which artist has the best non album b-sides/single tracks?

You actually got an answer that beats that hiding in the very next post following yours, because The Kinks Greatest Hits on Rhino has 18 tracks and contain "Who'll Be The Next In Line", "I Need You", "You Do Something to Me", "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" and "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?".

It's not a career spanning compilation and some of them are on there because singles were flipped in the US, but still a strong showing, and all of them, except "You Do Something to Me", are common on other Kinks compilations (and you could add "Mr. Pleasant" to that list as well).

 

Interesting inclusion, one I wouldn't have considered. I was listening to one of his solo albums tonight while mowing my property.
His solo work sounds like Steely Dan. Which is to say, so much so that it doesn't sound like an artist from a band doing solo material.

 

Elton John sure had a good number of B sides from the 70's. Most of them were as good as the album tracks. He was incredibly prolific for a time!

 

Yes, good shout. I think out of all the British 60's bands the Kinks had the best b-sides, Big Black Smoke is a favourite of mine.

 

Agree 100%. Especially the 78 to 83 period, so many great b-sides. And then the Frenz Experminet era the b-sides were better than the album tracks.

 

I agree that the Jam had some fantastic sinles and b-sides, but some of the ones you listed are very much double A-Sides, and were treated as that, so I think it's unfair to call them b-sides. I mean they even made videos for Precious and Dreams of Children, so it was more than a marketing gimmick.

 

The Beatles
Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984-1995, but not later)

 

Buzzcocks: check out Singles Going Steady for proof.

 

No love for the Stereophonics? I love their b-sides/cd extras or what ever they're called. Their covers are top-notch too. I'm thinking particularly of 'Who'll Stop The Rain', 'Positively 4th Street', 'The Old Laughing Lady' and 'Sunny Afternoon'. All good fun!

 

Yes T.Rex had great B-sides. From Ride A White Swan up to Children Of The Revolution T.Rex singles usually included two new tracks on the flip side, and very strong songs as well, many could have been hit singles in their own right.

 

Morrissey
The Smiths
Pet Shop Boys
Depeche Mode
New Order
REM

 

Wow. I don't think anyone has yet mentioned:

Yo La Tengo

 

My vote goes to Oasis

Acquiesce
The Master Plan
Idler’s Dream
It’s Good To Be Free
Listen Up
Step Out
Won't Let You Down

These are all Great songs and better than the majority of A sides ever released.
This next set of songs are really good and could have easily been on the albums.

Stay Young
Swamp Song
My Sister Lover
Cigarettes In Hell
Let’s All Make Believe
Thank You For The Good Times
Pass Me Down The Wine
(I Got) The Fever
Shout It Out Loud
One Way Road
Round Are Way
Fade Away
Headshrinker

Then there are over a dozen more good non-album songs like Angel Child and D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?

 

REM. Pearl Jam. Foo Fighters. Smashing Pumpkins.

Still find it hard to believe Yellow Ledbetter was never on an album.

 

Springsteen
U2
Prince
The Cure
The Cult
Iron Maiden
Smashing Pumpkins
Killing Joke
Bauhaus
The Clash

Obviously, the B-Side is nearly a dead idea now but in the 80's, it was a golden era for non-album tracks.

 

The Cardigans

 

The Beatles dammit!

Oh and Iron Maiden.

 

McCartney has 2 I like a lot:
Oh Woman Oh Why and
I Lie Around ( I think it is one of the best B-sides ever)

 

Del Amitri used to have great b- sides.
Tom Petty too

 

I'll add:

INXS
Manic Street Preachers
Big Country
UB40
Simple Minds
The Police

 

Can't argue with The Smiths.
In more recent times, the Pearl Jam Rearviewmirror greatest hits contains 33 songs and 6 are non-album tracks (soundtrack cuts, Bsides, etc). Appropriate for a band whose biggest chart hit ("Last Kiss") came from a fan-club Christmas single and dumped one of its most well known songs ("Yellow Ledbetter") as a B-side.

 

The OP forgot to add the "trolling" emoji.

 

Up until roughly '96 I'd have said Elvis Costello. The good extras seemed to have dried up after that.

 

I'd definitely go with the Jam too. And let's not forget those final b-sides like "The Great Depression," "Shopping," and their manic cover of the Chi-Lites "Stoned Out of My Mind." That trio of tunes is so good I've probably played them more than most of the tracks on their final album.

While we're talking Paul Weller, the Style Council also had a slew of great b-sides -- to the point where I think their rare cuts album Here's Some That Got Away is equal if not better than any of their standard releases. And it's not even complete, since it omits one of their best-ever flips "It Just Came to Pieces in My Hands."

 

groups in the 80's would sometimes be working on albums,
but since they were creative, they would release songs,
and singles that were never included on any album, or compilation
(sometimes).

here is a list of some of the better known groups that have
songs that were not on albums, or released separately:
===============================================================

u2 - a celebration (after october, but before war) 1982
--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.discogs.com/U2-A-Celebration/master/20759



easiest to find on 'october (remaster)' 2008
http://www.discogs.com/U2-October/release/1419853



talk talk - why is it so hard (3 versions) 1984
--------------------------------------------------------------
one version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldOhaohlof8
remix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsujitih1EA
a-sides b sides http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhQT24xoNxo

was on first born soundtrack:
http://www.discogs.com/Various-First-Born-Original-Motion-Picture-

Soundtrack/master/509987

remix was on 'it's my mix' (STILL NOT ON CD!)
http://www.discogs.com/Talk-Talk-Its-My-Mix/master/25627

different version on 'zabou' soundtrack
http://www.discogs.com/Various-Zabou-Original-Motion-Picture-

