Criminally commercially unsuccessful bands

[Jason42]

There are bands that I love, that are just never going to be commercially successful (I'm looking at you obscure instrumental prog & djent), but there are bands that I just don't get why they never made it big.

King's X
I've been reading the King's X Oral History book and pretty much all the musicians in the book, (which are really respected names), are equally confused as to why they never became huge arena filling headliners. Amazing talent, great songs, all that.

Who else should have made it big that didn't?

 

[bholder]

I'd like to say King Crimson, but no, they never should have made it big. Almost did once or twice, almost destroyed them. Some things are best when not over shared.

 

[Jebberz]

Marillion should have gone bigger

 

[Richland123]

A couple prog bands that come to mind.

U.K.
Flash

 

[JimK]

Fanny...

 

[two fingers]

Cry Of Love - great straight forward rock band. No overdubs on their first album. They just stood in a circle at Muscle Shoals and did the thing.

 

[Scottgun]

Watershed.

Read the book by the bassist:

 

[kesslari]

Now my dyslexia gives me a great name for a band - "Witless Thunder"!

 

[Bodeanly]

There were a bunch of Chicago bands that fell apart when Capitol put all of their money behind the Beatles Anthology, but then there were really good Chicago bands that simply fell apart. Two of my faves:

Dovetail Joint


and

Triple Fast Action

 

[bikeplate]

Badlands

Kings X

 

[ThudThudThud]

Spacehog


Jellyfish


The Tubes

 

[Michedelic]

Big Star...


OK, I know, that was the obvious go-to tune, but in their overall catalog has so many other gems as well...



At least Alex got a belated payday via Cheap Trick and "That 70's Show"...

 

[Michedelic]

Moby Grape, totally mishandled by their record company(and manager), plus all of the drama from Skip Spence's descent into madness(sort of like the American Syd Barrett), they did get one substantial hit...

...but they had plenty of other great tunes...

 

[Michedelic]

XTC, where do I start?

 

[Spectre1966]

Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree

 

[Stinsok]

One of my favorite songs. That album is great.

The Tubes
[/QUOTE]

 

[wraub]

Gentle Giant

 

[Spent]

Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree

Totally agree. Along with Riverside, Pineapple Thief and Soen.

 

[BillyBA]

I always thought Savatage should have been a lot bigger. If you have never heard of them, don't let the name throw you off.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

The Jesus Lizard