History YMMV / Sparks

* CrossesTheLineTwice: "White Women". It seems racist at first, but after a listen or two it just seems ridiculous.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: They were always more popular in Europe - especially the UK, where ''Kimono My House'' made them famous - than their native USA. To put it into perspective, they were ''huge'' during the 70s and have had many successful singles throughout their career in Europe, whereas the only song to reach very high in the US charts was "Cool Places" in the 80s at #49.

* VindicatedByHistory: ''Angst in My Pants'' is regarded much more highly than the rest of their 80s records in hindsight, largely in part to its' success on college radio in America, whilst ''Balls'' has gained momentum in recent years for providing a smooth transition between the SynthPop sound of ''Gratuitious Sax'' and the GenreBusting ''Lil' Beethoven''.

* VindicatedByHistory: ''Angst in My Pants'' is regarded much more highly than the rest of their 80s records in hindsight, whilst ''Balls'' has gained momentum in recent years for providing a smooth transition between the SynthPop sound of ''Gratuitious Sax'' and the GenreBusting ''Lil' Beethoven''.

* DorkAge: Their SynthPop period, (excluding the acclaimed ''No. 1 in Heaven'' and ''Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins''). While these albums certainly have their fans, and some of them including ''Angst in My Pants'' and ''Balls'' have been VindicatedByHistory, their quality and how well they've aged is a big point of contention, particularly compared to the band's critically acclaimed 70s output.

* EarWorm: Many of their songs are either ridiculously catchy or really annoying, depending on the listener's reaction to Sparks, particularly Russell's falsetto.

** "Computer Girl", all the way back from their 1969 pre-Halfnelson incarnation, [[http://graphikdesigns.free.fr/urban-renewal-project.html Urban Renewal Project]], predicted the prevalence of computers and the attachment some people get to them.

* LoveItOrHateIt:
** ''Introducing Sparks'' is either seen as a blemish on their otherwise adored 70s output or an under-appreciated slice of sunny LA pop music. The Maels at the very least see their attempt at developing a West Coast sound to attract American fans as a failure.
** Their 80s albums are seen as either severely underrated or their DorkAge.

* NewbieBoom: ''Gratuitious Sax and Senseless Violins'' won the duo a lot of fans in Europe, particularly in Germany, so they recorded ''Plagiarism'' (made up of reworked versions of older songs) to capitalize on their new-found audience. This trope has steadily began to grow in stature worldwide from ''Lil' Beethoven'' onward, eventually leading to ''Hippopotamus'' cracking the UK Top 10 (#6) its first week in September 2017, their first placement there since ''Propaganda'' in 1974.

** The band were threatened during the early 70s by a crowd who thought they were part of the "dandy new wave". Their records would end up being highly influential to NewWaveMusic.

** "Perfume", a song about not wearing perfume, went on to be featured in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr_G2DOD5zk an Dolce & Gabbana advert]].

* NewbieBoom: ''Gratuitious Sax and Senseless Violins'' won the duo a lot of fans in Europe, particularly in Germany, so they recorded ''Plagiarism'' (made up of reworked versions of older songs) to capitalize on their new-found audience. This trope has steadily began to grow in stature worldwide from ''Lil' Beethoven'' onward.

* NewbieBoom: ''Gratuitious Sax and Senseless Violins'' won the duo a lot of fans in Europe, particularly in Germany, so they recorded ''Plagiarism'' (made up of reworked versions of older songs) to capitalize on their new-found audience. This trope has began to grow in stature worldwide from ''Lil' Beethoven'' onward.

* NewbieBoom: ''Gratuitious Sax and Senseless Violins'' won the duo a lot of fans in Europe, particularly in Germany, so they recorded ''Plagiarism'' (made up of reworked versions of older songs) to capitalize on their new-found success.

** Ron and Russel appeared on ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' playing a version of "Perfume" with just the two of them. Come the 2010s and they're doing two whole tours with that concept.[[note]]''Two Hands, One Mouth'' and ''The Revenge of Two Hands, One Mouth''[[/note]]

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: They were always more popular in Europe - especially the UK, where ''Kimono My House'' made them famous - than their native USA. To put it into perspective, they were ''huge'' during the 70s and have had many successful singles throughout their career in Europe, whereas the only song to reach very high in the US charts was "Cool Places" in the 80s.

* DorkAge: Their SynthPop period, (excluding the acclaimed ''No. 1 in Heaven'' and ''Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins''). While these albums - particularly ''Angst in My Pants'' and ''Balls'', which have been VindicatedByHistory - certainly have their fans, it's a big point of contention.

* {{Harsher In Hindsight}}: The apocalyptic "The Calm Before the Storm" is thought to have predicted 9/11 a year before it happened.
* {{Hilarious In Hindsight}}: Sparks are noted for accidentally predicting the future in amusing ways: