# Which lesser known songs do you think are better than the greatest hits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 26, 2025, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494 "2025-08-26T14:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/41 "2025-08-27T00:42:53Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > _I like a ton of Gordon Lightfoot songs a lot more than Sundown and If You Could Read My Mind._ So do I. **Lightfoot** is a fine example. **Beautiful, Don Quixote, Seven Island Suite, 10 Degrees and Getting Colder,** **Shadows,** **Daylight Katy** and especially **Too Late for Prayin’** (which brings me to tears whenever I play it) are songs known to Lightfoot aficionados but unknown to the general public. The two you mentioned (and **Carefree Highway** ) are fine songs, but they only scratch the surface of his talent as a songwriter. **Don McLean** is best known for **American Pie,** but most of his output was more like **Vincent,** singer and solo guitar. I have many of his albums and he was an outstanding singer/songwriter. There’s nothing wrong with being known for one song, though. Most people aren’t known for any. ---
**Author:** ![cieskokid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cieskokid/32/5374_2.png) [@cieskokid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cieskokid)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/42 "2025-08-27T03:50:11Z")
The Rover, yes indeed! soo much the best pure\*rock song Led Zep ever did, especially Jimmy’s double track guitars and his outro’s bold sonic graffiti sequence of killer riffs. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/43 "2025-08-27T05:29:47Z")
I am a fan of Genesis in all of their forms, though their best years were the Peter Gabriel years. But let’s talk about 1986-87, when they were at the height of their success with _Invisible Touch_. Six of the eight songs on that album were all over the radio. You know what the two best songs on the album are? “Domino” and “The Brazillian.” The two songs that _didn’t_ get any radio airplay. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/44 "2025-08-27T08:20:52Z")
**Kate Bush -** _Feel It_ and _The Kick Inside_ **David Bowie** - _Some Are_ and _The Bewlay Brothers_ **Led Zepplin** - _Going to California_ **ABBA** - _The Day Before You Came_ (released as a single, perhaps their last one, but it is so different from their other songs that it doesn’t seem to draw the same level of attention) **Cyndi Lauper** - _Change of Heart_ (also released as a single but I hadn’t heard it in decades when I stumbled on it a couple of years ago) **The Cure** - _The Drowning Man_ **Björk** - _Come To Me_ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/45 "2025-08-27T09:31:25Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > [Me And Magdalena](https://youtu.be/ZWBZJQmzRi4?feature=shared) won’t be found on any Monkees “greatest hits” or compilation albums, but it’s arguably the most beautiful song they ever released. My favorite Monkees songs are “[Papa Gene’s Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytOYJvAEJT0)”, “[Porpoise Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eHOUNCdbcU)” and “[Goin’ Down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWRNUQWKhA8)”, none of which tend to be in their greatest hits lists. The last of those is worth listening to just to hear Mickey negotiating the insanely fast patter. > [@XOldiesJock](#): > > **Don McLean** is best known for **American Pie,** but most of his output was more like **Vincent,** singer and solo guitar. I have many of his albums and he was an outstanding singer/songwriter. There’s nothing wrong with being known for one song, though. Most people aren’t known for any. I love “[Everybody Loves Me, Baby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4cjBUeHHgU)” from the same album - the honkytonk piano, the freely wandering bass, the fun OTT lyrics…it’s a great jam. Also: David Bowie: [Wild Is The Wind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsqlXkkEKxI&list=RDYsqlXkkEKxI&start_radio=1), inspired by (but IMHO better than) Nina Simone’s version R.E.M.: [Feeling Gravity’s Pull](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NodXnjUIZ0U&list=RDNodXnjUIZ0U&start_radio=1) B-52s: [Channel Z](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB4G9WBYMFo&list=RDpB4G9WBYMFo&start_radio=1) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/46 "2025-08-27T10:53:21Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > David Bowie: [Wild Is The Wind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsqlXkkEKxI&list=RDYsqlXkkEKxI&start_radio=1), inspired by (but IMHO better than) Nina Simone’s version Agree, Bowie has a deep collection of great songs you never hear anywhere like: _ **Red Sails, TVC15** and **Station to Station** _ to mention just a few. The man had a great vocal range and truly had style. I’d also like The Tubes song _ **Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman.** _ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/47 "2025-08-27T11:41:45Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > R.E.M.: "Fall on Me’ I was going to say this, but while not a big hit, it does appear on several of their “best of”-style compilations. Terrific song, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/48 "2025-08-27T12:23:39Z")
Bowie’s best song of the Ziggy Stardust era is _Sweet Head_. It wasn’t released until the CD version of the record in 1990 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XACXQU_6gQI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGEUgSChlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBX9Dvicz0TZHEWTPC2DsJFGqHkkg "David Bowie-Sweet Head") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XACXQU_6gQI) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/49 "2025-08-27T12:24:38Z")
