What the Hell was That!?

scotchandcigar

scotchandcigar

All I wanted was some steak
There have been a lot of radio hits over the years that we hear now and just accept; but when we first heard them, we thought "What the Hell was That?" I'd like to try to get back to those times in your musical memory, when you had your first listen of a new song, and were sure that it would never get played again. But they played it over and over, and it became accepted. And now it just seems normal.

These come to mind:

The Cars - Touch and Go​



So my first thought was "Where the fuck is the downbeat?". And then Ocasek comes in with a non-melodic vocal. And then all of a sudden it sounds like rodeo music.

The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue​



First time I heard this, I figured this was the end of the Stones. I mean, what the hell is that with the vocals? And the rhythm just seems to keep starting over, like it's not getting anywhere.

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Peek-A-Boo​



Congratulations! You too can make music that sounds like the entire band has been thrown down a flight of stairs. Ooh, isn't this just so random? Don't forget the accordion!

Romeo Void - Never Say Never​



I just noticed that this was produced by Ric Ocasek. That explains it then.

Ween - Push Th' Little Daisies​



It goes without saying.


For this thread, I don't want a bunch of obscure, terrible songs that nobody's heard. The songs need to have received mainstream radio airplay, from the time they were introduced until (ideally) today.
 
For many years while KHJ in Los Angeles had a top-40 format, I listened every week to the countdown of the new Thirty (known as the Boss 30 from 1965 to 1971). On July 31, 1974, Earache My Eye from Cheech & Chong's Wedding Album was played as a hitbound. Amid hits by such artists as John Denver, Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Roberta Flack and Olivia Newton-John, Earache My Eye really didn't fit. I figured nobody would want to hear it more than once and I figured it wouldn't be a hit. I was wrong. It debuted at #29 on the following week's KHJ Thirty and went to number one on the October 8 chart. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Are you gonna do what I tell you?" "Yeah yeah yeah!" "Are you gonna talk back to me?" "Yeah yeah!" "What???" "I mean no no no!"

 
I will pick "Waterloo" My first time hearing ABBA. Thought it was different more on the negative and would not last. But I began to like more and more as it continued to play. We went to see "Momma Mia" at the Madison Civic Center around 10 years ago. Before showtime, my wife asked me if I was excited to see the show. I told her who would have imagined when I heard "Waterloo" for the first time on Super CFL as a boy that there would be a musical about it 40 years later

 
Waterloo peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 but it reached #2 on the July 20 1974 WCFL survey behind the Hues Corporation's Rock The Boat. Here is a live performance from 1975. Dig those crazy clothes!

 
Funny you mentioned "Peek-A-Boo", because just today I listened to a podcast w/the Banshees drummer.

First thing I can think of for this topic is when KISS came out with "I Was Made For Loving You". People freaked out over a disco KISS, but it was a big hit.
 


I don't know if this fits the topic.
Back when I was in college still discovering all kinds of classic rock, this song came on.
To me now, I definitely can hear that it's McCartney singing. But back then, I was listening to the song thinking I don't know if it's him or not! His voice is different in different songs and I just didn't know. And it was pre-internet so I couldn't tell.
Then the song towards the end just keeps building and building. And with around 25 seconds the song just segues into Band on the Run. It's genius.
 
Yes, in the latter half of the 1970s we had disco songs by Kiss, The Who and the Rolling Stones – and Dolly Parton, who, just a few weeks before releasing Baby I'm Burnin' as a 12-inch single on pink vinyl, responded to accusations that she was "going pop," telling Country magazine, "I couldn't go pop with a mouthful of firecrackers." Really, Dolly? This got to #48 on Billboard's country chart, #25 on the Hot 100 – and #15 on the National Disco Action Top 40 chart. There ya go!

 
How about Donna Summer "Queen of the Disco's" Do Do Beep Beep song

When I was a Stock Boy right out of high school, one of the gals brought in the album when we were working. Another coworker was making fun of the song. Going around chanting "Beep Beep" Then he told her to C'mon.



I still hear it on the JellyBean Benitez Studio 54 channel Show
 
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