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

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

...I thought 'Unfinished Sympathy' missed the top 20! 'You Oughta Know' by Alanis M did, and that also became a standard of sorts.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

also unfinished sympathy got shedloads of radio play, also video play, back when they actually showed promos on mtv...