XTC are a band that the critics adore, yet commercial success largely alluded them. They had a few hit singles in the U.K. from 1979 to 1982, and then concentrated on the American market in the late 1980s.
Does anyone remember this band? Were they popular in America (radio play, MTV exposure, etc.) or largely unknown? Thanks!
25 comments
I’ve never heard of them
I think some Americans know *of* XTC but aren’t that familiar with them.
I started listening to them because a lot of my favorite musicians say XTC is *their* favorite band… but they never really clicked for me except for a few songs (Mayor of Simpleton, The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead, Senses Working Overtime, Earn Enough For Us) that I like but don’t love.
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I haven’t heard that name since the mid-90s.
I remember them vaguely from the late 80s (or maybe the 90s)
They were a great band. my mom, dad and my younger son would never know who they are. the older son probably know more about them than me. he picked up on my music and ran with it.
Not very. More niche 80s fans
Is that the “We’re only making plans for Nigel” band? If so, that is the only song I know by them, but I’m a fan lol
Not huge, but memorable in the 80s.
Making Plans for Nigel is great. But I first heard them on SiriusXM 1st Wave channel years ago.
I’ve never heard of them
Not very, but I do love Dear God. Not familiar with them outside of that
When I was in college there were a few of us who absolutely loved Oranges and Lemons. And I also loved The Beautiful South. But I don’t recall either band being a huge commercial success in the US.
They were not mainstream popular. Many of the people who did know them would consider them a one hit wonder with Dear God. Many people have probably heard the song Dear God buy have no idea who the band is.
They were a core New Wave band. Most big cities had a radio station that was playing that pretty heavily for about five years or so. They weren’t really on the pop stations, but anyone who was really following rock music in that era should be reasonably familiar with them.
Making plans for Nigel was huge when I was a kid.
They had a couple of hits, Dear God was big on MTV. I was a big fan but none of my friends knew who they were. BTW, They Might Be Giants wrote a great song called XTC vs Adam Ant.
Not super popular.
I used to play them all the time on my radio show though.
River of Orchids was a standard.
Hell yeah, man! Mayor of Simpleton still rides with me!
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Never heard of them.
Love them. Particularly fond of “The Mayor of Simpleton.”
Oddly enough, they became fairly popular for a while around 1989 due to the album Oranges and Lemons. It was the first album by them that I really just didn’t like.
I think they got a push forward due to the surprise popularity of “Dear God”. Prior to that they were kind of a novelty band, not very popular. They had a couple of songs that you would hear occasionally on “alternative rock” stations like Senses Working Overtime and Generals And Majors.
I’m 51.
They were well known in the late 80s on the alternative radio stations in southern California. Not a massive band but anyone who regularly listened to KROQ or 91X certainly knew them. Sort of a 4 or 5-hit wonder band.
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