So random musical musing triggered by describing Ace of Spades by Motorhead to my wife. I described it (I think correctly based on quick Google) as Speed Metal. It occurs to me that this is probably the only example of speed metal that most people know (as in plenty of people have never heard of Speed Metal, but know Ace of Spades, even if they don’t know a single other song in that genre). Basically the number of Speed Metal songs the majority of people (outside of heavy metal fandom) know is either 0 (as they don’t know Ace of Spades) or 1 (as they do know Ace Spades).
What are other examples of genres like this? I’ll restrict to English-language genres as there are, I’m sure, fairly famous non-English language songs that are actually an example of extensive genres, but only one song ever made it in the English speaking world.
I don’t know, if people know TAOS, they’re also probably likely to know a Judas Priest song like Breaking The Law or similar. Plus all the songs that straddle genres but definitely have a heavy dose of speed but aren’t thrash, like Cop Killer or Hot for Teacher
I would imagine a great many people are aware there is a genre of music called reggae but could only individually recognize “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Probably none. I can’t think of any genre that has only a single breakout song.
Take funk. If you asked most Americans to name some funk music, I think they’d completely blank. But most everybody has heard at least something from the genre, be it James Brown or George Clinton or Isaac Hayes.
As to the OP’s example, everyone who’s played Guitar Hero 3 knows “Through the Fire and the Flames” even if they know absolutely nothing of the genre.
A lot of people probably know Roll out the Barrel (the Beer Barrel polka). Bobby Vinton was pretty famous for a while as a polka guy. And, the chicken dance is a polka, so there’s two. Darn.
There’s no way this would apply to reggae – No Woman, No Cry and The Harder they Come are both pretty well known. ETA: And, of course, I Shot the Sherriff. Thanks, JB.
To most Americans, glam rock means “Ballroom Blitz” and possibly “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”. I realize it was much more well known and widespread in the UK.
Bowie was considered to be his own thing.
I’d say the TAOS is much more widely known than Breaking the Law(and that is by far the most well known Judas Priest song). Personally I’d have difficulty singing anything but the chorus of Breaking the Law, and only really Judas Priest as because they got sued about alleged backwards messages in their lyrics.
Interesting. I had never heard of The Ace of Spades until Rock Band had it. I know Breaking the Law from Beavis and Butthead, and probably from radio back then, but I’m not sure.
This might be a British-vs-American thing (despite both bands being British) Motorhead was a much bigger deal in the UK (where I grew up ) than Judas Priest.
I also only knew Breaking the Law from Beavis and Butthead.
Definitely could be. I had heard of Motorhead, but I don’t think I knew what songs they did (before TAOS). I remain surprised at how some bands are mega hits on one side and not the other (e.g. Oasis).
I’d say that would be an example of a genre that is only known by a single band, but “Get Up, Stand Up” stand up is arguably not even the most well know Bob Marley and the Wailers song (I’d say I shot the Sheriff.)
