Have you ever found yourself thumbing through an artist or band’s “Best of…” list and your favorite tracks seem to have been overlooked? Having so many greatest hits that some tunes as a result fall to the wayside isn’t the worst problem artists could have, but what happens to the songs in the shadows?
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Like finding a diamond among an act’s well-worn classics, those songs take on a new, more illustrious, even enviable definition: underrated. Here are a handful of underrated songs from some of music’s most legendary performers.
1. “All Down The Line” – The Rolling Stones (1972)
The Rolling Stones’ 1972 album Exile on Main St. is one of the band’s most revered releases. A glorious medley of blues, country, and gospel influences, the album harbors some of the group’s greatest works like “Sweet Virginia,” “Tumbling Dice,” and “Happy,” but there is one masterpiece on the album that is regularly overlooked.
The muddied rocker “All Down The Line” was released as the B-side to the single “Happy” and often gets chalked up to just that, a B-side. However, the multi-layered tune – its rock and roll attitude, swampy blues flourishes, horn arrangement and all – features a near-perfect band.
2. “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” – Otis Redding (1967)
From a brief, but hit-riddled career, Otis Redding left behind a catalog of lasting favorites and now soul standards like “These Arms of Mine” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” He had a number of other successes beyond those two classics, but many are often overshadowed.
“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” is among Redding’s lesser-known, but equally lovable tunes. Released on the 1969 posthumous album The Immortal Otis Redding, the glossy groover became bogged down by the album’s charting tunes, “The Happy Song (Dum-Dum),” “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” and the enduring “Hard to Handle.”
3. “Hateful” – The Clash (1979)
The Clash’s London Calling is one of punk rock’s most important releases. With tunes like the title track, “The Guns of Brixton,” and “Death or Glory,” the band crafted a masterpiece that spoke volumes to the disenfranchised. But the album is home to one absolute banger that is an oft-overlooked addition to the socially conscious tracks that make up the work.
The album’s “Hateful” features the band at their finest, playing with their trademark cool aggression – a loud and erratic style that still contains an ear-perking precision.
4. “I Ain’t The One” – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 debut, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), contained hits that would secure the band’s place as Southern rock gods. It’s sometimes difficult to fathom that enduring tunes like “Gimme Three Steps,” “Simple Man,” “Tuesday’s Gone,” and “Free Bird” all donned their debut, but it’s even harder to grasp that one song from the album is often forgotten.
“I Ain’t The One” opens the album and acts as the fiery introduction of these six Florida rockers to the world. A song that says “This is Lynyrd Skynyrd” from its first explosive notes, “I Ain’t The One” is solid gold.
5. “Big Love” – Fleetwood Mac (1987)
“Big Love” was an immediate hit when it was released as the first single from Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 album Tango in the Night. However, hits like “Seven Wonders,” “Little Lies,” and “Everywhere” followed, soon overshadowing the punchy tune. The latter singles had staying power and are today considered among the group’s greatest hits. “Big Love,” with its entrancing vocals and anthemic production, is deserving of the same recognition.
6. “Those Shoes” – The Eagles (1979)
How can a song compete with the likes of “Heartache Tonight,” “The Long Run,” and “I Can’t Tell You Why” all gracing the same release? In 1979, the Eagles cemented their role as a hit factory with the release of The Long Run, an album that contained several of the band’s now classics and one deep cut worthy of hit status.
“Those Shoes” is a lush, sensuous rocker with the grit and power an Eagles classic must possess.
7. “No Quarter” – Led Zeppelin (1973)
From their decade-long stint as a band, Led Zeppelin has become synonymous with greatest hits like “Dazed and Confused,” “Black Dog,” “Ramble On,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and a whole lot more. With iconic albums like their self-titled releases, Physical Graffiti, and Houses of the Holy to pick and choose from, the band’s repertoire is far from lacking. However, that also means plenty of classics get easily overlooked.
“No Quarter” is one of them. The Houses of the Holy hard rock hit is deliciously somber and beautifully atmospheric in the quintessential Zeppelin fashion.
8. “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” – The Beatles (1968)
Talk about a prolific catalog. The Beatles are responsible for some of rock’s greatest tunes-turned-standards, many of them belonging to the band’s 1968 magnum opus The White Album. “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Dear Prudence,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Helter Skelter” all grace the acclaimed release along with one especially unsung tune.
“Happiness Is a Warm Gun” is one of the Beatles’ finest, and yet with a song inventory so jam-packed with legendary tunes, it is often overshadowed.
Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns
