10 More Great Rock Music Singles That Never Appeared On An Album
Good luck finding any of these tracks in your CD collection - they stand alone.
The history of the music single can be traced back all the way to the late 19th century, when individual songs or recordings were sold on phonographic cylinders that should definitely make a comeback at some point just for the lolz.
Though the distribution method has changed from cylinder to plastic record to CD to digital download over the years, the mission statement has remained the same; deliver an individual piece of recorded music into people's homes. It's that simple and it has been for over 100 years.
With the development of albums and the commercialisation of music in the 20th Century, the single became a great way to build a star's momentum and advertise a larger upcoming release. Sometimes though, these songs would get lost in the shuffle.
Though it's mostly an older practice, the art of releasing standalone singles has made a comeback in recent years with the advent of streaming. With less pressure to sell albums and the need to print expensive CDs or records erased, anyone can release a single these days without even thinking about putting it on an album later down the line.
Here are some of the best.
10. She Loves You - The Beatles
Sure, The Beatles appeared on the previous list about this topic, but it's hard to ignore the sheer number of bangers they put out unattached to an album.
I Feel Fine was never on an album, neither was Ticket to Ride, and there was the excellent double whammy of Paperback Writer and Rain from 1966. Perhaps most shockingly, the song that gave them their big break was never issued as part of an LP.
She Loves You from 1963 was the band's first major hit, transforming the four cheeky chaps from Liverpool into national celebrities. It rocketed straight to number one in the UK, becoming the best-selling British song of all time, and began a run of chart dominance the likes of which the world had never seen.
Though it was included in US and Canada-exclusive Beatles albums, She Loves You was never part of a UK release. It wasn't ready in time for Please Please Me and was left off With The Beatles, presumably because everyone in the country already owned it as a single.
It's strange that it was never on a proper album, but this decision doesn't seemed to have harmed their careers that badly.