Who said the B-side had to play second fiddle? These songs flipped the script, turning what could’ve been leftovers into legends. Some became fan favorites, others redefined their bands entirely. Let’s drop the needle on 25 B-sides that shine just as bright as the hits.
“Acquiesce” – Oasis
Britpop unity in four minutes. Noel and Liam share vocals like two halves of the same storm — proof that Oasis’ B-sides were better than most bands’ A-sides.
“Blue Dahlia” – The Gaslight Anthem
Tender, bruised, and cinematic. It’s like Bruce Springsteen stumbled into a midnight diner with Brian Fallon and left this song on the jukebox.
“Cuttooth” – Radiohead
Lost in the static between dreams and anxiety, “Cuttooth” feels like the moment your thoughts start glitching — a haunting outtake that deserved the spotlight.
“Dangerous” – Depeche Mode
A sultry pulse under flickering lights. Martin Gore’s whispered temptation and Alan Wilder’s hypnotic groove make this the secret twin to “Personal Jesus.”
“Dive” – Nirvana
Heavy as a raincloud and twice as moody, “Dive” proved Cobain didn’t need a hit to be seismic. It’s sludge, swagger, and sheer attitude.
“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Beatles
John Lennon at his most raw and romantic. Billy Preston’s keys dance behind a plea so honest it almost feels too intimate for vinyl.
“Evil Twin” – Arctic Monkeys
Alex Turner’s sneer drips over a bassline built for late-night chaos. “Evil Twin” could’ve led AM — instead, it became every fan’s secret weapon.
“Half the World Away” – Oasis
Acoustic melancholy bottled in a bedsit. Noel’s wistful strum turned wanderlust into poetry — the sound of dreaming beyond the council estate.
“Hey Hey What Can I Do” – Led Zeppelin
The rare Zeppelin track where heartbreak beats heroics. A whiskey-soaked singalong that feels more human than mythical.
“Hong Kong” – Gorillaz
An ambient daydream floating over ghostly strings. Damon Albarn turns loneliness into something beautiful and cinematic.
“How Soon Is Now?” – The Smiths
A B-side so iconic it became a generation’s anthem. Marr’s tremolo guitar hums like electricity through rain-soaked English streets.
“Luminous Times (Hold On to Love)” – U2
Between Joshua Tree shadows and desert light, Bono preaches love as salvation. A hymn disguised as a hidden track.
“My Dark Star” – Suede
Glam in grayscale. Brett Anderson sighs into the cosmos while Bernard Butler paints galaxies with guitar — melancholia never sounded so lush.
“Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” – The Smiths
Two minutes of perfection. Morrissey’s yearning and Marr’s mandolin made this B-side one of the most emotional pleas ever pressed.
“Talk Show Host” – Radiohead
Brooding, cinematic, and effortlessly cool. Before OK Computer, this was Thom Yorke’s warning that something weirder was coming.
“Rain” – The Beatles
The sound of psychedelia being born. Ringo’s finest drumming moment and Lennon’s cloudy mysticism — both sides of the storm.
“She’s Always in My Hair” – Prince
Velvet funk and pure devotion. Prince turned heartbreak into groove, a masterclass in making pain sound sexy.
“Silver Springs” – Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks singing her heart into dust. The song that almost broke Rumours — and later, brought it back to life.
“Soul to Squeeze” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
A soulful detour that became an accidental classic. Flea’s bass hums, Kiedis aches, and for once, everything just… breathes.
“Stop the World I Wanna Get Off with You” – Arctic Monkeys
Cheeky and smooth, it’s the flirty encore AM didn’t know it needed. Romantic chaos wrapped in a guitar riff.
“The Masterplan” – Oasis
The ultimate B-side philosophy: “We’re all part of the masterplan.” A song so good it gave its name to a whole compilation.
“The Upstairs Room” – The Cure
Robert Smith traded gloom for groove — synths shimmer, guitars sparkle, and even melancholy sounds danceable.
“Walk Straight Down the Middle” – Kate Bush
Fear meets freedom. Bush turns uncertainty into art with an ethereal climb that could float straight into the heavens.
“Wipe Out” – The Surfaris
Technically the flip, but c’mon — that laugh, that drum roll. The beach never recovered.
“Yellow Ledbetter” – Pearl Jam
The sound of a warm summer fading. Mike McCready’s guitar speaks in tongues while Vedder mumbles poetry only the heart understands.
