Top 10 Bad Albums by Good Bands
Even some of the greatest acts can have a disappointing release. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com counts down our picks for the top 10 bad albums by good bands. While these albums are not necessarily bad, they either had to be panned by fans or critics or had to be the least successful album by a well-respected act. Be sure to also check out our list of the top 10 controversial album covers.
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Top 10 Bad Albums by Good Bands
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Even some of the greatest acts can have a disappointing release. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we are counting down our picks for the top 10 bad albums by good bands. While these albums are not necessarily bad, they either had to be panned by fans or critics or had to be the least successful album by a well-respected act.
#10: “Make Believe” (2005) Weezer
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Sometimes all an album needs is a hit single to become successful. That is all Make Believe needed. Released as the Weezer's fifth studio album, Weezer initially gained traction with the album's first single "Beverly Hills". Due to this, the single received constant airplay and eventually lead to a Grammy nomination. Despite this, Make Believe was not received well by fans or critics as many disliked the decision to go for more of a mainstream sound. Unlike many other entries on this list, this did not hinder sales.
#9: “Songs of Innocence” (2014) U2
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This album is U2's struggle to stay relevant after no new material in five years. Being the longest gap in between studio albums for the band, U2 had to do something to compete with bands today. The album surprised iTunes users by mysteriously appearing in the music libraries of over 500 million customers via Apple’s iCloud feature. Songs ofInnocence became one of U2’s worst selling albums, proving that no matter how much hype you have behind your band, people recognize a bad album. Just another tale of an old band struggling to stay relevant.
#8: “Relapse” (2009) Eminem
The life of a rapper is hard. Relapse, the result of a four year writing block hiatus and an addiction to sleeping medication, was released as Eminem's sixth album. The album confronts many controversial topics such as drug rehab, a relapse, and the return of Slim Shady. Critics were mixed on the album, calling it lacking and repetitive. Unlike other entries on this list, fans actually loved the album leading to five million copies sold worldwide. Eminem would regain his critical acclaim, later going on to win a Grammy Award on his follow-up album Recovery.
#7: “Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath” (1996) Dr. Dre
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The only compilation album on our list, Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath was Dre’s fourth attempt at a compilation album. Once deciding to leave his success behind with Death Row Records, Dre created a record label of his own, Aftermath Entertainment, on which he released the compilation. Despite this change, fans did not take kindly to the album, only giving praise to the individual singles. Critics did not approve of the album either, as The Aftermath received mixed to poor reviews.
#6: “Invincible” (2001) Michael Jackson
Even legends sometimes have slightly unsuccessful albums. Invincible was Michael Jackson's final album, but was his first album filled with entirely new material since 1991. That is a long period for fans to wait for new Michael Jackson tracks. Was it worth it? Invincible was commercially successful however, as the singles charted on the Billboard. Critics are mixed on the album, as they didn't think conceptually it tackled its ideas of love and media/social criticism.
#5: “Dirty Work” (1986) The Rolling Stones
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Dirty Work, The Rolling Stones's twentieth album released in the United States was the beginning of the downfall of the Stones. The relationship between frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards deteriorated during the production of the album, causing rifts among all members of the Rolling Stones. Upon the album's release, the fans enjoyed the new material which in turn allowed the album to go platinum in the United States. Critics were opposite of fans, many complaining that the album didn't stand up to the Stone's previous releases.
#4: “Nastradamus” (1999) Nas
The follow-up release of Nas's previous album I Am..., Nastradamus is made up of of leftover tracks from the previous album's recordings. It does include some new material as Nas recorded additional tracks since some original tracks were leaked onto the Internet.Nastradamus is generally considered by fans and critics alike to be Nas's least successful effort across his discography. This didn't hinder the commercial success of the album, as it spawned two charting singles and was eventually certified platinum.
#3: “Self-Portrait” (1970) Bob Dylan
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Sometimes artists just get tired of the praise and just want to have some fun. Self-Portrait, Bob Dylan's tenth studio album, is a collection of pop, folk, and country hits covered by Bob Dylan. Considered a joke album, many fans and critics didn't get the joke and bashed it completely. Both fans and critics gave the album extremely poor reviews, stating that the album is way below the standards of Dylan's work in the 1960s. Just get off his back, why don't you?
#2: “Lulu” (2011) Metallica and Lou Reed
Metallica fans didn't think that Metallica could release another bomb like St. Anger, but then came along Lulu. Lulu, the collaborative album between Metallica and the late Lou Reed, is a spoken word album based upon plays from Frank Wedekind. Reed reads the lyrics over backing instrumentals from Metallica. Despite being unique conceptually, Lulu was not received well by critics, being panned across the board. Fans reception was even worse, as they felt betrayed and some even sent death threats to Reed. Harsh. Before we unveil our top pick for our worst album, here are a few honorable mentions. “Glitter” (2001) Mariah Carey “Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins” (1968) John Lennon and Yoko Ono “Tre!” (2012) Green Day “Come” (1994) Prince “The Top” (1984) The Cure
#1: “Chinese Democracy” (2008) Guns N Roses
After ten years, some bands should not release any new material. Chinese Democracy, the sixth album from American hard rock band Guns N Rose, was an attempt to climb back into the spotlight after fifteen years of no new material. The album was actually a moderate success with critics and eventually was certified platinum, but the fans were appalled by the album. While the album's initial release was hindered by unimpressive sales and littered with controversy, this did not prevent the album from performing well worldwide later on. Do you agree with our list? What is your choice for the worst album? For more non-disappointing top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.