# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/21 "2022-04-04T18:42:13Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I remain surprised at how some bands are mega hits on one side and not the other (e.g. Oasis). Oasis was pretty big in the mid-90s, I thought, here in the US. Maybe it’s because I was in college at the time, but it was _everywhere_. I don’t have a single album, and I could probably list off at least a half dozen of their songs. I suppose it depends on what music you were listening to at the time. “Wonderwall” was a #8 in the US (#1 on the alternative charts), “Champagne Supernova” was #10 (and #1 on the alternative charts), That said, after _What’s Your Story Morning Glory?_ I don’t remember hearing much of them. They just kind of disappeared. But songs from that first album are still played on the radio. I do remember there being a big buzz about them at the time that just fizzled away. ---
**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, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/22 "2022-04-04T18:48:13Z")
Yeah, but in the UK, they were supposed to be the second coming of the Beatles or something. ---
**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, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/23 "2022-04-04T18:51:39Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > in the UK, they were supposed to be the second coming of the Beatles or something. Yeah they were _huge_ I went to university in Manchester (their home town) at their peak and you could literally hear constantly them as you walked across the campus, as one person playing them went out of earshot another would come into earshot. Though for a good example of bands that were huge in the UK but unheard of in the US you need to consider the previous generation of Manchester bands like the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, they were huge in the UK, but then self imploded with drugs, egos and bad management before cracking the states. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/24 "2022-04-04T19:04:08Z")
Stone Roses gets some play on alternative stations, but, yeah, nowhere near as recognized as Oasis, and nowhere near as their reputation in the UK. Manic Street Preachers are, I’d say, almost completely unknown. Pulp has “Common People.” Suede — I’m not sure I’ve heard th outside college stations. Happy Mondays I remember “Step On”, and WXRT here in Chicago will play that occasionally on regular radio. I couldn’t name another song by them off hand. Primal Scream, well lauded in the indie circles, but also absent from commercial radio. I do remember Oasis being hoisted as the next coming of the Beatles here in the US, as well. Just the follow-up album didn’t deliver, and everything after that was completely forgotten. I was in the UK in 1996 and I remember someone asking me about how they were doing in the US, and my answer was that they were hotting up quite well. Once again, that may be because of my environment (college.) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/25 "2022-04-04T19:19:14Z")
Yeah, I’d say ‘Wonderwall’ or ‘Champaign Supernova’ by Oasis is the one “britpop” song people know. If you know one “thrash metal” song by the Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer, and Anthrax), it’s probably ‘Master of Puppets’. Dubstep is mainly known by the song ‘Bangarang’ by Skrillex, even if people don’t know the name of the song. Even if you don’t know “trip-hop”, you have probably heard [‘Angel’ by Massive Attack.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbe3CQamF8k). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/26 "2022-04-04T19:28:26Z")
I’d say “Teardrop” from the House theme, but I’m not sure that counts. We were more familiar with Portoisehead’s work at the time. I don’t think I heard “Angel” when it came out. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/27 "2022-04-04T19:30:55Z")
What about Big Beat? “Weapon of Choice?” “Praise You”? Something else? Nothing? Oh, wait, Prodigy would qualify, wouldn’t they? So “Firestarter” or “Smack My Bitch Up,” perhaps? Now it’s too many for the OP. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/28 "2022-04-04T19:35:40Z")
What about Calypso? I can’t think of any Calypso song other than “Banana Boat” by Harry Belafonte. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/29 "2022-04-04T19:38:00Z")
Dream trance: “Children” by Robert Miles (or perhaps “Fable.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/30 "2022-04-04T19:53:05Z")
What the vast majority know of new age music, I’m guessing: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dHjBT0b2acc/hqdefault.jpg "The Exorcist (1973) Music Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHjBT0b2acc) ---
**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, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/31 "2022-04-04T20:00:39Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > “Banana Boat” by Harry Belafonte. Except for Day-o. This is another example of an _artist_ that defines a genre for most people, not a song. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/32 "2022-04-04T20:13:35Z")
“Ugly Woman” (a.k.a. “If You Wanna Be Happy”) and “Zombie Jamboree” are also fairly well-known Calypso songs, although many people might not recognize them as being in the same genre. Have there been any famous Jug-Band songs, other than Mungo Jerry’s “In the Summertime”? ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/33 "2022-04-04T20:16:27Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > This is another example of a _artist_ that defines a genre for most people, not a song My answer to the OP’s question would be _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ as the main grunge-defining song but really, it’s Nirvana that defines grunge for most people. But I’d bet folding green that the only song by Nirvana that your average non-Nirvana, non-grunge fan could identify would indeed be _Smells Like Teen Spirit,_ so maybe? ---
**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, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/34 "2022-04-04T20:24:17Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > But I’d bet folding green that the only song by Nirvana that your average non-Nirvana, non-grunge fan could identify would indeed be _Smells Like Teen Spirit,_ so maybe? Anybody who listened to the radio in the 90s knows at least a half-dozen Nirvana songs. ---
**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, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/35 "2022-04-04T20:30:44Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > But I’d bet folding green that the only song by Nirvana that your average non-Nirvana, non-grunge fan could identify would indeed be _Smells Like Teen Spirit,_ so maybe? I’ll accept that. Though I hear the sound of Pearl Jam fans sharpening their pitchforks and lighting torches. ---
**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, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/36 "2022-04-04T20:31:30Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Anybody who listened to the radio in the 90s knows at least a half-dozen Nirvana songs. That might be true but if they are like me the only one they can actually remember is Smells Like Teen Spirit. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/37 "2022-04-04T20:35:35Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > I’ll accept that. Though I hear the sound of Pearl Jam fans sharpening their pitchforks and lighting torches. Yeah, if you listened to the radio or MTV in the nineties, also “Alive” and “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam were unavoidable, as well as Temple Of The Dog’s “Hunger Strike” and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/38 "2022-04-04T20:40:41Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Anybody who listened to the radio in the 90s knows at least a half-dozen Nirvana songs. Agreed but, today, with the height of grunge 2 decades plus in the rearview mirror, _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ is pretty much their defining song for non-fans and, by extension, the genre’s defining song – at least to me, who didn’t really follow grunge. So I think it fits the OP. > [@griffin1977](#): > > Though I hear the sound of Pearl Jam fans sharpening their pitchforks and lighting torches. Yeah, I kind of figured I’d be pilloried for it. But among non-fans I still think Nirvana is the quintessential grunge band. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/39 "2022-04-04T20:48:11Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > (and that is by far the most well known Judas Priest song). You’ve got another thing coming! I think Livin’ After Midnight might be just as well know, ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248/40 "2022-04-04T20:50:00Z")
Does the expression Northern Soul mean anything at all in the US? At the time this was a regional thing even within Britain, but the story has endured and flourished over the years, at least on this side of the Atlantic. > **[Northern soul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_soul)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the English Midlands in the late 1960s from the British mod scene, based on a particular style of Black American soul music, especially from the mid-1960s, with a heavy beat and fast tempo (100 bpm and above) or American soul music from northern cities such as Detroit, Chicago and others. > The northern soul movement generally eschews Motown or Motown-influenced mus... It would be a problematical inclusion as it’s a genre only by collection of disparate US examples to build a (fairly) coherent (British) whole. I don’t know if Tainted Love would count as a well known song from the canon. The wiki page makes a case for the inclusion of I Can’t Help Myself by The Four Tops - which is certainly well known. (As a slightly weird aside I suspect the most well known example of Northern Soul is actually a sample taken from this classic: [Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P88DvxxiN24)) j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-genres-are-mainly-known-by-only-one-song/962248.md?page=3)