b-side
/ˈbiː saɪd/
CommonA track released alongside a single but not included on the main album, usually considered secondary but sometimes treasured by fans.
In the streaming era, the concept lives on metaphorically for any non-album release or bonus track. Calling something a b-side can mean it's overlooked or it's a hidden gem depending on tone.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | found a b-side from 2004 i'd never heard and it's better than half the album | A non-album track from a physical single era outperforms what actually made the record. | reddit, 2024 |
| 02 | criminally underrated b-side. this is what i mean when i say she always delivered | The track is both unknown and genuinely excellent, used as evidence of the artist's quality. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | this whole era had incredible b-sides. streaming ruined that format | The speaker is lamenting that the single-plus-b-side physical format no longer exists. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | the b-sides for this album campaign are honestly doing more than the lead singles | The non-album release tracks are outperforming the main promoted songs. | tiktok, 2023 |
Use it when
- Referring to a track that was released alongside a single but not on the studio album.
- Talking about overlooked or rare tracks in a discography.
- Describing something as secondary or underappreciated.
Do not use it when
- You mean a deep cut on an album, not a standalone release.Use “deep-cut” instead.
- You mean a bonus track added to a deluxe edition.Use “bonus-track” instead.
Variations and related forms
B-side vs deep cut
b-side
B-side is a track that was never on the album, released separately on a physical single.
VS
deep-cut
Deep cut is on the album but gets skipped by casual listeners.
Origin and context
From the physical era of vinyl 45rpm singles, which had an A-side for the main promoted song and a B-side for a secondary track. The term carried forward into cassette and CD single formats.
- First seen
- 1950s
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/b-sideUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0