A-side and B-side

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A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which single

Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
s were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song

Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song (the one that the record producer hopes will receive radio airplay and become a "hit"), while the B-side, or flipside, is a secondary song that often does not appear on a band's LP

LP album

Long play record albums are 33? rpm Polyvinyl chloride Gramophone records , generally either 10 or 12 inches in diameter. They were first introduced in 1948, and served as a primary release format for Sound recording and reproduction until the compact disc began to significantly displace them by 1988, and eventually leaving the mainstr...
.

earliest 10-inch, 78 rpm

Revolutions per minute

Revolutions per minute is a units of measurement of frequency: the number of Turn completed in one minute around a rotation around a fixed axis....
, shellac

Shellac

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female Laccifer lacca to form a cocoon, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand.. It is processed and sold as dry flakes , which are dissolved in denatured alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish much like a combination of stain and polyuretha...
records were single sided.

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Encyclopedia

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which single

Single (music)

Song

LP album

History

The earliest 10-inch, 78 rpm

Revolutions per minute

Revolutions per minute is a units of measurement of frequency: the number of Turn completed in one minute around a rotation around a fixed axis....
, shellac

Shellac

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
and by the late 1910s they had become the norm in both Europe and the USA. There were no record charts until the 1930s; A-sides and B-sides existed, but neither side was considered more important, and for the most part, radio station

Radio station

This article is about radio broadcasting, for other uses see Radio .Radio broadcasting is an audio broadcasting service, traditionally broadcast through the air as radio waves from a transmitter to an antenna and a thus to a receiving device....
s would play the song on either side of the record. The "side" did not convey anything about the content of the record.

In 1948, Columbia Records introduced the ten- and twelve-inch long-playing (LP)

LP album

Vinyl

A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group , −CarbonHydrogenCovalent bondCH2. These are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group....
record for commercial sales, and its rival RCA-Victor

RCA Records

RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986....
responded the next year with the seven-inch 45 rpm vinyl record, which would come to replace the 78 as the home of the single. The term "single"

Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
came into popular use with the advent of vinyl records in the early 1950s. At first, most record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
s would randomly assign which song would be an A-side and which would be a B-side. (All phonograph records have specific identifiers for each side in addition to the catalog number for the record itself; the "A" side would typically be assigned a sequentially lower number.) Under this random system, many artists had so-called "double-sided hits", where both songs on a record made one of the national sales charts (in Billboard, Cashbox, or other magazines), or would be featured on jukebox

Jukebox

A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media....
es in public places.

As time wore on, however, the convention for assigning songs to sides of the record changed. Very early into the decade, the song on the A-side was the song that the record company wanted radio stations to play, as 45 records (or '45s') dominated the market in terms of cash sales. It was not until 1968, for instance, that the total production of albums on a unit basis finally surpassed that of singles in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. By the early 1970s, double-sided hits had become rare. Album sales had increased, and B-sides had become the side of the record where non-album, non-radio-friendly, instrumental versions or simply inferior recordings were placed.

With the advent of cassette and compact disc

Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
singles in the late 1980s, the A-side/B-side differentiation became much less meaningful. At first, cassette singles would often have one song on each side of the cassette, matching the arrangement of vinyl records, but eventually, cassette maxi-singles, containing more than two songs, became more popular. With the decline of cassette singles in the 1990s, the A-side/B-side dichotomy became virtually extinct, as the remaining dominant medium, the compact disc, lacked an equivalent physical distinction. However, the term "B-side" is still used to refer to the "bonus" tracks or "coupling" tracks on a CD single.

With the advent of legal methods of downloading music via the Internet, sales of CD singles and other physical media have declined, and the term "B-side" is now less commonly used. Songs that were not part of an artist's collection of albums are made available through the same downloadable catalogs as tracks from their albums, and are usually referred to as "unreleased", "bonus", "non-album", "rare", or "exclusive" tracks, the latter in the case of a song being available solely from a certain provider of music.

Significance

B-side songs are released on the same record as a single

Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
to provide extra "value for money". There are several types of material commonly released in this way:

a different version (e.g., instrumental, a cappella
A cappella

Acappella music is vocal music or singing without musical instrument accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance music polyphony and Baroque concertato style....
, live
Recorded live track

A recorded live track is a song or audio sequence recorded from live performances .Live song tracks typically have concert hall noise . Despite redundancy and inaccuracy, compared to original studio-recorded versions, live versions of songs have quite a bit of popularity....
, acoustic, remix
Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. A remixer uses Audio mixing to compose an alternate master recording of a song, adding or subtracting elements, or simply changing the equalization, dynamics, Pitch , tempo, playing time, or almost any other aspect of th...
ed version or in another language/text) of the A-side or another track
another song from the same album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
, which the record company does not want to release on its own
a song not considered good enough for the album
a song that was stylistically unsuitable for the album
a song that had not yet been completed at the time of the album's release
a song that was intended to be [marketed as] a B-side in the first place
a cover
Cover version

In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song.In its current use, it can sometimes have a pejorative meaning — implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive version, usually in the sense of an "authentic" rendition, and all...
of another song
in concept records
Concept album

In popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being musical improvisation or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to narrative....
: a song that does not fit into the story line.

