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There’s no better feeling than finding a new song that you love! You listen to it non-stop for days on end and it makes you happy every time you hear it. Eventually, you think you might be ready for something new. At this point, I usually look at that same artist’s other albums or songs, hoping to find another masterpiece for the next few days. With music legends however, this can be a daunting task. If you, like me, weren't fortunate enough to grow up when all these legends were releasing music, you have probably missed out on a huge amount of amazing songs. When you look at artists like Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac, who played for decades and released countless albums, there are hundreds of songs to work through, and naturally, not all of them are great songs. In these huge collections of hundreds or thousands of songs, it can be easy to stick to the most famous songs, meaning some incredible songs have been lost in time, or simply haven’t gotten the attention they deserve – until today. In this list, I’m going to name some of the best songs from music legends which don’t feature in the artists’ Top 10 on Spotify - and I think they need more recognition. So without further ado, let’s get started on rediscovering 7 Most Underrated Songs from Music Legends!
7) Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (A Day At The Races) – Queen
With all their hard rock classics like We Will Rock You and epics like Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen amassed such a huge collection of incredibly popular songs, that to stray from them never seems necessary. They had so much variety in their numerous albums, and this song is one such example. Even without Freddie Mercury's distinctive voice, this song would be instantly recognisable as a Queen song. Its happy, upbeat tune and lyrics describing an old fashion world, mean you can't help but bop along to the beat throughout. It's very different to Queen's most famous songs, but that's why people love Queen - they could do any kind of song to the quality that would make it a classic!
6) Dirty Diana (Bad) – Michael Jackson
Okay, I know, this song is not a hidden gem to anyone who remotely considers themselves a Michael Jackson fan, so why include this in the list? Well, I was recently on a roadtrip to Galway in the West of Ireland, and as the designated DJ, I put on this song, thinking it was a guaranteed crowd pleaser. To my horror, NOT ONE of the other four 20-something year olds in the car knew this song! After that, I decided it would be my mission to spread awareness of this powerful rock song which captures everything about the King of Pop at his very best. Without a doubt my favourite song by MJ. If you haven't heard this yet, stop what you're doing, put this on, and be prepared to have your mind blown.
5) I Loved Another Woman (Fleetwood Mac) – Fleetwood Mac
Here’s one you almost definitely haven’t heard before. Did you know that before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac were a blues band? The band which is famous for its band members coming and going, experienced its most significant change from well respected blues band under Peter Green, to mainstream rock once he left. This song is from their lesser known period. It's a smooth, calm bluesy song that you could play in the background all day long! It’s probably better known for the Carlos Santana cover “Black Magic Woman”, however the Fleetwood Mac original has something of an eerie quality that I love!
4) Shake It (Lets Dance) – David Bowie
This one was recommended by a reader – I’d never heard it before, which is exactly why it’s on the list. One of the funkiest beats by Bowie, this one would have surely taken the title of the album had it not been on the same album as Let's Dance, which was one of Bowie's most successful songs of all time. Overshadowed by the success of Let's Dance, this song was left in the background, so if you're a Bowie fan, this one could be the one that got away for nearly 4 decades!
3) Waitin' on a Sunny Day (The Rising) – Bruce Springsteen
Ah, a song that can change your mood for the day. This is the song that got me through the miserable, windy, wet Irish winter. It's upbeat enough to put a spring in your step that'll carry you right over all those puddles, and make you think of the good times that are coming. Whether it's a sunny day or not, this is one I always want to listen to! One of the best from The Boss.
2) Wild West End (Dire Straits) - Dire Straits
Play this song as you're sitting outside on a nice day, close your eyes, and enjoy life. Mark Knopfler's unique voice and enchanting guitar playing - this time with an old western twang - will leave you relaxed and imagining far away places. One of Dire Straits' more chilled-out songs, it distances itself from their faster-paced rock favourites, and once again shows that this band could produce masterpieces no matter what kind of vibe they were going for.
1) Old Love (Journeyman) – Eric Clapton
And finally number 1. Clapton has gone through every kind of music, from rock to country to jazz and to blues. This song, released on his Journeyman album in 1989, is a powerful and emotional song describing his separation from his wife, with the full pain of the split shown as Clapton expertly weaves his masterful guitar playing in a beautiful bluesy tune that plays throughout the song. This is one that never gained appropriate praise, often forgotten amongst his countless other legendary songs. One of my top 5 favourite Slowhand songs without a doubt.
What do you think of this list? Do you agree/disagree? Feel free to comment or suggest your own list of forgotten/underappreciated songs in the comments below! My next blog post is going to be “Best Albums of All Time”. If you have any suggestions that you think need to be included, send me an email @ BaseNote@gmail.com, I’d love to hear them!
Until next time!
Keep loving music
BaseNote