10 Rock Music Acts That Went Dark (AND NAILED IT)

10. 13 - Blur

Towards the end of the '90s, the Battle of Britpop really seemed to do a number on Blur. After Song 2 launched them into the stratosphere in America, the band were starting to really turn into shambles in the studio, getting off their faces on drugs and morale being at an all time low. Since all of that was against them though, how did this turn into one of the best albums they've ever made?

While the self titled Blur record may have been more about the mainstream songs they could sell to the American market, 13 almost goes in a more art rock direction, with every song being a different creative endeavor for them. Blur had always been known as the more eclectic Britpop act next to Oasis, and you can really hear them trying to tap into something that they hadn't heard before, going so far as to have Graham Coxon sing on the eventual hit single Coffee and TV.

Things may have been looking up on the charts, but it made sense that this version of the band wasn't going to last for very much longer, only sticking around for one more album before going on hiatus and Damon Albarn leaving to build something different with Gorillaz. 13 may have been an absolute mess to make, but sometimes that darkness can lead to you writing your greatest stuff without even knowing it.