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Sleeper Hits: Under-Appreciated Songs From Artists We Love Part 1

Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Beyonce
Associated Press

Throwback? Check. Current sounds? Check. Underrated? Not for long.

There are certain artists that seem to stop the world when they release new music (hey, Bey), and if not the entire world than at least a collective part of it. Here in the age of streaming it's easier than ever to devour a new album release the day it comes out or to spend a weekend dissecting it. But even for the artists that we stan, some songs eclipse others (everything can't be "Into You") and our radio-listening friends and family may never be exposed to the great cohesiveness that some albums offer and downright bops and bangers that just didn't make it to the Top 40.

You've heard of these artists, now familiarize yourself with their under-appreciated jams. Let this serve as an ode to lost hits, buried treasures, and some songs that just deserve more attention and are worth another listen.

Lady Gaga - Though Mother Monster's albums have, for the most part, been good listens all the way through, some things are bound to fall through the cracks. Here are picks from The Fame through to Born This Way.

Madonna - From the perfection of Ray of Light to the electronic infusison of Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madge had bops to spare.

Britney Spears - Few stars have the incredible get-knocked-down-get-back-up attituude as this princess of pop. It's hard to imagine anyone else coming back from a public breakdown the way she has, lacing our ears with good music along the way.

La Bouche - Repsonsible for some of the most iconic dance hits of the 90s, La Bouche's entire Sweet Dreams album was a tour de force of techno bangers, moving ballads, and sultry seudctions.

Nicki Minaj - Before she gained enough mainstream success to devote entire albums to her hip hop chops, Minaj used to give us a near 50/50 split of rap tracks and pop-leaning, radio-ready singles. Though she's said "hell no" to any other tracks like "Super Bass," some of these songs are definitey worth remembering.

Katy Perry - At one point in time it was hard to say whether or not Katy Perry would only be remembered for her summer single about same-sex kissing. Millions of records sales later (not you, Witness) we have witnessed the rise of a pop star who, once upon a time, had a vast pool of good songs to pull singles from.

Beyonce - Though she's revolutionized the way artists release new music and albums there was a time, hard as it is to believe, when the world didn't halt its orbit for a new Beyonce single. Those days, of couse, are where some of her most overlooked songs lie.

Rihanna - Before she set the bar impossibly high each year at the Met Gala, before she laucnhed her own beauty brand - before she became a multi-faceted legned - Rihanna started life in the spotlight as a musician. Though she's set chart-topping records, the Barbadian singer always has a few lingering bangers on her albums.

And that's only part one! Next week's conclusion will include the likes of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carye, Carly Rae Jepsen and more.

Advocate Channel - The Pride StoreOut / Advocate Magazine - Fellow Travelers & Jamie Lee Curtis

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Dennis Hinzmann