Artists whose first single was the best thing they ever did.

Artists who released a corking first single that, to my mind, they never surpassed, although all produced music of worth for a long while afterwards.

Teenage fanclub-Everything Flows.
Beta Band-Champion versions, esp Dry the Rain. (much as I love this band, especially their first 2 albums proper,they never topped this for utter genius.
Jesus and Mary Chain-Upside down.

Any more?

Supergrass

Mudhoney

Martha Wainwright

New Order

Supergrass

― I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 14 October 2008 21:50 (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^real talk

I'd probably agree with the first two (although Mansize rooster was a good second release). What was Martha Wainwright's first?

I remember getting a copy of the first Stereophonics single, the 500 only, Looks like Chaplin 7" and thinking it was pretty special. Unbelievable given what followed.

Annie - The Greatest Hit 7"

Annie - The Greatest Hit 7"

― brotherlovesdub, Tuesday, 14 October 2008 22:08 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Oh no no no no no! Great track though.

Bronski Beat-Smalltown boy

I believe Martha's first single was "BMFA" (a/k/a Bloody Mother F*cking As*hole) which is just one of those things you can never top. Speaking of Mothers, we could also add Tracy Bonham to the list for her single "Mother Mother," but then as far as I know that was the only thing she ever has done or will do.

elastica

most bands who had records out on fierce panda

In America, Elastica is pretty much regarded as a one-hit wonder, tho

Jimmy Ray

Was All you good good people by Embrace on Fierce Panda? if so, then that.

Press a key by Plone.

New Order was a good answer

Agree totally with Elastica

Galaxie 500 - Tugboat

the examples that come to me easiest are bands that don't bear mentioning in polite conversation

Duran Duran - Planet Earth

PJ Harvey - Dress

Closer Musik - One Two Three No Gravity

Oasis - Supersonic

Kate Bush.

(the) Verve - All in the mind
Levitation - Smile EP
Electronic - Get the Message

Also Jackson 5 durr.

Spiritualized - Any Way That You Want Me.

A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray

Tricky - Aftermath (maybe)

Electronic - Get the Message

you're forgetting 'Getting Away With It'

There are a load of really shit answers to this question - like I'm pretty sure every subsequent Babylon Zoo release was worse than Spaceman.

Kate Bush may be the 'best' answer, altho 'Wuthering Heights' isn't my favourite KB single I can accept it as her best.

ESG
Beat Happening
!!!
Echo and the Bunnymen
Pylon
Fire Engines
The Feelies

Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea

Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

you're forgetting 'Getting Away With It'

ooops that's the one I meant.

The Beta Band - Champion Versions

Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax (though Two Tribes is almost equally good)

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

Derrick May - Nude Photo

Speaking of Mothers, we could also add Tracy Bonham to the list for her single "Mother Mother," but then as far as I know that was the only thing she ever has done or will do.

But prior to "Mother Mother"/The Burdens of Being Upright, there was the Liverpool Sessions EP. Which, yeah, is better than everything else she did.

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 14 October 2008 23:10 (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I love Pet Shop Boys, but you might well be right.

The Damned - New Rose
Kim Wilde - Kids In America
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

Eagles-Take It Easy

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, post-ABBA: It was all downhilll from "I Know There's Something Going On."

Re: PSB. Sorry, but Being Boring > West End Girls

Sugababes

RADIOHEAD - Creep

Seconding Kim Wilde.

For me, The Delays kinda rule this thread.

Kate Bush.

This is so RONG.

!!!

^
You do know that "Me and Giuliani" wasn't their first single, right? Or do you really love "The Dis-Ease" that much?

LOL

somebody already said Mudhoney, Nirvana sure comes close.

Slits?
Raincoats?
Pop Group?

all contenders.

