What’s better than arriving at the end of an album to find a brilliant finale waiting for you? Not having to wait at all. The only question is, which of these 10 stellar cappers gets to close our all-closer playlist?
1. Wire, “12XU” (Pink Flag, 1977) Don’t let that pesky bonus track fool ya; this is punk’s ultimate wind-up. (Last year’s definitive reissue agrees.)
2. My Bloody Valentine, “Soon” (Loveless, 1991) Come on, Kevin Shields ... there’s still time to ensure it’s not the last song on the last MBV album ever.
3. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, “Cowgirl in the Sand” (Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, 1969) They just don’t make 10-minute closing cuts like they used to, Neil included.
4. R.E.M., “Wendell Gee” (Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985) We love anthemic finishes, but there’s also room for quirky, banjo-infused ditties like this at the end of great discs.
5. Bob Dylan, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (Bringing It All Back Home, 1965) A tad obvious, sure, but resisting the temptation to also include “A Day in the Life,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Jungleland” deserves some credit.
6. Galaxie 500, “Tugboat” (Today, 1988) Bury the single at the bottom? Just try and find a band daring enough to try that today.
7. Brian Eno, “Here Come the Warm Jets” (Here Come the Warm Jets, 1974) When the album shares its name with the concluding cut, it’s usually worth sticking around for.
8. Can, “Yoo Doo Right” (Monster Movie, 1969) Think 20 minutes makes for a big finish? The original, live version spanned six hours.
9. Billy Bragg, “A Lover Sings” (Brewing Up With Billy Bragg, 1984) Aw, how sweet—love song as sugary send-off.
10. Pavement, “Fillmore Jive” (Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, 1994) And the seat of honor goes to ... a tune that recommends we take a nap after an epic listening session such as this.