10 amazing singles that didn’t appear on an album

3 October 2024, 19:00

The standalone single - a filler between LPs, or a work of art in its own right? Let's look at the tracks that didn’t make it to a studio album.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

   The hugely-influential Manchester band released their second album two months after the suicide of singer Ian Curtis, in May 1980. It didn't include the classic single Love Will Tear Us Apart, which appeared as a stand alone single in June of that year. It made the UK top 20 shortly afterwards.

   

   Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

2. Bloc Party - Two More Years

   Following the release of their debut album Silent Alarm, Kele and crew returned with this one-off track that was apparently about the band's long wait for success.The single eventually ended up on the Silent Alarm re-issue, later that year.

   

   Bloc Party - Two More Years

3. New Order - True Faith

   Falling between 1986's Brotherhood and 1989's Technique, True Faith was included on the collection of the Manchester band's 12" singles so far, entitled Substance… but never appeared on a studio album. The same fate befell the underrated Touched By The Hand Of God, released a few months later.

   

   New Order - True Faith (1987) (Official Music Video)

4. The Smiths - Panic

   Which one to go for? Morrissey and Marr were big fans of the standalone single and would occasionally release songs to tide fans over between albums: This Charming Man, Panic, William It Was Really Nothing, How Soon Is Now?, Sheila Take A Bow, the list goes on. Panic was released a month after the monumental album The Queen Is Dead hit the shops in June 1986.

   

   The Smiths - Panic (Official Music Video)

5. Happy Mondays - Hallelujah

   The Madchester Rave ON EP was released in November 1989, and this was the lead track, featuring the late Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals. It would be a year before the band's next album was to be released - the classic Pills Thrills And Bellyaches - but Hallelujah was nowhere to be seen.

   

   Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Official Music Video)

6. The Stone Roses - Elephant Stone

   Released in October 1988, six months before the epic debut album arrived, this was the band's first release on the Silvertone label and was produced by New Order bassist Peter Hook. It did little on its original release, but made the UK Top Ten when it was reissued in 1990.

   

   The Stone Roses - Elephant Stone (Audio)

7. Suede - Stay Together

   This one-off single appeared between the band's debut album and its follow up, Dog Man Star, in February 1994. It's notable as it was the last proper Suede song to feature guitarist Bernard Butler, ironically, given the title.

   

   Suede - Stay Together

8. Oasis - Whatever

   This single bridged the gap between the supremely confident debut Definitely Maybe and the titanic follow-up, (What's The Story?) Morning Glory, being released at Christmas 1994. Even more impressive were the B-sides: Half the World Away and Slide Away!

   

   Oasis - Whatever (Official Video)

9. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

   A month or so after their debut album Three Imaginary Boys came out in 1979, Robert Smith and co (then a trio) issued this classic song as a stand alone single. It didn't chart until it was reissued in 1986 in a newly-recorded version.

   

   The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

10. The Charlatans - The Only One I Know

    Settle down, pedants… the classic single was not included on the original version of Some Friendly, back in 1990. However, the song's popularity around the nation's clubs meant that it was included on the record when it had a reissue later in the year.

    

    The Charlatans - The Only One I Know (Official Music Video)