Best-kept secrets in rock history

1. Beach Boys' non-surf music, post 1965, including Smile and albums through 1971-1972.

2. Nick Drake.

3. Velvet Underground (may be well-known to serious rock and rollers but still undervalued among the general public).

4. Forever Changes.

 

How can the Velvet Underground be a "best kept secret" if they're in that Hall of Fame place?

 

As for Nick Drake, I've seen many stories/articles about him in various rock magazines over the years. That's not keeping a secret.

 

Judee Sill

Oh and the IMHO fact that Sandy Denny is the best female vocalist ever in the rock idiom

 

Unless one is a hardcore Aerosmith fan, it's not very well known that Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were not the ones responsible for that stellar guitar playing on the Get Your Wings version of "Train Kept A-Rollin'". It sure was a letdown for me when I first found out. I still feel disappointed about it to this very day.

 

David Briggs, at least until recent years.

 

Cold Chisel.

 

The Velvets are not universally recognized as among the most influential bands among day-to-day rock fans. Same goes for Drake. We all know the Velvets and Drake well, but most people can name maybe one or two VU songs and nothing by Drake, if they have even heard of him.

 

None of these are secrets, that is well-known music to anyone with more than a passing interest in rock of that era, although at the time of release some of that was pretty close to secret. That Bob Dylan escaped being drafted and sent to Vietnam in exchange for disavowing politics...now THAT is a secret. It isn't true, of course, but if it were it would qualify.

 

Harry Nilsson

 

Jellyfish.

 

Bill Nelson/Be Bop Deluxe - especially in America

I didn't know that. Who played guitar on on it then?

 

Rolling Stones Brussels Affair

 

Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter.

 

The Sighs.

 

Ted Nugent wears glasses, except when he's on stage (obviously).

 

Kirsty MacColl

 

The Flashcubes.

 

Nick Drake songs have been in VW and AT&T commercials.

I'd agree with the Beach Boys.

I'd add Del Shannon outside of Runaway and the other early hits as well as Charlie Rich pre-Billy Sherrill

 

Emitt Rhodes.

 

I think you guys are being too rough on the OP and overestimating the general public. And someone being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn't really have anything to do with the general public knowing who they are, and especially being familiar with their music. Just because someone has heard a song in a commercial doesn't mean they know who it is or are remotely familiar with their music.

Edit: That being said, at least with my peers when it came out, Nick Drake saw a pretty big boom of interest due to being featured in the Garden State soundtrack. I think that says a lot more about the people that really dug that movie as opposed to the general public though.

 

Patto and Ollie Halsall. Both should have been household names.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Terry Reid.