Bad Brains
Really Red
Minor Threat

R.E.M. ("Radio Free Europe")
The Shangri-las ("Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)")
Super Furry Animals ("Organ Yn Dy Geg")
Air ("Modulor Mix")
Howard Jones ("New Song")
Eric B. and Rakim ("Eric B. Is President")
Bruce Springsteen ("Blinded By the Light")

So much challop, but I think Moka wins for mix of sheer chutzpah and rong

The Cure ("Killing An Arab")
Beck ("Loser")
The Strokes ("The Modern Age")
The Jam ("In the City")
LCD Soundsystem ("Losing My Edge"/"Beat Connection")

Super Furry Animals, New Order, Kate Bush, Echo & the Bunnymen, Spiritualized

y'all crazy.

The Monkees ("Last Train to Clarksville")

In my humble opinion a fair amount of people really don't understand the artists they're mentioning.

otm, even if yr a sockpuppet

Delays? "Valentine" is clearly their best work.

If by "single" you mean "album" then Liz Phair/Exile in Guyville own this thread.

re: !!! upthread--i thought the split 12" w/ Out Hud was their first; sorry

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p218/bringdarawkus/Music/SkeeLo.jpg

Black Flag

Why would anyone seriously say New Order? For God's sake...

Oasis. Even if it's not their "best", it's my favourite thing they've ever done.

Re: Skee-Lo - please read thread roolz

Artists who released a corking first single that, to my mind, they never surpassed, although all produced music of worth for a long while afterwards.

RADIOHEAD - Creep

WRONG. A trite exercise in early 90s alt-rock by a band who would later produce some of the best records of the past 20 years.

xp to myself: Unless, Pappawheelie, you are arguing for the merits of Skee-Lo's undersung continued merits. In that case, I apologize to you sir (but not for Skee-Lo).

second "merits" = "career"

thanking u j-rock for setting that one straight

Britney Spears - Baby One More Time

Bad Brains

Close, but not quite. If only because of "I against I", "Sailin' on" and "Re-ignition".

I don't know. I worked in a record store when Skee-Lo came out. The album got play there.

With exception to this track, the entire album was g-funk influenced, so it connected with certain people in the store. But, you know, I didn't like Warren G to begin with, so "I wish I was g funk" wasn't my thing.

This is why I always vote nate dogg.

PW, were you living in Albion when Skee-Lo came out? I didn't know there were any record stores there. Not to call yer bluff or anything. Just curious..

craig david - fill me in

Jacksonville, sadly.

Explains the skee-lo popularity, huh?

But when I lived in Albion (73-83), we had a fucking incredible record store directly behind this sign:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/64/192226912_cd73025b4f.jpg?v=0

Going by memory on these...

Aerosmith - Dream On
The Cars - Just What I Needed
Alanis Morrissete - You Oughta Know (don't know if this one counts)
Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll pt 2 (I think)
Boyz II Men - Motownphilly

Alanis Morrissete - You Oughta Know (don't know if this one counts)

No it doesn't. Canada still remembers her big hair, teen-pop phase.

Delays? "Valentine" is clearly their best work.

You are the only person in the world who listened to the second album. I suspect that the band didn't either.

"Valentine" was Stylus's #5 single of 2006.

yeah i prefer valentine to nearer than heaven, but only just

I researching LL Cool J to see if "Rock the Bells" was his first single, thus qualifying him for this poll (it was his second, after "I Can't Live Without My Radio"), I was surprised to discover that "Mama Said Knock You Out" peaked at #17 on the singles chart. I figured that shit was #1 all the way.

"poll" = "thread"

I really need to start self-editing

i'd say the clean if i believed it, and i almost do.

galaxie 500 was otm

"Valentine" was Stylus's #5 single of 2006.

*head hits table*

As much as I love Fresh Fruit... the Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles" single would be another pick.

The Creation "Making Time"

I can see Galaxie 500, as "Tugboat" is just dandy, but I'm more of a "Blue Thunder" man myself.

And speaking of Galaxie 500, an argument could be made for the Velvets ("All Tomorrow's Parties"/"I'll Be Your Mirror"), but it wouldn't necessarily be my argument.

