Were Madness the best singles band ever?



No absolutely not.

But I'm just sat in the garden listening to The Smiths Singles album, and before that The Very Best of The Jam.
The Rolling Stones - The London Years comes close as well
Three finer singles compilations you will not find.
Roxy Music-Greatest Hits. Vinyl and Casette release only, never on cd. Nowt after 1975 and no solo career nonsense.
Just go and look up and down the road you live in and, statiscally, every 3rd house has a copy of Queen Greatest Hits.. I think that answers the original question.
If that’s true I’m moving.
24 million dwellings in the uk and Queen Greatest Hits sold 6 million, so one in 4. Mad that like. If I ever need borrow a copy I'll knock at 3 of my neighbours to get it because I wouldn't have that shite in my house
I’m moving marra
 
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As with all questions on pop music the answer is The Beatles.

They had many many many hit singles.
They did. They also had a ridiculous amount of other great songs and several top to toe classic albums. So they're not a singles band.
But they also released loads and loads of great singles.

Pretty sure Madness had some big albums as well and if your going off that then OPs Smith's and Stones aren't gonna count either.
But that's not what a singles band means. Nope, I've listened to a few Madness records. Canny whack of shite on every one of them.
 
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The Kinks have a great back catalogue of singles:

All Day and All of The Night
You Really Got Me
Sunny Afternoon
Waterloo Sunset
Days
Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Till The End of the Day
Everybody's Gonna Be Happy
Wonderboy
Plastic Man
Shangri-la
Victoria
Lola
Celluloid Heroes
Apeman
Picture Book
Where Have All The Good Times Gone
Superman
Moving Pictures
Do It Again
Living On A Thin Line
Dandy
See My Friends
Set Me Free
Tired of Waiting
Dead End Street

Crazy amount of hits.
That yellow “20 golden greats” album (?) from the late 70s was superb. Though editing and sound quality obviously suffered. All of those albums gig Beach Boys with the surger cover, Supremes with the lipstick n mics, Shadows, Buddy Holly etc
 
They did. They also had a ridiculous amount of other great songs and several top to toe classic albums. So they're not a singles band.

But that's not what a singles band means. Nope, I've listened to a few Madness records. Canny whack of shite on every one of them.

The Smith's can be argued a bit, and often are. I love them but in terms of great albums from start to finish Id say two at a push. The Rolling Stones are definitely not a singles band. They have six of the best albums of all time to their name.
Away man, it's clearly The Police.
Apparently its The Beatles :lol:
 
Many of their best songs were album tracks or on b sides, 12 inches, or compilation albums
This up here re The Smiths (album heaters vs. singles)

'I Won't Share You'
'Well I Wonder'
'Cemetry Gates'
'Stop....'
'Asleep'

Total smash bang wallops compared to the bouncy singles crap. (hopefully none are sly singles catching me out tho) :)
 
Michael Caine was Madness masterpiece. It’s the only one I bought after the 2tone debut.
Michael Caine and Is Vic There: paranoia personified.
 
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They did. They also had a ridiculous amount of other great songs and several top to toe classic albums. So they're not a singles band.

But that's not what a singles band means. Nope, I've listened to a few Madness records. Canny whack of shite on every one of them.

27 tracks on the original release of The Beatles- 1.
You could probably put together an album of 25 tracks that weren't released as singles which would be just as good as 1.

The extremely high quality and consistency of their albums just means the singles will automatically be good. It can't be helped
 
27 tracks on the original release of The Beatles- 1.
You could probably put together an album of 25 tracks that weren't released as singles which would be just as good as 1.

The extremely high quality and consistency of their albums just means the singles will automatically be good. It can't be helped
People keep missing the point of what a singles band is marra. Yes the Beatles had great singles. Because they formed a part of many classic albums. The latter point means they can't be defined as a singles band.

For those struggling, a singles band is a band that has a few hits, but their albums are overall, and by comparison, canny shite.
You do read some toilet literature on here at times, like - that the mind boggles.
Yup :lol:
 
This up here re The Smiths (album heaters vs. singles)

'I Won't Share You'
'Well I Wonder'
'Cemetry Gates'
'Stop....'
'Asleep'

Total smash bang wallops compared to the bouncy singles crap. (hopefully none are sly singles catching me out tho) :)

I would say casual fans or people who aren't fans at all would probably struggle to name two Smiths albums.

If somebody was asked to name two or three Police, Queen or ABBA albums they'd probably struggle unless you have extensive music knowledge.
But most people would name half a dozen or more hit singles by those bands.
I think the smiths fall into that category
 
I would say casual fans or people who aren't fans at all would probably struggle to name two Smiths albums.

If somebody was asked to name two or three Police, Queen or ABBA albums they'd probably struggle unless you have extensive music knowledge.
But most people would name half a dozen or more hit singles by those bands.
I think the smiths fall into that category
Beegees?, mebbes

heebee jeebes
 
They did. They also had a ridiculous amount of other great songs and several top to toe classic albums. So they're not a singles band.

But that's not what a singles band means. Nope, I've listened to a few Madness records. Canny whack of shite on every one of them.
5 albums in the top five in the charts, two went to number 2. Clearly a lot of people think they are a good albums band and they've had success with it.
 
5 albums in the top five in the charts, two went to number 2. Clearly a lot of people think they are a good albums band and they've had success with it.
I reckon most on here would struggle to name two of their albums. They were a singles band, make no mistake marra.
If a singles band can be defined by releasing loads of great singles, I'm plumping for The Ramones.
Were the other tracks on their albums crap? Would people struggle to name their albums? If so, aye.
 

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