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

(xp) People never thought Erasure were an inferior imitation of the Pet Shop Boys because they're nothing like the Pet Shop Boys - and let's not forget Vince Clarke is one of the main inventors of the whole synth pop genre. Also the Housemartins are a footnote to the Beautiful South not the other way round. The Housemartins are far more ignored than the Beautiful South, this in spite of having a drummer who turned out to be an axe-wielding homicidal maniac.

I learn from the internet that Beautiful South's Blue is the Colour and Quench both came out after Carry on Up the Charts, and Erasure's I Say, I Say, I Etc came out after Pop: The First 20 Hits, so my recollection isn't quite 100%,

The Beautiful South became much more successful on the charts, in raw sales, and as a touring act after Carry On Up The Charts. It having sold a copy to vastly more people than had ever bought any Heaton record before, a notable proportion of those now considered themselves part of the band's audience, rather than just recognising a song or two on the adverts.

but the (band) went fairly abruptly from being major chart acts to has-beens.

They went from top twenty to #1 and #2 placings. Their fortunes started to decline seven years later; their first single had only come out five years before Carry On.

in spite of having a drummer who turned out to be an axe-wielding homicidal maniac.

His later activity certainly adds a delightful frisson to the early videos after he left the band, in which he repeatedly stalks and attempts to kidnap his replacement.

"Blue Is The Colour" and "Quench" were the Beautiful South's biggest selling albums!

How's Billy Idol's stock these days?

The Lemonheads went from being talk of the town to whisper of the village

xp His 2014 album was well-received, and earned him his highest-ever Billboard 200 debut (#34). He also actively tours.

Evan Dando showed up in a Rick James story on Disgraceland where they were both stuck in a studio during the LARiots and went up on the roof to fire machine guns into the air

Disgraceland is in Liverpool though

Rick James Style is on Come On Feel The Lemonheads, right at the peak of their talk of the town days

Chicago’s “I’m A Man” is fucking awesome

Billy Idol is well-liked among women over 35 ime.

The Lemonheads were never that big of a mainstream phenomenon (although there was a lot of talk): they had two albums that went gold after a few years and no real chart activity outside the modern rock chart. Idk what kind of historical record one would expect. They probably get mentioned in histories of alt/indie rock of the time? (I still like "Into Your Arms" fwiw!)

XP Also, when the weather gets cooler, Facebook is flooded w/a meme baring his image.

The kids on Reddit, the Youtube commentators, the tastemakers, they're all American. They roll the nickels, they are lords of the game. It will be their future.

― Ashley Pomeroy

The Lemonheads also had a freakishly high number of covers among their best known tracks. At the risk of getting all Geir-ish, that might not be the best way of cementing a Serious Rock Music Legacy.

I think that was part of the Fat Boys' problem too.

The Lemonheads also had a freakishly high number of covers among their best known tracks. At the risk of getting all Geir-ish, that might not be the best way of cementing a Serious Rock Music Legacy.

hey that's not fai--

(I still like "Into Your Arms" fwiw!)

re Wet Wet Wet/Love Is All Around:

it’s one of the last things non fans remember from them and yet it was no 1 in the UK for weeks

??? it's the first thing I remember, it's what I think of when I see the name, and off the top of my head I can't remember anything else by them (I'd probably remember other songs if I saw the titles)

Yeah, the same, I don't think I've ever heard anything else by them besides "Love Is All Around".

"Angel Eyes" of course !

You lucky people

xp after I posted that I did actually think they had a song called Angel Eyes, but I can't remember how it goes

Wishing I Was Lucky u savages.

^ still like that one tbh

sweet little mystery was their other big tune, that was bloody awful though

They had another #1 in the 90s with 'Goodnight Girl' which was about as bad as LIAA.

xp sorry wasn’t clear, I meant “last” in the sense that LIAA came towards the end of their run of hits; obviously it’s one of first things anyone asked will remember from them

There was a whole run of these "soul music for white suburban Brits" bands - WWW, Simply Red, Lighthouse Family (yes I know they weren't all white but their audience was). Level 42 before that I suppose, and maybe Hot Chocolate in the 70s? All huge in their day.

the other big www song in the uk was 'with a little help from my friends', that charity single they did (originally for the nme sgt pepper lp)

I think it was the and yet it was no 1 in the UK for weeks that threw me off, thought it implied that people ought to remember that one in particular yet didn't

Hot Chocolate were good though

There was a whole run of these "soul music for white suburban Brits" bands - WWW, Simply Red, Lighthouse Family (yes I know they weren't all white but their audience was). Level 42 before that I suppose, and maybe Hot Chocolate in the 70s? All huge in their day.

At one time every second band in Glasgow was trying to do this - all with songs with sugar or candy in the title.

... or honey. Basically like JAMC but trying to be Al Green and not the Velvets.

Is there a thread for "acts who arrived with a couple of pretty good singles, then pumped out utter shit for the remainder of their careers"?

wet wet wet, ub40, cast, maybe status quo?

cast [citation needed]

That Quo talk is fightin' talk

first cast single was good, everything after was very not good.

knew I would be in trouble with the quo

At one time every second band in Glasgow was trying to do this

Somewhat amusingly Wet Wet Wet proved be better at it than the West End hipster crowd, despite being a bunch of Rangers' fans from Clydebank.

The Quo rule from Matchstick to Mystery Song. That's a lot of singles.

That Quo talk is fightin' talk

Bordering on FP territory.

shit I'm in trouble now

eheh regarding the "soul music for white suburban Brits", the video for "Sweet Little Mystery" is quite wtf : they go to an African country to spread the groove to the locals !

Hey, the Clydebank Groove might not be that well known in Africa.

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

and the lucky country is Gambia !

It's like the Beatles arriving in the US.

I have actually just watched the whole thing and... oh my...

worst scottish export since mcewans

I'm quite partial to McEwan's Champion Ale although the 7.3% ABV might have something to do with that

Wet Wet Wet were an absolute shocker of a band. And, as has been noted, were Rangers fans into the bargain.