I had mentioned in another topic regarding the song Black velvet by Alannah Myles.  In America, it was a #1 hit March of 1990, but in her native Canada, it reached #10 in September of 1989.  There are quite a few songs that did this, not just in different decades, but just different years.  Know of any others?


I have a few ...

There are a lot of cases of Australian songs which were hits intentionally quite some time after they were successful in their home country. "Absolutely Everybody" by Vanessa Amorosi is a notable example. It was a Top-10 in her native Australia back in Late 1999/Early 2000, but it wasn't a hit in the UK until the turn of 2001. That's because the single was only released in the UK in September 2000.

Crazy little thing called love by Queen is a well known song that peaked at #1 in the US and Canada in late February of 1980.  In their native UK, it reached #2 in November of 1979

Wondering where the lions are by Bruce Cockburn reached #21 in America during June of 1980.  Previously it peaked at #39 in Canada in late November of 1979

Life is a highway by Tom Cochrane.  It reached #6 in the US during August of 1992.  It had previously been a #1 hit in Canada during November of 1991

Iko iko by The Belle Stars, perhaps the best known version of this song.  Those of us in North America know it as a major hit from 1989 from the film Rain Man.  Initially, it was released in 1982, where it reached #35 in the UK

There are a lot of cases of Australian songs which were hits intentionally quite some time after they were successful in their home country. "Absolutely Everybody" by Vanessa Amorosi is a notable example. It was a Top-10 in her native Australia back in Late 1999/Early 2000, but it wasn't a hit in the UK until the turn of 2001. That's because the single was only released in the UK in September 2000.



I remember that song.  I'd almost completely forgotten about it.  It was not a hit here in Canada, nor in the USA, but I love international charts, so I just loved it

I remember that song.  I'd almost completely forgotten about it.  It was not a hit here in Canada, nor in the USA, but I love international charts, so I just loved it


That's interesting to hear! Unfortunately, there are quite a number of international hits which have not charted at all in North America. It's a shame, because there have been some absolutely great songs over the years that the U.S. and Canada have missed out on.

Hall and Oates' She's Gone was first released on their 1973 album, before they hit it big.  However it wasn't a hit until 1976 and the duo had by then become famous for Sara Smile

There are a lot of cases of Australian songs which were hits intentionally quite some time after they were successful in their home country.

That is so true.



I had mentioned in another topic regarding the song Black velvet by Alannah Myles.  In America, it was a #1 hit March of 1990, but in her native Canada, it reached #10 in September of 1989.  There are quite a few songs that did this, not just in different decades, but just different years.  Know of any others?


I have a few ...


Another instance of the 1989/90 cusp is "All Around The World" by Lisa Stansfield. The song was a hit in her native UK (as well as other countries) in the latter part of '89, but it didn't chart in the U.S. until 1990 (which is why I often tend to think of it as a 90's song).

Know of any others?


I have a few ...


Yes, as a matter of fact, mainly those which essentially became hand-me-downs in the US.

Case in point, "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by Kylie Minogue. It was an international hit in 2001, but not in the US until 2002. I remember, it was all over the radio during the spring and summer months of '02 here.

Our friends in the UK might remember a song called You're a superstar by Love Inc.  It reached #7 in December 2002 and became the 54th best selling single of 2003.  This song had previously reached #13 in Canada back in 1998.  The group had actually parted ways a few years before their success in the UK

WsidcB-24JU

They had another song called Broken brones which made it to UK #8 in 2003, and #23 in Canada back in 1997.  I am still unsure why their success was delayed like that for the UK market, but this gives me an idea for a new topic ... 

Another hand-me-down to the US: "Insensitive" by Jann Arden. It was apparently a hit in her native Canada in 1994, but in the U.S. it hit the charts in 1996.

I believe Bohemian Rhapsody is in this category. 


Cat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ
Buggles- Video Killed The Radio Star

I believe Bohemian Rhapsody is in this category. 


Cat

Yes...it was first released in the UK in late 1975 (and had its chart run there then), and it was a hit in other countries in 1976.

