The Top 10 Songs Not Released as Singles in 2009

In the age of digital downloads, singles can make or break an artist or an album release.

Whether or not an artist has a standout album, listeners might choose to just download one or two songs they feel are good from the album. This can still lead to some success for the artist, both immediately, and in the future as listeners might still become future fans.

And the worst part of not being released as official singles is that these songs become hidden gems, and don't get listened to by the masses.

All of the artists listed here released solid first singles from their 2009 albums. However, the songs listed here might have worked better than the second or third singles they choose.

A few of these artists are still supporting their 2009 release. So there's a possibility that Alicia Keys, Mario, Rihanna and Jay-Z could release some of these songs as singles in 2010.

But for now, here is a list of the 10 (actually 11) best songs not released as singles in 2009. In order to be included in this list, the album the song appeared on had to be released in 2009. Discover them here and download them.

#10 (tie)

Song: "Wrap U Around Me"

Artist: Sean Kingston

Album: Tomorrow

Song: "Hold My Hand (I'll Be There)"

Artist: Sean Paul feat. Keri Hilson

Album: Imperial Blaze

A hard choice, as both songs are similar in tone. The key theme in each song is romance. Kingston can't survive in the world without his girl, while Paul will be around for his girl whenever she needs him.

This world's too much for me to take/Come give me some some sweet escape/Get next to me/Come close to me/Grab hold of me/Wrap U around me.

Kingston's song doesn't lose the sunny, reggae vibe that he has begun to feature in most of his singles. Yet, it is a more personal and deeper song than most have heard from him. It would've been nice after "Face Drop" for him to follow up with this song.

Girl you know I care/So if you ever seem to lose your way don't have no fear/Hold my hand/I'll be there girl you know I care girl/Cause this love that we share/I will steer it in the right direction.

Paul is best known for club banging dance songs. Like Kingston's song, this one retains the reggae vibe that is Paul's trademark, but gives him a bit of a sensitive side. Hilson doesn't add too much to the song, but having a female singer in it does help offset Paul's voice and make it more of a romantic song. Since his album didn't do very well, maybe this was what people needed to hear.

#9

Song: "Watch You Go"

Artist: Jordin Sparks

Album: Battlefield

After the success of "Battlefield" as the lead single, Sparks decided to release the female empowerment track "S.O.S." That song failed to spark any radio or digital download interest.

A better choice would've been "Watch You Go," a relationship song that many women could probably relate to.

I'm seeing daylight and I'm still alone in my bed/Something ain't right so should I got to him instead/I messed up this time I always do/And then we fight and then we're through again/Back to the beginning.

While it isn't an uptempo dance song, it does have a catchy chorus and Sparks shows she is a great singer with a lot of range.

#8

Song: "I Choose You"

Artist: Mario

Album: D.N.A.

Mario's 2009 album flopped, and is his lowest selling album so far. Yet his first single, "Break Up" was his best charting single so far. A better follow up song than "Thinkin' About You" would've been this extremely romantic ballad that could be played at weddings and dances.

For I saw us dancing through sunshine and rain/And I saw us laughing through joy and through pain/And I saw time passing but we did not change/And I still saw us together at the end of every day.

It would've attracted more mainstream attention, and it would've been a nice grown up evolution from some of his earlier hits.

#7

Song: "Right Side of My Brain"

Artist: The-Dream

Album: Love Vs. Money

The-Dream started out on fire with his first several singles from his sophomore album, as "Rockin' that S***" and "Walkin' On The Moon" are great tracks, and "My Love" featuring Mariah Carey was a pretty good song.

But "Sweat It Out" was selected as the fourth song, when "Right Side of My Brain" would've been a nice change of pace after the hip-hop tinged first three singles.

Not only is it a great song in general, it's going to go down as one of the best breakup songs of all time. Even though it's performed by a male singer, anyone young, old, male or female can relate to not thinking clearly when you are in love with someone, and have regrets when the relationship ends.

But I should be ashamed/Cause I let you do me this way/And it's unfortunate that when you're in love/You never use/The right side of your brain.

#6

Song: "The Last Song"

Artist: Rihanna

Album: Rated R

What if we left every moment that we could spare/And the perfect song ends up being the last song you'll ever here/You'll never know when the songs gonna play/The last song you hear is the one you made/This song was beautiful that's why I started singing it/But this song is our song it's playing til the end/Even if it's the last song.

