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Most popular song = Best song?


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Lots of the time when you get into a band, their most popular song isn't, in your book anyway, their best song, particularly if they have a long career. Most die-hard Nirvana fans don't think Smells Like Teen Spirit is their best song, as such with Pink Floyd and Another Brick In The Wall Part 2, Hendrix and Purple Haze, Van Halen and Jump, Rush and Tom Sawyer (sorry, had to throw it in), the Doors and Light My Fire, etc. But what band(s) do you think their most popular songs is undisputely their best? I thought about it for a while and I think the best choice is Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Now it's only my fourth personnal favorite behind the three-way tie of Killer Queen, Somebody To Love and Bicycle Race, but everytime I listen to it, there's no way around it, it is their best song, it is truely fantastic and no amount of radio play can make it tired or overplayed. It is truely timeless, and is without a doubt more than worthy of being Queen's most popular song. Do any other bands in your opinion do the same thing? The Beach Boys and Good Vibrations might be a candidate. Maybe REM and Losing My Religion, or Lynyrd Skynyrd and Freebird. This is mostly a question about bands with long careers and many hits.

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Hmm, good question, it doesn't happen often, especially with my favortie bands.  Closer is not NIN's best song, bullet with butterfly wings isn't the best pumpkins song and sober isn't the best tool song...  Stairway to heaven is certainly one of led zepplin's best songs, so I think that works fairly well.  Hmm, I really can't think of too many bands with the most popular songs being the best ones, or even among the best..

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Ash's Girl From Mars is probably their most popular I would have thought and is most likely their best song. And being one of those die-hard Nirvana fans you were talking about, Teen Spirit does not come close to being their best song.

 

As for NIN Junk, I have to say that Closer is a contender for my fave NIN song, and don't say I haven't listened to them enough because I do own 'Pretty Hate machine', 'The Downward Spiral' and 'The Fragile'.

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I'm talking about songs that are indisputable their best, standing out where it doesn't seem to be a question of personnal preference. Like I said ith Bohemian Rhapsody, it's not my personnal favorite, but I can't argue it's their best song, I don't think anyone can put up a good argument that it isn't. I've thought about it more and Freebird is definetely one of those.

 

Anyway, Junker, if you like Tool, have you hear anything by and/or like Dream Theater? Though they're really different, I've hear people compare them (sort of how people compared the Beatles to the Stones I guess).

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Hmm, Closer doesn't come, uh close, for me.  I'd probably pick repile, a warm place, the great below, ruiner, heresy (version), even the new song "and all that could have been" is kind of up there now.... shit there's too many, um, different strokes for different folks I guess, but I also meant that among most hard core fans and all the NIN sites I visit, Closer generally isn't considered one of their best songs.  And yeah, Dream theater is one of those bands that I've heard a lot about but haven't got around to listening to.  Another one like that is king crimson, heard loads about em, haven't heard so much as a song though.  Hmm, can't think of many bands that even have an undisputed best song...

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King Crimson's 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' is their most popular and probably bes tsong. Hey, there's another candidate. As far as DT, their new album is amazing. The title track (Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulance) is 42 minutes long and blows me away every time I've heard it. Other good cuts off the new album include 'The Glass Prison', 'Misunderstood', and 'The Great Debate' (about stem cell research). Some good older songs include 'Pull Me Under', 'Metropolis Part I', 'Under The Glass Moon' and 'Learning To Live'.

 

Back to the topic. How about Jane's Addiction, Sonic Youth, Beck, U2, the Eagles etc? Any of these bands qualify?

 

I'll try to recap what we've gotten out of this. Any challenges to this list, please come forward:

 

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird

King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

 

maybe:

REM - Losing My Religion

Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven

 

Any others? Remember, long successful careers, so 'Louie Louie' by the Kingsmen doesn't count :D

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Hmm, yeah, I'd definately say that the Eagles' best song is Hotel California, I've heard more from them, and it's good stuff, but that song is way above the rest.  Jane's addiction might come close with Jane Says, but that's definately debateable.  U2 doesn't really have a most popular or undisputed best song that I can think of.  I think anarchy in the U.K. is the sex pistols' best song, think that's a fairly good pick.

