Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides

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The “Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides” list presents a showcase of songs that, for various reasons, could be argued to have become bigger than the A-Sides. Two factors went into consideration here. The first was chart success. If the B-Side ranked higher on the charts than the A-Side, then arguably, the B-Side was more successful than the A-Side. However, not all of our B-Side picks indeed charted higher. That brings us to criterion number two. Some of these B-Sides just simply became more loved, more respected, more cherished, or however you want to describe them when compared to the A-Sides. That, of course, is subjective, but it’s subjectivity based on popularity. The third factor that came into play here was the Beatles. The band released so many different versions of singles around the world that it became really hard to track chart success. Additionally, so many of them were released as double A-sides in some countries and not in others. So, to make it easy, we just looked at one that was a clear choice in the U.S. The Beatles warrant their own article just based on their singles.

# 10 – “Come Together” – B-Side to “Something”

There are a lot of music fans who would argue there are plenty of Beatles singles in which the B-sides were better than the sides. We’re not going to argue against that point. However though, when you look at the charts, unless it was a double-sided single, which many of them were, there were really no Beatles B-Sides that charted higher in the US than the A-side. If we begin to look at other countries well, then it will vary depending on the country. We open this list though with the B side to George Harrison’s “Something.” Both songs hit number one in the United States even though “Come Together” was clearly listed as a B-side. We had to have some sort of criteria for the Beatles songs on this list otherwise, the whole entire list would will be filled with Beatles songs

# 9 – “God Only Knows” – B-Side to “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”

Continuing with our “Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides” list, we take a look at the fantastic Beach Boys single “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” backed by “God Only Knows.” This is an interesting case. In the United States, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” was a top 10 hit, peaking at number 8, while “God Only Knows” just broke into the top 40, peaking at number 38. However, in the United Kingdom, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” didn’t even chart, while “God Only Knows” climbed all the way to number two. Nonetheless, I think if you ask any Beach Boys fan or just rock fans in general which song they prefer, nine out of ten would pick “God Only Knows.” It’s one of Brian Wilson’s most brilliant compositions.

# 8 – “Black Water” – B-“Side to Another Park Another Sunday”

This story highlights an interesting twist in the music industry. “Black Water” by The Doobie Brothers was initially released as the B-side to “Another Park, Another Sunday.” The record company believed that due to its acoustic arrangement, “Black Water” did not have the potential to become a hit, which is why it was relegated to the B-side of a song they felt had better chances. However, many radio stations rejected “Another Park, Another Sunday” because of a lyric that criticized radio itself. As a result, numerous DJs began flipping the record over and playing “Black Water” instead.

As the popularity of “Black Water” grew, the record company took notice and reissued a new single with “Black Water” as the A-side. This strategic move paid off spectacularly, as “Black Water” eventually climbed to number one on the charts, becoming one of the rare B-sides to achieve such a feat. It’s important to note, however, that while “Black Water” initially gained attention as a B-side, it did not reach number one until it was reissued as an A-side. This distinction often goes unnoticed in the story of this song. However, in the end, I think most Doobie Brothers fans preferred “Another Park Another Sunday” over “Black Water.” Of course this could be just due to “Black Water” being so overplayed on the radio over the years. But who knows?

# 7 – “Gloria” – B-Side to “Baby Please Dont Go”

Van Morrison composed the song “Gloria” for his band Them in 1964. Initially, the record company released “Gloria” as the B-side to the single “Baby, Please Don’t Go.” While “Baby, Please Don’t Go” did become a hit, it was “Gloria” that truly ascended to legendary status. The situation is somewhat complex to analyze because “Baby, Please Don’t Go” is a 1950s tune that had already become a blues rock standard by the time of its release by Them.

Over time, “Gloria” emerged as a classic rock standard and one of Van Morrison’s signature songs. Furthermore, it achieved hit status through a cover by The Shadows of Knight and has been recorded by multiple artists over the years, including The Doors and Patti Smith, among others. While “Baby, Please Don’t Go” remained a classic blues rocker, “Gloria” transformed into a classic rock and roll anthem.

