Songs that should have been bigger hits

Great song! I've heard it many times on chirpradio.org. It has a very familiar vibe that should have made it a hit.

Jackie!

We Belong To The Night.

"Ask" by The Smiths. It didn't chart at all in the US. It fid chart at #12 in the UK.

I first heard it in the early 90s, when the video of it was played in the department store where I worked at the time. My co-workers and I thought it was a pretty cool song, and wondered why we never heard it before.

The Beach Boys released the single "Heroes and Villains" in August, 1967. It never made it higher than #16 on 77 WABC-AM's All American Survey, and disappeared completely by September. Rock critics had declared the Beach Boys "out," one going so far as to call them "Doris Days on surfboards." And we had so much good music that summer, it wasn't hard to let go of the Beach Boys.

I bought the 45, and it has been one of my favorite songs ever since. But at the time, I had no idea that "Heroes and Villains" was the cornerstone of an even better album than Pet Sounds, called Smile. That album never got released, though individual tracks ("Wonderful," "Wind Chimes," "Vegetables," "Out Prayer," "Cabinessence") would appear on subsequent Beach Boys albums Smiley Smile and 20/20.

It was only when I bought the Good Vibrations box set in 1993 that I realized the totality of Smile, of which "Heroes and Villains" was but the main part.

IMHO, this should have been a monster disco hit back in the day. Perhaps a stronger singer, such as Chaka Khan would have made it so?

Common's Go.

captain and tennille

Lovers in the Parking Lot

The Flaming Ember, Westbound #9.

The First Cut is the Deepest, Keith Hampshire version.

GREAT choice, OP. I can’t remember where I first heard it, but I really liked it…and then I saw that video, and I was in love.

My submission would be ANYTHING by Evie Sands. I discovered her a few years ago. It’s crazy that she didn’t become a big star.

Beth Ditto, “I Wrote the Book”

Such a good song. love Beth.

Don Henley

Generationals - Lucky Numbers

Minor college/alt hit, should have been big

They should have had more hits, period. Go-Go's - Apology. I heard it once on the radio.

Ásgeir - Summer Guest - this is the English version. This is an amazing song. If the world had a shred of taste, this version should have been a bigger hit, or a hit at all outside Iceland.

Three Hits - Numbers

An obscure 1980s release that was just too damn good for this sad world

Cute song by Simon & Garfunkel. Eldergay New Yorkers will remember it from the commercial advertising The Bronx Zoo in the 70s/80s.

Fiction Factory’s “Feel Like Heaven” is gorgeous. I never understood why it wasn’t a bigger hit.

J Cole’s “She Knows,” although TikTok has made it trend lately

R20 “The Only Living Boy in New York” should have charted too.

“Watch Me,” Labi Siffre.

It's been sampled many times, including by Mariah, but should be better remembered on it own

Renee Geyer - Stares and Whispers

And it’s being used in some commercial nowadays.

The Five Man Electrical Band had a huge hit in 1971 called "Signs" and were considered a one-hit wonder. But their follow-up "Absolutely Right" was a minor hit in the US, and a bigger hit elsewhere. I love that song, and it was the only single I ever ran out to buy after only hearing it one time.

Billy Paul is known for the sultry "Me and Mrs. Jones", but he had a fun follow-up "Thanks For Saving My Life".

The Carpenters heyday was 1970-1976, but their only top-20 song of the Eighties was great. "Touch Me When We're Dancing" should have been a bigger hit.

R26 I love that song

This masterpiece

[R15] The evening of 9/11, I watched the nightly news on WNEW-TV (Channel 5 in NYC). At the end of the program when they rolled the credits, "New York Minute" played in the background. Whenever I hear this song, I feel the emotions I had from that tragic day.

This along with Fanmail literally created the sound of would be the r&b of the 21st century.

Kristy McNichol "Hold On"

R31 "literally"

The Rumour by Olivia Newton-John. Written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John, who is also credited for the piano and backing vocals.

Very catchy song with a nice music video. It should've been a comeback hit for ONJ.

I never understood why 'Til Tuesday got stuck into the one-hit wonder status. They were perfectly suited for the MTV era, and their albums aged very well. This single is a real gem:

Their follow-up to Voices Carry did a little better. They were MTV-friendly, but the releases were bad timing. They weren't a male-lead Hair Band or Alternative enough for what was dominating MTV during those days.

