This piece profiles three rock songs from the 1970s that were recorded at the time but not officially released for decades, becoming bootleg favourites among devoted fans in the interim. The article highlights how each track eventually surfaced through different circumstances, from an artist's own decision to revisit a beloved outtake to a contractual dispute and a shelved alternative arrangement, illustrating how music can gain a following long before it reaches wider audiences.

Bruce Springsteen's "Bring On The Night" stayed in the vault for around two decades before its official release, having already gained a strong fan following as a studio outtake. The Rolling Stones' "Schoolboy Blues", a deliberately crude track handed to Decca Records to fulfil a contractual obligation, was not officially released until 2010. Elton John's "Madman Across The Water" featuring guitarist Mick Ronson used a different arrangement to the version released in the 1970s, with Ronson's guitar-driven cut only appearing on various releases in the years since.