How songs become hits is still a mystery, even with all the overabundance of AI algorithms that are supposed to give surefire predictions. It is still a hit and miss game, from the moment an artist or a band decides which song should be released as a single to the moment that single hits the stores (or streaming services) and tries to reach the charts - here, there, and everywhere, as a certain Mr. Paul McCartney would say.
Now, most of the 21 songs below have, in some shape or form, become iconic, but most of them made no or minimal impression on the charts, particularly in the U.S. Some made an impression elsewhere, but not as much as they should have at the time they were released.
At the same time, some were never intended as the A-side, or, in some cases, were never released as singles in any shape or form, but they certainly should have been. Maybe that would have changed things, but then, who knows?
These great songs never became hits
Beach Boys, “All Summer Long” (1964)
By this song from the album of the same name, the Beach Boys were expanding their sound, and that just might not have sat well with the die-hard surf, cars, and girls fanbase. The album did well; it went gold, but the single itself didn’t do much.
The Who, “The Kids Are Alright” (1966)
While The Who went big in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe immediately, it took them until 1967 to make chart impacts in the U.S. This single became a mod anthem, possibly as a blueprint for so many power pop bands that came up later, but chart-wise, it didn’t do much for the band.
Rolling Stones, “Under My Thumb” (1966)
Yes, you can find this song on so many best-of Stones compilations, but it never got a chance to be released as a single. Back then, the bands would release two singles at most from an album, possibly two albums per year, and the Aftermath album at that time gave us “Paint It Black” and “Mother’s Little Helper.”
Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
While this one did make it to the U.K. charts and elsewhere, it rarely reached number one, and in the U.S., it was way behind. Maybe it was considered too soft at the time, but these days, it is on many every best-of-singles list of all time.
Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun” (1969)
The Abbey Road album opener would have probably made it back in 1969 if it had been released as a single at the time. The rifts within the Beatles were coming to the surface then, and it could have been the key reason for it not hitting the 7” thingies.
Curtis Mayfield, “Move on Up” (1970)
One of Mayfield’s best songs, with its incredible brass section, conga, and excellent lyrics, still pulls everybody to the dance floor 55 years on. However, it should have been a crossover hit when it was released.
Pink Floyd, “Fat Old Sun” (1970)
This David Gilmour gem was hidden on Pink Floyd’s often criticized album Atom Heart Mother. It connected the band’s early psych era with what came later and should have been made a single. No wonder Gilmour keeps including it in his live shows.
Rodriguez, "Sugar Man" (1970)
Everybody who saw the Searching For Sugar Man documentary knows what a big impact Detroit’s Sixto Rodriguez had in South Africa, but back in Detroit and the U.S. in general at the time, the late Rodriguez didn’t even register. These days, he and this song are fandom material.
Rod Stewart, “Every Picture Tells a Story” (1971)
This one came when Rod Stewart was a full-on rocker. The album of the same name was recorded with a stellar set of collaborators. While the album and "Maggie May" from it made it big, this hard-rocking gem didn’t do much.
Big Star, "Ballad of El Goodo" (1972)
Big Star’s Alex Chilton certainly knew what it was like to hit No. 1, but his archetypal power pop band, possibly one of the best within the genre, never had a single that made it big at the time of its release. This beautiful ballad is no exception.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “American Girl” (1977)
Maybe it was because Tom Petty was just starting out, or the Byrds-like sound was not in vogue at the time, but what later on became a Tom Petty staple never reached the U.S. charts and only made it to number 40 in the U.K. at the time.
David Bowie, “Heroes” (1977)
Yes, this might be considered a classic, but even with a big promotion at the time, it only got to number 24 in the U.K. and didn’t even inch into the U.S. Hot 100. Its brilliance and endurance should take it to the charts sometime soon.
Elvis Costello, “Alison” (1977)
Another artist at the start of his career with a great ballad that just might have been a bit too ‘wordy’ for some. Critics still loved it, but the audience didn’t notice this one then.
Blondie, “Hanging on the Telephone” (1978)
Actually, a cover of a song by the short-lived Nerves was good for audiences in the U.K. (#5) and elsewhere, but it never made an impact in the U.S. at the time. These days, it seems to be played (and streamed) more than at the time.
Kate Bush, “Wuthering Heights” (1978)
Bush wrote this one when she was only 18, and it was also her debut single. It did make it really big in the U.K., Australia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and Portugal, where it was number one at the time, but it didn’t even register in the U.S. at the time. Maybe her recently revived fortunes will turn things around.
Grace Jones, “Pull Up to the Bumper” (1981)
This brilliant dance-y number made it into the dance charts (number two) and the U.K. charts, but only after it was re-released five years later. Maybe the lyrics were too risky for the regular charts at the time.
Sisters of Mercy - “This Corrosion” (1987)
Another song that had some impact in the U.K. (number seven) and Europe in general at the time, but practically didn’t do anything in the U.S. at the time. These days, it is considered a gothic rock classic with a brilliant cover from Lambchop, too.
Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)
With its excellent vocals by Shara Nelson and arrangement by Will Malone, this is another great song that did quite well in the U.K. and Europe but didn’t do practically anything in the U.S. These days, it is considered a trip-hop classic.
Jeff Buckley, “Hallelujah” (1994)
These days, this is a TV music talent show staple based on this perfect Jeff Buckley version rather than the Leonard Cohen original. Yet, even at the time of its release, it didn’t touch the charts, even though it certainly should have.
The Postal Service, “Such Great Heights” (2003)
It was those college radio stations that were so popular at the time that took this great tune to some chart heights (number 21), but those great heights should have been even more significant. It is a college radio classic these days.
Lana Del Rey, “Born to Die” (2011)
Another single that made it big elsewhere (number nine in the U.K.), but almost nothing in the U.S., yet it built a deserved reputation through time as it, at one point, had over 650 million streaming views of the song’s video.