Were Madness the best singles band ever?

[vinegar hill]

The Beatles is the answer and to coin a favourite SMB phrase,it’s not even close.
That’s apart from the fact they released 3 consecutive albums which were up there as the greatest of all time.

 

[dangermows]

The Beatles is the answer and to coin a favourite SMB phrase,it’s not even close.

Another one @rapscallion

 

[rapscallion]

Another one @rapscallion

Head first into the poacher's net. Chompity chomp

Like the Great Salmon Run. Or something.

 

[dangermows]

Head first into the poacher's net. Chompity chomp

Like the Great Salmon Run. Or something.

 

[bedlington mackem]

Squeeze produced some brilliant singles, probably my pick

Difford and Tilbrook are just great songwriters full stop…..Squeezes albums were all crammed with potential singles….”Argybargy” is their best imo and although the album opens with the two singles ie “Pulling muscles…” and “ Another Nail…..” the quality never falls…..”Vicky Verky” is brilliant

 

[GTG]

Keith Wilkinson?

Aye. He was playing with a bunch of Hartlepool lads, The Jar Family, until a couple of years ago. Great little band.

 

[bedlington mackem]

Beatles, ABBA, Sweet, Def Leppard, Depeche Mode, Slade
- six acts hammering the top 40 bitd with consistently great releases.
The Smiths and The Ham get extra points for putting good material on their b-sides too when vinyl mattered.

Sweet released 3 decent singles in the same year …all of which they didnt write…all their “hits” were wriiten by outside writers.
Def Leppard have only had a few top 40 hits in the UK….most of which never reached the top 10….
Oasis would never have been as huge as they were had Noel not been a fan of Slade….they were the Slade of the 90s

 

[GTG]

Keith Wilkinson? And a St Aidans"s lad? Fuckin hell cool mate!

As above.

Sweet released 3 decent singles in the same year …all of which they didnt write…all their “hits” were wriiten by outside writers.

Didn't they always write the rockier b-sides to make sure they got the royalties?
Songwriting is where the money is. I had a mate who wrote (and produced) a lot of hit singles, mainly in the 70s and he was still raking in the cash from them when he died 2 years ago.

I did (only half-jokingly!) suggest that his son didn't need to own ALL the songs in his portfolio when he died and that maybe he could leave me one or two in his will but.......

 

[Lankester Merrin]

The Who are up there as a singles band.

I'm a Boy
Happy Jack
Pictures of Lily
Substitute
I can see for Miles
Dogs
Pinball Wizard

As great a series of singles as any band ever strung together

 

[JohnLambie'spigeon]

I'm a Boy
Happy Jack
Pictures of Lily
Substitute
I can see for Miles
Dogs
Pinball Wizard

As great a series of singles as any band ever strung together

The singles before I’m A Boy were pretty good too eh?

 

[What A Waster]

I'm a Boy
Happy Jack
Pictures of Lily
Substitute
I can see for Miles
Dogs
Pinball Wizard

As great a series of singles as any band ever strung together

What about...The Jam


David Watts/'A' Bomb in Wardour Street

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

Strange Town

When You're Young

The Eton Rifles

Going Underground

Start!

That's Entertainment

Funeral Pyre

Absolute Beginners

Town Called Malice


That's a strong run. Incredible really. There's only 4 singles before that list and 3 singles after it. I like them all, but in the 7 omitted ones I'd say 2 are still great (In the City, Beat Surrender). The weaker 5 were All Around The World , This is the Modern World, News of the World , Just Who is the 5'o Clock Hero, The Bitterest Pill.

18 classics imo, but a run of 11 singles that's as good as anything.

 

[Lankester Merrin]

The singles before I’m A Boy were pretty good too eh?

They were

And the ones after were pretty good too, but that mid-60s run of singles is incredible, musically and lyrically

 

[JohnLambie'spigeon]

They were

And the ones after were pretty good too, but that mid-60s run of singles is incredible, musically and lyrically

Brilliant but the ones before even better for me.

They were

And the ones after were pretty good too, but that mid-60s run of singles is incredible, musically and lyrically

What about...The Jam


David Watts/'A' Bomb in Wardour Street

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

Strange Town

When You're Young

The Eton Rifles

Going Underground

Start!

