Holiday Bonuses: The 10 Most Sought-After Hidden Album Tracks... Plus One

Posted at 9:00 AM Nov 19, 2008

By Andrew Leahey

Did any teenager during the '90s not fast-forward to track 99 for Nine Inch Nails' cover of Pigface's "Suck"? Which adolescent Green Day fan didn't crack a smile during Dookie's "All By Myself?" And can you truly call yourself a Radiohead fan if you haven't heard "Genchildren," the uncredited song that closes out Kid A? For more than 40 years, hidden tracks have served as an unexpected treat for those willing to listen to an album in its entirety... and beyond. Some became genuine radio hits, such as Cracker's "Euro-Trash Girl" (track number 69 on Kerosene Hat), while others maintained their obscurity, delighting anyone who stumbled across their secret path.

Unfortunately, such appeal doesn't translate well with iTunes, a medium that lists buried cuts like any normal song (and charges users an additional $0.99 per download). CDs may have been downsized plastic replicas of their vinyl ancestors, but their ability to feature undisclosed music made them unique, effectively one-upping the backwards Satanic messages that haunted some 12-inches. In memoriam, here's a list of the most notorious, sought-after and debated album-inclusions left out of the liner notes. And in fitting tribute, we've compiled 11 instances, one more than the standard number of songs on a traditional long-player.

11. Dr. Dre, “Bitches Ain't Shit," The Chronic
Dre’s girlfriend at the time, Michel’le, couldn’t have enjoyed this tag-team rap between Dre, Snoop Dogg, Dat Nigga Daz and Kurupt, which featured lyrics like, “Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks. Lick on deez nutz and suck the dick.” Maybe that’s why the MC/producer hid it.

10. Creed, "With Arms Wide Open (Instrumental Version)," Human Clay
Few people will admit to owning Creed’s second album, but more than 10 million copies were sold in the U.S. alone. We know some of you are among them, closeted one-time Creed lovers. And next time you revisit this landmark of post-grunge schlock (in your car with the windows rolled up, or in your home with the curtains pulled taut), be sure to strike a Jesus pose during this instrumental number.

9. Wilco, “Candyfloss,” Summerteeth
As sweet as its name suggests, this is the sound of an American country-rock band riding the British Merseybeat train.

8. Cracker, “Euro-Trash Girl,” Kerosene Hat
Cracker’s follow-up single to “Low” turned out to be a hidden track, which gave the band one of its last hits. And in some circles its most beloved.

7. Beck, “Diamond Bullocks," Mutations
A spacey, freewheeling way to wrap up a spacey, freewheeling album. No relation to Supergrass’ Diamond Hoo Ha.

6. Nine Inch Nails, "Suck," Broken
Originally performed by Pigface, "Suck" was given a creepy, dancefloor-from-hell treatment on NIN's Broken EP. Clocking in at track 99, the song demanded that first-time listeners wait patiently for whatever tricks lay in store. "Suck" continues to be worth the wait, however, mixing industrial keyboards with Reznor's menacing vocals.

5. Radiohead, “Genchildren," Kid A
If they took time to flesh out this instrumental snippet out, this could’ve been another atmospheric masterpiece. As it stands, though, "Grenchildren" is a pleasant surprise after the conclusion of “Motion Picture Soundtrack.”