Rockstars Who Surprisingly Detested Their Own Albums

Following the triumph of his 1977 album “The Stranger,” Billy Joel enjoyed a decade of hits and prosperity. However, when it came time to produce “The Bridge” in 1986, Joel experienced a sense of exhaustion. In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, he confessed that he lacked the focus and drive to write and record new music. At that time, Joel had become a father to a baby girl and preferred to spend time with his family. Despite this, he recognized the need to return to the studio. Working alongside his long-time producer Phil Ramone, Joel managed to create a couple of exceptional tracks, including “A Matter of Trust” and his duet with Ray Charles, “Baby Grand.” Nonetheless, the majority of the album consisted of lackluster songs such as “Code of Silence” and “Getting Closer.” Joel admitted that his band had become disconnected from the creative process, resulting in the studio experience feeling more like a business transaction. Despite its commercial success, “The Bridge” falls short of Joel’s best work according to his own assessment.

Radiohead, a band known for their art rock sound, achieved their status as sonic trailblazers with their work from Kid A to A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016. However, it is often overlooked that this band was once considered a one-album wonder. Despite their iconic third album, OK Computer, the band does not enjoy revisiting their first release, Pablo Honey. The album mostly consists of the standard angsty alternative rock of the time, with the lead single, “Creep,” being a source of frustration for the band. Even during the recording process, guitarist Jonny Greenwood intentionally tried to undermine the song. Although “Creep” remains a ’90s classic, Radiohead has been excluding it from their live performances for many years. Pablo Honey, and “Creep” in particular, is something that the band chooses to ignore.

The impact of The Smiths’ first album can still be felt in the indie rock genre today, but that doesn’t mean the band is content with its sound. Initially recorded with Troy Tate during a scorching London heatwave, the band decided to re-record the album with John Porter in various locations like London, Manchester, and Stockport, whenever they had breaks from their 1983 UK tour. Guitarist Johnny Marr explained the reasoning behind this decision by stating that even after the re-recording, they were still dissatisfied with the album’s sound. Morrissey later admitted that it wasn’t up to their standards but noted that they had no choice but to release it due to their label, Rough Trade, having already invested £6,000 into the recording costs and refusing to spend any more money. Despite their reservations, the album reached Number 2 on the UK albums chart.

At present, global music enthusiasts acknowledge Joy Division’s debut albums as a groundbreaking post-punk masterpiece. It not only introduced a distinctive, danceable yet aggressive style of music but also established Manchester as an everlasting musical hub. However, during its initial release, there were two significant critics of the album: Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook, the guitarist and bassist of Joy Division. Both young men expressed their lack of enthusiasm towards Martin Hannett, the producer, and his work. Hook conveyed his opinion by stating:

During the early 1990s, U2 experienced a musical transformation as they moved away from their iconic cowboy boots and stadium-friendly Americana style to a more introspective and experimental sound. Drawing inspiration from bands like the Pixies and Ride, U2 achieved great success both commercially and critically. However, their experimentation encountered obstacles with the release of their album, Pop. The album, which gave birth to the Popmart world tour, faced difficulties in the studio. Drummer Larry Mullen’s back surgery delayed the recording sessions, causing U2 to struggle for three months to piece together a cohesive album with the assistance of producers Flood, Howie B, and Nellee Hooper. Songs were constantly reworked, and despite not being finished, the band had already scheduled stadium dates for their new tour starting in April 1997. Due to the rushed production, U2 was dissatisfied with the album’s songs. In fact, Bono only recorded the chorus for one song, “Last Night On Earth,” on the final day of mixing and recording. Furthermore, additional changes were made even after the supposed “finished” record had been sent to New York to be mastered. U2 continued to rework the album during their tour, even tweaking singles that were later included in the compilation album, “The Best Of 1990-2000,” released five years after Pop. Bono later expressed his thoughts on the matter, while Edge admitted to the challenges faced during the album’s production.

During the early 1980s, Pete Townshend had a lot going on. With his solo career, the turbulent period after Keith Moon’s departure from the Who, and struggling with a heroin addiction, Townshend had a full plate. Despite these challenges, he managed to release two great solo albums, Empty Glass in 1980 and All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes in 1982, along with the Who’s LP Face Dances in 1981. However, when it was time to record It’s Hard in 1982, Townshend found himself lacking in songs, as he had saved his best material for his solo projects. Despite this setback, the album’s first track, “Athena,” became a radio hit, and “Eminence Front” is now considered a masterpiece and a regular part of the Who’s live shows for the past forty years. However, the rest of It’s Hard is widely regarded as the band’s lowest point. Songs like “One Life’s Enough,” “I’ve Known No War,” “Why Did I Fall for That,” and “Cooks County” were a result of exhaustion, drug addiction, and a contractual obligation to Warner Bros. Records. Townshend himself probably has hazy memories of making the album, and many fans have tried to forget its existence. Roger Daltrey commented:

By 1978, the Beach Boys were no longer the prestigious rulers of California’s beaches that they once were. Their glory days as the contemporaries of The Beatles were long gone, and the group found themselves in a stagnant period. When they released their MIU album, which was named after Iowa’s Maharishi International University, it was a desperate move. The purpose of this album was to fulfill their contractual obligations to Reprise Records, as they had decided to abandon their previously recorded album called Adult/Child. The band took refuge at the University, residing in dorms and attending meditation classes in between recording sessions. The experience was far from enjoyable. According to Brian Wilson’s personal bodyguard, Stan Love, it was a miserable time. Drummer Dennis Wilson had this to say about the album:

By the end of 1972, Rod Stewart’s success as a solo artist had created a rift between him and his bandmates in Faces. The band was frustrated by the perception that they were merely a backup group for Stewart’s live performances. Meanwhile, Stewart was allegedly preoccupied with his newfound fame and ended up missing the first two weeks of the recording sessions for their track “Ooh La La.” Surprisingly, the title track featured Ronnie Wood taking on the solo lead vocal in the studio. This decision came about after both Stewart and Ronnie Lane were dissatisfied with their own attempts. Interestingly, despite later covering the song on his 1998 album, “When We Were the New Boys,” Stewart supposedly argued at the time that it was in the wrong key for him. After the album’s release in March 1973, Stewart publicly criticized it, referring to it as a “stinking rotten album” in an interview with the New Musical Express. He didn’t stop there, as he then spoke with Melody Maker and continued to express his negative sentiments about the album.