inspired by something imcvspl said in the Steve Arrington thread

"I know at least three or four times I've played some Stevie boot videos with Ray on guitar from people and pointed him out and they're like that's the Ghostbuster's dude?"

And he's right... Ray Parker Jr will forever be best known as the Ghostbuster dude.

That got to me to thinking... are there any other acts out there with a decent body of work that are best known for some of the worst shit they ever released? This post may go wood because right now I can't think of any... but I'm sure if there are others someone here will remind us.


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I think Lionel Richie might be another

I asked 5 people here at work (yes white people) to name one Lionel Richie song... 3 people said "Dancing on the Ceiling", 1 said "Hello" and another said "Brick House" ... which is funny because dude named a Commadore song he's not even singing lead on lol

But yeah Lionel is remembered by most for his beige shit.
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>1 said "Hello" and another said "Brick House" ... which is
>funny because dude named a Commadore song he's not even
>singing lead on lol

Hell, he was playing the saxophone in the "video", LOL

*runs off stage*

not that them clowns had HIGH moments, but that will ALWAYS be the first thing that i think of when i think of Milli Vanilli.

Or should I say Cha-Cha Chaka Khan

not that I think her remake of I Feel for You was awful but it's hardly in her top 20% imo
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________
Big PEMFin H & z's
█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃

RIPL - http://www.rhythm-incursions.com/category/podcast/presented-by-primus-luta/
Read me write - http://themoshi.tumblr.com/

>not that I think Purple Rain was awful but
>it's hardly in his top 20% imo
>

EDIT: PR don't come near the wack range, tho, so it's not a great answer to the post, but still...

.

but as I said I'm not going so far as to call it bad
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That song was everywhere for a few years, not all that long ago.

>That song was everywhere for a few years, not all that long
>ago.


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"i'm talking about *Balls Deep*....In Love (c)Cleveland Jr.

He was cultivating a fine nigga farm (c)Goldmind.

i totally disagree. i put that 1 in her top 10, probably.

I really shouldn't have even brought it up truthfully
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by saying this, i am saying that most people i know can't name a herbie song, but they know rockit, which is merely a moment in time in a brilliant career.

>by saying this, i am saying that most people i know can't
>name a herbie song, but they know rockit, which is merely a
>moment in time in a brilliant career.

...but I personally think this is on the money (esp. since I think Herbie was at his most strait-jacketed during this era)

"Rockit" is certainly not indicative of his career as a whole but it's the song people (especially my age or so) remember of him most

Maybe.... maybe not. Guess it depends on how you define 'low' and how you view his career now.
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levi's butt-shaking in the "faith" video (probably a high)

vs

getting arrested for the bathroom incident (definitely a low).


bigger question is why are those the two things that came to mind when i think of george michael?!???

eh, i'm secure in my hetero-hood. bfd.

unfortunately for george, i'll say that the lows are more memorable because he hasn't made any more-memorable music since those incidents.

your radar, and maybe not even worthy of being mentioned in a serious music discussion.

Oh no doubt

good one

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When "Pulp Fiction" came out I was still mostly unaware of good funk, and when I heard "Jungle Boogie" I immediately wanted to know who it was. When I heard it was Kool & the Gang my nose wrinkled up: "The 'Celebrate' dudes? What???"

(Yep, I grew up white.)

basically horrible, but a straight Pop smanger...so they lost a lot of their "true" fans to it, while becoming major at the same time.

of should I even go there with walk this way?

*ducks*

'Cause I was going to mention Run-DMC for "Walk This Way" too, except 1) Raising Hell is still one of my five favorite hip-hop albums ever, even with the inclusion of "Walk This Way," 2) Can we really say "Walk This Way" was a lower point than "Pause" or the whole "Back From Hell" era? Shit, "Crown Royal" is probably their lowest point as a group, but no one remembers that shit for good reason.

>

*threw out my red adidas* when i heard that song.........