The B-52's
The Doors ("Break On Through")

If "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" were the Shangri-Las' first single I would agree with that one, but it wasn't.

B52s maybe yeah, only because the first one was so great, and so much of the rest was just slightly less so.

no way is tugboat g500's best single, but just my opinion. particularly if we're not just talking about singles as the subsequent work

I researching LL Cool J to see if "Rock the Bells" was his first single, thus qualifying him for this poll (it was his second, after "I Can't Live Without My Radio"), I was surprised to discover that "Mama Said Knock You Out" peaked at #17 on the singles chart. I figured that shit was #1 all the way.

― Pillbox, Wednesday, 15 October 2008 05:26 (26 minutes ago)

I think original version of "I Need a Beat" was his debut. The later, better known version was just them scratching with that record onto another record (kinda a wtf moment).

The original version of Rock the Bells is wildly different than the hit version. The original is where the "Jack the Ripper" line comes from. I've often wondered if MC Shan's Beat Biter was about the original Rock the Bells, and what prompted LL's so-called "remix" (a completely new song).

If I regret anything about any of my, uh, "work", it's my failure on this issue.

I researched and wrote the rough base story for VH1's Driven of LL, then it got shelved, I left the channel, then they revived finished and aired it.

In my version, I wrote as much as I could about T La Rock being the "1st LL", quote Jazzy Jay's statement that LL was T's replacement, and add T to the cast of characters for interviews -- but you know, VH1...

I later interviewed T La Rock and told him this. He claims he did get a call, but didn't make it to the cast of characters, mostly being written out.

Of course, "rock the bells" was a saying people had back in the 70s/early 80s for DJ's to play double copies of the intro to Bob James "Take Me to the Mardi Gras", which casued a string of records to be made based on this (Crash Crew's Bells, T La Rock's Breakin' Bells, Run-DMC's Peter Piper, etc.).

Oddly, the hit song entitled Rock the Bells has NOTHING to do with the Mardi Gras break, and people don't realize Peter Piper is supposed to be Jammaster Jay's (definitive) version of rockin' the bells.

If only The Pretenders had released "Kid" first instead of "Stop Your Sobbing"

Not complaining.

Yeah, Beat Biter is about Rock the Bells:

http://www.jayquan.com/shan.htm

JQ : The very next single was " Beat Biter / The Bridge " right ?

Shan : Yeah I was on tour with L.L. , and he played a tape for me - it was " Rock The Bells " , but I didn't pay attention that it was my beat . You know back then you didn't use someones beat or say words that sounded like somebody elses. When I figured that it was my beat it was on ! He had the nerve to play it for me too , so I just went at him .

This confuses me though because this was that short time when Burzootie was doing beats for Def Jam (after Jazzy Jay was cut out, but before Rubin was full swing on beats). Shan was always in Marl's corner, so seriously, I can't see how LL (Rubin/Burzootie) took Shan's (Marl's) beat consciously in any way.

Anyway, back on topic...

Damn PW, you are the personal-computer information on rap!

better believe it

Furthermore with the hippity-hop, I'll say "Potholes in My Lawn" by De La Soul

Well, credit to Jayquan and Troy L for more than half of that. I found their work and built on that, later conferring with Jayquan at the Oldschoolhiphop board, trading notes and whatnot. Those guys are on point!

The T La Rock story, from Jazzy Jay with Troy L interviewing:

http://www.thafoundation.com/jazzy.htm

Well LL was a replacement for T La Rock… I introduced Rick to Russell at the Danceteria and Rick was like, “Oh Russell’s so cool.” At that time I didn’t see the writing on the wall, that he was getting ready to step over me and make Russell his partner. So Rick came to me like, “I’m thinking about replacing T La Rock cause he’s a pain in the neck and I don’t think he wants to record with us anymore.” I was like, “Let me talk to T.” Rick was like, “Nah …I want you to listen to this guy.”

