Singles Acts

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Which groups/artists have put out the best singles? I don't mean 'singles acts' as in 'their albums are rubbish/irrelevant', I just mean that their singles are a) all or mostly fantastic and b) they put the right tracks out as singles, i.e. there aren't lots of killer tunes which never were singles kicking around.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Basement Jaxx. There are probably some killer tunes which were never singles but they can't release everything.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

pretty much every house and techno artist/group, evah!

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:18 (twenty-three years ago)

But every techno and house group has not released fantastic singles. Some have released rubbish ones. I am not talking about 'singles acts' as opposed to 'album acts' - I think that's a pretty meaningless division. I'm talking about the acts with the highest strike-rate and best selection process.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:21 (twenty-three years ago)

The Jam. The Who. Abba. Human League. Supremes. New Order. Madonna. Chic. Hot Chocolate. Small Faces.

All fit a), but I guess you could argue about b) espec. for New Order.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:22 (twenty-three years ago)

ok, what i mean is virtually every good house/techno record ever was released as a single. not what you're asking, admittedly, but further proof that house/techno are ace.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes but virtually every bad house/techno song ever was also released as a single, as a quick trip down the Dance Basement at the Record And Tape Exchange will inform you. So on strike-rate terms house/techno loses (even though it's ace).

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Up until the last album I'd have said Pulp...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:32 (twenty-three years ago)

i just like that it's singles rather than album focussed,it's a good ethos. but i'm taking this off-topic, so i'll save it for another thread sometime.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:37 (twenty-three years ago)

well i like every Strokes single so far but thats not saying much is it

as for songs that shouldve been singles, is it true the Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations' was not an official single? alas i dont have my Guiness British Hit Singles book to hand...what about 'Stairway To Heaven' by Led Zep or 'Dont Be Cruel' by Elvis? i think the latter was no.1 in the States but not an official A-side in the UK...tho could be wrong

― blueski, Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Gregory Isaacs up to about 1982 (lots of good stuff after that too but the hit rate goes down I think).

Also Horace Andy. Sound Dimension. Etc etc.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:40 (twenty-three years ago)

michael i totally agree with you about that, i just wanted specific names

blueski - g.v. was I'm sure. songs that should have been singles is a different thing too. JUST TELL ME WHO RELEASED THE BEST SINGLES! ;)

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:41 (twenty-three years ago)

back on-topic:

agree with most of dr c's choices, esp. chic, abba & madonna. perhaps add michael jackson and britney.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Massive Attack (except for 'Inertia Creeps')
Chemical Brothers (except for 'The Test')
Prodigy (except for 'Smack My Bitch Up')
Beastie Boys (except for.....?)

they all made great choices for singles from the material they had, tho this doesnt mean all the singles they released were ALL great, altho i am prepared to say i think they were

― blueski, Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:46 (twenty-three years ago)

please insert "at least i thought so at the time!" with regards to the Prodigy ;)

― blueski, Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

specific house/techno artists would, for the purposes of the argument have had to have *released* artist albums and would include ten city and inner city and a shit load more probably.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:49 (twenty-three years ago)

No because they could have chosen the right tracks for the A sides, or had songs on compilations or mixes etc etc :)

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:51 (twenty-three years ago)

As I said on my Undertones thread: THE UNDERTONES

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:56 (twenty-three years ago)

re b) they put the right tracks out as singles

surely most bands/labels intuitively know which songs are right choices for singles so a more worthwhile question might be which songs were mistakenly released as singles at the expense of a superior album track or mistakenly released because it was a case of milking it a bit too far (this may include EVERY 4th single off any album - i usually find it quite annoying if a band release a fourth single from an album)

― blueski, Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:56 (twenty-three years ago)

tom, yeah, but most tracks on comps or mix-tapes are singles anyway, aren't they? a dj has the 12", plays it out, gets a good response, he uses it in his next mix cd or it appears on the next ministry of sound comp. these tracks don't just come straight from the pressing plant to the mix cd, do they?

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Blondie

― Aaron, Thursday, 3 October 2002 12:57 (twenty-three years ago)

OK maybe I mean commercially released singles - a lot of stuff on comps is white labels/dj exclusives, no?

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 3 October 2002 13:03 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, that's where the ambiguity lies: imports/white labels/promos/acetates/etc/etc. for the purposes of this thread house/techno should probably be disqualified.