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"i'm talking about *Balls Deep*....In Love (c)Cleveland Jr.

He was cultivating a fine nigga farm (c)Goldmind.

I'd rather hear "Mary Mary".



and I must be the only person who thinks "You Be Illin'" and "It's Tricky" sucked...

>I'd rather hear "Mary Mary".

Yeah, I don't hate that song.

>and I must be the only person who thinks "You Be Illin'" and
>"It's Tricky" sucked...

"You Be Illin'" was great when I was 11. While I obviously don't love it as much as I did back, I still have some fondness for it. I don't mind "It's Tricky" either; I like the lyrics if nothing else.

Cause if we're including factors outside of their art, MJ should be noted.

I'm 50/50 on which one I think he'll be more remembered for in 30 years. Half the people will remember him for his incredible, timeless music and ability to entertain; the other half will remember the child abuse accusations, the skin-whitening, etc.

Ignore this if you're strictly speaking of art.

I have no problem expanding this

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I'm pretty sure his biggest album, which at its worst had some real G.Love sounding songs, resulted in him shifting directions to create some of his best work.

which album are you talking about?

I avoided Moka like the plague until like 2008 because of SU. He's so dope now, though. IMO he's a better rapper/producer combo than Madlib and a better producer than almost everybody else.

While I pretty much hate Swollen Members, and they're definitely bigger than his solo stuff, so I like your answer better.

great pick.

I liked "Automatic" ('cause it reminded me of Chaka Khan) but
overall, '70s Pointers >>>>>> '80s Pointers

bjork was just the bitch who wore a swan to the oscars

can't decide if Chicago should be on this list or not

I know, when I think of them, it's "25 or 6 to 4" all day
but...

or were you referencing the Chicago 17 'Inspiration' type of stuff?

"Saturday" is part of "Old Chicago" which is what I think of when I hear the band... not their '80s material, LOL

though I think of it, too. Just in a different way.

Thinking that "Celebrate" and "Ladies Night" define their discography and shit. *SMH* I was in that group until about six or seven years ago. Discovering K&TG's 1969-1976 work has been one of the top highlights of digging in the crates.

"Love Rollercoaster" is garbage compared to their Westbound stuff.

even when compared to their other work on Mercury, even... that's not even close to their "best" work at all.

>Discovering K&TG's 1969-1976 work has
>been one of the top highlights of digging in the crates.

(to go along side all the others they were reissuing) in the '90s or so... they split the two eras up.

or is he still remembered best for "Stan"? (which IMO was his highest moment in the spotlight as artist)

if not for that song (and "Stan"), Eminem would be known for "The Real Slim Shady" (which is a classic Eminem song, and a funny one, but spawned too many soundalikes in his own catalog)

and IMO very iconic.... forgot about "Lose Yourself"

I pondered if he was remembered more for that "Pee Wee Herman"/"recovering drug addict" shit he's done since his 2nd LP

and clicked to see what your explanation was.

I have a feeling Trapped In the Closet is going to live a lot longer in mainstream America's memory than any of his quality hits.

and if we take this outside of music we all know what will be his legacy
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damn right. Unless he does years of music that charts super-high...

(EDIT: LOL @ "if we take this out of music...")

I Believe I Can Fly is it.

But they haven't forgotten Trapped.... if anything that will be a close second.
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That shit is hilarious and still gets played to cult films audiences.

Considering he's mostly a punchline these days, I'm sure a lot of people will think about his bankruptcy more than "STOP! Hammer time!"

Because his first album wasn't to be fucked with... but he will forever be the "Can't Touch This" guy
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Therefore Hammer doesn't count.

If it means I never have to listen to Can't Touch This again in my life
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Hammer will be known for "U Can't Touch This," but as bad as that track is, "2 Legit 2 Quit" and "Bumps N a Bump" were worse. Waaaay worse even. And that's saying something. Plus that track where he disses Jay-Z? Sheeeeee-it. Ass-awful by any standards. Makes "Can't Touch This" sound like "September."

