Artists with only one great song

[iron yuppie]

Last night at a bar I heard New Slang by The Shins. It's a great song, but the thing for me is, despite multiple efforts to get into them, there isn't a single other song in their catalogue that I really enjoy.

What artists fall into that category for you?

 

[cobl04]

Very simple - Animal Collective have My Girls, and everything else is trash.

 

[Axver]

There's this classic from ex-Split Enz frontman Phil Judd:



And nothing else Swingers did across two albums is even close to being in the same ballpark.

 

[kabigon]

There's this classic from ex-Split Enz frontman Phil Judd:



And nothing else Swingers did across two albums is even close to being in the same ballpark.

I will always associate that song with Kmart ads.

 

[Axver]

I will always associate that song with Kmart ads.

I think there's an entire generation who can't walk into Kmart without humming it.

 

[cobl04]

Holy fucking shit!!!! The KMart song is an obscure song from an ex-Split Enz member?!?!?!

 

[gump]

Last night at a bar I heard New Slang by The Shins. It's a great song, but the thing for me is, despite multiple efforts to get into them, there isn't a single other song in their catalogue that I really enjoy.

What artists fall into that category for you?

I beg to disagree on The Shins. Their last two albums were below par, but there are a bunch of great songs on the first three. Besides New Slang, I would mention at least Caring Is Creepy, Australia, Girl Inform Me, Kissing The Lipless, Saint Simon. I'm a fan of Simple Song too.

But to the topic of the thread. I'm listening to The Beta Band this morning. They have lots of good songs, but Dry The Rain is possibly their only great one..

 

[IWasBored]

I beg to disagree on The Shins. Their last two albums were below par, but there are a bunch of great songs on the first three. Besides New Slang, I would mention at least Caring Is Creepy, Australia, Girl Inform Me, Kissing The Lipless, Saint Simon. I'm a fan of Simple Song too.



But to the topic of the thread. I'm listening to The Beta Band this morning. They have lots of good songs, but Dry The Rain is possibly their only great one..

Yeah, New Slang is great but I thought Chutes too Narrow was a solid album all around

That was the only Beta Band song I liked, but I know they had a couple fans around here back in like...2004 or something.

 

[iron yuppie]

Yeah I figured that Shins opinion would be unpopular. Mercer's recent stuff has actively grated on me as opposed to the earlier albums, which just struck me as unremarkable.

Another band in this category for me is Vampire Weekend - Step is great, everything else not so much.

 

[cobl04]

Yep I'm with you on Vampire Weekend. Cannot remotely understand what people see in that band. Four or five decent songs and that's it.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

U2 has Unknown Caller and that's it.

 

[Hewson]

U2 has Unknown Caller Stand Up Comedy and that's it.

fixed

 

[corianderstem]

Agreed on Animal Collective. There are 2 or 3 other Shins song I would call "good," including Phantom Limb.

 

[lazarus]

Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning

Or maybe that one sucks too.

 

[bono_212]

I won't argue opinions in this thread. None of them matter, anyways, because you should all know by now what the only correct answer is. I've been complaining about it for like 6 or 7 years, now.

Standing.
Outside.
A.
Broken.
Phone.
Booth.
With.
Money.
In.
My.
Hand.


Fuck. You. Primative Radio Gods.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

But to the topic of the thread. I'm listening to The Beta Band this morning. They have lots of good songs, but Dry The Rain is possibly their only great one..

Their last album; Zeroes to Heroes was really good.

 

[IWasBored]

I won't argue opinions in this thread. None of them matter, anyways, because you should all know by now what the only correct answer is. I've been complaining about it for like 6 or 7 years, now.

Standing.
Outside.
A.
Broken.
Phone.
Booth.
With.
Money.
In.
My.
Hand.


Fuck. You. Primative Radio Gods.

 

[LemonMelon]

Well, it's definitely not The Shins.

Animal Collective is a one album wonder with Merriweather Post Pavilion, but there are about 9 great songs on that one.

I really think Ashley has the only answer.

 

[Axver]

Holy fucking shit!!!! The KMart song is an obscure song from an ex-Split Enz member?!?!?!

Where on earth have you been?! This is the best friggin' Cobbler moment in ages.

Also, I wouldn't call a big trans-Tasman hit "obscure"! It went #1 in both countries.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

even i know that song

 

[Axver]

It's going to blow Cobbler's mind even more to find out that the bassist of Swingers was Wayne Stevens - or, as Cobbs would know him, Bones Hillman of Midnight Oil.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

It's going to blow Cobbler's mind even more to find out that the bassist of Swingers was Wayne Stevens - or, as Cobbs would know him, Bones Hillman of Midnight Oil.

Now that I didn't know. But then again, outside of the lead singers for both groups, I don't really know anything else about either group's other band members, so...

I like that "Counting the Beat" song.

 

[cobl04]

Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning

Or maybe that one sucks too.

Nope - that album, Songs About Jane, is great.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

It's going to blow Cobbler's mind even more to find out that the bassist of Swingers was Wayne Stevens - or, as Cobbs would know him, Bones Hillman of Midnight Oil.

he also sang lead vocals on one of the swingers songs, more.

i actually like quite a few of the songs on practical jokers, btw.

 

[Axver]

I find "Ayatollah" rather amusing in a very dated way, but "Counting the Beat" is the only one I'll really come out to bat for.

 

[lazarus]

Nope - that album, Songs About Jane, is great.

I'm going to go big here, and I'm not just trying to be funny:


Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Just an overall middling career, with an ok number of good songs. But this is the only one that truly stands out as great.

No, Dream On doesn't do much for me. Steven Tyler is just a weak-ass vocalist for such a "legendary" band.

Journey has a more impressive roster of hits, and they're not pretending to be these old bluesmen.

Come at me.

 

[Mack_Again]

I'm going to go big here, and I'm not just trying to be funny:


Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Just an overall middling career, with an ok number of good songs. But this is the only one that truly stands out as great.

No, Dream On doesn't do much for me. Steven Tyler is just a weak-ass vocalist for such a "legendary" band.

Journey has a more impressive roster of hits, and they're not pretending to be these old bluesmen.

Come at me.

I love Dream On but except for that, i do agree with you 100% on Aerosmith's career.

But I still think that Maroon 5 album is freaking great.

 

[iron yuppie]

Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Just an overall middling career, with an ok number of good songs. But this is the only one that truly stands out as great.

No, Dream On doesn't do much for me. Steven Tyler is just a weak-ass vocalist for such a "legendary" band.

Journey has a more impressive roster of hits, and they're not pretending to be these old bluesmen.

Come at me.

From a classic rock angle, I would go with Santana - Black Magic Woman. Since you mentioned Journey, I would throw them in there as well for Lights.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Lazzy, Aerosmith? Really?

Good. Lord. Even.


That's all you're getting.

 

[cobl04]

I love Dream On but except for that, i do agree with you 100% on Aerosmith's career.

But I still think that Maroon 5 album is freaking great.

I mean, it isn't really, and I haven't listened to it in years, but it has a handful of seriously excellent pop/soft-rock tunes: She Will Be Loved, Sunday Morning, Must Get Out, This Love, Harder to Breathe.