T La Rock told me this interview is the only place he's heard this story.

I know the Adrock of Beastie Boys takes credit for finding LL's demo in the floor at Rubin's dorm and bringing it to his attention, which fills in a blank (and the following confirms "I Need a Beat")

http://www.beastiemania.com/whois/ll_cool_j/

It all started in 1984, when LL Cool J took the time to mail Rick Rubin a demo tape. At the time James Todd Smith was 16 years old, Rick was still running his operation out of his dorm room at New York University. By this point, Rick had released T La Rock's "It's Yours"...It was from the address information on the T La Rock single that LL Cool J would get into contact with Rubin.

Excited to get a record deal, James called Rubin almost every day. Rick Rubin though had not yet come across the tape. When he did finally get a chance to listen to the tape, Rubin called LL Cool J on the phone and set up a meeting at his NYU dorm room. In his book, LL Cool J said the following about his first impression of Rick Rubin: "He laughed at my reaction to him and invited me up to a tiny room at the end of the hall. Mattresses were on the floor and records are tapes were thrown everywhere. I could see how my tape could have gotten lost. In fact, if it wasn't for Adrock of the Beastie Boys, I might still be sending in those tapes. Adrock had been chillin' in Rick's room, rummaging through all the tapes, and somehow he fished mine out and played it. I guess he liked what he heard and brought it to Rick's attention. My man Adrock: Good lookin' out, baby."

Rick and James would go on to spend $700 to record "I Need a Beat" and sell 100,000 copies of it...

Spice Girls - Wannabe

^ nfw

what was better than Wannabe

Speaking of Britney/Spice Girls/et al, TRL canceled November 16, 2008

On September 17, 2008, EVP of MTV Productions David Sirulnick announced on Last Call with Carson Daly that the final episode of TRL would be on November 8, 2008.

I was totally and completely obsessed with TRL in middle school. I didn't even have cable; I had to watch it at friends' houses.

I remember that the video for "The One" by the Backstreet Boys was on the countdown for more than 50 or 65 days or whatever the max was before a video would get retired, and I got really offended and sent a letter to MTV. Not because I didn't like BSB or the song anything. I guess I was a stickler for protocol. Some of my classmates also put together a little pop culture zine and I managed to write an entire editorial about it.

Great storiez PW. Kudos and such..

I never figured it out btw!!

pink floyd - arnold layne

'say you'll be there', 'who do you think you are' at least

they're amazing pop songs but they aren't life-changing like Wannabe was

2 Unlimited - Get Ready For This
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

Bela Lugosi's Dead

Zager & Evans I guess.

Some of the ones mentioned above are wrong, wrong, wrong. Teenage Fanclub or Supergrass? NO WAY!

Monkees OTM. Howard Jones did "Hide & Seek" later on and that one is one of the best singles ever.

Most of these answers are wrong.

Factually.

(e.g. Loser wasn't beck's first single, Creep wasn't etc...)

If this question was about first tracks on debut albums, the correct answer would be Oasis.

No, no, no. Oasis peaked with "Wonderwall".

Fuck off.

Teenage Fanclub is absolutely bang-on right, good call that man.

Sugababes SUGARCUBES

^THIS!

No actually, Birthday was their second single, retract! RETRACT!

third

(in the UK at least)

Wikipedia claims it was their first outside Iceland, maybe it was just reissued?

Bela Lugosi's Dead

Never understood all the love for this song. I know it's prototypical goth and all, but I'll take "She's In Parties" or "In the Flat Fields" any day of the week.

AFAIK Birthday was the Sugarcubes first single released outside of Iceland. I think that the one that got released before was actually an Icelandic language version of the same song, so, um it sort of counts dunnit?

Magazine - shot by both sides

Rema Rema - Wheel in the roses

No one appears to have mentioned Elvis yet.....
And the Beatles? *runs away*

The Beatles would be the challop to end all challops.

