5 Flop Songs From The 2010s That Belong On Every Road Trip Playlist

Ah, the 2010s. This is the decade that brought us fashion staples like skinny jeans, wedge sneakers, and athleisure wear. It also produced such musical greats as Icona Pop's summer anthem "I Love It," Robyn's vulnerable ode to loneliness "Dancing On My Own," and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' addictive earworm "Uptown Funk." If the sound of this pop-tastic musical era could be summed up in a few words, they would probably be genre-defying, full of swagger, and authentic. However, it might be surprising to learn that many of the monster jams that you know and love were considered "flops" — not commercially successful when initially released. But this isn't to say that they're not worthy of attention — or worthy of listening to on repeat during your next vacation.

Looking through music charts, critics' lists, and reviews galore, Islands has gathered five horrifically underrated flop songs from the 2010s that need to be on your road trip playlist. We specifically chose tracks that did not chart high (or at all) on U.S. music lists (primarily, the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100) and on other global rankings. This doesn't mean that they didn't receive accolades or become popular eventually — some of these selections garnered critical acclaim, won awards, and found themselves on the soundtracks of TV shows and movies. But unfortunately, none of them achieved the success that they deserved in their time.

So, open up your favorite music app and take note of these should-have-been hits. These vibey tracks will have you feeling energized for a long drive and ready to hit the dance floor. You'll have the perfect playlist for winding along Italy's Tuscan countryside route through hills, medieval cities, and vineyards; following Scotland's scenic coastline on the "ultimate road trip"; or embarking on any other thrilling travel adventure.

Canadian music producer Felix Cartal and his compatriot, singer-songwriter Lights, dropped their first-time collab, a seemingly made-in-heaven February 14, 2019, release entitled "Love Me." The Ontario-born artist's smooth, crystal-clear vocals and Cartal's danceable grooves combine on this melodic earworm to create a satisfyingly sweet Valentine's Day treat. It's so impossibly upbeat, you'll probably overlook that it's actually a sad, despairing tune about unrequited love. Lights croons soulfully in the emotive chorus, "I can't get you off of my mind / Why do I keep wasting my time? / Man you make it easy for me / So why can't I make you love me?"

Lights shared with Billboard that she wrote the lyrics within an hour, and they came to her easily. And Cartal wrote in a press release (via The Gate), "The thing that made this collaboration so special is that we're literally the only two people involved in this song. I wrote an instrumental, Lights wrote an initial lyric idea ... It's just us two creating every single piece of this song [and] I love how it turned out." So do we!

Although it oozes made-for-radio infectiousness, the tune never cracked the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It hit a peak of No. 38 on the Canada Singles Top 100, and it did well on streaming services, including Apple Music. But it never attained international recognition, despite its popularity at home and winning the 2020 Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year." While this cool-as-a-cucumber track was released by two Canadians in the dead of winter, it'll bring the heat any season of the year. Play this certified banger whenever you want to dance — whether it's in the U.K.'s lively "nightlife capital," Brighton, or when you're dreaming of escaping to a floating beach club in Thailand.

Jillian Banks, the California native and artistic force known simply as "Banks," fuses moody, alternative music with R&B flavor to create a contemporary, urban sound that is wholly her own. This genre-bending musician, who cites Fiona Apple as one of her greatest influences, currently has five studio albums, along with a slew of sold-out concerts, behind her. "Trainwreck" was released as the last single from her sophomore album, "The Altar," which came out in September 2016. The song, with its rap-like verses spat out in an urgent, high-speed cadence, is about a toxic relationship and its emotional implications ("I'm heading the wrong way, and I'm a trainwreck"). And Banks' sultry, smooth-as-honey vocals take on an edge as she rages through the lines: "Talking to ears that have been deaf / For as long as I can remember / A self-medicated handicap, so I speak to myself." In an interview with Refinery 29, Banks discusses starting this song as a teenager, noting that these were "some of the first lyrics I ever wrote, like a stream-of-consciousness."

The lead single from "The Altar," entitled "Gemini Feed," performed well; however, "Trainwreck" didn't receive much attention, even with the release of an intensely creepy, Hitchcockian music video to accompany it in January 2017. This song didn't grace the Billboard Hot 100, nor did it even chart internationally.

A Pitchfork music journalist writes that the track "evokes, to great effect, the particular darkness that was all over pop radio in the early '10s — blown-out vocals, big menacing synth pads, barely concealed panic." Listen to this powerful track whenever you want to channel your inner darkness, or when you're on the road and feeling rebellious and free. But maybe don't play it when you're on an actual train.