― michael wells (michael w.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 13:09 (twenty-three years ago)

The Specials. Madness. Queen. Duran Duran. Rolling Stones. Buzzcocks (possibly 'You Say You Don't Love me' should've been a single, but that's nitpicking). Teardrop Explodes.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 3 October 2002 13:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Hold on Doctor, YSYDLM *was* a single.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 3 October 2002 13:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Saint Etienne, Pulp, early Who, Go-Betweens, Adam Ant. Prince Buster's singles are mostly great, don't know about his choices. Same for Barrington Levy.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 13:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think anyone's mentioned them yet, but the answer seems crystal clear to me:

BUZZCOCKS!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 October 2002 13:46 (twenty-three years ago)

All the honouring the fire has made you go blind, Alex ;) Look at my last post.

Tim - no it wasn't! Or do you mean it was *like* a single. If so, virtually every 'Cocks track would qualify.

The thing about The Who is that even in the late 70's the singles were still ace. You Better You Bet etc. The only one I'd rather they'd never released would be Sqeeze Box.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:05 (twenty-three years ago)

"Smack My Bitch Up" has gotten better over time.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:10 (twenty-three years ago)

The Zombies, dammit. Perhaps the most consistent singles band in history. *refuses to duck, gets hit with stuff, doesn't care*

― Matt C., Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:11 (twenty-three years ago)

The Zombies, dammit. Perhaps the most consistent singles band in history. *refuses to duck, gets hit with stuff, doesn't care*

I'm not sure that "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" was the best choice for a single from Odessey and Oracle! ;)

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:13 (twenty-three years ago)

No Doc, YSYDLM was a proper single! I have a copy! Here's a picture of the sleeve:

http://www.btinternet.com/~buzzcocks/img228.gif

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm not sure that "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" was the best choice for a single from Odessey and Oracle! ;)

Was that actually released as a single? My sources say no. And anyway, they'd broken up by the time the album was actually released, due to people sleeping on their first fourteen perfect singles.

You have to admit that "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" would have looked pretty good on the singles chart listings, though.

― Matt C., Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Bloody hell - IT WAS!! You're right Tim - it was between 'Everybody's Happy Nowadays' and 'Part One' (Are Everything).

Here's another : The Move.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Pet Shop Boys, KLF, Little Junior and the Blue Flames, Manfred Mann.
>
>
(and stick's head over parapet)
>
>
>
>
>The Beatles.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

billy got in with the klf before i could. i'm surprised it took this long!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Tommy James & the Shondells, the Shangri-Las, the Mamas & the Papas.

― Arthur (Arthur), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

the Shangri-Las

I'm surprised it took this long for them to be mentioned.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Marc Bolan / T-Rex
XTC
The Cure
The Smiths
Depeche Mode

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Was that actually released as a single? My sources say no. And anyway, they'd broken up by the time the album was actually released, due to people sleeping on their first fourteen perfect singles.

You have to admit that "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" would have looked pretty good on the singles chart listings, though.

Can't recall whose decision, label or band (or band management), it was to release "Butcher's Tale" but it was sent out as a U.S. single as opposed to all of that baroque-pop on the LP to appeal to anti-war, psych crowd. The box set liner notes explain it in full. I think (but I'm not positive) that it was the first single from the LP. "Time of the Season" was a posthumous release, but I'm not sure if "Butcher's Tale" was.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Phil Spector was a singles-oriented producer, and everyone in his stable in the late 50s and early 60s had at least one untouchable classic, from the Ronettes and Gene Pitney and Bobb B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans to the Righteous Brothers and Ike & Tina Turner (with that most sublime thing called "River Deep, Mountain High").

Oh, and thanks for the clarification on "Butcher's Tale," Scott Pl. I ain't got no Zombies box, so I'm just flyin' blind over here with my anthology, which only includes British singles. You win this time....

― Matt C., Thursday, 3 October 2002 14:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Kraftwerk are an odd one, because their catchy singles often bear no resemblance to their more obscure albums/album tracks. The Best example is the early Exceller 8 'greatest hits' compilation - compare Autobnahn with Vom Himmel Hoch!!

― Jez (Jez), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Ludacris!

