Everything about Signature Song totally explained
A
signature song 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, even if they've had success with a variety of songs. Signature songs are a marketing tool developed by the music industry to promote artists, sell their recordings, and develop a fan base.
A signature song is a
must in many artists' repertoire, and one which they may choose to perform at every concert appearance. Marketing programs by recording companies and fan expectations for these signature songs sometimes result in the artist's difficulty to perform other kinds of music. Two well known examples of this phenomenon are
Ricky Nelson's ill treatment by his fans at Madison Square Garden in 1971 (see
"Garden Party") and
Merle Haggard's public fight with Capitol Records to release his
tribute album of Bob Wills dance songs after the success of "
Okie from Muskogee" in 1969.
The term 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've had no other successful songs.
Some songs are so
iconic and popular that many different singers may share that song as their signature song. A well-known example is "
Over the Rainbow" (which is considered by many to be the most popular song of the twentieth century). A signature song is a
must in many artists' repertoire, and one which they may choose to perform at every concert appearance.
Artists may have different signature songs in different parts of the world depending on where they're praised; or they've more than one, even in one area of the world. In the cases in which an artist or band has more than one signature song, the songs are often from one particular album that was considered their best work. In some cases, there may be a divergence between the artist's most commercially successful song and the song most commonly associated with that artist by the media, resulting in each song receiving references to being the artist's "signature song".
Official songs or
anthems for dignitaries also perform a similar function of
fanfare and/or association: being played when a particular person or group makes their entrance. An example of this is the
President of the United States with "
Hail to the Chief".
Examples of artists and their signature songs
The following are artists with documented signature songs:
Popular shared signature songs
Sometimes a very popular song is shared by more than one singer and it's known as their signature song:
The song "
Over the Rainbow" is an example of such a shared signature song, although it's most closely associated with
Judy Garland, having twice been voted as the most popular song of the 20th century (
see article):
Eva Cassidy
Judy Garland
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
The song "Goodnight Irene" became the best-known track for two different artists: Leadbelly and The Weavers.
The song "Proud Mary" became another good signature song for two different artists: Creedence Clearwater Revival and Ike and Tina Turner because of John Fogerty's songwriting abilities.
Notes and references
Further Information
Get more info on 'Signature Song'.
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