Five classic rock songs that were never played live
Rock is one of the most important genres of music in the world. Born out of rebellion, it merged the blues with R&B, and bands like The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses and Led Zeppelin gave it an energy unlike anything anyone had ever seen. It showed just how exciting music could be for those who want to engage with it. Of course, we see it now as an essential piece of musical history that continues to give rise to new artists, but at the time, many people thought it was just a phase.
It tends to be the case whenever something new starts becoming popular; many people will roll their eyes at whatever it is that’s doing well and say that it will pass by as quickly as it appeared. Even Elvis’ manager thought rock and roll was a passing phase, hence why he was so keen to get The King involved in movies. However, rock persisted and proved these people wrong.
One key element of rock music’s continued relevance is how much people enjoy going to live gigs. Rock isn’t a style of music that should be enjoyed in solitude. Rock encourages dancing and movement, mosh pits and singalongs, all of which means that bands continue to tour and listeners continue to watch. It ignites a euphoria that is difficult to match and continues to keep crowds coming back for more.
Of course, while people go to these gigs to hear the hits, there are many classic rock songs that bands have never played live. A number of factors contribute to this, as some tracks are too emotional, some have never had the chance to be played, and others are downright awful. Here, we will look more at some of the biggest rock songs that have never been played live.
Classic rock songs never played live:
Queen – ‘The Show Must Go On’
Freddie Mercury had one of the best vocal ranges in rock music. Within the space of a four-minute track, he could make you laugh, cry, and smile with ease. The dynamic with which he performed pitch-perfect classics was truly a sight to behold, and one of the songs where it can be heard clearly is their heartbreaking number, ‘The Show Must Go On’.
The song was written by guitarist Brian May while Freddie Mercury was battling AIDS. It was featured on Queen’s last official album, and when it was officially released, not many people knew about the disease. Given the emotional connotations, it makes sense that the band never opted to play it live. Plus, at this point in his career, Mercury struggled to perform to his usual standard, so it would likely have been difficult for him to pull off the tricky vocal performance in this track.
Judas Priest – ‘Flamethrower’
While many rock bands release their best material early on in their careers, Judas Priest surprised everyone with their 2018 record Firepower. It was one of their most well-received albums to date, completely filled with excellent tracks that were true to the band. One of these was ‘Flamethrower’. However, despite the track being good, the band has never played it live.
There is no clear-cut reason for this. Many people who go to a Judas Priest gig are likely hoping to hear the classics, and as a result, there simply isn’t enough room on the setlist for the track. It may also be because of how new the album is; the band haven’t considered putting it in a set yet.
The Beatles – ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
Unfortunately, a fair few Beatles songs were never played live because the band stopped touring towards the end of their run. However, one track that didn’t find its way onto a setlist even while the band was still doing shows was ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’.
It’s a great song on the album Revolver, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a number that the Fab Four could ever replicate in a live environment. George Martin said that this was down to the backing track, which dubbed the song “unrepeatable”. He said it was impossible to replicate the sound they achieved with the backing track, and therefore, The Beatles never performed the song.
Eagles – ‘My Man’
Eagles became one of the world’s most famous country rock bands, and this was down to two things. The first was their exceptional songwriting ability, and the second was because they had one of the best and most energetic live shows out there. However, one of the songs that never made it onto the setlist was ‘My Man’.
Prior to joining the Eagles, Bernie Leadon was in the Flying Burrito Brothers. He was in that band with Gram Parson, who unfortunately passed away, and ‘My Man’ was written as a tribute to him. It makes sense that the band never played the song live, given that it would be an emotional track to pull off and is something better enjoyed in private.
Pink Floyd – ‘When the Tigers Broke Free’
Pink Floyd had a turbulent history as a band. There were plenty of fallouts, people leaving, and disputes taking place while albums were written. One of the band’s most famous albums, The Wall, came at the expense of frayed relationships within the band. Richard Wright even admitted, “Both myself and Dave… had little to offer, through laziness or whatever… Looking back, although I didn’t realise it, I was depressed.”
Wright left the band, and Pink Floyd went on to make The Final Cut. This is one of their most divisive albums, as it didn’t quite meet the standard Pink Floyd proved they were capable of. Because the album wasn’t received well, Pink Floyd didn’t play any of the songs from it live, including the track ‘When the Tigers Broke Free’.