As well, it was common in the 1960s and 1970s for longer songs by soul, funk or R&B acts to be broken into two parts for single release. Examples of this include the Isley Brothers "Shout" (Parts 1 and 2), and a number of records by James Brown

James Brown

James Joseph Brown, Jr. was an United States entertainer. He is recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing....
, including (amongst many others) "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is a song written and recorded by James Brown. Released as a two-part Single in 1965, it was Brown's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten, peaking at number eight....
" (Parts 1 & 2); "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud

Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud

"Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" is a funk song written and recorded by James Brown in 1968. It is notable both as one of Brown's signature songs and as one of the most popular "black power" anthems of the 1960s....
(Parts 1 & 2); and "Mother Popcorn

Mother Popcorn

"Mother Popcorn" is a song recorded by James Brown and released as a two-part Single in 1969 in music. A #1 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #11 Billboard Hot 100 hit, it was the highest-charting of a series of recordings inspired by the popular dance The Popcorn which Brown made that year....
" (Parts 1 & 2). "Part 1" would be the chart hit, while "Part 2" would be a continuation of the same recording. A major example of a non-soul hit with parts 1 & 2 was the single release of Don McLean

Don McLean

Don McLean is an United States singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1971 album American Pie , containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent "....
's "American Pie".

With the advent of the 12" single in the late 1970s, the Part 1/Part 2 method of recording was largely abandoned.

Since both sides of a single received equal royalties

Royalties

Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property right.Royalties can be determined as a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of the asset or a fixed price per unit sold....
, some composers deliberately arranged for their songs to be used as the B-sides of singles by popular artists, thereby making a fortune literally off the back of the A-side. This became known as the "flipside racket".

On a few occasions, the B-side became the more popular song. This was usually because a DJ

Disc jockey

A disc jockey is a person who selects and plays sound recording for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc refers to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling....
preferred the B-side to its A-side and played it instead. Then the B-side would in a sense become the A-side, by virtue of being the preferred side. Examples include "I Will Survive

I Will Survive

"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris.The song's lyrics describe a narrator who finds personal strength while recovering from a break-up; it has often been used as an anthem of female empowerment, a gay anthem, and HIV/AIDS awareness - and is...
" by Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor is an United States singer, best-known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye " , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am " ....
(originally the B-side of "Substitute"), "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers (originally the B-side of "Another Park, Another Sunday"), "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart Order of the British Empire is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England and currently residing in Epping....
(originally the B-side of "Reason To Believe

Reason to Believe

"Reason to Believe" is a song written and first recorded by American folk singer Tim Hardin in 1965, which has since been recorded by a number of other artists including Brainbox, Rod Stewart , Ron Sexsmith, Bobby Darin, Peter, Paul and Mary, Cher, The Carpenters, The Youngbloods, Mason Williams, Juice Newton, Glen Campbell, Billy Bragg, Wils...
"), and "Tequila

Tequila (song)

"Tequila" is a 1958 in music Rock music instrumental by the band The Champs. The title of the song constitutes the entire lyrics, and is spoken three times during the song....
" by the Champs (originally the B-side of "Train to Nowhere"). Even more rarely, both sides of the single would become hits, such as Queen

Queen (band)

Queen were an England rock music band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Meddows-Taylor, with bassist John Deacon completing the lineup the following year....
's "We Are the Champions

We Are the Champions

"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World ....
" and "We Will Rock You

We Will Rock You

"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen . One version was used as the opening track on their 1977 album News of the World ....
". This feat was achieved repeatedly by some artists, notably Ricky Nelson

Ricky Nelson

Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson , was an United States singer, musician and actor. With more than 50 Billboard Hot 100 hits, Nelson was second to Elvis Presley as the most popular rock and roll artist of the late 1950s....
and later The Beach Boys and The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
.

The song "How Soon Is Now?

How Soon Is Now?

"How Soon Is Now?" is a 1984 song written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr and first released by their band The Smiths. Sire Records chief Seymour Stein called it "the 'Stairway to Heaven' of the Eighties", while co-writer Johnny Marr described it as "possibly our most enduring record....
" by The Smiths

The Smiths

The Smiths were an English Rock music band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce ....
started out as the extra track on the 12" of "William, It Was Really Nothing

William, It Was Really Nothing

"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by British band The Smiths. It was released as a single on 24 August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" and "How Soon Is Now?", and reached #17 in the UK Singles Chart....
" but later gained a separate release as an A-side in its own right, as did Oasis

Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
's "Acquiesce

Acquiesce

"Acquiesce" is a song by England Rock music band Oasis , written by Noel Gallagher. The song originally appeared as a A-side and B-side to Oasis' first UK #1 single, "Some Might Say", in April 1995....
", which originally appeared as a B-side to "Some Might Say

Some Might Say

"Some Might Say" is a song by United Kingdom rock music band Oasis . The song was written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was the first single to be released from their definitive second album Morning Glory ? in 1995, and provided the band with their first #1 in the UK Singles Chart ....
" in 1995, but gained subsequent release in 2006 as part of an EP to promote their forthcoming compilation

Greatest hits

A greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band. To increase the appeal of the album – especially to people who already own the previously released material – it is common to include remixes or alternate takes of popular songs or new material, with new son...
album, Stop the Clocks
Stop the Clocks

Stop the Clocks is a Compilation album album by United Kingdom Rock music band Oasis , released on 20 November 2006. The "retrospective collection" is an 18-track double album with the featured songs chosen by Noel Gallagher; however, it does not actually include their song Stop the Clocks after which the album is named....
. Feeder

Feeder (band)

Feeder are a Music recording sales certification-selling Welsh rock band, formed in Newport, South Wales during 1992 by Lead singer-songwriter-guitarist Grant Nicholas, and Drum kit Jon Lee....
in 2001 and 2005 had the B-sides "Just a Day" from "Seven Days In The Sun", and "Shatter" from "Tumble and Fall" released as A-sides after fan petitions and official website and fansite message board hype, and both charted at #12 and #11 in the UK.

