Famous Songs That Everyone Knows But Most People Couldn't Name the Artist Behind

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figure someone else would probably start this thread if I didn't.

"Macarena"
"It Takes Two"
"Funky Town"
"The Power"
"Who Let the Dogs Out?"
"Get Ready for This"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

"Happy Birthday"

― ana (ana), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

"Horse With No Name"

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:04 (twenty years ago)

Future's so bright / I gotta wear shades.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

Stuck In The Middle With You

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

I mean, pretty much every one-hit wonder ever.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

"Oh Yeah"

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

that's not really true. Sir Mix-a-Lot, Gerardo, Nena, etc. are all about as famous as their big hits.

Though yeah, it does tend to be the case.

x-post

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

Tubthumping

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

Chumbawamba is remembered by virtue of their riduculous name, I think.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

not by people who didn't watch mtv

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

likewise, and u.s.-wise, "Song 2"

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

"Rock'n'Roll, pt. 2"

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

Gerardo, Nena

Nobody knows these guys. Honestly, I've had to tell people who sings both of those songs multiple times.

Also, many people don't know who sings "Tubthumping" and also don't know that the song is CALLED "Tubthumping". True story.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

"na na na hey hey hey (kiss him goodbye)"

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

Gerardo, really? That surprises me. Nena was probably a poor example.

"Rock and Roll, Pt. 2" is a great one.

re: Chumbawamba--I dunno, I'm reminded of that Family Guy episode with the Chumbawmabas. Not that everyone watches FG, but I think it's a reference that just about everyone who watches the show would get.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

"na na na hey hey hey (kiss him goodbye)"

we could probably have a whole thread devoted to sports anthems no one either knows the name of or artist behind.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

see also: Whatever that song is that starts off sounding sort of like "Eye of the Tiger" but develops into a song that is not "Eye of the Tiger"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

Most power ballads, although people usually will hit the band name eventually... "Is this Journey? REO Speedwagon? Foreigner?..."

"Rico Suave", if you didn't know, is commonly assumed to have been sung by the famous hispanic singer Rico Suave.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

That song from GOB's magic show that goes "THE FINAL COUNTDOOOOOWN"

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

"Rico Suave", if you didn't know, is commonly assumed to have been sung by the famous hispanic singer Rico Suave.

yeah, that's fair enough.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

Also in the one-hit wonder category, "Afternoon Delight."

And it might not be famous anymore, but "Short Dick Man."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

"Coconut" by Harry Nilsson

― darin (darin), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

really? That was Harry Nilsson?

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

Also in the one-hit wonder category, "Afternoon Delight."

"Starland Vocal Band????!!? They suck!!!"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, funny thing - I bet a lot people don't associate Nilsson with his hits since he approached each song with a different voice. I mean "Without You", "Jump Into The Fire", "Coconut", and "Everybody's Talking" all sound like different singers to me. Maybe that hurt him in the long run since he didn't leave an identifiable signature on each song.

x-post

― darin (darin), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

"Land of 1,000 Dances"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

"Ride Captain Ride" by Blues Image
"Dancing In The Moonlight" by King Harvest
"Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:39 (twenty years ago)

def. good call on "Dancing in the Moonlight"--no idea who that song was.

very on point.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:40 (twenty years ago)

What about one hit wonders where everyone knows the singer, but for no apparent reason? Like, who DOESN'T know that "The Lady in Red" is by Chris de Burgh?

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

> def. good call on "Dancing in the Moonlight"--no idea who that song was.

Agreed -- for years I thought that was the same band that did "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)."

Also, I have no idea who did "The Electric Slide."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Those Were The Days
Volare

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Also, I have no idea who did "The Electric Slide."

shit I used to know that.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

"Rock Me Amadeus"

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)

Love Is Blue
Puff The Magic Dragon
The Bird Dance
Seasons In The Sun
In The Year 2525
Star Wars Theme (either version)
Aquarius

Plus numerous Andrew Lloyd Webber songs

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

I'm actually not even sure I know the name of the artist. Is it Falco?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

it's Falco, yeah.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

I think a lot more people have heard of John Williams than you think< Geir (aka there a lot of nerdy Star Wars fans.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

"Mahna Mahna"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 20:59 (twenty years ago)

"Spirit In the Sky"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 22:04 (twenty years ago)

"My name is Prince"

― A / F#m / Bm / D (Lynskey), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

"Imagine"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

"crimson and clover"

― jermaine (jnoble), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

The spring from "The Four Seasons"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

"Steppin' Out". If only because all I remembered of the song for years was the melody and only recently managed to figure out who sang it.

― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 22:41 (twenty years ago)

Sadly, I could name the artist of each song in the original post, and most of the artists in the subsequent posts.

Does that mean I'm dying?

If so, why?

― shueytexas, Tuesday, 5 April 2005 23:05 (twenty years ago)

"Be Thankful for What You've Got."

"You Don't Miss Your Water."

"Tipitina."

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 23:31 (twenty years ago)

Sadly, I could name the artist of each song in the original post, and most of the artists in the subsequent posts.
Does that mean I'm dying?

No. It means that, like most ILM posters, you are a music nerd ;)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 09:34 (twenty years ago)

i always thought Rico Suave was actually credited to Rico Suave

― Sven Basted (blueski), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)

i don't know who sang 'Build Me Up Buttercup'

― Sven Basted (blueski), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 09:48 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 110 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is so good.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 15 September 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Did I ever mention "Da Da Da..." in this thread? I don't think so.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 15 September 2005 16:52 (twenty years ago)

How about Primitive Radio Gods' "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand" for a special category of famous songs that people know but couldn't name the artist OR the title?

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 15 September 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

Did I ever mention "Da Da Da..."
The Trio song?

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is so good.
If I google the Buckinghams, I get a lot of references to somebody referring to them as "goatee rock."

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 September 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)

yeah, The Trio song.

SOABPBWMIMH--I doubt that many people remember this song to begin with, unfortunately.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 15 September 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

I bet that now (now being 2005) 97 people out of 100 would assume that SOABPBWMIMH is from Moby's "Play."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 15 September 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

Famous songs that no one could name?

Try any instrumental.

We've all had to deal with radio DJ's who never ID songs, but if it's a vocal you at least have a verse or a possible title to go by. With instrumentals, you got a tuff row to hoe.

True story - I once heard a deejay play a popular instrumental, and when it was over: "That was...'Hocus Pocus' by Focus, right? Oh no, excuse me, that was 'Frankenstein' by the Edgar Winter Group. I could never tell those two songs apart..."

― Rev. Hoodoo (Rev. Hoodoo), Thursday, 15 September 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

Green Onions!

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 15 September 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

Play That Funky Music

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 15 September 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

"everybody plays the fool"

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:39 (twenty years ago)

"All Right Now"

― I think I may need a bathroom break? (wetmink2), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

"Black Betty"

― I think I may need a bathroom break? (wetmink2), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:52 (twenty years ago)

the theme song from Wonder Years

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:53 (twenty years ago)

- "Take Five" by Brubeck
- that Chuck Mangione song

― I think I may need a bathroom break? (wetmink2), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

"The Stripper" by David Rose.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

"Drift Away" by Dobie Gray, which I thought was a CCR song for years.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Love is Blue
War (huh, good god y'all!)
Take My Breath Away
Tainted Love
Money, That's What I Want
I Will Survive
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Addicted to Love
That song at the end of Dirty Dancing..."Time of My Life"?
I'll Be There For You (Friends theme)
Eye of the Tiger (maybe)
I'm Too Sexy

Funkytown pretty much wins the thread though.

― musically (musically), Saturday, 25 March 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

"Send Me An Angel" wins this thread

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Saturday, 25 March 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

"Nowhere Girl" a close second

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Saturday, 25 March 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

Ho, ho, ho
It's magic, you know
Never believe it's not so
It's magic, you know
Never believe, it's not so

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Saturday, 25 March 2006 20:51 (nineteen years ago)

That's that band that Tony Blair was in.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 25 March 2006 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

"Signs"
"Too Late To Turn Back Now"
"What I Like About You"

― Lotta Continua (Damian), Saturday, 25 March 2006 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

most national anthems

― blunt (blunt), Sunday, 26 March 2006 01:34 (nineteen years ago)

Has their been a thread on national anthems? (I suppose there has but have neither the CPU nor the inclination to search it out at this juncture).

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Sunday, 26 March 2006 01:37 (nineteen years ago)

― StanM (StanM), Sunday, 26 March 2006 01:42 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Sunday, 26 March 2006 01:48 (nineteen years ago)

np (I was too lazy to check them out though)

― StanM (StanM), Sunday, 26 March 2006 01:52 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

Blitzkrieg Bop

― Aditya (dan138zig), Friday, 23 June 2006 23:34 (nineteen years ago)

A lot of these show up in movie trailers all the time--esp. "Green Onions" and The Flying Lizard's "Money (That's What I Want)."

