Canon-forming and pop

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

On today's poll thread Cis raises the spectre (which may be a benign spectre, and may not be spectral at all) of a 'pop canon'.

I have a couple of questions which may or may not relate to it:

Are there any very well-known (and ideally well-loved) pop songs that weren't especially popular when first released?

Are there any very well-known and well-loved pop songs that have never actually been hit singles?

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think our versions of "everyone" may differ here! The everyone who knows Billie Jean and the everyone who knows Idiotheque are likely to be a scale apart I feel!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Good point. Idioteque got fairly heavy radio play on R1/Xfm circa release of Kid A but it wasn't played at anyone's wedding disco (apart from Thom Yorke's hahahahah).

Man the canon results are interesting. Song 2 is second in the Blurillaz canon! What are the chances etc!

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

but the point is solid i think, see um every track off of "what's the story..." (Champ Sup in partic) for the second bit anyways.