songs that weren't a bands biggest hit, but have gone on to be their legacy song and biggest iTunes seller

By far Squeeze's top song on Spotify is "Tempted" and while it was arguably by default their biggest hit single in the US (#49) it was essentially a commercial flop not even hitting the top 40 in the UK. I'm not exactly sure how it bubbled up to become their legacy track.

"Tempted" was a fairly big MTV hit upon release, and has been in tons of commercials and movies. Also: Paul Carrack=GOLD.

Oddly enough, "Hourglass" was a way bigger US Pop hit (#15), as was something called "853-5937" (#32).

By far Squeeze's top song on Spotify is "Tempted" and while it was arguably by default their biggest hit single in the US (#49)

I just peeked at their singles sales and was surprised to learn that this is not a true statement!

While I remember "Tempted" being huge here in the states, 2 other singles charted higher (and I don't recall either of them by name):

"Hourglass" (#15 US Top 40, 1987)

"853-5937" (#32 US Top 40, 1988)

xp

Okay, I remember "Hourglass", sounds like a Was (Not Was) production.

"853-5937" does not *ring* a bell... (sorry)

"Hourglass" was helped along by it's video.

"853-5937" sounds like an undiscovered CVS Jam.

I remember seeing the videos for both of those Squeeze songs at the time, and in fact there was an article in the newspaper where someone with that phone number complained about all the crank calls they were receiving.

"tempted" has been the general public's go-to squeeze song pretty much from the day it was released! also, it is great.

"Tempted" is tbh the only Squeeze song I could even name offhand. You hear it all the time in North America ime, not sure if they have any others in regular rotation?

"Black Coffee In Bed" & "Pulling Muscles from Michelle"(sic) both got almost as much airplay as "Tempted" in my parts iirc

I first heard "Tempted" on the Reality Bites soundtrack.

"Pulling Mussels..." is a muzak staple/CVS Jam.

"Tempted" is tbh the only Squeeze song I could even name offhand. You hear it all the time in North America ime, not sure if they have any others in regular rotation?

― actually-very-convincing (Sund4r), Thursday, November 19, 2020 10:50 PM bookmarkflaglink

yeah Guitar magazine was raving about them as a power-pop band in one issue I read as a kid and I had only heard "Tempted" at the time and was very confused

also how many damn songs are phone numbers

Is this one as good as "867-5309"?

or "634-5789"?

"Pulling Muscles" is good - I like more than "Tempted" tbh - but I've never it before. Does this really get regular airplay? I was a regular CVS customer for a few years there.

I doubt there will ever be another hit song with a phone number for its title now that phone numbers are 10 digits.... (actually I recently learned there are still some parts of the US you can place local calls by dialing only the last 7 digits, though where I live you've needed to dial all ten digits since the late '90s. Don't know how it works in the UK now)

yeah the last time you could dial just 7 numbers where I lived was the early 90s I think. I remember the rollout, we were all aggravated at the 'extra work'. like most places I suspect it's cos they divided our city, which was formerly all 305 area code, to 305 and 407.

I wonder how many people nowadays even would recognize "Pennsylvania 6-5000" as a phone-number song...

I doubt there will ever be another hit song with a phone number for its title now that phone numbers are 10 digits

Also cell phones have made it unnecessary to memorize phone numbers.

Is this one as good as "867-5309"?

The answer was no btw.

Haha *Mussels

Can't believe I forgot all about "Hourglass." Seems like an act's highest charting hit without much of an afterlife.

tempted is by far the most famous squeeze song, the kind of song that americans know even if they don’t know the performer.

maybe “mussels” and “black coffee” approached the song in airplay (which I doubt) but i’ve never heard either in a commercial, while “tempted” shows up all over the place

Yeah but I'm wondering if in the UK "Cool for Cats" or "Up the Junction" are better known than "Tempted" - they were much bigger hits.

I only know Up The Junction, Cool For Cats (from an advert) and Hourglass (from NOW 10) - don't think I know Tempted, name doesn't ring any bells.

It's the song from the Gap ad

I've had a listen and it is familiar, not sure from where though (only Gap ad I remember had Mellow Yellow), would never have guessed that it was Squeeze.

Tempted somehow manages to be the best Squeeze song without sounding all that much like Squeeze

(but seriously, do people not all have 45s and Under lying around now? This used to be a basic in-every-dorm-room kinda record and it is ace beginning to end.)

Yeah but I'm wondering if in the UK "Cool for Cats" or "Up the Junction" are better known than "Tempted" - they were much bigger hits.

Almost certainly yes. Labelled with Love was their other big UK hit. Tempted didn't hit the top 40 but must have had enough radio airplay or I wouldn't remember it; 853-5937 didn't crack the top 90 and I can't say I'm surprised.

^ first line should be in italics!

I think they released a rerecorded "90s version" of Tempted at one point, no? Maybe to cash in on soundtrack or commercial placements

Yeah but I'm wondering if in the UK "Cool for Cats" or "Up the Junction" are better known than "Tempted" - they were much bigger hits.

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Friday, November 20, 2020 9:10 AM (twenty-seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

fwiw, "tempted" is squeeze's highest-charting u.s. single, peaking at #8 on the mainstream rock chart, while the other two didn't chart. their highest-charting hot 100 song was "hourglass," which is surprising to me.

xp it was for the reality bites soundtrack

Difford later said, "The reason this song (Hourglass) exists in my mind is purely for the video."

"Hourglass" got a shitload of MTV play in late '87, and they were CMJ/college radio mainstays through at least 1993.

it is ace beginning to end

So is Tempted! (/paulcarrackjoke)

Ha, beat me to it!

Tempted somehow manages to be the best Squeeze song without sounding all that much like Squeeze

it is their "what a fool believes"

Speaking of the Doobies, #11 "Listen to the Music" has twice as many streams as #1 "What a Fool Believes" which also loses out to "Long Train Runnin" by 50 million streams. Their other #1 "Black Water" is even further behind.

That kind of lines up with my experience w/them on Classic Rock radio, except "Black Water" is up there with the other two as songs I'd all hear multiple times before a single airing of "What A Fool Believes".

yeah WAFB's position at the top of Yacht Rock canon doesn't translate to classic rock radio spins

"lovergirl" was her biggest hit at the time, but now it seems to me like teena marie's most popular song is "square biz"

I doubt there will ever be another hit song with a phone number for its title now that phone numbers are 10 digits

logic's "1-800-273-8255" was a major hit a few years ago (tho the number doesn't appear in the lyrics)

Squeeze were big in NYC from the Cool for Cats through Babylon & On LPs (about 1979 to 1986) on the main rock station WNEW and 2 New Wave stations in the area. Besides tracks mentioned above, there was a good amount of airplay for If I Didn't Love You (a US single but not UK), In Quintessence, Is That Love, Messed Around, Annie Get Your Gun.

863-5937 was another US only single--the record label's choice; Difford & Tilbrook have both declared that they don't much like the song.

Labelled with Love was not a US single. Our Singles: 45s & Under drops that and adds If I Didn't Love You.

Another indication how important NYC was to the band--when they broke up the first time in 1983 (84?), their final tour ended by selling out Madison Square Garden.