Shayla - Blondie (from the Eat To The Beat album). One of Debbie Harry's best vocals. Beautiful song.

Jesus And Mary Chain - Taste Of Cindy (from Psychocandy)

Keep Moving - Madness (from the album of the same name)

Lets Pretend We're Married - Prince (from 1999)

Stupid Marriage - The Specials (from The Specials)

London Lady - The Stranglers (from Rattus Norvegicus)

And in a similar vein, although going the other way - Aztec Camera 'Walk Out To Winter' single is a different version - a much better version - to the one that is on High Land Hard Rain. And it's not been available on an album. It should be on every and any Aztec Camera best of that they release from here on in. Completely deserving of much much attention....

Here are a few more, at random:

Nutted By Reality, Nick Lowe (Jesus Of Cool) - musically very smart with typically droll lyrics

Going Mobile, The Who (Who's Next) - a gem, a great understated band performance from a great band which isn't often understated.

And Your Bird Can Sing, The Beatles (Revolver) - obviously a very well known song but when people talk about Revolver it's usually other tracks which get the focus.

Third World Man, Steely Dan (Gaucho) - perfection.

And if we are going to get in the spirit of track 4 side 2 from 1973 can I chuck in these:

- Dice Man by the fantastic Streetwalkers, from the album Vicious But Fair

- the three instrumentals on the second side of Extravaganza by Stackridge - especialy Who's That Up There With Bill Stokes which careers to a brilliant and thrilling halt.

- Never Been Sold Before by Alice Cooper, from Muscle Of Love, the last by the original band. Great horns, a great riff.

'Honey Pie' and 'Savoy Truffle' by The Beatles from the White Album... actually two of my favourite Beatles songs, their brilliance is that they were seemingly knocked off as novelties but both are incredibly sophisticated, and in the case of 'Truffle' hard rocking; they showed that right up until that point the Beatles' scope was still widening; and they presaged all the louche urbanity of Bowie and Roxy Music and in so doing essentially created the 70s right there.

'Don't Stop' from The Stone Roses... it's 'Waterfall' backwards! The point where you realise how much brains and wit there is behind the scally swagger and retro-isms.

'Starfish And Coffee' by Prince from Sign O The Times... a staple of my pub DJ sets: it always brings me joy to see how many people know every word to this.

...but off the top of my head.

So Cruel - U2 (Achtung Baby). So much better than 'One'.

The Blind Stagger - Charlatans (Us & US Only)

This Is The One - The Stone Roses (TSR)

Find The River/Nightswimming - REM (Automatic...)

These last two are songs that are so familiar it is as though they were singles...

I would nominate 'Country Feedback' from Out of Time - one of the best things they've ever done but overshadowed by 'Losing my Religion' (which is OK) and 'Shiny Happy People' (which isn't).

..now that the REM bag has been opened;

Hairshirt from Green,

Exhuming McCarthy from Document,

The Wake Up Bomb from New Adventures in Hi-Fi,

Totally agree with Steve's nod of the nead towards Country Feedback (best song on Out of Time),

Star 69 from Monster,

Sweetness Follows from Automatic for the People (although you can choose any of the other non-singles from that record...they all eclipse all of REM's post-Up output),

I also think the re-record of All the Right Friends is terrific (was this originally from Reckoning?)

...Old Man Trouble by Otis Redding. It's track 1 side 1 on Otis Blue but never seems to be on any Best of albums. Possibly my favourite Otis track.

Nothings Too Good For My Baby from his Up-tight album. It's a bit of a rewrite of the title track, but it's a fantastic energetic mid 60s stomper. If you like your Motown but don't know this track go and search it out...

U2 Wire & Elvis Presley and America - The Unforgettable Fire
The Jam Dreamtime Sound Affects
Siouxsie and the Banshees Monitor - JuJu
The Clash Sean Flynn - Combat Rock

possibly their best songs...:-O

I'll go for Clampdown - although it was a single, it was eclipsed by the title track of the album from whence it came as well as by the album's closer Train in Vain.

I'll also vouch for Safe European Home from Give 'Em Enough Rope.

I'll also like to add a few other outstandingly great album numbers;

The Wretched - The Fragile - Nine Inch Nails

All Down the Line - Exile on Main Street - Rolling Stones

I've Just Seen a Face - Help - The Beatles

Sad But True - Metallica - Metallica...

Dinosaur Jr from Where You Been? - Goin' Home, no eccentric guitar solos, a mellower side.

Led Zeppelin - That's The Way off III.

Rolling Stones - You Got The Silver - Keith sings, a refreshing change.

My favourite early Elton song (see thread above) - don't believe this was a single - at least in the UK?