Come to think of it there's gotta be a ton of instantly-recognizable songs that you've only really ever heard in movie previews, if at all.

― max (maxreax), Saturday, 24 June 2006 00:07 (nineteen years ago)

I'll venture even Shinia Twain knows who did Blitzkrieg Bop.

War (huh, good god y'all!)

Eddie did get the shaft in the musical history of thing. Unless your talking about Bruce Springsteen cause fuck his version and soup can dick or not fuck Henry Rollins' too.

Take My Breath Away

You know, she was almost Princess Leia, instead she went on to join Berlin.

Tainted Love

If your reffering to Soft Cell you must be joking.

Money, That's What I Want
I Will Survive
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Addicted to Love

SRSLY? Addicted To love, with its video played on MM/MTV endlessly nevermind AOR radio and people still don't know who its by?

That song at the end of Dirty Dancing..."Time of My Life"?

Hungry Eyes was more difficult song. Jennifer Warnes did (amoung other blander things) the best Leonard Cohen cover EVAH! (First We Take Manhattan).

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Saturday, 24 June 2006 01:46 (nineteen years ago)

'All By Myself'

Jamie O'Neal

― jerkface (mizzjazz), Saturday, 24 June 2006 02:05 (nineteen years ago)

"Happy Together"
but, even better, as said above, "Build me up, Buttercup"

― gooblar (gooblar), Saturday, 24 June 2006 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

"Tarzan Boy"

― Diego Valladolid (dvalladt), Saturday, 24 June 2006 15:09 (nineteen years ago)

I ALWAYS forget the name of the guy that did "Funk Dat."

But probably not everyone remembers that song.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Saturday, 24 June 2006 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

If your reffering to Soft Cell you must be joking.

Yeah, I'm referring to the Soft Cell version...I wouldn't expect people to know that it's a Gloria Jones cover or anything. But when I conducted a highly scientific straw poll no one I knew had any idea who sang this, except one person who thought it was Devo. So I stand by it!

SRSLY? Addicted To love, with its video played on MM/MTV endlessly nevermind AOR radio and people still don't know who its by?

Most of the songs here are that popular, or more. Hence the thread title and all.

― musically (musically), Saturday, 24 June 2006 16:37 (nineteen years ago)

One way to test this is to go on Kazaa/Limewire and see how many songs are incorrectly attributed/named--I've seen "Tainted Love," for example, attributed to Devo, the Clash, Talking Heads and A-Ha on filesharing services.

― max (maxreax), Saturday, 24 June 2006 17:28 (nineteen years ago)

"On A Ragga Tip"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 24 June 2006 17:34 (nineteen years ago)

"Grazing in the Grass"

― novamax (novamax), Saturday, 24 June 2006 21:12 (nineteen years ago)

A lot of people think "Day After Day" (Badfinger) is a Beatles song.

When that Primitive Radio Gods song came out I thought it was by Beck for a long time.

― Maltodextrin (Maltodextrin), Saturday, 24 June 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

I ALWAYS forget the name of the guy that did "Funk Dat."

It's Sagat, which I can always remember because of the Street Fighter character.

― Marmot 4-Tay: forth-coming, my child. forth-coming most righteous champion (mar, Saturday, 24 June 2006 22:32 (nineteen years ago)

Please Mr. Postman
My Boyfriend's Back

― musically (musically), Saturday, 24 June 2006 22:39 (nineteen years ago)

One way to test this is to go on Kazaa/Limewire and see how many songs are incorrectly attributed/named

This makes me think of "The Cars That Go Boom," which I would CONSTANTLY see in people's Le Tigre directories. I'm not sure that's a song that everyone knows, though.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 25 June 2006 05:14 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, isn't it maybe called "We Love The Cars"? Maybe this is more complicated than I thought.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 25 June 2006 05:15 (nineteen years ago)

Damnit! Someone said Baker Street already.

― Vampire Business (Bimble...), Sunday, 25 June 2006 05:41 (nineteen years ago)

Poor Badfinger. No credit for "Without You," either.

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Sunday, 25 June 2006 11:32 (nineteen years ago)

"Summer Holiday" (you know, the one that goes "We're all going on a summer holiday...").

"Carmina Burana".

That sunscreen song.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 25 June 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

"Apache".

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 25 June 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

"Don't Worry, Be Happy".

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 25 June 2006 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

"Happy Together"

― chap who would dare to be a nerd, not a geek (chap), Sunday, 25 June 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

(from way upthread):

WTF? "Electric Slide" is really called "Electric Boogie"????

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 25 June 2006 22:41 (nineteen years ago)

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