Ugh, I just said 'challops'.

what have you become

(also otm)

Chapterhouse - "Pearl"
House of Love - "Christine"
Lush - "Scar" EP

"Shine On" was first, wasn't it?

Fairly sure Pearl's not Chapterhouse's first single either

Mark G, I don't think Rema Rema really count here!

Wikipedia says it is (Chapterhouse), for what that's worth...think you're right about House of Love...how about:

House of Pain - "Jump Around"

and

Terence Trent D'Arby - "Wishing Well"

Wikipedia says it is (Chapterhouse),

* Freefall (1990)
* Sunburst (1990)

* "Pearl" (1991)

Terence Trent D'Arby - "Wishing Well" "If you let me stay"

Suede - "The Drowners"
Gene - "For The Dead"
Bobbie Gentry - "Ode To Billie Joe"

No it doesn't!

* Freefall (1990)
* Sunburst (1990)

* "Pearl" (1991)

well, "Pearl" is listed as their first-released single, for what that's worth...(probably the proverbial tinker's damn, but whatever)...

Sure, but if you want to go that way, then Scar isn't Lush's first single! </pedantry>

yeah, I knew I'd get busted for that, but I was just looking for any kind of lifeline...

I had nowhere to turn!

Sniff 'n' the Tears - "Drivers Seat"

i would likely as not agree with Elvis P

Well, that's alright Barunka.

except there's things i'd place on a par with 'mama'

M/A/R/R/S :)

Pere Ubu: 30 Seconds Over Tokyo/Heart Of Darkness

Does Jonathan Richman's Roadrunner count?

He's on the radio right now: Chris Brown

although all produced music of worth for a long while afterwards.

this got totally ignored yes

Chris Brown otm

Girls Aloud?

Scooter

christ, the vocals on the first teenage fanclub single are bad. everything on 'grand prix' pisses over it from about 20,000 feet.

duran duran otm though.

The Sundays.

Scooter

they've only just peaked in the last year!

Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

winner?

Cowboy Junkies, "Sweet Jane"

christ, the vocals on the first teenage fanclub single are bad. everything on 'grand prix' pisses over it from about 20,000 feet.

duran duran otm though.

― gotta change my screenname (ledge), Thursday, 16 October 2008 09:49 (7 hours ago) Permalink

Yes, the vocals are weak and sometimes out of tune, The production is as weak and thin as a balkan peasant's soup and you can't hear the bass guitar but it's STILL one of the very best songs ever written, of all time, debut single or not.

And I love Grand Prix.

dinosaur - "repulsion"

Deee-Lite, "Groove Is in the Heart"

Boston - "More Than A Feeling"

Isn't this *precisely* the wrong question to ask on a board full of people who are into obscure music? Artists whose last single was the best thing they ever did would be more like it

Start a new one then.

Maybe I will, son, maybe I will

No offence intended, incidentally. As a gesture of good faith, I'll offer you: The Sex Pistols - "Anarchy In The UK"

"Man Child" >>>>>>>> "Buffalo Stance"

I heard "Pony" by Ginuwine on the radio yesterday, figured it would be a consensus pick here.

produced music of worth for a long while afterwards

unless you mean Tim?

i'm not an expert on his work but to his credit his first three albums went platinum and his last two went gold, he's not just a one hit wonder.

i had to look that up on wiki but i believe it...lots of his songs are still staples of r&b radio.

I'm gonna throw this out there: "Staring at the Sun"-TVotR

Was "Who am I (What's my name)" Snoop's 1st? If so then that, but I think it may have been Deep Cover

OTM: Sex Pistols, Boston, Sugarcubes, Ginuwine, The Jam

Mouth & MacNeal - "How Do You Do"

Wu Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck

I think technically this is not the first single, which weirdly was Tearz if I'm not mistaken. But it can barely be called a second since it's the first cut to feature the whole clan.

