GWAR. I realize we’re not talking mondo success here, but the fact that many of you will recognize the name, considering the nature of their act…
and to think that I thought “wrong number” was popishly non-Curish enough :eek:
(Actually, Wrong Number is my fave Cure song, so production by a k3wl jack might not be oh so bad. At least if the result sounds anything like “Sparks Are Gonna Fly” by Catherine Wheel, a nu-metallish take on their former sound.)
Queen, more than anyone else, I think. Although, for the short-lived wide appeal that they enjoyed in the early 90s, I’d say that They Might Be Giants comes in as a close second.
The album is Last Splash, and is still one of my faves.
I popped in to say Sonic Youth, though I see that nitroglycerine beat me to it.
This thread just serves to remind me how dumb record producers think the public is. Really, it’s amazing that so many interesting and avant garde musicians have such a wide audience, and that they’ve achieved as much success as they have. People aren’t stupid, and can appreciate great music even when it isn’t “packaged.”
Sorry, back to your very excellent thread.
Oh, and I’ll throw in Laurie Anderson and Velvet Underground.
The B-52s.
Top that.
I’m not sure that’s true - there have been plenty of schlocky, gimmicky metal bands before. Ever heard of KISS?
How about Soul Coughing?
C’mon now, how about Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band.
Everybody sing along now…
Bat Chain Puller…
GWAR is so far beyond anything KISS has done that it’s farcical to mention them in the same sentence. Kiss is rock glam, sparkly pyro…GWAR is a living, breathing, gooey sticky nightmare of grossness.
KISS wasn’t quite as glam when they started. And while GWAR may be taking it farther, they’re certainly building on the same foundation. Same with Marilyn Manson following Alice Cooper (and Ozzy) and a bunch of others.
Barenaked Ladies
And, considering his voice, Bob Dylan.
Julie
I must pop in to say the Grateful Dead, as their road to success was really grass-roots without the usual methods of promotion and publicity. They paved the way for a lot of jam bands, most notably Phish, who sell out stadiums while never getting air time or top-forty singles.
For unconventional music, I’m going to go with Kate Bush. As unique as Christina Rossetti. Her music sounds like nothing else.
The Incredible String Band
Okay, I know no one under age 45 ever heard of them, but they did (and still do) have a cult following. They were the quintessential psychedelic, multi-instrumental, hippie folk band of the 60s, with vocals that have been described as sweetly sublime or much like dying cows.
If I want the house to myself, all I have to do is crank 'em up.
Guaranteed to sell well? I’ve got news for you: in 1968, what they did wasn’t guaranteed to sell 10 copies. You needn’t like it, you needn’t listen to it, but you DO have to understand that what they did was far from the mainstream at the time. Today, their sound is old hat, especially because they spawned so many imitators.
But if Led Zeppelin sounds mainstream (or even conservative) today, that’s largely because they redefined what’s mainstream.
The Violent Femmes are pretty freakin’ weird.
Sorry, but what commercial success did the Velvet Underground have? Their highest charting album only hit #198, and much of that came from their association with Andy Warhol. Never had a hit single, either. Now, I love the Velvet Underground, but they were the Original Alternative Band. Just because they have achieved popularity among non-mainstream rock listeners (famous for their odd tastes anyway) does not equal overall popularity or success. I for one have never heard a Velvets song on the radio, except once on college radio (and I don’t even remember what song).
Sigur Ros anyone? They sing in some wierd amalgam of Icelandic and some language the lead singer made up. And they get quite a bit of critical praise for it and are quite well known in Europe at least.
Ah, and what about the all mighty Ween?
I have to second Kate Bush and The B52s and add Grace Jones, kd lang and Tracy Chappman
Actually, after a bit of thinking, while I’m talking about… unconventional… Finnish bands, I might as well mention Eläkeläiset. Basically, think of a group that does nothing but Weird Al-style polka covers, and you’re pretty near the mark. Except it’s not really polka, it’s humppa.
And again, they were succesful in Finland and enjoy a bizarre cult reputation in Germany. (Especially considering they persistently sing in Finnish and at one gig, after hearing that people in some German city were a bit touchy about gays and Nazis, opened with a merry shout “Hello, homo-Hitlers!”) There are many songs where I, at least, have heard the humppa cover before the original (Here’s a list of songs covered on their records.)
(Incidentally, like many Finnish bands, they come from my hometown Joensuu, and our family is/was actually renting to their drummer. I think.)