# Most Unlikely or Unusual Popular Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [June 26, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902 "2022-06-26T18:05:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/61 "2022-06-27T16:18:59Z")
Bowie’s “Space Oddity” was pretty unique: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iYYRH4apXDo/maxresdefault.jpg "David Bowie – Space Oddity (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo) ---
**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:** [June 27, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/62 "2022-06-27T16:23:19Z")
My pick for now is Pete Wingfield’s “Eighteen With A Bullet”, sung in falsetto. _I’m eighteen with a bullet_ _Got my finger on the trigger, I’m gonna pull it_ _I’m picked to click now_ _I’m a son-of-a-gun_ _So hold it right there little girl, little girl_ _We’re gonna have big fun_ _I may be an oldie, but I’m a goodie, too_ _I’ll last forever and I’ll be good to you, oh, yes I will_ Of course, the song actually _did_ wind up charting at #18 with a bullet, eventually reaching #15 (#7 in the U.K.). > [@silenus](#): > > “My Ding-a-Ling” was Chuck Berry’s **only** #1 hit in the US. The Father of Rock & Roll only hit it big with a really puerile novelty song. Since Chuck Berry had a total of _seven_ top ten hits and lots of airplay with other songs, I don’t think it’s fair to say he “only hit it big” with “My Ding-a-Ling”. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/63 "2022-06-27T16:25:32Z")
I have a soft spot for minimalist songs, but rarely one gets in the charts. So I thought of which did, and I came up with these: The aforementioned “Popcorn”: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uS3_SgILyy8/maxresdefault.jpg "Hot Butter - Popcorn (Version Originale) 1972 full 7” Single") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS3_SgILyy8) M’s “Pop Muzik”: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gPoiv0sZ4s4/hqdefault.jpg "M - Pop Muzik (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPoiv0sZ4s4) And of course the mother of all minimalist pop songs, Trio’s “Da Da Da”: [![](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:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/64 "2022-06-27T16:33:19Z")
**Banana Boat (Day O)** by Harry Belafonte, which made it high on the charts. Basically a song about a crew loading bananas. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DYYkJ0kwNss/maxresdefault.jpg "Banana Boat (Day-O)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYYkJ0kwNss) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/65 "2022-06-27T16:42:20Z")
Turning Japanese\*\* by The Vapors is pretty strange, regardless of whether it’s about self gratification or not [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nGy9uomagO4/hqdefault.jpg "Turning Japanese [Official video] - The Vapors (HD/HQ)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGy9uomagO4) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/66 "2022-06-27T16:44:26Z")
“Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was) was the first time I recognized a novelty song for what it was. It hit #7. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zYKupOsaJmk/hqdefault.jpg "Was (Not Was) - Walk The Dinosaur") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYKupOsaJmk) And speaking of novelty dance songs about walking, “Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles is pretty weird when you actually listen to the lyrics. It stayed at #1 for four weeks. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Cv6tuzHUuuk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv6tuzHUuuk) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/67 "2022-06-27T16:50:26Z")
Well, it’s not really a rock… But you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/68 "2022-06-27T16:55:16Z")
How about “Coconut”? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TsSuueEGQSM/maxresdefault.jpg "Harry Nilsson - Coconut (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsSuueEGQSM) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/69 "2022-06-27T17:00:42Z")
^^ Yeah, that’s a good one too. Most of my life, I had only known it as a Muppets number before I learned that originally it was a Nilsson song. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/70 "2022-06-27T17:01:27Z")
I immediately thought of “Spill the Wine,” by Eric Burdon and War. A four-minute stoner/horndog rap set to a killer groove. Made it to #3 on the Hot 100. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/espD_-Z-SaY/hqdefault.jpg "War- Spill the Wine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=espD_-Z-SaY) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/71 "2022-06-27T17:02:35Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I don’t think most people remember that song. It wasn’t played on any of the oldiest stations I grew up with. I remember it. It was played on a lot of the classic rock stations when I was growing up, although it’s been more missing than present in the last couple decades. Og, I’m old. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/72 "2022-06-27T17:03:01Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was) was the first time I recognized a novelty song for what it was. It hit #7. I always wondered how the dinosaur felt when the chorus shifted gears and started singing, “Open the door get on the floor, everyone kill the dinosaur.” Like, was the dinosaur thinking, “What the hell, guys. I thought we were cool?” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/73 "2022-06-27T17:55:07Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And, three that are not on the OP list, also from the 1970s/early 1980s: > > “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band,” a disco-fied version of various themes from the _Star Wars_ soundtrack (along with some sound effects), hit #1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 1977, and was also a top-ten hit in numerous other countries; it took advantage of the massive interest in _Star Wars_, as well as the popularity of disco. (For what it’s worth, a “single” version of the actual orchestral theme from _Star Wars_ was also a top 10 hit in the U.S.) I used to have the 45 single of that! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/74 "2022-06-27T18:00:30Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I used to have the 45 single of that! As did I. 😃 Given my user name here, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that, these days, I have that song (as well as the full, 15-minute album cut) on my iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/75 "2022-06-27T19:42:25Z")
What about Devo’s _Whip It_? Reached 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The video was also a mainstay on early MTV. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/j_QLzthSkfM/maxresdefault.jpg "Devo - Whip It (Official Music Video) | Warner Vault") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/76 "2022-06-27T20:38:54Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > How about “Coconut”? It is indeed unusual. I remember reading somewhere that is somewhat unique in its structure. Same few notes, no ‘chorus’, no ‘bridge’ (I’m not really a music guy, so you may want to look it up) and some other things about it that made it special. _“So let me get this straight…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/77 "2022-06-27T20:39:23Z")
Jungle Fever, a 1971 4’20" orgasm. Number 8 on the charts. Like one commenter said, after listening to that I need a cigarette, and I don’t smoke! (It was one of the samples in Convention 72.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mp-NIC6X0GQ/maxresdefault.jpg "chakachas - Jungle Fever") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp-NIC6X0GQ) And its cousin, Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby, another mutliorgasmic 1975 hit (#2) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7ul_eiDQy68/hqdefault.jpg "Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ul_eiDQy68) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/78 "2022-06-27T20:47:52Z")
The two songs that popped in my head, I haven’t found searching this thread. AC/DC, Big Balls: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xPlqLHcphyw/maxresdefault.jpg "Big Balls") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlqLHcphyw) Presidents of the United States of America, Peaches: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvAnQqVJ3XQ) Though I admit, with Peaches the song isn’t quite as weird as the video. I’m not counting songs by novelty bands like Bowling for Soup or Green Jellÿ. ETA: Would Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver by Primus count? Primus is pretty weird in general, but this song in particular stands out. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aYDfwUJzYQg/maxresdefault.jpg "Primus - Wynona's Big Brown Beaver") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDfwUJzYQg) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/79 "2022-06-27T20:56:44Z")
As long as we’re hating on spoken word songs, let me put in a word for Desiderata. Peace, love, harmony and all that droned through by a deejay/failed talk show host. #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3bUTcy6w2Rw/hqdefault.jpg "Desiderata - Les Crane") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bUTcy6w2Rw) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902/80 "2022-06-27T20:58:29Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Yeesht. Want people to leave your business? Play THAT. No Kiddin’, Huh? I clicked on that and felt a ripple through The Force! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-or-unusual-popular-song/966902.md?page=5)