Styx released the Cornerstone album. Babe became their first number 1 hit. From Wikipedia: First Time, another power ballad also written by DeYoung, was intended to be _Cornerstone_’s second single. Shaw, however, expressed concern that releasing two ballads in a row would alienate the band’s hard rock fan base. He felt strongly enough that he threatened to leave the band over the proposed release. Personally, I prefer First Time to Babe and it could be their best ballad. And.. in the 2000’s they had a song Yes I Can, that wasn’t released. To me it is as good as their other hits. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/50 "2025-08-27T19:03:24Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I’ve never heard _Paper Sun_ by Traffic until a couple of years ago It’s an… odd song. A bit of a mish-mash of a pop song with psychedelia? To my ears, the chord changes in the title phrase just… _don’t quite_ work. Like it’s a sequence of chords jammed together that don’t really have any harmonic flow. Perhaps this could have been an intentional effect… but not one I particularly like…. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/51 "2025-08-27T19:28:09Z")
Peter Frampton: “Fig Tree Bay” and “The Lodger” aren’t on either the _Greatest Hits_ or _Millenium Collection_ albums. Fountains of Wayne: They have a lot of songs that are better than “Stacy’s Mom” (“The Girl I Can’t Forget” and “Dip In The Ocean” to name just two.) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/52 "2025-08-27T19:48:27Z")
For Fountains of Wayne, I would probably pick _Leave the Biker_ which I have actually heard on the radio quite a bit, but I could also go for _It Must Be Summer_, and only when I’m in the mood, several of the non-Stacy’s Mom songs on Welcome Interstate Managers (if I had to narrow it down, Hackensack, Bright Future in Sales, and Little Red Light.) ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/53 "2025-08-27T21:11:31Z")
90% of ELP’s music is better than _Lucky Man_. ---
**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:** [August 27, 2025, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/54 "2025-08-27T21:18:23Z")
Bowie again. The Prettiest Star, specifically the single version with the Cypriot rhythms and with Marc Bolan on guitar. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FG2qC3IQ1t8/maxresdefault.jpg "David Bowie - The Prettiest Star (Mono Single Version with Marc Bolan) [2015 Remastered Version]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2qC3IQ1t8) Not only was it not his greatest hit, it was arguably his biggest flop, the follow-up to Space Oddity - it absolutely bombed. j ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/55 "2025-08-27T21:41:58Z")
And another deep cut by Bowie, “Queen Bitch”, his homage to and pastiche of Velvet Underground. I’ve always wondered if Lou Reed was the queen bitch. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2_ayFz62eYE/maxresdefault.jpg "Queen Bitch (2015 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ayFz62eYE) ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/56 "2025-08-27T22:40:22Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > 90% of ELP’s music is better than _Lucky Man_. To reiterate: This. That which is not better can be found on _Works Vol. 1_, side two. I refuse to recognize anything they allegedly did after 1977. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/57 "2025-08-27T23:15:58Z")
[_County Fair_](https://youtu.be/drj7jIoImjM?si=5kmwU1qxU3FRgCwf) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2025, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/58 "2025-08-28T00:13:27Z")
Excellent thread. A few off the top of my noggin: **Steely Dan** – Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More **Neil Young** – Journey Through the Past **Jim Croce** – Roller Derby Queen **John Prine** – Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) **Paul Simon** – Gone At Last **Richard Thomas** – Beeswing **Leonard Cohen** – Who By Fire mmm ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/59 "2025-08-28T00:48:27Z")
People keep reminding me of songs I haven’t thought about for a while. I doubt that Leonard Cohen has more than two songs that more people could name, although one of them is “Suzanne” and that’s a killer, but one of his few rocking numbers is “The Future” and the lyrics stun. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2025, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494/60 "2025-08-28T00:54:16Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > **Richard Thomas** – Beeswing John Boy? Sam the Sham’s “Ring Dang Doo,” way better than “Wooly Bully.” Billy Stewart “Temptations’ Bout to Get Me,” (slightly) better than “Sitting in the Park.” The Fugs “How Sweet I Roamed,” better than “Boobs A Lot.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-lesser-known-songs-do-you-think-are-better-than-the-greatest-hits/1022494.md?page=4)