Were Madness the best singles band ever?

GTG said:
There you go again! It's YOUR definition of something that doesn't really exist, and isn't the one which started this thread.
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I started the thread and I'm in agreement with that definition, which I think is clear when I'm talking about ABBA and Elvis albums vs Beatles albums
 


As much as a love Madness the answer to the original question is no they are not the best singles band ever, not even close.

If we are talking about compilation albums then i can name many that are better.

Depeche Mode
The Cult
The Cure
Placebo
Creedence (already mentioned)
The Smiths (already mentioned)

There are many many more that would trump Madness, in my opinion.
 
What A Waster said:
The Beatles released impeccably good singles. That is without question. Yet there's loads of album tracks that are of equally high, or higher quality than their singles. Their albums are regularly high featuring in greatest album ever polls. Their albums are extremely famous.
Casual fans could probably name 5 of their albums. Most people into music will know Beatles albums. Everyone knows Beatles singles.

Ask anybody to name 5 ABBA songs, they'd do it no bother.
Ask anybody to name 3 ABBA albums and unless they're a fan of the band they won't know them.
Ask somebody to name 10 Elvis songs and they will. Ask somebody to name 3 Elvis albums and they wouldn't be able to do it. That's unless they know the titles of a few of his films.
Elvis and ABBA are singles artists without a doubt.
The Beatles aren't a singles artist.

If a greatest hits is what most people know a band for then they're a singles artist.
Beatles aren't a singles band despite the fact they released excellent singles.
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But their best-known songs are the ones which were only released as singles.

If we are talking about 'most people into music' then, yes they could probably name some albums, even if they couldn't tell you which one a particular track came from, but if we are just talking about 'most people' - and that's probably who singles were ideally aimed at, then there are probably hundreds of millions who could sing/hum along with She Loves You, All You Need Is Love, Hey Jude and Let It Be who couldn't name a single (sic) album.

By your 'definition' ..........
What A Waster said:
I started the thread and I'm in agreement with that definition, which I think is clear when I'm talking about ABBA and Elvis albums vs Beatles albums
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But you were talking about The Smiths and The Jam.
 
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GTG said:
But their best-known songs are the ones which were only released as singles.

If we are talking about 'most people into music' then, yes they could probably name some albums, even if they couldn't tell you which one a particular track came from, but if we are just talking about 'most people' - and that's probably who singles were ideally aimed at, then there are probably hundreds of millions who could sing/hum along with She Loves You, All You Need Is Love, Hey Jude and Let It Be who couldn't name a single (sic) album.

By your 'definition' ..........
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They are still not a singles band. They don't fit my definition as illustrated a few posts up.
 
GTG said:
But you were talking about The Smiths and The Jam.
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That's because they are two of the best singles bands. I like both so I know their albums, but they are definitely singles bands.
The Beatles are my favourite band. If I thought they were a singles band I'd have included them in the OP
 
What A Waster said:
They are still not a singles band. They don't fit my definition as illustrated a few posts up.
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But by MY definition they are! And a great one! Writing and producing a hit single is an art form in itself, and one which The Beatles clearly respected, judging from the number of brilliant songs which they decided should only be released as singles.
 
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.
 
mickonline said:
As much as a love Madness the answer to the original question is no they are not the best singles band ever, not even close.

If we are talking about compilation albums then i can name many that are better.

Depeche Mode
The Cult
The Cure
Placebo
Creedence (already mentioned)
The Smiths (already mentioned)

There are many many more that would trump Madness, in my opinion.
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I think only The Smiths and The Cure come close to Madness as a good singles band.The others are all good bands (except DM,personally cannae stand them) but think most people (everyday Joe type) could only name two or three Cult/Placebo songs off the top of their heads.
 
JohnLambie'spigeon said:
I think only The Smiths and The Cure come close to Madness as a good singles band.The others are all good bands (except DM,personally cannae stand them) but think most people (everyday Joe type) could only name two or three Cult/Placebo songs off the top of their heads.
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So is this about naming songs or how a compilation album plays?

If its about naming songs then i ramp up again:

Foo Fighters
Queen
Artic Monkeys
Frigging Wham/George Michael

I mentioned Cult/DM/Placebo because if you play their compilation albums they are really good, bit like CCR.
 
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mickonline said:
So is this about naming songs or how a compilation album plays?

If its about naming songs then i ramp up again:

Foo Fighters
Queen
Artic Monkeys
Frigging Wham/George Michael

I mentioned Cult/DM/Placebo because if you play their compilation albums they are really good, bit like CCR.
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Not about how a singles album plays for me,it’s about how good the singles were/are.No band released singles thinking how good the compilation album would flow.I could name bands I personally love who in my opinion released great singles (The Chords/The Field Mice/Ruts/The Bodines....) but to say Placebo are a better singles band than Madness......
Still say Buzzcocks.
Super Furries another great singles band.
 
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dangermows said:
Dear me. They wrote loads of class albums. Look at the songs they missed off Peppers. And for a reason. They didn't fit the sound of the record.

That is what a singles band is. A band which is known for the odd hit/few good songs on each record and nowt else.

What the hell do you think is meant by a singles band? :lol:

@rapscallion we've got another one saying The Beatles :lol:
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Madness danger. MADNESS.

- They're jumping out the water voluntarily.
 
GTG said:
My cousin (St Aidan's lad) played bass with them for about 12 years, after the first split. Never really had the same level of success in the singles charts but were still knocking out some belters like Hourglass and Third Rail, and were probably bigger in the US during that period. He has some good stories, especially from a stadium tour with Fleetwood Mac!!
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Keith Wilkinson?
rapscallion said:
Not to mention Wacko Jacko
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If we are including sex offenders what about Gary Glitter or Jonathon King?
 
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What A Waster said:
The Beatles released impeccably good singles. That is without question. Yet there's loads of album tracks that are of equally high, or higher quality than their singles. Their albums are regularly high featuring in greatest album ever polls. Their albums are extremely famous.
Casual fans could probably name 5 of their albums. Most people into music will know Beatles albums. Everyone knows Beatles singles.

Ask anybody to name 5 ABBA songs, they'd do it no bother.
Ask anybody to name 3 ABBA albums and unless they're a fan of the band they won't know them.
Ask somebody to name 10 Elvis songs and they will. Ask somebody to name 3 Elvis albums and they wouldn't be able to do it. That's unless they know the titles of a few of his films.
Elvis and ABBA are singles artists without a doubt.
The Beatles aren't a singles artist.

If a greatest hits is what most people know a band for then they're a singles artist.
Beatles aren't a singles band despite the fact they released excellent singles.


I can only think of 3 erasure songs. Don't think that's enough imo.


This is a bit of a strange thing to say.
Widely recognised as having recorded the first concept album Sgt Pepper.
Side 2 of Abbey Road is a continuous piece of music.
Revolver doesn't sound like any of their other albums.
I'd say you can hear different sounds and stages of their evolution in just about every album.
They never made two albums that sounded the same.
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Clueless marra. Haway man.
 

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