# Great music acts that never made it commercially



## Ceist Beag (3 Jul 2008)

This is kinda the reverse of the other thread - are there any acts you really really like but that never really made it into mainstream popularity? Looking to pick up tips here as much as anything!  To kick things off one of my own personal favs are The Cocteau Twins - I suppose ye could say they were relatively popular but at the same time radio airplay wasn't something they ever got much share of!


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## Pique318 (3 Jul 2008)

Can we include non Radio-Friendly acts ?

St.Germain
Massive Attack
Bentley Rythm Ace


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## Caveat (3 Jul 2008)

Agree with _Cocteau Twins _and_ Massive Attack _too.  Always thought _XTC_ deserved a lot more commercial success than they achieved.

Not exactly radio friendly, but _Killing Joke_ were an awesome band (still are usually) that deserve more respect/success.

Although successful, and well respected, don't think most people appreciate _Kate Bush_ enough (when she can be bothered to release anything that is )


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## ninsaga (3 Jul 2008)

Aslan should be ruling the world... along with The Belsonic Sound!


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## ubiquitous (3 Jul 2008)

I don't know how on earth Massive Attack can be classed as "a music act that never made it commercially". They have been a household name for almost 20 years - ever since Blue Lines was a hit album back in 1991. Ditto Kate Bush - she would fill Croke Park if she ever wanted to play there.

My own suggestions:

The Go Betweens
A House
The Would Be's
Fatima Mansions/Cathal Coughlan
Tuesday Blue
The Bogmen
Aslan
The Wedding Present


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## LDFerguson (3 Jul 2008)

Whipping Boy's Heartworm album should have been a global bestseller.


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## MichaelDes (3 Jul 2008)

ninsaga said:


> *Aslan* should be ruling the world... along with The Belsonic Sound!


 
Best band to ever come out of Foxrock...


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## gianni (3 Jul 2008)

The Sultans of Ping FC really were a great band, IMHO...


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## Vanilla (3 Jul 2008)

gianni said:


> The Sultans of Ping FC really were a great band, IMHO...


 
Saw them in concert years ago in Cork. 'Where's me jumper' was funny though.

Liked Cocteau Twins too and Mecano ( spanish).


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## Betsy Og (4 Jul 2008)

The Frank and Walters never really made it as big as they should. They're still on the go and at a decent Irish level but never kicked on from After All, Fashion Crisis Hits New York, This is not a Song (3 singles on first album).

Great album, Trains, Boats  & Planes but v hard to find now.


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## Caveat (4 Jul 2008)

ubiquitous said:


> I don't know how on earth Massive Attack can be classed as "a music act that never made it commercially"


 
Yes, you're right - guess I was fixated more on the notion of underrated/underappreciated.  Same with Kate.

Certainly agree with _The Wedding Present_ BTW.


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## Jock04 (4 Jul 2008)

Montrose
April Wine


2 fine 70's bands I thought would make it big, but didn't really.

In fact, I'm curious as to whether anyone else here has heard of them?


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## Caveat (4 Jul 2008)

Jock04 said:


> Montrose


 
Of course  - Sammy Hagar?



> April Wine


 
_Heard of_...that's it.


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## Jock04 (4 Jul 2008)

Caveat said:


> Of course  - Sammy Hagar?


 
Indeed. Get on your Bad Motor Scooter!  





Caveat said:


> _Heard of_...that's it.


 
Canadian band. Best album was probably "Harder...faster".

Hmm....I may break one of my personal rules in the interests of education!

Thanks caveat, don't feel quite so old now!


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## ninsaga (4 Jul 2008)

Grandaddy


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## shnaek (4 Jul 2008)

Strangelove
Mansun


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## becky (4 Jul 2008)

ninsaga said:


> Aslan should be ruling the world... along with The Belsonic Sound!


 

I'd add Aslan to the other thread myself.


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## Caveat (4 Jul 2008)

_The Pixies_ were one of the greatest bands ever, enjoying only fleeting commercial success.  Were capable of being pop/noisy/arty all at once - they should have been huge.


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## Newbie! (4 Jul 2008)

Golden Horde
Devlin Law (someone told me once that this was the band of The Devlin bros before they became famous....have never quite been able to confirm this...)


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## Ceist Beag (4 Jul 2008)

Caveat said:


> _The Pixies_ were one of the greatest bands ever, enjoying only fleeting commercial success.  Were capable of being pop/noisy/arty all at once - they should have been huge.



Absolutely, fantastic band. I thought they did quite well commercially tho? Another that springs to mind who had one gem of an album but never heard from her since was Stina Nordenstam - anyone hear of her or what happened to her since?


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## Caveat (4 Jul 2008)

Ceist Beag said:


> Absolutely, fantastic band. I thought they did quite well commercially tho?


 
Well "quite well", exactly, and I'm sure Frank Black (or has he reverted again?) will never starve, but they should have been _Oasis_ big or _REM_ big really.



> Stina Nordenstam


 
Yeah - liked her too. Google her will ya? - I'm on dial-up here.


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## sidzer (5 Jul 2008)

Anyone remember Cry Before Dawn...... I think they were pretty good.. used to play in a local night club - not with sophistication in their country denim but with gusto and passion did those boy do their thing..


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## RMCF (5 Jul 2008)

I always thought In Tua Nua should have made it bigger.

And Aslan are prime candidates. They played in Derry once a few years back and they got about 150 at it - despite the fact that they were playing to 7,000 in the Point quite often at the time. Got the pleasure of being in a lock-in with them - nice bunch of lads as well as talented.

Talking about non-Irish bands, can't understand why these folks aren't a whole lot bigger:

Seasick Steve
The Black Keys
Little Barrie


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## thundercat (6 Jul 2008)

Absolutely love Kate Bush and the Pixies! Good thread. What about Foals? I hope they make it, I'm addicted to their album at the moment!


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## S.L.F (6 Jul 2008)

Loved the Golden Horde

Naturally Stiff Little Fingers (SLF) deserves a mention


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## Complainer (6 Jul 2008)

RMCF said:


> I always thought In Tua Nua should have made it bigger.


Hear, hear. Steve Wickham's defection to the Waterboys was a mortal injury. Mind you, he did create some super music with the Waterboys at their peak around 86/87.

The Waterboys still whip up a storm live, though Steve has a couple of spare chins to tuck in his fiddle now.

What about the incredibly meaty Blue In Heaven from Churchtown. They played some hot, sweaty gigs in the Baggot in the mid-80's. I found mp3's of two tracks from Explicit Material available online recently, but I'd kill to get my hand on the full album.


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## MissRibena (6 Jul 2008)

Great thread - love a lot of the ones mentioned here.

It could me nostalgia for my early teens but I still think The Stunning should have made it bigger outside of Ireland. If you compare them to, say, Oasis, they were not only at least as good but ahead of their time. Fat Lady Sings were great too. Mind you this would be only very shortly after the era when I thought This post will be deleted if not edited immediately Jones were good


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## Ceist Beag (7 Jul 2008)

Caveat said:


> Well "quite well", exactly, and I'm sure Frank Black (or has he reverted again?) will never starve, but they should have been _Oasis_ big or _REM_ big really.


True, fair point.



Caveat said:


> Yeah - liked her too. Google her will ya? - I'm on dial-up here.



Just had a look there and she's apparently releasing a new album soon. Have ye got many of her albums and do many reach the height of 'And she closed her eyes'? 'Little star' must be one of my fav songs ever, absolute gem.

Fat lady sings, love it, that brings me back! Arclight was a classic. Also The Pale (I am a butterfly) what a track!


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