Heartbreaking tales of these fleeting stars
Often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time, 'Rumours,' released by Fleetwood Mac in 1977, spawned four hit singles—'Go Your Own Way,' 'Dreams,' 'Don't Stop,' and 'You Make Loving Fun.' A glaring exception is 'The Chain.' However, it was played live on numerous occasions and gained further fame in the UK when the instrumental section of the track was used as the theme song for the BBC and Channel 4's television coverage of Formula One.
An album band to the core, Led Zeppelin released few singles, 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Immigrant Song' being rare exceptions. It was hoped 'Stairway to Heaven,' which appeared on side one of 'Led Zeppelin IV,' would join this exclusive club, but the epic power ballad was never promoted as a single. 'Stairway to Heaven' is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' was never released as a single in the US, but after Jimi Hendrix's death on September 18, 1970, a single version was released in the UK. The song was written by Hendrix and recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968 and appears as the final track on the group's 'Electric Ladyland' album.
A track by American alternative rock band Pixies recorded for their 1988 debut album, 'Surfer Rosa,' 'Where Is My Mind?' became the Pixies' signature song. It gained a wider audience in 1999 after being featured in the movie 'Fight Club.'
Here's an anomaly: despite never having been released as a single, 'Till I Collapse' has managed to chart numerous times worldwide. Appearing on 2002's 'The Eminem Show,' the song is the most streamed non-single on Spotify, according to Guinness World Records.
It was only in 2023 that 'Cruel Summer' was finally released as a single. Recorded in 2019 as an album track on 'Lover,' Swift began performing the song live during her Eras tour. Soon afterwards, it went viral on social media.
A track that opens 1975's 'Born to Run,' 'Thunder Road' is regarded by many Bruce Springsteen fans as the single that got away, and certainly one of the greatest songs ever composed by "The Boss."
Written by the Bee Gees for the 'Saturday Night Fever' (1977) movie soundtrack, 'More Than a Woman' was not released as a single in the UK or US, but was in other countries, including Italy and Australia.
Arguably the best song in The Beatles' canon never released as a single is 'A Day in the Life.' The song closes the band's legendary 1967 album, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,' and is quite simply regarded as a masterpiece. It remains one of the most influential and celebrated songs in popular music history.
Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't She Lovely' is a song celebrating the birth of the singer's daughter, Aisha Morris. The track appears on his 1976 album, 'Songs in the Key of Life.' Wonder was unwilling to cut the song from its more than six minutes, so a single release was never considered. Nonetheless, 'Isn't She Lovely' received plenty of airplay.
'Hunky Dory,' released in 1971, is considered one of David Bowie's most influential albums. 'Changes' was the lead single, but 'Oh! You Pretty Things' was a close contender. Ultimately, Bowie gave away the track to Peter Noone, lead singer with Herman's Hermits, who recorded it as his debut solo single.
The third song on Nirvana's debut album, 'Bleach,' released in 1989, 'About a Girl' achieved fame after Kurt Cobain performed a live acoustic version of the track during the band's 'MTV Unplugged' appearance in November 1993. 'About a Girl' was, in fact, released as a single in October 1994, six months after Cobain's death.
The opening track of the Rolling Stones' 1969 album 'Let It Bleed,' 'Gimme Shelter' quickly became a staple of the band's live concerts. While never released as a single, the song nevertheless has been included on many compilation releases.
The double A-side single, 'Come Together/Something,' served as The Beatles' swansong. Both tracks appear on 1969's 'Abbey Road.' Like 'Something,' 'Here Comes the Sun' was written by George Harrison. It's widely viewed by music historians as having marked Harrison's ascendancy as a composer to the level of Lennon and McCartney.
An album favorite for many years, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' was eventually released as a single, five years after The Smiths had disbanded. The track originally featured on the band's 1986 album, 'The Queen Is Dead.'
'Slide Away' appears as the penultimate track on Oasis' 1994 debut album 'Definitely Maybe.' Despite being a fan favorite, 'Slide Away' was rarely played live, though Liam Gallagher has since performed the song at some of his solo shows.
'Your Silent Face' opens side two of New Order's highly regarded 'Power, Corruption & Lies,' released in 1983. The track became a highlight of the band's live act.
