The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the US, UK and Europe and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(March 2022) |
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. This is generally differentiated from a one-hit wonder in that the artist usually has had success with other songs as well.
A signature song may be a song that spearheads an artist's initial mainstream breakthrough, a song that revitalizes an artist's career, or a song that simply represents a high point in an artist's career. Often, a signature song will feature significant characteristics of an artist and may encapsulate the artist's particular sound and style.
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. [1] Artists and bands with a signature song are generally expected to perform it at every concert appearance, often as an encore on concert tours, sometimes being the last song of the setlist. [2]
Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact, Swift is a leading figure in popular music and the subject of widespread media coverage.
Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004), and emerged as a teen idol for her leading role as Alex Russo on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). She signed with Hollywood Records in 2008 and formed the band Selena Gomez & the Scene, which released three albums: Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011).
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is a daughter of singer Billy Ray Cyrus, and deemed one of the few examples of a child star with a successful musical career as an adult. Cyrus emerged as a teen idol as the title character in the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana (2006–2011), which evolved into a commercially successful franchise. As Hannah Montana, she achieved success on the Billboard charts with two number-one soundtracks.
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon, she is an influential figure in popular music and is known for her four-octave vocal range which extends into the whistle register.
Peter Gene Hernandez, known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for singing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. Mars is accompanied by his band, the Hooligans, whose members are also backup singers and dancers. In 2021, Mars and fellow singer Anderson .Paak formed the musical superduo Silk Sonic.
Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, Charli XCX began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. She signed a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012. She later featured on "I Love It" with Swedish duo Icona Pop, with the song becoming her first number-one in the UK and receiving global success. Her debut studio album, True Romance (2013), was released to positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations.
Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017), and signed with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records. She released her debut single, "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" in 2014, followed by the studio albums Eyes Wide Open (2015), Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), and Singular: Act II (2019).
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Steel Train. Antonoff has produced and co-written songs with other music acts such as Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter.
Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the pop girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in the group, Cabello began to establish herself as a solo artist with the release of her collaborative singles "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Bad Things" —the latter peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. She left Fifth Harmony in late 2016.
Normani Kordei Hamilton, known mononymously as Normani, is an American singer. She first became known as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in the group, she competed in Dancing with the Stars (2017). She embarked on a solo career with her 2018 debut single "Love Lies", which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and received quintuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold 11 million copies worldwide. Trainor has released six studio albums with the label and has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, four ASCAP Pop Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards.
Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, known professionally as Halsey, is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Noted for her distinctive singing voice, she has received several accolades including three Billboard Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, an American Music Award and nominations for three Grammy Awards. She was included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.
Dua Lipa is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Time magazine included her in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.
Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa is an American singer, dancer, actress, and media personality. From 2015 to 2016, she appeared as a dancer on two seasons of the reality television show Dance Moms alongside her mother, Jessalynn Siwa. In 2017, Siwa signed to Nickelodeon and acted in various shows and films. With Nickelodeon, she released several children's songs and her own feature film, The J Team, in 2021. The music video to her song "Boomerang" has been viewed over 1 billion times. She was included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. In 2024, Siwa initiated her post-Nickelodeon career with the extended play Guilty Pleasure, led by the single "Karma".
Blackpink is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. Regarded by various publications as the "biggest girl group in the world", they are recognized as a leading force in the Korean Wave and an ambassador of the "girl crush" concept in K-pop, which explores themes of self-confidence and female empowerment.
"Believer" is a song by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. The song was released on February 1, 2017, through Interscope Records and Kidinakorner as the lead single from the band's third studio album, Evolve (2017). It was written by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Justin Tranter and its producers Mattman & Robin.
Mark Lee, known mononymously as Mark, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and dancer based in South Korea. He is a member of the South Korean boy band NCT and its fixed sub-units NCT 127 and NCT Dream, as well as the South Korean supergroup SuperM.
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with whom she collaborates on music and live shows. In 2017, she released her debut extended play (EP), Don't Smile at Me. Commercially successful, it reached the top 15 of record charts in numerous countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
This practice soon began equating performers with signature songs as a way to promote and sell recordings and sheet music as well as establish a cult of fans to market these songs to.
And if there's a phrase ... or you have a signature song ... then your audience will probably be disappointed if you don't repeat yourself.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)1979 Basie's signature tune, "One O'Clock Jump," is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" not only became BAUHAUS' signature song, but an anthem for the gothic rock scene which the band is credited for having spawned.
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(help)(Reuters) - British rock band Led Zeppelin on Monday effectively won a long-running legal battle over claims it stole the opening guitar riff from its signature 1971 song "Stairway to Heaven."
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has generic name (help)For this second appearance late in the show [Saturday Night Live], [Chappell] Roan was still wearing the large red wig with white streaks that marked her initial look when she earlier performed her signature song 'Pink Pony Club.'
A signature song for Somerville
You can smell the truck stop coffee when you hear this lonely anthem that became one of Strait's signature songs after it was released in 1983.
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ignored (help)Randy Travis, who turned 60 on Saturday (May 4) made a rare public appearance that evening at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, where he celebrated on stage with a big smile, and sang the final "Amen" in his signature song "Forever and Ever, Amen."