# What song is on you best list that nobody else has even heard of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902 "2006-07-25T00:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/1 "2006-07-25T00:41:17Z")
I have eclectic musical taste, and my friends haven’t heard of a large portion of my collection. Let’s see how SDMB fares. I’ve got two especially: “Water Dance” by Raffi “Harbor” by Vienna Teng Heard 'em? Give me some of your own wierd and/or obscure music. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/2 "2006-07-25T00:47:42Z")
I’m not familiar with your songs. One of my favorite songs of all time is “Goodbye Old Missoula,” by Willis Alan Ramsey. Hardly anyone I’ve met has ever heard of the song (or of Willis Alan). ---
**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:** [July 25, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/3 "2006-07-25T00:53:07Z")
Just a sampling (I’ll stick with one song by each obscure group or musician): “With My Face on the Floor” by Emitt Rhodes “Electric Sailor” by Kak “Kings and Queens” by Renaissance “Look Out There’s a Monster Coming” by the Bonzo Dog Band. “Madeira M’Dear” by Flanders and Swan “Driving Test” by Christine Nelson “Birdman” by Macdonald and Giles “Welcome to the Universe,” by Flash and the Pan “Moon in June” by Soft Machine “Hush Hush” by the Siegel-Schwall Band ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/4 "2006-07-25T00:53:36Z")
Never heard of them. “Smoke from your Cigarette” by Lillian Leach and the Mellows. I keep waiting for someone with a rich, earthy voice to cover it, but not so far. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/5 "2006-07-25T00:55:24Z")
Most of my friends are (popular) music geeks, so they’re generally familiar with my stuff. In general, though (at least in the U.S.), I’ve run into more people that haven’t heard these than have: Celebrated Summer by **Husker Du** Tonight We Fly by The **Divine Comedy** Untidy Towns by The **Lucksmiths** Cattle and Cane by **The Go-Betweens** Dance, Girl, Dance by **Cinerama** You’re My Favorite Waste of Time by **Marshall Crenshaw** I’ve Got It And It’s Not Worth Having by **Boyracer** Let’s Go by **The Feelies** The Truth by **Handsome Boy Modeling School** ---
**Author:** ![Salt\_Seller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Salt\_Seller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salt_Seller)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/6 "2006-07-25T01:03:41Z")
_Anorak City_ by Another Sunny Day _Throw Aggi Off the Bridge_ by Black Tambourine _Here’s to Forgetting_ by the Parentheticl Girls _I Don’t Want To Be Friends With You_ by the Shop Assistants _Inside_ by The 14 Iced Bears _Pathetique_ by the Close Lobsters _When I Grow Up I’ll Be a God_ by the Siddeleys _Speed to My Side_ by Rollerskate Skinny _Happy All the Time_ by the Flatmates ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/7 "2006-07-25T02:39:01Z")
Nobody’s heard of _anything_ on my best list. I like really old music. You know what they say: “If you can remember the '30s - you weren’t born yet.”) ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/8 "2006-07-25T03:50:20Z")
I’ll see your Vienna Teng (love HER!) snd raise you: Velvet by **a-ha** …yes, THAT a-ha. They’ve got 5-7 albums and they ALL well, not ‘Rock’ exactly, but I love 'em all. (the Dephazz remix of Velvet will probably travel best) ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/9 "2006-07-25T03:52:47Z")
Oh, and Curious by The Innocence Mission. And the whole album from The Dukes of Stratosphear (a.k.a. XTC) ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/10 "2006-07-25T03:58:40Z")
I like a lot of my uncle’s music. He led a pretty hard-working salsa band in the LA area for many years til he just retired. Someone has to know of him here, I wouldn’t doubt there’s Dopers that have seen him live, which I sadly never did. He was kind of informally known as “El Padrino”. Not one of the songs pops out as a favorite though. On the other hand, there’s a Baltimore area band I “discovered” back in the later 70’s, (a kind of a feat here in Chicago) and whose albums and CD’s I played for years . A business trip took me to Baltimore a few years ago, and the lone night I had free, they were playing at some place south of the city called the Thunderdome. There I got to see **Crack the Sky** play **Ice** live right in front of me. Took me 2 hours to get a cab back to the inner harbor, but I made some friends that night, and the experience qualifies that as my favorite song because of the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/11 "2006-07-25T03:59:22Z")
“C’est pas nouveau” - Tomás Jensen “Montana” - Venus Hum “No Reason to Stay” - Victory at Sea “Devil’s Airship” - Piñataland “Unemployed in Summertime” - Emiliana Torrini “The Director” - LittleHorse “Misdirected” - Universal Hall Pass “Stay” - Jorane ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/12 "2006-07-25T04:03:22Z")
