My Top 10“hidden gems”(Rock)
Songs that I think you missed out on but should not have missed out on
I could jump into something about how I love music with a passion and how I got into listening to music (which isn’t as complicated as you think), but I’d rather make the more sensible choice which is to have a short introduction and jump straight in. I don’t listen to music as much as I used to, but I usually have some go-to's when I do. Some I found from listening to my favorite artists' full albums. However, some I just discovered from Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” playlist. Needless to say, these picks were hard to decide on.
My top ten hidden gems are as followed in no particular order except for the top three:
10. Panic Station (The Resistance, 2009)-Muse
This one is so much fun to listen to. It adds a funky spin to rock, and it makes you feel amazing as you listen to it, perfect for when you are just starting your day. Not to mention the bassline is as awesome as you would expect from Muse. If you are unaware who Muse is, they are a rock band who have been around since the late 90s and are known for their wild and progressive style. They are not a small band either, with over 20 million sales and eight amazing albums.
9. Could This Be Love (Fahrenheit, 1986)-Toto
I discovered this one too soon after browsing the internet for recommendations. This song has a feeling of desperation from the vocalist Joseph Williams (son of famous composer John Williams), as he is thinking that his relationship with this girl, well, could be love. Toto’s instrumentals are on point here like usual, not being too extraordinary but fitting so incredibly well with this song. If you missed this song from Toto, please give it a try.
8. Beekeeper’s Daughter (Kids In The Street, 2012)-The All-American Rejects
This song is a jam. From what I heard, this song was not as popular as it should have been because it alienated their existing fans by trying to appeal to a more mainstream style, but the mainstream had already given their own label to the band based on their previous style. The song describes lead vocalist Tyson Ritter during a time after his band had gotten very popular, and how all the fame was getting to his head and he felt himself become a different person. I love how this song makes you feel good with a light feel to it, and a fun solo. You just feel happy while listening to this.
7. Everything Is Easy (Dopamine, 2009)- Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is a very well known band, but their later albums are not as popular. This is a great highlight from their newer material that is a feel-good song, but like number eight, you can hear the desperation behind the vocalist’s voice. The instruments are light and poppy, nothing special, but they don’t need to be. They make the song flow very well and it does not feel boring at all.
6. Whatsername (American Idiot, 2004)-Green Day
“Whatsername” is the wonderful conclusion to Green Day’s very popular album, American Idiot. It tells about the main character of the album, Jesus of Suburbia, regretting losing Whatsername. He doesn’t remember her name or know what happens to her, but he still reminisces on the times they had even if it wasn’t the most pleasant in the end. The meaning of the song is cool, but the reason I like it is the change in tone from many other Green Day songs. It seems very dry and plain in a way, but you can feel the passion coming from Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice. The steady rhythm fits the song perfectly, and so does the great guitar solo. It’s a great conclusion to the album that you need to check out.
5. At Least It Was Here (Community {Music from the Original Television Series}, 2010)- The 88
As you can guess from the album title, this song was the theme for the show “Community”. This show is amazingly funny and I highly recommend it to everyone, but that’s not why I put it on here. Most full versions of a T.V. show’s theme sound weird and a bit out of place, but this is an exception. It actually works as a great standalone song. The lyrics sound very kind and it’s the instrumentals and vocals all work together very well to create a great-sounding song that you can tell has meaning behind it.
4. Remember When (Disobey, 2018)- Bad Wolves
This song is from a band most famous for their cover of Zombie by The Cranberries. That is an amazing cover that you should definitely check out, but Remember When hits a bit differently. It talks about lead vocalist Tommy Vext’s past with his twin brother, and how Tommy chose music and became a better person, with his brother going down another path. His brother attempted to kill him and Tommy had to serve at the court hearing. It’s a tragic story, and you can really feel that through the song. After the main verses, it leads into a louder, heavier section created by all members of the band with Vext singing very passionately. It’s a sad but great song that you should not miss.
3. Another Heart Calls (When The World Comes Down, 2008)
Oh man, this is a great song. Another song by The All-American Rejects, it’s nothing fancy at all, no deep meaning or complicated instrumentals, but it still works out to be an amazing song. It seems to be about two lovers talking about love, but it is a bit unclear. It features the Alabama band The Pierces, who add a nice layer to this song. If you want a great feel-good song, that is not too complex, give this one a shot.
2. This December (Montgomery Ricky, 2016)
I do not usually like this type of music or Ricky Montgomery’s style of singing, but this is a great exception. A friend of mine first introduced me to this, and I am glad he did. The bassline is somewhat complex, which fits the song perfectly. The synth solo is also a great addition to the song. It’s somewhat of a feel-good song like many of the other songs on this list, but it’s different by sounding happy and not happy at the same time, but not desperate. He sounds hopeful in the chorus, wishing something good will happen to him “This December”. A few lines of the song are a bit dark and unexpected, but other than that this song is a great song to listen to for getting in a better mood.
- No One But You (Only The Good Die Young) (Queen Rocks, 1997)-Queen
Finally, we have my number one pick. This song was forgotten about because it was released sometime after Freddie Mercury’s death, and it was released after Queen’s studio albums (you can find this on Queen’s “The Platinum Collection” album, a compilation of all three of Queen’s “greatest hits” albums). The song sees guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor as vocalists, singing about Freddie Mercury and how much they miss him, and how much of an impact he had on the world. It also comes not long after the death of Princess Diana, with who Mercury had a friendship. The main reason why I love this song so much is because of the emotion coming off of it. You can tell how much the band thought of each other as a family, and how hard the death of Freddie Mercury was for them. Finally, this is the last Queen song to feature bassist John Deacon, who left the band shortly after to retire from music because of Freddie’s passing. If you consider yourself a Queen fan, give this song a listen, you will not regret it.
Conclusion
This was a fun post to write. I really recommend all of these songs, as I believe many people have missed out on them when they should not have. This was a nice break from my other types of posts, so I hope it was enjoyed. Each title of the song has a link to the YouTube video of each song.
