Seems a bit quiet on the board, thought I might start a topic. I was just curious as to others thoughts on what song(s) did you find most surprising to become a "hit" and what song(s) were you surprised that never really did?
As for one that became a hit, I never really connected with "Fireworks". Sure it has a catchy riff and is about hockey, (which as a Canadian, how can you not like as a topic), but I never really understood its overall attraction. Not that its a bad song, but I never really got how it made it as a hit and a bit of a set list staple.
As for what didn't make it. I want to say "Escape" and "Emperor", but as much as they are two of my favorites, I can see how perhaps they are not much of a radio friendly song or maybe not "Tragically Hip" enough for the masses? The two that kind of surprise me that never made it much bigger are "Vaccination Scar" and "No Threat". I think both of these are great tracks with all the making of a big hit, but they both seemed to fade as quick as they came, never really hitting with popularity or sticking in setlists for any length of time.
The fact that Nautical Disaster became a hit is truly astonishing to me in retrospect.
As for hits that never were, Machine comes to mind immediately. It's a gdamn radio friendly banger!
sean.bonner Wrote:The fact that Nautical Disaster became a hit is truly astonishing to me in retrospect.
As for hits that never were, Machine comes to mind immediately. It's a gdamn radio friendly banger!
Agreed on both. Nautical is essentially just a poem set to a circular bass line and guitar riff with no discernible verse, chorus, or bridge. Not exactly a recipe for a radio-friendly hit. And yet I remember it being played constantly on the radio and Muchmusic.
As for the hit that never was, I'm absolutely baffled as to how Ahead By a Century didn't become a massive mainstream hit in the U.S. If there's one song in the Hip's catalogue that should have rocketed them to fame in America, that was it. If I remember correctly, it did crack the billboard top 200 at the time, but just barely. I think it peaked at around 150 or something and then disappeared. My guess is their U.S. record company at the time (Atlantic) completely dropped the ball.
I don't understand how "Thugs" didn't become the biggest hit in rock n' roll history, but that could just be me.
I continue to hate "Poets." I hated it from the second I first heard it and I hate it today, although I do enjoy the video. I just never connected with it lyrically or (especially) musically.
NWOntario Wrote:I don't understand how "Thugs" didn't become the biggest hit in rock n' roll history, but that could just be me.
I've never agreed more with anything posted on this board!
I have not understood the choice of 700 Ft Ceiling as a single, nor its staying power in minimal rotation on radio (at least in Souther Ontario) these past 22 years, although it has grown on me over that time.
I do understand why Fireworks was a hit but didn't understand the massive audience reaction every time the opening chords were played in concert, which was far too often. Same goes for Poets; I get it, but enough already - why are you all going so crazy? Haven't you seen this played live 100 times?
Songs that might/should have been hits: Another Midnight, Cordelia, Sherpa, Emperor, World Container, Machine.
Oh yeah, and Get Back Again, Montreal, Blonde Solid....
I'm surprised they never released We Want to Be It as a single. That song is tailor-made for radio and likely would have done well.
Interesting thread!
I really can’t stand Love is a First. Just, no. I don’t think it was much of a hit but it was the lead single, right? Yikes. One of the worst songs on We Are The Same. Morning Moon, Coffee Girl, Last Recluse...all miles stronger.
As far as the hit that should have been, I’d get behind Machine or What Blue. In 2016, the album MMP seemed to get overshadowed by the tour MMP for obvious reason! The focus on the tour completely makes sense. But a solid album was a bit obscured in the process. I wish the Hip’s management would have pushed a single out there in the summer of 2016, when the band was receiving widespread media coverage and getting newfound appreciation from lapsed fans. Push out a heavy rocker like Machine, when the tour is kicking ass across Canada. It would have been perfect. Or put out a beautiful song like What Blue out as the MMP tour closed in Kingston. There’s so much life in that song. That would be a great contrast in the heaviness of that moment. I think people could have latched on to that.
Hit that never was? Lake Fever. That song should have been massive....
FourPistols Wrote:As far as the hit that should have been, I’d get behind Machine or What Blue. In 2016, the album MMP seemed to get overshadowed by the tour MMP for obvious reason! The focus on the tour completely makes sense. But a solid album was a bit obscured in the process. I wish the Hip’s management would have pushed a single out there in the summer of 2016, when the band was receiving widespread media coverage and getting newfound appreciation from lapsed fans. Push out a heavy rocker like Machine, when the tour is kicking ass across Canada. It would have been perfect.
100% with you on this. Not sure what to chalk it up to but not releasing Machine as a single was a huge missed opportunity. Radio would have been hungry for a Hip rocker that summer and given the circumstances of the time, it would have been as easy as it had been 20 years prior to serve up a song to rock radio and get it in high rotation. Machine could have been their biggest hit since M@W (possibly over-looking In View).
The Dire Wolf was another missed opportunity. That song is, at worst, the second best song on IVL. The song has a great build-up to a chorus that takes flight and would have been perfect for radio.
As mentioned above, Thugs also should have been bigger. There were six singles released from DFN; Greasy Jungle was the 2nd, Thugs was the 6th. It's hard to get a sixth single into rotation. Reverse the order of those two songs and Thugs would still be heard on radio today.
Machine is a no-brainer.
Morning Moon is a splendid track and deserved at least modest success as a 'cross-over' hit with the easy listening crowd. And I always loved Coffee Girl, thought it was tailor made for coffee culture - a pop hit.
Gus would have been a hit in their heyday. That said, it doesn't have a compelling chorus, and neither do several of the candidates mooted in this thread, such as Scar, Lake Fever, Fireworks, etc. They could get away with that when the song was so incredible as to mow down all resistance and when they were super hot property, but once those days are past, it's harder.
I do think they left a couple of hits on the table due to production/recording choices. 'Makeshit' is a classic rock anthem but the garage band sound rules it out as a commercial contender, for example. 'Attawapiskat' has everything, but the spiky vocal ensured it would not go over on radio.
But the greatest lost hit might actually be 'The Drowning Machine.' Not a Hip song, but holy crow does that track kill.
Musically speaking... “Grace, too” has gotta be one of the sneakiest hits in Canadian Rock history. Personally, I love this song. Still gives me shivers and was an opener for probably 15 (at least) of the 30 shows I went to.
But in terms of “hit” material ... it’s practially one chord for the entire song, the tempo is moderate, and the lyrics are pretty tough to “get”. These are not super common for hits, yet Grace somehow defies the odds and it’s a big timer.
“Stay” first time I heard it (Napster download, yes... of course I purchased it the day it came out also) I thought that it would be a big radio song. Yet, I don’t even think they released it as such.
I'm a big fan of "The Kids Don't Get It" and think it was worthy of more airplay
I hate fireworks and in view with an unholy passion, but I can see why they were both 'hits'. Always thought the bastard should have had more run than it did. Although I suppose the title may have had something to do with it.
Singles I never cared for:
On the Verge
Courage
Springtime in Vienna
Freak Turbulence
Love is a First
Streets Ahead
Songs that should have been big:
Bring It All Back
The Last of the Unplucked Gems
Escape is at Hand
Emperor Penguin
Goodnight Josephine (!!!!!)
We Want to Be It
Machine