Soundtrack/master/255179

easiest to find on:
sedated in the eighties Vol 4
http://www.discogs.com/Various-Sedated-In-The-Eighties-No-4/release/680987

and a-side, b-sides (different version - 7 inch)
http://www.discogs.com/Talk-Talk-Asides-And-Besides/master/222300

talk talk - my foolish friend 1983
-------------------------------------
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnWX2OVS_B0

live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N7MgijQgQw

remix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E5RAAmqZh4


another non-album track:
http://www.discogs.com/Talk-Talk-My-Foolish-Friend-Extended-Version/master/22927

remix:
http://www.discogs.com/Talk-Talk-Its-My-Mix/master/25627


easiest to find remix on:
http://www.discogs.com/Talk-Talk-12x12-Original-Remixes/master/377779

and
http://www.discogs.com/Talk-Talk-Asides-And-Besides/master/222300



depeche mode - get the balance right, it's called a heart,
shake the disease and flexible
(on greatest hits) 1983-1984
--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Get-The-Balance-Right-Combination-

Mix/master/21123
http://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Its-Called-A-Heart/master/18380
http://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Shake-The-Disease/master/21127



tears for fears - the way you are, (after the hurting) 1983
--------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXuU1F-uLCY

7 and 12 inch mixes
http://www.discogs.com/Tears-For-Fears-The-Way-You-Are/master/43136


abc - viva love - aborted song 1994
--------------------------------------------------------------
ABC: Viva Love [Feb 1994] unreleased single
12": 1995 UK (EMI/Parlophone; ??) Viva Love (brothers in rhythm)
[+ mixes?] Announced Feb 94, dropped by EMI/Parlophone shortly before release

extended mix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDk71jGN548

only the 7 inch edit, can be found on this 3xcd compilation
http://www.discogs.com/ABC-The-Ultimate-Collection/release/825627


human league - Behind the Mask (w/ymo) 1993
--------------------------------------------------------------
a neat collaboration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tCbp6k3WYw

live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nch0Qj_bEDI

found here
http://www.discogs.com/Yellow-Magic-Orchestra-Versus-Human-League-YMO-Versus-The-

Human-League/release/504204


thomas dolby - fieldwork (w/ryuichi sakamoto) 1985
--------------------------------------------------------------
another great collaboration, many mixes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v_Nyrxm7Jg

london mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6kVilry0KU

live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za1wLfaSHCQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXXdBVbyAM


http://www.discogs.com/Ryuichi-Sakamoto-Field-Work/master/128631



fluke as lucky monkeys - bjango 1996
--------------------------------------------------------------
spinoff of group 'fluke'
many mixes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3It5yvjXFw

way out west mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAX5fl7LOWk


http://www.discogs.com/Lucky-Monkeys-Bjango/master/111314



pet shop boys - break 4 love (with peter raunhofer) 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------
great collaboration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os0Rny8UfBM


many mixes
http://www.discogs.com/Peter-Rauhofer-Pet-Shop-Boys-The-Collaboration-Break-4-

Love/master/30407


808 state - insane lover/freak (unreleased) 1994
--------------------------------------------------------------
promo only vinyl


http://www.discogs.com/808state-Insane-Lover-Freak/release/102893

one mix of each can be found here: gorgeous remaster from 2008
http://www.discogs.com/808state-Gorgeous/release/1482402



everything but the girl - corcovado 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D8HgCTKYfc

a few mixes
http://www.discogs.com/Everything-But-The-Girl-Corcovado/master/72263

can be found on greatest hits, and walking wounded 2015 remaster,
but not all the mixes though.



ian mcculloch - september song
--------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5btBAoL90uA

http://www.discogs.com/Ian-McCulloch-September-Song/master/29557


he has a few other non album songs:
------------------------------------
http://www.discogs.com/artist/37859-Ian-McCulloch?

filter_anv=0&subtype=Compilations&type=Appearances

Year Song Album Ref.
1991 "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" I'm Your Fan

2000 "Blue Moon"
(with Simon Boswell and Alex James) There's Only One Jimmy Grimble and No

Substitute For Life soundtrack
"Do You Believe?"
(with Simon Boswell and Alex James)

2002 "Jealous Guy" Uncut Presents: Instant Karma 2002; a Tribute to John

Lennon

2010 "Some Kind of Nothingness" Postcards from a Young Man by Manic Street

Preachers




kraftwerk - tour de france (1983)
--------------------------------------------------------------
the original versions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTZyXlLhvxs

a ton of mixes:
http://www.discogs.com/Kraftwerk-Tour-De-France/master/78835




midge ure - no regrets
after a fashion (with mick karn)
call of the wild
--------------------------------------------------------------
no regrets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZME5Q11wig

7 and 12 inch
http://www.discogs.com/Midge-Ure-No-Regrets/master/50403

after a fashion
live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwHF8R05HEY

7 and 12 inch
http://www.discogs.com/Midge-Ure-Mick-Karn-After-A-Fashion/master/50424

call of the wild
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3THEUcIDfwU

extended https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-tG4wHK5ZU

7 and 12 inch
http://www.discogs.com/Midge-Ure-Call-Of-The-Wild/master/50502



underworld - downpipe (w/mark knight and d ramirez)
--------------------------------------------------------------
good collaboration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exb2x_BNcIk

mixes
http://www.discogs.com/Mark-Knight-DRamirez-V-Underworld-Downpipe/master/178473


======================================

hope you enjoy these tracks

later
-1