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so this rules out one-hit wonders right?

 

we're talking about ESTABLISHED bands who have had more than one hit, and about a band that IS in fact established who's one of their hits is a good representation of their work?

 

who ever put Stairway for led zeppelin should be shot.. good song, yes, but not a good representation of their work. i equate putting stairway is led zeppelin's good hit song, to meandering thought's example of teen spirit to nirvana, complete and utter blasphemy.

 

my choice is ACDC... either "Back In Black" Or "You shook me all night long"

 

i'm not a huge ACDC fan, so this might be something to do with it.. i have never really gotten into them..

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Do Sonic Youth have a stand out popular track? Think I whore in the wrong music circles, I'm a huge fan but have no idea.

 

What about Creep by Radiohead? Probably they're most popular but their best? I'm not enough of a fan to judge, but personally I think Just is their best song.

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I don't think creep is radiohead's best at all, couldn't really pick a favorite from them.  Just is a good pick, also like Black Star, Let Down, Talk Show, bah, even listing favorites would take me too long with them.  As for zepplin, stairway is certainly one of their best songs, it's usually at least on people's top 3 zep songs, so I figure it's a halfway decent fit.  Not too many bands have one song that is miles above all of their others, it's almost always debateable as to what a band's best song is, so I figure any song that's up there could count.

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Possibly Pixies-Monkey Gone to Heaven, seems to be their most popular and it is one of their best (still can't decide on their very best, didn't even vote in my own poll for best Pixies song).

 

Orbital-Halcyon is their most popular and many peoples favorite tho not mine, I'd put songs like 'The Girl With the Sun In Her Head', 'Monday' and 'Know Where To Run' ahead of it.

 

Foo Fighters-Everlong makes a good case, you think?

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I think "Monkey gone to heaven" is my fave Pixies song but not sure whether its most popular?

 

For most popular Orbital song, I always thought Dr Who theme might be most popular, but I can't say I've heard that much of their stuff.

 

Surely "Learn to Fly" has to be the most popular Foos song?

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To Heartless: Yes, I know, but I put Stairway there because I knew many would want it there, but you're right (though I think it was one of Led's best progressions). I'll move on down from my last post before this one.

 

The Eagles are a good candidate, adn unless anyone has any objections, that one is going on the list.

 

True AC-DC fans see the Bon Scoot era AC-DC as the best period, so Highway to hell is a better candidate, but AC-DC has way to many good song and You Shook Me All Night Long, Back in Black, and Highway To hell aren't indisputable bests.

 

Jane's Addiction's most popular would be Jane Says or Been Caught Stealing, but I'm not a big enough fan to know it it's their best.

 

Sonic Youth's most popular song is probably Teenage Riot, their best in my opinion, but probably disputable.

 

Don't know enough Radiohead, so I'll trust JunkerSeed.

 

Ever since Fight Club's most memorable last scene, I think 'Where Is My Mind?' has become there most popular.

 

No way on the Foos. They have tons of hits, none of which is easily their most popular. there most popular is Learn To Fly, adn it ain't there best (that honor clearly belongs to Monkey Wrench :D :D dude that song soooo rules! ).

 

So what about Bob Dylan and Like A Rolling Stone? So amny great songs, but that could easily be his best. Then again, there is Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35, Blowin In The Wind, Subterrean Homesick Blues...screw it, Bob is out. Any one got any problems with Good Vibrations? Heartless, I need a Californian to certify my Beach Boys nomination.

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kos hit the nail on the head with ff and everlong... couldn't agree with you more

 

though mokey wrench is a good song too.. but they are known for everlong..one of the best rock-type love songs in my opinion..somthing about it strikes a chord with me (no pun intended)

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Don't know how you can place Monkey Wrench over Everlong JMT, MW's good for a jump around but when I listen to Everlong and the start comes in I get fuckin' goosebumps. The music, the lyrics, the vocal, they all come together perfectly, and quite frankly it's my favorite love song of all time. hell, I'll even call it beautiful in public....honestly don't see how you can't see it. :dissappointed:

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