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Archive 1

Mariah Carey

Seems like a number of people are anxious to put in "We Belong Together" as Carey's signature song. The Wikipedia article on the declares it to be so, as well. Since it keeps coming back, I decided to review my original thinking on it (just one of many hits). Googling on "Mariah Carey" and "signature song" brings up mostly two other songs ("Hero", "Without You") purporting to be her signature song. So either she's actually got no clear "signature song", or she's got a few. Either way, that doesn't make her the most useful example to put in the example list, so I'm continuing to delete for now. 24.130.126.57 22:12, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

I'd be partial to agree with you. Mariah Carey has more than just one signature song, and as stated in one of the conversations above, including several songs by one artist doesn't really give the point that the article tries to make. This is a little POV, but in my opinion, a signature song is one where even if you know nothing about the artist you will hear it and be like, "I know who that is!" For example, if I were to hear "Thanks For The Memories," I'd know it was Bob Hope just like that. The same goes for any of the other songs listed, and for a few other songs I can think of.
With Mariah Carey, however, there are multiple songs in which one could hear and know it's her. Perhaps part of this, though, is the fact that when she hits a trademark whistle note (albeit she didn't hit any extremely high notes in "We Belong Together"), just about anyone will know it's her. That aside, there are still alot of songs that she's known by. An example of just a few would be "Hero," "Fantasy," "Heartbreaker," or "Loverboy" - putting aside the fact that she's known in mostly a negative manner for that last one. (Although there are quite a few artists, many of them probably one-hit wonders, who are known for songs that aren't exactly respected pieces of musical genius, hehe.)
At any rate though, as you said, she's not the most useful example for a signature song. She's just got too many to include. Shortly put, I really agree with you. -WikiFiend90 03:58, 19 February 2006 (UTC)
In counterpoint to the above written statements, I will firstly state that these are correct and valid points. Mariah has had numerous hits, and thus it can be argued that one song in particular does not qualify her for a space on this page. However, "Vision of Love" was not only her first single for which she earned her first Grammy, it is also considered by many music critics and fans alike to be her most vocally competent and inspired song. In most of her concerts it is usually the last song performed, and is greeted with vigorous and continuous applause from the audience. Also, the wiki article for "Vision of Love" itself denotes the song as Mariah's signature song. I strongly urge you to reconsider.
Well, it is very important to not that not having a single "signature song" does not in any way detriment the quality of any of an artists songs. Thus not declaring "Vision of Love" to be her one signature song is not a criticism of her, nor or of the song. So even if the arguable point about it being her best work is taken as fact, that doesn't really have any bearing, one way or another, on whether it meets the definition of signature song.
The fact that it is her first song is perhaps more important would argue better toward that designation. And if it is indeed the last song performed at most concerts, that would also be an argument for.
The fact that the wiki page says it carries fairly little weight, though. Unti you just edited it moments ago, the wiki page for "We Belong Together" says the same thing. By design, anyone can edit a wiki page to reflect whatever subjective info they want it to reflect.
And that brings me to what I think the most important point of all is: what is her "signature song" is an arguable point. And if it's at all arguable, then it's not really appropriate for the example section. And the reason for this is that the whole point of the example section is not just to compile a long list of signature songs, even if all of them really did meet the definition without argument. The point of it is to help illustrate the point of what a signature song is to a reader who may need a concrete example they know of to help them get it. And if you provide an example from an artist for whom the choice of one particular song is not clear, then that doesn't really help to illustrate the point in a reader's mind.
Do you see what I'm getting at? The fact that such-and-such person thinks of "Vision of Love" to be it, while another thinks it's "We Belong Together", and another thinks it's "Hero" . . . well, regardless of which person is "right", just the fact that there's an argument about it at all means which ever song it really is (if any) still isn't a great example because it doesn't help make things clearer. And since the example list should be short, not long, it truly should contain only clear, non-arguable examples. Hers is clearly not the case since if you google on "Mariah Carey" and "signature song", you'll get three or four different answers.
And again that's no knock against her, nor against any of the songs. It just means she's had a LOT of varied success as an artist. And nothing but kudos to her for that! Mwelch 04:35, 14 March 2006 (UTC)
Again, I understand your point- I simply do not agree with it. If one were to base the perception of a "signature song" upon subjectivity, you might as well edit/delete the entire list, since there can be no general consensus on what a signature song entails due to the actuality that it is inherently a prejudiced topic, if not by the definition you've supplied, then unquestionably in regards to the examples you've permitted to be displayed. I do not deem it appropriate, in any way, that my addition is persistently excised from the list of songs. Of course, it is not my judgement that's apparently infallible.
Firstly, your sarcasm is neither necessary nor appreciated. It is not my judgment with which you appear to have an issue. The previous conversation here, as well as the archived conversation referred to at the top seem to show people other than myself have stated the case that entries which do not meet almost universal agreement are not helpful as examples. I don't see anyone else in either conversation who specifically states a belief that non-agreed-upon examples are helpful, as you seem to believe. You simply seem to be in the minority on that point, and I don't see that it helps your point much to snipe at me just because you don't like that fact.
Of course, the designation is inherently subjective. That is the whole point, and the root of the problem. Because of that problem, the Wikipedia community indeed did discuss the idea of nixing either the whole article, or nixing the whole example section. If it were up to my "infallible" judgment, I actually have no problem with removing the whole example section. But more people in the community spoke to the desire to keep it and just properly maintain it. So I respect the community's judgment on that point. Judging by your sarcasm, and your insistence upon adding a clearly widely debated example, it would seem that you do not.
As for how to properly maintain it . . . well, how many rational people who are familiar with Tony Bennett, and are making an honest intellectual argument, would seriously purport that his signature song (not their own favorite song, but his true signature song) is anything at all other than "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"? I'd bet the answer is pretty darn close to zero. Same for Bob Hope and "Thanks for the Memories" and so on. There is consensus in those cases. So, according to the community discussion, those make good examples.
But with Mariah Carey, obviously there are a lot of people who quite seriously and truly consider her signature song to be something other than "Vision of Love". The fact so many different sources identify different songs would seem to be a pretty good indicator that with her, there is not consensus — and that's the very thing which in turn makes it exactly the kind of example with which the community has already voiced a great deal of discomfort.
As for what else is in the list, it's not as though that is set in stone. I don't claim to be an expert on each and every artist there, so indeed there may be someone else there who's equally as problematic as Mariah Carey. If so, the way for you to improve the list would be to point out such an example, and delete/replace that artist, moreso than to add Carey, would it not? Mwelch 09:23, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Garth Brooks

Googling on signature song for him comes up with three different songs on the first page of hits alone: "The Dance", "If Tomorrow Nerver Comes" and "Friends in Low Places". (With Wikipedia being the only place that declares it to be "Friends in Low Places", by the way.) So, a la Mariah Carey, that definitely doesn't appear to be a particularly good example. Mwelch 01:22, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Deletion of the majority of the example list

OK, so in the above reference deletion discussion from last year, the main issue with the article seemed to be the unverifiablity, unmaintainability and general undesirability of this article having a long list of examples of signature songs. Even those in favor of keeping the article (and I agree that it should be kept because the concept is notable) generally seem to agree that the list shouldn't be anything more than a FEW universally accepted examples (e.g. Tony Bennett/"I Left My Heart in San Francisco") that might help illustrate the concept to a reader.

The concern voiced in the thread is that the list would soon grow into a long list that would be more an amalgamation of individuals' favorite songs than true helpful and verifiable examples of signature songs. And, as I viewed the article today, surely enough that is what had happened.

"Billie Jean" as THE signature song over the gazillion other hits Michael Jackson has had? "Purple Rain" as THE signature song over the gazilion other hits Prince has had? "What'd I Say?" for Ray Charles over "America, the Beautiful" and "Georgia on my Mind"? "My Way" more than "New York, New York" for Sinatra? All very subjective.

So I've pared the list down to a FEW examples, spanning different genres that I think folks would accept as true examples of signuture songs.

In addition, from the description, I've deleted

These songs are often praised by a particular performance of them by an artist at a concert or other event of significance.

because I don't even understand what that sentence is trying to convey,

Praise often also occurs if the song has been responsible for creating a new style, trend or genre or for bridging the gap between two things that were once considered anomalous.

because, praiseworthy as that may be, it has nothing to do with whether a song is a signature song or not, and

Signature songs generally tend to be songs met with the most critical success rather than commercial success; just because a song by an artist sells millions of copies does not make it a signature song.

because if the definition of the signature song is, as this article says it is, that it's the song most popularly identified with an artist, then by that definition, commercial success does count more than critical success.

65.88.178.10 00:41, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

In essence, a "signature song" is the song the band plays when someone walks on to a talk show. It's not just a "big hit" for someone, it's a song someone is identified with and identified by. I've added the obvious Bob Hope example. - Nunh-huh 00:50, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

The other point about the example section is that it serves little use to have people just keep adding to it ad infinitum, even if every single addition did unquestionaly meet the definition of "signature song". The only useful purpose for the example section is to help illustrate the concept to someone who might still be unclear on it after reading the artice. To that end, it should be a short list, different genres to help cut across potential readers' musical tastes but no more than one or two songs per genre needed. AND, for those artists who do have more than one signature song, they should not be included on the list, because choosing one of more than one possible, even if technically accurate, does not help illustrate the point to a reader. 24.130.126.57 10:43, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

The tendency to add entries ad libitum in example sections is a tendency I've noticed in every article. The article about "weasel words" itself was in danger for this. I think this is something to put in our style guide: pure "list pages" can be obtained via categories (for instance you can have a page with the names of all Italy piazzas if you put the appropriate category tag in every article about a piazza). Instead example lists like those provided here (and in the "weasel words" article) just serve to illustrate the concept, and should be kept to a minimum. The reason why some additions are controversial is that the "definition" we gave is actually not a definition (otherwise it would be an uncontroversial criterion to decide if something *is* or *is not* a signature song). Unfortunately we can't do much better as this is a really vague concept; and that's why we have the examples. Just to cite one, putting "Nessun dorma" -a classical probably sung by any tenor in the world- as signature song for Luciano Pavarotti looks quite ridiculous to any Italian person, demonstrating how subjective and geo-dependent the label "signature song" is. Probably one of the best things to do is to highlight that the expression inevitably carries some arbitrariness --Gennaro Prota 16:48, 1 April 2006 (UTC)

Major Expansion

Wow! Since I last visited/worked on this page, it's went through an expansion, with many more songs being listed. I'm impressed! -WikiFiend90 18:49, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

In what order are the songs listed?

