Why do some artists have hidden tracks at the end of their CDs?

Question

The hidden track is usually somewhere at the end of the last song but you have to wait awhile for it to play.

Answer 1

I know! i think it's so cool!Like on New Found Glorys, an old one, it had an 8 minute last song, but the song was like 3 minutes, and the hidden track started at 6! I love it when artists do that

Answer 2

Because its fun, and the bands want to give a little extra to their fans. In some cases, the piece of music may simply have been left off the track listing, whilst in other cases more elaborate methods are used. In some rare cases a "hidden track" is actually the result of an error that occurred during the mastering stage of the record's production.
Many artists have used hidden tracks to include songs which may not fit the artist's generally accepted style or genre; for example, the track "Horse" on Live's Throwing Copper, which is more explicitly country-influenced than their other work.
The aforementioned Songs In The Key Of X: Music From And Inspired By The X-Files uses the hidden tracks to keep in line with the mysterious, conspiracy theory nature of the television program The X-Files.
On Danity Kane's 2006 self titled debut album included a hidden track called "Sleep On It", a song that produced major fanfare on the 3rd season of their reality show, Making the Band.
In some rare cases, it is used to put forbidden (by law) songs on live discs. An example is Ramones' Loco Live American version, which has the song "Carbona Not Glue" hidden after "Pet Sematary" on track 17. It was originally recorded on their album Leave Home, but the corporation called Carbona didn't like it, and the song was taken out of the album.
Additionally hidden tracks may be used as a means to release a song which an artist's label does not wish to release explicitly listed on the liner notes due to content; much like in the case of Jedi Mind Tricks Legacy of Blood album and the hidden track "The President's Wife."
The aforementioned "Train in Vain" was left out of the track listing simply because it was added last-minute to the album; it was initially for a different compilation album.
Some albums have copyright issues involving the titles. For example, on The Lost Riots by Hope of the States, hidden track 'A Crack Up At The Race Riot' had to be so due to its title, named after a novel for which they did not attain permission or the copyright.

Answer 3

I think that maybe its like a special song that they werent too sure about adding to the rest of the album, cuz they might have thought it didnt suit as much?..Or maybe its just an extra song, like a cool suprise for all the fans. =)

Answer 4

I know,I was playing Robbie Williams,The Ego has landed,I must have fell asleep,And woke up to Robbie narrating a poem,That wasn't on the play list.

Answer 5

My guess is so you'll want to buy the CD. Typically, those songs aren't available for download or as singles. To get it, you have to buy the whole tamale.

Answer 6

because they are cool enough to

Answer 7

they are trying to be tricky