3 Unreal Classic Rock Songs That Should Have Never Been B-Sides

Choosing which song should make it to A-side releases and B-side releases is an art in and of itself. Most of the time, bands and musicians get it right and end up choosing the right song to soak up all the attention. Other times, though, some classic rock bands and artists really should have released their B-sides as A-sides. Let’s look at just a few examples, shall we?

“Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac (1976)

There was no way I’d leave this stunning Stevie Nicks original off our list of classic rock B-sides that should have been A-sides. Honestly, I’m still shocked that the band turned this song down for inclusion on the original release of Rumours. Instead, the band opted to include it as the B-side of “Go Your Own Way”. This is one of the most direct songs that references the whirlwind relationship between Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. And for a lot of fans today, this is their favorite Fleetwood Mac song.

“Waiting For Tonight” by Tom Petty (1987 or 1988)

“Waiting For Tonight” was recorded during sessions for Tom Petty’s debut solo album, Full Moon Fever. For some reason, I just can’t grasp, this gorgeous song didn’t make it to the album. In fact, it didn’t see the light of day until 1995 when it was tucked away on Disc 6 of the box set Playback, and later again on Petty’s 2000 Anthology compilation album. I’m pretty sure this song didn’t even get the B-side treatment at a minimum. “Waiting For Tonight” featured The Bangles on backup vocals and is an all-around gorgeous composition that should have made it to fans’ ears back in the 80s.

“Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam (1992)

I’m still surprised this classic rock grunge track was ever considered for the band’s B-sides. It’s a very well-loved song from Pearl Jam’s discography, even today. “Yellow Ledbetter” was originally an outtake from the band’s debut record, Ten. It was chosen as the B-side to the similarly incredible single, “Jeremy”. It was just too good to ignore, and this famous B-side slipped onto the radio and ended up peaking at No. 21 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Mike McCready, the song’s co-writer, said that he was “kind of bummed at the time” that “Yellow Ledbetter” didn’t make it to Ten.

Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images