I realize that the songs in this article listed in alphabetical order... but when it comes to solo artists, some of the songs are listed by the artist's first name and others are listed by the artist's last name. Please decide in what order you want the list to be and fix this.--Andresg770 16:15, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

Christina's Signature Song

It has "Genie In A Bottle" listed as Christina Aguilera's signature song. I think many would agree that "Beautiful" would be a better example of her signature song. What do you all think? -WikiFiend90 01:34, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't really think she has one... for one, she's got too many successful singles, for another, she hasn't had a long enough career to really establish a "signature" song. Anthony Hit me up... 03:12, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

Other signature songs

The list has the Rolling Stones' signature song as "Start Me Up", but I think that "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is their signature song. Also, what could the Red Hot Chili Peppers' signature song be? It must be something from Blood Sugar Sex Magik, probably "Under the Bridge" or "Give It Away". And while some people believe that Guns N' Roses' signature song is "Welcome To The Jungle", I believe it is "Sweet Child O'Mine", as I looked in the Guinness Rockopedia, and "Welcome To The Jungle" wasn't even mentioned, yet "Sweet Child O'Mine" was. -ndrly 09:34, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Possible changes to page

I've worked on an updated version of the page in my userspace at User:FutureNJGov/Signature song. I request that people visit the page and see if there are more changes to be made, since it seems that the biggest sticking point is what is considered a signature song and the fact that there are no references; people just keep adding examples. Please leave comments here, though, since this is the official talk page for the article, and I only worked on it in userspace so as to keep it free from clutter here. Anthony Hit me up... 00:57, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

The addition of references is interesting, but there are two issues with it that I see:
1) References really aren't all that impressive on an issue as subjective as this one. . . as evidenced by the fact that there are conflicting references in three or four of the artists in the list. And those are just the ones currently listed. Wouldn't be too tough to find contradictory references for Sammy Davis, Elvis Presley, and others, I'm sure. (Plus, there's always the issue of references being outdated for current artists. The "Real Slim Shady" reference is from 2000; is it still applicable after "Lose Yourself" came out two years later?)
2) As long as there are any songs allowed on the list without supporting references, people are going to just keep adding and changing as they please (e.g. "Thriller" for Michael Jackson. Signature album, certainly. But song? Over "Man in the Mirror"? "Beat It"? "Billie Jean"? Really? e.g. "Like a Virgin" for Madonna. Even though every time she's referred to in the media, they call her "the Material Girl"? Hmm. e.g. "Ice, Ice Baby". A textbook example of one-hit wonder, moreso than signature song.) Since there's no objective way to knock out examples like that, there really doesn't seem to be any way to stop them from proliferating. *shrug*
It'll always be a fun subject to argue about, though. 8-) Mwelch 08:08, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
As for the ones without references, they would be removed before being shifted to the main page. Hidden wikitext would state that any additions would require a reference from a reputable site (MTV, CNN, AllMusic, Rolling Stone, etc.), and be a clear consensus.
I agree that we'll never get a clear definitive answer on this page; part of the fun is debating them. But there are some absolute answers (Billy Joel's "Piano Man", for example), and some artists who don't even deserve a signature song (J-Lo? Please.) All I'm trying to do is end the constant bickering over the subjectivity of the article by adding some more references. Anthony Hit me up... 19:25, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
Oh yes, I definitely understand that. I'm just saying that even with the references, I doubt it will actually end all complaints, because the references themselves can be either subjective or dated.
Certainly only helps and can't hurt, though, so cheers to the idea and to the effort! Mwelch 02:46, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Merger with List

The List of signature songs page has no sources, and is nothing more than a randomized list of artists and songs. I propose a merger, or alternatively a deletion of the List page. I worked hard to ensure that there is at least some accountability on this page with respect to sources, and although I won't go as far as calling this "my" page (because that's not the spirit of Wikipedia), I feel it's in the encyclopedic nature of the site to cite (no pun intended) everything on here. Simply creating another article with no sources is an end-run around the verifiable nature of the site. Also, it's late & I've been studying law all day, so I'm not in a chipper mood at this point. Maybe someone else can explain a rational reason for that other page to exist. But I feel justified in at least proposing a merger. Anthony Hit me up... 01:26, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

Since, as with many "list" pages it seems to be tied (at least it was initially) to a corresponding category, the ideal solution would be to fully incorporate everything. Each song would indeed have a citation. But further, if the song has a Wikipedia entry, that entry should mention (along with the supporting citation) that it's a signature song of such-and-such artist, and the article accordingly should be put in the signature songs category. Mwelch 03:04, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

What???

Since when do you need sources to know an artist's signature song? The signature song of an artist can vary from country to country.

I think that's the whole point.... not everyone has the same opinion on which is an artist's signature song, so a source at least would give a proof of it. For example, Madonna's "Like a Virgin" used to be listed as her signature song (before we started to use sources), but someone came every week and changed it to "Holiday" because s/he thought that was her signature song. In other words, if the source is reliable, then there will not be as many disputes as there used to be before. --Andresg770 23:14, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Tina Turner

I have changed the listed SS for Tina Turner from "Proud Mary" to "The Best". In my experience, the latter is far and away the song with which she is most associated; and I had never even heard of the former, before following the link to the article! Reading Tina Turner's article, I see that "Proud Mary" was a hit for her when she was singing in a duo with Ike Turner. However, this list only includes her name, therefore her biggest and most recognised solo hit should be mentioned. It is quite clear also from the fact that "The Best" lends its name to her two compilation albums. EuroSong talk 09:32, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

You're entirely correct about the inconsistency of listing "Proud Mary" as a signature record for a solo Tina Turner. However, once you change it to the "The Best", here in this article, then the supporting reference no longer supports it. And furthermore, "The Best" is by no means definitive as her solo signature song, anyway.
I would rate "What's Love Got To Do With It" as her solo signature song. It's certainly the first song I think of with regard to Tina Turner as a solo performer. It's the song with which she actually became a successful solo singer after Ike. And it's what they used as the title of the movie that tells her life story. For inclusion of Turner in this article, I actually could even provide a reference [query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E4DC103FF932A25755C0A9669C8B63] supporting "What's Love Got To Do With It" as her signature song. But I chose to just delete her altogether, since I still think if the issue is debatable, then it shouldn't be listed here at all. Mwelch 18:47, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

another stab at definition of the term

My suggestion: another way to phrase it is the song that pops into most people's head when the band's name is mentioned, it is simply that single work which is most closely connected with the band/group/artist. Thus "Bobby McGee" as recorded by Janis Joplin, "Stairway to Heaven" by LedZeppelin, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. While LedZeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" may be a fan favorite, you must look to what song is recognized most quickly by a NON-fan of that particular artist/group/etc. Thus "Stairway" is a superb example of a signature song. Note: Anyone remember the "No Stairway" Sign next to the guitars in the Movie "Wayne's World"? In many cases the "signature song" of a particular artist/group may be the ONLY song that a non-fan or a follower of a completely disparate musical genera would be likely to recognize by either song name or the group that recorded it let alone both. an example (that I will NOT add to the page) is Queensryche's "Silent Lucidity". And for my last stab at exemplifying a "signature song" is the one that when someone calls in a request for a band, but without requesting a specific work, that there is a serious risk that even serious fans of the group will groan when hearing that particular song (Do I hear "Stairway" starting to play.... Again?) AllanDeGroot 22:00, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

Britney Spears

is there a reason why britney spears' "...Baby One More Time" has been deleated from the list? It is her signature song, More known that alot of the other singles on the list.

I think "Oops I did it again is dead heat with it. I would say she's better left off.--Esprit15d (talk ¤ contribs) 18:44, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Queen

Bohemian Rhapsody is undoubtly a great song, but when it comes to a signature song I'd more go for We Are the Champions since (to cite the source) anthems like "We Are the Champions" turn into celebrations of sports victories. With this two very well regognized Queen songs I think it's better to remove that entry. --32X 10:09, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Nah - Bohemian Rhapsody is signature.--Esprit15d (talk ¤ contribs) 18:42, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
I agree. I think "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" are all very well recognized. I favor removing Queen from the entry. Geeky Randy 07:07, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

Lynard Skynard

"Free Bird"? Undoubtedly iconic, but I would say that their "signature" song is "Sweet Home Alabama." Is there anyone who possibly disagrees?