>Hammer will be known for "U Can't Touch This,"

in how it's regarded. it's a classic, even if it's not really respected by fans of the genre.

I mean, for a lot of that album, Hammer basically did rap songs over Rick James and Prince, and classic R&B. Which fits his M.O.

the albums following, though...

I mean, I've refrained from posting that "Ice Ice Baby" post 'cause I hate that song so much. I can't pretend like it's the worst rap track in human history though.

>I mean, for a lot of that album, Hammer basically did rap
>songs over Rick James and Prince, and classic R&B. Which fits
>his M.O.

True, Hammer did everything on please "Please Hammer..." that he did on "Let's Get it Started," he just did it a thousand times worse.

>the albums following, though...

Yeah, those are a whole new realm of suck. About a thousand times worse than "Please Hammer..."

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Haven't heard it in years, but I was definitely a fan when it dropped. "Ring 'Em," "Turn This Mutha Out," "Pump it Up," all that shit was dope to me. I like it enough to buy "Please Hammer..." the first day it dropped, sounded unheard (aside from "Have You Seen Her," which I didn't hold against him). That was probably a mistake, but it was the type of shit we did back then.

>I like it enough to buy "Please
>Hammer..." the first day it dropped, sounded unheard (aside
>from "Have You Seen Her," which I didn't hold against him).
>That was probably a mistake, but it was the type of shit we
>did back then.

I can't tell you how many CD's I have collecting dust now that were bought without hearing more than one track. That's why when listening stations dropped I thought it was the greatest invention since the cassette tape lol
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I said "one of" their lowest moments

doesn't have to be the very lowest

If that was the case then Ray Parker wouldn't count either... that album he dropped about 5 years ago is as low as it gets.
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That certain scene in Set It Off probably got her more attention than her records did.

Gotta admit...I like alot of these 'lowest moments' too...like K and the G's 'celebrate' or Richie's 'Hello' but I get your point for the most part.

How about S Wonder? Lots of people associate him with 'I just called'

Phil Spector? Never been a huge fan of his but he's not the guy who produced 'Be My Baby' anymore....he's the nutbar who killed somone.

I'm a HUGE JB fan and never get why 'Live at the Apollo' is his defining work for some. I much prefer the studio stuff over the glitzy stage performer schtik.

Someone mentioned the Pointer Sisters. I love the 70's stuff but they're obviously known better for the 80's dance stuff.

I'd say maybe Art Neville might slip into this category too. Not many casual fans know that he was in The Meters. He'd probably mostly get recognized by his last name and the group with his family.

How bout Metallica? Seems to me that they're popularity rose inversely with the quality of their music.

>How about S Wonder? Lots of people associate him with 'I just
>called'
>

Or Part Time Lover! And that's just horrible. Not the song but the
fact that people associate him solely with it. I love both these
songs but Stevie has absolutely mind blowing music all over the place.

who WASN'T in The Meters, btw.

Frontman for the Meters....

But if Art Neville announces himself to a bunch of random people....they're thinking 'of the Neville Bros' not The Meters.

Good stuff on that album, but not a fan of Born in The U.S.A., or Glory Days for that matter. Not that they're terrible, but if people look at you funny when you say Bruce Springsteen is one of your favorite artists, they're probably thinking of that song.

Not my favorite song by him, but certainly not his lowest moment.

Unfortunately, I'll have to use myself as an example, because I wasn't really aware of that song or album until five or six years ago, when Born in the USA has been burnt into my brain since childhood.

I'm not a Bruce fan at all but even I know Born In The USA

Thats the very first thing that comes to mind when you bring up his name
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...was a huge Bruce fan. So when the "Born in the U.S.A." album came out, I remember him being best known for "Born to Run" at the time. I'm probably just carrying those memories forward.

