Top 10 Things That Can Make a Song Underrated

Kansas is a well known band, but the only songs that people even listened to were Carry on Wayward Son and Dust in the Wind. Without those two songs, the band would be very underrated. Because of that, songs such as Lamplight Symphony, The Pinnacle, Miracles out of Nowhere, and A Glimpse of Home are unnoticed.

Songs from popular musicians tend to be overrated while songs from less known musicians are usually underrated.
Example - Savatage (a metal band). They are very unknown but several of their songs are masterpieces, such as: Hall Of The Mountain King, Morphine Child, Sirens, Chance.

Minerals and American Football are perfect example

Highway Star by Deep Purple is a great song, and even one of their best, but was overshadowed by Smoke on the Water. Dread and the Fugitive Mind by Megadeth is also another great song, but nobody cares about it because it was on one of their worst albums.

1. On a good album - overshadowed by another great song
Example: The Four Horsemen by Metallica - a great song overshadowed by other great songs.

2. On a bad album - even though a song is great, nobody notices
Example: Cathedral Spires - Judas Priest (Jugulator album, vox - Tim Ripper Owens)
This album wasn't actually that bad, just not good enough for Judas Priest but the result was the same.

Tip Pon It possibly suffered this fate. Major Lazer songs HARDLY EVER play on the radio anymore, and I think Sean Paul is in decline too. Also, Major Lazer are breaking up next year, so that might be a reason too. by the way I love Tip Pon It!

Example: Deep Purple's songs - Perfect Strangers (1985), The Cut Runs Deep (1990).
In my opinion these songs are way better than Smoke On The Water.
Deep Purple peaked in the early 70s and disbanded in 1974. They re-united after 10 and 15 years to record these albums.

I.e. Most of Metallica’s songs from their newer albums. A lot of their newer songs are on par with their older songs.

Songs aren't only about words with inspirational lyrics (mainstream pop and rap). Sometimes a piece of music and brilliant instrumental solos can be much more inspirational and emotionally moving than what words can get you. Combining the two and you get a gem. For some that's complex, for some that's what makes music for them.

Complexity is one thing that can make a song good, but people care about popularity and radio play more than imagination and creativity, which is why many great progressive rock bands such as Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull never got too popular.

It only goes to show how the mainstream music scene destroys imagination. Listen to some underground stuff and it will be more surprising.

1) Put here all metal songs - they are always underrated compared to songs from other genres.
2) Also so called "difficult songs" from EVERY genre, including pop music.

Example: Stone Cold Crazy by Queen - it wasn't among their 70s big hits but got some attention in the 80s-90s, when thrash became popular and somebody noticed this song sounded like a thrash song. This was actually the first thrash song in music history. Metallica did a cover.

People just forgot this artist ever existed, unless it's The Beatles or something like that.

Example: Coroner - a thrash band from Switzerland in the mid 80s. The epicenter of thrash was too far from Switzerland. Besides, this country wasn't a metal power.

I hate it that hardly anybody who claims to be a thrash metal fan knows Coroner. You've made an amazing list by the way!

Most African and Asian songs are underrated for this.

Example: Judas Priest with Tim Ripper.

These albums included some groove metal elements and although most of the metal fans love groove metal, Judas Priest fans didn't like this change. It was too different.

Well, these albums can't be called great but they were perceived as bad albums partly because the songs were different from the usual Judas Priest songs.

Mama Said by Metallica wasn't even a Metal song, but a Country song, and it's considered one of the worst Metallica songs. It's actually a pretty good song.

Especially if you are talking about a language with relatively few speakers. Jutlandia by Kim Larsen is probably one of my favourite songs of all time but only Danish speakers know it.

And that makes Rammstein underrated?

Thanks to whoever added it. This partly explains why metal songs are underrated...

Yeah, agree with the visitor - and by "cool melody" you probably mean annoyingly catchy and extremely simple repetitive melody.

Take Tip Pon It for example - I LOVE the song, but the single cover? I wouldn't have a neon sign made of THAT. I think Mad Love and Mad Love The Prequel suffered the same fate, although Mad Love (the song) had a little bit of fame.