Yes, the vocals are weak and sometimes out of tune, The production is as weak and thin as a balkan peasant's soup and you can't hear the bass guitar but it's STILL one of the very best songs ever written, of all time, debut single or not.

And I love Grand Prix.

― Sven Hassel Schmuck, Thursday, October 16, 2008 5:18 PM (5 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Okay, now I really have heard everything.

OTM: Sex Pistols, Boston, Sugarcubes, Ginuwine, The Jam

This Is the Modern World (the song) is better than anything prior.

the undertones

Mos Def - Universal Magnetic

Doug E. Fresh - The Show/La Di Da Di

that "who's" is really annoying me

haha

No way is "Protect Ya Neck" the best thing Wu-Tang ever did. The first album alone has a few better tunes than it ("C.R.E.A.M.", "7th Chamber Part II", "Shame on Nigga"), and they've released several better songs since then: "Triumph", "Gravel Pit", "Careful (Click, Click)", "Rules", "Gun Will Go", "Stick Me for My Riches"...

Oh yeah, and don't forget "I Can't Go to Sleep". The best single they ever released.

The Buzzcocks - "Boredom"

can't see Dizzee topping 'I Luv U'

oh man, this thread

Was "Everybody" Madonna's 1st single? If so, I nominate her.

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Roxy Music yet. ("Virginia Plain")

Not to knock their great work for the next few years, but man, that sound!

No way is "Protect Ya Neck" the best thing Wu-Tang ever did. The first album alone has a few better tunes than it ("C.R.E.A.M.", "7th Chamber Part II", "Shame on Nigga"), and they've released several better songs since then: "Triumph", "Gravel Pit", "Careful (Click, Click)", "Rules", "Gun Will Go", "Stick Me for My Riches"...

okay it's disputable that there are some better tracks on enter the 36 chambers, and protect ya neck might not even be my favourite, but i'd still say it's the best. like, objectively speaking. it won the ILM poll and most of my friends agree. i'm just going to assume you're joking about Gun Will Go and Stick Me for My Riches. shit, even Gravel Pit kinda blows.

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Roxy Music yet. ("Virginia Plain")

Not to knock their great work for the next few years, but man, that sound!

Absolutely OTM.

Dizzee Rascal OTM

I'll throw my hat in the ring for Television's "Little Johnny Jewel". Most won't agree, but it has a certain visceral quality...

2nds on "Radio Free Europe", "Touch Me. I'm Sick", "It's a Modern World", "Fa Ce La", "Get Up, and Use Me", "Cool", "New Rose" and the 1st single by just about every punk act.

Angelic Upstarts "The Murder Of Liddle Towers"
Bauhaus "Bela Lugosi's Dead"

The Kingsmen

The Lovin' Spoonful

Deep Purple

Ramones

New Pornographers

Gnarls Barkley

Arctic Monkeys

If it were last year I would have agreed with "Everything Flows" but "Alcoholiday" and a few others are better..

Lovin' Spoonful is wrong.

I heard "Pony" by Ginuwine on the radio yesterday

omg yes

for the benefit of future searchers, the answer is Guns N' Roses

"Sweet Child o' Mine" was GNR's first single? I thought it was "Welcome to the Jungle".

Actually, according to Wikipedia, their first single was "It's So Easy".

Oasis

First single was Welcome To The Jungle... I fail at youtube link paste

The Beautiful South

Le Tigre: Deceptacon
PIL: Public Image

Status Quo

Flaming Lips, if "My Own Planet" (main song on their debut EP) counts as a single.

Soundgarden ("Hunted Down"/"Nothing To Say")

ESG, if "Moody" (main song on their debut EP) counts as a single.

Gang of Four, "Damaged Goods" (45 version)

Pylon, "Cool"

The Pack, "Vans"

Too many old-school rap artists to name.

