Top 10 Songs by Big Artists That Flopped in the US But Blew Up Internationally
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Date: 2024-04-29
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Comments and reviews: 19
nicholasharvey1232
Kylie Minogue had a LOT of songs that were big hits internationally but are barely known here in America. Beginning with 1987's I Should Be So Lucky and followed up with a long string of late 80s and early 90s hits written and produced by Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. Her only sizable hits in the US were her cover of The Loco-Motion in 1988 and Can't Get You Out of My Head in 2002. The latter was followed up with the now-forgotten Live At First Sight but today the average American can probably only name those two Kylie songs.
Funny that the Bee Gees actually contributed not one but two songs to this video: their own You Win Again in the Honorable Mentions, and Chain Reaction which they wrote for Diana Ross.
In the 1980s alone, a number of artists and songs were huge worldwide but are virtually unknown to Americans: F. R. David with Words, Sandra with Maria Magdalena, Modern Talking with You're My Heart, You're My Soul, 1982 Eurovision winner Nicole, with Ein Bisschen Frieden/A Little Peace, and Australian legend John Farnham with You're the Voice. Plenty of others could go in this list as well but these to me stand out the most.
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Kylie Minogue had a LOT of songs that were big hits internationally but are barely known here in America. Beginning with 1987's I Should Be So Lucky and followed up with a long string of late 80s and early 90s hits written and produced by Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. Her only sizable hits in the US were her cover of The Loco-Motion in 1988 and Can't Get You Out of My Head in 2002. The latter was followed up with the now-forgotten Live At First Sight but today the average American can probably only name those two Kylie songs.
Funny that the Bee Gees actually contributed not one but two songs to this video: their own You Win Again in the Honorable Mentions, and Chain Reaction which they wrote for Diana Ross.
In the 1980s alone, a number of artists and songs were huge worldwide but are virtually unknown to Americans: F. R. David with Words, Sandra with Maria Magdalena, Modern Talking with You're My Heart, You're My Soul, 1982 Eurovision winner Nicole, with Ein Bisschen Frieden/A Little Peace, and Australian legend John Farnham with You're the Voice. Plenty of others could go in this list as well but these to me stand out the most.
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ownyourcrazy8734
You dug deep for this video. Kudos to you.
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In Australia, Tina Turner's The Best became the NRL (National Rugby League) anthem thanks to its use in a promotional campaign for the sport, becoming its most successful ever campaign. Tina herself appeared in the ads. The song proved so popular that it received a re-release in 1992 when The Best was recorded as a duet between Tina and Australian singer Jimmy Barnes, cracking the top 20. The song is still remembered fondly among Australians in general as a result.
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Another example of a song experiencing greater success outside America is Now You're In Heaven, a 1989 single by Julian Lennon.
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You dug deep for this video. Kudos to you.
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In Australia, Tina Turner's The Best became the NRL (National Rugby League) anthem thanks to its use in a promotional campaign for the sport, becoming its most successful ever campaign. Tina herself appeared in the ads. The song proved so popular that it received a re-release in 1992 when The Best was recorded as a duet between Tina and Australian singer Jimmy Barnes, cracking the top 20. The song is still remembered fondly among Australians in general as a result.
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Another example of a song experiencing greater success outside America is Now You're In Heaven, a 1989 single by Julian Lennon.