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Billy - good call on Manfred Mann, however do you extend this to MM's Earthband or just the orig version? I would extend it myself.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Super Furry Animals. Ash, maybe.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Joy Division.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Nelly. I don't have the albums, though, so I'm not so sure about the b) part of the question.

― Arthur (Arthur), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Dr C, I'd stick to the original version, but then I'm not too familiar with the Earth Band other than 'blinded by the light', which I don't care for.

Incidentally Paul Jones actually made it up to my hometown last week I was tempted to go see him. But he was just giving a talk to the happy clappers so I expect that driving white blues or raunchy on the road anecdotes was off the menu.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 3 October 2002 15:52 (twenty-three years ago)

I absolutely cannot believe nobody has said Prince. DUH, people!

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 3 October 2002 19:43 (twenty-three years ago)

the jam have a terrible strike rate!!

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 3 October 2002 19:46 (twenty-three years ago)

but Prince has released so many naff songs as singles...i'd say his ratio is around 50/50

but The Jam's strike rate is top!

― blueski, Thursday, 3 October 2002 19:50 (twenty-three years ago)

the jam had five good singles AT MOST!! (it's also weird how often they rereleased them but that's a difft thread)

it pretty much goes GOOD bad GOOD bad GOOD bad with them

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 3 October 2002 20:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ie their strike-rate is 50% also

also the real answer is DOLLAR!!

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 3 October 2002 20:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Prince also fails part b) in that there are tons of fantastic Prince tracks which were never released as singles ("Lady Cab Driver", "Condition Of The Heart", "Sometimes It Snows In April", "When 2 R In Luv", "Forever In My Life", "The Beautiful Ones", "Hot Thing", "Strange Relationship", "Joy In Repetition", "Lemon Crush", "Shy", "Billy Jack Bitch", "Loose!", "Dig U Better Dead", "Sexuality", "Right back Here In My Arms", "Joint 2 Joint", "Emale", "Slave", "The Human Body", "Sleep Around", "I Can't Make You Love Me", "In This Bed I Scream", "Let's Work", "Housequake").

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 October 2002 20:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Ash, definitely!

The Sugargliders (they never even bothered releasing an album!)

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 3 October 2002 22:06 (twenty-three years ago)

The Jesus & Mary Chain
Eminem (duh)
Led Zeppelin (arf)
Belle & Sebastian
Saintetiennepulpdenimbleurghobv

― Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 3 October 2002 22:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm very tempted to add My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult to this list.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 October 2002 22:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Eminem, no. The Smiths, yes.

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Thursday, 3 October 2002 23:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Belle & Sebastian is a good answer, but I think some tracks from "Sinister" and "Arab Strap" would have made great singles.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 3 October 2002 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

I still say Prince; I'll take "Batdance" over most everything the JAMC ever did (or the Fall, for that matter)

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 4 October 2002 00:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Worst selection of material for singles: Sun Ra.

― Rockist Scientist, Friday, 4 October 2002 00:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, if this http://uk.sonymusic.co.uk/manics/music/item.php?id=42 is anything to go by, the Manics did pretty gosh-darned well - I'd almost forgotten how much good stuff they had before it all went tits.

― Charlie (Charlie), Friday, 4 October 2002 04:23 (twenty-three years ago)

matos, i worry about you sometimes.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 4 October 2002 04:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Isn't Creedence the ultimate singles band (by the original post's definition)?

― Burr, Friday, 4 October 2002 04:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Slade

― Arthur (Arthur), Friday, 4 October 2002 05:54 (twenty-three years ago)

haha the Chills, OMC & Crowded House!!!

― Ess Kay (esskay), Friday, 4 October 2002 07:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I still say The Undertones own this thread. HOWEVAH I just thought of another:
Bananarama - batted close to 1.000 on singles (up until the point when they became a duo anyway), no non-singles worth mentioning.

Eminem definitely!

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Friday, 4 October 2002 10:44 (twenty-three years ago)

blur.
i like the singles. can't stand the albums.

― joan vich (joan vich), Friday, 4 October 2002 16:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Lots of stuff I agree with here but nobody has mentioned the Hollies who had a whole string of fantastic singles in the 60s. Hadn't occurred how good Ash were as a singles band till the new comp.

― mms (mms), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 08:45 (twenty-three years ago)

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