# 6 – “Be True” – B-side To “Fade Away”

Landing in the number six spot on our “Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides” is a case where the B-side never really charted, but among the artist’s fans, it would definitely become the more loved song. I remember being completely blown away by how good this B-side was when I first purchased the “Fade Away” single with its black and white cover. My next thought was why in the world would Springsteen leave this song off The River album, which was a two-record set. In the coming years, even Bruce would admit that it was a mistake to leave “Be True” off the album as he realized just how great a song it was. In our opinion, it should have been the album’s opening track.

# 5 – “Ain’t No Sunshine” – B-side to ‘Harlem’

At the halfway point on our “Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides” list is a song that may come as a surprise to many, as it isn’t often discussed in this context. Bill Withers’ legendary song “Ain’t No Sunshine” was released in 1971 as the B-side to the song “Harlem.” The track featured some legendary players, including Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, Al Jackson Jr. on drums, and a man we all love, Stephen Stills, on guitar.

This is another case in which radio DJs flipped over the A-side to the B-side and simply liked the B-side better. Because of that preference, they started playing it more, and eventually, it became a massive hit, soaring all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. “Ain’t No Sunshine” would become Bill Withers’ signature song.

# 4 – “Wipe Out”- B-side to “Surfer Joe” (The Surfaris)

At the number four spot on our “Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides” list is another intriguing B-side story. Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller, and Ron Wilson of The Surfaris were set to release “Surfer Joe” as a single. However, the group realized they needed something that would fit well with the song for the B-side, so in just a few minutes they came up with an instrumental based on blues chord changes, which for non-musicians is just basically a I-IV-V progression. The group probably never expected that this song, which they had come up with at the last second just to be included as a B-side, would become one of the most famous songs of all time.

When the song was released in 1963, it went all the way to number two. However, its true success at that time pales in comparison to how legendary the song has become and how many drummers in how many clubs throughout the world over the past 60 years have been asked to play “Wipeout.”

# 3 – “We Will Rock You” – B-side to ” We Are The Champions”

This pick might come as a surprise because, as most people know, these two songs are almost always played back-to-back. You very rarely hear “We Will Rock You” on the radio without it being immediately followed by “We Are the Champions.” We’re not sure this was the idea that Elektra Records had when they first released this single. On the album News of the World, these two tracks are seamlessly connected, with very little break between the songs. However, if you look at the 45 rpm record, “We Will Rock You” was listed as the B-side.

Although it wasn’t originally intended as a double A-sided single but rather as an A-side and B-side, “We Will Rock You” being placed on the B-side earns it a spot on our list. This designation is particularly noteworthy given that “We Will Rock You” has become just as iconic, if not more so, than its counterpart. The stomp-stomp-clap section of “We Will Rock You” has become a universal sports anthem, resonating in stadiums around the world and cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.

# 2 – “Beth” – B-side to “Detroit Rock City”

Yes, we get it—if you’re a KISS fan, “Detroit Rock City” is often regarded as a much better or at least much more beloved song than “Beth.” Many KISS fans claim “Detroit Rock City” as their favorite KISS song of all time, and it’s easy to see why, given its raw energy and iconic status within the rock genre. We completely understand that sentiment. Nonetheless, when looking purely at chart success, “Beth” became the biggest single the band ever had.

It was also one of the biggest surprises ever. If it wasn’t, it never would have been released as the B-side. No one expected this ballad, sung by drummer Peter Criss, to become as big as it did. It still blows our minds how a song that diverged so much from the band’s typical sound could achieve such success. Good job, Peter!

# 1 – “Maggie May” – B-side to “Reason To Believe”

It had to be cool being a radio DJ in the 1970s. Not just because you were sort of a celebrity, spending all day playing records, talking on the radio, and all that jazz, but also because every day, record companies were sending your station singles, making you among the first to hear these records. Inevitably, as we’ve seen many times on this list, the record companies’ A-sides often became flipped over in preference for the B-sides, which many DJs would find to be the much better song. This is probably one of the biggest examples of that phenomenon ever happening.

“Reason to Believe” is a good song, but “Maggie May” is a legendary song. If those DJs had never flipped this record over, it’s possible that Rod Stewart’s solo career might not have been launched, and who knows what would have happened. Although he was just so talented and had already been so loved by fans of the Faces, it’s likely he would have had another hit eventually. Yet, as history shows, “Maggie May” was the song that broke his career big time. And it was all because it was the B-side.