THESE SONGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BIGGER HITS
Have you ever heard a song that you felt could've been a hit, if not for one small thing? It may have been because of the production or singing, or were too long and were not played, were not released as singles and hidden on albums, or simply on albums that nobody bought and some were simply not marketed well. Also, there are thousands of records that missed the grade simply because the competition was so intense, particularly in the 60's.
Lots of music slipped through the radio sifting process, and have become lost over time. Radio stations usually program their playlists based on chart success. No sales or chart success led to no lasting memory of many of the songs. They became lost gems.
I trawled through my collection and have identified songs that were not big hits, many not at all. It was a frustrating yet delightful exercise. I could make so many more volumes of lost gems but decided to limit findings to 40 tracks per decade. These tracks are presented in 20 tracks per disc. Further, I have tried to pick four tracks per year of that decade. Some years in a particular decade had more powerful tracks and therefore some years may have had more tracks and others that had less. You may also say that there are other tracks that should also be included in these lists. And I agree. But limiting these track to 40 per decade make for a better compilation, rather than post everything.
I am pleased to present 12 discs in total covering each decade starting 1950's and ending 2000's that capture tracks that SHOULD have been bigger hits. This set covers the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 2000's. Enjoy!
I hope some of these forgotten gems may ring a long dormant bell. Enjoy these beautiful songs.
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VA - These Songs Should Have Been Bigger Hits (A Butterboy Compilation) CD01-CD06
https://pixeldrain.com/u/3v3JsDMF
VA - These Songs Should Have Been Bigger Hits (A Butterboy Compilation) CD07-CD12
