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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. Signature songs can be the the result of spontaneous public identification and/or a marketing tool developed by the music industry to promote artists, sell their recordings, and develop a fan base.[1]
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Importance
A signature song is a must in many artists' repertoire, and one which they may choose to perform at every concert appearance.[2] Marketing programs by recording companies and fan expectations for these signature songs sometimes result in the artist's difficulty to perform other kinds of music. Two well-known examples of this phenomenon are Ricky Nelson's ill treatment by his fans at Madison Square Garden in 1971 (see "Garden Party") and Merle Haggard's public fight with Capitol Records to release his tribute album of Bob Wills dance songs after the success of "Okie from Muskogee" in 1969.
The difference from a one-hit wonder
The term signature song 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 they have had no other successful songs.
Some songs are so iconic and popular that many different singers may share that song as their signature song. A well-known example is "Over the Rainbow" but which is mostly identified as Judy Garland's signature song.[3]
Another song that has been identified with more than one singer is "Ol' Man River", which became the signature song of both Paul Robeson and William Warfield.
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, resulting in each song receiving references to being the artist's "signature song."
The song "Goodnight Irene" became the best-known track for two different artists: Leadbelly and The Weavers.[4]
Anthems
Official songs or anthems for dignitaries also perform a similar function of fanfare and/or association: being played when a particular person or group makes their entrance. An example of this is the President of the United States with "Hail to the Chief".
List of Artists and their signature songs
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The following is a list of artists' signature songs:
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