RJOrion said:

"Love's Holiday" - Earth Wind & Fire ...somehow wasnt even a single...but any real R&B fan and most hiphop fans know this iconic song.

It's amazing how many great songs that EW&F has that weren't released as singles."Reasons" is another.

"Funky Sensation" - Gwen McRae

Executives at record companies make dumb decisions at times.Why wasn't this song a single?! It's an obvious fan favorite and R&B radio played this song more than the 'official' singles from their album.

phunkdaddy said:

Love's Train - ConFunkShun

it may not really be a "famous song", but i always thought the best song on "Thriller" was not even one of the 7 singles...

"Baby Be Mine" - Michael Jackson

RJOrion said:

Or "Lady in My Life". Song would have shot up the R&B chart for sure and likely could have made a notable dent on the pop side as well. Would have been interesting to have had a pure R&B jam from a contemporary star in the Top 10 at the time.

BTW, heard "Zoom" for the FIRST time ever yesterday and wow. It's a moving song. Anyone who thinks Lionel Richie doesn't have soul needs to put that tune on. Just beautiful.

MotownSubdivision said:

yeah, Zoom is a spine tingler...i dont think people felt Lionel didnt have soul, ...and there was some complaining about him "selling out"...but moreso, i think alot of people that started following him after he went solo, got accustomed to his more radio friendly pop and country influenced songs and ballads, and maybe werent aware of all the funky and soulful stuff he did with The Commodores, like "Zoom", "Too Hot Ta Trot", "Slippery When Wet", "Heaven Knows", "Just To Be Close To You", "Funky Situation", "Flying High", "Sweet Love", etc.. Mr. Richie had great stage presence too...outstanding and underrated as a frontman.

SoulAlive said:

Executives at record companies make dumb decisions at times.Why wasn't this song a single?! It's an obvious fan favorite and R&B radio played this song more than the 'official' singles from their album.

phunkdaddy said:

Love's Train - ConFunkShun

You're correct. The only songs off this album I would ever hear on the radio are

Love's Train and Ms.Got The Body. I was buying ConFunkShun albums since Candy

but for some weird reason I never purchased this one until several years later.

I never heard Ain't Nobody Baby or You Are The One on the radio.

phunkdaddy said:

“Ain’t Nobody Baby” and “You Are The One” were minor singles that didn’t really create a big stir.Good songs,but it’s clear that “Love’s Train” would have been the major hit single.Every funk/R&B fan loves that song

"More Than A Woman" from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack

There are two versions of this song....the Bee Gees version and the Tavares version.

Amazingly,the Bee Gees version (which received major radio airplay) was never released as a single.The Tavares version was released as a single,but it only got to #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

and yet,this song is one of the Bee Gees' most famous songs...and one of the many highlights of the soundtrack.

James Brown- Funky Drummer

Art Of Noise- Moments In Love

N.W.A.- Dopeman

Mamma Mia by ABBA only made it up to #32 in the US.

Oh yeah, how could I forget Phil Collins" "In the Air Tonight"? It was barely a Top 20 hit over here in the States (#19) but the legacy of that song is simply incredible.

Happy Feelin's - Maze

That's right never released as a single. I was watching an interview Frankie Beverly did with

Roland Martin and he mentioned how popular the song was despite never being released as

a single

Bryan Adams - Summer of '69 only reached #42 in UK charts (and it's Top 40 that counts here), but has been played regularly on radio ever since.

Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror only got to a shocking #21 in the UK first time around

Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl #60

phunkdaddy said:

Same with "Joy and Pain".

CoolMF said:

James Brown- Funky Drummer

Art Of Noise- Moments In Love

N.W.A.- Dopeman

This answer keeps spinning around in my mind. I KNOW you're correct.

The Beatles - Birthday

The Beatles - I Am The Walrus

The Beatles - Helter Skelter (especially after Charles Manson)

The Beatles - Taxman

The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

The Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends

The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows

The Beatles - A Day In The Life

The Beatles - All Together Now

Quincy Jones - The Streetbeater
Qunicy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova
Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil
Van Halen - Eruption
Rush - The Trees

Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock

Whodini - Freaks Come Out At Night

MotownSubdivision said:

Wow. I never knew that. I always assumed it was a single being the most popular
song off the album and title track. Great album.

I was going for songs that were released as singles but not big hits.

If we're talking songs that became famous without a single release, Oasis were so ubiquitous in the UK in 1996, Champagne Supernova was the first song I can recall getting serious radio airplay and not being eligible for the charts.

And then there's half of the Beatles discography.

phunkdaddy said:

On second look, maybe I'm wrong.

I checked Wikipedia and according to the band's page, "Joy and Pain" actually was released as a single. However, it did not chart yet has always been an R&B staple. The song fits the topic perfectly.

Now I'm on the fence over whether it was actually released as a single...
[Edited 5/13/20 5:54am]

leecaldon said:

Sure, album tracks that became famous also count. Anyway, lots of interesting responses here, thanks everybody!

