5 Famous Rock Songs With Hidden Easter Eggs

Calling all audiophiles! There’s nothing quite as exhilarating for music lovers with a strong attention to detail than a hidden, secret element in a song. Some songs are unassuming with their tiny hidden details, while others have sparked whole conspiracy theories. These five famous rock songs boast hidden Easter eggs that you may not have heard before.

1. “Empty Spaces” by Pink Floyd

The famed 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall is one of the most beloved progressive rock records of all time. One particular song from that album, “Empty Spaces”, features some hidden messages in the “empty spaces” of the song. 

At a certain point in the song, a keen ear can hear Roger Waters say “Congratulations, you’ve just discovered the secret message. Please send your answer to Old Pink, care of the funny farm, Chalfont.” Another unidentified voice says “Roger, Carolyne is on the phone!” 

It’s a lot easier to pick up with headphones, and even the biggest Pink Floyd fans may have missed it.

2. “Nameless, Endless” by Nirvana

You may or may not have heard this hidden track on Nirvana’s hit album Nevermind, depending on where or when you bought the album. If you let the CD version of the album continue playing 10 minutes beyond “Something In The Way”, you might hear the jolting intro to “Endless, Nameless”. Allegedly, only 20,000 copies of the CD do not feature the track, while the rest do.

Kurt Cobain originally wanted the hidden track on the album and was pretty PO’d when he found out that it wasn’t included on the first pressings of the CD. This was eventually rectified, but the song is still not listed on most of the CDs and is missing entirely on the vinyl versions of the album.

3. “Hotel California” by The Eagles

“Hotel California” has seen its share of controversy and conspiracy theories through the years. One particular conspiracy theory notes that when played backward, the lyrics of this song turn into Satanic messages. 

Some listeners have noted that they can hear “Yeah Satan, he organized, he organized his own religion”, while others hear “Satan he had me believe in him”. Either way, the barely legible wording of the backward vocal track was probably not intentional. Or was it?!

[See The Eagles Live In Concert]

4. “YYZ” by Rush

The introduction of “YYZ” by Rush features some loud bells arranged in an interesting pattern. If you know Morse code or work as a pilot, then you can likely hear exactly what those bells are saying. The bells spell out the Morse code for “YYZ”, which is also the code for the Toronto International Airport used by pilots. Toronto happens to be the hometown of the band. It’s certainly an interesting way to give props to your city!

5. A Hidden Track on Tool’s ‘10,000 Days’

This is an intentional Easter egg on the part of Tool, and probably the most creative uses of Easter eggs in rock songs. On the 2006 album 10,000 Days, the songs “10,000 Days”, “Viginti Tres”, and “Wings For Marie” can be overlaid to form a whole new song with new lyrics. It’s a hidden track, but hidden within the existing songs themselves. Pretty neat, if you ask me.

Photo via Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ Cover

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