Greatest Hits That Never Were...

[delboy3]

Do you have any favourite old songs that were never (surprisingly) hits in the UK?

Such as:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mQPVR9iSvQ

[delboy3]

And:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgAFcvIw8J4

[delboy3]

Also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KRpRMSu4g

[factor-fiction]

Here's one classic that springs to mind. Didn't even make the top 50 in the UK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S67ETkOzAck

[jno]

well, it made the charts in Chicago! Nowhere else that I know of

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjQu8LPeFrA

[marval]

This one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZILgIoNIDT8

[penelope2]

"Waves" by Blancmange 1982. 19th in Hit Parade.

[delboy3]

^ jno I'd never come across that one before - and what a mesmerising video!

[Northernpopquiz]

Literally 100's, here are a few selections - Everybody Clap by Lulu, Clowns by Ed Welch, Your Love by The Outfield, Westbound no 9 by The Flaming Ember, Gonna Miss Her Mississippi by White Plains, Green Grow the Lilacs by The Originals, Crazy in the Night by Kim Carnes, Magic Book by The Gibsons, Fireball by Ducks Deluxe, Waiting for the Worm to Turn by Bourgeois Tagg, Night Moves and Shakedown both by Bob Seger.

[SeaJayPea]

Piano Man, by Billy Joel. In my opinion, one of the greatest pure 'pop' songs ever written.

[ChillDoubt]

Can't quite agree there SeeJayPea. Great though Piano Man is it's an absolute travesty that this was never released as a single, probably due to its length.
He remains to this day the greatest solo act I've ever seen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po252Jj7P9Q

[SeaJayPea]

Chill, it was certainly a single in the US, got to No 25. No 10 in Canada and No 20 in Australia. I'm sure it was released here, but just didn't get any airplay. That may well have been because of its length, of course.

[ChillDoubt]

Can't comment on the US or elsewhere but apparently definitely not in the UK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenes_from_an_Italian_Restaurant

[jno]

delboy, I know - he was a guitarist, had a pretty big hit with Raunchy, then he comes out with this totally non-rock'n'roll Hawaiian thing. It's stuck in my mind these 50 years, though .

[jno]

PS if you like your music exotic you might like the Australian Aboriginal version of Zorba the Greek, from the Chooky Dancers... no women in grass skirts, though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw

[SeaJayPea]

Chill, are we not talking about two entirely different songs here?

[ChillDoubt]

We must be. I believe you're still referring to Piano Man whilst I'm talking about Scenes From An Italian Restaurant!

[Zacs-Master]

I think it's testimony to Billy as a superb song writer that he's had a few 'flops'. Italian restaurant is sublime. Elton John's Benny and the Jets only reached number 37!

[delboy3]

jno thanks for that one too!