On some reissued singles the A- and B-sides are by completely different artists, or two songs from different albums that would not normally have been released together. These were sometimes made for the jukebox, as one record with two popular songs on it would make more money, or to promote an artist to the fans of another. For example, in 1981, Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from D?sseldorf, Germany. The signature Kraftwerk sound combines driving, Repetitive music rhythms with catchy melody, mainly following a Western classical music style of harmony, with a minimalism and strictly electronic instrumentation....
released their new single "Computer Love", with the B side of "The Model" from their previous album. After "The Model" found popularity, the single was re-released with the sides reversed, and "The Model" hit the UK No1 spot, three years after its album release.

With the popularity of file sharing and mp3s it has now become common for fans to find all the released b-sides from album sessions to add them to the end of the album on mp3 players, largely expanding the album. Paramore

Paramore

Paramore is an American Rock music band that formed in Franklin, Tennessee, Tennessee in 2004 consisting of Hayley Williams , Josh Farro , Taylor York , Jeremy Davis , and Zac Farro ....
are a good example for this as their recent album Riot!
Riot!

Riot! is the second studio album from pop punk band Paramore, and was released in the United States on June 12, 2007 and in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2007....
has been arranged with 9 extra tracks of b-sides, live versions, covers and alternative versions.

B-sides have become a lot more important over the years because they give fans a little extra material to keep them satisfied until new material is to be released. It has also become common for fans to have high expectations for B-sides to be good and worthy album tracks; disappointment should not be an issue. In recent times it has become a lot more common for some album versions to include b-sides as bonus tracks, most commonly on digital releases (such as on iTunes) but also on some physical releases.

Reggaeton artists have been known to release special edition

Special edition

The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including cars, fine wine and other pr...
s of their albums with a few B-side tracks on them. These tracks are usually tracks that have been previously released on a producer's

Hip hop production

Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Modern hip hop production utilizes Sampler , Music sequencer, drum machines, synthesizers, Phonograph, and live instrumentation....
compilation album.

Other types of non-primary sound recording

B-sides are different from unreleased material, outtakes and demos.

"Unreleased material" is work that usually isn't released to the general public. On rare occasions, particularly for reissues, these songs are in fact placed on albums, often with that description after it. Artist Avril Lavigne has about 15 B-sides, which were never released onto any albums.

"Outtake

Outtake

An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features....
s" are songs recorded for an album but, either for technical or artistic purposes, not included in the released album. They occasionally appear on reissues of albums, billed as "bonus tracks". R.E.M.'s album Dead Letter Office
Dead Letter Office (album)

Dead Letter Office is a rarities and A-side and B-side collection by R.E.M., released in 1987. The album effectively mops up many of the additional recordings R.E.M....
, for example, is a collection of outtakes from previous albums that were later released as b-sides to various singles.

"Demo

Demo (music)

A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for musicians to approximate their ideas on Magnetic tape or compact disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, Record producers or other artists....
s" are early versions of songs which, like "unreleased material", seldom see the light of day. Demos of songs often have additional or alternative verses. Often more demos than full songs are recorded, as an artist goes back and retools what is already present. Singers Moby

Moby

Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby is an American DJ, singer-songwriter and musician.He plays keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drums....
, Prince, and Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan

William Patrick Corgan, Jr. is an United States of America singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet. Corgan is the vocalist and lead guitarist for alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins....
of the group The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. While the group has gone through several lineup changes, The Smashing Pumpkins consisted of Billy Corgan , James Iha , D'arcy Wretzky , and Jimmy Chamberlin for most of the band's recording career....
are rumored to have large personal collections of demos.

On occasion, artists release albums of compiled B-sides and rare tracks, making it easier for fans to listen to new and unheard material from discontinued singles. Examples:

Rarities a collection of B-Sides (plus a few non-album EP tracks and foreign-released recordings). The album was originally included in a 1978 boxed set of studio Beatles albums, and then released as a stand-alone album the following year.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock music band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal music bands....
's Coda
Coda (album)

Coda is a studio album by England rock music band Led Zeppelin, released in 1982 in music. This collection of outtakes from various sessions during Led Zeppelin's twelve-year career was released two years after the group had officially disbanded following the death of drummer John Bonham....
The Who
The Who

The Who are an England Rock music band formed in 1964. The primary lineup was guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon....
's Odds and Sods
Odds and Sods

