10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs

Feature Photo: Jessie Eastland, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Neil Diamond has had many hits throughout his career. The man’s musical career came of age during a time when artists broke big time because of hits and hits alone. Yet Neil Diamond has always been more than just a pop star with hit singles. Neil Diamond is a songwriter first and foremost. He’s also one of the greatest showmen who’s ever lived. There’s a reason why Hot August Night became one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Everyone loved Neil Diamond; everyone still does. His voice was very distinctive. There weren’t many popular male vocalists with a voice that low, especially in pop music.

Neil Diamond has released thirty-two studio albums since his debut, The Feel of Neil Diamond, was released in 1966. That is an astonishing number of studio albums to be released by one single artist. It’s a lot of songs for a songwriter to come up with. Over the years, the man has had ten number one hit singles in the United States on the Billboard 100. He had close to forty break into the top ten. Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn. With such an immense body of work, it’s not easy to just pick out ten of his most underrated songs; it’s a lot of albums to go through. But we’re up for the task because Neil Diamond’s pretty special in our book, and we know he probably is in yours.

# 10 – Oh No No – The Feel Of Neil Diamond

We open up our 10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs list with the fabulous song entitled “Oh No No.” This was the third single released from Neil Diamond’s debut album. At the time, it was a hit as it broke into the Billboard Hot 100 top 20. Nonetheless, over time, this one faded from memory, caught in the shadows of all his late ’60s and early ’70s big-time hits. This one was a real gem, and it just seemed fitting to open up this list with it.

# 9 – Something Blue – Melody Road

I wonder how many people do not realize that Neil Diamond released his 32nd studio album in 2014. You know, many of his older fans have grown old with Neil Diamond and may have kind of lost touch with what’s happening in the music industry. They aren’t aware of new releases and that their heroes from the old days still continue to put out new music. It’s been ten years since his last studio album, but it was a wonderful one. There were so many great songs released on this record, but there was just something special about the song “Something Blue” and what it said about life and those we have loved and those we have lost.

# 8 – If I Don’t See You Again – Home Before Dark

You better find a box of Kleenex before you listen to this one. Neil Diamond always knew how to write heartbreaking songs, but this one really hits home. Its simple melody and sparse arrangement are perfect for the song. When he sings “who you gonna call if it ain’t me,” it just hits you so hard in the heart. This was the opening track from Neil Diamond’s Home Before Dark album. Listen to it all the way through as the emotion just builds deeper and deeper through the song.

# 7 – Tennessee Moon – Tennessee Moon

In the number seven position on our 10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs list is a brilliantly written song “Tennessee Moon” that just blows our mind that it wasn’t a hit. Sadly, it wasn’t even released as a single. When looking back at Neil Diamond’s chart success, the last time Neil Diamond had a top ten hit was in 1982 when “Heartlight” went to number five. The last Neil Diamond song to break into the Billboard Hot 100 would come in 1986 when “Headed for the Future” peaked at number fifty-three. It’s amazing that the media have ignored his music since the 1980s. But not us.

# 6 – Summerlove – The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer - Original Songs From The Motion Picture

This cool, jazzy, grooving tune “Summer Love” was released on the album The Jazz Singer. The album was released in the fall of 1980 and would become the biggest-selling album of Neil Diamond’s career. It went all the way to number three on the US Billboard Top 200. Three big hit singles were released from the album, all top ten hits, including “Love on the Rocks,” “Hello Again,” and “America.” Although the movie itself did not receive great reviews, there’s no denying how popular the album was. “Summer Love” was always one of our favorite songs on the record and closed out side one; it was written by Neil Diamond and Gilbert Bécaud.

# 5 – Mama Don’t Know – September Morn

At the halfway point on our 10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs list is a real fun one. Neil Diamond rocks out on this one from his September Morn album. This is the complete opposite of the title track. I don’t think anyone was expecting something like this after the title track. There is some great funky guitar playing with southern vibes attached to the licks throughout the song. There are multiple tempo changes and a cool break in the middle. This one is a bit of an outlier in Diamond’s catalog, and that’s why we think it’s a noteworthy addition to this list.

# 4 – Crunchy Granola Suite – Hot August Night

Hot August Night (Remastered / Expanded) (2CD)

Were you there? If you were, you remember this. What an opening this was to a live concert—the excitement that was bustling was unbelievable. While every Neil Diamond fan who has ever owned this album knows this one, in mainstream culture, the song “Crunchy Granola Suite” was never a hit. Maybe it was because they never released it as a single. Many people have mentioned the similarity with Stephen Stills’ “Love the One You’re With.” But once you get past that, it’s a brilliantly written original song that was a masterful opening number. The song first appeared on the Stones album as the record’s closing track on side one. Yet, it’s the appearances on the Hot August Night album that cements its legacy in Neil Diamond’s catalog. Everyone should know this one.

# 3 – Dry Your Eyes – Beautiful Noise

Moving along on our 10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs list is a song from our favorite Neil Diamond album, Beautiful Noise. This was an album produced by Robbie Robertson of The Band. This was a big deal, and Columbia Records made sure to promote that fact by placing Robbie Robertson’s production credits right on the cover of the album.

In our top 10 Neil Diamond songs of all time list, we placed the album’s lead single, “If You Know What I Mean,” as our favorite song of all time. So, obviously, we couldn’t put that song on this list. Nonetheless, “Dry Your Eyes” is right up there. It was the album’s closing track and the only song on the album that was credited to both Neil Diamond and Robbie Robertson as its composers. If you don’t have this album, this is one fantastic, just stunning 1970s album that you should own.

# 2 – Sunday Sun – Velvet Gloves and Spit

Just off the top spot on our 10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs list, we celebrate the happy-sounding song “Sunday Sun.” The record company had high hopes for this one as they featured it on the cover of the album. However, the song failed to become a hit for whatever reason as it stalled at number sixty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s a great one, though. The song was released on the Velvet Gloves and Spit album in 1968. While the singles released from the album, and the album itself, never really became hits, Neil Diamond would make up for that big time one year later when “Sweet Caroline” was released in 1969 and became one of the biggest hits of his career, helping fuel a run of some big-time hit singles that followed, such as “Holly Holy,” “Solitary Man,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “I Am… I Said,” “Song Sung Blue,” and so forth.

# 1 – Delirious Love -12 Songs

We close out our 10 Most Underrated Neil Diamond Songs list with this sensational song called “Delirious Love.” Have you heard this one? Chances are probably not, unless you’re a die-hard Neil Diamond fan who buys every single one of his album releases. This phenomenal song was released in 2005 on his 12 Songs album. Two versions of this song were released on the album; it was the bonus track that featured Brian Wilson that we present here.

This is just a stunning recording. It’s got a bit of a “Sweet Caroline” feel to it—I know, nostalgia and all that. It was produced by Rick Rubin, who just has a knack for bringing out the best of old-time performers—look what he did with Johnny Cash. Nonetheless, just listening to Brian Wilson sing the backing vocals on this recording will blow your minds. Hearing Neil and Brian sing together is just pure joy. This is what we mean by underrated. Holy smokes, is this one good!