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.