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.

Bands with a signature song often are expected to perform it at every concert appearance.

Examples

• ABBA – "Dancing Queen"
• Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful"
• AKB48 - "Aitakatta"
• The Animals – "The House of the Rising Sun"
• Shirley Bassey – "Goldfinger"
• Beck – "Loser"
• Tony Bennett – "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
• Chuck Berry – "Johnny B. Goode"
• Blue Öyster Cult – "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
• Bon Jovi – "Livin' on a Prayer"
• Laura Branigan - "Gloria"
• Garth Brooks – "The Dance"
• Jeff Buckley – "Hallelujah"
• Jimmy Buffett – "Margaritaville"
• Carol Burnett – "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together"
• Ray Charles – "What'd I Say"
• Cheap Trick – "I Want You to Want Me"
• Petula Clark – "Downtown"
• Bobby Darin – "Mack the Knife"
• Sammy Davis Jr. – "I've Gotta Be Me"
• Dead Kennedys – "Holiday in Cambodia"
• Deep Purple – "Smoke on the Water"
• Marlene Dietrich – "Falling In Love Again"
• Celine Dion – "My Heart Will Go On"
• Eagles – "Hotel California"
• Lee Greenwood – "God Bless the USA"
• Bob Hope – "Thanks for the Memory"
• Lena Horne – "Stormy Weather"
• Iron Butterfly – "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
• Wanda Jackson – "Fujiyama Mama"
• Etta James – "At Last"
• Billy Joel – "Piano Man"
• George Jones – "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
• Tom Jones – "It's Not Unusual"
• Journey – "Don't Stop Believin'"
• The Kinks - "You Really Got Me"
• Kiss – "Rock and Roll All Nite"
• Gladys Knight & the Pips – "Midnight Train to Georgia"
• Cyndi Lauper – "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• Led Zeppelin – "Stairway to Heaven"
• John Lennon – "Imagine"
• Jerry Lee Lewis – "Great Balls of Fire"
• Guy Lombardo – "Auld Lang Syne"
• Julie London – "Cry Me a River"
• Loretta Lynn – "Coal Miner's Daughter"
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird"
• Barbara Mandrell – "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool"
• Martina McBride – "Independence Day"
• Men at Work - "Down Under"
• Bette Midler – "Wind Beneath My Wings"
• Kylie Minogue – "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
• The Moody Blues - "Nights in White Satin"
• Motörhead – "Ace of Spades"
• Selena – "Como la Flor"
• Nirvana – "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
• Ozzy Osbourne – "Crazy Train"
• The Pointer Sisters - "I'm So Excited"
• Otis Redding – "Try a Little Tenderness"
• Kenny Rogers – "The Gambler"
• The Rolling Stones – "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
• Savage Garden – "Truly Madly Deeply"
• Neil Sedaka – "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
• Semisonic – "Closing Time"
• Carly Simon – "You're So Vain"
• Percy Sledge – "When a Man Loves a Woman"
• Sonny & Cher – "I Got You Babe"
• Spice Girls – "Wannabe"
• Rod Stewart – "Maggie May"
• Eva Tanguay – "I Don't Care"
• James Taylor – "Fire and Rain"
• Shirley Temple – "On the Good Ship Lollipop"
• Conway Twitty – "Hello Darlin'"
• The Verve – "Bitter Sweet Symphony"
• Village People – "Y.M.C.A."
• Andy Williams – "Moon River"
• Bert Williams – "Nobody"
• Amy Winehouse – "Rehab"
• Tammy Wynette – "Stand by Your Man"

See also

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