They're both very well-known songs and it's hard to stay which is signature. "Sweet Home Alabama" has a better chart record, but "Free Bird" is considered a better song by most fans and music journalists. I vote to remove Skynard from the article. Geeky Randy 07:09, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

Examples section should be removed

This section is entirely too long and too subjective. Who is to say which artists should be used as examples? Then, who is qualified to decide that artist's "signature song"? Sure everything is cited, but citing someone else's opinion doesn't make it fact. The Signature album article is in even worse shape, but there's not much action at Talk:Signature album so I thought I'd raise my concerns here. Comments? --Bongwarrior 04:24, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

Unless they're cited, they need to go I think. --Haemo 04:54, 12 July 2007 (UTC)
even if cited, i'd say most of the list is crap. as bongwarrior said, citing someone else's opinion doesn't make it fact. unless we drastically pare the list down, i think a good stopgap would be just renaming it to something like "songs that have been called an artist's signature song" (only hopefully something less doofy sounding). --dan 02:42, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

Incubus Drive

This has to be their signature song. People are more likely to know the song as opposed to the band itself. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.101.63.245 (talk) 05:47, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Rihanna

Umbrella is easily her signature song. I'm adding her to the list. —82.177.233.14 (talk) 23:25, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

The list should be removed

The article is not about the songs themselves, but about what a signature song IS. A list longer than your arm helps no one who comes to the project trying to find out what a signature song is. The list has become little more than a way for fanboys (and girls) to get their favorite band another wikilink on WP. That's not what the project is about, nor should it be the purpose of this article. In fact, in thinking about the issue, wouldn't the dictionary wiki be a better place for this article? K. Scott Bailey 17:01, 26 October 2007 (UTC)

I vote to trim the list down. A smaller list of signature songs will indeed "help someone who comes to the project trying to find out what a signature song is." There are such songs that are obviously signatures like Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" or Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" that should easily stay. But such arguable numbers like Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody or Cream's Sunshine of Your Love should be removed. For instance, I think that Queen's We Are the Champions and Cream's White Room are more of signature tracks than the ones the article lists. Not to mention a lot of the citations are false. Geeky Randy (talk) 10:42, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

1/08 Deletions

The Steve Miller citation makes as much of a case for "Rock'n Me" as "The Joker," and that's not factoring in "Fly Like an Eagle." Kylie Minogue needs a cite. Pet Shop Boys need a cite. Gene Summers is not a prominent figure in music, and the song is not a standard-- to qualify for this list, either the artist or the song should be known to the public at large (as opposed to a fanbase). The Beautiful South are in the Steve Miller boat, with multiple songs such as "Song for Whoever," "A Little Time," and "Good as Gold." Britney Spears needs a cite. Once you've found citations, it also wouldn't hurt to put them into their alphabetical slots on the list.208.120.226.72 (talk) 07:57, 25 January 2008 (UTC)

Beck

Beck's signature song is definitley his first single from the album Mellow Gold, the song Loser. Kgman6 —201.255.30.230 (talk) 22:07, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Slayer

Raining Blood is by far their most well-known song, but it is more of a general knowledge thing than documented (only Slayer bio is in Dutch/German, I can't remember). I want to add it as their signature song, as metal is severely underrepresented, compared to the rest of the examples. I offer this as proof:

  • It has been on every live album and DVD they have ever produced
  • It is a concert staple
  • Covered by numerous (and very diverse. Tori Amos? The Fall of Troy?) artists
  • The main riff is possibly the most recognizable and iconic riff of all of Slayer's songs
  • The Still Reigning tour had raining blood. Not angels falling from the sky. Not corpses. Blood.
  • It has been consistently ranked extremely highly (within the top 15-20) metal songs of all time (#8 on VH1's greatest 40 metal songs)

I do see some problems with this, but unfortunately, I must leave them unsaid and come back and address them at a later date. 69.134.16.35 (talk) 07:02, 3 March 2008 (UTC)

Kelis Milkshake

Thats her signature song. It should be in the list. Blitzkrieg BOOM 07:03, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

Great...now prove it. M173627 (talk) 23:36, 24 February 2008 (UTC)


Kelis is a one-hit wonder and should not be added. Sweetalker79 (talk) 19:57, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Just a little bit Silly but still good

I think this is a good article that definitley highlights what a signature song is, BUT I think the list is just a little too long (less is more) and is being abused by certain people who are just adding their biased opinion and trying to get their favourite entertainer into the article (I fought against the temptation of adding in my favourite artist) but besides that very good and informative also I think the Rolling Stones signature song is actually Start Me Up not (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. —Wannabe Wiki (talk • contribs) 06:00, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

It's not so big that it's ugly, and to be quite honest this isn't a normal encyclopedia where space is a premium. This kind of arguement always stuns me a little. —194.80.84.143 (talk) 10:31, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

NPOV

See here for two reasons for the NPOV tag. - Dudesleeper / Talk 14:47, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

Rage Against the Machine

I have to heavily disagree with the list saying that Killing in the Name is Rage Against the Machine's signature track. Sure it's a great song, but I think that Guerilla Radio is their signature track. It strikes me as more of an anthem with its line of "Oh, hell, can't stop us now!" Also, I had never even heard of "Killing in the Name" until Guitar Hero 2, but I had heard of "Guerilla Radio" long before that. Anyways, just my personal opinion, thought other people might think the same thing. —76.170.197.70 (talk) 04:43, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Rage Against The Machine should be removed. They have too many well-known songs. Bullet In The Head, Know Your Enemy, Bombtrack, Bulls On Parade, The Ghost Of Tom Joad, and yes Guerilla Radio could all be considered their signature song. --Ross X~

Retrofit topic year headers

23-Sep-2008: I have added subheaders above as "Topics from 2006" (etc.) to emphasize the dates of topics in the talk-page. Older topics might still apply, but using the year headers helps to focus on more current issues as well. Also, new topics might be more likely added to the bottom, not top. Afterward, I moved 4 topics into date order. -Wikid77 (talk) 10:46, 23 September 2008 (UTC)

Multiple signature songs but need sources

23-Sep-2008: The signature songs are what the mainstream sources say they are (even though a signature song might seem obvious, Wikipedia requires sources, not original opinions). An artist can have multiple signature songs, primarily while the career changes, but perhaps also from an early hit song plus a popular TV jingle (The Who with CSI TV "Who Are You"). A clear case of 3 signature songs is Cher: with "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" (1971), then "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989), and then "Believe" (1998) [source: "Cher Records: 1965-2002]". The list could have a hundred examples, to apply to worldwide readers, providing samples in a spectrum of music styles, such as country, classical, rap, pop & rock: that's why 100 examples makes sense, to include something that each reader might recognize. Ideally, it would have been nice to simply point to the former article "List of signature songs" as examples, but that article got deleted, and it is almost impossible to have one article rely upon another, because some group will get together and declare "consensus" to delete without getting approval from the original authors (who perhaps could have altered the article to avoid deletion issues). -Wikid77 (talk) 11:22, 23 September 2008 (UTC)

Sources

Some of these sources don't even state its the artists signature song, for example bob dylan's like a rolling stone source leads to a rolling stone article from the 500 greatest songs. Others sources are verifable, for example hendrix's purple haze leads to a blog. I think we need verifible sources that actually state its their signature song before you add the song. Tej68 (talk) 01:07, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Free Bird is associated with them, sure, but isn't Sweet Home Alabama really their signature song?

--WizardOfTheCDrive 18:44, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

That's what I thought. Cubs Fan 04:59, 3 May 2007 (UTC)
Me three.--Esprit15d (talk ¤ contribs) 18:45, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
Despite the fact that I think the three of you are wrong, I removed Skynyrd from the page; since there's no consensus, it can't be a signature song by definition. Hopefully this will end debate. Anthony Hit me up... 20:02, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
guitar hero 2 might have made free bird their signature song. also no one screams out "sweet home alabama" in large crowds for no reason. its also used quite powerfully in a scene in forrest gump. sweet home alabama is too closely associated with the imo. really bad kid rock song now. also as written below free bird is more highly praised for the technique of the solo. for these reasons i think free bird takes the title. --Ross XSpecial:Contributions/Ross X (talk) 11:34, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

Signature Songs aren't just the most associated ones

Wouldn't a good example of a signature song be like Frank Sinatra's "My Way"? I was thinking about the uncounted number of musicians--- that's what I do at least 8 hours a day, every day, almost for like, 3 years, is edit biographies of musicians. After mulling over all the various acts, one thought stands out: NO Artist should be on that list, with a signature song unless it is referenced.

-Sinatra had way too many hits to have a signature song. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.135.169.129 (talk) 00:57, 2 February 2010 (UTC)

Some Examples

Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe

You Keep Me Hangin' On by Kim Wilde

I Love Rock N Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Sweet Child O' Mine or November Rain by Guns N Roses

My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) or Free Your Mind by En Vogue

Street Spirit by Radiohead

--81.214.6.177 (talk) 11:24, 2 February 2010 (UTC)

List of Signature Songs

None of the songs listed in List of Signature Songs are referenced, so I thought I should move the page here, so other people can take these songs and add references to them and then add them to the article.

Here's the article:

This is a list of artists and below them are songs which are considered their signature songs.

Mamma Mia
Dancing Queen
Me And A Gun
Don't Stop Believin' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.140.186.50 (talk) 17:19, 16 September 2009 (UTC)
Diamonds and Rust
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Love Is a Battlefield
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Green Onions
Ring of Fire
Walk the Line
Georgia On My Mind
Suzanne
Mr. Jones
Round Here
Boys Don't Cry
Friday I'm In Love
Just Like Heaven
Beyond The Sea
Mack The Knife
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Pink Moon
Lips Like Sugar
The Killing Moon
Always
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
What You Need
Need You Tonight
Never Tear Us Apart
New Sensation
Wicked Game
Don't Stop Believin'
Complicated
Stairway to Heaven
Whole Lotta Love
Imagine
Sweet Home Alabama
Freebird
Holiday
Like a Virgin
Papa Don't Preach
Like a Prayer
Vogue
Big Yellow Taxi
Danke Schoen
Bizarre Love Triangle
Blue Monday —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.43.199.195 (talk) 22:05, 25 March 2010 (UTC)
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Don't Speak
Wonderwall
Where Is My Mind?
Bohemian Rhapsody
We Will Rock You
My Way
How Soon Is Now
This Charming Man
Psycho Killer
Venus In Furs
Blister In The Sun
Gone Daddy Gone
The Promise
Fell in Love with a Girl
Seven Nation Army


I wouldn't say New Order had a signature song - and even if they did, it wouldn't be Bizarre Love Triangle. And Erasure's signature song being "Always"... huh? I can't even remember how that goes. "Sometimes" or "A Little Respect", maybe. -88.110.36.216 (talk) 11:00, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
From ABBA I would still choose Waterloo, that was their breakthrough song.
Tori Amos, probably Crucify or maybe Cornflake Girl, surely not this listed song which is very odd.
Def Leppard, how about their biggest hit Love Bites?
INXS, absolutely Need You Tonight.
Led Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Love is nowhere near Stairway to Heaven.
Lynyrd: How could Freebird be even with Sweet Home Alabama? Probably clearly their #2 song.
New Order's signature should be Blue Monday most definitely.
I hate to break it to the guy who listed Bohemian Rhapsody as Queen's signature. Yeah... We Will Rock You...
And in the article page shouldn't Louis Armstrong's song be What a Wonderful World? I've never heard of that song what's mentioned there.85.217.14.76 (talk) 01:01, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

Beyonce

There is no way Single ladies is Beyonce's signature song. I don't exactly know how to back this statement, but what about crazy in love or check on it? The song has only been around for two years. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.130.201.102 (talk) 18:57, 6 August 2010 (UTC)

Jeff Buckley and Van Morrison

These two artists don't fit the template for different reasons.

