5 of the Best Songs That Sound Nothing Like the Band’s Usual Style

In a world where music is packaged and distributed within the confines of capitalism, maintaining a recognizable and consistent image and style can be the difference between an artist’s career lasting for decades and fizzling out in a flash. Consumers tend to enjoy stability, especially when it comes to their expectations from a band.

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But this mindset forsakes the connection between making great art and being willing to experiment. These five songs sound nothing like the band’s usual style. And in a strange way, that almost makes them even better.

“Maggot Brain” by Funkadelic

If a listener didn’t know any better, they might be inclined to believe that the band that recorded “Maggot Brain” is totally different from the one that released “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)”. But they’d be wrong. Both tracks were released by Funkadelic in the 1970s, with “Maggot Brain” featuring a far darker, jammier, and rubato feel than their more pop-oriented offerings.

“Solitude” by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath often hid gentle interludes in between their heavy metal offerings, and “Solitude” is one such example. This particular track is one of two softer tunes on the band’s 1971 album Master Of Reality. The song is contemplative and mellow, complete with a flute solo by Tony Iommi. When’s the last time you thought of Black Sabbath as a flute kind of band?

“I Was Made For Loving You” by KISS

Despite how much members of the band disliked it, “I Was Made For Loving You” by KISS is a bona fide bop. The rock band’s 1979 track was clearly a way for the heavy rockers to fall in line with the disco movement. Although the choice might have angered some diehard fans (and Gene Simmons, for that matter), it’s a great, catchy tune. Even if it doesn’t sound like “Rock And Roll All Nite”.

“Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” by Green Day

If we weren’t all acclimated to the sound of Billie Joe Armstrong’s singing voice, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that Green Day wasn’t behind the ultra-sentimental acoustic song, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”. Indeed, the sheer sappiness of it all seemed to contradict the punk ethos entirely. Nevertheless, the song became one of the band’s most ubiquitous songs.

“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Nirvana

Although Kurt Cobain’s cover of the traditional folk tune “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” only made its way into the Nirvana Unplugged set as a live recording, it stands alone among the rest of the grunge band’s catalogue. Kurt Cobain’s signature rasp is still front and center, as is the inherent emotional vulnerability he imbued in his vocal delivery. Still, this version of “In The Pines” hardly sounds like a Nirvana song.

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