- 7 months ago
For every radio hit, there's a masterpiece hiding in the shadows! Join us as we count down the musical gems overshadowed by their catchier album mates. Our list includes Taylor Swift's confessional "The Archer," Fleetwood Mac's heartbreaking "Silver Springs," and Prince's controversial "Darling Nikki." Which hidden musical treasure deserves more recognition?
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MusicTranscript
00:00I know I could have loved you, but you would not let me
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for musical masterpieces that would have been hits
00:13had the artist not gotten more hype or something more commercial
00:16For my life, still I had pity in me
00:20Number 10. The Archer, Taylor Swift
00:25Casual fans may have a hard time believing that Taylor Swift has songs that aren't ready to be mega hits
00:36but The Archer wasn't meant to be an official single off of Lover
00:39which dominated the radio with its title track, Me, and more
00:43Swift pushed for the dream pop ballad to be released as a promotional single
00:53because of its personal importance
00:55The song maintains the album's homage to 80s synthesizer music
00:58juxtaposing combative lyrics with ethereal soundscapes to convey deep emotional growth
01:04Despite the abstract themes and lack of commercial hooks
01:13The Archer went platinum in multiple countries on sheer acclaim
01:16One of Swift's most confessional pieces is still considered a hidden gem
01:20but the true fans agree on its particular importance
01:23Number 9. The Working Hour, Tears for Fears
01:33Tucked between Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World is what many consider the true masterpiece of Tears for Fears, Songs from the Chair
01:47The Working Hour swipes at the naysayers as an anthemic ballad
01:51with a William Gregory sax solo leading the last two minutes in an almost seven minute run time
01:55This doesn't exactly represent the album as a watershed moment in dark synth pop's commercial appeal
02:07Roland Orzabal and Kurt Smith still consider it their favorite track
02:11and the more discerning fans tend to agree
02:13As head over heels as the radio still is with the album's singles
02:17The Working Hour is itself an unforgettable answer to those who doubt Tears for Fears artistry
02:22Number 8. Hello, Oasis
02:31Roll With It, Wonderwall, and Champagne Supernova are just a few instant classics on what's the story Morning Glory
02:44that made Oasis one of the defining rock acts of the 90s
02:47And yet, many downplayed the track which started the album at the top
02:51The fittingly named Hello explodes with classic rock racket with an alternative kick
02:56Plus, a hypnotically soulful chorus
02:59Noel Gallagher told Select Magazine that this track is more polished than the rest
03:12to set the trajectory of the album's underdog concept
03:15The song's charm took another hit
03:17When Oasis distanced themselves from it over its lyrical reference
03:20to the now disgraced Gary Glitter
03:22Hello may lack the earnestness that made the hit so resonant
03:25but it's no less exhilarating
03:26Number 7. Love Is A Losing Game
03:36Amy Winehouse
03:37Back to Black made a sensation of Amy Winehouse's modern twist on 60s soul
03:46With Love Is A Losing Game however, she brings the genre back to its roots
03:50It's a thoughtful, melancholy croon with soft orchestration and intense phrasing
03:55For the airwaves of the 2000s, that couldn't compete with the hook of Rehab
04:08or the drama of Back to Black's title track
04:10Love Is A Losing Game was the lowest charting song on the album
04:19It also won the Ivor award for best song musically and lyrically
04:22Sadly, the heartbreakers' biggest distinction
04:25is that it would be the last single released in Winehouse's lifetime
04:28Of course, fans mostly remember Love Is A Losing Game
04:31as a testament to her winning talent
04:33Love Is A Losing Game
04:38Thank you
04:40Number 6. Amsterdam. Coldplay
04:46It's on your side now
04:52I'm pushing you down
04:55and all around
04:58In My Place, The Scientist and Clocks
05:01helped propel Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head
05:04into mainstream immortality
05:06and yet, it's been said that they saved the best track for last
05:09Amsterdam resolves the album's occurring themes of despair and redemption
05:19with a subtle, sophisticated build toward a powerful climax
05:22It had to have been hard to categorize such a complex anthem
05:25against the album's healthy balance of infectious jams and poignant ballads
05:29but many serious listeners have argued
05:31that Amsterdam represents the zenith of Coldplay's musical ability
05:35At the very least
05:42it's a fitting, if underappreciated, final blowout for the band's magnum opus
05:46Number 5. One Tree Hill. U2
05:49The Joshua Tree was an unlikely phenomenon to consist mostly of rock ballads
06:01While the mainstream swooned to Where the Streets Have No Name
06:03and With or Without You
06:05U2 fans found One Tree Hill particularly meaningful
06:08The ethereal anthem was written as a tribute to the late roadie Greg Carroll
06:20and his Maori heritage
06:22It was named for the sacred Auckland site, Manga Kiyakia
06:26and incorporates folk elements behind Bono's moving elegy for his friend
06:30This experimental, deeply personal masterpiece was a tough sell
06:40but it really resonated with listeners
06:42One Tree Hill achieved wider attention in the 2000s
06:45when it inspired the title of a hit teen TV drama
06:48Still, this celebration of a man's life and culture can't receive enough praise
06:52Number 4. Darling Nikki. Prince and the Revolution
07:03Controversy sometimes commands the right kind of attention
07:11and Prince's soundtrack for the film Purple Rain
07:14got a lot of attention for its diverse array of chart toppers
07:17from the hopping jam Let's Go Crazy
07:18to the titular rock epic
07:20The groovy, steamy, and altogether radio-unfriendly Darling Nikki
07:28was a fan favorite straight away
07:30but the sexually charged track didn't make headlines
07:32until Tipper Gore named it among the Filthy Fifteen songs
07:35that inspired the Parents Music Resource Center
07:38Thus, Darling Nikki contributed to the creation of the parental advisory disclaimer
07:42for explicit music released in the US
07:45While it's still overshadowed by more seductive bangers
07:53Prince's subjects loved this one more than ever
07:55for its historically significant edge
07:58Number 3. Silver Springs. Fleetwood Mac.