Odds & Sods is an album by United Kingdom rock and roll band The Who.In the autumn of 1973, while Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, and Keith Moon were preparing for the Tommy film, John Entwistle was put in charge of compiling an album to counter the rampant Bootleg recording that occurred at The Who's concerts....
, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy

Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album by United Kingdom rock and roll band The Who. It is one of the first in a long line of Who greatest hits albums and is usually regarded as the best of them....
, Rarities Volume I & Volume II
Rarities Volume I & Volume II

Rarities Vol. I and Vol. II In the early Eighties, after the announcement of the Who's Last Tour, Polydor compiled two albums of otherwise unavailable Who tracks ? mostly obscure B-Sides ? on Rarities Vol 1 and Vol 2....
, Who's Missing
Who's Missing (album)

Who's Missing is a compilation of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Who. Its second part Two's Missing was released on 11 April 1987....
, and Two's Missing
Two's Missing

Two's Missing is a compilation of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Who. Its first part Who's Missing was released on 30 November 1985....
Anthrax
Anthrax (band)

Anthrax is a New York City-based Heavy metal music band that released its first full-length album in 1984. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene and is notable for being the first to combine heavy metal with Hip hop music music....
's Attack of the Killer B's
Attack of the Killer B's

Attack of the Killer B's is the name of a compilation album of B-sides, Cover versions and rarities by the thrash metal band Anthrax . The album was released in June 1991 by Megaforce Records/Island Records....
Skid Row's B-Side Ourselves
B-Side Ourselves

B-Side Ourselves is an Extended play released by the United States of America rock group Skid Row . All the songs are cover versions of songs by bands which influenced Skid Row....
EP features five cover songs that the band used as B sides for singles.
The Clash
The Clash

The Clash were an English Rock music band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, Dub music, funk, Hip hop music and rockabilly....
's Super Black Market Clash
Super Black Market Clash

Super Black Market Clash is a compilation Vinyl record released by The Clash in 1993 that contains A-Side and B-Side and rare tracks not available on their other albums....
Adam Ant
Adam Ant

Adam Ant is an English musician, who gained popularity as the lead singer of 1980s New Wave music/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist....
's "B-Side Babies
B-Side Babies

B-Side Babies is a compilation album showcasing old A-side and B-side from Adam and the Ants and Adam Ant's solo work.Track listing ...
"
Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue

Danielle Minogue is an Australian Singing, occasional actress, and TV Personality. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian talent show show "Young Talent Time", and in the soap opera Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in the early 1990s....
's Unleashed
Unleashed (Dannii Minogue album)

Unleashed is a compilation album by Australian dance-pop singer Dannii Minogue. It was released by Rhino Records and Warner Music Group on November 5, 2007....
compilation that featured unreleased material, remixes and rarities
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' B-Sides & Rarities
Ice Cube
Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube is an United States of America rapper, actor, screenwriter, and film producer.He began his career as a member of the rap group N.W.A along with group leader Eazy-E, and later launched a successful solo career in music and Film....
's Bootlegs and B-Sides
Nirvana
Nirvana (band)

Nirvana was an American Rock music band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987....
's Incesticide
Incesticide

Incesticide is a compilation album by the Grunge music band Nirvana . Incesticide consists of demos, outtakes, and radio broadcast recordings....
Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
' The Masterplan
The Masterplan

The Masterplan is a compilation album by England rock music band Oasis , comprising A-side and B-side which never made it onto an album. The album was originally intended for release only in areas such as the United States and Japan, where the tracks were only available on expensive European import singles....
Queen
Queen (band)

Queen were an England rock music band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Meddows-Taylor, with bassist John Deacon completing the lineup the following year....
's The Complete Vision
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. While the group has gone through several lineup changes, The Smashing Pumpkins consisted of Billy Corgan , James Iha , D'arcy Wretzky , and Jimmy Chamberlin for most of the band's recording career....
' Pisces Iscariot
Pisces Iscariot

Pisces Iscariot is a compilation album of A-side and B-side, demos, and outtakes released in 1994 by The Smashing Pumpkins through Virgin Records....
The Smiths
The Smiths

The Smiths were an English Rock music band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce ....
Hatful Of Hollow
Hatful of Hollow

Hatful of Hollow is a compilation album by The Smiths that features BBC Radio 1 studio recordings and two contemporary single with their B-sides....
, The World Won't Listen
The World Won't Listen

The World Won't Listen is a compilation album by The Smiths. It was released in February 1987 by their record company, Rough Trade Records, and reached #2 on the United Kingdom charts....
& Louder Than Bombs
Louder Than Bombs

Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album by The Smiths. It was released as a double album in March 1987 by their United States record company, Sire Records....
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake is an United States ska punk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk....
's B Is for B-sides
B Is for B-sides

B Is for B-sides is a 12 track album by Less Than Jake. It is composed of songs recorded for the album Anthem that did not make the release....
(and indeed Losers, Kings and Things We Don't Understand)
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music band from Leyton, East London, England, formed in 1975. The band is led by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris ....
's Best of the B-Sides
Green Day
Green Day

Green Day is an American Rock music trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tr? Cool for the majority of its existence....
's Shenanigans
The "Switched-On" series of compilations by Stereolab
Stereolab

Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and L?titia Sadier , both of whom have remained at the helm across many lineup changes....
The Feeder
Feeder (band)