Scottish synth-pop trio Chvrches (pronounced "churches," but spelled with a "v" to distinguish them from religious institutions) surfaced with gusto in 2012 — internet darlings whose first songs quickly gained traction online. The three Glaswegians released "Clearest Blue" as the third single of their sophomore record, "Every Open Eye," in September of 2015. This album, a Jupiter 8 synth-heavy electro-pop production, is full of what lead singer Lauren Mayberry refers to as "accidental bangers" (via The Guardian). It was itself a massive success, hitting No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart and garnering positive reviews from music critics. But this particular single unfortunately did not have as much impact commercially as it deserved.

In 2015, "Clearest Blue" peaked at No. 43 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, but never came close to the Hot 100 — except in Japan, interestingly, where it hit No. 74. However, it has been a well-established fan favorite since its unveiling, and it's often the closer for the band's live sets due to the heart-pounding, propulsive drop that comes in shortly after two minutes and continues until the end.

The song is musically simple and lyrically sparse, interpreted to be about a relationship that the protagonist can't fully invest in but also doesn't want to leave. Mayberry's pure tone cuts through the noise with her almost-haunting cry in the last chorus: "Tell me tell me you'll keep me / Tell me tell me you'll meet me / Will you meet me more than halfway up?" As writer Emmanuel Elone commented on Pop Matters, "'Clearest Blue' is meant for the now. It's young and fun, meant for long nights and dance parties." Enjoy this track on a lengthy and tiring drive, when you need a musical pick-me-up that's akin to downing a Red Bull.

It's hard to understand how provocative New Yorker Azealia Banks has never had a major hit in the U.S. It's also shocking that she was only a teenager when she penned her signature song, "212," which NME music journalist Matt Wilkinson referred to as "3 minutes 25 seconds of pure filth-pop." Released in late 2011, the track's name refers to the area code for the borough of Manhattan (Banks grew up in Harlem). It blends European house with American hip-hop, and it's an expletive-laden love letter to her hometown. Backed by the irresistible Belgian house track "Float My Boat" by Lazy Jay, this club hit rapidly made headway in Europe. However, it didn't even crack the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and wasn't commercially successful at home. That being said, the song secured a strong critical reception, appearing on several "best of" lists, including Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," Billboard's  "Songs That Defined the Decade," and The Guardian's "The Best Songs of 2011."

In a review for Pitchfork, contributor Carrie Battan writes, "Banks delivers solid, straightforward flows, guttural yelps, top-shelf singing, triple-X raunch, and a smug talk-rap cadence that shuts down potential adversaries." Exuding an admirable confidence and swagger for an artist that only recently reached adulthood, Banks shouts out the chorus with casual bravado, "What you gon' do when I appear? / When I premiere?" So, what inspired the song? In her words: "Y'all not gonna help me? I'm gonna get it myself" (via Rolling Stone Australia).

Whether you're in one of the best cities to have an unforgettable "brat girl summer" or about to experience the must-visit bars and clubs in downtown Orlando, put on this fierce track when you're absolutely feeling yourself and ready for a night out. And, of course, it's always a crowd-pleaser when heading to the actual 212.

As of this writing, it's been years since we've gotten a new album from Grimes, the Canadian singer, producer, and visual artist hailing from Vancouver. But her music certainly forged a new path for 2010s alt-pop. And with the November 2015 release of her fourth record, "Art Angels," which received widespread critical acclaim, she certainly cemented herself as a unique musical force to be reckoned with. It hit No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Albums chart and made several "top picks" lists, including Pitchfork's "The 50 Best Albums of 2015," The Guardian's "The 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century," and Billboard's "25 Best Albums of 2015." On the latter, "Art Angels" was described as "a cosmic joyride that included reggaeton beats, nu metal guitars, and the Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes amongst extraterrestrial songs that somehow sound like they could find a home on alternative radio." Despite the album's pop sensibilities — at least compared to Grimes' much more experimental "Visions" — and its positive reception, the first single, "Flesh Without Blood," didn't cause much of a stir. You wouldn't have heard the song on any mainstream radio stations, and it didn't even make an appearance on the Billboard 200 when released.

"Flesh Without Blood" has a pop-punk-inspired sound, with its energetic guitar riffs and dense drums. Grimes shared that the song is about "being really disappointed with someone who you really once truly admired" — in this case, her former best friend (via Pitchfork). Her dreamy, ethereal vocals echo out in the devastatingly beautiful lyrics: "I saw a light in you / Going out as I closed our window / You never liked me anyway." This track is perfect for belting out on long, solo drives. Warning: Symptoms of listening could include head-banging, foot-stomping, and other unintended consequences.