Songs that have far exceeded their popularity when first released

[Twirling Time]

"(Simply) The Best" by Tina Turner barely cracked the U.S. Top 20 in 1989 and became one of her signature songs over time. In fairness it was a much bigger hit overseas. I had to suffer it.

 

[Starman]

"Sweet Caroline."

"Country Roads."

Both popular songs for a month or two when they came out. Now everyone in the country knows them, thanks (or no thanks) to being played for singalongs at every sporting event in the country.

I hear songs like "TNT," etc., still being played today at games. I wonder what the students think. As a college student in 1972-76, it would be like hearing Al Jolson at a game. "Yes, sir, that's my baby" wasn't a big song at City Stadium or the Robins Center.

I dunno, "Sweet Caroline" and "Country Rosds" were big, big hits when they came out. It was the final few years of the heyday of AM radio
and the transition to AOR.

 

[da man]

Anything by Jimmy Buffett.

 

[FileNotFound]

"Free Bird" barely cracked the Billboard top 20 before becoming the Confederate National Anthem.

 

[Huggy]

Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll" got released twice--in the '70s and post-"Risky Business"--and somehow fared worse the second time (no. 48) than the first time (no. 28). It's the most popular jukebox song of all-time and surely more ashociated w/Seger than his lone no. 1 hit, "Shakedown."

I would have guessed Seger had never had a No. 1 before thinking his only spot there was "Shakedown".

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Rock and Roll, Part 2--Gary Glitter

 

[Neutral Corner]

Goo Goo Muck by the Cramps. Probably 10,000% more people can identify it now, after the "Wednesday" dance sequence.

 

[Hermes]

Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World"

 

[Regan MacNeil]

Dan Ackryoyd

Of all the spellings I've seen for Dan Aykroyd's name, this is definitely one of them.

 

[da man]

Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World"

It was No. 1 in the U.K.!

 

[da man]

"Piano Man" peaked at no. 25 in the mid-70s and is now considered a top-100 song of all-time. Unless you hate it, in which case it's the worst song of all-time!

No, that would be "Sweet Caroline".

 

[justgladtobehere]

"(Simply) The Best" by Tina Turner barely cracked the U.S. Top 20 in 1989 and became one of her signature songs over time. In fairness it was a much bigger hit overseas. I had to suffer it.

Wasn't part of that selling the song for commercials?

Song that you like but you wouldn't know except if it were in a commercial. Please correct my grammar.