Damn my rushing fingers. I was going to nominate “Still, You Turn Me On” from Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Probably closer to what was going on musically at the time, but still creepy enough to set it apart.
Who would have pickedBohemian Rhapsody By Queen ? And it turns out to be one of the most recognizable rock songs of all time.
I hated eighties music! Drove me to country just as they were starting to rock that up. But I do have my selective favorites and Queen is certainly one of them.
Does anyone remember “Winchester Cathedral?” That was certainly off the beaten path for its time.
I wasn’t around when it happened, but Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto went to number 1 on the (American) charts in 1963, and it is sung in Japanese.
Damn, I love that song. Just listened to it again.
Hooked on a Feelin’ by Blue Seude . Listening to it now. Not quite the B.J.Thomas Version. Actually I like it better. It really rocks!
Was anyone else surprised whenDavid Lee Roth made a reasonable and
well accepted version of Just a Gigilo , a standard of Louis Prima ?
This is a great thread. I think I’m on a roll!
One that I wish never had was “I’ve Never Been to Me”…“I’ve been to Greece and the Isle of Nice where I drank champagne off a yacht; I cruised like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed them what I got…blah blah blah”.
Not an individual song, but I was certainly surprised when that Gregorian Chant album hit #3 in the mid 90s.
Never could understand the popularity of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin.
It seemed so goofy and repetitious - never did understand the appeal.
But is was different.
“Hocus Pocus” by Focus Who knew flute solos and yodelling would make for a Top 10 hit?
“Neanderthal Man” Hotlegs The same four lines (“I’m a Neanderthal man/You’re a Neanderthal girl/Let’s make Neanderthal love/In our Neanderthal world”) repeated over and over and over…
“Hard Knock Life” Jay-Z Because the one thing rap had been missing was Broadway show tune samples.
“Last Kiss” Pearl Jam Granted, Pearl Jam had been a major album chart success and had had some singles sucess. And “Last Kiss” had been a Top 40 hit in two previous versions. But this hardly seemed like a musical pairing destined for the Top 5.
The Candy Man as recordede by Sammy Davis, Jr. Who would’ve thought this piece of Anthony Newly fluff from a kid’s movie would hit it so big? Davis reportedly did it as a lark, and nobody knew it would be a hit.
And how the hell did a song about TG behavior like Lola become a mainstream hit so many years ago? I strongly believe that no one pays much attention to lyrics, and this is a prize example.
Popcorn by Hot Butter
Convoy by CW McCall
Muskrat Love by The Captain and Tenille :eek:
Don’t give up (on us Babe) by David Soul :eek: :eek:
How about that steaming pile of crap that was Butterfly Kisses. Way out of line with the modern tastes that dominated, yet it pretty much wormed its way onto every Top 40 and alternative station.
Still gives me the willies.
“Oh Happy Day” by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. Some lyrics by a nobody from the early 1700s, some more stuff added in the 1800s, and gospelized in 1969, hits #1. The 60s were a weird time.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” - Gordon Lightfoot
Nothing like death in icy water to get the kids dancing.
BTW, I like the song.
Tuesday night’s American Idol reminded me of the oddity of “MacArthur Park” being a hit. As Carrie said when Ryan Seacrest asked her what the song was about: “I don’t know, a cake in the rain and icing and an old man playing chess? I have NO idea!”
Wierd, just as I read this post, this song began on my MP3 player.
“Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward 
“Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks 
“My Dingaling” by Chuck Berry :eek:
Chuck Mangione, Feels So Good.
Disco was the 500-pound gorilla of the moment, Top 40 pop was, as ever, a mainstay, and punk and new wave were growing. So where did this come from? Great music from a great performer, to be sure, but huh?