My absolute favorite song (well, tied with Blur’s “Coffee and TV,” but that’s considerably better-known) is “White Mice” by the Mo-Dettes. Although, to be fair, it _is_ the most famous Mo-Dettes song, though that’s not saying much. **Salt Seller** - I see you’re a C-86 fan! ---
**Author:** ![Mnemonic\_Obstruction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@Mnemonic\_Obstruction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemonic_Obstruction)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/13 "2006-07-25T04:26:14Z")
Anything by The Chenille Sisters. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/14 "2006-07-25T04:26:35Z")
“Songwriter” by Good Rats “Aunt Clara” by In Our Cups ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/15 "2006-07-25T04:56:42Z")
[QUOTE=Unintentionally Blank] I’ll see your Vienna Teng (love HER!) snd raise you: Velvet by **a-ha** …yes, THAT a-ha. They’ve got 5-7 albums and they ALL well, not ‘Rock’ exactly, but I love 'em all. (the Dephazz remix of Velvet will probably travel best) [/QUOTE] Musical soulmates? I thought I was the only American to own _Scoundrel Days, Stay on These Roads, East of the Sun West of the Moon…_ I even have the _Headlines and Deadlines_ greatest hits on DVD and CD… Also saw your Dukes, I have all of XTC’s stuff! It’s all about _Black Sea_… ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/16 "2006-07-25T05:52:38Z")
Almost everything on Bob Martin’s River Turns the Wheel ([http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/martin](http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/martin)) which a few have probably heard, but espescially the title cut, Stella Keroac, and Ride the Silver Rails down to Rio. I don’t have a copy of it anymore, but I love a cut by a band called “The Porch Dogs” entitled “Fido on the Bayou” ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/17 "2006-07-25T06:08:46Z")
Are b-sides fair? These are all bands/performers who are known, but the songs may be a little obscure. Or not. Hard to say. _Bone Bag_ by Blur. Sure, Blur is well enough known, but it’s rare for me to meet a person who’s heard _Bone Bag_, which I think is beautiful, and very probably my favourite Blur song ever. Then there is the cover of Gary Numan’s \*We Have a Technical \* done by Blur with the Rentals. That was pretty cool stuff. Duelling Moogs. Much fun. Heh. Um… don’t laugh. There’s this remix of Michael McDonald’s \*Sweet Freedom \* done by Safri Duo that I think is just plain awesome. I think this is from the _Go_ soundtrack, but again, tough to find someone who knows what I’m talking about, or else I’m just asking the wrong people, but damn, I love, love, love me some Esthero, and she has a song on there with Danny Sabre called \*Song For Holly \* that makes my heart skip. Old Canadian band The Extras - _I Can’t Stand Still_. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/18 "2006-07-25T06:27:34Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Bus Guy] I like a lot of my uncle’s music. He led a pretty hard-working salsa band in the LA area for many years til he just retired. Someone has to know of him here, I wouldn’t doubt there’s Dopers that have seen him live, which I sadly never did. He was kind of informally known as “El Padrino”. Not one of the songs pops out as a favorite though. On the other hand, there’s a Baltimore area band I “discovered” back in the later 70’s, (a kind of a feat here in Chicago) and whose albums and CD’s I played for years . A business trip took me to Baltimore a few years ago, and the lone night I had free, they were playing at some place south of the city called the Thunderdome. There I got to see **Crack the Sky** play **Ice** live right in front of me. Took me 2 hours to get a cab back to the inner harbor, but I made some friends that night, and the experience qualifies that as my favorite song because of the circumstances. [/QUOTE] I love Crack the Sky! Have since the early 80’s when GRX in Bmore played them. I just finally found their CD a couple months ago. I’ll add Joe Blues, by the Moving Sidewalks (Billy Gibbons’ first band.) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/19 "2006-07-25T06:27:59Z")
The entire album _Kill All Humans_ by Schnauser. This is without a doubt the most obscure thing in this thread yet. Armenian prog rock. Good luck beating that. In any case the album is amazing, and mind-blowing. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902/20 "2006-07-25T07:21:00Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] The entire album _Kill All Humans_ by Schnauser. This is without a doubt the most obscure thing in this thread yet. Armenian prog rock. Good luck beating that. In any case the album is amazing, and mind-blowing. [/QUOTE] I can’t beat it, necessarily, but I have the album (well, purchased the whole thing from iTunes). I didn’t know it was obscure, though. :smack: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-is-on-you-best-list-that-nobody-else-has-even-heard-of/365902.md?page=2)