# Spoken hits that aren't Rap. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403 "2015-01-31T04:33:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/21 "2015-01-31T09:38:55Z")
There’s also [Cows With Guns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPhWfSeMYHA). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/22 "2015-01-31T10:12:51Z")
[Captain Beaky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r2mPdsPqrw) reached #5 in the UK charts, 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/23 "2015-01-31T10:36:08Z")
[Deck of Cards](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmp3TF1DFZ8), a hit for various people over the years, including Wink Martindale in 1959 ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/24 "2015-01-31T10:41:46Z")
Desiderata, Les Crane Atlantis, Donovan (first part, anyway) and I was beaten to Big Short Fat Irving. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/25 "2015-01-31T11:02:06Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by William Shatner > > was both entertaining and horrifying. His cover of Common People was a hit and is actually pretty good: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ainyK6fXku0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ainyK6fXku0) It’s predominately spoken by Shatner. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/26 "2015-01-31T11:10:15Z")
Not a hit, but it is by a famous band, and it’s a proper horror story too. Velvet Underground’s The Gift: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mI-YiaWDgB4/hqdefault.jpg "The Velvet Underground - The Gift") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI-YiaWDgB4) ---
**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:** [January 31, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/27 "2015-01-31T14:09:30Z")
[They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They're_Coming_to_Take_Me_Away,_Ha-Haaa!) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/28 "2015-01-31T15:36:55Z")
Murray Head never sang a word on his biggest hit One Night in Bangkok. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/29 "2015-01-31T15:43:58Z")
[Willie Nelson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr8fNOxdSAM) is basically doing spoken word at this point. He hasn’t really sung anything for at least a few decades. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/30 "2015-01-31T15:53:43Z")
She Got the Goldmine, I Got the Shaft When You’re Hot, You’re Hot ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/31 "2015-01-31T16:02:50Z")
Maybe **Blondie** - **Rapture**? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/32 "2015-01-31T16:18:49Z")
Gregorian Chants? May not be on Billboards Top 100, but they sure have staying power! ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/33 "2015-01-31T16:37:38Z")
Peggy Lee’s recording of “Is That All There Is?” which hit #11 in 1969 has spoken verses alternating with sung choruses. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/34 "2015-01-31T17:02:18Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > Peggy Lee’s recording of “Is That All There Is?” which hit #11 in 1969 has spoken verses alternating with sung choruses. Oh, well, then, _Greta Garbo, and Monroe; Dietrich, and DiMaggio…_ ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/35 "2015-01-31T19:12:33Z")
Sure, why not? This is kinda fun, as long as I don’t have to listen to them. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/36 "2015-01-31T19:16:56Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Gregorian Chants? May not be on Billboards Top 100, but they sure have staying power! But they are sung. I used to be able to read the sheet music and everything. 😕 ---
**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:** [January 31, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/37 "2015-01-31T19:27:13Z")
[Gallant Men](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAt1VJfEq2k) by Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen made it to #16 in 1967. **[Wild Thing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOt2htKMzD4)** by Senator Bobby (a parody response to Dirksen’s hit) hit #20. The flip side was a version of the song by “[Senator Everet McKinley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBR6ndAwJJs).” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/38 "2015-01-31T19:36:13Z")
You could argue that Billy Joel does this for long stretches of WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/39 "2015-01-31T19:57:30Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > But they are sung. I used to be able to read the sheet music and everything. 😕 To me, some sound sung, sure. Others sound like a chant. Maybe it depends on how they’re performed. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoken-hits-that-arent-rap/711403/40 "2015-01-31T20:03:57Z")
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