Signature song
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 have had success with a variety of songs. 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 he has had no other successful songs.
Artists may have different signature songs in different parts of the world depending on where they are praised; or they have 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 (e.g.
Britney Spears' "
...Baby One More Time" and "
Oops!... I Did It Again", respectively), resulting in each song receiving references to being the artist's "signature song".
The expression "signature song" is also occasionally used to refer to a recurring
songs in commercials.
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ABBA - "
Dancing Queen"
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AC/DC - "
You Shook Me All Night Long"
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Aerosmith - "
Walk This Way"
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Alice Cooper - "
School's Out"
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Alicia Keys - "
Fallin'"
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The Animals - "
House of the Rising Sun"
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Aretha Franklin - "
Respect"
1*
Billy Joel - "
Piano Man"
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B. B. King - "
The Thrill Is Gone"
2*
Blue Öyster Cult - "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
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Bob Dylan - "
Like a Rolling Stone"
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Bob Hope - "
Thanks for the Memories"
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Bon Jovi - "
Livin on a Prayer"
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Eric Clapton - "
Layla"
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The Clash - "
London Calling"
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Celine Dion - "
My Heart Will Go On"
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Cream - "
Sunshine of Your Love"
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Crosby, Stills & Nash - "
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"
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Deep Purple - "
Smoke on the Water"
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Def Leppard - "
Pour Some Sugar On Me"
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Destiny's Child - "
Survivor"
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Don McLean - "
American Pie"
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The Doors - "
Light My Fire"
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Duran Duran - "
Hungry Like The Wolf"
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Eagles - "
Hotel California"
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Elton John - "
Your Song"
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Eurythmics - "
Sweet Dreams"
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Frank Sinatra - "
My Way"
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Gloria Gaynor - "
I Will Survive"
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Guns N' Roses - "
Welcome to the Jungle"
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Harry Chapin - "
Cat's in the Cradle"
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Iron Maiden - "
The Number of the Beast"
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Jimi Hendrix - "
Purple Haze"
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Toby Keith - "
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue"
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KISS - "
Rock and Roll All Nite"
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Jennifer Lopez - "
I'm Real"
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John Lennon - "
Imagine"
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Journey - "
Don't Stop Believin'"
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Led Zeppelin - "
Stairway to Heaven"
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Lee Greenwood - "
God Bless the USA"
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Lonestar - "
Amazed"
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Lynyrd Skynyrd - "
Sweet Home Alabama"
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Madonna - "
Like a Virgin"
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MC Hammer - "
U Can't Touch This"
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Meat Loaf - "
I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"
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Metallica - "
Enter Sandman"
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Michael Jackson - "
Billie Jean"
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Mötley Crüe - "
Dr. Feelgood"
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Nelly - "
Hot in Herre"
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Nirvana - "
Smells Like Teen Spirit"
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No Doubt - "
Don't Speak"
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Ted Nugent - "
Cat Scratch Fever"
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Oasis - "
Wonderwall"
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Ozzy Osbourne - "
Crazy Train"
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Pearl Jam - "
Jeremy"
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Percy Sledge - "
When a Man Loves a Woman"
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Peter Gabriel - "
Solsbury Hill"
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Poison - "
Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
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Public Enemy - "
Fight the Power"
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Queen - "
Bohemian Rhapsody"
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Radiohead - "
Creep"
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Rick James - "
Super Freak"
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Rod Stewart - "
Maggie May"
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Rush - "
Tom Sawyer"
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The Rolling Stones - "
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
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Sheryl Crow - "
All I Wanna Do"
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Stone Temple Pilots - "
Plush"
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Tina Turner - "
Proud Mary"
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Tony Bennett - "
I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
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Van Halen - "
Jump"
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Whitesnake - "
Here I Go Again"
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Whitney Houston - "
I Will Always Love You"
3*
The Who - "
Won't Get Fooled Again"
*
ZZ Top - "
Legs"
1 This is a cover of an
Otis Redding song.
2 This is a cover of a
Roy Hawkins song.
3 This is a cover of a
Dolly Parton song.
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signature album