From the article: "The term signature song is generally not applied to the successful song of a so-called "one-hit wonder" — an artist who is closely identified with one song because they have had no other successful songs." Jeff Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah," while memorable, was not a popular hit. And Buckley tragically died before he could tour extensively (quoting again, from the article: "A signature song is a must in many artists' repertoire, and one which they may choose to perform at every concert appearance"). Appreciation of Buckley's talent has grown posthumously.

"Brown Eyed Girl," while a staple of oldies radio, is an anomaly in Van Morrison's lengthy career. Morrison does not perform the song in concert, so clearly it doesn't represent a "marketing tool" or a "must" as the article intro suggests. In any event, Morrison is just as well known for "Moondance" in classic rock radio terms, for "Domino" in chart terms, as well as for various tracks such "Into the Mystic" in terms of the actual musical reputation he has been cultivating for the past 40 years. The link that cites "Brown Eyed Girl" as Morrison's "signature song"[1] further claims that EVERY song on the "Greatest Irish Bands" album qualifies as a signature song. This includes a U2 song (U2 aren't listed here because they don't HAVE a single signature song), the Hothouse Flowers' "Don't Go", and a Thin Lizzy song that somehow ISN'T "The Boys Are Back in Town." It's a dubious citation from a website whose content appears to rely on quite a lot of promotional copy.208.120.7.152 (talk) 04:17, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

I'll agree on the Van Morrison point, but Jeff Buckley wasn't a one hit wonder since "A one-hit wonder is a music industry term to describe an artist generally known for only one hit single." (quoting article). Buckley had another hit single in last goodbye - charting in top 20 on modern rock chart and "Everybody Here Wants You", was nominated for a grammy. Grace was also named one of the greatest albums of all time by rolling stone magazine, something no one hit wonder has ever done. He is also not included on the list of any one hit wonders or on the page itself. So since he is not a one hit wonder, and "Hallelujah" is the "one song (or, in some cases, one of a few songs) that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with", as well as the fact it has a verifiable source, it becomes his signature song.

Tej68 (talk) 01:29, 10 November 2008 (UTC) 

    I agree on the Buckley point for the reason that, although Hallelujah may be the song most associated with the artist, it is but one in a seeming avalanche of covers of this song.  True, Buckley's version may have been recorded before the recent trend of everyone-and-his-mother covering the song, but at the same time, Leonard Cohen did write and release it commercially.  It's difficult to see how Buckley can be seen to have any kind of "ownership" of the song.

Barndoorsentry (talk) 14:13, 6 October 2010 (UTC) Barndoorsentry (talk) 14:13, 6 October 2010 (UTC)

References

Edited references to facilitate tag removal and removed Find a Grave from references and placed in external links. Also removed non-relevant IMBd reference to Nirvana band member biography. Worked on references to remove bare URL's and other things. Still have some work to do but a storm is hitting so I want to save what I have done. Find a Grave is not acceptable as a source or reference. It fails;

  • 1)-WP:SOURCES; Articles should be based on reliable, third-party, published sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy.
  • 2)- WP:NOTRELIABLE; Questionable sources are those with a poor reputation for checking the facts, or with no editorial oversight.
  • 3)- WP:SELFPUBLISH; Find a Grave is user edited and uses anonymous or pseudonymous editors.
  • 4)- WP:SPS; This includes any website whose content is largely user-generated, including the Internet Movie Database, Cracked.com, CBDB.com, and so forth, with the exception of material on such sites that is labeled as originating from credentialed members of the sites' editorial staff, rather than users. Find a Grave is not currently specifically named as is IMBd but falls under "and so forth". Rational dictates that Find a Grave, while not listed by name in WP:SPS, certainly falls under the criteria.
  • For rationale and consensus (aside from the policies and guidelines listed) please read WP:Find-A-Grave famous people#When creating articles which states, Remember that all articles must satisfy Wikipedia core policies of notability (WP:NOTABILITY), verifiability (WP:VERIFIABILITY) and reliable sources (WP:RELIABLE SOURCES). Find-A-Grave is not considered a reliable source., and further, For any articles you create because of this project, you can add the entry's Find-A-Grave link to the External links sections of the article.. While this deals with articles being created it also certainly applies to any articles already created. Otr500 (talk) 04:23, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

Kelly Clarkson

I think that most people would agree that "Since U Been Gone" is her signature song. It's her most succesfull single, the only song of her's to make it onto Rolling Stone's Top 100 Songs of the 2000's list, and it's pretty much the first song that comes to mind when most people think of her. It's pretty much considered her signature song, but personally, I have a little beef with it since it overshadowed my personal favorite song of her's, which is "Breakaway". Adam the silly (talk) 20:53, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Sourcing

While I feel the question of how many examples we should be listing is worth discussing, the question of whether or not a particular song is an artist's "signature song" is relatively simple. If independent reliable sources say it is, it is. Without such sources, it isn't. - SummerPhD (talk) 02:27, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

Recent changes

I undid this edit for several reasons:

  • The new songs are not sourced. While the sources discuss the individual songs, they do not call them "signature songs". This makes their inclusion original research and/or POV.
  • The songs removed are sourced to reliable sources that call them "signature songs".
  • The explanation ("Not all of these sources flat out say signature song. The others were removed to make room for these. The template clearly shows there are a lot on here, so I'm trying to add new examples while not making the list even larger, hence removing some") doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Adding 3 and taking away 2 makes the list longer. The two removed do not seem to have been selected in any methodical way. While we should probably trim the list substantially, we should be discussing which ones to keep, not removing a few here and there based on random editors' POV. - SummerPhD (talk) 12:56, 17 December 2012 (UTC)
The other two songs are now properly sourced to independent reliable sources. The Spears songs, however, cited what is essentially a blog/forum posting and a book that is a reprint of Wikipedia articles (author credited: "Wikimedia foundation"). Self-published sources (blogs and such) are only considered reliable sources in very narrowly defined cases that do not apply here. Wikipedia (even when republished in book form) cannot be used as a source for itself. I've left the songs there for the moment, with tags requesting sources. - SummerPhD (talk) 13:57, 17 December 2012 (UTC)

Jethro Tull?

Okay, I could be wrong, but if Jethro Tull did have a signature song, I'd imagine it'd be either Locomotive Breath or Aqualung, seeing as a quick search on YouTube has LB videos having the most views of the bunch, and I've heard both quite frequently on the local classic rock station. Any questions/comments/concerns? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.144.170.242 (talk) 18:42, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

Shirley Temple

Can we add Shirley Temple and "On the Good Ship Lollipop"? Please let me know. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 20:11, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Here is a reference (Shirley Temple Black, child star who became diplomat, dies at 85). So, I will add it in. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 20:25, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong's first signature song was "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?", which he recorded around 1932.[2] A little later he chose "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" as his signature song in the early 1930s.[3][4] He sang it in a 1942 film short by the same name. By the 1950s the song was considered outdated in light of civil rights issues. In 1964 the song "Hello Dolly!" became his signature song.[5] In 1967 the song "What a Wonderful World" was recorded, and from that time forward Armstrong was associated with both "Hello Dolly!" and "What a Wonderful World". References can be found identifying each song as Armstrong's signature song, so we cannot really say he had only one song after 1967. Armstrong died in 1971. Binksternet (talk) 15:45, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

Example farm

This is out of hand. At the moment, we have over 60 artists listed, several with more than one "signature song". The main article is overwhelmed by the examples section. The main body has three sources with plenty of questionable, unsourced material. As I see it, we have three basic options:

A) Do nothing. Let the list grow without limit.
B) Spin off the list into its own article, leaving little more than a link to it here.
C) Chop the list and include a small number of well-sourced examples within the text. Perhaps we take examples where the source is discussing the concept, giving a song or two in passing, rather than a reviewer simply giving their opinion that "X" is Y's signature song.

Thoughts? - SummerPhD (talk) 02:33, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

I say we do option A. 2601:E:582:1B7B:6C62:B36:3647:A11 (talk) 23:54, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday"?

Isn't that their signature song? I have a reference to a site that details it on my edit to this article, but I think that is "undebatable" fact...