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davidannderson9796
Believe me, the mainstream in America may not know 'Not a girl, not yet a woman', but her fans in America know each and every track on those legendary first 3 albums! And that one in particular is a personal favorite of mine- and many others here as well, I'm sure! The first few songs on this video- and the entire career of Little Mix- proves that since about 2008 or so at least, the international mainstream radio stations have had far better songs than the ones over here! (All I've watched so far- I just had to comment! I am looking forward to the rest of the video)
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Believe me, the mainstream in America may not know 'Not a girl, not yet a woman', but her fans in America know each and every track on those legendary first 3 albums! And that one in particular is a personal favorite of mine- and many others here as well, I'm sure! The first few songs on this video- and the entire career of Little Mix- proves that since about 2008 or so at least, the international mainstream radio stations have had far better songs than the ones over here! (All I've watched so far- I just had to comment! I am looking forward to the rest of the video)
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josephwest124
About Chain Reaction by Diana Ross, it should be noted that, sure it wasn't a flop in the US (though the remix did make the Top 10 on the Dance chart and the Top 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart, it's not like Diana wasn't used to UK smash, US flop. Chain Reaction was only Diana's SECOND #1 hit in the UK as a solo artist, the first being I'm Still Waiting--another US flop, peaking at #63 on the Hot 100 (incidentally, the Supremes only had 1 UK #1 hit during their career.
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About Chain Reaction by Diana Ross, it should be noted that, sure it wasn't a flop in the US (though the remix did make the Top 10 on the Dance chart and the Top 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart, it's not like Diana wasn't used to UK smash, US flop. Chain Reaction was only Diana's SECOND #1 hit in the UK as a solo artist, the first being I'm Still Waiting--another US flop, peaking at #63 on the Hot 100 (incidentally, the Supremes only had 1 UK #1 hit during their career.
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YTLNC
Think Twice by Celine Dion should have made it to the list. Only peaked at #95 on Billboard Hot 100, and failed to repeat the success of The Power Of Love. However, it was super successful internationally. #1 in UK selling more than 1. 3m copies, also Top 10 throughout Europe and Australia. Mega hit, her second biggest in Europe after My HEart Will Go On.
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Think Twice by Celine Dion should have made it to the list. Only peaked at #95 on Billboard Hot 100, and failed to repeat the success of The Power Of Love. However, it was super successful internationally. #1 in UK selling more than 1. 3m copies, also Top 10 throughout Europe and Australia. Mega hit, her second biggest in Europe after My HEart Will Go On.
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kenzieduckmoo
Simply The Best was so overplayed here (in the us) it unreal that its #1 on this list.
also the first 3 (number 10, 9, 8) were huge hits. the others were relatively unknown, or were already international songs that didnt land heavily here.
All this shows is that the billboard charts arent the be-all-end-all for tracking popular songs
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Simply The Best was so overplayed here (in the us) it unreal that its #1 on this list.
also the first 3 (number 10, 9, 8) were huge hits. the others were relatively unknown, or were already international songs that didnt land heavily here.
All this shows is that the billboard charts arent the be-all-end-all for tracking popular songs
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amwfan88
The fact that I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman wasn't a hit in the U. S. honestly shocks me. That song debuted when I was 13 years old and I distinctly remember it getting a ton of airplay - heck, in eighth grade I slow-danced to it with a girl at a school dance! They must have been trying to make it a hit, but audiences felt differently.
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The fact that I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman wasn't a hit in the U. S. honestly shocks me. That song debuted when I was 13 years old and I distinctly remember it getting a ton of airplay - heck, in eighth grade I slow-danced to it with a girl at a school dance! They must have been trying to make it a hit, but audiences felt differently.
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jons. 6216
Ashes to Ashes was a big hit with me when I saw the video! I'd never seen anything like it and I eventually designed a Halloween costume based on the players in it! Haha! What Tina Turner didn't succeed with that song she sure elevated Let's Stay Together to an elegant hit I actually like more than the original!
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Ashes to Ashes was a big hit with me when I saw the video! I'd never seen anything like it and I eventually designed a Halloween costume based on the players in it! Haha! What Tina Turner didn't succeed with that song she sure elevated Let's Stay Together to an elegant hit I actually like more than the original!
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nancyjay790
Those gold hot pants Kylie wears in the video for Spinning Around reputedly were found last minute by her manager who was in a charity shop and thought they were right for the video. Here in the UK, lots of fans melted over those gold hot pants, and one store carried a simulation version to sell as well.