It also got re-released/re-popularized in the early 90's due to inclusion in the Wayne's World soundtrack, but we have a separate thread for re-releases.

Another hand-me-down to the US: "Insensitive" by Jann Arden. It was apparently a hit in her native Canada in 1994, but in the U.S. it hit the charts in 1996.


I forgot that one even made it to the US
It debuted in the Canadian chart November of 1994 and peaked at #1 in January of 1995 in Canada.  That short period was enough to make it the 77th best selling single of 1994 and also became the 14th best selling single of 1995

In the US, it peaked at #12, the first week of June 1996 as a soundtrack song from the film Bed of Roses

I believe Bohemian Rhapsody is in this category. 


Cat


Yes, a hit in '75, and in '92 :) Also made Queen popular again in the US. The bulk of their US sales happened after 1992, actually. Wayne's World, and the tribute concert to Freddie which featured huge acts like Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Elton John, George Michael and others, helped ignite a new generation's interest in one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and thank God for it.

KyGwVicyZAE Swedish song from 1991, but was a hit here from 1997-1998. (Personally, I remember it from when I was roughly 2 and it was played every time me and my mom were at Shakey's Pizza.  :D)

Spice Girls “Wannabe” was a UK hit in 1996, but the US didn’t catch on til 1997.

Spice Girls “Wannabe” was a UK hit in 1996, but the US didn’t catch on til 1997.

That's right!! I had forgotten about that one too.

The same is true about "How Bizarre" by O.M.C. (a New Zealand-based band led by Pauly Fuemana, who passed away a few yrs back).

Other songs with long gaps between charting:

-Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers (1965 and 1990)
-Stand By Me by Ben E. King (1961 and 1986)
-Do You Love Me by The Contours (1962 and 1988)
-Twist And Shout by The Beatles (1963/1964 (UK/US) and 1986 (US)
-Red Red Wine by UB40 (1984 and 1988)
-Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets (1954/1955 and 1974)
-When I'm With You By Sheriff (1983 and 1989)
-Into the Night by Benny Mardones (1980 and 1989)
-Monster Mash by Boris Pickett (1962 and 1973)
-Send Me An Angel by Real Life (1984 and 1989)
-Dream On By Aerosmith (1973 and 1976)

IMO only songs that have been off the charts for at least two years qualify as are recordings that aren't covers/remakes, as anything before that is considered a "recurrent" in that the hit is recent enough so that if it re-charts, its just getting a late reception.

Other songs with long gaps between charting:

-Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers (1965 and 1990)
-Stand By Me by Ben E. King (1961 and 1986)
-Do You Love Me by The Contours (1962 and 1988)
-Twist And Shout by The Beatles (1963/1964 (UK/US) and 1986 (US)
-Red Red Wine by UB40 (1984 and 1988)
-Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets (1954/1955 and 1974)
-When I'm With You By Sheriff (1983 and 1989)
-Into the Night by Benny Mardones (1980 and 1989)
-Monster Mash by Boris Pickett (1962 and 1973)
-Send Me An Angel by Real Life (1984 and 1989)
-Dream On By Aerosmith (1973 and 1976)

IMO only songs that have been off the charts for at least two years qualify as are recordings that aren't covers/remakes, as anything before that is considered a "recurrent" in that the hit is recent enough so that if it re-charts, its just getting a late reception.

That list pertains to songs that were released a "second time around" (usu. in the same country), as noted in a separate thread: http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php?topic=48211.0