https://pixeldrain.com/u/c2NfEPtL
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Track list 1 50's CD1
01 Jimmy Liggins - Cadillac Boogie 02:42 1950 [?]
02 Mills Brothers - Daddy's Little Girl 02:55 1950 [5]
03 Tennessee Ernie Ford - My Hobby 02:33 1950 [0]
04 Dinah Washington - Time Out For Tears 02:58 1950 [8]
05 Eddie Fisher - Bring Back The Thrill 03:03 1951 [14]
06 Tony Bennett - Anywhere I Wander 02:56 1951 [0]
07 Billy Ward and the Dominoes - No! Says My Heart 03:10 1951 [0]
08 Tampa Red - She's Dynamite 02:22 1951 [0]
09 Howlin' Wolf - Wolf is at Your Door 02:57 1952 [0]
10 Hilltoppers - Trying 03:06 1952 [7]
11 Doris Day & Johnnie Ray - A Full Time Job 02:11 1952 [20]
12 Little Richard - I Brought it All on Myself 02:55 1952 [0]
13 Percy Mayflied - The River's Invitation 02:53 1953 [99]
14 Perry Como - Wild Horses 02:49 1953 [6]
15 Patti Page - Now That I'm in Love 02:22 1953 [18]
16 Little Esther - Cherry Wine 02:21 1953 [0]
17 Cadillacs - Zoom-Boom-Zing 02:48 1954 [0]
18 Fats Domino - Thinking of You 02:09 1954 [14]
19 Elvis Presley - That's All Right 01:55 1954 [0]
20 Eartha Kitt - Lovin' Spree 02:57 1954 [20]
Track list 2 50's CD2
21 Crew Cuts - Mostly Martha 02:39 1955 [31]
22 Chordettes - Humming Bird 02:19 1955 [0]
23 Alma Cogan - Never Do a Tango With an Eskimo 02:12 1955 [6]
24 Tennessee Ernie Ford - His Hands 02:36 1955 [13]
25 Nat 'king' Cole - To the Ends of the Earth 02:26 1956 [25]
26 Guy Mitchell - Crazy With Love 02:23 1956 [53]
27 Pat Boone - I'm in Love With You 02:25 1956 [57]
28 Tommy Steele - Rock With the Caveman 01:57 1956 [13]
29 Eddie Cochran - Twenty Flight Rock 01:45 1957 [0]
30 Sal Mineo - Start Movin' (In My Direction) 02:33 1957 [9]
31 Don & Dewey - Leavin' it All Up to You 02:15 1957 [8]
32 Andy Williams - Lips of Wine 01:42 1957 [17]
33 Paul Anka - Midnight 01:56 1958 [69]
34 Lee Andrews & the Hearts - Try the Impossible 03:08 1958 [33]
35 Elvis Presley - Lover Doll 02:10 1958 [0]
36 Frankie Avalon - Gingerbread 02:05 1958 [9]
37 Robert Parker - All Night Long (Part1) 02:50 1959 [113]
38 Johnny Restivo - The Shape I'm In 02:06 1959 [80]
39 Tab Hunter - Apple Blossom Time 02:13 1959 [31]
40 Kay Starr - Night Train 02:47 1959 [125]
Track list 3 60's CD1
01 Aaron Neville - Over You 02:18 1960 [111]
02 Googie Rene - The Slide, Part 1 03:04 1960 [20]
03 Eddie Quinteros - Come Dance With Me 01:51 1960 [25]
04 Bobby Darin - Somebody to Love 02:14 1960 [45]
05 Bobby Vee - One Last Kiss 01:59 1960 [112]
06 Dion - Somebody Nobody Wants 02:46 1961 [103]
07 Eddy Jones & the Cyclones - Say What 01:56 1961 [?]
08 Johnny Cash - The Rebel Johnny Yuma 01:52 1961 [108]
09 Marvin Rainwater - Boo Hoo 01:46 1961 [119]
10 Del Shannon - I Won't Be There 02:02 1962 [113]
11 Chantels - Here it Comes Again 02:22 1962 [118]
12 Temptations - Paradise (Mono) 02:48 1962 [122]
13 Baby Washington - A Handful of Memories 02:21 1962 [116]
14 Nolan Strong (With the Diablos) - Mind Over Matter 03:12 1962 [0]
15 Little Stevie Wonder - I Call It Pretty Music But... 02:29 1963 [101]
16 Ray Charles - No Letter Today 03:01 1963 [105]
17 Johnny Crawford - Cry on My Shoulder 02:34 1963 [126]
18 Doris Troy - Tomorrow is Another Day 02:24 1963 [0]
19 Skeeter Davis - Let Me Get Close to You 02:34 1964 [106]
20 Robin Ward - Winter's Here 02:46 1964 [0]
Track list 4 60's CD2
21 Sadina (Priscilla Mitchel) - It Comes and Goes 02:35 1965 [0]
22 Beatles - The Night Before 02:35 1965 [0]
23 Abstracts - Always, Always 02:10 1965 [0]
24 Petula Clark - Dance With Me 02:34 1966 [0]
25 Attack - Magic in the Air (Aka Watch With Mother) 03:39 1966 [0]
26 Billy Stewart - Summertime 02:39 1966 [10]
27 Luv'd Ones - Up Down Sue 02:08 1966 [0]
28 Sam & Dave - Double Dynamite 02:37 1967 [118]
29 Who - Can't Reach You 03:32 1967 [0]
30 One Way Streets - We All Love Peanut Butter 02:47 1967 [0]
31 Tages - She's Having a Baby Now 02:04 1967 [0]
32 Beatles - A Day in the Life 04:59 1967 [0]
33 Misunderstood - Children of the Sun 02:53 1967 [0]
34 Sharon Tandy - Hold On 03:43 1968 [0]
35 Aretha Franklin - Ain't No Way 04:11 1968 [0]
36 Skip Bifferty - Man in Black 02:46 1968
37 Creedence Clearwater Revival - It Came Out of the Sky 02:55 1969 [0]
38 Box Tops - Soul Deep 02:29 1969 [18]
39 Neil Young - Cowgirl in the Sand 09:47 1969 [0]
40 Idle Race - Days of the Broken Arrows 03:51 1969 [0]
