# What musical genres are mainly known by only one song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 4, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248 "2022-04-04T17:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/1 "2022-04-04T17:02:51Z")
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. ---
**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 4, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/2 "2022-04-04T17:37:48Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > 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). 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_ ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/3 "2022-04-04T17:44:13Z")
Yodel rock: _Hocus Pocus_ by Focus. > **[Hocus Pocus (song)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(song))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > "Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flautist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track of their second studio album Moving Waves. An edited version was released as a single (with "Janis" as the B-side) on the Imperial, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but failed to chart outside of the Netherlands(NL#09). > A faster r... ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/4 "2022-04-04T17:44:33Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/5 "2022-04-04T17:45:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/6 "2022-04-04T17:48:14Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > 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. I think the only reggae song a lot of people would recognize is “Bad Boys” by Inner Circle a.k.a. the theme to _COPS_. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/7 "2022-04-04T17:50:34Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I think the only reggae song a lot of people would recognize is “Bad Boys” by Inner Circle a.k.a. the theme to _COPS_ . Totally forgot about that one and you’re right, for many that’s their only one. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/8 "2022-04-04T17:53:09Z")
The only Polka songs I have ever listened to are the medleys by “Weird Al” Yankovic—notably “Polka Your Eyes Out” from his _Off The Deep End_ album ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/9 "2022-04-04T17:55:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Totally forgot about that one and you’re right, for many that’s their only one. Bob Marley had a number of songs that broke into the mainstream. Plenty of people would recognize and be able to sing along with “I Shot the Sheriff.” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/10 "2022-04-04T17:55:24Z")
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**. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/11 "2022-04-04T17:58:46Z")
The only Jizz song most people know is “Mad About Me” by Figrin D’ana and The Modal Nodes: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMUOfFxuetw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMUOfFxuetw) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/12 "2022-04-04T18:00:28Z")
The only can-can most people know is the “Infernal Galop” from Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xD1wx46JQz0/maxresdefault.jpg "CAN-CAN FROM "ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD1wx46JQz0) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/13 "2022-04-04T18:01:04Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > The only Jizz song most people know… Eww. Anyway, lots of people know Take Five, stuff by Ella Fitzgerald, and Rhapsody in Blue. ETA: Yes, that’s probably the only can-can. How many boleros to people know, outside of Ravel’s? ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/14 "2022-04-04T18:01:24Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/15 "2022-04-04T18:04:25Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > also probably likely to know a Judas Priest song like _Breaking The Law_ or similar. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/16 "2022-04-04T18:05:33Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > The only can-can most people know is the “Infernal Galop” from Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld.” [The can-can is a dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can-can), not a musical genre. Though it is indeed a dance that has become strongly identified with a particular song. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/17 "2022-04-04T18:06:58Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > I’d say the TAOS is much more widely known than Breaking the Law 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. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/18 "2022-04-04T18:09:17Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/19 "2022-04-04T18:10:59Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/20 "2022-04-04T18:22:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > 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. 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.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248.md?page=2)