Novelty acts, one man bands and the like.

[Furbo]

Starting off with:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GeSruu1udrs

[Super Sonic]

Keith Harris and Orville.

[Panamax]

Mr B, the Gentleman Rhymer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj7J7vXCf5w&li...

John Otway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK7m4hlLPv4

[Super Sonic]

That Whistling bloke
The Smurfs

Edited by Super Sonic on Wednesday 20th May 21:07

[Wacky Racer]

Tony Holland. Opportunity knocks:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d35BAA0qGRI&t=...

[dundarach]

Duggie Small

Has to be the epitome of failed novelty act!

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicle...

[Super Sonic]

That poxy birdie song. And the one about pushing a pineapple and shaking a tree gaaah.

[Warhavernet]

The Baron Knights, The Wurzels, The Damned, Rolf Harris, Bernard Cribbins.

[suthol]

The general manager of a company I once worked for was a drummer in the Baron Knights.

And then there's this little gem

[Chubbyross]

I was telling my 19-year old daughter the other day that the charts used to feature acts like these when I was growing up, along with a diverse range of music, such as hard rock, reggae, pop and sometimes classical stuff She said it was sad that it all sounds the same these days. Wise words from someone so young. She was listening to Classical Gas for some reason at the time, which was played extensively on the radio at one time.

[Furbo]

Chubbyross said:

I was telling my 19-year old daughter the other day that the charts used to feature acts like these when I was growing up, along with a diverse range of music, such as hard rock, reggae, pop and sometimes classical stuff She said it was sad that it all sounds the same these days. Wise words from someone so young. She was listening to Classical Gas for some reason at the time, which was played extensively on the radio at one time.

I've had this conversation.

Youngsters think the 1980s was wall-to-wall U2, Duran Duran and the Cure. It was a wasteland of novelty records and pap with the odd oasis of excellence. Here for example: The Official UK Top 20 18th May 1986.

1"The Chicken Song"Spitting Image
2"On My Own"Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
3"Lessons in Love"Level 42
4"Sledgehammer"Peter Gabriel
5"Spirit in the Sky"Doctor and the Medics
6"Snooker Loopy"The Matchroom Mob with Chas & Dave
7"Rock Me Amadeus"Falco
8"Why Can't This Be Love"Van Halen
9"Rollin' Home"Status Quo
10"Live to Tell"Madonna
11"The Greatest Love of All"Whitney Houston
12"Rock Lobster" / "Planet Claire"The B-52s
13"There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"Billy Ocean
14"Can't Wait Another Minute"Five Star
15"What Have You Done for Me Lately"Janet Jackson
16"Addicted to Love"Robert Palmer
17"All and All"Joyce Sims
18"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"Marvin Gaye (Levi's Ad Reissue)
19"Holding Back the Years"Simply Red
20"Set Me Free"Jaki Graham

[Lotobear]

Mule Train

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNLLT00AFU4

[Robertb]

Start trekkin! Quality... chart number 1 for two weeks in 1987, and actually did quite well globally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCARADb9asE

[Wacky Racer]

suthol said:

The general manager of a company I once worked for was a drummer in the Baron Knights

I bought this single in 1964.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZHNJ1ghbPA&li...

[Mr Tidy]

The Divine Comedy made some terrible records.

Ivor Biggun (aka Jasper Carrott) had a song called I'm A wker, and Judge Dredd had a run of songs that the BBC banned.

Even some respectable artists made some dross, like Crosby, Stills and Nash with Marrakesh Express and David Bowie with his Laughing Gnome!

[cuprabob]

The JCB Song by Nizlopi. It's brilliant

[Ryyy]

Ive said this before, don't make em like they used too

My childhood was full of em

The ketchup song - Las ketchup
Barbie - aqua
Macarena - Los del rio
Mickey - lolly
Cha cha slide - dj casper
Hey baby- dj otzi
YMCA- village people
Then you had the likes of I'm blue, dragostea din tei,who let the dogs out and the cheeky song. Birdy song and star trekkin' has already been said.

ETA: the chicken song(spitting image) mr.blobby and rat rapping. The whole of black lace.

Edited by Ryyy on Thursday 21st May 21:04

Edited by Ryyy on Thursday 21st May 21:05

[thetapeworm]

Furbo said:

I've had this conversation.

Youngsters think the 1980s was wall-to-wall U2, Duran Duran and the Cure. It was a wasteland of novelty records and pap with the odd oasis of excellence. Here for example: The Official UK Top 20 18th May 1986.

1"The Chicken Song"Spitting Image
2"On My Own"Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
3"Lessons in Love"Level 42
4"Sledgehammer"Peter Gabriel
5"Spirit in the Sky"Doctor and the Medics
6"Snooker Loopy"The Matchroom Mob with Chas & Dave
7"Rock Me Amadeus"Falco
8"Why Can't This Be Love"Van Halen
9"Rollin' Home"Status Quo
10"Live to Tell"Madonna
11"The Greatest Love of All"Whitney Houston
12"Rock Lobster" / "Planet Claire"The B-52s
13"There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"Billy Ocean
14"Can't Wait Another Minute"Five Star
15"What Have You Done for Me Lately"Janet Jackson
16"Addicted to Love"Robert Palmer
17"All and All"Joyce Sims
18"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"Marvin Gaye (Levi's Ad Reissue)
19"Holding Back the Years"Simply Red
20"Set Me Free"Jaki Graham

That's my Spotify wrapped!

There's some solid stuff in there though, a couple of novelty items but compared to the throwaway stuff that fills the charts now that's not a bad lineup.

[MK3 Dan]

Edited by MK3 Dan on Thursday 21st May 21:17

[Zad]

Mr Tidy said:

Ivor Biggun (aka Jasper Carrott) had a song called I'm A wker, and Judge Dredd had a run of songs that the BBC banned.

Ivor Biggun was Doc Cox, not Jasper Carrott

To the previous poster, you can't mention Mr.B. The Gentleman Rhymer without mentioning Professor Elemental too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iRTB-FTMdk