Artists Whose Most Famous Song Is a Bit of a Departure From Their Other Work
Submitted by AJDaGreat on Sun, 01/11/2004 - 11:40
Tags:
- Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy
- Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
- Can - I Want More
- Johnny Cash - Sunday Morning Coming Down
- Ray Charles - I Can't Stop Loving You
- ELP - Lucky Man
- Green Day - Time of Your Life
- Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
- Kinks - Lola
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge
- Uncle Kracker - Follow Me
- Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
- Ween - Push Th' Little Daisies
- Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Author Comments:
I realize this list is not long enough. Any suggestions for it?
Is "Time of Your Life" really that different from other tracks on Nimrod? It's definitely been a while since I listened to it, but I don't remember it being that much of a departure from the other songs.
Wow. I've made a list of two items and one of them is incorrect.
Seriously, though, the only Green Day I've listened to (besides "Time of Your Life") is Dookie, and that's definitely much more about hard rock than the acoustic "Time of Your Life." Having never listened to Nimrod, it may just be that the whole album was a departure from what they were doing on Dookie.
What do the rest of you think? Should I leave it on here?
I vote for leaving it. "Time of your Life" is the only acoustic song on the album, and while some of the others are significantly less hard, the album otherwise contains varying degrees of hard rock (IMO).
There's gotta be room for a Chili Peppers album on this list. While now it seems all they record is made-for-radio tracks and ballads, there was a time when ballads were unheard of for them. Somewhere in there was a transition. "Under the Bridge" from "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", perhaps?
Well I honestly haven't heard much RHCP other than "Under the Bridge", but I'll add it if you say so, Jim.
Lola by The Kinks, perhaps? At least in the US?
I know there must be more, but at the moment, my mind is a blank.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I know, I feel the same way - like there should be some more obvious ones, but I'm having trouble coming up with them.
I did think of three possibilities, but they're judgement calls, and I don't want to put them on the list without some back-up. I need some input from other Listologists:
1. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (Maybe not THAT different, but different enough for me to love the song but dislike the album it's from.)
2. The Who - Behind Blue Eyes (This slower ballad is different from many of the Who's other rockin' numbers. Only problem is, it's not their most famous song. It's close, and probably in the top 5, but at the very least it's second to "My Generation." Think it's close enough to include?)
3. Elvis Costello - Alison (More of an alternative punk kinda guy, Costello did record the occasional soft ballad. But is this really his most famous song? I honestly have no clue what many would consider his best-recognized song.)
Talk to me. To include or not to include?
Great list, but hard as hell! All I could think of were five possibilities...
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1. Louis Armstrong - "What A Wonderful World" compared to his jazz with horns, big band sound.
2. Johnny Cash - "Sunday Morning Coming Down". Nobody thought he could pull it off except Kristofferson. It greatly softened Johnny's coming generation gap. You could argue "Hurt" as being the farthest away from his early stuff, but not from all the Rick Rubin work.
3. Emmylou Harris - "Wrecking Ball". Although she'd touched on this sound on her Bluebird album, the Wrecking Ball song and album jetted her back into the mainstream conscience.
4. Joe Walsh - "Life's Been Good". Strange, funny and odd little song that worked out just fine.
5. Ray Charles - "I Can't Stop Loving You". From R&B to Country. Shocked everyone on both sides of the fence.
Ahh, I knew there'd be more out there. Thanks for your suggestions!
Is Sunday Morning Coming Down really Johnny's most famous song? Wouldn't it actually be Folsom Prison Blues, or A Boy Named Sue?
Is Life's Been Good really much of a departure from the rest of Joe's songs?
They were suggestions my blundery friend. Welcome to the site.
Ween - Push Th' Little Daisies. No idea HOW this was made a single and how it was their most famous, it's one of the most irritating songs they've ever made. Catchy, though!
Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy, meant as just a parody, he's never done another song like that
ELP - Lucky Man...how many people were tricked by THIS song?
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart. But that's an obvious one.
Can - I Want More (does it count??)
Great stuff! The only one of these I've heard is "Owner of a Lonely Heart," but I'll add them up there.