Classic albums with questionable lead singles

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BleuPanda
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Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by BleuPanda »

It still boggles my mind that LCD Soundsystem chose to kick off This is Happening by releasing "Pow Pow" as the lead single; one of only three songs off the album that isn't listed on acclaimed music. Their next release was "Drunk Girls," which seemed to be chosen simply due to actually being radio length. Neither song really captures the rather melancholy air of what would later become its most popular tracks. (Similarly, Sound of Silver also had "North American Scum" as its lead single, which makes me hope the best tracks off American Dream are still waiting to be shown to the public).

What other albums had questionable leads?
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Henrik
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by Henrik »

How about "The Girl Is Mine" from "Thriller". :laughing-rollingyellow:
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Live in Phoenix
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by Live in Phoenix »

Henrik wins.
Well, starting at AM album #1: "Sloop John B," while a nice song, doesn't even belong on Pet Sounds.

This will take a little investigation, b/c we probably think that a famous album led off with its signature song. "It's So Easy" was the first single from Appetite for Destruction -- well in the U.K. it was, and then "Welcome to the Jungle" was 2nd overall and 1st in the U.S.

While not exactly questionable, typically a rock band will not release their strongest song necessarily, but an untempo song. "Under the Bridge" had to wait until "Give It Away" came out...
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by Nick »

Neon Bible's lead single was "Black Mirror". Which is a fine song and all, but probably in the bottom half of the tracks in terms of quality.
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ordinaryperson
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by ordinaryperson »

In Rainbows - Jigsaw Falling Into Place: While not a bad song it definitely shouldn't have been the lead single.

Wish You Were Here - Have a Cigar: The only single from this album. Still not a bad song.

Blue Lines - Daydreaming

Dummy - Numb: Glory Box was actually the last single to be released from this album.
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veganvalentine
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by veganvalentine »

ordinaryperson wrote: Wish You Were Here - Have a Cigar: The only single from this album. Still not a bad song.
I was gonna be snarky and say it's not like you Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts I-V or VI-IX are actually single material, but today I learned that Part I was actually released as single edit, which seems absolutely bizarre.

As for Have a Cigar, I actually prefer it to the title track, but it is odd for a lead single to not have a member of the band singing lead vocals (it's Roy Harper handling the vocals).
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PlasticRam
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by PlasticRam »

I like The Girl Is Mine.
I feel like that
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babydoll
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by babydoll »

PlasticRam wrote:I like The Girl Is Mine.
But is it really a good lead single on an album with "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller"? I think not.

I also think that for Bad, MJ should have had the title track as the lead single instead of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". I mean, yes, it's "Bad" has its questionable moments, but it's still a major moment. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" would have been a good single choice - third after "Bad" and "Man in the Mirror" - but it just doesn't seem to capture the spirit of the album that's to come and does a pretty poor job as a lead single.
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by Madzong »

This doesn't really count because the songs were actually pretty good but...

(It's more of a questionable practice of releasing lead singles)

What about the unfortunate example of Moby Grape's first album when their record company Columbia chose to place ten of the thirteen songs (from the album) on five singles. They then proceded to release these all on the same day: "Fall on You"/"Changes", "Sitting By the Window"/"Indifference" (2:46 edit), "8:05"/"Mister Blues", "Omaha"/"Someday" and "Hey Grandma"/Come in the Morning".

A disastrous effort causing only two of these to chart ("Omaha" and "Hey Grandma")
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by Harold »

This is slightly off topic, but I have always deeply admired the fact that Fleetwood Mac had so much clout following Rumours, and Lindsey Buckingham had so much clout as a band member and producer, that they/he were able to convince Warner Bros. to release something as spectacularly weird as "Tusk" as the lead single from the follow-up album of the same name. And that the band was so popular it actually became a Top Ten single. Real savage-like!
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Re: Classic albums with questionable lead singles

Post by Araluenian »

Before Jefferson Airplane released the singles "Somebody To Love" (which peaked at #5) and "White Rabbit" (which peaked at #8), both of which are now classics, RCA Victor decided to lead off their sophomore 1967 album, Surrealistic Pillow, with the pleasant but cheesy folk rock cut "My Best Friend", which peaked at #103 and might now be the most obscure cut off the whole album.
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