'Radio' is often listed on fan forums as a song Beyoncé should have released as a single. It was recorded for her 2008 album 'I Am… Sasha Fierce,' and marked a departure from her usual R&B style.
'Rio' was the second album released by English New Romantic band Duran Duran, in 1982. The band shot music videos for many of the album's tracks, all of which helped spearhead the 1980's MTV revolution. However, 'New Religion,' a key highlight that opened side two and was described as a "dialogue between the ego and the alter-ego," was never given single status.
'Like a Drug' is the second song on side one of 2007's 'X,' a dance-pop and electronica album that explores themes of sex and celebration. Music critics noted the track's "sinister production, with a distorted airy vibe," with some left scratching their heads as to why it wasn't released as a single.
'Umbrella' was the big hit single taken from Rihanna's 2007 album release 'Good Girl Gone Bad.' Closing the album, though, is the title track 'Good Girl Gone Bad,' which caught the imagination of Rihanna's female fan base, who recognized it as leveling a warning at the men out there who aren't taking care of the special women in their lives. But it's also about Rihanna breaking out of the innocent image the singer says she was forced into.
So near was 'Red Hill Mining Town' to being released as a single that U2 had shot a music video. It was planned as the second single from 1987's 'Joshua Tree,' but was ultimately shelved in favor of 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.'
Lana Del Rey is notorious for shelving single-status songs. For every track picked to appear on a record, there are dozens that haven't made the cut. One of these is 2010's 'Go Go Dancer,' which was leaked on social media in 2012.
Elvis Presley's cover version of Bob Dylan's 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time' was included as a bonus track on the 1966 movie soundtrack album 'Spinout.' RCA music executives missed a beat by not releasing it as a single, especially after Dylan himself later said that Presley's cover of the song was "the one recording I treasure the most."
An obscure track on side two of 1963's 'Surfer Girl,' this number, sung by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, features some mean-sounding drums by Dennis Wilson. But Brian Wilson was planning to drop the song altogether; it might later have made it as a single, but another automobile-themed song, 'Little Deuce Coupe,' ultimately took the checkered flag.
The second track on side one of Goldfrapp's 2005 album, 'Supernature,' 'Lovely 2 C U' is one of the more underrated songs by the English electronic music duo of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory.
Sources: (Official Charts) (Spinditty) (Rate Your Music) (Songfacts) (Guinness World Records)
Al Green's knockout cover of the Bee Gee's 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' was overlooked as a possible follow-up single after 'Let's Stay Together' made the top spot on his 1972 album.
Track two on side two of Talking Heads' 'Fear of Music,' released in 1979, 'Heaven' might have been the fourth single taken from the album but instead this rare ballad featured as the second song in the band's 1984 concert film 'Stop Making Sense.'
'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' is the debut album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released in 1964, it featured the original acoustic version of 'Sounds of Silence,' which was released as a single. But for many it's the lesser-known 'Bleecker Street' that truly showcases the duo's early folk sound, with one critic describing the song as "haunting" and "atmospheric."
In 2023, Ed Sheeran secured his seventh straight UK number one album with 'Autumn Variations.' Soon afterwards he announced that no singles would be released, although one, 'American Town,' was sent to Italian contemporary hit radio the same day as the album was released. Otherwise, fans and music critics alike agree that 'England' is the best song on the album, and would have made a suitably impressive single.
The decision to release an album track as a single is made because it stands the best chance of becoming a hit. And while an artist or record company usually makes the right choice, some songs are left lurking in the grooves that deserve singular status, iconic recordings that in hindsight would surely have topped the music charts. So, what tunes missed the cut, and who sang them?
Click through this playlist and check out your favorite LP tracks that should have been singles.
Celebrated songs that were album tracks, not singles
These tracks from the album are as iconic as the biggest singles
MUSIC Entertainment
The decision to release an album track as a single is made because it stands the best chance of becoming a hit. And while an artist or record company usually makes the right choice, some songs are left lurking in the grooves that deserve singular status, iconic recordings that in hindsight would surely have topped the music charts. So, what tunes missed the cut, and who sang them?
Click through this playlist and check out your favorite LP tracks that should have been singles.