These 3 Pop B-Sides Were Never Supposed To Become Hits, but Somehow Still Took Over the Radio

Some pop songs became hits, despite being B-sides to other songs that their makers (or their labels) expected to be the money-makers. Other B-sides in pop didn’t do quite as well as their A-sides did on the charts but have become cult classics anyway. Sometimes, the B-side reigns supreme. Let’s take a look at a few 20th-century examples of this phenomenon, shall we?

“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor (1978)

This one still shocks me to this day. With one spin of this disco pop hit from 1978, it’s clear that it was a charting hit. And yet, it was originally released as a measly B-side to the song “Substitute”. By the time 1979 rolled around, radio stations favored the B-side significantly, and “I Will Survive” became a slam-dunk hit on the charts. It peaked at No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles charts. The A-side, “Substitute”, alternatively, only made it to No. 67 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the UK Singles chart. And let’s be real, which one is stuck in your head as you’re reading this?

“Into The Groove” by Madonna (1985)

Madonna had a hit on her hands with the 1985 single “Into The Groove”. It was featured on both the album Like A Virgin and in the film Desperately Seeking Susan. This Madonna classic was a hefty hit, despite its pearl-clutching use of innuendo. And, surprisingly, it was not released as a commercial single in the US, which made it ineligible for the Hot 100. It was originally released as the B-side to “Angel”. As a pair, the release topped the Dance Singles Sales chart. And outside of the US, it was a smash No. 1 hit across the board, including on the European version of the Hot 100 chart.

“I Am The Walrus” by The Beatles (1967)

This entry on our list of pop B-sides that were bigger hits than the A-sides might be a bit controversial. The B-side single “I Am The Walrus” peaked at No. 56 on the Hot 100. Its A-side, “Hello Goodbye”, peaked at No. 1 across the board. Objectively, “Hello, Goodbye” soaked up most of the spotlight. But in my opinion (and I’m sure someone out there agrees with me),  “I Am The Walrus” has taken on a sort of iconic status in pop culture in the years since its release, in a way that “Hello, Goodbye” just hasn’t. It’s one of the most memorable psychedelic rock songs of all time.

Photo by David Magnus/Shutterstock