# Songs by non pop artists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2007, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620 "2007-04-11T09:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/1 "2007-04-11T09:44:20Z")
Sorry for the poor title. I’m looking for some examples of songs performed by persons not ordinarily associated with the music industry. Can be any charts (UK, US, other) As a starter: McCarthur Park - Richard Harris ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/2 "2007-04-11T10:38:25Z")
Common People (cover) by William Shatner (with Ben Folds and Joe Jackson) ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/3 "2007-04-11T10:44:23Z")
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia-Vicki Lawrence ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/4 "2007-04-11T11:27:42Z")
Well, one infamous example is the [Golden Throats series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Throats) by Rhino records. There are some musicians on it, but then also plenty of songs by non-musicians like Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Mae West, Senator Sam Ervin Jr., etc. I have the first album. Shatner singing “Mr. Tambourine Man” is pure comedy gold. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/5 "2007-04-11T12:13:49Z")
Bruce Willis - Under the Boardwalk. I went to a music quiz night where we were disallowed this in a question where you had to name 5 versions of that song. Apparently, that version was just a figment of my imagination. ---
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/6 "2007-04-11T12:15:49Z")
Ah the Bruce Willis one. Good call. And that quiz was obviously fixed. Was it for cash? ---
**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:** [April 11, 2007, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/7 "2007-04-11T12:37:02Z")
Senator Everett Dirksen (R-Il) had a top 40 hit in 1968 for “Gallant Men,” (and won a Grammy) though it was spoken word, not singing (and that was probably a good thing). ---
**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:** [April 11, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/8 "2007-04-11T12:58:15Z")
Robert Mitchum and “Thunder Road” Walter Brennan and “Old Rivers” and Lorne Greene did a proto-rap on “Ringo” ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/9 "2007-04-11T13:05:33Z")
I think you’ll find a goldmine in those records by pastors and military guys that seemed to be everywhere in the 1950s-1960s. There was also a spate of faith-based records performed by people who were disabled by accident or birth, usually garishly displayed on the cover (like a guy with metal hooks for arms). I’ll see if I can find some of the covers and artists later. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/10 "2007-04-11T13:19:39Z")
Eddie Murphy with “Party All the Time” Everybody now: “My girl wants to party all the time! party all the time! party all the tiiiiiiiiimmmme!” Patrick Swayze did “She’s Like the Wind” and one more from the Super Sounds of the 80’s Soundtrack would feature Don Johnson’s “Heartbeat”. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/11 "2007-04-11T13:33:22Z")
When I think of Tracey Ullman, I think, “she’s that British comedian/actress who hosted the show that The Simpsons originated on,” but she’s had some success as a pop singer (very minor in the U.S., a bit more in Britain). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/12 "2007-04-11T13:36:25Z")
David Carridine’s song from _Nashville,_ “I’m Easy,” got pretty high on the charts. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/13 "2007-04-11T13:39:44Z")
Lee Marvin doing Wandering Star. He’s show-biz but hardly the king of pop (or any other kind of music). ---
**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:** [April 11, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/14 "2007-04-11T15:28:30Z")
Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler and “The Ballad of the Green Berets.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/15 "2007-04-11T16:28:29Z")
[“Eyes of a Ranger”"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker,_Texas_Ranger#Walker_Texas_Ranger_Theme_Song) Chuck Norris ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/16 "2007-04-11T16:35:01Z")
The whole “David Hasselhoff in Germany” thing. [Link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJQVlVHsFF8) not for the faint of heart. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/17 "2007-04-11T17:04:34Z")
Only half qualifies, but there was the cover of “Cruisin’” by Huey Lewis and **Gwyneth Paltrow** And would **The Blues Brothers** count, since they were comedians and not actually singers? ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/18 "2007-04-11T17:07:37Z")
[QUOTE=Hilarity N. Suze] David Carridine’s song from _Nashville,_ “I’m Easy,” got pretty high on the charts. [/QUOTE] Actually, it was **Keith** Carradine, David’s brother; however, it still appears to qualify under the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/19 "2007-04-11T17:13:10Z")
Adam Sandler with his various versions of “The Hanukkah Song” as well as “Lunch Lady Land”. Lenord Nimoy had an album back in the 60’s called, “The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy” with the following atrocious song: “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” ---
**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:** [April 11, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620/20 "2007-04-11T17:44:33Z")
The old variety shows of the 60s and 70s often had singers doing acting roles (which pretty much still happens on SNL), and non-singers doing songs. These I remember just off the top of my head: Eddie Albert singing “Guantanamera.” Barbara Bain singing (well, talking) “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Raymond Burr singing (well, again, mostly talking) “Windmills of Your Mind” Telly Savalas singing (see previous) “If” And I have on tape a video of Walter Brennan and Jimmy Durante doing a version of the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-pop-artists/399620.md?page=2)