Political bands with one pop hit

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I've had this long running discussion w/ friends about bands who produce mostly political content, but who cross into the mainstream on the appeal of a single pop hit. Chumbawumba would be one; Dexy's Midnight Runners, another. Any ideas?

― d. powers, Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Midnight Oil!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Chumbawumba had a second top ten single with "Amnesia". "Ole Ole Ole" was top 30 as well.

And Dexy's were, like, the biggest band in England for about two years.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

we are the world

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Men Without Hats. I love the idea that they were a bunch of screamin' commies or whatever they were.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

FYI, MWOH had two pop hits.

― may pang (maypang), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

What on earth was the other one?

― Kerry (dymaxia), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Pop Goes The World. Well, at least it was in Canada.

― may pang (maypang), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"pop goes the world" was a hit in the usa, too. in like 1988 or something.

i never thought of men w/t hats as political -- but would you take anything Ivan Doroschuk says seriously? WITH THAT VOICE?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, ha - yeah. Saw it on MTV, I think, but sorry about my US bias.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Nena. (since her one hit was about nuclear destuction!)

― chuck, Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Sgt.Barry Sadler

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Dexy's were a political band?

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Weavers

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Clash (do they count as political?)

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Indigo Girls? (the question mark is my wondering if they had another hit other than that "I went to the doctor I drank from the fountain" song)

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

clash had more than one pop hit fer sure.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

oh right, one pop hit. that leaves out the weavers too.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't even think that song (The Indigo Girls' Closer to Fine) counts as a hit. Did it even make the charts?

― may pang (maypang), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" probably counts, as does, I suppose, Sgt. Barry Sadler's "Ballad of The Green Berets" (a very different politics. to be sure).

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

barry mcguire wasn't a political band. he was a loser. he was a pop artist with one political hit. i picked barry sadler already, so i agree with you there. a whole hearts and minds kinda thing.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah. Tell it like it is!

― may pang (maypang), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Would 'Television' by The Beatnigs count?

― mzui, Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Nena. (since her one hit was about nuclear destuction!)

Nuh-uh. "Anyplace Anywhere Anytime" was all over the charts in several European countries just last year, wasn't political in the least and was one of the best singles of last year to boot.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, Chuck, All of Nena's other songs were about love.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Not the one about the elephant!!!!!

― chuck, Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Asian Dub Foundation - Buzzin' got to #33.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Biohazard and Cop Shoot Cop had a minor hit each, correct?

― Simon H., Friday, 13 February 2004 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say Bob Marley, but actually he never had any hits, at least in the United States, at least on the Top 40, at least with him singing them. Same with Gil Scott Heron. And Black Sabbath. And Linton Kwesi Johnson. And Brother D With Collective Effort. Boney M, however, did many political songs in their career, but their only US hit is "Rivers of Babylon." I have no idea if Public Enemy or Rage Against the Machine ever had any actual pop hits. And I also forget whether Desmond Dekker was political or not.

I know a real good one, though: Thunderclap Newman! Hah!!!!

― chuck, Friday, 13 February 2004 00:20 (twenty-two years ago)

scritti politti

(at least in the u.s., where they only hit the top 40 once)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I CANNOT BELIEVE NO ONE HAS CHALLENGED NICKALICIOUS ON MIDNIGHT OIL.

"Beds Are Burning"
"The Dead Heart"
"Blue Sky Mine"
"King Of The Mountain"

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

AND "Forgotten Years"!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

in response to query upthread-
of course The Clash count as political!!!
But they had 2 hits-
Train in Vain and
Rock the Casbah

