We hear so many songs on the radio over and over again. Some that we love, some that we hate, but when you’re sitting in your car listening to “Old Town Road” for the twentieth time in a day, you have to wonder what the radio stations are thinking.
There ought to be a bunch of great songs on an album, so why do they torture us with non-variety? I wish I had the answers. But what I can do is show you some great songs from popular artists that you won’t hear on the radio.
1. “Hands” – Barns Courtney
Whether or not you know the name Barnes Courtney, you’ve definitely heard his songs “Fire” and “Glitter & Gold” on the radio. “Hands” is one of Courtney’s earlier works. It has a more rock-and-roll vibe than the alternative pop-rock of his recent radio hits. The song is about someone who has a stranger’s phone number written on the back of their hand, but the numbers are starting to fade.
2. “One of the Drunks” – Panic! At the Disco
Everyone remembers the ‘closing the goddamn door song’ right? Well if you didn’t know, the song is called “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and it’s from Panic! At the Disco’s first album. Panic! At the Disco is the same band that’s got “High Hopes” out on the radio right now along with “Hey Look Ma I Made It”, both of which come from their most recent album, “Pray For The Wicked”. “One of the Drunks” is another song from the album, and many fans think the song’s rolling beat and edgy tune make it the best one on “Pray For The Wicked”, but you won’t hear it on the radio.
3. “Laughter Lines” – Bastille
Remember a few summers back when you were so tired of hearing ‘eh-eh-oh, eh-oh’ whenever “Pompeii” came on the radio? That’s Bastille. More recently you might know them from “Quarter Past Midnight”, and “Happier” which they did in collaboration with Marshmello. “Laughter Lines” is from the same album as “Pompeii”. It has a heavily synthesized baseline and lots of beautiful string accompaniment. Plus Bastille songs always have fantastic lyrics. Dan, the group’s singer and songwriter, approaches his songs like poetry and “Laughter Lines” is a prime example of this.
4.“Up All Night” – Beck
Beck is best known for his song “Loser” which he released in the mid-’90s. “Up All Night”, on the other hand, is from 2017, and it shows. With a bouncy beat and a modern production style, this song falls a lot easier into the pop genre than “Loser” did. Plus the music video featuring a girl in shining armor rescuing her friend from a party was nominated for Best Music Video at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
5. “Apple Blossom” – The White Stripes
If you’ve been to a sporting event in the last ten years, you’ve heard the song “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. Likewise if you’ve listened to the radio in the last ten years, or been living anywhere in western civilization – other than under a rock. “Apple Blossom” isn’t that song, but it’s by the same people. A little slower, and eerier, it’s one of the band’s lesser-known songs among the mainstream culture. However, that may change if “The Hateful Eight” soundtrack eventually gets as much love as the rest of Tarantino’s movie soundtracks have. That’s right, “Apple Blossom” made it into a Tarantino film. Are you intrigued?
6. “Never Grow Up” – Taylor Swift
Swift’s popular song list is extensive. From “You Belong With Me” to “Shake It Off”, to her current hit “Lover”, her music is pretty consistently well-known. But even Taylor has a few obscure songs that only her oldest fans will recognize. “Never Grow Up” is one of these. The song is slow, nostalgic, and notorious for making people cry. If you’re in the mood for some emotional acoustic guitar picking, then “Never Grow Up” is the song for you.
And there you have it: six songs you probably don’t know by artists you probably do.