Fishdert 16:56, 7 June 2007 (UTC)Fishdert

First off, I checked the site, and nothing indicated it as their signature song, either in the link that you provided or the site in general. Secondly, as you can see at the top of the talk page, U2 is one of those artists where there is definite debate over their signature song, so they are not included on the page because everyone will debate as to what it actually is. Anthony Hit me up... 18:08, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
"Bloody Sunday" is very popular (I LOVE it), but it's not their signature song.--Esprit15d (talk ¤ contribs) 18:42, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is actually one of them, but I consider their signature song to be "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". So there you have it, 2007. 2601:E:582:1B7B:4DE0:63D0:5582:B120 (talk) 05:49, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

Otis Redding

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay was his biggest hit and regularly places higher on critics' lists than Try a Little Tenderness...88.113.110.174 (talk) 09:41, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

Do you have a reliable source calling it his "signature song"? - SummerPhD (talk) 14:47, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

Thinking it over, I guess it's fine to have Try a Little Tenderness listed. Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Singers has an article (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/otis-redding-20101202) where the author's opinion is that "These Arms of Mine" is his signature song. But you can see from the key tracks that first of all "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" is listed first and it's not just alphabetical listing, and certainly not chronological. Second of all Try a Little Tenderness is listed too. Also on their list of 500 Greatest Songs "Sittin on..." is ranked the highest of the three, then Try a Little Tenderness, and These Arms of Mine is not ranked at all. Sittin on the Dock of the Bay has a somewhat different style to it than Otis' other songs though (calmer), so in that way Try a Little Tenderness is more fitting.

So what I'm saying is that there really is no definitive answer, and I'm actually fine with keeping it as Try a Little Tenderness.88.113.110.174 (talk) 07:10, 25 February 2015 (UTC)

Sam Cooke

A more definitive signature song is Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come". I won't add it at the moment though because I don't have a reliable source.88.113.110.174 (talk) 07:15, 25 February 2015 (UTC)

The Who & Pearl Jam

Way to many hits, especially "Who Are You", to have a signature song. Pearl Jam is most associated with "Jeremy".

(Jeremy might be US centric. In Europe definitely Alive) 88.159.77.5 (talk) 19:31, 23 April 2015 (UTC)

Topics from 2015

Blondie

It seems to be that the experimental groups' signature song happens to be Call Me.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.23.228.2 (talk • contribs) 12:35, October 2, 2015‎

Do you have a reliable source saying that? - SummerPhDv2.0 23:17, 2 October 2015 (UTC)

Carol Burnett

"I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together," natch. fishhead64 (talk) 04:38, 13 August 2015 (UTC)

Probably, but we don't have a reliable source for that. This is not supposed to be a definitive list of signature songs (which would be nearly impossible to build and too long to be useful). It is meant to be a list of clear examples. We've clearly gotten away from that and this list needs to be trimmed considerably. - SummerPhDv2.0 18:02, 13 August 2015 (UTC)
It was used on her network variety show, and invariably every time she makes a guest appearance on a talk show, the most recent example being Late Night with Stephen Colbert. fishhead64 (talk) 23:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
I am familiar with the show and the song (Tim Conway running the dinner by himself is a classic in my book.). That said, this article is not supposed to be a complete list of "signature songs", much less various editors' opinions of what are well known signature songs. At the very least, we need a few well-sourced examples. The current list, while sourced, is overkill: someone writing somewhere happens to call song X the Beatles "signature song". What does that tell us (other than the fact that authors being paid by the word may tend to cast aside thoughts of brevity in favor of higher word counts)? While a few well-sourced and curated examples would tend to drive the point home ("Oh! I get it: It's like the Captain Obvious dude at a Lynyrd Skynyrd yelling for them to play 'Free Bird'. I get it now."). - SummerPhDv2.0 00:17, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

I just added the song; it's obvious, really. Binksternet (talk) 01:20, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Now it's something more than obvious, it's verifiable. - SummerPhDv2.0 02:24, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who

I think it pretty much goes without saying Won't Get Fooled Again is The Who's signature song, but I figure I might as well ask before sticking it in. Everyone in agreement? Keegah (talk) 06:02, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

My generation is their signature song isnt it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.46.122.133 (talk) 12:53, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

I'd throw in my vote for Baba O'Riley, here.--2001:A61:2162:CD01:2D94:9E38:E33C:C140 (talk) 21:29, 14 November 2015 (UTC)
You'll need reliable sources stating that. - SummerPhDv2.0 01:15, 15 November 2015 (UTC)

Bon Jovi

I believe that Livin' on a Prayer is a signature song by Bon Jovi, not It's My Life, because Prayer had much more chart & mainstream success than It's My Life, and it is their biggest hit yet. Even Wanted Dead or Alive is more their signature song than this, because Bon Jovi have declared it their national anthem —78.2.119.73 (talk) 20:08, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

Are you trying to say that Bon Jovi doesn't have a signature song? That would make sense...I think Bon Jovi does have several songs that are popular. --Albert Einstien's ghost (talk) 21:52, 14 March 2008 (UTC)
I'd want a very, very good arguement for it's removal before anyone took down Livin' On A Prayer. How anyone could even begin to argue for something like It's My Life beggars belief. Cowboy, at a stretch, yes, but the band built their name in the 80s, not recently. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.80.84.143 (talk) 10:30, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
All the same, while Living on a Prayer is probably the better song, and may well have more chart success, airplay and all, the point is that if you meet Tom Jones in the street, say "Bon Jovi" and ask "what do you think?" he will quite probably answer "that's the man" - he'll say man, not group - "who sings It's my life" (I don't think this factual question is in dispute) - and that's pretty much the definition of "signature song".--2001:A61:2162:CD01:2D94:9E38:E33C:C140 (talk) 21:32, 14 November 2015 (UTC)
You'll need reliable sources stating that. - SummerPhDv2.0 01:15, 15 November 2015 (UTC)

Paul McCartney

Is anyone for, and can find a source for, including Yesterday as Paul McCartney's signature song? Because it pretty much is...2001:A61:2162:CD01:2D94:9E38:E33C:C140 (talk) 21:34, 14 November 2015 (UTC)

Note: Of course not a Beatles signature song (if there's any, it's Yellow submarine, but there probably isn't), but Paul McCartney personally.--2001:A61:2162:CD01:2D94:9E38:E33C:C140 (talk) 21:35, 14 November 2015 (UTC)
You'll need reliable sources stating that. - SummerPhDv2.0 01:15, 15 November 2015 (UTC)

CCR

Likewise, Bad Moon Rising seems to be Creedence Clearwater Revival's signature song.--2001:A61:2162:CD01:2D94:9E38:E33C:C140 (talk) 21:37, 14 November 2015 (UTC)

Look at the sources or you'll have nothing to add to the article. Binksternet (talk) 22:14, 14 November 2015 (UTC)
You'll need reliable sources stating that. - SummerPhDv2.0 01:15, 15 November 2015 (UTC)
General answer: I was in part answering to other comments, in part throwing around suggestions. Yes I have seen the remark that for inclusion in the article one needs reliable sources. Which is why I asked, above, if someone knows any. And which is why I didn't actually change the article. I don't think what I did was wrong.--2001:A61:21BC:6401:C8C0:C59B:97FC:11DA (talk) 15:25, 3 December 2015 (UTC)

"Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes?

Would "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes count? I don't have a source on it, but it's the song that most people associate with the band.68.164.3.36 (talk) 05:31, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

No. Even though it's a successful and popular song, it's far from reflecting their original style and appeal as a progressive rock band, which prior to that success released highly technical and convoluted concept albums like "Close to the edge" and the dreaded "Tales from topographic oceans" (dreaded because it's generally considered as something akin to "jumping the shark", the point where prog rock simultaneously reached a pinnacle and started to devolve into pointless demonstration and ridiculous self-indulgence). A "signature song" has to be both successful / popular, and, as the name implies, contain all the elements which characterize a band or a solo artist in their most prominent style. Likewise, "Enter sandman" could not be cited as Metallica's signature song, despite being one of their best known, since it doesn't showcase their primary appeal as a speed/thrash metal band. --Abolibibelot (talk) 22:19, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

Progressive Rock Bands

Seeing as how progressive rock is ridiculously unrepresented in this article, do you think we should add some prog bands? —72.130.123.114 (talk) 19:56, 18 August 2008 (UTC)

By its very nature, progressive rock is not a good purveyor of "signature songs", as the most distinctly "progressive" compositions are rarely successful / popular, and the songs by "progressive" bands which turn out to be successful / popular / easily recognizable are *not* "progressive rock" songs. See the example of Yes below. Yet, maybe "In the court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson could be cited, as it's probably the most famous song by the band, has the name of the band in its title, and does actually legitimately belong to the "prog rock" canon.--Abolibibelot (talk) 22:37, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

Celine Dion

My Heart Will Go On's single has sold 16 million and during 3 years the song play on all radio of the world...

This is The Céline Dion signature songs.. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.226.213.254 (talk) 18:00, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

Yet ask someone in France they'll tell you it's "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" (from her 1995 album "D'eux" written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman).--Abolibibelot (talk) 22:51, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

John Lennon, Kylie Minogue, Rolling Stones, Wanda Jackson, Procol Harum, Don McLean

A signature song, as I understand it, has to be clearly representative of a band or musician's style and appeal, in addition to being widely recognized and instantly associated with them. "Imagine" is a rarity in John Lennon's catalogue (a piano-voice ballad with straigthforward lyrics, no primal scream or idiosyncrasic flourishes except the little "ha-haaah-hoohoohooo"), despite being his most famous song, so I don't think it qualifies.

Kylie Minogue was primarily a huge star in the 1980's, so if she does have a signature song it should be from that period, while "Can't get you..." was a rather surprising comeback hit.

"Fujiyama Mama" by Wanda Jackson : I don't know the song, or the artist, but it's the only song in the current list which doesn't have a dedicated Wikipedia page, and for that reason alone it probably shouldn't be included (unless someone creates that page).

As for the Rolling Stones, "Satisfaction" may be their breakthrough hit but I wouldn't call it their "signature song" — or at least half a dozen others could be cited just as well ("Brown Sugar", "Gimme Shelter", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Paint It Black", "Ruby Tuesday", "Jumping Jack Flash", "Street Fighting Man"...). Like the Beatles or other bands with a wide range of styles and distinct periods there can be no clear cut consensus. (I discovered this article through the article on "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson, where it's said that it's "one of his signature songs", but likewise it doesn't meet the definition given here which implies that "there must be only one".)

On the other hand, "A Whither Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum and "American Pie" by Don McLean could be worthy inclusions.--Abolibibelot (talk) 23:57, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

A rap or hip-hop example?

