# An album where Song A is the most famous, but Song B is better **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589 "2020-07-17T16:06:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/21 "2020-07-18T00:38:28Z")
On “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” “Blowing In The Wind” was the big hit but I think “Girl From The North Country” was the best song. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/22 "2020-07-18T01:30:17Z")
For me, every other song on Dire Straits’ _Brothers In Arms_ album is better than the “hits” “Money For Nothing” and “Walk of Life”. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/23 "2020-07-18T02:48:47Z")
“Squeeze Box” may be the weakest song on Who by Numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/24 "2020-07-18T05:20:56Z")
Isn’t this true for just about every album ever recorded? They take the poppiest, bubble-gummiest, catchiest song to release as a single, just to get you to buy the album. Then when you listen to the deeper, more serious songs, you realize that they are much better. At least, that was true when people used to buy albums, not just download a track or two that they kinda like. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/25 "2020-07-18T07:30:51Z")
On **So** by Peter Gabriel: I don’t know if _Sledgehammer_ was the biggest chart hit. But it was a huge hit on MTV, and the video won all sorts of awards. On the original eight-song album, I think it’s easily the weakest track. Still a quality tune. It’s just a great, great album. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/26 "2020-07-18T17:41:10Z")
Thin Lizzy ‘Jailbreak’ album: ‘The Boys are Back in Town’ gets all the mentions, but all the other songs are just as good, or better, especially ‘Emerald’. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/27 "2020-07-18T18:23:11Z")
I listened to Jailbreak just this morning. How bout that? ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/28 "2020-07-18T20:39:29Z")
Pretty amazing. I guess that would explain the reverb effect I noticed when I listened to it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/29 "2020-07-18T20:48:23Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Isn’t this true for just about every album ever recorded? They take the poppiest, bubble-gummiest, catchiest song to release as a single, just to get you to buy the album. Then when you listen to the deeper, more serious songs, you realize that they are much better. Sometimes this is true, or semi-true. And sometimes the non-singles are mostly just filler, that the artist/band didn’t devote much effort or creativity to. And sometimes the hit singles are objectively the best songs on an album, but they’ve been so overplayed and you’ve heard them so many times that it’s easier to appreciate the deeper cuts. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/30 "2020-07-18T20:59:12Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > On “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” “Blowing In The Wind” was the big hit but I think “Girl From The North Country” was the best song. I was heading straight for Freewheelin’ as well, but to say that Hard Rain is a better song. j ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/31 "2020-07-18T21:42:49Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > On “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” “Blowing In The Wind” was the big hit but I think “Girl From The North Country” was the best song. I don’t think there were any ‘hits’ off that album. Was BITW even released as a single? The hit version was by Peter Paul and Mary. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/32 "2020-07-18T23:05:53Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > For me, every other song on Dire Straits’ _Brothers In Arms_ album is better than the “hits” “Money For Nothing” and “Walk of Life”. Ain’t that the truth. Those are the two tracks I’m most likely to skip when I listen to that album (one of my favorites). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/33 "2020-07-18T23:07:37Z")
Its all just personal opinion, but on the Eels album ‘electroshock blues’ the song ‘last stop this town’ is a good song and was the hit single. But songs like PS you rock my world and 3 speed are better. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2020, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/34 "2020-07-19T06:01:20Z")
“And She Was” was the monster hit off Talking Heads’ _Little Creatures,_ but it’s darn near the bottom of the quality list for that album. My vote for best song would be “Walk It Down,” with “The Lady Don’t Mind” as runner-up. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/35 "2020-07-19T14:51:34Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > “And She Was” was the monster hit off Talking Heads’ _Little Creatures,_ You’re sure you’re not thinking of _Road To Nowhere_ ? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/36 "2020-07-20T00:45:08Z")
They both got a lot of airplay. While their fans were listening to “Stay Up Late” and “The Lady Don’t Mind,” well, actually, the whole album. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/37 "2020-07-20T19:26:15Z")
It is the balance of the “other tracks” with Greg’s ballads that made those albums classics. You see “insipid”, you are in a minority. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/38 "2020-07-25T21:09:56Z")
The Pogues’ “If I Should Fall From Grace With God”. The title track, and of course Fairytale of New York are probably the two songs most associated with the album - and understandably so; they’re both fantastic songs. But I’ve never understood why Lullaby of London, which I consider to be perhaps the most heartbreakingly beautiful song ever written, is not more often listed amongst MacGowan’s best. ---
**Author:** ![BigDfromLA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@BigDfromLA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDfromLA)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/39 "2020-08-19T09:09:28Z")
INXS has countless hits, but Never Tear Us Apart, Beautiful Girl and Original Sin are much better songs than any of them, by far. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589/40 "2020-08-19T13:05:29Z")
If you are going to mention Talking Heads, then it has to be the album _Remain In Light_. It’s difficult because it is a fantastic album from start to finish. The most famous song off it has to be [Once In A Lifetime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR0jgT9UX0Q). Don’t get me wrong, it is a great song and I do love it but it does not come close to [The Great Curve](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N5qQrGSuJ4). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-album-where-song-a-is-the-most-famous-but-song-b-is-better/915589.md?page=3)