TV Tropes calls this phenomenon the black sheep hit. It's where the most well-known song from an artist doesn't sound at all like the rest of their discography.
A classic example of this would have to be Modern English and "I Melt with You". I honestly wonder if some people in the early 80s heard "I Melt with You" and bought Modern English's sophomore album, or even their debut album, and were shocked to discover that Modern English aren't an MTV-ready 2nd British Invasion act at all.
The fact that Modern English's debut album is called "Mesh & Lace" should be a major clue about what it sounds like. It's a moody post-punk/gothic rock album that sounds a lot like Joy Division. It should come as no surprise that Modern English were signed to 4AD and some of their members worked on the ethereal wave supergroup, This Mortal Coil.
Their second album is the one with "I Melt with You". It's not as dark as their debut, but even then, the rest of the album doesn't sound like "I Melt with You". Modern English themselves seem to view the success of "I Melt with You" as a fluke because they weren't trying to be pop.
Does anyone else have any other examples of black sheep hits?
Who are your absolute favorite bands, and which are your absolute favorite songs? I thank you in advance. :-)
If someone could make me a little tier list in the comments i will give you some virtual tea
Hi everyone! I am a collage artist (non-black POC, queer she/her) and I am interested in being more mindful of the art I consume and artists I support.
I decided to start an ongoing list of Black collage artists on a google doc. I am especially wanting to highlight lgbtq+ artists, & I have a couple of tabs (kinda small) with Black-owned art galleries & other resources. This started off as a personal doc for my own reference but I have since made it public so that other folks can make edits and add people (or themselves!).
Here is the link to the public doc. I welcome any feedback! Please edit and share, or recommend any other subs/communities where I should share this.
Title.
I'm looking at an artist who has in his bio:
>He is considered part of the “black shirt” generation of tattooists.
I don't know what that means.
