Best Double A-Sided Singles List

This is my first attempt at a list. I have picked what I think were the top 20 double A-Sided singles in pop/ rock.  I feel good until number 5…after that it gets hard. When I made the list I wasn’t counting how many copies they sold or just chart history. I tried to put their importance in history into account. and my preference…which of course means nothing but it’s fun…

  1. Beatles – Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane The number 1 position is the only position that didn’t give me any trouble…
  2. Beatles –  Hey Jude/Revolution – What a single this is… Two of the Beatles best-  known songs together for their first Apple release. A great way to start the Apple label.
  3. Rolling Stones –  Honky Tonk Women/You Can’t Always Get What You Want The Stones released this in 1969 and Honky Tonk Women when to number 1
  4. Elvis – Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog  This is cool fifties Elvis and untouchable. This record influenced young rockers all over the world. 
  5. Beatles – Something/Come Together George finally gets an A side and he runs with it and you have Come Together as the B side. 
  6. Rolling Stones – Ruby Tuesday / Let’s Spend the Night Together No Chicago blues here but beautifully crafted pop. 
  7. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary/Born On The Bayou This was the major breakthrough single for CCR and they kept coming. 
  8. The Band – Up On Cripple Creek/The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down The quality of this single is outstanding. Neither was a top 20 hit but they are still played to this day. 
  9. Beatles – Paperback Writer/Rain The bass jumps out at you on these recordings. Paul plays a Rickenbacker and boosted the level in the studio
  10. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down on the Corner / Fortunate Son Fortunate Son was John Fogerty’s angriest song and it made his feelings known. 
  11. Beatles – I Want to Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There The single that broke the Beatles in America. I like some of the other Beatle singles more but this one was huge and maybe the most important of their career. 
  12. Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode/Around and Around Johnny B. Goode is the song ever bar band is required to know. The guitar riff is eternal. 
  13. Rolling Stones – Bitch/Brown Sugar If I had to explain to an alien what Rock and Roll was all about without talking…I would hand them a picture of Keith Richards and a copy of Brown Sugar.
  14. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Travelin’ Band / Who’ll Stop the Rain After playing Woodstock John went home and wrote Who’ll Stop the Rain
  15. Sam Cooke – Shake/A Change Is Gonna Come A Change Is Gonna Come speaks for itself. What a beautiful song. 
  16. Queen – We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You Two of Rocks biggest anthems was released in 1977 and you could not go anywhere without hearing both
  17. Beach Boys – Wouldn’t It Be Nice / God Only Knows God Only Knows is one of the most beautiful sounding songs ever. 
  18. Buddy Holly – Peggy Sue / Everyday Peggy Sue is probably the song Buddy is most remembered for…Everyday is a great song in itself… Buddy was a huge influence on The Beatles. 
  19. Beach Boys – I Get Around/Don’t Worry Baby I Get Around went to number 1 but Don’t Worry Baby is the reason this song is on the list.
  1. Elvis Presley – Mystery Train / I Forgot to Remember to Forget Two classics by Elvis. Mystery Train’s guitar sound is just haunting.

Honorable Mentions

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Up Around the Bend / Run Through the Jungle

Ricky Nelson – Travelin’ Man / Hello Mary Lou

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising / Lodi

Chuck Berry – Sweet Little Sixteen / Reelin’ and Rocking

Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze / The Wind Cries Mary

Sam Cooke – Bring It on Home to Me / Having a Party

Ritchie Valens – Donna / La Bamba

John Fogerty – Rock and Roll Girls / Centerfield

Sly & the Family Stone – Stand! / I Want to Take You Higher

Beatles – Hello Goodbye / I Am the Walrus

Beatles – Get Back / Don’t Let Me Down

Buddy Holly – Oh Boy/Not Fade Away

Beatles – We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper

Rod Stewart – Maggie May / Reason to Believe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

15 thoughts on “Best Double A-Sided Singles List”

  1. What? No Little Jimmy Osmond “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool”/ “Mother Of Mine?”…. Great list- both sides of every single contain classic songs- not one side great- other side a throwaway. I would rank Paperback Writer/ Rain a little higher but the ones ahead of it are all outstanding also. It seemed to me like by the late 70’s when I got into music the Double A side was a vanishing thing- the singles I bought were usually great A side and an obscure album cut as side B… One I would add to your list- 1979- Marshall Crenshaw the single Someday, Someway- a minor hit- the b-side is my favorite Marshall Crenshaw song- if you haven’t heard it before give “You’re My Favorite Waste Of Time” a listen- to my ears it should have been a #1 hit.

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    1. Yes I could have made my sister happy with an Osmond selection!

      You know I kept switching them out for weeks. I had Paperback Writer/Rain up higher at first but I didn’t want my Beatle bias to show as much but yes it should have been higher. I should have picked a subject a little more contained for my first list…I already knew but wow Creedence and The Beatles really had some great singles.

      I remember both Marshall Crenshaw songs…you are right! He has such a great sound.

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      1. I was on a trip this morning and listened to Crewshaw’s debut and second albums- the production on the second album is truly awful- whereas the first album just sparkles. Sometimes I wonder do they listen to the finish product before they release it?

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      3. I agree an album with a major reputation which I am not crazy about- my least favorite Who album or at least a contender.

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      4. I like a lot of the songs like Christmas, Sally Simpson etc but the production was just so bad. Moon sounded like he was drumming on tins.

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      5. I’ve been listening to Crenshaw this morning since you brought album up. I just don’t know why some people didn’t make it. Great hooks and voice.

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    1. Thanks…it stayed in my drafts forever with me going over and over…You are right…I was trying not to show the Beatle bias as much but in many versions, that single was there… I didn’t realize how vast it was when I started…

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  3. I mention the Paperback Writer/ Rain single for one main reason- it is the single that woke me up to the fact I needed to own every Beatles album. I had the Red and Blue albums-I was young and dumb- I thought I have these great songs- surely that covers it all. I then read about this song called Rain- in Roy Carr’s book- The Beatles An Illustrated Record- and I got the single. Rain blew my mind and I came to the realization that I had to start buying up all The Beatles albums- and find all the songs they ever did because everything was essential.

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    1. Thats funny because it was Meet The Beatles my cousin turned me on to…It was the only album he had but he kept talking about a song called “Paperback Writer” and how great the harmonies were…I then got Hey Jude Again just to get it…My first Beatle album…and from there it didn’t stop. The Red, Blue and Rock and Roll Music came soon after…and then the Hunter Davies book etc…
      I originally had it number 5 and then 6 behind Come Together and Something… I have a new respect for lists now. That was a never ending change…I would change something everyday and I felt guilty leaving Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out off.

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  4. Oh yeah. Really great list with equally great honorable mentions. Very hard to assign a number to these recordings. An almost impossible task for me. Great work. Love it. To the list I would add Elton John – Your Song/Take Me To Your Pilot; Elton John – Candle In The Wind /Bennie and the Jets; Patsy Cline – Sweet Dreams/Back in Baby’s Arms

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    1. I hate plugging myself…just wanted to tell you I really appreciate you looking!

      It was a lot harder than I thought. The number 1 was the only easy one for me…well it’s The Beatles…and it is a great single…. The ranking part was just throwing darts at a board in my opinion.

      I totally agree with your picks…. The Patsy Cline one is incredible and I kick myself for missing that one… The Elton John make perfect sense and thats more I missed.

      I do have one off the wall question for you. Who is your favorite standup comedian of all time? I’m posting my favorite top ten this week…want to make sure I didn’t miss someone.

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