Slow Jam - Midnight Star
Curious - Midnight Star
Sunshine - Alexander O' Neal
Say Yes - The Whispers
Somewhere There's A Love - Shalamar
Moonchild - Rick James
I Want To Thank You - Alicia Myers
Piece Of My Love - Guy
Soon As I Get Home - Babyface
Don't Take Me For Granted - Atlantic Starr
Hard Day - George Michael
Remind Me - Patrice Rushed
Don't Stop Ever Loving Me - One Way
Same Place, Same Time - Krystol
At Last - Glenn Jones


[Edited 5/16/20 0:18am]
[Edited 5/16/20 0:21am]
[Edited 5/16/20 0:23am]

ReddBlitz said:

GREAT list...i dig ALL those joints...i LOVE "Sunshine" by Alexander O'Neal...the man had amazing timeless ballads that get overlooked, like "Sentimental" and "Crying Overtime"...JimmyJam and Tery Lewis had the golden touch when it came to producing Mr. O'Neal... "All True Man" is one of my favorite albums ever...it never gets old or stale...Alexander ONeal in his prime, is so underrated...i just wish he couldve maintained his success and not succumbed to the drug use that derailed his career and life

ReddBlitz said:

Slow Jam - Midnight Star Curious - Midnight Star Sunshine - Alexander O' Neal Say Yes - The Whispers Somewhere There's A Love - Shalamar Moonchild - Rick James I Want To Thank You - Alicia Myers Piece Of My Love - Guy Soon As I Get Home - Babyface Don't Take Me For Granted - Atlantic Starr Hard Day - George Michael Remind Me - Patrice Rushed Don't Stop Ever Loving Me - One Way Same Place, Same Time - Krystol At Last - Glenn Jones [Edited 5/16/20 0:18am] [Edited 5/16/20 0:21am] [Edited 5/16/20 0:23am]

Good list but "Hard Day"? Back in the day, I recall that song being in heavy rotation on black radio before "I Want Your Sex" hit...

*

Same with "Piece Of My Love"- lots of lunch table debates in the school cafeteria back then about whether or not Aaron says "dumb bitch" in the beginning of the song...

ReddBlitz said:

Hard Day - George Michael

Actually Hard Day made the top 10 on the 12" maxi singles chart. 12" singles are not counted on the regular Hot 100 singles chart, but on the 12" and dance/club play charts. Hard Day was not released as a 45. I only heard it played on R&B stations, never heard Hard Day on the Top 40. They played I Want Your Sex. I think the only exception for a 12" was Rappers Delight, which sold so much as a maxi single and the airplay it got that it did make the regular singles charts. I think the biggest selling 12" to date is New Order's Blue Monday. Blue Monday had a 45 though and Rappers Delight was exclusive to 12". There was a special 45 (with an edit) of the Sugarhill Gang song for jukeboxes, but it was not commercially sold.

MickyDolenz said:

Thanks for tidbit! I aimed for HARD DAY because as much airplay it received on Black stations, it was always quite odd to me as to how it didn't land in the R&B top 10 or even 20, considering the infamous and infectious Shep Pettibone mix.

RJOrion said:

True! Alex was a beast in his day. In having a great chemistry with Jam and Lewis definitely put the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, his horrible drug addiction certainly robbed him of all. ALL TRUE MAN, I enjoyed to the max. THE YOKE was my ultimate lol Still bump it hard to this day. Other standouts were SOMEBODY CHANGED YOUR MIND, EVERYTIME I GET UP, and MIDNIGHT RUN. It seemed O' Neal had quite a connection with super producers Denzel Foster and Thomas McElroy on the latter, that in too featured Maxine Jones from En Vogue. As for ballads, THE MORNING AFTER does it for me lol

[Edited 5/16/20 14:58pm]

ReddBlitz said:

"Somebody Changed Your Mind" and "Everytime I Get Up"

oh lawd...the drum programming on BOTH those joints...amazing ..and the pain and passion Alex delivers on "Somebody Changed Your Mind"?...i FELT that shit...he damn near crying on the adlibs.....no doubt those 2 joints were the hightlights..."Time Is Runnin Out", " The Yoke", "All True Man", "Sentimental"...all those joints are monumental

ReddBlitz said:

MickyDolenz said:

Actually Hard Day made the top 10 on the 12" maxi singles chart. 12" singles are not counted on the regular Hot 100 singles chart, but on the 12" and dance/club play charts. Hard Day was not released as a 45. I only heard it played on R&B stations, never heard Hard Day on the Top 40. They played I Want Your Sex. I think the only exception for a 12" was Rappers Delight, which sold so much as a maxi single and the airplay it got that it did make the regular singles charts. I think the biggest selling 12" to date is New Order's Blue Monday. Blue Monday had a 45 though and Rappers Delight was exclusive to 12". There was a special 45 (with an edit) of the Sugarhill Gang song for jukeboxes, but it was not commercially sold.

Thanks for tidbit! I aimed for HARD DAY because as much airplay it received on Black stations, it was always quite odd to me as to how it didn't land in the R&B top 10 or even 20, considering the infamous and infectious Shep Pettibone mix.

And, as documented in the fabulous 24 Hour Party People, because of the ornate packaging of the 12" of Blue Monday, the record company lost money on every copy sold

MickyDolenz said:

ReddBlitz said:

Hard Day - George Michael

Actually Hard Day made the top 10 on the 12" maxi singles chart. 12" singles are not counted on the regular Hot 100 singles chart, but on the 12" and dance/club play charts. Hard Day was not released as a 45. I only heard it played on R&B stations, never heard Hard Day on the Top 40. They played I Want Your Sex. I think the only exception for a 12" was Rappers Delight, which sold so much as a maxi single and the airplay it got that it did make the regular singles charts. I think the biggest selling 12" to date is New Order's Blue Monday. Blue Monday had a 45 though and Rappers Delight was exclusive to 12". There was a special 45 (with an edit) of the Sugarhill Gang song for jukeboxes, but it was not commercially sold.

What a list- what a time. I can hear the 12"s of the entire top 5 in my head (don't know "Devotion")! Not to mention the Whitney, MJJ, Jody Watley on down that list. What a great time for music...