Track list 5 70's CD1
01 Paul McCartney - Every Night 02:35 1970 [0]
02 Pink Floyd - Summer '68 05:29 1970 [0]
03 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Country Girl 05:00 1970 [0]
04 Van Morrison - Caravan 05:01 1970 [0]
05 Kinks - This Time Tomorrow 03:22 1970 [0]
06 David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things 03:12 1971 [0]
07 Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore 05:47 1971 [0]
08 Supremes - Nathan Jones 03:01 1971[16]
09 Al Green - Light My Fire 03:55 1971 [22]
10 Gary Wright - Fascinating Things 05:08 1972 [0]
11 Badfinger - Name of the Game 05:20 1972 [0]
12 Bill Withers - Who is He (And What is He to You) 03:16 1972 [0]
13 Donny Hathaway (With Roberta Flack) - For All We Know 03:41 1972 [0]
14 Emotions - Blind Alley 03:04 1972 [0]
15 Stephen Stills - Johnny’s Garden 02:46 1972 [0]
16 Big Star - The Ballad of El Goodo 04:15 1972 [0]
17 Judee Sill - The Kiss 04:36 1973 [0]
18 Roxy Music - In Every Dream Home a Heartache 05:30 1973 [0]
19 Three Dog Night - Happy Song 03:41 1973 [0]
20 Joni Mitchell - Down to You 05:37 1974 [0]
Track list 5 70's CD2
21 Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Look Away 03:37 1974 [101]
22 Doobie Brothers - Sweet Maxine 04:27 1975 [40]
23 Joe Cocker - You Are So Beautiful 02:44 1975 [5]
24 Queen - Keep Yourself Alive 03:49 1975 [0]
25 Todd Rundgren - Real Man 04:27 1975 [83]
26 Glen Campbell - See You On Sunday 03:36 1976 [18]
27 Steve Miller Band - Take the Money and Run 02:49 1976 [11]
28 Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action 04:32 1976 [142]
29 Ramones - Sheena is a Punk Rocker 02:50 1977 [81]
30 Alice Cooper - I Never Cry 03:44 1977 [12]
31 B.J. Thomas - Without A Doubt 03:05 1977 [0]
32 Supertramp - Babaji 04:51 1978 [0]
33 Player - Silver Lining 05:06 1978 [62]
34 Steely Dan - Deacon Blues 07:37 1978 [14]
35 Firefall - Strange Way 04:47 1979 [11]
36 Clash - Jimmy Jazz 03:57 1979 [0]
37 Cars - It's All I Can Do 03:45 1979 [41]
38 Foreigner - Love Has Taken It's Toll 03:45 1979 [0]
39 Shoes - Too Late 02:47 1979 [75]
40 Sex Pistols - Silly Thing 02:52 1979 [6]
Track list 7 80's CD1
01 Fischer-Z - So Long 05:02 1980 [72]
02 Bruce Springsteen - Out in the Street 04:17 1980 [0]
03 Romantics - What I Like About You 02:56 1980 [49]
04 Barbara Streisand - Kiss Me in the Rain 04:20 1980 [37]
05 Boz Scaggs - Miss Sun 05:32 1981 [14]
06 Boomtown Rats - Never in a Million Years 03:52 1981 [62]
07 ABC - Tears Are Not Enough [1982] 03:29 1981 [19]
08 Player - It Only Hurts When I Breathe 03:30 1981 [71]
09 Runaways - Don't Go Away 03:34 1982 [0]
10 Moving Pictures - What About Me 03:38 1982 [29]
11 Scarlet Party - 101 Dam-Nations 03:35 1982 [44]
12 Teenage Head - Some Kinda Fun 02:41 1982 [23]
13 Men at Work - I Can See it in Your Eyes 03:33 1982 [0]
14 Joe Jackson - Breaking Us in Two 04:53 1983 [18]
15 Stompers - Never Tell an Angel (When Your Heart's on Fire) 03:48 1983 [86]
16 Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write the Book 03:57 1983 [36]
17 Sade - Your Love is King 03:40 1984 [54]
18 Gino Vannelli - Black Cars 03:09 1984 [42]
19 Robert Plant & the Honeydripper - Rockin' At Midnight 05:58 1984 [25]
20 Sandy Stewart - Saddest Victory 04:14 1984 [0]
Track list 8 80's CD2
21 Fiona - Hang Your Heart on Me 03:50 1985 [0]
22 Scientists - It Came Out of the Sky 03:02 1985 [0]
23 Laura Branigan - Spanish Eddie 04:11 1985 [40]
24 Kate Bush - Mother Stands for Comfort 03:08 1985 [0]
25 Bob Dylan - Dark Eyes 05:09 1985 [0]
26 Candy - Whatever Happened to Fun 03:44 1985 [0]
27 Little River Band - Playing to Win 04:25 2000 [60]
28 Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child (Wild One) 03:35 1986 [27]
29 R.E.M. - Swan Swan H 0:02:44 1986 [0]
30 'til Tuesday - Coming Up Close 0:04:44 1986 [37]
31 Smiths - Cemetry Gates 02:41 1986 [0]
32 B-52's - Summer of Love 04:35 1986 [90]
33 Double - The Captain of Her Heart 04:28 1986 [8]
34 A-Ha - Cry Wolf 04:04 2007 [50]
35 Smithereens - Behind the Wall of Sleep 03:23 1986 [23]
36 Prince - The Cross 04:47 1987 [0]
37 Julie Brown - The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun 04:41 1987 [0]
38 Bonnie Raitt, Was (Not Was) - Baby Mine 03:14 1988 [0]
39 Cyndi Lauper - Hole in My Heart 04:03 1989 [54]
40 Stone Roses - (Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister 03:27 1989 [0]
