3 Songs That Weren’t Suitable for Their Albums (But Were Perfect on Their Own)

Curating the right tracks for an album is no easy task. When it comes to the following famous and genuinely good rock songs from the 20th century, each track is fantastic as a standalone piece of work. But in the context of their albums, these songs… stick out. Let’s dive into why these famous songs sound excellent on their own but kind of clash with the records they were released on.

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“Single Pigeon” from ‘Red Rose Speedway’ by Wings (1973)

Let’s be real. Paul McCartney can write about whatever he wants, and it will still end up being an exceptional song. So, I doubt anyone in Wings argued when he said he planned to write a song about his love of birds.

“One of my hobbies is ornithology,” said McCartney in The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present. “I’m a keen ornithologist and always have been. […] I like me birds, as they say.”

In the context of Red Rose Speedway, “Single Pigeon” doesn’t match the power of other songs on that album. Some might say it sounds like a demo. However, I think it’s a nice, silly, personal sort of song that lent the album a bit more personality.

“Space Oddity” from ‘David Bowie’ by David Bowie (1969)

A massive No. 1 hit for Bowie, “Space Oddity” is definitely one of the art rock icon’s most signature tunes. But in the context of his self-titled album? “Space Oddity” is so good that it sticks out like a sore thumb among the more mild and conventional songs on that album. There are a few other tracks on David Bowie that are great, like “God Knows I’m Good”. But there’s this feel like “Space Oddity” is the A-side and the rest of the album is the B-side.

“Mama Said” from ‘Load’ by Metallica (1996)

Load is a great album, but it was a controversial one among Metallica’s more diehard thrash metal fans. They definitely played around with different sounds, particularly on the track “Mama Said”. That song is a shamelessly Southern rock ballad, one that remains quite popular today. However, this is one of those songs that sounds like it shouldn’t be on Load… or any of Metallica’s albums. It doesn’t sound like Metallica at all.

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