And I definitely wouldn't say that Born in the USA is his lowest point. Not a huge fan of that album (Still want to hear the acoustic version of it) but better than some of his non E-street band later albums

their artistic low point..

but even before that...they got some grief over boogie wonderland

I'd guess that most non EWF fans would name one of those two songs if you asked them
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but I don't hear "Let's Groove" in commercials/movies/referenced like that

it's either "September" or sometimes "Shining Star" or "Boogie Wonderland"

>their artistic low point..
>
>but even before that...they got some grief over boogie
>wonderland


"Let's Groove" ain't a bad tune. and the bridge of "Boogie Wonderland" is mean as a motherfucker...

Why, oh WHY did they hate Disco so much, O Lord?


if you ask ME? The Worst EWF song of all time?

"Magnetic".

a certifiable shitfest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvBe5Wfsek0


( and to be fair, the vocal arrangements are dope, but it's a stereotypical "we need a hit" record from the 80's)

One of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time and he's overwhelmingly known best for Don't Worry Be Happy...

not that people don't know him for his other works, but if you ask a Soccer Mom to name a Sting ( solo ) song, chances are it'll be "Desert Rose"...

after "Human Being" it's been a shitfest...a Shitfest that's made him immensely popular and filthy stinkin' rich.



But ask the average person about Seal, and TWO things will happen. They'll laugh at you for being a Seal fan, and then they'll name "Kiss From a Rose". Which in and of itself isn't a bad song. (Actually, I think it's a GREAT song.) But compared to shit like "Crazy", "Killer", "Violet", "Colour", and "Bring it on"? Pure Shlock...

THAT SONG IS AWESOME

.

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I do but I'm not that deep into El.

But then I would never really call myself a DeBarge fan either
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Pretty sure 50 y/o housewives know who Pete Doherty is through tons of media coverage of his & Kate Moss' drug trials but few have heard or even heard of The Libertines.

Perhaps the drugs were better than his music?

The New York Dolls were an amazing group and yet one novelty song gave him his most amount of fame

As corny as "Gangsta's paradise" was, he had some bangers...but I think he was one of those caricature, "jumped the shark" type figures for us. The braids, his excited ass delivery, and his commercial because he's over the top hood image definitely made folks take him for a joke.

so...
high water mark: "vans"
low water mark: "i'm a pretty bitch"?

i actually think the based era as a whole is his high water mark, and he's riding that wave 'til it breaks. who said there are no 2nd acts in america?

>high water mark: "vans"
>low water mark: "i'm a pretty bitch"?
>
>i actually think the based era as a whole is his high water
>mark, and he's riding that wave 'til it breaks. who said there
>are no 2nd acts in america?

it's hard for me to put it into words
but he got his second act off his "based" material, which at the time was a big "WTF" and the worst stuff he had out

there's someone else that reminds me of this but it isn't a hip-hop example I believe

seeing them on one hit wonder countdowns and altho its true their catalog is much better than the song

but Humpty Dance is still kinda dope
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that song is a hip-hop classic...
like I look at people funny if they don't know about it.

Sure, "Do whatcha like" "Freaks of the industry" and "Same song" didn't crossover to the Pop side, but they got enough play on the "urban" side to where it's no way in hell to call em one hitters.

And even with that..."Humpty dance" had novelty lyrics, but is a certified classic

People don't realize that he was a credible artist prior to "Baby Got Back". He was platinum before that song ever came out. But "Baby Got Back" has overshadowed everything he's done.

>People don't realize that he was a credible artist prior to
>"Baby Got Back". He was platinum before that song ever came
>out. But "Baby Got Back" has overshadowed everything he's
>done.

"My Posse's on Broadway" didn't seem like it had that type of crossover success. It's RIAA certified though, wow.

Mainstream only knows Word Up

it's no where near their lowest moment
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even though I kinda think that "Word Up" started off as a "Single Life" ripoff

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doubt he considers it his lowest since the song made him a multi-millionaire but Swass showed he had some skills