3 Songs That Are More Popular Than the Albums They Are Featured On

Albums are for fans, while singles are for the masses. While there are certainly some albums that have become legendary as a whole project, more often than not, it’s stand-alone songs that are remembered by the populace. Many songs have proven more popular than the albums they are featured on, including the three tracks below.

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“Creep” / Pablo Honey (Radiohead)

“Creep” is Radiohead‘s calling card—much to their dismay. Though the band might look down upon this song for its mainstream popularity, it has become a beloved song in the angsty rock sector. In fact, it casts such a large shadow that the album it is featured on is diminished by it. Many people know “Creep,” but very few non-Radiohead fans can name any other song on that record, or the name of the album at all, for that matter. The popularity of “Creep” has been a source of dismay for Thom Yorke and co. for decades, but we’d venture to guess many less successful bands would kill to have a song half as accepted by the public as this one is.

“You Get What You Give” / Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too (New Radicals)

“You Get What You Give” is a ’90s alt-rock staple. It’s also, coincidentally, New Radicals’ only hit. The band’s tenure was brief, producing only one album, Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too. It earned the band a modicum of success, but not enough to be remembered for decades to come. Their saving grace was “You Get What You Give.” You may not be able to name the album, but you can likely sing along to this infectious chorus: You’ve got the music in you / Don’t let go, you’ve got the music in you…

“Seven Nation Army” / Elephant (The White Stripes)

“Seven Nation Army” is a cultural phenomenon. You can’t escape the iconic riff at the beginning of this song. Sporting events, commercials, movies, you name it, “Seven Nation Army” will get a feature. This song earned Jack White‘s The White Stripes massive success and pulled in accolades for the accompanying album, Elephant. However, a couple of decades since the release of this album, “Seven Nation Army” has proven to be the unarguable standout. None of the other songs on this record have matched this track’s immense success. This stand-alone song is far more popular than the album it is featured on.

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