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Hidden tracks are now a thing of the past in the new age of digital music, but at one point in time, they were popular outlet of slipping secret artwork into albums whether it be on CD or vinyl.
Bands and artists could place little Easter eggs into the track list as a surprise for listeners. It might come in the form of an extra song, a skit, an unfinished instrumental, a conversation, or even just noise. Often, an element of humor was included.
In most cases, the hidden track was a throwaway. It wasn’t included for radio play. They were not listed on the album. It was simply a unique way of connecting with fans while providing a further a glimpse into the artist’s personality.
There are some instances, however, in which the hidden track was an absolute banger. Some might even dub it their favorite tune on the album.
What are the best hidden tracks?
Here, we’ll name a few of the top songs that went unmentioned on album track lists. If you do not see it on this list, that is likely due to the fact that it is not one of the best, at least not in the eyes of this author.
If you disagree, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Tell me where I’m right or wrong when it comes to these hidden gems.
Without further ado…
Nirvana – Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip
When thinking of Nirvana and hidden tracks, most immediately go to “Endless, Nameless” on the Nevermind album. No one would blame you for favoring that song over “Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Run Though the Strip.” It fits perfectly in the band’s chaotic second studio album.
In Utero represented a bit of a radio-friendly shift after the band gained mainstream popularity. Personally, I like the hidden track on this album better. It’s a little disjointed, and while Kurt Cobain insisted that the album’s songs weren’t related to his personal life, it references isolation and anxiety as it relates to a relationship right around the birth of the singer’s daughter.
While “Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Run Through the Strip” doesn’t qualify as the top song on the album, it is a great hidden track.
Green Day – All by Myself
The final song on the band’s Dookie album hears drummer Tre Cool singing a solo tune about a character that, well, is doing something… ahem… while left to his own devices. The lyrics paint the picture, and the topic isn’t anything foreign to Green Day.
While meant as a joke, it’s a catchy song to finish off (pun intended) the band’s third studio album which was a major mainstream success. “All By Myself” follows F.O.D. as the final track and offers a humorous ending to the mega-album for those that opt to stick around.
Lauryn Hill – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ends with a cover song that the singer never intended to put on the album. “The record company asked me to put it on the album as a bonus song because it was a song that I had done for The Conspiracy Theory score,” she said. “It wasn’t even on the soundtrack. Someone heard it, took it from the film and started playing it on the radio.”
The Frankie Valli remake was nominated for a 1999 Grammy for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance,” a first for a hidden track.
Kanye West – Late
West’s Late Registration album came out while I was in high school, and while I’ll typically stick hang around in the folk/rock/country genres these days, this CD absolutely hit as a 15-year-old in my first car.
The album was headlined by “Gold Digger,” which got the most radio play. There were tons of other popular tracks, though, and huge featured artists. “Late” was a hidden track. It keeps with the theme and sound of the project as a whole. It’s a great end to an even better album.
Cracker – Eurotrash Girl
Cracker’s Kerosene Hat included the hidden track “Eurotrash Girl” as well as another in “I Ride My Bike.” The former hits much harder than the latter.
The album was headlined by the opener, “Low,” which gained massive radio play in the 1990s. Personally, I like “Eurotrash Girl” better. It may be the best song of the entire bunch, which can’t often be said about unlisted tracks.
Guns N’ Roses – Look At Your Game, Girl
A few moments after the final listed track “I Don’t Care About You,” on The Spaghetti Incident album comes “Look at Your Game, Girl.”
The song is a cover of a Charles Manson tune included on his 1970 album Lie: The Love and Terror Cult. This particular Guns N’ Roses album is a cover album in its entirety, mainly staying in the punk and hard rock space.
The final ballad on the CD provides a step down from the voltage of the tunes that precede it, which is more than welcomed.
My Chemical Romance – Blood
Maybe the last generation to truly experience the hidden track, Millennials clung to punk pop/emo rock in the early to mid-2000s, myself included. It defined an era. It wasn’t a phase!
My Chemical Romance was one of the most popular artists during the time. Much can be attributed to The Black Parade album which boasted a top hit of (basically) the same name. I personally prefer Three Cheers to Sweet Revenge, but that’s neither here nor there.
As far as hidden tracks go, the light-hearted high school drama themed tune “Blood” is a fitting final song. As so, it deserves a spot on the list.
Live – Horse
Live’s Throwing Copper album is a great listen from start to finish. There’s not a bad song. That includes the hidden gem “Horse.”
The tune gives a little country western feel while sticking with the melodic rock sound heard throughout the album that catapulted the band to mainstream success.
