Signature song

A signature song is the one song (or, in some cases, one of a few songs) that a popular and well-established recording artist or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of other songs. There have also been instances where a film actor has acquired a signature song by giving a popular vocal performance in a feature. Signature songs can be the result of spontaneous public identification, or a marketing tool developed by the music industry to promote artists, sell their recordings, and develop a fan base.^[1]

Artists and bands with a signature song are often expected to perform it at every concert appearance.^[2]

List of selected artists and their signature songs

• ABBA – "Dancing Queen"^[3]
• Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful" ^[4]
• AKB48 - "Aitakatta"^[5]
• The Animals – "The House of the Rising Sun"^[6]
• Shirley Bassey – "Goldfinger"^[7]
• Beck – "Loser"^[8]
• Tony Bennett – "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"^[9]
• Chuck Berry – "Johnny B. Goode"^[10]
• Blue Öyster Cult – "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"^[11]
• Bon Jovi – "Livin' on a Prayer"^[12]
• Laura Branigan - "Gloria"^[13]
• Garth Brooks – "The Dance"^[14]
• Jeff Buckley – "Hallelujah"^[15]
• Jimmy Buffett – "Margaritaville"^[16]
• Carol Burnett – "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together"^[17][18]
• Ray Charles – "What'd I Say"^[19]
• Cheap Trick – "I Want You to Want Me"^[20]
• Petula Clark – "Downtown"^[21]
• Bing Crosby – "White Christmas"^[22]
• Bobby Darin – "Mack the Knife"^[23]
• Sammy Davis Jr. – "I've Gotta Be Me"^[24]
• Dead Kennedys – "Holiday in Cambodia"^[25]
• Deep Purple – "Smoke on the Water"^[26]
• Marlene Dietrich – "Falling In Love Again"^[27]
• Celine Dion – "My Heart Will Go On"^[28]
• Eagles – "Hotel California"^[29]
• Lee Greenwood – "God Bless the USA"^[30]
• Bob Hope – "Thanks for the Memory"^[31]
• Lena Horne – "Stormy Weather"^[32]
• Iron Butterfly – "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"^[33]
• Wanda Jackson – "Fujiyama Mama"^[34]
• Etta James – "At Last"^[35]
• Billy Joel – "Piano Man"^[36]
• George Jones – "He Stopped Loving Her Today"^[37]
• Tom Jones – "It's Not Unusual"^[38]
• Journey – "Don't Stop Believin'"^[39]
• The Kinks - "You Really Got Me"^[40]
• Kiss – "Rock and Roll All Nite"^[20]
• Gladys Knight & the Pips – "Midnight Train to Georgia"^[41]
• Cyndi Lauper – "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"^[42]
• Led Zeppelin – "Stairway to Heaven"^[43]
• John Lennon – "Imagine"^[44]
• Jerry Lee Lewis – "Great Balls of Fire"^[45]
• Guy Lombardo – "Auld Lang Syne"^[46]
• Julie London – "Cry Me a River"^[47]
• Loretta Lynn – "Coal Miner's Daughter"^[48]
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird"^[49]
• Barbara Mandrell – "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool"^[50]
• Martina McBride – "Independence Day"^[51]
• Men at Work - "Down Under"^[52]
• Bette Midler – "Wind Beneath My Wings"^[53]
• Kylie Minogue – "Can't Get You Out of My Head"^[54]
• The Moody Blues - "Nights in White Satin"^[20]
• Motörhead – "Ace of Spades"^[55]
• Selena – "Como la Flor" ^[56]
• Nirvana – "Smells Like Teen Spirit"^[57]
• Ozzy Osbourne – "Crazy Train"^[58]
• The Pointer Sisters - "I'm So Excited"^[59]
• Otis Redding – "Try a Little Tenderness"^[60]
• Lionel Richie - "Hello"^[61][62]
• Kenny Rogers – "The Gambler"^[63]
• The Rolling Stones – "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"^[64]
• Savage Garden – "Truly Madly Deeply"^[65]
• Neil Sedaka – "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"^[66]
• Semisonic – "Closing Time"^[67]
• Carly Simon – "You're So Vain"^[68]
• Percy Sledge – "When a Man Loves a Woman"^[69]
• Sonny & Cher – "I Got You Babe"^[70]
• Spice Girls – "Wannabe"^[71]
• Bruce Springsteen – "Born to Run"^[72]
• Rod Stewart – "Maggie May"^[73]
• Eva Tanguay – "I Don't Care"^[74]
• James Taylor – "Fire and Rain"^[75]
• Shirley Temple – "On the Good Ship Lollipop"^[76]
• Conway Twitty – "Hello Darlin'"^[77]
• The Verve – "Bitter Sweet Symphony"^[78]
• Village People – "Y.M.C.A."^[79]
• Andy Williams – "Moon River"^[80]
• Bert Williams – "Nobody"^[81]
• Amy Winehouse – "Rehab"^[82]
• Tammy Wynette – "Stand by Your Man"^[83]

See also

• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• National anthem
• Subject (music)
• Theme music
• Trademark look
• One-hit wonder

References

1. Umphlett, Wiley Lee (2004). The Visual Focus of American Media Culture in the Twentieth Century: The Modern Era, 1893–1945. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 157. This practice soon began equating performers with signature songs as a way to promote and sell recordings and sheet music as well as establish a cult of fans to market these songs to.
2. Prescott, John (2000). A Career in Show Business: Variety Entertainer. Chicago: Institute for Research. p. 8. And if there's a phrase ... or you have a signature song ... then your audience will probably be disappointed if you don't repeat yourself.
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64. "Satisfaction is 'top Stones song'". news.bbc.co.uk. August 17, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
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75. "Fire and Rain - James Taylor | Song Info". AllMusic. 1981-05-13. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
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77. "No. 18: Conway Twitty, 'Hello Darlin" – Top 100 Country Songs". Tasteofcountry.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
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