* "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers (1988 in the UK, 1993 in the US)
* "Angels" by Robbie Williams (1997-1998 in the UK, 1999-2000 in the US)
* "Need You Tonight" by INXS (1987 in the US and Australia, 1988 in the UK)
* "Imagine" by John Lennon (1971 in the US, 1975, 1981, 2000, and 2012 in the UK - reached #1 in 1981, after Lennon's death)
* "Love Me Do" by the Beatles (1962 in the UK, 1964 in the US)
* "One Last Time" by Ariana Grande (2015 in the US, 2017 in the UK)
* "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by Backstreet Boys (1995 and 1996 in the UK, 1998 in the US)
* "I Want You Back" by *NSYNC (1996 in Germany and Switzerland, 1998 in the rest of the world)
* "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas (1964 in the US, 1969 in the UK)
* "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson (1967 in the US, 1969 and 1987 in the UK)
* "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" by Jackie Wilson (1968 in the US, 1972, 1975, and 1987 in the UK)
* "Mah Nà Mah Nà" by Piero Umiliani (1968-1969 in Canada and the US, 1977 in the UK)

-When I'm With You By Sheriff (1983 and 1989)


The 1983 release of that was massive in Canada.  It is often considered a one hit wonder, which it was in the US, but in Canada, it was their 2nd Top 40 hit of only two total hits. 

* "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by Backstreet Boys (1995 and 1996 in the UK, 1998 in the US)
* "I Want You Back" by *NSYNC (1996 in Germany and Switzerland, 1998 in the rest of the world)


This is surprising, considering these two bands were American. I'd think they would hit big in the States first, given that fact, but maybe these two songs found success out of the U.S. first for some reason. :-\\

This is surprising, considering these two bands were American. I'd think they would hit big in the States first, given that fact, but maybe these two songs found success out of the U.S. first for some reason. :-\\


The main reason, I think, is that acceptance of manufactured teen pop in America became dramatically greater in 1997, after the Spice Girls, Savage Garden, and Hanson suddenly emerged the biggest things on the charts. The Backstreet Boys released their debut single "We've Got It Goin' On" in America back in mid-late 1995, but it performed so poorly that their debut album was scrapped from release in North America and only came out after "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" finally made them huge here a year later. America simply wasn't ready for the new wave of boybands until after the downfall of grunge and West Coast gangsta rap.

Even though the UK boyband Take That had a big hit in America with "Back for Good" around the same time "We've Got It Goin' On" came out, that song's success is attributable to it being a mature, rootsy, lyrical love ballad that fit naturally alongside Boyz II Men, Celine Dion, and Lisa Loeb, whereas the Backstreets' debut song was a cheesy dance pop anthem with contrived hip hop slang, lacking the authenticity of something like "This Is How We Do It", for example.

The main reason, I think, is that acceptance of manufactured teen pop in America became dramatically greater in 1997, after the Spice Girls, Savage Garden, and Hanson suddenly emerged the biggest things on the charts. The Backstreet Boys released their debut single "We've Got It Goin' On" in America back in mid-late 1995, but it performed so poorly that their debut album was scrapped from release in North America and only came out after "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" finally made them huge here a year later. America simply wasn't ready for the new wave of boybands until after the downfall of grunge and West Coast gangsta rap.

Even though the UK boyband Take That had a big hit in America with "Back for Good" around the same time "We've Got It Goin' On" came out, that song's success is attributable to it being a mature, rootsy, lyrical love ballad that fit naturally alongside Boyz II Men, Celine Dion, and Lisa Loeb, whereas the Backstreets' debut song was a cheesy dance pop anthem with contrived hip hop slang, lacking the authenticity of something like "This Is How We Do It", for example.

Aha, I see now. Thanks for your explanation. O0

I do remember reading something about the BSB being musically active as early as 1995 (when youngest member Nick Carter was 15), but it wasn't until two years later when they really started to get popular in the States.

I just thought of another one... "Cars" by Gary Numan.

He recorded it in 1979 and released it in his native UK in August of that same year. In addition, it topped the British charts the following month. However, the U.S. didn't get it as a single until February/March of 1980 (and it later reached a #9 peak position). (Needless to say, it ended up being his only big hit in the States.)

"Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry also qualifies.

It was recorded in his native Sweden in 1997, and became a hit in said country in October of that same year. It wasn't until almost a whole year later when it became a single in the U.S., which is why the U.S. associates it with 1998 (particularly the second half of that year, when it started to get radio airplay). So this is yet another hand-me-down hit to the U.S.