Feeder are a Music recording sales certification-selling Welsh rock band, formed in Newport, South Wales during 1992 by Lead singer-songwriter-guitarist Grant Nicholas, and Drum kit Jon Lee....
's 2004 release titled Picture Of Perfect Youth
Picture of Perfect Youth

Picture of Perfect Youth is a limited CD and vinyl collection of approximately half of Feeder 's B-sides. The sold out of the CD edition, though the album was re-released in March 2007....
, a limited edition album which contained 36 b-sides across two CD
Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
s.
The Goo Goo Dolls' Greatest Hits Volume 2
Silverchair
Silverchair

Silverchair is an Australian alternative rock band . The band formed as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, Australia, New South Wales, in 1992, with their current lineup of vocalist and guitarist Daniel Johns, bass guitarist Chris Joannou, and drummer Ben Gillies....
's Rarities 1994 - 1999
Rarities 1994 - 1999

Rarities 1994 - 1999 is a collection of rarities and B-Sides from Rock music group Silverchair. It was originally a limited edition bonus disc packaged with the compilation The Best of Vol.1, but became a separate budget-priced release when the two-disc version was discontinued in 2002....
Gorillaz
Gorillaz

Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of alternative rock band Blur , and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl....
's G-Sides
G-Sides

G-Sides is a B-sides collection by Gorillaz, featuring the additional tracks from their first three singles and the Tomorrow Comes Today. Originally released only in Japan....
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold is an American rock music band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. The band has achieved mainstream success with their 2005 album City of Evil, which included singles such as "Burn It Down ", "Bat Country," "Beast and the Harlot" and "Seize the Day ." The band's success followed with their Avenged Sevenfold...
's Diamonds in the Rough, released along with their "Live At The LBC" performance.
Relient K
Relient K

Relient K is an American Rock music band formed in Canton, Ohio in 1998 by Matthew Thiessen on vocals, guitar and piano, Brian Pittman on bass guitar, and Matt Hoopes on guitar between the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone College in Canton, Ohio....
's The Bird and the Bee Sides
The Bird and the Bee Sides

The Bird and the Bee Sides is a double EP by the United States band Relient K. In the United States it was released on July 1, 2008.The double EP is contained on a single disc and contains the The Nashville Tennis EP and The Bird and the Bee Sides....
, released 2008
Megadeth
Megadeth

Megadeth is an American Heavy metal music band led by founder, front man, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine. Formed in 1983 by Mustaine and bass player David Ellefson following Mustaine's departure from Metallica, the band has since released eleven studio albums, six live albums, two Extended play, thirty single , thirty-two music video...
's Hidden Treasures
Hidden Treasures

Hidden Treasures is an Extended play by United States thrash metal band Megadeth, released in 1995. It is a collection of previously released non-album tracks, including soundtrack and compilation songs....
, released 1995
The Killers's Sawdust
Sawdust

File:Saw dust .jpgSawdust is composed of fine particles of wood. This material is produced from cutting with a saw, hence its name. It has a variety of practical uses, including serving as a mulch, or as an alternative to clay cat litter, or as a fuel, or for the manufacture of particleboard....
, released 2007
Fightstar
Fightstar

Fightstar are a four-piece rock music band from London, England. Formed in late 2003, Fightstar have since recorded and released an EP, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, two full-length albums, Grand Unification and One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours, as well as a b-side compilation album Alternate Endings....
's Alternate Endings
Alternate Endings

For the concept of a revised ending of a film or other story, see Alternate ending'Alternate Endings' is a Compilation album album by British rock music band Fightstar featuring a previously unreleased track, B-sides and radio live session recordings from the previous four years....
, released 2008
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock music band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready ....
's Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs

Lost Dogs have been called a country music Supergroup , but they consider themselves to be a Traditional music and alternative music group. Whatever the nomenclature, they are one of the most seminal groups currently in Contemporary Christian Music....
, released 2003

Double A-side

A "double A-side" is a single which has two featured songs. This practice was introduced by The Beatles

The Beatles

Day Tripper

"Day Tripper" is a song by English rock music band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it was released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out"....
" which appeared on the same single with "We Can Work It Out

We Can Work It Out

"We Can Work It Out" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles as a "double A-sided" single with "Day Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release....
," as the band and their label, Parlophone Records, found both songs to be equally marketable, and decided not to relegate one to B-side status. Following "We Can Work It Out" b/w "Day Tripper," the Beatles released a number of other double A-sided singles, including "Yellow Submarine

Yellow Submarine (song)

"Yellow Submarine" is a 1966 song by The Beatles , which was recorded by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Although it had previously been released on the Revolver album, it became the title song for the 1968 animated United Artists film, also called Yellow Submarine ....
" b/w "Eleanor Rigby

Eleanor Rigby

"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, originally released on the 1966 album Revolver . The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney....
", "Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Fields Forever

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by The Beatles. Recorded at the end of 1966, the song was written by John Lennon during the filming of How I Won The War and is formally credited to the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team....
" b/w "Penny Lane

Penny Lane

"Penny Lane" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney, recorded during the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sessions, and released in February 1967 as one side of a double A-sided single, along with John Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever"....
", and "Come Together

Come Together

"Come Together" is a song by The Beatles written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney. The song is the lead-off track on The Beatles' September 1969 album Abbey Road ....
" b/w "Something

Something

File:Beatles-singles-something-us-2.jpg"Something" is a single released by The Beatles in 1969, and featured on the album Abbey Road . It was the first song written by George Harrison to appear on the A-side of a Beatles single....
."

