Greatest “Last Tracks” on an Album
By: Charbarred | in: Music |In our age of iPods, playlists and A.D.D. many album tracks often get neglected. I wanted to celebrate that final song on a great album that really sends you out with a smile on your face. This last track is a chance for artists to either break the norm or have the final word in their musical conversation. The rules to the list are as follows:
- Has to be the last track on an album.
- This has to be a stand-out track. Something special or different, not just another great track in a series of great tracks (so Pixies, Gouge Away didn’t make it)
- No hidden tracks – They have to be the official tracks the artist named on the album cover (sorry Alanis Morissette)
- No extra or bonus tracks – The original line-up of the album.
- Has to be a proper album – No compilations, live albums or soundtracks.
So here goes, in no particular order:
- Farewell and Goodnight: Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Because the whole band sings on it, and it is a proper closer to a mythic album.
- Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead – The Bends: No need for an explanation.
- Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer gets in an almost melodic mood…and talk about those drum licks in the beginning…
- Something in the Way – Nirvana – Nevermind: It’s a beautiful acoustic song that ends a beautiful ferocious album.
- Broken Chairs – Built to Spill – Keep it like a Secret: A lot of the Built to Spill album closers are special. Most would choose ‘Untrustable’, but I think it turns to shit in the middle. So ‘Broken Chairs’ Mainly for the whistling bit in the middle and the great never ending jam.
- Glorybox – Portishead – Dummy: That bass line has been sampled so many times, it’s hard to say who came up with first…
- Rockin’ in the Free World – Neil Young – Freedom: So hard to choose a Neil Young track, they’re all so great…but this one really sums Freedom up and gets the final vote.
- Bizarre Love Triangle – Frente – Marvin The Album: It seems that most friends I asked came up with this one first. It’s a New Order cover, and a very interesting one.
- Bike – Pink Floyd – The Piper At The Gates of Dawn: Syd Barrett did that one by himself. It breaks away from the prog rock wannabe feel of the rest of the album, and has something quite rare in Pink Floyd albums – a sense of humor.
- Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell: Their first proper hit? Can you recall any other song from this album?
- Her Majesty – The Beatles – Abbey Road: The obligatory Beatles song.
- Mrs. Robinson – The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame about Ray: It took me a few months to actually listen to any other tracks on this amazing album when I first bought it. I recently saw them play this album in its entirety – Evan Dando mumbled a few swears before ending the show without including their famous cover.
- Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms: Because it’s Brothers in Arms man…
- Milez is Dead – Afghan Whigs – Congregation: This is a truly great track to end an album with. “Don’t forget the alcohol” screams Greg Dulli, as the albums sends your ears ringing into oblivion.
- Champagne Supernova – Oasis – What’s the Story (Morning Glory) – Oasis try their best at getting artistic…not sure they make it past sounding like the Beatles cover band, but it gets a B for effort.
- Edge of the World – Faith No More – The Real Thing: A Metal Band with a piano show tune that closes the album? I wonder if these guys will ever amount to anything…
- Obviously Midnight – Scarce – Deadsexy: So I’m the only who probably knows this song, but I’ll take it over any other one on this list. It is the epitome of endings as far as I’m concerned. A must hear!
- The End – The Doors – The Doors – It’s called the End, it is the End and it is the End of this list.
So which songs would make it to your list?
Posted on October 22, 2006
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I’m Fake - The Used (In Life and Death)
Rocket Queen by Guns N Roses and The Art of Shredding by Pantera (which I’ve been listening to this week) - there are many others. I always call them the “Track 12’s”!
Great idea for a post - wish I’d done it sooner!
Rocket Queen was on my shortlist…not sure why it didn’t make it, I think a friend convinced me it broke the ‘another great track in a series of great tracks’ rule.
A Day in the Life - The Beatles. To me, it defines what a last track should be.
“A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity To be Free”
off Elliott Smith’s, From a Basement on the Hill.
A perfect ending to a tragic post-humus album…
Wasn’t “something in the way” a hidden track? Or am I being silly?
Disgustipated from Tool’s album Undertow
Trust me, this… is… neccesary…
One of the top songs on my list would have to be “Famous Last Words” from Billy Joel’s River of Dreams. It’s a great song that provides a fitting end to a great album, plus it’s made even more poignant by being the last song on his last original album (at least so far, of course).
Have you seen “High Fidelity” a few times?
Something in the Way was the last LISTED track on Nevermind… followed by 10 or so minutes of silence, then hidden track Endless Nameless. Not sure how that fits in the rules. Here’s an out: Endless Nameless was LEFT OFF the first pressing of Nevermind accidentally, so technically you’re correct.
HOW could you have missed “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” from Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland?
I get the deliberate perversity of “Her Majesty”, but even “Day In The Life” is not the Beatles’ best closer. No, go all the way back to the end of the beginning: the last cut on Please Please Me is “Twist And Shout.”
My choices:
I’m In Love With A Girl - from Big Star’s Radio City
“Lawyers Guns And Money” ALMOST breaks the Series of Great Tracks rule, but it’s one of Warren Zevon’s career highlights and truly a standout on Excitable Boy.
Elvis Costello gets two in a row - “What’s So Funny `bout Peace Love And Understanding” from Armed Forces and “Riot Act” on Get Happy. Would have been THREE in a row but “Radio Radio” was the last track only on the US release of This Years’ Model.
“Redemption Song” from Bob Marley’s Uprising. Last song on the last ablum released before his death. A complete departure - solo acoustic - from his usual style and a fitting self-eulogy.
Can’t Hardly Wait - Replacements, Pleased To Meet Me. They ripped off the title for a movie.
You Look So Fine - Garbage Version 2.0. This is the one that should have been their inescapable monster hit single.
I skip “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from Let It Bleed, Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks”, and (barely) “Won’t Get Fooled Again” on Who’s Next, for the “another great track in a series” rule. And “Train In Vain” was a hidden track on London Calling even when it was on VINYL.
The Good Times are Killing me by Modest Mosue on their album Good News For People Who Love Bad News.
The Song “Infinitely Gentle Blows (Scoot Hardkiss’ Aural Hallucination Mix)” by Scott Hardkiss on the “Groove Soundtrack”. I literally listen to the whole album just to hear the ultimate recap. A definite ending to the soundtrack and a good way to end a DJ spin before you play chillout for people to hit home.
Great topic!
John D., good call on “Voodoo Chile (Slight return), though I’d say the same about another Jimi closer:
“Axis: Bold as Love,” the last track from the Jimi Hendrix album of the same name. I think this track was always overshadowed by “Little Wing” but it is stellar Hendrix, with its intricate guitar work and triumphant ending.
Fionna Apple
Album: Fast As You Can
Song: I Know
Great song.
“Speedway”
Vauxhall and I
Morrissey
Absolutely it has to be Rocket Queen. Rocket Queen and definitely Rocket Queen.
Rinse and repeat.
Because no one has mentioned any hip hop albums yet, I would suggest “Suicidal Thoughts” on Notorious BIG’s Ready to Die album. I would also add “Jewelz” on OC’s album entitled Jewelz.
Oh yeah, and “All Is Full of Love” on Bjork’s Homogenic album is excellent.
Good choices Eric!
New York City Serenade - Bruce Springsteen, from The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
Weezer - “The Blue Album” - Only In Dreams
Epic ending to a landmark album.
fight the power - fear of a black planet
Allow me to add, about a thousand years too late, “Wild West Hero” by ELO off their best album ‘Out Of The Blue’ and also “Shots” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse off the unjustly ignored masterpiece ‘re.ac.tor’.