Ahem..

Not sure if it made the charts but my former owner was a major fan

R38 Yikes.

While I never understand celebrities who get lots of fillers, I SURE in the hell don't understand why Kim Carnes would. Wow, what media spotlight are you on that you feel that pressure?

Don’t You Want My Love-Nicole from 1986. It made the dance charts but never crossed over. I had never heard of it until listening to a RuPaul interview where he said it was one of his go to lip synch numbers back in the day. I looked it up and it instantly became one of my faves.

She later competed on X-Factor under her real name, Lillie McCloud, and came in 8th. Shame it never worked out for her.

Sorry R4 it was HUGE in the clubs in 85. We heard it all the time, saw them live in Mass 86 and they played it. It was a single release in the states.

Hey R38 Bette Davis Eyes was the number one song of the year (1980/81?) so yeah it was A HUGE HIT. She clearly has Botox eyes now.

Great vocal performance.

Lone Justice -- "Ways to be Wicked"

*LOVED* Lone Justice. I thought about this thread today when this song popped up on my playlist.

Saga — “What Do I Know”

April Wine — “Rock Myself to Sleep”

When Angels Kiss by Gary Myrick

Rebbie had the best voice of all the girls.

IMO, til Tuesday's best album was their third (and final) one, Everything's Different Now. There was some amazing songs on that album. J For Jules should have been a hit, Rip in Heaven was a great little pop song, so many ear friendly songs. The band only got better as they went on, and Aimee put out some wonderful solo albums.

Eurythmics should've had a better career in the US.

Eurythmics did fine.

The could've done better here. Sexcrime (1984) - #81, It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) #78, Thorne In My Side #68, You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart #64. All should've been top 10 hits.

If we're talking things that were huge everywhere but America I present to you one of my secret aughts faves...

Paramore - Hard Times

Kungs - Never Going Home

[Quote]Sorry [R4] it was HUGE in the clubs in 85. We heard it all the time, saw them live in Mass 86 and they played it. It was a single release in the states.

R41 What clubs? College clubs? That might be true, but it was nothing like "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears, which was truly HUGE in 1985.

"How Can You Give Up" ('til tuesday) sounds like a hit to me. And it doesn't have typical Aimee Mann lyrics, which could have helped it on the Hot 100.

R8 Muskrat Love from Captain & Tennille was a top 10 hit in the US. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. I think it’s a dumb song but it was nevertheless popular.

Belinda Carlisle's "Real" album was almost completely ignored back in 1993. It's probably her most solid release and a nice shot at a more typical 90s sound. The lead single deserved to be a big hit:

abba the visitors

R61 One of their best singles. And their best album.

Another moment America was asleep at the switch....

Love Runs Out by Ryan Tedder (AKA One Republic) is a great song and video.

Christina A and Linda Perry have written some really good ballads. I never heard "Life Me Up" until recently.

R53 I’d add Julia to that list, too

R42. My bad. This was the song link I meant to post.

This should have been number one worldwide

Eurythmics did do fine, BUT they were ahead of their time. Should've been bigger.

Nah. They were too chilly.

Magic Town, a less known effort from The Vogues.

Shed Seven - Dolphin.

It stalled at No. 28 in the UK, but didn't make a dent in the USA. My local radio station, KROQ Los Angeles, played it a lot, though.

A Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill collaboration, R71.

Substitute by Clout

(R63) nobody slept on Adina Howard's version.

River Deep - Mountain high. Phil Spector's best production in my opinion.

Thanks OP, I love this fucking song!

R76, that reminds me of the time in the ‘80s, when Nancy Reagan, then First Lady, sang a similarly-titled song from the American Songbook (the actual title now escapes me) at some White House event, & Jane Pauley hosted the Today Show. Jane was about to air Nancy’s performance under the mistaken belief Nancy was performing the hard rocking Tina Turner song. “This,” Jane said with bemusement , “I got to see.”

R71 wins. What an amazing (and virtually unknown) Mann-Weill song.

"New Girl Now" -- Honeymoon Suite (1984)

This Keith Hampshire recording of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" is my favorite version of the song & should have been a bigger hit.

I prefer these Flirtations, OP.