HIDDEN TREASURES - WORST OF THE BEST

Since Scott is focusing on his "favorite album by artist X" over in the AOTW forum, I wanted to explore a similar theme without exactly repeating what he's doing (at least this week, next week might be a different story). So I'm posting a song from four of my favorite albums. Albums that I think are perfect. But in a twist, I'm picking the one song that, if forced to by some sort or strange dark force in the universe, I would choose to leave off of the album. Does that make the song bad? Not necessarily, but it's up to you to decide. Is this a playlist of bad songs? Or is this just the worst of the best, which still makes them damn good? Your call.

Playlist: HERE

Boston

1976

Did You Know? Critics accused the band of creating the "corporate" rock sound. I accuse them of making some great music.

1. Let Me Take You Home Tonight

Boston's debut album has sold what seems like a gazillion copies. It's certified 17 X Platinum (as of 2003) by the RIAA. Let's face it, you've heard every one of these songs on classic rock radio stations. I chose Let Me Take You Home Tonight, not because I don't like it, I do, but because it sounds totally out of place on the album. I read somewhere a few years back that there was a reason for that, but I can't remember what it was.

Fleetwood Mac

Rumours

1977

Did You Know? Rumours is certified as Double Diamond by the RIAA. That's a butt-load of records.

2. Songbird

Rumours is an album by the rock band Fleetwood Mac. But you know that already. Just like you know all of the stories about the strife and relationship issues the band members were going through at the time the album was recorded. I've listened to this album many times, and I don't skip tracks. However, if there was a track I'd leave off, it would easily be Songbird. The famous song left off the album, Silver Springs, is better than Songbird in my book.

Guns 'n' Roses

Appetite For Destruction

1987

Did You Know? The album is certified 18 X Platinum and topped the Billboard chart. It is the best selling record on the Geffen label and it's the best selling American debut album.

3. Anything Goes

Appetite For Destruction came out at a time when hair metal ruled the airwaves. And although it seems that Guns 'n' Roses seemed to get lumped in with those bands at times, they were the furthest thing from hair metal. They were greasy and punky, not teased and manicured. I remember riding around Augusta with my buddies when this came out. We thought Welcome To The Jungle was cool, but we kind of laughed off It's So Easy when it came on. But the laughing didn't last long, as we came to absolutely love this whole album. And I don't dislike the song featured here at all, it's just that I had to pick something.

Journey

Escape

1981

Did You Know? Escape is the least selling album of those featured here at only 9 X Platinum. Oh yeah, the song Don't Stop Believing was featured as the final song on the final episode of a little show called The Sopranos, marketing itself and the band to a whole new generation.

4. Dead Or Alive

Escape is one of my absolute favorite albums. I was fifteen when it was released and spent many summer evenings in my youth listening to it. To this day, I can hear any of the songs from the album and I'm transported directly back to that time and place in my life. And honestly, that's what music is supposed to do. Why did I pick Dead Or Alive? Really no reason other than I had to pick something. That was the rules.