Some singles have also been designated double A-sides in retrospect, such as Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was an United Statesn singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "List of honorific titles in popular music" or "The King"....
's 1956 "Don't Be Cruel

Don't Be Cruel

"Don't Be Cruel" was originally the A side of RCA single 47-6604, with "Hound Dog " on the B-side, although both sides became chart-toppers, RCA reissuing the single in later decades as double A-side....
" which appeared on the same single with "Hound Dog

Hound Dog (song)

"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country music, and rock and roll in the mid 1950s....
"; this was done in retrospect because both sides became chart hits independently of one another. In fact, "Hound Dog" was the B-side of the single as originally released.

Queen

Queen (band)

We Will Rock You

"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen . One version was used as the opening track on their 1977 album News of the World ....
/We Are the Champions

We Are the Champions

"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World ....
as a double A-side in 1977 and then Fat Bottomed Girls

Fat Bottomed Girls

"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a hit single by the England rock band Queen . It was released in 1978 on the album Jazz . The song was written by Queen guitarist Brian May and was one of the few Queen songs played in an alternative guitar tuning commonly called "drop D tuning"....
/Bicycle Race

Bicycle Race

"Bicycle Race" is a hit single for the England rock band Queen . It was released on their 1978 album Jazz and written by Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury....
in 1978.

Occasionally double-A-sided singles are released with each side targeting a different market. During the late 1970s, for example, Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is a Grammy Award-winning United Statesn singer-songwriter, author, actress and philanthropist, known for her prolific work in country music....
released a number of double A-sided singles, in which the A-side was released to pop radio, and the B side to country, including "Two Doors Down

Two Doors Down

"Two Doors Down" was a song written and performed by Dolly Parton, which provided a 1978 U.S. country and pop hit for her. The song was sung from the perspective of a woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend and is debating attending a party two doors down the hall from her apartment....
"/"It's All Wrong but It's All Right" and "Baby I'm Burning

Baby I'm Burning

"Baby I'm Burning" was a 1978 song written and performed by Dolly Parton that was part of a A-side and B-side#Double_A-side "Baby I'm Burning"/"I Really Got the Feeling"....
"/"I Really Got the Feeling".

Many artists continue to release double A-side singles outside of the US where it is seen as more popular.

A good example of a double A-side is the Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys are an English people electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main Singing, Keyboard instruments and occasionally guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals....
' 1991 release of their cover/medley of U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
's "Where The Streets Have No Name" and Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons .Valli, along with Tommy_DeVito_, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio, the original members of The Four Seasons , were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 in music and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 in music....
's "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". The Pet Shop Boys were planning to release "How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?" as their next single but decided they "needed a big hit" (quote: N.Tennant - Sleeve notes, Behaviour/Further listening). They therefore released the mentioned cover song and their own composition as a double a-side. Later on their PopArt hits collection (2003), they omitted "How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?" as it received little if any radio airplay with "Where The Streets Have No Name/Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" receiving all the airplay and being placed on the album by itself.

Artists having the most U.S. double A-sided US Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
hits, according to Billboard:

