10 More Huge Songs That Bands Refused To Play Live
These acts had enough of some of their own biggest hits.
There are many reasons to go and see a band live - to meet like-minded fans, to have more space to dance, to avoid watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory - but one of the big ones is the chance to see your favourite songs performed live and in person.
Just one question, though: what happens when bands don't want to play the songs that made them famous?
Artists' relationship with their art is a complicated one, especially when their creations end up being shared with millions of people. It's common for bands to lose touch with their own music, to fall out of love with it, or to get tired of simply trotting it out to a room full of people. That's when you get situations like this, where acts simply refuse to play the tunes everyone wants to hear.
Most of these songs have returned to these bands' sets, but there was a considerable period of time where they were absent. Whether you agree with their reasoning or not, you just have to feel sorry for the poor souls who bought their tickets and ended up missing out.
10. Mr. Roboto - Styx
You couldn’t move for the band Styx in the 1970s and early '80s, as their mix of synth-rock and hair metal flooded the US charts with hit after hit after hit, with eight of their albums achieving gold or higher status between 1975 and 1990.
If you weren’t a fan in this period, then you were in for a rough time.
In terms of singles, one of their highest charters was Mr. Roboto from 1983, and yes, that is where the phrase “Dōmo arigatō Mr. Roboto” comes from. Despite its massive success, it was very rarely featured in the band’s live sets after their reunion in 1995. But why?
The song was largely written by keyboard player Dennis DeYoung. Another major force in the band, guitarist James “J.Y.” Young was not a fan of how soft it was, so, when DeYoung left the reunited band in 1999, J.Y. pulled his track from their shows.
Mr. Roboto eventually returned to regular rotation in 2018, but only after the band’s promoter insisted it make a comeback. It’s safe to say that J.Y. will not be telling that person “dōmo arigatō” any time soon.