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Position Artist Title Date Details
38 Clash White Riot Apr 1977
28 Clash Complete Control Oct 1977
35 Clash Clash City Rockers Mar 1978
32 Clash (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais Jun 1978
19 Clash Tommy Gun Dec 1978
25 Clash English Civil War (Johnny Comes Marching Home) Mar 1979
22 Clash The Cost Of Living EP May 1979
11 Clash London Calling Dec 1979
12 Clash Bankrobber Aug 1980
40 Clash The Call Up Dec 1980
34 Clash The Magnificent Seven Apr 1981
30 Clash Rock The Casbah Jun 1982
17 Clash Should I Stay Or Should I Go / Straight To Hell Sep 1982
24 Clash This Is England Oct 1985
29 Clash I Fought The Law Mar 1988 Notes
1 Clash Should I Stay Or Should I Go (re-issue) Mar 1991
15 Clash Rock The Casbah (re-issue) Apr 1991

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Hi, UK posters? This is the official representative of the US posters. We know fuckall about your charts so don't get mad if we call wildly popular bands on your side of the pond "one-hit wonders", okay? All right, I'm outie.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

And Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, if #62 (US, duh) on the pop charts for "The Message" counts as a "hit."

― chuck, Friday, 13 February 2004 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Bruce Cockburn

I don't think any of his tunes other than "If I had a Rocket Launcher" ever got played on regular rock radio in the US, although the local NPR station around here plays him all the time.

― earlnash, Friday, 13 February 2004 01:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, Cockburn's "Wondering Where the Lions Are" was an even bigger US hit, I believe.

― chuck, Friday, 13 February 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Max Frost & the Troopers!

― Joseph McCombs, Friday, 13 February 2004 02:06 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, my comment was from a US POV

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

midnight oil don't really count because they've had dozens of hits in australia..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Tom Robinson ("War Baby")

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

bruce cockburn "if a tree falls" (or whatever its title was) was his only australian hit

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Billy Bragg hit UK #1 dueting with Cara Tivey on "She's Leaving Home". The reason why the single became #1 was (besides being a charity effort) probably Wet Wet Wet's version of "With a Little Help From My Friends", but it was still released as a double a-side.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Can Radiohead count??

― Josh Timmermann (Josh Timmermann), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:22 (twenty-two years ago)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Because they're not a political band or because something other than Creep could qualify as a pop hit (in the U.S.)?

― Josh Timmermann (Josh Timmermann), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The Buffalo Springfield had some great tunes, but the only one I remember as a hit was "For What It's Worth".

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Mr. Soul" was a hit. Were they a political band? Were all rock bands of the Woodstock era political?

Also, how do you research U.S. top 40 hits on-line? E.g. find out which BuffSpring songs made the top 40.

― no opinion, Friday, 13 February 2004 06:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Would Ice Cube count (for "It Was a Good Day") or was "Check Yo' Self" big enough to qualify as a second pop hit?

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't hear "Mr.Soul" until I bought Neil Young's Journey through The past. I don't recall it being on AM. Perhaps it was regionally played. I still think it's a great song - either incarnation.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't know if they had a hit outside of Canada, nor do I remember if they had any other hits within, but Parachute Club for "Rise Up, Rise Up" which was about revolution, and eventually wound up in a frozen pizza commercial.

― huckleberry, Friday, 13 February 2004 06:22 (twenty-two years ago)

paul hardcastle

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:22 (twenty-two years ago)

timex social club

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:23 (twenty-two years ago)

bo donaldson

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

bob carlisle

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:31 (twenty-two years ago)

RUSH

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't hear "Mr.Soul" until I bought Neil Young's Journey through The past. I don't recall it being on AM.
Ah you're right, Mr. Soul wasn't even a single, looks like. Sorry! Question remains whether they are a political band... But it does look as though they only cracked the top 40 once.

― no opinion, Friday, 13 February 2004 07:57 (twenty-two years ago)

elton john's always on the wrong side, right ? so how about "nikita" ? biggest capitalist western pop star attempts to "crossover" to underground bourgeoisie resistance in the soviet bloc (the gang known as "the holders of the eggs of Faberge") ?

