I’ve covered some of my favorite underrated artists, all of whom you should definitely check out, but there are also plenty of songs from bigger artists that I personally think deserve more love. Here’s just a few of them in no particular order.
“Growing Pains” by Ethel Cain
This is the the first track off of Ethel Cain’s first EP, Carpet Bed EP. It’s a simple yet beautiful song about growing out of a relationship as you get older and become different people. The gorgeous acoustic guitar is strikingly clear against Cain’s classic echoey vocals and adds a nostalgic feel to the song that reinforces the narrative. The same effect happens when she includes cricket sounds around halfway through the song. This track is in a similar style to her other music so if you’re a Cain fan, I highly recommend checking it out!
“Flick Of The Wrist” by Queen
While you probably know “Killer Queen” from the band’s third album, Sheer Heart Attack, you might not have heard of this song which was also listed on it. It leans into a bit of a spookier vibe, making it a perfect addition to your “Spooky Season” playlist. The band brings immaculate rock sounds with the impressive electric guitar and drum parts, and, of course, their iconic vocals. Freddie Mercury absolutely eats this song up (as he does with every song) and the backing vocals help elevate the song to keep it from feeling sonically flat.
“Laura” by Billy Joel
Fun Fact: This is the one and only time Billy Joel uses the “F word” in a song. Off of his eighth album, The Nylon Curtain, this song is about someone who knows you so well that they know what hurts and ticks you off the most. In a Q&A, Joel says that the song isn’t about anyone specific, but many people speculate that it is about his mother because of the lyric, “How can she hold an umbilical chord for so long?” Whoever it’s about, this song perfectly captures the feeling of someone getting on your nerves.
“Starlight” by Taylor Swift
“22” this, “Red” that, but no one ever talks about the banger that is “Starlight” off of Swift’s iconic fourth album, Red. This song is actually inspired by a picture she saw of Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and Ethel Kennedy, presumably because of her romance with Conor Kennedy. Because of the weird age gap (he was 17 and Swift was 22), I prefer to listen to this song without thinking about the backstory. I just like to think of it as a “marvelous tune” to jam out to with your friends, especially since it kind of reminds me of “Best Song Ever” by One Direction. Also shoutout “Message In A Bottle” off of Red (Taylor’s Version) that has too many streams for its own spot on this list but is one of my favorite “from the vault” songs.
“In the Mourning” by Paramore
This 2011 single is actually what inspired me to write this article. I was listening to Paramore on shuffle when this song came up and I immediately loved it, wondering why I’d never heard it before. I checked Spotify and saw it only had around 14 million streams, which sounds like a lot but is nothing compared to the hundreds of millions of streams their other songs get. It’s about letting go of your old self, with the double entendre of “in the mourning,” meaning that you are mourning the old you by moving into the future or “the morning.” I am a sucker for a bittersweet song (and for Paramore), so this song really hits the spot for me.
“Hungover” by Kesha
Kesha’s debut album, Animal, is known for its party hits, but this hidden gem describes the messy aftermath of a breakup by comparing it to having a hangover the day after a party. She suddenly goes from having to time of her life to feeling sick to her stomach. I think the metaphor is really clever and it also allows for a sad, reflective song that matches her party-girl brand.
“Hard to Sleep” by Gracie Abrams
As someone who was a Gracie listener before she blew up, I lowkey miss her slow, sad-girl music. Her new stuff is fun too, but I just love a good song that makes you want to curl up on the floor and cry. And this song off of her debut EP, This is What It Feels Like, does exactly that. I love the simple piano melody and how the song builds in volume as it progresses. It’s also just super relatable.
“Peter” by Taylor Swift
IMO, this is actually one of Swift’s best songs and I have no idea why it’s so slept on. Maybe because it’s one of many deluxe tracks off of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. I didn’t think the whole Ophelia from Hamlet metaphor worked for “The Fate of Ophelia,” considering how Ophelia drowned herself after the guy she loved killed her dad, but the Wendy Darling thing really works here. Swift makes the story her own while also providing a new, nuanced take on the characters from Peter Pan. It also ties back to the “Peter losing Wendy” line from her song, “Cardigan.”