Artist	number
Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was an United Statesn singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "List of honorific titles in popular music" or "The King"....	36
The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....	26
Pat Boone Pat Boone Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an United States singer, actor and writer who was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s....	26
Ricky Nelson Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson , was an United States singer, musician and actor. With more than 50 Billboard Hot 100 hits, Nelson was second to Elvis Presley as the most popular rock and roll artist of the late 1950s....	22
Fats Domino Fats Domino Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino is a classic Rhythm and blues and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter....	21
Beach Boys	8
Connie Francis Connie Francis Connie Francis is an United States pop singer best known for several international hit songs including "Who's Sorry Now?", "Where the Boys Are", and "Stupid Cupid"....	7
Creedance Clearwater Revival	6
Everly Brothers	6
Brenda Lee Brenda Lee Brenda Lee is an United States country music-pop music singer popular during the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s she had more US charted hits than any other female and only three male singers or groups ....	5
Sam Cooke Sam Cooke Samuel Cook, better known as Sam Cooke, was an United States gospel music, R&B, soul music, and popular music singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur....	5
Nat King Cole Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an United States musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist....	5
The Platters The Platters The Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre....	5
The Four Seasons (group) The Four Seasons (group) The Four Seasons , is an United States popular music and rock music group. They also had a sound somewhat reminiscent of doo-wop, although they were not thought of as a doo wop quartet....	4
Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock and roll, blues, Pop music, Rhythm and Blues and Gospel music....	4
Paul McCartney Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney Member of the Order of the British Empire is a multiple Grammy Award-winning England singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record producer, film producer, Painting, and Animal rights....	3
Brook Benton Brook Benton Brook Benton was an United States singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time " and "Endlessly ", many of which he co-wrote....	3
Johnny Mathis Johnny Mathis Johnny Mathis is an United States singer of popular music.One of the last in a long line of traditional male vocalists who emerged before the 1960s, Mathis concentrated on romantic jazz and pop standards for the adult contemporary audience through to the 1980s....	3
Bill Haley and His Comets	3
Paul Anka Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka, Order of Canada is a Canada singer, songwriter, and actor of Lebanese people origin. He became a Naturalization US citizen in 1990....	2
Jan and Dean Jan and Dean Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duet , popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence ....	2
Roy Orbison Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison was an influential Grammy Award-winning United States singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades....	2
Jan and Dean Jan and Dean Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duet , popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence ....	2
Ray Charles Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an United States pianist, singer, and songwriter who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues....	2
The Drifters The Drifters The Drifters are a long-lived American doo wop/R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today....	2
Jackie Wilson Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an United States singer. Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul music. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group, The Dominoes, after going solo in 1957 he went on to record over fifty hit singles over a repertoire that included R&B, pop music, soul mu...	2
The Coasters The Coasters The Coasters are a Rhythm and Blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood ," their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller....	2
Carole King Carole King Carole King is an United States singer, songwriter, and pianist. She was most active as a singer during the first half of the 1970s, though she was a successful songwriter for considerably longer both before and after this period....	2
The Diamonds The Diamonds The Diamonds were a Canada quartet of the 1950s and early 1960s who rose to prominence performing cover versions of songs by black musicians. The original members were: Dave Somerville - Lead, Ted Kowalski - Tenor, Phil Levitt - Baritone, and Bill Reed - Bass....	1
Rolling Stones	1
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, won twenty-two Grammy Awards , plus one for Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, won an Academy Award for Best Song, an...	1
George Harrison George Harrison George Harrison Order of the British Empire was an English Rock music guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer. He achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles, and is listed number 21 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 100 Best Guitarists of All Time"....	1
Ringo Starr Ringo Starr Richard Starkey Order of the British Empire , better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an England musician, singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for The Beatles....	1
Chubby Checker Chubby Checker Chubby Checker is an United States singer-songwriter best known for popularizing the Twist with his 1960 hit record cover version of Hank Ballard's Rhythm and blues hit "The Twist "....	1
Queen Queen (band) Queen were an England rock music band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Meddows-Taylor, with bassist John Deacon completing the lineup the following year....	1
Bobby Vinton Bobby Vinton Bobby Vinton...	1

Double B-side

Double B-Sides are released to give further value for money in the hope of enticing a record buyer. On vinyl, a double A-Side single has one song on either side of the record, while Double B-Sides contain two songs on the same side (on the B-Side - altogether giving 3 songs). These would not quite qualify as EP singles - as that is generally 4 songs on a single.

Examples include "Styrafoam" / "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie" by The Tyla Gang (1976), "Reasons To Be Miserable" / "Marvin I Love You" by Marvin, the Paranoid Android

Marvin the Paranoid Android

Marvin, the Paranoid Android is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. Marvin is the ship's robot aboard the starship Heart of Gold ....
(1981), and "Jack Rabbit

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a rock music song performed by musician Elton John and covered by W.A.S.P. , Nickelback and The Who....
" / "Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a rock music song performed by musician Elton John and covered by W.A.S.P. , Nickelback and The Who....
" by Elton John

Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s....
(1973).

Paul McCartney's

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney Member of the Order of the British Empire is a multiple Grammy Award-winning England singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record producer, film producer, Painting, and Animal rights....
1980 single "Coming Up

Coming Up (song)

"Coming Up" was the opening track from Paul McCartney's McCartney II album, written by McCartney and released in 1980 in music. Like the rest of the album, the song had a minimalist synthesized feel to it....
" had a studio version of the song on the A-Side, while the B-Side contained two songs, a live version of "Coming Up" and a studio instrumental called "Lunchbox/Odd Sox." Ironically, in the United States, radio programmers made the live version of "Coming Up" the hit, although the other B-Side song, "Lunchbox/Odd Sox," was all but ignored.

"Everybodys Jesus

Everybodys Jesus

Everybodys Jesus is a "double b-side" released by Australian hip hop group Butterfingers. The CD single feature the songs "Jesus I Was Evil" and "Everybody's Ugly", the latter which later appeared on the album The Deeper You Dig.......
" was a double B-Side released by Australian hip hop group Butterfingers

Butterfingers

Butterfingers are an Australian hip hop group from Brisbane, Queensland. Most of their releases are on their own label, Valley Trash Records....
(2005). The CD single featured the songs "Jesus I Was Evil" and "Everybody's Ugly", the latter being included in the album The Deeper You Dig (2006).

"Don't Cry Wolf

Don't Cry Wolf

Don't Cry Wolf was a single by The Damned.Released in December 1977, the single was to be the group's last release for Stiff Records. It would also be the last studio recording by the band to feature either Brian James or Lu Edmunds - The Damned would split during their 1978 tour, and reform with an altered line-up in 1979....
" / "One Way Love" by The Damned

The Damned

The Damned are an English Rock music band formed in London in 1976. They are notable for being the first punk rock band from England to release a single , an album , and to tour the United States....
(1977) was dubbed a "Double B-side".

