The Popular-to-Pants correlation...

[martinlivings]

I had a theory this morning whilst driving to work and listening to the radio. It's quite simple:

1) All great bands or music artists, no matter how talented, have had one truly pants [1] song, and...

2) That pants [1] song is their most popular song. [2]

In evidence, off the top of my head, I offer:

- The Cure, "Friday, I'm In Love"
- Bjork, "It's So Quiet"
- Cake, "I Will Survive"

And so on. So, over to you. What truly pants [1] song has your favourite band done, which has inexplicably been their most popular?

[1] "pants" in the UK vernacular, meaning lame, naff or awful
[2] There's often a third rule - the band refuses to perform the song at their live performances, because they hate it so much.

Comments

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough"
The only version I can bare to listen to is the Schizophrenic version. God I hate that song.

[martinlivings.livejournal.com]

I won't dispute the naffness of the song. The greatness of the band, on the other hand... ;)

(don't tell Izz I said that!!!!)

[callistra.livejournal.com]

How rude, I shall pout! LOL
:-)

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Hah! As soon as I read the second footnote about rule three "Just Can't Get Enough" sprang to mind. I saw Depeche Mode in concert about ten years ago, and they pretty much admitted to only playing that song under duress :)

And they are indeed a great band.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Nyer Martin!
:-)

I was in the centre front row when they came to Perth! They were within SWEATING DISTANCE!!

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Woo! Oh, and I just realised it must have been more than ten years ago, because I saw them in Perth too, and I'd moved to England by '98. Eep!

I think I would have needed binoculars to see you from where we were sitting ;)

and I suspect it was "bear to listen to" you were after - unless you strip every time you hear Schizophrenic...

[callistra.livejournal.com]

I'm not convinced. Bear looks wrong to me.
But then, I sometimes forget whole chunks of the english language anyway.

:-)
And yes, I think it was 93/4? I started uni in 92, and I think it was *about* 2nd year.

And Depeche Mode always makes me want to get naked LOL
Dave Gahan is HAWT

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

That year sounds about right.

I cannot disagree about Dave Gahan :)

[1phish2phish.livejournal.com]

"Unguarded Moment" by The Church fits the third rule - Steve Kilbey refused to include it in the band's playlist for about 20 years.

(Having said that, I quite like it myself....)

[angriest.livejournal.com]

I disagree with the Cure one completely - why oh why do Cure fans begrudge the band from having a whimsical, happy pop song once in a while? It's like some weird kind of emotional elitism.

Frente's "Accidentally Kelly Street" pretty much derailed the band, despite some great stuff before and after the "Marvin" album.

[martinlivings.livejournal.com]

Ooh, the Frente's a perfect example, yah...

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Random trivia time: Angie Hart, lead singer of Frente, sang backing vocals for Amber Benson in the Buffy musical episode.

[martinlivings.livejournal.com]

Not to mention appearing in person multiple times in the show performing at the Bronze, and singing a funeral song in an episode of "Firefly", if memory serves me right. :)

[angriest.livejournal.com]

I did not realise she was in it that much!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bigjobbies_/]

I got re-interested in her career after hearing her in the Conversations With Dead People episode. Her recent solo album is pretty good.

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

I liked "Accidentally Kelly Street". And Friday I'm in Love.

[(Anonymous)]

Radiohead's "Creep"

[angriest.livejournal.com]

I would've suggested the whole of Kid A myself, but YMMV.

[martinlivings.livejournal.com]

"Creep" is certainly the song they hate to play, they didn't play it for years. I was so happy when they DID play it at the V Festival we saw them at.

And I LIKE "Kid A". :)

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Freak.












No, not really. : ) But I really had Kid A and Amnesiac. Self-indulgent wank etc.

[rachelholkner.livejournal.com]

Underworld - Underneath the Radar. They certainly never play it live anymore!

The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance. Completely pants, yet made it into last years Triple J Hottest 100.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fustian/]

Underworld - Underneath the Radar.

No! So, so wrong! That is teh awesomest.

I was going to suggest "Born Slippy". But I don't actually hate it that much.