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Those gold hot pants Kylie wears in the video for Spinning Around reputedly were found last minute by her manager who was in a charity shop and thought they were right for the video. Here in the UK, lots of fans melted over those gold hot pants, and one store carried a simulation version to sell as well.
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msmojo
I'm not sure including Spinning Around is really fair. As fair as I'm aware, it wasn't released as a single in the United States nor was the album Light Years. The album Light Years still isn't technically available here physically, though import copies aren't terribly expensive.
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I'm not sure including Spinning Around is really fair. As fair as I'm aware, it wasn't released as a single in the United States nor was the album Light Years. The album Light Years still isn't technically available here physically, though import copies aren't terribly expensive.
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reyson01
When Tina Turner died, I was surprised how much of her career was largely unknown to American audiences. Everything post-Ike & Tina Turner era seemed much less well known than in Europe. Where I'm from, she's in the top 3 biggest female (American) artists of all time.
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When Tina Turner died, I was surprised how much of her career was largely unknown to American audiences. Everything post-Ike & Tina Turner era seemed much less well known than in Europe. Where I'm from, she's in the top 3 biggest female (American) artists of all time.
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beanbag8148
its so sad that people single out people from groups and make them huge successes, but leave others in the dust, pattie labelle, dianna ross, michael jackson, justin timberlake, beyonce, harry styles, give the others a shot too
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its so sad that people single out people from groups and make them huge successes, but leave others in the dust, pattie labelle, dianna ross, michael jackson, justin timberlake, beyonce, harry styles, give the others a shot too
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OLDS98
There should be another video like this. I tell people and share music and show them songs they were not hits or charted in the United States, but did well elsewhere. Thank you for this video. There are many more hits like this.
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There should be another video like this. I tell people and share music and show them songs they were not hits or charted in the United States, but did well elsewhere. Thank you for this video. There are many more hits like this.
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michaelrochester48
Abba did not really struggle in the USA. They had several top 10, top 20 and top 40 hits including a number one hit and several top 10 hits. They just didn’t all go to number one like other countries.
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Abba did not really struggle in the USA. They had several top 10, top 20 and top 40 hits including a number one hit and several top 10 hits. They just didn’t all go to number one like other countries.
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susanjeffries5108
I didn't realize ABBA wasn't a huge hit in the US. My mom used to play their music when I was younger and I have always been an enormous fan of theirs! Absolutely love ABBA! Super Trouper is so good!
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I didn't realize ABBA wasn't a huge hit in the US. My mom used to play their music when I was younger and I have always been an enormous fan of theirs! Absolutely love ABBA! Super Trouper is so good!
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msmojo
To be able to penetrate the Hot 100 is a huge milestone already for not all songs ever got to be listed there. To say that they flopped because they didn't reached at least the Top 50 is very unrealistic. LOL
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To be able to penetrate the Hot 100 is a huge milestone already for not all songs ever got to be listed there. To say that they flopped because they didn't reached at least the Top 50 is very unrealistic. LOL
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msmojo
Honorable Mention: I Want to Know what Love Is (version by Mariah Carey. It only reached #60 on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100. However, in Brazil the song hit #1 and stayed there for a record 27 weeks!
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Honorable Mention: I Want to Know what Love Is (version by Mariah Carey. It only reached #60 on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100. However, in Brazil the song hit #1 and stayed there for a record 27 weeks!
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gianfeliciano9816
93. 7 promoted the heck out of When Love Takes Over and I heard it all the time on the radio. You can imagine how surprised I was when I found out the song charted at number 73.
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93. 7 promoted the heck out of When Love Takes Over and I heard it all the time on the radio. You can imagine how surprised I was when I found out the song charted at number 73.
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ddjr6673
Never understood why Anastasia isn’t a HUGE star in the USA and can’t believe The Best wasn’t a MASSIVE in the USA - this is still played on the radio on AOR stations in the UK!
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Never understood why Anastasia isn’t a HUGE star in the USA and can’t believe The Best wasn’t a MASSIVE in the USA - this is still played on the radio on AOR stations in the UK!
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