Joke B-side

The 1988 single

Single (music)

Stutter Rap (No Sleep 'Til Bedtime)

Stutter Rap is a song by Morris Minor and the Majors, led by Tony Hawks. The song is a style parody of the Beastie Boys and the subtitle plays on their 1980s single No Sleep Till Brooklyn and sold 220,000 copies....
" by parody

Parody

A parody , in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, or author, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation....
band Morris Minor and the Majors

Morris Minor and the Majors

Morris Minor and the Majors was a musical ensemble led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks . They were made vaguely famous by their 1988 song, "Stutter Rap "....
featured a song on the B-side entitled "Another Boring 'B'-side". The lyric describes how the band is in the studio simply to record three minutes of music to fill the B-side with as little effort as possible and then get back home.

Similarly, parody band Bad News

Bad News

Bad News are a spoof Rock music Musical ensemble, created for the Channel 4 television series The Comic Strip Presents.... Its members are Vim Fuego , vocals and lead guitar ; Den Dennis, rhythm guitar ; Colin Grigson, bass ; and Spider Webb, drums ....
recorded a video b-side to the VHS version of their single "Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the English Rock music band Queen . It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera ....
". The B-side "Every Mistake Imaginable" features the band discussing the fact that they have to record an extra three minutes of footage for the single to be chart eligible.

Comedienne and singer Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman is an United Kingdom-United States actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author.Her early appearances were on British TV sketch comedy shows A Kick Up the Eighties and Three of a Kind ....
's hit "They Don't Know

They Don't Know (Kirsty MacColl song)

"They Don't Know" is a song written by Kirsty MacColl. MacColl recorded it in 1979 in music. It became popular on radio in the United Kingdom reaching #2 on the Airplay chart; however, complications involving a strike at her distributors prevented the single from being shipped and promoted properly, preventing release of the single....
" was backed by a song entitled "The B Side" and featured Ullman in a variety of comic monologues - many of which bemoaned the uselessness of B-Sides.

Paul

Paul McCartney

Linda McCartney

Linda Louise McCartney was an United Statesn photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her mother and father were Lee Eastman and Louise Linder, heiress to the Lindner Department Store fortune....
B-Side to Linda McCartney's "Seaside Woman" (released under the alias, Suzy and the Red Stripes ) was a song called, "B-Side to Seaside."

The single "O.K.?" based on the TV series "Rock Follies of '77" contained a song called "B-Side?". The song featured Charlotte Cornwell

Charlotte Cornwell

Charlotte Cornwell is an actress and the half-sister of spy novelist John le Carr? . She describes him as "the best brother a girl could have"....
tunelessly singing about the fact that she is not considered good enough to sing an A-Side.

The Fastest Group Alive's 1966 single "The Bears" was backed with a 35-second track called "Beside", whose lyric consisted of the repeated line "It's cotton picking time in the valley".

John Safran

John Safran

John Safran is an Australian Documentary film and media personality, well known for pranks and indelicate handling of controversial issues. He is known for his outlandish stunts such as rummaging through Australian television personality Ray Martin 's rubbish in John Safran: Media Tycoon , placing a temporary fatwa on the life of Rove Mc...
's 1997 single "(Not The) Sunscreen Song" featured two B-sides "Track Two" and "Track Three"; both were simply Safran "saying" the titles of the respective song.

The Rakes

The Rakes

The Rakes are an England indie rock band from London....
used their CD format B-side to "22 Grand Job

22 Grand Job

"22 Grand Job" is a song by England indie rock band The Rakes and is featured on their debut album, Capture/Release. Released on October 31, 2005, it was the fourth Single taken from the album and it charted in the UK Top 40 at number thirty-nine....
" to have a go at Apple; this song was called "iProblem" (or one problem). They complained how their iPod

IPod

iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc. and launched on . The product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the video-capable iPod Nano, and the compact iPod Shuffle....
was not working and naming the bands he had on there (these included Babyshambles

Babyshambles

Babyshambles are an England indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project....
and Bloc Party

Bloc Party

Bloc Party are a UK indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong . Their brand of indie rock has been compared to bands such as The Cure, Gang of Four and The Strokes....
). This was staged as a one-man phone call to a help line.

The B-side of the single "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!

They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!

"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" is a hit 1966 in music novelty song by Napoleon XIV ....
" by Napoleon XIV

Napoleon XIV

Napoleon XIV was the pseudonym of United States singer-songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels , who achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit single novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!" in 1966....
was called "!aaaH-aH ,yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT" and the singer billed as "NOELOPAN VIX". It was the A-side played in reverse; in fact, most of the label affixed to that B-side was a mirror image of the front label (as opposed to being spelled backwards), including the letters in the "WB" shield logo. Inflatable Boy Clams copied this idea with a double single in 1981. Disc one had a track called "Skeletons," on the A-side, and the B-side was the same track backwards, labeled "Snoteleks," which is the word skeletons backwards.

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein

Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein was an United States poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books....
's 1971 recording "A Front Row Seat To Hear Ole Johnny Sing" had a 26-second-long song on the B-side, unsurprisingly titled "26 Second Song".

B/W

The term "b/w", an abbreviation of "backed with", is often used to refer to the B-side of a record. The term "c/w", for "combined with", is used similarly.

A-side and B-side

History

Significance

Other types of non-primary sound recording

Double A-side

Double B-side

Joke B-side

B/W

See also