Track list 9 90's CD1
01 Sundays - Skin & Bones 0:04:18 1990 [0]
02 World Party - Put the Message in the Box 04:17 1990 [8]
03 Keith Washington - Kissing You 04:53 1991 [40]
04 Clouds - Hieronymus 03:47 1991 [45]
05 Tasmin Archer - Sleeping Satellite 04:42 1992 [32]
06 David Byrne - A Million Miles Away 04:24 1992 [0]
07 Charles & Eddie Would I Lie to You 03:32 1992 [13]
08 Pavement - Here 03:59 1992 [0]
09 Devlins - Everytime You Go 04:47 1993 [0]
10 Me'shell Ndegéocello - If Thats Your Boyfriend 04:32 1993 [73]
11 Primal Scream - Rocks 03:35 1994 [107]
12 Melissa Etheridge - Come To My Window 03:34 1994 [25]
13 Oasis - Married With Children 03:16 1994 [0]
14 Blur - Girls and Boys 04:51 1994 [59]
15 Built to Spill - Big Dipper 04:10 1994 [0]
16 Love Can Build a Bridge - Cher, C. Hynde & N. Cherry 04:16 1995 [0]
17 Natalie Merchant - Wonder 04:24 1995 [20]
18 Pulp - Underwear 04:06 1995 [0]
19 Tears for Fears - Raoul and the Kings of Spain 05:19 1995 [31]
20 Dambuilders - Teenage Loser Anthem 03:16 1995 [0]
Track list 10 90's CD2
21 Barry Adamson - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis 05:40 1996 [0]
22 Kula Shaker - Grateful When You're Dead -Jerry Was There 05:42 1996 [0]
23 Seal - Fly Like an Eagle 04:14 1996 [10]
24 Mansun - Wide Open Space 04:05 1996 [25]
25 Rebecca's Empire - Atomic Electric 04:38 1996 [0]
26 Charlatans - Tellin' Stories 05:14 1997 [0]
27 Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Patio Song 02:44 1997 [0]
28 Radiohead - Exit Music (For a Film) 04:25 1997 [0]
29 Marcy Playground - Saint Joe on the School Bus 03:20 1997 [31]
30 Paul McCartney - Great Day 02:09 1997 [0]
31 New Radicals - You Get What You Give 04:59 1998 [30]
32 Jeff Buckley - Everybody Here Wants You 04:47 1998 [0]
33 Beta Band - Inner Meet Me 06:20 1998 [0]
34 Paradise Motel - Derwent River Star 03:02 1998 [0]
35 Taxiride - Get Set 03:14 1999 [0]
36 Augie March - Asleep in Perfection 04:05 1999 [0]
37 Third Eye Blind - Never Let You Go 03:57 1999 [14]
38 Tal Bachman - She's So High 03:45 1999 [14]
39 Deadstar - Deeper Water 04:10 1999 [0]
40 Jacknife Lee - Cookies 04:54 1999 [0]
Track list 11 2000's CD1
01 Ben Harper - Steal My Kisses 04:05 2000 [15]
02 Evan and Jaron - Crazy For This Girl (Acoustic Version) 03:19 2000 [15]
03 Moby - Natural Blues 03:02 2000 [0]
04 Porcupine Tree - Four Chords That Made a Million 03:38 2000 [0]
05 Aerosmith - Fly Away From Here 05:01 2001 [103]
06 Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Redemption Song 03:29 2001 [0]
07 Pete Yorn - Strange Condition 03:57 2001 [36]
08 Inxs - Shining Star 03:43 2002 [0]
09 Lumidee - Never Leave You (Uh Oh) 03:05 2003 [0]
10 Liz Phair - Why Can't I 03:28 2003 [32]
11 Franz Ferdinand - Jacqueline 03:49 2004 [0]
12 Arcade Fire - Hapti 04:07 2004 [0]
13 Click Five - Just the Girl 03:54 2005 [11]
14 Sufjan Stevens - Chicago 06:05 2005 [0]
15 Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day 05:54 2005 [0]
16 David Gilmour - On an Island 06:47 2006 [27]
17 Shins - Turn on Me 03:41 2007 [0]
18 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Fortune Teller 04:30 2007 [0]
19 Duffy - Warwick Avenue 03:47 2008 [0]
20 Coldplay - Lost! 03:44 2008 [0]
Track list 12 2000's CD2
21 Duffy - Stepping Stone 03:30 2008 [0]
22 Camera Obscura - French Navy 03:15 2009 [0]
23 Bat for Lashes - Daniel 04:10 2009 [0]
24 Kasabian - Where Did All the Love Go 04:18 2009 [0]
25 Foals - Spanish Sahara 06:03 2010 [0]
26 Florence + the Machine - Cosmic Love 04:16 2010 [0]
27 National - Think You Can Wait 04:34 2011 [0]
28 Fleet Foxes - Lorelai 04:25 2011 [0]
29 Amos Lee - Violin 05:19 2011 [0]
30 Mark Lanegan Band - The Gravediggers Song 03:46 2012 [0]
31 Beach House - Other People 04:25 2012 [0]
32 Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards 03:13 2012 [0]
33 John Grant - GMF 05:13 2013 [0]
34 David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight) 03:57 2013 [29]
35 War on Drugs - Under the Pressure 08:51 2014 [19]
36 Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances 03:54 2014 [0]
37 Leon Bridges - Coming Home 03:26 2015 [7]
38 Handsome Family - Far From Any Road 02:45 2015 [0]
39 Sam Smith - Writing's on the Wall 04:39 2015 [71]
40 Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener 05:13 2015 [0]
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