Some of these have probably already been named; don't have time to search them. If so, I second them. (And I third "Radio Free Europe" while I'm at it):

Patti Smith "Piss Factory"/"Hey Joe"

Vanilla Ice, "Ice Ice Baby" (original version)

Pet Shop Boys, "West End Girls"

Killing Joke, "Change"/"Requiem"

The Knack, "My Sharona"

Poison, "Talk Dirty To Me"

Was (Not Was), "Wheel Me Out"

Onyx, "Ah, And We Do It Like This"

Jesus & Mary Chain, "Upside Down"

Age Of Chance, "Bible Of The Beats"

Test Dept., "Compulsion"/"Pulsations"

Soul Asylum, "Tied To The Tracks"

Big Daddy Kane - "Raw"

Dire Straits, "Sultans Of Swing"

Maybe: The Police, "Fall Out"

Amazed to learn that "Go Now!" was actually not the Moody Blues' debut single (merely their second), so not them, I guess.

Agree on Annie (and lots of other ones above)

Disagree on The Monkees (whose best track was "Steppin' Stone") (and lots of other other ones above.)

Gretchen Wilson, "Redneck Woman"

I have to say, Chuck, that I find the Flaming Lips choice very puzzling, to think that they never topped "My Own Planet" -- to each his own I guess!

Have yet to agree with any response

Mission of Burma

Amazed to learn that "Go Now!" was actually not the Moody Blues' debut single (merely their second), so not them, I guess.

And every single one of their 1967-72 singles >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Go Now" anyway.

Really disagree with the Beta Band nomination in the first post; much as I love Champion Versions, Los Amigos is better in my mind.

Staggered that Doves haven't been mentioned so far.

cuz Here It Comes" is not the best thing they ever done did?

God no; Cedar Room by lightyears.

Beyonce

Lily Allen

(Crazy In Love was Beyonce's first single, right?)

(solo, yes)

What about Work It?

C'mon xhuxk, "Bible of the Beat" was Age of Chance's greatest moment, but was their second single.

There's an "original version" of "Ice Ice Baby"?

"Upside Down"? "Everything Flows"? "Arnold Layne"? WTFever.

Gnarls Barkley

if musically means work it out then yes, if she means crazy in love then no

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubd2uUPT5ww

Bell Biv Devoe - 'Poison'

Speaking of Poison, their first single was "Cry Tough", xhuck. (xposts)

the streets

Flo Rida

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_aHlHc_Vb4

ignore the shit video please. and everything else they ever did.

Phoenix

I had the misfortune recently of seeing the Guillemots with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra recently at the British Council birthday and it was one of the most insipid jam offs ive ever seen.

yep i bet. some dire shit. that song never fails to give me goosebumps however. the bastards.

i think it's because it sounds like dexys. and nothing else they did does.

how have they ended up working with alex ward and loads of other improv weirdos? seems another example of average band being presented with how middle of the road they actually are after finding fame and thrashing around trying to get in the wire

I have no axe to grind for Guillemots but I think the Alex Ward connection goes back several years so I don't think it was a sudden post-"fame" credibility grab. Their drummer was in skronky theatrical hardcore band Camp Blackfoot with him in the 90s if memory serves.

(May be mixing my facts here as I have v. little interest in Guillemots; saw CB a bunch and miss them, however)

The Sound--"Heyday"

Slipknot - "Wait and Bleed"

In a similar vein, Linkin Park - "One Step Closer".

Also The Sugababes.

and the Sugarcubes

Marshall Jefferson - Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)
Hardfloor - Once Again Back (if B-sides to the artist's first single count)
Sven Väth - L'Esperanza

Scooter - Hyper Hyper
Jam & Spoon - Stella
ATB - 9pm (Till I Come)
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (although I guess this is only valid as a one-hit wonder, but it is a debut single that's the best of the whole genre)
Haddaway - What Is Love
Captain Jack - Captain Jack
Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe
Alcazar -Crying At The Discotheque

I was surprised that Put A Donk On It was not a first single.

Mariah Carey, "Vision of Love"

seal - crazy