Bands' best known songs that are not among their best songs (IMO)

[The Shepherd]

Fixed it

Yeah, I checked on Spotify and Enter Sandman was #1, One is #5.

Both songs are far from being Metallica's best offerings.

 

[A J]

IMO, Smoke on the Water is not even close to being one of Deep Purple's best songs (certainly the catchiest, though). How about Speed King (of course), Space Truckin', Woman from Tokyo, Stormbringer, Burn, Mary Long, Child in Time, Rat Bat Blue, Perfect Strangers, etc, etc!

Agreed. While "Smoke On The Water" is a great song, Deep Purple (and Rainbow) recorded at least a dozen others that were far better.

 

[specgrade]

Scorpions No One Like You / Rock You Like A Hurricane.

 

[bud7h4]

Rush is perhaps best known for "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio", but personally, although I like both of those, I don't consider those their best songs.

I agree with Radio. I feel TS is good enough to qualify as one of their best, considering Rush's "best" is a looong list.

 

[alparrott]

I agree with Radio. I feel TS is good enough to qualify as one of their best, considering Rush's "best" is a looong list.

I'll agree it's a good song, I just don't think it's among their best. Tough to say on a record as iconic as Moving Pictures, but IMO it's not even the best song on that record. "Limelight" and "The Camera Eye" are arguably better songs, and I personally like it maybe the *least* of MP's tracks. Heresy, I know.

 

[rungeflash]

I think some of these songs (not all) are simply victims of their own success….which leads to massive overplaying thru the years. People start turning on them. If some of these would have remained obscure B side songs….they would be “hidden” gems today

 

[Anon La Ply]

Santana - Black Magic Woman
Supertramp - Dreamer
Police - Every Step You Take
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Focus - Hocus Pocus
Zappa - Catholic Girls
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded by the Light
Pat Metheny - his smooth jazz material - check out Imaginary Day for non-smooth Pat
Weather Report - Birdland

 

[Drumdame]

Party Train - The Gap Band

 

[rungeflash]

Silent Lucidity

Ya I’m not a big fan of that one. And way overplayed.

I‘ll punch in “One and Only” way before silent lucidity

 

[rungeflash]

I definitely have Tom Sawyer as one of Rush’s all time greats…but a victim of its own overplayed success.

Now Anthem?…should be played more, much more haha

 

[DrumEatDrum]

Silent Lucidity

This.

I love Queensryche, but geez give that song a rest.

If I am listening to QR, even if I'm listening to Empire, I tend to skip that song. Not that's bad, but it's different for them and not exactly representative of what the band was/is about.

 

[DrumEatDrum]

Rush is perhaps best known for "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio", but personally, although I like both of those, I don't consider those their best songs.

Both are certainly overplayed given how deep the Rush catalog is.

 

[DrumEatDrum]

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey was there number one highest selling song.

While perception has changed over the years,

"Open Arms" and "Faithfully" both songs earned Journey a rep as a soft rock piano ballad band in the '80s. For many years, few people knew they also had rocking songs. I remember back in high school I just stopped telling people I liked Journey because so many other kids only knew them for "Open Arms" and "Faithfully"

The rise of Don't Stop did help change that to an extent.

 

[DrumEatDrum]

You've got Another Thing Coming

I'd say their best-known song is "Living After Midnight" which I consider pure bad cheese compared to most of the JP catalog.

 

[bud7h4]

I'd say their best-known song is "Living After Midnight" which I consider pure bad cheese compared to most of the JP catalog.

I agree.
Actually that's such a good pick I'm replacing "You've got another thing coming" on my list with that one.

 

[lefty2]

Kansas is probably best known for Dust in the Wind and Carry On Wayward Son. But they have tons of music much better than those 2. Those are really good though.

 

[blinky]

Lucky Man -ELP
Owner of a lonely heart - Yes (already mentioned)

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

Kansas is probably best known for Dust in the Wind and Carry On Wayward Son. But they have tons of music much better than those 2. Those are really good though.

i looove Kansas. They were one of the first groups I played along to as a kid.

and I still think Dust In The Wind is a phenomenal song. Simply beautiful...but definitely overplayed

 

[lefty2]

i looove Kansas. They were one of the first groups I played along to as a kid.

and I still think Dust In The Wind is a phenomenal song. Simply beautiful...but definitely overplayed

One thing that's unique about dust in the wind is that it was not intended to be a song. It was a finger exercise that Carrie was playing. And his wife said that's beautiful, how do the words go? of course, the record company went nuts because they've been begging for a slow naked play on the radio.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

One thing that's unique about dust in the wind is that it was not intended to be a song. It was a finger exercise that Carrie was playing. And his wife said that's beautiful, how do the words go? of course, the record company went nuts because they've been begging for a slow naked play on the radio.

yep!! I have read that about other songs on other albums as well

"Dee" - by Randy Rhoads was just a little thing he noodled around with, and then dedicated to his mom. It was not supposed to be on the album, but Ozzy thought it was great.

I did an arrangement of "Dust ITW" for my marimba and vibes players in the marching band front ensemble a few years back. We used it as a 4 mallet exercise. It is very cool in that setting as well. This was pre-phone era, so i have no versions on permanent media sadly