when I saw Steve Forbert’s name. Good song. For some reason it made me think of Ian Gomm’s “Hold On,” maybe because they both came out in 1979. Unlike some of the other song’s mentioned, that made the top twenty in America. Santana had a song also called “Hold On” in 1982, which is one of my favorites from them. Never hear that one anymore either, even though it also went top twenty. In fact you could fill a best-selling album or a dozen of them just with songs titled [“Hold On”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hold_On). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/119 "2022-12-17T03:11:04Z")
Twice, we’ve had two songs in the Top 40 called “Hold On.” The first was indeed in 1979, with Ian Gomm and Triumph, and in 1991, with Wilson Phillips and En Vogue. Until a few years ago, it seemed that I could not go out in public and NOT hear the Wilson Phillips song. Yeah, I know it’s meant to be uplifting, but after about 25 years and 300,000 hearings, it gets old. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509/120 "2022-12-18T21:47:09Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Over the last two or three years, radio columnist Sean Ross has written a series of articles on lost hits So, I’ve now looked through this site a bit, and it’s been very informative. Admittedly, it’s got what songs still get played in that particular mainstream capacity now (or at least when each article written) rather than those that lasted 30 years, but then faded out, but that in and of itself is still extremely interesting reading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-songs-of-the-60s-through-the-80s-that-didnt-endure-and-do-you-think-they-should-have/976509.md?page=7)