Bands where their singles don’t do them justice

[Frankie Blueberries]

Thought this might be an interesting thread. I’m sure most of us have been guilty of writing off an artist based on a few singles we’ve heard.

My nomination is Blink 182. Their most famous songs are easily their worst. All the Small Things might be my least favourite track, Tom sounds like he’s 12 on it. I Miss You has a repetitive chorus and aside from the song being acoustic, not much stands out about it. Both The Rock Show and First Date were written in 10 minutes after their record label told them their album (Take Off Your Pants and Jacket) didn’t have enough singles - so these songs were very forced and not genuine.

Ironically, the singles that are better representations of the band (Always, Not Now) did not garner nearly as much success.

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[BigBadBruins7708]

A couple late 90s bands fit the bill, though they changed their sound to be pop friendly after their softer breakout hits.

Sugar Ray - 'Fly'

Sugar Ray did not sound like Fly when it went big, that was an outlier song which became their sound. Listen to Lemonade and Brownies or other songs on Floored like Mean Machine and RPM for their actual sound at that time. Obviously they "sold out" and went full pop after Fly.

Filter - 'Take A Picture'

Early Filter was heavy, nihilistic industrial rock and founded by former NIN guitarist Richard Patrick. Their 1st album 'Short Bus' had a heavy hit in 'Hey Man, Nice Shot' and is truly a great album. On their next album they had a jangly acoustic soft song that became their biggest hit, and many thought was their sound.

Funny enough, both bands produced a lot of "buyer's remorse" in those that bought Floored or Title of Record expecting them to sound like Fly and Take a Picture

 

[GKJ]

Basically any punk band who went alt-pop between like 1997-2005. Green Day being the prime example.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Not a band but I'm not crazy about Taylor Swift's choice of singles half the time. Lover's first two singles Me! and You Need to Calm Down are probably literally my two least favorite songs on the album and Reputation having Look What You Made Me Do and Ready for It was not much better.

 

[SniperHF]

I feel like the obvious answer is Led Zeppelin considering their most famous song is an 8 minute non-single.

 

[Shareefruck]

I'd say most bands, to be honest. The good ones, anyways. The songs that I think most highly of tend not to fit in the "single" mold. Sometimes they technically are singles, but they don't feel like singles.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

I guess Todd Rundgren's "Bang the Drum". Although "Hello it's Me" is fairly representative.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Not that the known songs are 'bad" but the styles of the bands listed always weren't limited within their radio hits or most identifiable songs: The Clash, Metallica, the Pretenders and Queensryche.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Thought this might be an interesting thread. I’m sure most of us have been guilty of writing off an artist based on a few singles we’ve heard.

My nomination is Blink 182. Their most famous songs are easily their worst. All the Small Things might be my least favourite track, Tom sounds like he’s 12 on it. I Miss You has a repetitive chorus and aside from the song being acoustic, not much stands out about it. Both The Rock Show and First Date were written in 10 minutes after their record label told them their album (Take Off Your Pants and Jacket) didn’t have enough singles - so these songs were very forced and not genuine.

Ironically, the singles that are better representations of the band (Always, Not Now) did not garner nearly as much success.

To go along with this, I feel much the same about The Offspring during the Americana/Conspiracy of One days. Pretty Fly For A White Guy might be my least favourite song from a band that has some really good skate/surf punk tracks. Sadly, the band decided to try and recapture whatever it was with Pretty Fly and continued putting out really awful singles over the years because they made money and Dexter needed more planes.

 

[Puckclektr]

virtually most of 80s metal.

 

[S E P H]

311 definitely. Don't get me wrong that I like a lot of their singles, but they have so many better songs than the rubbish you hear on the radio like Amber or Love Song. Transistor is in my top 3 stranded beach albums.

To go along with this, I feel much the same about The Offspring during the Americana/Conspiracy of One days. Pretty Fly For A White Guy might be my least favourite song from a band that has some really good skate/surf punk tracks. Sadly, the band decided to try and recapture whatever it was with Pretty Fly and continued putting out really awful singles over the years because they made money and Dexter needed more planes.

Good shout here, I Choose - though made into a musical video - is one of my favourite songs by them, but people rather listen to Pretty Fly and Original Prankster than Ixnay on the Hombre or Smash which are brilliant albums.

 

[islesmb]

Blind Melon comes to mind. No Rain is one of my least favorite songs on their debut album.

 

[Tawnos]

Toadies. Possum Kingdom sounds like them, but is not one of their better songs.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I feel like the obvious answer is Led Zeppelin considering their most famous song is an 8 minute non-single.

I always skip past Stairway to Heaven when it plays. It sounds like the opposite of everything i loved from Led Zeppelin 1

 

[Langdon Alger]

I always skip past Stairway to Heaven when it plays. It sounds like the opposite of everything i loved from Led Zeppelin 1

I never skip anything on Led Zeppelin IV. Know why? Every song is worth listening to.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Later Eminem (From Recovery to present)

Recovery - Not Afraid
Marshall Mathers 2: Berzerk
Revival: River (ft Ed Sheeran)
Kamikaze: Venom

Among the worst of their respective albums obviously geared for mainstream radio

 

[kingsholygrail]

My favorite Prodigy songs are not Breathe or Firestarter.

 

[NyQuil]

A lot of Coldplay's more interesting songs are drowned out by Speed of Sound and Yellow.

Here in Canada, I was quite a fan of Our Lady Peace but their harder stuff (like Starseed) was subsumed by the more radio friendly power ballads like Clumsy and ended up changing the direction of the band IMO.

Barenaked Ladies are another band where their seminal album, Gordon, had a really interesting variety of musical styles and influences (including jazz and latin) but their pop songs had the most airplay and ended up directing them towards pure forgettable pop for the rest of their career.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Tesla.
Quite a bit of their best work are not radio songs.

 

[PALE PWNR]

Everyone knows Boston for More Than a Feeling, but that might be the worst song on that album

 

[zombie kopitar]

Last Night is probably my least favorite song on Is This It by the Strokes, but it is their biggest smash to date. That album is a true classic though

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Not to sound like a pretentious r/music goon, but Radiohead absolutely fits the bill for me. They're most known for Creep, but it may actually be my least favorite song by them.

 

[Morbo]

Blind Melon comes to mind. No Rain is one of my least favorite song on their debut album.

exactly what I came here to post. that album is actually really good otherwise.

 

[MXD]

Down is probably the 311 song I hate the most and I have listed to everything they published between Music and Voyager. Hell the Blue Album is probably my least favorite 311 album and it was their breakthrough.