Does anyone resent their favorite band/singer's most well-known song?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

As some might know, I am quite the fan of Smashing Pumpkins. Far and away my favorite rock band of all time.

But I've got to admit, I'm not that big on "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" (You know, the "despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage" song). Yet it is probably the song of theirs that gets the most airplay on the radio.

Perhaps it is because I think that there are a lot of their other songs that I think should be their number one played song. Even another popular single like "1979", "Today", "Disarm" or "Tonight, Tonight." Or maybe an obscure non-single that should have gotten single status, like "Starla" (the best rock song ever) or "Stumblein".

Or perhaps it is because when you mention the Pumpkins someone who isn't a big Pumpkins fan, they'll automatically respond, "Oh yeah, the 'rat in the cage' band." So your favorite band gets associated with just that one song. And it annoys you because you know that there is a lot more to them than just that one song.

Or maybe it is just overplayed, who knows.

It comes to the point where when "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" comes on the radio, I'll listen to it, but only out of a sense of obligation because they are my favorite band. And I'd rather listen to another song of theirs.

I feel the same way about "Creep" and Radiohead, and "Closer" and Nine Inch Nails, two other favorite bands of mine. They just seem overplayed, and there are a lot better songs from both of those bands.

Does anyone feel the same way about their band/artist's most well-known song? If so, share and discuss.

[Phillycat]

1. "Today" was and is much more played than "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

It got to the point where you couldn't go ANYWHERE without hearing that damned song. I much prefer "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", but I still hear "Today" more. Maybe we just notice the songs we don't like?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. "Today" is more representative of the Pumpkins, IMHO

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is more akin to a straight heavy metal song, but the Pumpkins weren't a heavy metal band. They were hard rock, alt rock, prog rock and soft rock all rolled into one. That's why I love them.

[Phillycat]

5. Hmm.

I liked their first album Gish (which was much more straightforward hard rock) best, their second album okay, and that double album was MUCH too prog-rock for me. :D Our tastes are very different.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Probably so.

Gish is probably my least favorite of all the albums (including the much maligned later albums). That isn't saying a whole lot because I still liked Gish. I just felt like they were still trying to find their stride, and then they absolutely nailed it with Siamese Dream.

If I were to rate all the albums by preference, it would probably go:

7. Gish
6. Zeitgeist*
5. Adore
4. Machina
3. Pisces Iscariot (B sides)
2. Mellon Collie (Twilight to Starlight is my favorite of the two disks, then Dawn to Dusk)
1. Siamese Dream

*I'd probably put Zeitgeist behind Gish but for the fact I bought the version with the bonus "Death from Above" single on it, and it quickly became one of my favorite Pumpkins singles and raised the entire CD's value in my opinion.

[Iggo]

3. "You Got Another Thing Coming" -- Judas Priest.

I hate, hate, hate that song.

But JP's my boys, so what're ya gonna do, eh?

[Zavulon]

8. Actually, I was thinking "Living after Midnight."

I like JP a lot too, but that song sucks.

[Iggo]

10. Same thing.

Hell, it's almost the same song.

[Zavulon]

11. Pretty much, yes. The difference is that

the vocals on your most dreaded JP song are better than they are on mine.

Give me "The Sentinel" instead. My all-time favorite crank-it-up-in-the-car Priest tune. Maximum volume at 75+ on I-95...I used to rocket down the road to the tune of that song in the 80's, and I still do.

Of course, when drag racing my choice was Freewheel Burning, but that basically goes without saying even though I just did. ;)

[Iggo]

15. Wow, you're a Defenders baby.

I didn't used to see a lot of Priest fans who cited Defenders Of The Faith, though you guys are popping up more and more. I met some at the Gignatour last month. Kids, they was, who might've been babies when that tour happened.

My fave pedal-to-the-metal Priest song is Dissident Agressor, which is on their current set list on the European leg of the tour. Sadly, the European set list sometimes goes through some radical changes as bands travel across the pond (Example: the recent Scorpions tour. Uli Roth in Europe, no Uli Roth in the States, and therefore no Uli Roth songs...very sad.)


(Edited for subject/verb agreement...yikes.)

[Zavulon]

20. When the album first came out, I was royally disappointed.

I couldn't get past stuff like "Love Bites," which fits in with the stuff on their first few albums as well as "Jump" fits in with VH's first.

A few years back I was cleaning out my attic and found a cassette copy of Defenders. Since I'm one of those fossils who still uses a Walkman (who's going to bother stealing it?), I listened to the tape on the Metro one day on the way to work and said "Holy shit, I don't remember this album being this good."

Catching up for lost time, you could say. "The Sentinel" was, to me, a throwback to their best era, which was all of their stuff before British Steel.

I did like most of Screaming for Vengeance, I have to say, in particular "Bloodstone." Great tour, too - Iron Maiden opened for them. Ah, the good old days.

[The2ndWheel]

4. The price to pay for mass production and mass consumption

Your little corner of the world ain't worth jack.

[KG]

7. Stairway to heaven - Zep - possibly dumbest song ever.

Casey jones - Dead - not sure what they were thinking releasing that piece of tuneless drek

edit - and i don't understand why or how these song somehow became 'signature' songs. :eyes:

[Phillycat]

14. It was more "Touch of Gray" with the Dead.

Horrible song, and it's the only one I ever hear on the radio.

I like Scarlet Begonia, myself. :D

[Mike Daniels]

9. I'll go with a whole album / I love Genesis (all eras) but can't stand Invisible Touch

For all intents and purposes it's a Phil Collins solo album with Rutherford and Banks on board as backing musicians.

Every other album had enough quirks that it still contained some essence of the older sound. However, pretty much every song from Invisible Touch" (minus "Tonight x3" and "The Last Domino") could easily have come from any of Phil's prior albums.

You get the sense that the band realized it had gone too far away from their sound given the number of extened cuts and instrumental flourishes on the next album.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Yes - I'm not a big fan of "Tom Sawyer" or "Spirit of Radio".

Rush has far, far better songs than those.

Thankfully, they're still good songs, and compared to almost any other band, they still stand head and shoulders above the majority of music. But for Rush, they're pretty weak and unthoughtful songs.

[AlCzervik]

13. Friday i'm in love by The cure, i really hate that song.

[BarenakedLady]

16. "One Week" was overplayed

for awhile. But I was happy that they were finally being recognized on mainstream stations.

[ghostsofgiants]

17. My favourite band is obscure enough that even their most well known song isn't all that well known.

But in general, I know what you mean.

[Forkboy]

23. I'm with you.

When I hear Nomeansno or the Melvins on the radio I'll get back to you. :)

[MAGICBULLET]

18. I agree with you PeterU

I too love SP and Bullet with Butterfly Wings always seemed way too whiny and Today still holds up very well. My all time favorite by them is either Obscured, Glynis or Drown - amazing tunes.

While R.E.M. is not my favorite band in the world, I've always liked them but the song "Stand" gets on my nerves...I guess "Losing My Religion" almost had the same effect but that is actually a good song.

I have so many more examples of this with soul music but it doesn't seem anyone in here likes soul/ funk whatosever :-(

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. I love Obscured.

Pisces Iscariot doesn't deserve to be called a B-side album. There are just too many good songs on that album.

[ceile]

21. "Wave of Mutilation" Pixies

Can't stand the slow version and that's the one radio stations play. And most people don't even know that the album version is different. Drives me nuts.

[Forkboy]

22. In my experience the "hits" are usually the worst songs by any band.

Though 99% of what I listen to never have hits...thank Christ. :)