Even though the list of signature songs does cover an array of genres, and I commend that, I noticed when I ran across this page that there isn't a signature song for any rap or hip-hop artist. Possibly N.W.A.'s "Fuck tha Police," Eminem's "Lose Yourself," or Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" could be used to represent a signature song in rap/hip-hop music. I name these songs because everyone who thinks of N.W.A. is VERY likely to automatically think of the song "Fuck tha Police," since the song was highly controversial for the time and for the message it brought to the mainstream. Anyone who thinks of Eminem will probably associate him automatically with "The Real Slim Shady," (even though there are many other songs he's known for) since it was also a controversial song. Another example could be his song "Lose Yourself," since it was from his first acting venure, won an Academy Award, and was one of his biggest hits to date. This is just a suggestion. I could add either one of them, if no one minds. I'll check back in a couple or three days to see if anyone has protested - if not, I'll go ahead and add one. -WikiFiend90 05:51, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I hadn't put an any hip-hop, but just because I listen to so much of it, that it doesn't give me a good perspective for what those who are not fully into it would even have heard of, which of course is a criterion for a "signature song". The example that used to be there was MC Hammer/"U Can't Touch This", which actually is a pretty good illustration of the concept, but I had hoped to come up with an example from an artist more respected in the hip-hop world than is Hammer. I just hadn't thought of an example yet that, as I mentioned, I felt I could really be sure non-hip-hop heads would know.
Now that you suggest it, though, I think that "Lose Yourself" is a pretty good example. I think that tie to a widely released and pretty successful movie gives it a definite nod over "The Real Slim Shady" or "My Name Is" or what have you. Whereas with N.W.A., I think you can make a pretty good argument that because being "gangstas" who were "from Compton" is what that group was all about, that "Straight Outta Compton" or even "Gangsta Gangsta" could be considered at least on par with "Fuck Tha Police".
Purely my subjective opinion there, of course (thus underscoring the stickiness of the example list in the first place), but I'd go with "Lose Yourself" if no one else has a better suggestion. Mwelch 22:21, 17 February 2006 (UTC) (aka 24.130.126.57, aka 65.88.178.10)
Alrighty then, I guess "Lose Yourself" is it. I was thinking the exact same thing - it's got the most notoriety of any of the choices I gave. There were many more songs I could have listed, but those were the ones that just came to mind.
I see where you're coming from, not really wanting to use "U Can't Touch This," even though it does prove the point that the article makes.
"Lose Yourself" would probably be at least slightly recognizable to people who aren't really fans of rap or hip-hop music, since it was used in the "8 Mile" ads. I think it was also used in some iPod commercials. Since we're in agreement on "Lose Yourself," and I honestly don't think there could be any other suggestions that will illustrate the point as well as that one (other than "U Can't Touch This" but, as we already established, this song and it's artist aren't very respected among the hip-hop community), I'll go ahead and add it. Thanks for the input. :-) -WikiFiend90 23:27, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

Apparently Eminem has been deleted; I can understand why—despite "Lose Yourself" being close to meeting the definition, other titles could be argued just as well. As a very, very casual rap listener (in this case, knowing only the surface actually gives me an advantage), I would suggest "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash, which is one of the first notable hits of the genre, one of the most representative songs of what I believe is now called "old school" rap, one of the few songs in the genre that is respected outside of rap fandom and considered historically significant, and indeed the song most commonly associated with its author and performer. --Abolibibelot (talk) 21:05, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

This thread is close to ten years old. In that time, Wikipedia's standards have evolved. Currently, inclusion here is not based on being about to make an argument for including a particular song. Instead, it now hinges on verifiability: citing a reliablesource that directly states that the song is the artist's "signature song". - SummerPhDv2.0 06:00, 19 December 2015 (UTC)
I put two sources for the title you removed. The first one is from what seems to be a serious and legitimate website (only with a somewhat dated design), not a "blog", and explicitly says : « It’s easy to wonder today how Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five MCs could have been so off-base about the hit-potential of what eventually became their signature song. » ; the second one is from a published book, and explicitly says : « The 71-year-old Sylvia Robinson—who produced the first rap hit, “Rapper’ Delight”, and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five’s signature song “The Message”—lay in a New Jersey hospital bed, sick with pneumonia. » It's more relevant than, for example, the source for “Satisfaction”, which is merely the result of a poll and, even though it contains the intertitle “Signature song”, says in the following paragraph that it is but one of theirs, which does not qualify as per the definition given in this article and the general consensus for the inclusion of examples (one title per band / artist) : « However, the record went on to become one of the Rolling Stones' signature songs, and has been covered by a multitude of artists - from Otis Redding to Britney Spears. » (Many of their songs have been covered just as well: “Let's spend the night together”, “As tears go by”, “Ruby Tuesday”... If anything, I'd say that most “signature songs” are less likely to be covered — at least in a serious and straightforward manner —, being so closely associated with the idiosyncrasy of their author or original interpreter.) I've mentioned in a new thread down there that this one and several others should be considered for deletion, and that a criterion for inclusion should be that the song has a dedicated Wikipedia article (which is not the case for at least one of the current examples).--Abolibibelot (talk) 18:14, 20 December 2015 (UTC)

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Does Idina Menzel count for "Let it Go"?

I don't want to add her, since it says unsourced additions will be removed. Still, is she and that song a worthy addition to the examples list? laG roiL (talk) 08:57, 17 January 2016 (UTC)

For this article, we need reliable sources that directly state the song is an artist's "signature song". Without such sources, it does not belong here. - SummerPhDv2.0 16:50, 17 January 2016 (UTC)

Just an Opinion

This may spark controversy, and sorry if it does, but I have some ideas on which songs are considered "signature" for each singer/group; most of these decisions (not saying do this, do that) are based on fan favorites, substantial airplay on radio, chart performance (based on selections from the top):

  • Aerosmith: Dream On
  • The Beatles: Hey Jude
  • Black Sabbath: Iron Man
  • Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer
  • Guns n Roses: Both are fine (Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child)
  • Madonna: Material Girl
  • Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
  • Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody (most likely the best choice)
  • Train: Drops of Jupiter
  • U2: Pride in the Name of Love

Just an opinion from a music lover, Donny (talk) 23:28, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Do you have reliable sources for any of these? - SummerPhDv2.0 02:25, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
Well, most of this came from Billboard and various music critic sites. And I did say it was just an opinion and popularity among people I know. Just an opinion, I said. Donny (talk) 20:57, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
Just another opinion, but I have some more suggestions as signature songs. Just an opinion:
  • Eminem: Lose Yourself
  • Elton John (multiple): Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Bennie and the Jets
  • Motley Crue: Kickstart My Heart; Girls, Girls, Girls
  • White Stripes: Seven Nation Army
  • Blur: Parklife, The Universal, Song 2 (most likely Song 2, best selling single by Blur overall)

Donny (talk) 13:03, 30 June 2016 (UTC) PS. Just an opinion.

This talk page is for discussing improvements to the article, not for general discussion of the topic. Your opinion of what various artists' signature songs are is off topic. - SummerPhDv2.0 14:56, 30 June 2016 (UTC)
Off topic? How? I am discussing improvements by giving suggestions of what some signature songs are. I may be dumb for saying this, but how do you improve an article about signature songs, by adding pictures of the bands or artists? Let me know please. Donny (talk) 20:46, 30 June 2016 (UTC)
If 10,000 people came to this talk page and said what they thought various artists' signature songs were, we would have a very long talk page and would not improve the article at all. If one person shows up with a reliable source discussing an artist's signature song we would have material to add. Wikipedia articles are based on what reliable sources say, not what individual editors say. - SummerPhDv2.0 13:23, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

Rammstein's signature song

I just changed Rammstein's signature song from "Sehnsucht" to "Rammstein". The reference which was given (from that allmusic site which is referenced frequently here) didn't actually list a signature song- it talked about the Sehnsucht album, but not the song. I changed it to the eponymous song (although in the US they're only really known for "Du hast") and gave two references to back it. --DarthBinky 12:51, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Off-topic chat
Rammstein is known for a lot of songs, but their signature songs, if any, is Hier kommt die Sonne. (And no, I did not change the article, but answered on the talk page, and I don't need reliable sources for that.)--2001:A61:2094:AB01:A068:6994:8FF0:C12D (talk) 21:51, 9 October 2016 (UTC)
This talk page is for discussing improvements to the article, not for general discussion of the article's topic. - SummerPhDv2.0 04:24, 10 October 2016 (UTC)

Setting things straight...

After going through that disputed list, I have determined some definitive signature songs! (Disagree or not?)

  • Green Day - "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". After seventeen years it still gets extensive radio airplay and it's also a standard for high-school proms, weddings, graduations and funerals. So yeah, that.
  • Peter Gabriel - "Sledgehammer". The video remains MTV's most-played ever to this day.
  • Garth Brooks - "The Dance". The page itself says so! Same for Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird".
  • Train - "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". As well as countless airplay, it's also been used in a lot of film trailers since it's 2001 release.

Also, will these examples do? No sources required, since I determined these myself (mainly by digging through pages on here.)