(presuming "candle in the wind v.2" to be mostly about elton's own deliberately public private life, and ignoring his early vaguely-political-singer persona circa "madman across the water", which were amoungst his most seditious and so least popular/$$ songs)

― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 13 February 2004 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Toby Keith? Oh I'm sure he is lodged in the upper reaches of your "country" "charts" like a thong in a fat woman's bumcrack but he's just that "...American way" guy to everyone else, innit.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 13 February 2004 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Kingmaker do anything other than "Armchair Anarchist"?

― grapeshine (grapeshine), Friday, 13 February 2004 10:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, but that wasn't their one 'hit' anyhow

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 13 February 2004 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Surprised to find that Buffalo Springfield only had one hit .. But I wouldn't call them political - most of their songs were love songs or vignettes. In 1967, a band could hardly help but write a few political songs.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 13 February 2004 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Would Ice Cube count (for "It Was a Good Day") or was "Check Yo' Self" big enough to qualify as a second pop hit?

From what I remember, both "Check Yo' Self" and "Wicked" were hits.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 February 2004 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

And 'Bop Gun', over here

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 13 February 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

a little peace - nicole

― Shooz (shooz), Friday, 13 February 2004 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

Did the Redskins ever have a hit in England?
What about Test Dept.?

(I don't think I've ever actually heard the Redskins. I just know both of these bands were in favo of striking miners. I read that in the '80s.)

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 15:35 (sixteen years ago)

And Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, if #62 (US, duh) on the pop charts for "The Message" counts as a "hit."

They were hardly a political band though, I think "The Message" was pretty much their only political tune.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 15:39 (sixteen years ago)

I beg to differ! What about "Superappin'" (from which "The Message" stole many of its words), "New York New York," and "World War III"?

xp "in favor of," I meant.

What about the Gang of Four? ("I Love A Man In Uniform" must have hit the dance chart or something, right?)

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 15:43 (sixteen years ago)

Red Rockers ("China")
Michelle Shocked ("Anchorage")

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 15:53 (sixteen years ago)

The Call's wiki says they had a second Hot 100 hit, but I remember only "The Walls Came Down."

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 15:55 (sixteen years ago)

I beg to differ! What about "Superappin'" (from which "The Message" stole many of its words), "New York New York," and "World War III"?

"The Message" may have borrowed some lines from "Superrappin'", but "Superrappin'" is not a political song at all. And "World War III" was done after the group broke up, I think it's credited to Grandmaster Melle Mel or something. You're right about "New York, New York" though, but I still wouldn't call Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five a political band.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 15:55 (sixteen years ago)

Did the Redskins ever have a hit in England?
What about Test Dept.?

The Redskins had one Top 40 hit with Bring it Down (This Insane Thing) which is weird because that's the single of theirs that I can't remember. Plus their album went Top 40 too. Probably both for like one week or something. Test Dept - I doubt they ever had any hits because they weren't really a singles band. Albums and "happenings" was more their thing. For the latter they did acheive a certain degree of respectability and recognition in the UK Arts community.

― everything, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 16:08 (sixteen years ago)

Todd Snider had a minor hit, Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 16:09 (sixteen years ago)

The Redskins' biggest "hit" was "Keep on keeping on", a pop 'hit' with political undercurrent (albeit pretty overt), produced by Nick Lowe.

It sold over time, which is why it never made higher than 43. "Bring it down" was a cop off the Four Tops' "Bernadette", with a double 7" edition, which is why it made 33.

― Mark G, Thursday, 7 May 2009 07:33 (sixteen years ago)

Kane Gang. I don't have any evidence to prove otherwise.

― james k polk, Thursday, 7 May 2009 07:44 (sixteen years ago)

Not really a political band. Had more than one hit in the UK tho I see there were one hit wonders in the US. Looked like an Einstein chip, apparently.

