Artists/bands that were once quite popular, yet nowadays are mostly ignored in canonical history books

Diamond is a truly strange dude

I mean, he starred in a 70s remake of the Jazz Singer for chrissakes

classic for the scene where some LA punk band does a thrashy cover of Love on the Rocks and Diamond is visibly appalled

haha yeah! one among many wtf moments

Moody Blues seem a classic example of this. Between 1968-1972 they had 6 top 5 UK albums (3 of which went to #1), plus big success in the US and elsewhere. Nowadays they're remembered only for Nights In White Satin and maybe Go Now - all the orchestral concept albums are largely forgotten other than by the proprietors of charity shops, with good reason tbh.

Speaking of country, unless I missed it, Crystal Gayle was not mentioned in the Ken Burns doc except once when Loretta Lynn said something in passing about "my sister Crystal." But I remember her being huge in the late '70s/early '80s with several big crossover hits and frequent network TV appearances. And looking at her singles discography I count 30 Country Top Ten hits including sixteen #1s. I understand the constraints Ken Burns was dealing with, but have to wonder if the omission reflected something about country music canonical history (admittedly a subject I know little about).

Some people mentioned 1989 upthread. I'm old enough to remember 1989 and Soul II Soul were absolutely HUGE that year. Nobody ever mentions them now, even though those first few singles still sound great today.
― does it look like i'm here (jon123), Tuesday, October 29, 2019

have been jammin` vol. ii the past couple weeks pretty hard. those first two albums are absolute classics.

anyway, back on topic — what about the 'walking in memphis' guy? didn't he win a bunch of awards and stuff? and then he was just there and nobody cared anymore. kind of the bruce hornsby avenue i guess.

(also: jesus christ that's such boring music)

Alabama? Let's talk about Oak Ridge Boys.

oom papa mow mow

for Moody Blues I always think of the reunion stuff like "The Voice" or "Wildest Dreams"

soul ii soul actually seem really important in the history of black music in the uk tbh

I'm sure Alabama and Oak Ridge Boys can still pack a county fair

I'm in Canada. I just listened to Sweet Caroline. No, I don't remember hearing this.

Ha, there's a reason I said "in the US". I don't hear this song much in Canada but ime it inspired mass singalongs any time it came on in Buffalo.

Moody Blues get mentioned in any history of prog rock, surely?

Yeah but outside of the prog niche they're pretty much thought of as a one hit wonder, I'd guess? Even prog fans don't exactly talk about Seventh Sojourn the way they talk about Foxtrot or Aqualung.

That doesn’t seem right
I can think of a number of Moody Blues classic rock standards aside from Satin.

I'm in Canada. I just listened to Sweet Caroline. No, I don't remember hearing this.
Ha, there's a reason I said "in the US". I don't hear this song much in Canada but ime it inspired mass singalongs any time it came on in Buffalo.

― No language just sound (Sund4r), Tuesday, October 29, 2019 9:52 AM (twenty-four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I've sang forever in blue jeans at karaoke in esquimalt bc from a karaoke book that had about 10 neil diamond songs in it so I'm not sure he's obscure in the great white north

Yeah, no, he's not obscure at all; it's just that "Sweet Caroline" is everywhere in the US.

yeah, re Moody Blues: Tuesday Afternoon and Ride My See-Saw turn up on satellite radio

With "classic rock" radio focusing more on Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Stone Temple Pilots, the Moody Blues were one of the first casualties of playlist turnover. Not enough guitars, too many spoken-word bits, and their songs are too long and proggy for "oldies" stations.

I have no idea what are canonical history books about pop music, but it seems like no one talks about the Rascals anymore. When I was a kid their songs were canon on oldies radio, but that was a long time ago.

I'm from Finland and I couldn't name or hum any Neil Diamond songs either, though I do know he's apparently big in the States, and obviously I'm familiar with the songs written for other artists F. Hazel mentioned... Though I didn't know they were all written by the same guy until now.

Just listened to ‘Sweet Caroline’, didn’t ring a bell.

