For you youngsters who have no idea what a B side is, it refers to the song on the flip side of a 45 record. The A side is the song being released in the hopes it's a hit. The B side is usually mostly filler, just so it's not a blank space. Here's my nominee. It became this group's only No. 1 hit.
Greatest "B" side recordings ever
- Thread starter Bipolarcy
- Start date
Reached #7 on the charts in 1977 and was #3 on VH1s power ballad list in 2003. B side to Detroit Rock City.
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- Mar 27, 2006
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If I remember correctly, the Rolling Stones released Let's Spend the Night Together, as a single, but radio stations didn't want to play a song with such sexual overtones, so they played the B-side instead, which was Ruby Tuesday
Not a lot of people know but B-sides paid the same as A-sides in terms of songwriter royalties.
I read that the B side of the million selling "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers was "The Ballad of Billy Christian" written by Thomas Hall. Royalties from that song funded his move to Nashville and Tom T Hall's career began.
Lots of stories about band members that may not have a good song begging/demanding their song be on the B-side of sure hits. See Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody.
I read that the B side of the million selling "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers was "The Ballad of Billy Christian" written by Thomas Hall. Royalties from that song funded his move to Nashville and Tom T Hall's career began.
Lots of stories about band members that may not have a good song begging/demanding their song be on the B-side of sure hits. See Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody.
- Mar 27, 2006
- 41,266
- 29,660
- 113
This one is probably the winner for me. One of my absolute favorite Zeppelin songs.
- Mar 27, 2006
- 41,266
- 29,660
- 113
And can we forget the B-side to Green Jelly's hit Three Little Pigs?
The answer is "yes, we definitely can forget it" because it was an absolutely forgettable track called Obey the Cow God
The answer is "yes, we definitely can forget it" because it was an absolutely forgettable track called Obey the Cow God
Yellow Ledbetter was the B-side to Pearl Jam's Jeremy
Springsteen would throw songs from his catalog that didn't make the cut on almost all of his singles as B-sides...and I am biased but he has put some GREAT songs out there on the B-side of a 45...arguably led by this one (the flip side of "Dancing in the Dark":
My problem with Springsteen is I can never understand what he's singing. Enunciate, dude.
I wish this were made up.
This is the B-side of a free 45 that Pizza Hut gave out when I was a kid and Iowa was going to the Rose Bowl back in '82.
The A-side
In case you were wondering:
Washington - 28
Iowa - 0
The Hawkeyes did not bring home the roses.
This is the B-side of a free 45 that Pizza Hut gave out when I was a kid and Iowa was going to the Rose Bowl back in '82.
The A-side
In case you were wondering:
Washington - 28
Iowa - 0
The Hawkeyes did not bring home the roses.
I'm not a huge fan of Police. Their music just doesn't do it for me.
I'm surprised no one has brought up the Beatles yet. I'm not a huge Beatles fan either, but they had some pretty big hits from the B side, including, but not limited to, Yellow Submarine and Penny Lane. Again, not a big Beatles fan, so I might be wrong about this.