“Val-Hala” by Elton John
Before Rick Riordan or Marvel ever dabbled in media based off Norse Mythology, the “Rocket Man” himself wrote this whimsical song for his debut album, Empty Sky. This is one those songs that is just so easy to listen to that it makes me feel like I’m in a meditative trance. I usually hate when vocals are quieter than instrumentals/production elements, but the twinkly instrument being louder than John’s echoey vocals actually works pretty well with the theme of welcoming warriors into the afterlife. Most songs about death are pretty depressing, but I like that this one has a happier sentiment: You did good while you were alive, so now you get to rest.
“Lady In Blue” by Lizzy McAlpine
I like to think of this song as being about a sad ghost lady that haunts the halls of a home and instead of being scared of her, one of the people who lives in the house feels bad for her and wonders how she got like this. McApline has a knack for storytelling in her songs and this one is no exception. I think I would have preferred to hear it on acoustic guitar instead of electric, but regardless, the guitar melody is lovely and accompanies her gorgeous vocals well.
“23” by Reneé Rapp
This song off of Rapp’s debut album, Snow Angel, is basically “teenage dream” by Olivia Rodrigo before GUTS came out (which was only a month later but YKWIM). I know, like Gracie Abrams, Rapp is in her popstar era now, but I really love her slower/sadder music. I like the idea of this song: waiting to grow out of your insecurities but then realizing that those things don’t just simply fade away when you exit your teenage years. Also, the little piano bit between the first and second verses is so pretty.
“Disco Heaven” by Lady Gaga
I love a pop girlie banger, so this hidden gem off of Gaga’s debut album, The Fame, is right up my alley. It has these funky bits of electric guitar and bass that alternate in your ears which is really cool. As much I love pop music, I like that this song incorporates disco and rock elements to elevate it above being just pop. It may not be on the same level as other songs on the album like “Poker Face” or “Paparazzi,” but this song still deserves some love.
“For What It’s Worth” by Stevie Nicks
I discovered this track off of Stevie Nick’s eighth studio album, In Your Dreams, while I was going through her discography in preparation for a concert with her and Billy Joel that ended up getting cancelled (I’m still not over it). At least I was able to get this song out of it. I’m normally not the biggest fan of country music, but I do love the country vibes in this track. You’re probably more used to her rock sound in Fleetwood Mac or her hit song, “The Edge of Seventeen,” but I think that the slight roughness of her voice really suits this slower type of music as well.
“California” by Chappell Roan
Even before I left home for JMU, I felt this song from Roan’s album, The Rise And Fall of A Midwest Princess, in my bones. And now that I’ve been away for a couple years, I appreciate it even more. I can definitely relate to wanting to desperately wanting to get away, only to end up missing where you’re from. Being away has given me a new appreciation for my home-state of New Jersey. The pizza and bagels here in Virginia suck; I miss the accents, the fast walking pace, and the deep pride all Jerseyans have for our state (despite constantly complaining about it). It’s also just heartbreaking to think that Roan probably wrote this song when she was dropped from her label in LA and had to move back home and work at a drive-thru.
“All for Leyna” by Billy Joel
I’m a sucker for a good yearning song, and this track from Billy Joel’s seventh studio album, Glass Houses, delivers in the yearning department. His angsty voice goes so well with lovesickness and pining. As always with his music, the instrumental elements in this song, especially the staccato piano, sound amazing. I don’t know who “Leyna” is, but she must really be something to have this song written about her.
“Never Make Me Cry” by Fleetwood Mac
I’m not much of a Fleetwood Mac fan, but this song off of their album, Tusk, is definitely my favorite of their. Christine McVie’s vocals are absolutely stunning and entrancing. I just wish that this song was longer and that the lyrics portrayed more of a story. Still, it’s a beautiful, yet haunting, love song that deserves more that the 2.5 million streams it currently has.
“Beautiful Ghosts” by Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Weber
Speaking of haunting: Look, the Cats movie was pure nightmare fuel and I have no idea why anyone thought it was a good idea, but this song absolutely slaps. Swift really needs to write a musical. As a theater-nerd-Swiftie, this song was pretty much made for me. If it was part of any other project that wasn’t Cats, people would have ate it up. I wish that I had any vocal talent at all just so I could sing this song.