Classic Rhapsody: I can see paradise...

[Elevz]

I was just browsing a little through Wikipedia and stumbled upon this classic. Epic stuff. And somehow it appears this was never even a slight hit anywhere in the world but in the Netherlands, where it acquired the same status as Bohemian Rhapsody and Hotel California... How the fuck is that possible? It just doesn't add up.

So here's to you all... Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley in "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (1977):
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/j0ns8t9iQck" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/j0ns8t9iQck</a>

(lyrics)

If this truly is a miss with the non-dutch here, somebody'd better do some explaining.

[Archetype]

It hit #39 on US billboard according to wikipedia, that's a pretty significant dent in the American music scene.

As for not reaching the same status it did in the US as it did in the Netherlands, the same goes for a lot of of other good music I'm sure. Why did David Hasselhoff reach legendary status in Germany when we know him as a corny TV star?

The song you posted though just resembles a lot of the "epic-pop" stuff that was out at the time.

[Elevz]

It hit #39 on US billboard according to wikipedia, that's a pretty significant dent in the American music scene.

As for not reaching the same status it did in the US as it did in the Netherlands, the same goes for a lot of of other good music I'm sure. Why did David Hasselhoff reach legendary status in Germany when we know him as a corny TV star?

The song you posted though just resembles a lot of the "epic-pop" stuff that was out at the time.

Peaking at #39... That means there have been at least 38 more popular songs at any time. Seems to me like that's something that happens to songs that aren't worth remembering at all, while like I said, this song has reached Bohemian Rhapsody-status in the Netherlands. That's just odd.

Besides, do you really think this song "just resembles a lot of the 'epic-pop' stuff" of those days? I mean, if there were at least three other comparable tracks, I wouldn't be able to name them. Just the whole climax and all... It doesn't at all seem that unoriginal to me.

[Archetype]

It hit #39 on US billboard according to wikipedia, that's a pretty significant dent in the American music scene.

As for not reaching the same status it did in the US as it did in the Netherlands, the same goes for a lot of of other good music I'm sure. Why did David Hasselhoff reach legendary status in Germany when we know him as a corny TV star?

The song you posted though just resembles a lot of the "epic-pop" stuff that was out at the time.

Peaking at #39... That means there have been at least 38 more popular songs at any time. Seems to me like that's something that happens to songs that aren't worth remembering at all, while like I said, this song has reached Bohemian Rhapsody-status in the Netherlands. That's just odd.

Besides, do you really think this song "just resembles a lot of the 'epic-pop' stuff" of those days? I mean, if there were at least three other comparable tracks, I wouldn't be able to name them. Just the whole climax and all... It doesn't at all seem that unoriginal to me.

I'm not denying it's unoriginal, it just didn't catch a big break over here...

If you look at the Elton John, Queen, Abba, Bee Gees, those types of tracks, a lot of them were structured in this songs format, however this song had a real bluesy 50's rock and roll influence which listeners in the seventies might have been tired or sick of, so it didn't really take off..That's just my thoughts though because I agree with you it is a great song even upon the first listen..

[Elevz]

It hit #39 on US billboard according to wikipedia, that's a pretty significant dent in the American music scene.

As for not reaching the same status it did in the US as it did in the Netherlands, the same goes for a lot of of other good music I'm sure. Why did David Hasselhoff reach legendary status in Germany when we know him as a corny TV star?

The song you posted though just resembles a lot of the "epic-pop" stuff that was out at the time.

Peaking at #39... That means there have been at least 38 more popular songs at any time. Seems to me like that's something that happens to songs that aren't worth remembering at all, while like I said, this song has reached Bohemian Rhapsody-status in the Netherlands. That's just odd.

Besides, do you really think this song "just resembles a lot of the 'epic-pop' stuff" of those days? I mean, if there were at least three other comparable tracks, I wouldn't be able to name them. Just the whole climax and all... It doesn't at all seem that unoriginal to me.

I'm not denying it's unoriginal, it just didn't catch a big break over here...

If you look at the Elton John, Queen, Abba, Bee Gees, those types of tracks, a lot of them were structured in this songs format, however this song had a real bluesy 50's rock and roll influence which listeners in the seventies might have been tired or sick of, so it didn't really take off..That's just my thoughts though because I agree with you it is a great song even upon the first listen..

Now that sounds like a reasonable explanation! I mean, apparently at first it wasn't successful in the Netherlands either, until the video caught peoples attention years later (oh well, I believe you've read the same Wiki-page as me ). That could explain a lot: as the song became dated, it was seen as a sort of landmark.

Besides, peep this lame commercial:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/o5YMVO7-8ns" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/o5YMVO7-8ns</a>

... lol