"Solitary Man" has been covered a bunch of times too.

Neil Diamond was my first concert, I was eight

xpost--in fact Johnny Cash used it for an album title American Recordings III: Solitary Man

Sweet Caroline is a massive cliche as far as covers/karaoke/bar songs, almost approaches Don't Stop Believin' levels.

That said I don't remember hearing him a ton growing up -- I knew America and I think maybe Cherry Cherry. Maybe because he wasn't really a classic rock radio format guy but also wasn't old enough yet for "oldies" at the time. I heard the UO cover of Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon (Pulp Fiction soundtrack) before I heard the original.

oh I also weirdly watched his jazz singer remake in a hebrew school class, I guess bc it addresses themes of assimilation and identity?

I actually had no idea Crystal Gayle and Loretta Lynn were sisters

Tap Root Manuscript is the sixth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in 1970. It was one of the most experimental albums he ever recorded, featuring prominent African sounds and instruments. The album ended up being a commercial success, with a string of top 40 hits. This album predates many Western artists' interest in world music by more than a decade, from Peter Gabriel's 1980's solo albums, to My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (David Byrne with Brian Eno) in 1981, to the Graceland album recorded by Paul Simon in 1986. It was one of the most novel experimental recording projects of its time, and the Uni label initially was not sure whether it would be commercially viable.

oh how much i envy being totally ignorant of neil diamond.

Diamond's sad boner aura is corny, but not quite corny enough to transcend generations like a Tom Jones or Tony Bennett or Leonard Cohen. He's big, but he's a you-had-to-be-there artist. "You had to be there" is another way of thinking about the thread premise, I suppose. You certainly had to be there for Urge Overkill's ersatz-Diamond thing.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41A43BVWYAL.jpg

And Diamond the Brill Building songwriter is a different thing from Diamond the chest-hair avatar.

Neil Diamond still huge in the lowlands tbf. Buffet seems a much better "he's only big in USA" pick to me.

I think Neil Diamond was best known in the UK for the Jazz Singer soundtrack album, a charity shop staple to the present day.

Buffet is someone I had no idea even existed until I got to college. He has a weird and devoted subculture around him.

well, he's a weird guy

In addition to Crystal Gayle (who I agree was ubiquitous at a certain point, the Solid Gold era?)I am here to nominate JUICE NEWTON, also of that era.

In spite of her fun and occasionally bombastic hits Angel of the Morning, Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me, Queen of Hearts, Heart of the Night -- where is Juice Newton?

Also, like Crystal Gayle, she had suuuuuper long abundant hair

I cannot say why Juice is overlooked but "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" is a great song, and def edges "Angel of the Morning."

soft rockers and country poppers having a hard time of it: Dan Fogelberg, Barbara Mandrell, Harry Chapin

all of her singles that i've heard are great!! if you don't know Heart of the NIght (I didn't, heard it on the radio recently) it's really great! I love her voice too. I loved her as a wee little tot and still do!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VAMl9dA64

sad boner aura

lmao this is so otm

the chorus is particularly good imo

obviously I'm familiar with the songs written for other artists F. Hazel mentioned...

I’m A Believer was written for the Monkees, the others are covers of songs Diamond recorded himself

Ah, okay. Well, "I'm a Believer" obviously is awesome, but I dunno if being responsible for a creepy grooming anthem like "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" is a big merit...

Deep Purple also covered "Kentucky Woman".

I do feel like most people in the US bellowing along to "Sweet Caroline" probably couldn't name/don't care about the other hits?

Although, here in the Twin Cities, Martin Zellar of The Geardaddies used to do (maybe still does) a Neil Diamond tribute show that used to pack 'em in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoYfgFfh1c0

Neil Diamond was all over "adult contemporary"/"soft rock" radio in the 70s/80s (along with aforementioned Dan Fogelburp, Juice Newton, Streisand, Mandrell, Barry Manilow etc.) My mom had that shit on all the time.

and then he had his big soundtrack moments - "Coming to America", that ET song