Heart made it big with hits like “Never” and “Magic Man”, as well as the iconic song “Barracuda”. But what about the other songs from their decades-long discography that didn’t become no. 1 hits? Let’s take a look at some of the most underrated rock songs by Heart that deserve way more love!
1. “Heartless”
This 1978 track from Magazine was one of the best from the controversial album. “Heartless” opens the record and boasts an almost country-sounding introduction. If you’ve ever been done dirty by an emotionally unavailable partner, you’ll likely vibe with this song.
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2. “Even It Up”
The title track of Bebe Le Strange also makes it to this list, but “Even It Up” is another song from the 1980 Heart album that is sorely underrated. Complete with horns and soaring guitars, this track is a great example of how well Heart experimented with non-traditional rock instruments.
3. “Bebe Le Strange”
This song is one of Heart’s best to date, but it doesn’t get as much attention as their bigger hits. It has an obvious Led Zeppelin undertone to it, and the way Ann Wilson sings is quite similar to Robert Plant. Some would say the song is appropriative or at best, a good hommage. We think it’s an excellent Heart song all on its own, just with a notable influence.
4. “Straight On”
Dog & Butterfly from 1978 was Heart’s attempt to really experiment with sounds and genres outside of rock and roll. And they were quite successful with it. “Straight On” is one of the album’s most notable tracks, and it has a uniquely Heart energy to it with a disco flair. It’s a funky song that’s difficult to define. And it deserved the chart-topping success it got when it was released.
5. “Kick It Out”
This underrated Little Queen song from 1977 beautifully displays Heart’s Southern rock tendencies. Between a country piano and rock-and-roll guitar riffs, it’s one of the band’s best anthemic tunes to date.
6. “Never”
“Never” was released in 1985 during the big hair days of the band’s self-titled record. This era of Heart was a little controversial; some loved it, some hated it. Regardless of where you stand, it’s hard to deny that “Never” is an absolutely killer gem in their discography.
Photo by Pamela Corey
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