Bad Choice for a Single

I like "Lucky Man" but I know many ELP fans who don't.

"You're Gone" certainly doesn't reflect Marillion's best attributes.

"My Ding-a-ling" was Chuck Berry's biggest hit.

Quite a lot of non-characteristic songs have been released as singles, or even added to albums at the last minute- often in an attempt to hook the mainstream listener. Which singles (or even 'signature' songs) do you feel paint an inaccurate portrait of their respective bands?

I don't really pay attention to singles, but Owner of a Lonely Heart really didn't reflect the Yes band.... none of the Rabin era represented Yes.

 Just something about "singles" and "prog" that doesn't really click. The idea of a single is a three minute tune to be played on the radio as filler for the important commercials which fulfill and satisfy all those needs we have. A single is the antithesis of progressive music, right?

<radio...

I agree with Three Fates about Lucky Man - it has many recognisable ELP elements

Others:

I know What I Like - Genesis (the very beginning of Genesis doing 'pop'??) 

Catfood - King Crimson (too humurous for Crimson!)

Stairway To Heaven - Led Zep (this track is a bit of a 'yawn' to me!)

Fanfare For The Common Man - ELP (one tempo for the whole track - not usual for ELP!)

The Strawbs biggest hit was "Part of the Union", which was totally unrepresentative of their sound. It wasn't even Dave Cousins singing on it! Hudson Ford, who were the guilty parties went on to have sucess as a duet, then transformed into the Monks, and hit the charts again with "Nice legs, shame about the face".

I always felt Uruah Heep tried too ahrd to find a hit single. Tracks like "Somehting or nothing" and "Prima donna" were blatantly commercial, and not really representative of their best work.

Curved Air's "Back Street Luv" was a good single, but once again, did not represent their work well. Can't have been a "bad" choice though, it was a huge hit!

Prior to "Lady in red", Chris De Burgh had buit up a soild reputation, touring in support of Supertramp and releasing haighly rated albums like "Spanish Train and other short stories". He may have had a massive hit, but he lost all the credibility he ha agined with that one single. (John Denver is a similar story with "Annie's song").

Rick Wakeman released a single called "I'm so stright I'm a weirdo", and Yes the song is as bad as the title.

Also ran - "Hi ho silver lining" -Jeff Beck, "Disco Boy" - Frank Zappa, "The laughing gnome" - David Bowie

I guess if a single's a hit, it can't have been a "bad" choice as such, as the main aim of singles is to broaden awareness of the artist. Bad choices are the ones which aren't hits.

All:

While I agree with "Lucky Man," "Owner of a Lonely Heart," and, especially, "I Know What I Like," I'd have to add "Roundabout" (as good as it is, it is not really representative of extreme complexity of most of Yes' music), "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (same comment) and "Nights in White Satin" (same comment).  I'm sure I'll think of others.

Peace.

Useful_Idiot wrote: Radiohead - Creep

Ahh - the irony!