History YMMV / TalkingHeads

** While David Byrne has had a successful solo career, and Tina and Chris have done well with Tom Tom Club, critics still hold their work with Talking Heads in higher regard. Byrne himself commented on the frustration surrounding this in [[http://davidbyrne.com/explore/grown-backwards/about a 2004 Associated Press feature]]:

* {{Anvilicious}}: In the last verse of "Found a Job", after the earlier verses tell a story about a couple who creates a TV show:

* {{Anvilicious}}: In the last verse of "Found a Job":

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: "I Zimbra" from ''Music/FearOfMusic'' was designed to be the musical equivalent of UsefulNotes/{{Dada}}. All of the words used are completely gibberish that don't translate to anything, with the marvel of the song being how well the nonsensical lyrics coagulate into an actually enjoyable listen.

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Although Byrne is unquestionably the FaceOfTheBand, Weymouth is probably the second most popular band member on the strength of her bass playing, especially since the bass is such a central part of their music. Their heavy funk influence no doubt helps here, too.

* PopularityPolynomial: The band were widely acclaimed by both fans and critics in the first half of their careers, to the point where the underselling ''Music/RemainInLight'' became one of the first [=CDs=] released in the west off of audience goodwill alone. However, a shift to mainstream pop rock in the mid-'80s would crater their reputation, and the mixed responses towards ''Music/{{Naked}}''[='s=] attempts at returning to the worldbeat of ''Remain in Light'' and ''Music/SpeakingInTongues'' (at a time when worldbeat was sharply declining in popularity) only hammered more nails into the coffin; by the time Music/DavidByrne dissolved the band in 1991, they were satirized as microcosms of '80s cheese in works like ''Literature/AmericanPsycho''. However, the 15th anniversary reissue of ''Film/StopMakingSense'', the 2003 ''Once in a Lifetime'' box set release, the 2005 remastering campaign, and Byrne's slow climb back into the limelight as a solo artist in the 2000s and 2010s convinced listeners to revisit Talking Heads and rediscover why they got so big in the first place. Nowadays, they're considered one of the best acts of their time, though their last two albums are still middlingly regarded.

* FaceOfTheBand: David Byrne is the frontman and the best-known member.

* PopularityPolynomial: The band were widely acclaimed by both fans and critics in the first half of their careers, to the point where the underselling ''Music/RemainInLight'' became one of the first [=CDs=] released in the west off of audience goodwill alone. However, a shift to mainstream pop rock in the mid-'80s would crater their reputation, and the mixed responses towards ''Music/{{Naked}}''[='s=] attempts at returning to the worldbeat of ''Remain in Light'' and ''Music/SpeakingInTongues'' (at a time when worldbeat was sharply declining in popularity) only hammered more nails into the coffin; by the time Music/DavidByrne dissolved the band in 1991, they were satirized as microcosms of '80s cheese in works like ''Literature/AmericanPsycho''. However, the 15th anniversary reissue of ''Film/StopMakingSense'' and Byrne's slow climb back into the limelight as a solo artist in the 2000s and 2010s convinced listeners to revisit Talking Heads and rediscover why they got so big in the first place. Nowadays, they're considered one of the best acts of their time, though their last two albums are still middlingly regarded.

** The bass line of "Take Me to the River" probably also counts. And "Once in a Lifetime"... half of Talking Heads' songs probably depend on Tina's bass more than on any other instrument, really.

* SignatureSong: "Psycho Killer", "Life During Wartime", "Once in a Lifetime" and "Burning Down the House" are their biggest contenders, while "Road to Nowhere" and "Girlfriend Is Better" are not far behind. In particular, "Burning Down the House" was the band's #1 hit single in the States. Interestingly, "Once in a Lifetime" barely made a splash when it was first released as a single, but skyrocketed in popularity once its music video started getting [[VindicatedByCable heavy rotation on MTV]].

** '''SAME AS IT EVER WAS''', arguably the entirety of "Once in a Lifetime".

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-->Now think about this little scene. Apply it to your life. If your work isn't what you love, then something isn't right.