― e.e. cummingstonite (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:16 (sixteen years ago)

Was going to say Robert Wyatt, but he had more than one "hit"

― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:39 (sixteen years ago)

Probably didn't have hits: 25th of May, Blaggers ITA.

Jeezus there's a whole sub-genre here of early 90s bands I was way too into for a week.

― e.e. cummingstonite (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:44 (sixteen years ago)

The Dead Kennedys.

― Enemy Insects (NickB), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:46 (sixteen years ago)

Didn't they do it as Too Drunk To Swim on TOTP?

― Enemy Insects (NickB), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:47 (sixteen years ago)

ha, we all wish...

― Mark G, Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:51 (sixteen years ago)

Oh right no, I'm getting muddled. The BBC were worried about it, cos they would have had to have mentioned it had they made it to the top 30 and were on the chart run down, rite? So where did I get the Swim thing from? John Peel? Could be, I always remember him talking about Big Black's Songs About Knitting too.

― Enemy Insects (NickB), Thursday, 7 May 2009 09:01 (sixteen years ago)

The Pipes and Drums and Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, "Amazing Grace"

― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 May 2009 09:01 (sixteen years ago)

^^^ The rest of the tracks on the album are all posse cuts tho.

― e.e. cummingstonite (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 May 2009 09:04 (sixteen years ago)

Easterhouse and Heaven 17

― litcofsky, Saturday, 9 May 2009 08:47 (sixteen years ago)

The Call's wiki says they had a second Hot 100 hit, but I remember only "The Walls Came Down."

"I Still Believe" and "Everywhere I Go."

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 9 May 2009 12:25 (sixteen years ago)

Band Aid had at least one pop hit.

― Edward Saroyan, Saturday, 9 May 2009 13:44 (sixteen years ago)

But how political was it, really?

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 9 May 2009 20:01 (sixteen years ago)

I mean, is Michael Jackson's "Heal The World" a political song?

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 9 May 2009 20:01 (sixteen years ago)

C Company Feat. Terry Nelson -- "Battle Hymn Of Lt. Calley" (#37 pop, 1971)

― xhuxk, Monday, 11 May 2009 05:05 (sixteen years ago)

Gordon Sinclair - "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)" (#24 pop, 1974)

Byron MacGregor - "The Americans" (#4 pop, 1974)

― xhuxk, Monday, 11 May 2009 05:14 (sixteen years ago)

WumbaChumba - "Tubthumper"

― high (latebloomer), Monday, 11 May 2009 05:28 (sixteen years ago)

Arlo Guthrie (topical if not always political), "City of New Orleans"

and a similar argument could be made for Randy Newman, "Short People"

― Joseph McCombs, Monday, 11 May 2009 05:42 (sixteen years ago)

four months pass...

Michael Franti and Spearhead, "Say Hey (I Love You)"

― xhuxk, Sunday, 13 September 2009 18:06 (sixteen years ago)

Radio Africa - Latin Quarter

Did the Blow Monkeys have more than one proper hit?

― Flowersdie (Beril the peril), Wednesday, 16 September 2009 12:25 (sixteen years ago)

Yes.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 12:27 (sixteen years ago)

one month passes...

Technically two U.S. Top 40 hits (three if you count "Baby Come Back" with the Equals in 1968), and probably more than that in the UK, but I just realized Eddy Grant comes real close to belonging here, given that his by-far-biggest hit, which just missed going #1 in the U.S., was seemingly about some kind of proletarian uprising amidst violence in the streets, and other songs like "War Party" and "Living On The Frontline" probably qualify him as being called a "political" artist overall.

― xhuxk, Sunday, 8 November 2009 14:09 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

That '90s one-hit-wonder thread just reminded me that this belongs here:

Queensryche "Silent Lucidity" (not "political" itself, maybe, but lots of their previous Operation: Mindcrime theoretically was. Probably other stuff they did, too.)

― xhuxk, Monday, 11 April 2011 20:33 (fourteen years ago)

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