Rihanna sings this single with extreme passion, and her vocals are paired nicely with extraordinary music and production. To take a line from the lyrics, this song is beautiful and it deserved some airplay and to be found by a lot of people.

Rihanna has had a mixed bag of results from the singles released from "Rated R." "Wait Your Turn" was not what everyone was expecting, but "Russian Roulette" was spooky good. Then "Hard" was the prototypical single most were hoping to hear first, but now she is releasing "Rude Boy" which likely won't chart very well.

#5

Song: "Summer Town"

Artist: Third Eye Blind

Album: Ursa Major

While Third Eye Blind's album didn't make much of an impact on the charts, this single had a good chance of getting airplay if it had been released near the end of summer or in the fall.

It definitely would've been a hit up and down the east and west coast, and probably along the southern states.

Where did everybody go/Everyone I know has blown the coast/Shiver in the wind it shows/All I have are summer clothes/Oh it brings me down when it's winter time in a summer town.

It likely wouldn't have been a big it, but it has a great sound, and fun lyrics and would've been a perfect post-summer anthem.

#4

Song: "How It Feels To Fly"

Artist: Alicia Keys

Album: The Element of Freedom

She is becoming the queen of uplifting, inspirational R&B songs, which might be why this one hasn't been released yet.

But after the back-to-back relationship singles "Doesn't Mean Anything" and "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," this uplifting power ballad would've been a nice change of pace.

I am running/Don't wanna come down/Hope my wings don't fail me now/And if I can touch the sky/I'd risk the fall/Just to know how it feels to fly.

There is still a good chance this song will be released as a single, after the Beyonce duet "Put It In a Love Song" finishes its run as a single.

#3

Song: "As Real As It Gets"

Artist: Jay-Z feat. Young Jeezy

Album: The Blueprint 3

It's hard to complain with the tracks Jay-Z decided to release as singles from this album, but with so many standout tracks there's always room for another single.

However, with "D.O.A.," "Run This Town," "Empire State of Mind," "On To The Next One" and now "Young Forever" as official singles, a sixth single is highly unlikely.

But if there is one, this track with Young Jeezy would be the right selection. It has a smooth, mellow vibe. It's still uptempo, but not overbearing. And both Young Jeezy and Jay-Z have some excellent rhymes.

Oh yeah I'm rare/I'm aware that I'm rare/I rap and I'm real/I'm one of the few here/These other boys lyin'/I wonder if y'all care/They stories out this world/I wonder if y'all here/But don't really matter as long as they stay clear.

#2

Song: "Another Love Song"

Artist: Uncle Kracker

Album: Happy Hour

"Smile" earned Uncle Kracker another shot at regular airplay on Top 40 stations nationwide, but it also gave him the tag of being a "two-hit wonder" instead of a good artist.

While "Happy Hour" was a complete mixed bag of good and bad songs, "Another Love Song" is actually a better song than "Smile."

Is it a song making fun of love songs? Or just another love song itself? Whatever your interpretation, it is still highly enjoyable and has a catchy, sing-along chorus.

Does the world really need another love song/Another you don't know how much I miss you when you're gone/Another I don't know if I can live without you/Another baby you, baby oh, I don't think I'll ever know.

#1

Song: "Alienated"

Artist: Keri Hilson

Album: In A Perfect World...

Her album was plagued by leaked tracks and release delays, so she actually had three singles released before 2009 when her album was finally released.

"Energy" was a great debut single, but then "Return The Favor" and "Turnin' Me On" flopped.

"Knock You Down" was an amazing single and one of the best songs of 2009, but her follow ups were "Slow Dance" and "I Like," two fairly boring songs that never caught on.

Instead, "Alienated" would've been a big hit and kept her in the mainstream radio airplay. It also may have been the type of single that would've given her the Grammy for Best New Artist.

"Alienated" just isn't a great song with amazing lyrics, it also has superb production and a sound that isn't heard in all R&B songs. Hilson moves from singing her heart out to a whispering rap that sounds like she might be on the verge of tears.

You're the reason I don't change my number/Don't you know it's still the same/And I bet you remember that summer/When we kicked it everyday/Don't know how it happened, just happened/Kinda like we faded away/And I feel so alienated/Don't you feel so alienated.

The song lyrics posted in this story were taken from the Web site www.metrolyrics.com.