3 Classic Rock Deep Cuts That Are Better Than the Hits

It’s wild to me that the following three deep cuts from some of classic rock’s most famous bands didn’t get more love back in the day. They’re just that good. And maybe they’re even better than their makers’ hits. I’ll leave whether or not that is true up to you. Regardless, let’s look at a few classic rock deep cuts that still totally rock today!

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“The Mule” by Deep Purple from ‘Fireball’ (1971)

Prog-rock giants Deep Purple are known for their biggest hits, like “Hush” from 1968 and “Smoke On The Water” from 1973. “The Mule”, though, is a really excellent tune, too. It’s become a bit of a fan favorite through the years. That’s because Ian Paice would deliver an absolutely killer drum solo live whenever the band would tuck this one into their setlists. Since “The Mule” was never released as a single off Fireball, it never charted. I really do think this progressive rock jam was single material. Alas, it’ll probably never get the love it deserves.

“My Wild Love” by The Doors from ‘Waiting For The Sun’ (1968)

The Doors are known for their enormous psychedelia-tinged hits, like the 1967 tune “Light My Fire” and the 1971 classic “Riders On The Storm”. But there’s one very psychedelic song from a really psychedelic album by The Doors that I think doesn’t get enough love. Waiting For The Sun features hits like “Hello, I Love You”, which certainly deserved to be released as a single. However, the deep cut track “My Wild Love” always surprises me. It really could have made waves as a single. Shockingly, Robby Krieger said that the track was his least favorite song, despite his own bodyguard telling him that it was one of the band’s best.

“Tunnel Of Love” by Dire Straits from ‘Making Movies’ (1980)

Remember this Dire Straits song from 1980? It’s a Heartland Rock classic with a touch of art rock to make it unique. “Tunnel Of Love” can be found on the album Making Movies. It always makes it to greatest hits albums released by the band. And yet, it was a very modest hit when it was released as a single. This jam only made it to No. 54 in the UK. It’s pretty crazy that this classic rock jam has made it to our list of deep cuts, because it really should have been up there with “Sultans Of Swing” and “Money For Nothing” in the band’s discography.

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