The biggest musicians on the planet can still have the most underrated songs when it comes to underseen aspects of their discography. Artists withthe longest-running number one hit singlesare notorious for the monumental records they produce, but not enough attention is given to the B-sides and gems they create for their albums.

Not every song can be a major hit, and not every song is capable of charting on Billboard. That being said, songs that get little radio play don’t constitute a bad song.The most popular artists and bandswith underrated songs sometimes produce records that are still great, but don’t receive as much attention as their most well-known songs.

12"The Knowing" by The Weeknd

The Weeknd’s first three albums(now collectively known as Trilogy) marked this breakout to audiences, steamrolled by the surprise hit, “Wicked Games.” Other songs fromTrilogy,like “High for This” and his cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” earned The Weeknd enough critical acclaim to become the superstar he is today.

For all the songs that were revered fromTrilogy, “The Knowing” is one of the few to not chart on Billboard, but don’t mistake that as a sign that the song isn’t good. The final track from House of Balloons, listeners have always been enamored with the emotional depth of the record.

11"School Nights" by Chappell Roan

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princesswas Chappell Roan’s breakout, but the camp connoisseur had been working hard on the underground for years prior. In 2017, she released her debut EP,School Nights. Since it came out six years before most of her biggest fans today even knew her name, some havenever even heard of this EP.

By proxy, that means they had never heard of Roan’s tender title track. “School Nights” recalls longing for a love as innocent as one would find in their childhood. Roan does not necessarily want to recapture her childhood on a literal level, but to feel as vulnerable and free with someone as a child naturally does.

10"Cartoons and Cereal" by Kendrick Lamar feat. Gunplay

After cementing his legacy as hip-hop’s most popular rapper today, his biggest fans have heardevery Kendrick Lamar albumtenfold by now, to the point of practically studying him. That being said, there is a whole era of tracks from Lamar’s mixtape days that remain overlooked by the masses because most songs from this era simply aren’t on streaming services.

One of these songs is “Cartoons and Cereal,” a song that lacks proper visibility without being on streaming services. The only way to hear the song now is to find rips of it posted unofficially to YouTube. The juxtaposition between Kendrick’s stoicism and Gunplay’s ferocious energy remains unforgettable to anyone who has heard it.

9"&burn" by Billie Eilish feat. Vince Staples

Billie Eilish’s first project was an EP debut that dropped just two years before she dropped her debut studio LP,WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?The EP in question,Don’t Smile at Me, is an eight-track collection that features songs like “Ocean Eyes” and “idontwannabeyouanymore” that helped earn her attention at the beginning of her career.

One song that doesn’t seem to get much attention is “&burn.” Like many songs on the EP, “&burn” carries the same bedroom pop sensibilities that launched her to superstardom, but with an R&B infusion that she hasn’t quite tapped into since. What’s also refreshing for hip-hop fans is hearing rapper Vince Staples on an uncharacteristically softer record for him.

8"Amsterdam" by Coldplay

The day that Coldplay retireswill be a sad day in music history, because it means the listening public won’t get new songs released by the band that are of the same ilk as “Amsterdam.” The song is not a single, but the final track of the sophomore album,A Rush of Blood to the Head.

The project deservedly won three Grammys, including Best Alternative Album, and it’s largely because “Amsterdam” leaves the album on such an epic note. Most albums are only as good as their final track, and this is no different as “Amsterdam” starts slow and serene before concluding on a booming, thunderous note.

7"Caretaker" by SZA and DRAM

Beforeher history-making run with Kendrick Lamar, SZA was still making a name for herself in 2015, particularly in featured spots like those on DRAM’sGahdamn! Some will call this cheating when this is technically a DRAM song rather than an official part of SZA’s primary discography, but this can be justified by the fact that SZA steals the show.

She takes “Caretaker” and makes it her own through utterly complex lyrics that feel simultaneously sexy and bittersweet. SZA often writes from the perspective of “the other woman” on themes of infidelity, and while some songs are quick to vilify someone in this position, SZA humanizes the character trope while adding layers to being in such a scenario.

6"Only One" by Ye

In more recent years, Ye (formerly referring to himself as Kanye West) has become a controversial figure, spouting rants that cannot be co-signed for accusations of racism and antisemitism. For many, Ye’s controversies have either soured listeners on his music or, on some level, have hurt his music. That being said, some could call “Only One” Ye’s final masterpiece.

Released in 2014, perhaps just before his rants started to go off the deep end, “Only One” presents one of his most compelling concepts for a song, singing to his daughter from the POV of his late mother, Donda, looking down from Heaven. It’s a loose single that some audiences missed because it never appeared on any of his albums.

5"Needy" by Ariana Grande

Thank U, Nexthas been hailed asAriana Grande’s best album, and the second track from the project has many fans saying it should have been a single. The song is called “Needy,” and on an already immensely vulnerable album, it ranks among the album tracklist’s most intimate and honest.

Grande lays her flaws and insecurities bare on the table for all to see in a brave attempt to showcase universal imperfections. Most readers have gone through what Grande has gone through and felt what she’s felt, but not all are willing to share their story. This one gets overshadowed by poppier tracks like “7 rings” and the title track.

4"865" by Morgan Wallen

The list of songs in music history about being drunk enough to want to rekindle an old flame is a long one, especially in the country genre. However, Morgan Wallen proves why he’s the world’s biggest country singer (currently carrying one of2025’s biggest songs) by putting a slight twist on the concept.

Here, a drunken Wallen isn’t just longing for an ex, but he’s had enough alcohol that the only thing running through her mind is a phone number. It takes the feeling of romantic yearning and modernizes it in an era where someone’s presence is just a text or call away.

3"Question Existing" by Rihanna

Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloadedis packed with hits that helped transform Rihanna overnight into a household name. It’s easy to name-drop fan-favorites like “Take a Bow,” “Shut Up and Drive,” “Don’t Stop the Music,” and “Umbrella” (which two Grammy winners actually declined). Most tend to forget that some of the bangers exist closest to the end of the album.

One such banger is “Question Existing,” a song that was far more introspective than Rihanna’s mainstream hits of the time. The beauty of albums is that they allow artists space for more subtlety on tracks outside of singles, but “Question Existing” seems to have set a precedent for future Rihanna hits that were surprisingly introspective, like “Diamonds.”