Paolo Ragusa of Consequence of Sound credits this album with starting post-grunge and shifting rock music to a new direction after the death of Kurt Cobain by combining some harder rock influences with clearer vocals, softer guitar melodies, and the production of Jerry Harrison to make a distinct sound.
“Horse” displays each of those attributes while capping the album with a catchy finale.
The Beatles – Her Majesty
No music list is complete without The Beatles. They are considered a Founding Father for pop music that we know and love today. They helped invent and popularize a sound that resonated with listeners. That is the case for hidden tracks, too.
The Beatles are believed to have created the first ever Easter egg with the unlisted tune “Her Majesty” on Abbey Road. While it’s less than 30 seconds long, it makes an impact.
“Originally, ‘Her Majesty’ was simply meant to reside between the medley sections ‘Mean Mr Mustard’ and ‘Polythene Pam.’” said Far Out Magazine. “But it sounded rather jarring amid the changing time structures and chordal progressions. Thus, Paul McCartney asked sound engineer John Kurlander to remove it from the running order and destroy the tape.”
While it isn’t a featured song, it is a fitting sendoff to one of the band’s most successful albums.
Tool – Maynard’s D—
I’ll be completely honest; I’m not much of a Tool fan. That’s nothing against the band. It’s just not my style. With that being said, should the hidden track “Maynard’s D—” unexpectedly come on the playlist, it’s a welcomed jam.
The song closes the album Salival, released in 2000. While the band had a bit of a history of releasing hidden tracks, this one is by far my favorite.
The song seems to be an unserious play on fame and success. Or maybe it’s an actual reference to the lead singer’s stones. Either way, it makes for a great listen.
Social Distortion – Under My Thumb
Social Distortion capped its White Light, White Heat, White Trash album with a classic Rolling Stones cover that’s one of my personal favorites. They did so with their own punk twist.
The song is fast and loud, providing listeners with a much different feel than the Stones. It doesn’t make it any less of an earworm.
Municipal Waste – Touch Me Now
Hand up, I’d never even heard of Municipal Waste prior to making this list. I’m glad I’ve been acquainted with the Art of Partying album.
The hidden track “Touch Me Now” ends the track list. It is essentially drummer Brandon Farrell singing on his own for about a half-minute. While it’s clearly a joke, I think it had some real potential!
The song, if you’ll call it that, provided a nice transition from the thrasher sound heard throughout the rest of the album. The changeup earns a spot on the list.
Queens of the Stone Age – Mosquito Song
Another group not typically in my playlist, Queens of the Stone Age grabs a spot for its hidden track “Mosquito Song” at the end of the album Songs for the Deaf.
The acoustic tune veers away from the band’s heavy rock sound on an album regarded as the band’s best, providing a melodically haunting ending to the project as a whole.
The Clash – Train in Vain (Stand by Me)
This is undoubtedly my favorite tune on the list. While I wouldn’t consider myself a Clash superfan, this song owns a special place in my heart (thanks NCAA Football 2006).
It’s just catchy. Any time it’s on the radio, my stereo volume immediately hits 100.
The song was unlisted on the epic London Calling album, as it was added to the record at the last possible minute. The sleeve was already in production. Being hidden did not prevent the song from gaining mainstream success. “Train in Vain” became the band’s first single to reach the Billboard Top 40 in the US.
Alanis Morrisette – You Oughta Know / Your House
An alternate version of Morrisette’s hit song “You Oughta Know” is featured as a hidden track that slips into another Easter egg “Your House” at the end of Jagged Little Pill.
The former is widely known by fans and listeners. It was the most popular tune on the album. So nice, she played it twice! The latter, however, has much less fanfare. It consists of only the singer’s vocals painting a creepy picture of a dumped lover breaking into an ex’s home.
The songs are much different in sound, but the theme remains the same. We’ll add it as a combo pack.
Kings of Leon – Talihina Sky
Another band that gained massive popularity near the end of the CD generation, Kings of Leon went mainstream with the album release of Only by the Night.
Five years prior to that release in 2008, the band had a bit different sound. Looking back at it now, I honestly prefer the old mix. While I’ll never deny blasting “Sex on Fire” or “Use Somebody” as an 18-year-old high school senior, the old stuff just gets better with age.
“Tahina Sky” is a perfect example. Ending an album that included “California Waiting” and “Molly’s Chambers,” the song offers a soft, catchy ending to a great listen.
Alicia Keys – Lovin U
We’ll end the list with Alicia Keys’ “Lovin U,” a hidden track on the Songs in A Minor album released in 2001. That album had a megahit in “Fallin,'” but the final track holds up as one of the best.
Keys isn’t necessarily known for planting these surprises in her albums, but this one got the job done.