That's Entertainment

Funeral Pyre

Absolute Beginners

Town Called Malice


That's a strong run. Incredible really. There's only 4 singles before that list and 3 singles after it. I like them all, but in the 7 omitted ones I'd say 2 are still great (In the City, Beat Surrender). The weaker 5 were All Around The World , This is the Modern World, News of the World , Just Who is the 5'o Clock Hero, The Bitterest Pill.

18 classics imo, but a run of 11 singles that's as good as anything.

Hard to argue with that though personally think Absolute Beginners as a bit weak.

What about...The Jam


David Watts/'A' Bomb in Wardour Street

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

Strange Town

When You're Young

The Eton Rifles

Going Underground

Start!

That's Entertainment

Funeral Pyre

Absolute Beginners

Town Called Malice


That's a strong run. Incredible really. There's only 4 singles before that list and 3 singles after it. I like them all, but in the 7 omitted ones I'd say 2 are still great (In the City, Beat Surrender). The weaker 5 were All Around The World , This is the Modern World, News of the World , Just Who is the 5'o Clock Hero, The Bitterest Pill.

18 classics imo, but a run of 11 singles that's as good as anything.

What about...The Jam


David Watts/'A' Bomb in Wardour Street

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

Strange Town

When You're Young

The Eton Rifles

Going Underground

Start!

That's Entertainment

Funeral Pyre

Absolute Beginners

Town Called Malice


That's a strong run. Incredible really. There's only 4 singles before that list and 3 singles after it. I like them all, but in the 7 omitted ones I'd say 2 are still great (In the City, Beat Surrender). The weaker 5 were All Around The World , This is the Modern World, News of the World , Just Who is the 5'o Clock Hero, The Bitterest Pill.

18 classics imo, but a run of 11 singles that's as good as anything.

As good as it gets though never rated Absolute Beginner, TFTR much better.

 

[Hair Flick]

Boney M

 

[bedlington mackem]

What about...The Jam


David Watts/'A' Bomb in Wardour Street

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

Strange Town

When You're Young

The Eton Rifles

Going Underground

Start!

That's Entertainment

Funeral Pyre

Absolute Beginners

Town Called Malice


That's a strong run. Incredible really. There's only 4 singles before that list and 3 singles after it. I like them all, but in the 7 omitted ones I'd say 2 are still great (In the City, Beat Surrender). The weaker 5 were All Around The World , This is the Modern World, News of the World , Just Who is the 5'o Clock Hero, The Bitterest Pill.

18 classics imo, but a run of 11 singles that's as good as anything.

agree …some great songs…but again im sure Weller never wrote those songs with the words “hit single” in mind….he wrote albums and always very much from the heart

 

[cluffy]

Sweet released 3 decent singles in the same year …all of which they didnt write…all their “hits” were wriiten by outside writers.
Def Leppard have only had a few top 40 hits in the UK….most of which never reached the top 10….
Oasis would never have been as huge as they were had Noel not been a fan of Slade….they were the Slade of the 90s

Def Leppard had 19 top 40 hits, twelve of which were top 20s mate. That's more than a few!

Sweet had 5 number 2s and a number 1. About fifteen hits in all.

If we're going to bring in who wrote what then Chinnichap are the singles kings along with S.A.W.

 

[Lankester Merrin]

Brilliant but the ones before even better for me.


Hard to argue with that though personally think Absolute Beginners as a bit weak.


As good as it gets though never rated Absolute Beginner, TFTR much better.

The earlier Who singles are fantastic, but it' the combination of incredibly challenging lyrics an ground breaking music that sets the mid 60s singles apart. Every one a classic

The Jam were another amazing singles band, but you are wrong about Absolute Beginners, up there with the best they ever did

 

[GTG]

The Who are up there as a singles band.

Apparently they can't be.

 

[dangermows]

Apparently they can't be.

Did they release some class singles? Yes. Did they release class albums top to toe? Nope. Could many name much by them outside the hits? Nope.

So what have I missed?

The earlier Who singles are fantastic, but it' the combination of incredibly challenging lyrics an ground breaking music that sets the mid 60s singles apart. Every one a classic

The Jam were another amazing singles band, but you are wrong about Absolute Beginners, up there with the best they ever did

Yup. As you say, both very good singles bands. @GTG there ya go marra.

 

[TX45]

The Police