A-sides may get the glory, but B-sides get the cult following.
In the days of vinyl and cassettes, flipping the single meant finding buried treasure — the tracks that weren’t meant to be hits but sometimes outshone them. These weren’t just throwaways or filler — they were the unsung anthems, the raw experiments, the songs that made fans fall even harder.
Some B-sides became concert staples. Some were secret favorites among the band. And some even turned into accidental hits.
Here are 20 of the best music B-sides ever — from legends who couldn’t stop creating magic, even when no one was looking.
1. The Beatles – “Rain”
B-side to: “Paperback Writer” (1966)
Psychedelic before it was fashionable. Lennon’s voice, Ringo’s best drumming ever, and a backwards tape loop? Come on — it’s a whole mood.
2. Oasis – “Acquiesce”
B-side to: “Some Might Say” (1995)
This isn’t just a B-side. This is the song that convinced half the UK that Liam and Noel shouting together was pure rock ’n’ roll perfection.
3. The Rolling Stones – “Child of the Moon”
B-side to: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1968)
The Stones go full-on trippy in this underappreciated slice of ’60s psychedelia. It’s hazy, poetic, and so, so good.
4. Queen – “I’m In Love With My Car”
B-side to: “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975)
Roger Taylor fought for this track. He even locked himself in a cupboard until it got on the B-side. It’s the sound of chrome, leather, and glorious overdrive.
5. U2 – “Sweetest Thing”
B-side to: “Where the Streets Have No Name” (1987)
Originally just a thank-you to Bono’s wife for forgetting her birthday, it’s so good they re-released it as an A-side years later.
6. David Bowie – “Velvet Goldmine”
B-side to: “Space Oddity” reissue (1975)
Glam. Sleaze. Swagger. Hidden for years and too spicy for early ’70s radio. Now it’s a cult favorite — and the name of a movie, too.
7. Nirvana – “Even In His Youth”
B-side to: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991)
Kurt at his most cathartic and confessional. Loud, fast, and furious — and still better than 90% of the grunge scene.
8. Bruce Springsteen – “Pink Cadillac”
B-side to: “Dancing in the Dark” (1984)
The Boss takes a detour down rockabilly highway. Greasy, playful, and impossible not to love.
9. The Smiths – “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want”
B-side to: “William, It Was Really Nothing” (1984)
Only Morrissey and Marr could make 1 minute and 50 seconds feel like a lifetime of yearning.
10. Prince – “Erotic City”
B-side to: “Let’s Go Crazy” (1984)
“Must be something in the water they drink.” Funky, filthy, and banned from many stations. Prince owned the B-side.
11. Led Zeppelin – “Hey, Hey What Can I Do”
B-side to: “Immigrant Song” (1970)
Zep’s only non-album B-side, and it’s a beauty. Acoustic strumming, barroom heartbreak, and Plant crooning like a troubadour.
12. R.E.M. – “Fretless”
B-side to: “Losing My Religion” (1991)
Haunting, moody, and melancholic. Stipe and company buried this one and the superfans still talk about it like it’s a secret code.
13. Blur – “Young & Lovely”
B-side to: “Chemical World” (1993)
Better than half the songs on Modern Life Is Rubbish. Lush, Britpop brilliance, and a fan-favorite for good reason.
14. Bob Dylan – “Rita May”
B-side to: “Stuck Inside of Mobile…” (1976)
Lost in the shuffle of Dylan’s prolific mid-’70s run, but this bluesy outtake from the Desire sessions has its own swagger.
15. Radiohead – “Talk Show Host”
B-side to: “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” (1996)
Found new life on the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack. Moody, menacing, and pure mid-’90s cool.
16. The Jam – “The Butterfly Collector”
B-side to: “Strange Town” (1979)
Paul Weller’s bitter, brilliant takedown of groupie culture. Raw and poetic. A real B-side flex.
17. The Who – “Dogs Part Two”
B-side to: “Pinball Wizard” (1969)
An instrumental? Sure. But it barks, it bites, and Keith Moon co-wrote it. That alone makes it legendary.
18. T. Rex – “Raw Ramp”
B-side to: “Get It On” (1971)
Bolanesque to the max. Glitter, groove, and good times all packed into a B-side you’ll want on repeat.
19. Arctic Monkeys – “Evil Twin”
B-side to: “Suck It and See” (2011)
The Monkeys go heavy and hypnotic. A modern B-side that proves the art isn’t dead — just a bit harder to find.
20. Elvis Presley – “Don’t Be Cruel”
B-side to: “Hound Dog” (1956)
In a twist of history, the B-side was just as huge as the A-side. Together, they ruled the charts — and changed the world.
The B-side was never just the throwaway. It was the playground, the secret handshake, the mixtape gold.
And for anyone who ever bought a single and flipped it over just to see what surprises were waiting — you knew the truth: some of the best songs weren’t on the radio. They were spinning on the other side, waiting to be found.
Got a favorite B-side that blew your mind? There’s a record crate somewhere that agrees with you.
Rock on — and always flip the record.