  • R.E.M. - "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
  • The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?"
  • Asia - "Heat of the Moment"
  • Madonna - "Holiday"
  • U2 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
  • Steve Miller Band - "The Joker"
  • Nickelback - "How You Remind Me"

2601:E:582:1B7B:6C62:B36:3647:A11 (talk) 00:02, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

Your list, as I understand it, is entirely original research and your opinion. - SummerPhD (talk) 01:03, 23 February 2015 (UTC)
REM is "Losing my religion" (although I personally favor "Runaway Train".--2001:A61:20F6:6101:514C:928B:9D4F:DBA4 (talk) 12:14, 12 December 2016 (UTC)

Van Morrison's signature song

"Brown Eyed Girl" is undoubtedly his signature song and is mentioned in articles as it. Bob3458 (talk) 02:23, 12 May 2017 (UTC)

It might be his signature song. The criteria established here call for independent reliable sources stating that the song is a particular artist's signature song. Without that, this article quickly becomes an ever-changing list of various editors' opinions. - SummerPhDv2.0 03:03, 12 May 2017 (UTC)
Bob3458: I understand that you want to add the song, but it really looks like you copied a cite from another article without actually seeing the source. Did you read the source? - SummerPhDv2.0 03:49, 12 May 2017 (UTC)

Every time I added an article for a source it would always got deleted so I used one which I thought would be creditable since it was used on the song's Wikipedia page.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Bob3458 (talk • contribs) 06:29, May 12, 2017 (UTC)

It can be frustrating trying to find a reliable source. That usually happens because you are going at things backwards. Wikipedia tries to report what independent sources say. You are trying to say something then find a source that says the same thing. That tends to create articles that are collections of things various editors wanted to say about something rather than articles that cover the most significant information.
You cannot add a source that you have simply copied from another article without examining the source, determining if it is a reliable source and seeing if it actually says what you are saying it says. Suppose the other article has it wrong. Someone corrects the mistake on the other article. Someone else then copies the information back from this article to the other one. Oops.
Your best bet is to work on an article. If you work on this one, you might look for reliable sources discussing signature songs. You are unlikely to find a specific fact that you are looking for, but you are likely to find material that is reliably sourced and belongs in the article. - SummerPhDv2.0 14:13, 12 May 2017 (UTC)

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What about this source?

I found this Billboard article about bands whose best selling single isn't their best known. Is a group's best known single their signature? I found Bohemian Rhapsody for Queen, Thunderstruck for AC/DC, and Landslide for Fleetwood Mac.

Here's the source. Tell me what you think and if these songs should be added. 108.209.53.105 (talk) 00:32, 11 July 2017 (UTC)

Best selling and/or best known songs might or might not be signature songs. We need independent reliable soruces directly stating that the song is the act's "signature song". - SummerPhDv2.0 00:42, 11 July 2017 (UTC)
Can't find any reliable sources about signature songs that don't use only the songs listed in the article. So...what now? All reliable sources have been exhausted, sir or madam. Donny (talk) 22:19, 12 July 2017 (UTC)
I guess you don't have anything to add to this article then. There are over 5 million other articles. Surely one of them can use your help. - SummerPhDv2.0 03:11, 13 July 2017 (UTC)
None. None need my help. Donny (talk) 20:09, 13 July 2017 (UTC)
Lay off the guy Summer. I did not intend for you to start bashing this guy's work and he might leave now. Great job. 108.209.53.105 (talk) 20:17, 13 July 2017 (UTC)
"Lay off the guy"? I didn't attack you "the guy". - SummerPhDv2.0 01:14, 14 July 2017 (UTC)
Anyway...I'm going to stop editing. I thought the source would have been good material. But I guess not. Just ignore it then and we can forget about this. Donny (talk) 21:21, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

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Green Day's song

Can anyone please help me add Green Day and their signature song, please? Every fans keep talking about what their real signature song is. Some say it's Basket Case (which is kinda true), others say Boulevard of Broken Dreams, few say American Idiot, I don't know. Why didn't anyone add Green Day and their unknown signature song on the list? They helped punk become mainstream in the 90s.....Please someone help me thanks. Itsmehbro (talk) 14:46, 4 November 2018 (UTC)

Green Day is already listed in the above example list. Seems like "Good Riddance" and "Longview" are also contenders. Since there has yet to be a consensus on what one particular song is their signature (and a lot of artists/bands never have one, that's not a bad thing), they won't be added to the article. Geeky Randy (talk) 05:27, 11 November 2018 (UTC)
Agreed. This is a list of songs which are quite clearly signatures, and it's not meant to ever have entries for all major artists - there are many who have none and should never be included in this list, unless one of their songs becomes significantly more well-known than others in the future. Kranix (talk | contribs) 23:46, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

You know, they have a lot of signature songs. It's so hard to choose from each one of their popular songs. Itsmehbro (talk) 04:11, 27 December 2018 (UTC)

I guess it makes sense they aren't in the list since like I said, they have a lot of signature songs like Basket Case, Longview, Time of Your Life, American Idiot, Broken Dreams, etc. Itsmehbro (talk) 04:13, 27 December 2018 (UTC)

Made a change, so everyone is happy.

I think it is very possible to slightly alter the parameters, make some simple rules for the list. Consensus I think can be found in:


A) An artist can have more than one signature song B) The song would have to be instantly recognizable to even non-fans as being sung by the artist in question or strongly associated with that individual alone at the very least. C) Only two out of an entire repertoire can be selected as true signatures D)The popularity between the top two must have so tiny a margin as to be negligible. This can be measured by overall ability to be recognized and popularity on the charts. E) For the sake of peace, the Beatles should be classed as having no true signature song since their repertoire is so influential trying to pick out the sacred two would never, ever, EVER be resolvable and be like a blind man with no thumbs trying to solve a Rubik's cube. F) It can also be part of a film soundtrack. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Shadowkittie5460 (talk • contribs) 23:24, 15 January 2019 (UTC)

Prince Purple Rain?

Prince Purple rain anyone. I see boy bands listed but Purple Rain got a miss. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 169.0.4.21 (talk) 15:08, 4 April 2019 (UTC)

Sort order

The comment in the article has: "This list is sorted by last name of the artist or band." I interpreted (perhaps incorrectly) that to mean by the band name (using the first word) or artist's last name. Sorting by the last name of the band seems very weird. I propose using the first word for both artist and band, with a few exceptions such as "A", "An", or "The". Here are a couple of examples.[6][7] Here is a past discussions not in Wikipedia.[8] StrayBolt (talk) 19:29, 7 April 2019 (UTC)

21 January 2020

Hey what about “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Or “Losing my Religion” by R.E.M.? These songs are more well known than their other songs but we need a source for these cases R.E.M.’s kinda dubious,while RHCP is more obvious since it’s their only top 10 hit. Tee wew28 (talk) 23:46, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

I don’t know Tee wew28 (talk) 23:46, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

You are welcome to add songs as long as they are supported by reliable sources. Keldoo (talk) 06:09, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
This list does not normally fall within my sphere of watched pages as I find articles like this to be clouded in vagueness. That said, I did undo an edit made that relates to this list and was pinged accordingly (thanks Keldoo). For me, my edit summary sums up my feelings regarding these types of lists: No mention of "immense and longstanding popularity" in source and it says "probably" their signature song. I think if songs are to be included here there should be multiple reliable sources stating categorically that song X is the signature song of band Z. No possibly's or probably's and no open to interpretation. Simply being the band's highest charted song does not imply it is their signature song imo. Robvanvee 08:21, 22 February 2020 (UTC)

Is saying that a track is "arguably"/"probably" an artist's signature song, or "one of" their signature songs, really good enough?

The article is littered with entries supported by sources that use this kind of non-committal phrasing. I mean, saying that "In the Air Tonight" has "arguably become [Phil Collins's] signature song",[9] that "More Than a Feeling" is "probably the signature song for the band Boston",[10] or that "Love Story" is "one of [Taylor Swift's] signature songs",[11] doesn't sound at all definitive. We're basing each entry on a writer's opinion, and if the writer can't decide on what the artist's signature song is, then what do we really have? Keldoo (talk) 23:58, 3 January 2020 (UTC)

I agree completely as stated below and would certainly support close scrutiny for all these entries. No solid cited support for claims should result in their removal and if you are someone who feels we should first look for sources, I say read V and bring those sources to the article yourself. Quality over quantity and articles like this inevitably suffer from the latter. Robvanvee 08:43, 22 February 2020 (UTC)
It’s hard to say. I’d usually take issue with this wording, but it’s harder when we’re dealing with such a cloudy concept. It’s rather subjective. It’s not a concrete thing, unlike, let’s say, a best-selling song. It’s not something like an official status they’re going to have designated on their website or something. I don’t particularly think it’s a great idea to have this article at all. But if we are, I’d wouldn’t be opposed to sources that use the term “arguably” or similar wording. Realistically, every source should use wording like that, with it being such a subjective concept. Sergecross73 msg me 15:59, 22 February 2020 (UTC)

Criteria for inclusion

Suggested criteria for reference sourcing, expanding on prior discussion, because there is no officiating body:

  1. Must be declared both on the artist's and the song's article, allowing those closer to the subject to weigh in. Multiple references described below should be posted there.
  2. One WP:RS stating it is their "signature song". This would be on all 3 pages.
  3. Additional supporting references either also inferring "signature song": "best known for",… which don't have to be independent (artist, song, producer,…).
  4. Or objective characteristics: most popular (e.g. Billboard), most played at concerts, finale/encore song,...
  5. Total of at least 3 refs, most of which are probably in the articles already.

