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

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Christmas songs: yes, OTM.

It seems almost unfair to bring Beatlesband into the discussion. The canonisation of their entire catalogue (pretty much done and dusted by 1969) is a phenomenon the likes of which I doubt we'll ever see again. Special mention must go to "In My Life", however, the popularity of which seems to be considerably higher today than it was in the 60s.