...Queen's 'A Day At The Races', my favourite unsung track was 'Long Away'. I think this DID get released as a single in America but did poorly sales-wise. It's a gorgeous song though and vastly underrated- as is the haunting ballad 'You Take My Breath Away' from the same album.

Had a lot of time for some of the lesser known Stones' album tracks; 'Sway' and 'Monkey Man' are often overlooked in favour of more famous songs on their respective albums but if they were on latter day Stones albums they'd be praised to the high heavens. Some of what's on the 'Satanic Majesties' album is really good too; again, 'In Another Land' got a single release somewhere in the world (not sure where) but I think it's a charming, if entirely atypical (even down to the Bill Wyman vocal) piece of wobbly pop-psych. Liked the Incredible String Band stylings of 'The Lantern' too.

There are a lot of overlooked Beatles album tracks; 'You're Gonna Lose That Girl' is probably my favourite in that category.

And Your Bird Can Sing - from Revolver

It's Too Bad - from All Mod Cons

These Are The Things That Dreams Are Made Of - from Dare

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - From The Queen Is Dead

Monkey Man - From Let It Bleed

IFWHITEAMERICATOLDTHETRUTHFORONEDAYITSWORLDWOULDFALLAPART - From The Holy Bible

Anytime At All and It Won't Be Long. Best two Beatles songs (early period) that civilian listeners have never heard.

If You Don't Believe - Deniece Williams, This is Niecy
The Scarlet Tide - Elvis Costello, The Delivery Man
Only a Dream - Mary Chapin Carpenter, Come on, Come on
Sometimes it Snows in April - Prince, Parade
Vibrate - Rufus Wainwright, Want One
Only a Fool Would Say That - Steely Dan, Can't buy a Thrill

I'm not sure if all of these definitely weren't singles, but if any were, they were too good for the pleb market to buy in to..

you have just chosen 2 of my all time favourite songs in Scarlet tide and Only a dream plus sometimes it Snows in April is great shout too.
You get my voye!!!

Ron Sexsmith - Secret Heart
Eels - Climbing up to the moon
Indoor fireworks - Elvis Costello
Bus to Baton Rouge - Lucinda Williams
American Tune - Paul Simon
Little things in life - Green on Red
Why worry - Dire Straits
Feeling like going home - Notting Hillbillies - a cover but brilliant
Who's gonna build your wall - Tom Russell
Rhythm and the blues - Mary Chapin Carpenter - second best song on her best album
Boulder to Birmingham - Emmylou Harris
Shades of Scarlet conquering - Joni Mitchell
John Martyn - May you never
Fountains of Wayne - Fire Island
Modest Mouse - Fire it up

Thats a few that come to mind just now - could be totally different tomorrow but Scarlet Tide is the one to be played at my funeral if you recall the earlier thread.

mona lisa's and mad hatters - elton john - from honky chateau
you walk your way - isley brothers - 3+3
wild west end - dire straits - dire straits
don't take me alive - steely dan - the royal scam
blood on the rooftops - genesis - wind & wuthering
foreign window - van morrison - no guru,no method,no teacher
i've been wrong before - elvis costello - kojak variety
johnny bye-bye - bruce springsteen - tracks box set
sentimental fool - roxy music - siren
i will - the beatles - white album
the very thing that makes you rich - ry cooder - bop till you drop
the beat of black wings - joni mitchell - chalk mark in a rainstorm
frankfort special - elvis presley - G.I.Blues
mainstreet - bob seger & the silver bullet band - night moves
up from the sea it arose...george duke - a brazilian love affair
the queen & the soldier - suzanne vega - suzanne vega

Mainstreet was, and probably still is, one of the cornerstones of Bob Seger's live set.
Great song but hardly unsung by fans or himself.

Carl P - I went slightly off thread by answering Martins request to list some of my favourite songs not necessarily unsung tracks. However I think Secret Heart is only reasonably known because of the fucking mess Rod Stewart made of it. Anyone who hasn't heard the original should check out the album it is on as there are plenty of other great songs on it too.Dont listen to David Hepworth - he thinks he is crap - anyone would think he knows about these matters!!!!

Rod Stewart - Jo's Lament
AC/DC - Gone Shootin'
Led Zeppelin - Thank You
Led Zeppelin - Anything off side three of Physical Graffiti!
Captain Beefheart - Big Eyed Beans From Venus

...John Lennon's 'How'. That might be one of the least discussed tracks on 'Imagine' (save maybe 'Crippled Inside') but in my mind it's a gorgeous song, and far better than almost anything he recorded afterwards!

Agreed on the Zeppelin songs. The third side of 'Physical Graffiti' has some gems, not least the epic 'In The Light' (one of my favourites). 'Ten Years Gone' is another classic.