Also, we should create a category for signature song. Multiple signature songs can occur with very popular artists which span decades. Perhaps this discussion should include WP:SONG. StrayBolt (talk) 16:56, 27 February 2020 (UTC)

JMHO, but a requirement of 3 refs seems overkill if the first is from a good source. A declaration on the song's page does seem a good idea as many watchers would not have stumbled across this page. I'm initially opposed to the creation of a category, as the song is not inherently a signature song. For instance, The House of the Rising Sun may be a signature song for The Animals, but what of the thousands who recorded it earlier? (I hope that makes sense.)
Frankly, I suspect the article will remain in good shape as long as there are wikipedians committed to watching and reverting additions if dubious. Doctorhawkes (talk) 23:59, 27 February 2020 (UTC)
Personally I agree that more than one reliable source is preferable as a single persons perception of what may constitute an artists sig song could be open to some interpretation. 3 might be overkill, 2 ideal and 1 may warrant inclusion with the need for extra verification if/where possible. I'll leave categories for another editor to focus on (if there is a need for it) but as this article is now on my watchlist, I'll be one of those ensuring it stays in decent shape. As you can see I added a table to the article to neaten things up. I was thinking of adding a column for the album the song originates from but decided that may be overkill and not all songs were released on an album, especially the old tunes, as they are today. Thoughts on extra columns? Robvanvee 05:40, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
I think only one ref saying "signature song" is required here and the mix of 3 on the song page, which probably has (or should have) the refs already. Thanks Robvanvee for making the table. I would add one column for Notes/Ref. Also, the year should be the year the artist released that song, so Tiny Tim's Tiptoe would be 1968, not 1929. Many of the ones removed can be added back, with better refs. StrayBolt (talk) 17:22, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
Thanks for correcting that. In some cases, especially older songs, there is just a recording date but that can be addressed in the "notes" column. It's tedious work so I'll do that when I get some time over the weekend. Robvanvee 17:38, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

John Parr

1984 song "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)Goliath74 (talk) 18:51, 11 August 2020 (UTC)

An artist and his/her signature song

Don McClean, AMERICAN PIE 1971 [1] RushMattofNorthridge (talk) 04:00, 25 March 2021 (UTC)

Maybe. You need a source. Doctorhawkes (talk) 08:55, 25 March 2021 (UTC)

References

  1. ^ https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/American_Pie_(song)#:~:text=%22American%20Pie%22%20is%20a%20song,it%20entered%20at%20number%2069).

Fortunate Son

We can’t deny that Fortunate Son is Creedence Clearwater Revival’s most famous song ever Edskiash (talk) 05:18, 19 October 2021 (UTC)

That's your opinion. Where is your reliable source that confirms this opinion? Robvanvee 06:04, 19 October 2021 (UTC)
Where are the reliable sources for anything on this page? Even a link to an article by a respected music journalist is still someone's opinion. You can argue about whether Mamma Mia, Waterloo or Dancing Queen is ABBA's signature track. The Carpenters had three Billboard #1s, none of which was We've Only Just Begun. Shout was Tears for Fears' biggest US single, but in the UK, Everybody Wants To Rule The World was a bigger track. No love for Sunny Afternoon for the Kinks? Back to Black for Amy Winehouse? We could argue all day. The fact is that the whole page is conceptually subjective and internally inconsistent. I wouldn't die in a ditch over its existence, but it's a bit harsh to be pedantic about reliable sourcing for any particular change, when the entire page is in clear, fatal and unsalvageable violation of a dozen or more sitewide rules. Dybeck (talk) 09:06, 19 November 2021 (UTC)
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), that's not how it works. A reliably sourced opinion is considered more notable than mine or yours.Doctorhawkes (talk) 05:10, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

It certainly is. But a page full of *nothing but* reliably sourced opinions which, critically, are not presented AS the attiributed opinions of notable individuals but as factual information, is not anywhere near compliant with Wikipedia standards. All I'm saying is that it seems a bit harsh to be excessively pedantic over one specific regulation and one specific entry when the whole page drives a coach and horses through countless others. Dybeck (talk) 00:47, 26 November 2021 (UTC)

[shrugs] I'm happy to abide by the sourcing guidelines because I've seen how horrid an article can be when they're ignored. Doctorhawkes (talk) 09:47, 26 November 2021 (UTC)

Purpose of the article

Wouldn't it be more useful to aim for a list that is as complete as possible, instead of marking it as 'examples'? As long as there is concensus ofcourse in light of the list above Ray1983a (talk) 13:44, 11 March 2022 (UTC)

Globalization hatnote

My contention is that a hatnote soliciting international input beyond Anglophone and European examples of signature songs is frivolous and unhelpful on the English Wikipedia. It is true that the concept of signature songs is not Anglophone per se, but such a note would likely remain there perpetually, only cluttering the article unnecessarily. - JGabbard (talk) 02:02, 27 March 2022 (UTC)
The article, as it is currently, mostly (except some Korean acts) mentions Anglophone artists and songs. Although written in English, the English Wikipedia is not an encyclopedia for Anglophone countries and locations and the fact that it is written in English does not imply in any way it should only list contents (i. e. signature songs) that are in English. You may imagine, I am not a native English speaker and although this particular list may seem fine, it is not. It should do and can include signature songs by artists that are not Anglophone. For example Los Prisioneros' El Baile de los Que Sobran or Soda Stereo's De música ligera. For instance, African, Latin American and (mostly) Asian artists are not included. That can and should be corrected. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the hat note as you put it. It does not imply the article is wrong in anyway, it just points a fact: it does not represent a worldwide view. Bedivere (talk) 03:47, 27 March 2022 (UTC)
I agree with you completely, and welcome all such expansion, however, an indefinite general advisory hatnote to this end still is not warranted because the list of "selected artists" is not intended to be exhaustive or all-inclusive. It therefore cannot remain as a permanent fixture, and without significant support it will soon be removed once again. Since readers tend to find them annoying, their purpose is only as a very temporary feature until proper correction(s) can be made to an article. - JGabbard (talk) 14:11, 27 March 2022 (UTC)
Hi JGabbard and Bedivere, I was drawn to edit this page due to the hatnote, and added some non-English examples. I agree that the note would probably remain there indefinitely if a proper solution for global coverage is not found. Perhaps it would be beneficial to split the list into two sections, one with English-language songs and one for songs in other languages? Then as the "other languages" section grows that can be split into continents or languages; we'd then be able to gauge global coverage by the diversity of continents or languages that are covered in that list. Let me know what you all think. Yeeno (talk) 21:43, 4 April 2022 (UTC)
That seems like a good idea, for now. Bedivere (talk) 21:59, 18 April 2022 (UTC)

System of a Down

The song "Chop Suey" by System of a Down should be added to the list of signature songs. The Wikipedia article for "Chop Suey" even mentions it being seen as the band's signature song. ExplodingPizza (talk) 00:55, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

@ExplodingPizza: If you have a reliable source saying so, feel free to add it to the list. Yeeno (talk) 05:26, 19 April 2022 (UTC)
@ExplodingPizza Feel free to readd. Here are some sources: [12] [13] Bedivere (talk) 15:06, 21 April 2022 (UTC)

Sorry about that, I'm still learning how to edit on Wikipedia ExplodingPizza (talk) 16:30, 21 April 2022 (UTC)

Glen Campbell signature song

I admit 'Rhinestone Cowboy' is very recognizable from whatever movie it came from but 'Gentle on My Mind' by Webb is his breakout song and the one many of us associate with him. It is a very simple tune but lovely nonetheless. Megalodon50 (talk) 17:25, 7 August 2022 (UTC)

John Denver signature song

"Take me home" is one of his first popular songs, but, at least as I am concerned, "Rocky Mountain High" is HIS song. Megalodon50 (talk) 17:28, 7 August 2022 (UTC)

Provide good referencing. Your opinion doesn't count. Bedivere (talk) 02:44, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

Some artists have contextual signature songs

They have a signature work within a category of their output. But that should not be conflated with "signature song" which should be the overall standout song with respect to everything else they have made, not just be their signature within a subsection or subtype of their work —Loginnigol 11:58, 19 August 2022 (UTC)

Judy Garland: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

This has to be the archetype of the signature song. It is described as Judy Garland's signature song in the Wikipedia article about the song, sourced here: https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235532/http://www.thejudyroom.com/discography/decca/oz78.html Surakmath (talk) 13:50, 15 November 2022 (UTC)

Better source would be needed. Bedivere (talk) 14:04, 15 November 2022 (UTC)

One-hit wonder vs signature song

A artist that is one-hit wonder only has that signature song, versus an artist with a signature song is known for a certain piece of work but also has other notable records.

There are 3 one-hit wonders currently listed:

  • "Closing Time" by Semisonic
  • "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice
  • "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve

This idea was brought up in archived chats already:

I'm guessing you're American if you think the Verve were a one-hit wonder. Doctorhawkes (talk) 08:51, 6 December 2022 (UTC)

One Hit Wonders vs. Signature Songs

Hi all -

So - been lurking Wikipedia forever. Tonight I felt like the first time I was not in line with a Wikipedia article.

2 concerns with this article - "Signature Songs". First, some of these feel like one-hit wonders to me. While certain bands have "other" songs, they have a single song that so outpaced their other songs when created - and certainly longer term - that people in this day and age would consider them a one-hit wonder.

Second - as I was just scrolling through the list, there were several consecutive groups that when I saw them, I said to myself "yes! their signature song is [x]". And then that was not their song! I obviously recognize that this is subjective.

I'm wondering if there is a more objective way to define signature song. In the sense that there is a threshhold that a song for a band gets current airplay/online play/whatever metric you want (and I emphasize current with the recognition that this may change over time).

For instance - if we look at "airplay" distribution for songs for a band - if there is a single song that occupies 80%+ of their airplay - one hit wonder... If the distribution is relatively spread across songs, but there is a song that is predominantly higher than the rest, that would be a "signature song".

Sorry - everybody. This was the thing that got me involved..  :). Would love to see the outputs of the analysis I proposed (sorry, I don't have time for that s**t).

LOVE WIKIPEDIA. Defend it against my mother-in-law every chance I get ;) FerdyTBull (talk) 23:28, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

Coldplay

So on Clocks it's said to be one of their signature songs but the whole section is unsourced, this does imply that other songs also could be considered as a signature which makes this list a bit problematic DanTheMusicMan2 (talk) 01:29, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

Signature song of the Go-Go's

By the way, what's the signature song of the Go-Go's? Esagurton (talk) 13:13, 13 June 2023 (UTC)

Lou Reed

I think we should add Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed 5.81.77.228 (talk) 12:45, 15 September 2023 (UTC)

Mariah Carey

How is Hero her signature song over 'All I want for Christmas is you'? It's the first song mentioned on her article and has more than double the views on Youtube of Hero. 2A10:BCC2:2001:6F88:A0E1:27EB:5CCE:DB50 (talk) 23:03, 17 December 2023 (UTC)

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