These rock songs were a struggle to play live, if the artist even dared to in the first place. These hits, though marvels from their respective discographies, aren’t easy to translate into a concert setting. Whether they were omitted from the road or giant pains that took years to get right, these hits were better suited for the studio.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” — The Beatles
In the middle of The Beatles’ career, they decided to give up touring and stay close to the studio. Many factors contributed to this decision, but one successful byproduct was the experimental music they created. The album that punctuated this decision, Revolver, speaks to the way their music was changing, particularly in complex rock songs that could never have been played live, even if they were still out on the road.
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“Tomorrow Never Knows” is one such song. This song has way too many moving parts to be played live, at least in 1966. From heavily processed instrumentation to tape loops, this song was not fit for the road. Good thing The Beatles hung up their hats when they did. This song would’ve proven quite the challenge.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen
Now, Queen has played “Bohemian Rhapsody” live, but in their heyday, the operatic section of the rock song was omitted from the setlist. The many voices and harmonies required to play this song in concert made it impossible. They evolved to using playback for this part, but have never truly nailed this song down in a live setting.
This is a studio song for sure, highlighting the power of creative bravery and technical magic. Live music at the time this song was released was about something else: raw power and reckless abandon. Most rockers in this age were letting loose on stage. “Bohemian Rhapsody” requires controlled finesse.
“Good Vibrations” — The Beach Boys
Similarly, The Beach Boys eventually nailed down “Good Vibrations” live, but it proved a struggle. Shortly after the release of this rock song, it got added to the setlist. But thanks to the many overlaid sections and the mass of instruments used to record this song, it was a pale comparison to the album version.
It took them a while to really start playing this song live in the way audiences expected. The density of the production on this song made it much better suited for headphones than arena speakers.
(Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
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UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: John LENNON between 1970 and 1973. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) -
1972: (L-R) Jim Hodder, David Palmer, Denny Dias, Donald Fagen, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Walter Becker of the rock band "Steely Dan" pose for a portrait in 1972. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Kyu Sakamoto. (1941-1985) Japanese singer, best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Aruko" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. (Photo by Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images) -
Picture taken in 1974 in Stockholm shows the Swedish pop group Abba with its members (L-R) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus posing after winning the Swedish branch of the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Waterloo". – Sweden's legendary disco group ABBA announced on April 27, 2018 that they have reunited to record two new songs, 35 years after their last single. The quartet split up in 1982 after dominating the disco scene for more than a decade with hits like "Waterloo", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and "Super Trouper". (Photo by Olle LINDEBORG / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo credit should read OLLE LINDEBORG/AFP via Getty Images) -
IN CONCERT – Airdate: March 1, 1974. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) LINDA RONSTADT -
HOLLYWOOD, CA – 1979: Teens dance to the music at the 1979 Hollywood High School prom held in Hollywood, California. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