08:08Fleetwood Mac's Rumors is one of those rare albums where every track was a hit
08:22There's no doubt that the breakup ballad, Silver Springs
08:25would have been another instant classic to dominate radios for all time
08:28Sadly, there just wasn't enough room on the vinyl lineup
08:31Despite the lyrics resolving the overarching narrative about Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's troubled romance
08:36Silver Springs was relegated to the B-side of Go Your Own Way's single
08:47but is often restored as the closing track on later pressings of rumors
08:50It may otherwise be underappreciated in the album's legacy
08:53But it goes to show that whatever the label may not consider commercial enough
08:57can still steal listeners' hearts
08:59My blue-green colors are flashing
09:06Number 2. 39. Queen.
09:14In the year of 39, a simple year that fall out of tears
09:18In the days when lands were few
09:22Queen's A Night at the Opera changed what a mainstream rock album can sound like
09:27If the classical-influenced sweet Bohemian Rhapsody can be a mega-hit
09:30then why not a jaunty folk song about time dilation?
09:33Though you're many years away
09:35Don't you hear me calling you
09:39Guitarist Brian May wrote and sang 39
09:42as an ode to his interest in space exploration
09:44The limited pop prospects of the traditionalist style
09:47were finished off by its ironic application
09:50to the tragic story of astronauts who discover that centuries have passed back on Earth
09:55So many years have gone
09:57Though I'm older but a year
09:59Your mother's eyes
10:00From your eyes
10:02Cry to me
10:03Nonetheless, the ballad was a sing-along live staple
10:06and remains one of Queen's most prized hidden gems
10:08Dr. May did receive his PhD in astrophysics in 2007
10:12But don't discount 39 as a major contribution to the field
10:15I suppose it's lucky for me that the Queen thing did happen
10:18because it gave me such a different vista to life
10:21Before we unveil our top pick
10:22Here are a few honorable mentions
10:24All Night
10:25Beyonce
10:25A late single off of Lemonade that still managed to go double platinum
10:29True love never has to hide
10:32True love never has to hide
10:36I'd strain you
10:37Nirvana
10:38Kurt Cobain held this playful punk piece up to the more accessible classics on Nevermind
10:42I don't care what you think it is
10:46It's a bad thing
10:48Jenny was a friend of mine
10:50The Killers
10:50The debut album Hot Fuzz opens with a more aggressive, still revered new wave anthem
10:55Jenny was a friend of mine
10:59So come on, oh come on, oh come on
11:02Nina
11:03Ed Sheeran
11:04The hip-hop-slash-folk love letter to Nina Nesbitt is an experimental high on X
11:09And I've been nipping on the road, Nina
11:11But then again you should know, Nina
11:14Speechless
11:15Lady Gaga
11:16A rock ballad on the fame monster
11:18Has become one of the singer's most respected works
11:20I'll never talk again
11:23Oh boy, you've left me speechless
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11:42Number 1
11:45I Can't Help It
11:46Michael Jackson
11:47Looking in my mirror
11:49Took me by surprise
11:55You don't earn the title King of Pop without setting a standard for catchiness
12:00Michael Jackson's adult debut, Off The Wall, did that from the opening track, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
12:05The radios couldn't get enough of the singles, but one forgotten track truly shined
12:18I Can't Help It was written by Stevie Wonder and Suze Green of The Supremes
12:22Jackson gave their unmistakable blend of soul, R&B, and funk a fresh identity with his classic melodic control over a punchy rhythm
12:30I Can't Help It, along with the many covers, was an endorsement by the masters of the pop star's vocal prowess
12:41Of course, you can't help but get swept up by some star's most overlooked gems
12:44What are your favorite hidden gems on hit albums?
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