10 Worst Sellout Rock Albums Of All Time
Where creativity goes to die.
In the beginning, an artist shouldn't be in the business for anyone except themselves. When first getting together to play music with friends, you never dream about making your millions off of playing your music around the world. However, when everything does eventually blow up, some start writing for a bit of a different purpose.
Ever since music has been shipped out to the masses, there have always been artists looking to give the minimal amount of effort to cater to what they think their audience wants to hear. Whether it's a sophomore slump or a legendary act looking to make a quick buck, these albums are bottom of the barrel when compared to what these artists can really do. Even as far back as some of their debuts, they have disappointed, from a case of squandered potential to deliberately stifling their talents to follow along with what's popular with the kids these days.
At a time when the best artists end up pushing the genre forward, every one of these musicians ended up looking like old men and women making a vain attempt to look cool with the latest fashion. These acts have put their heart and soul into their work in the past, but you can practically hear them writing checks in between these riffs.
10. It's Hard - The Who
The current state of rock music wouldn't exist today if not for The Who. Starting with the massive clang of My Generation into grander concepts like Tommy and Quadrophenia, the band's experimentation with the rock song structure gave free rein for millions of other bands to experiment with their sound. These guys typically led the charge for creative expression, but It's Hard was the first time they started to chase trends.
Granted, it's not like this album was a complete bait and switch to what the fans were used to hearing. Ever since Who's Next, Pete Townshend's experimentation with synthesizers had become a trademark of the band's sound, but these effects are very indicative of the time. Rather than sounding like the music of the future, a lot of these tracks sound like either leftovers from lesser Who albums or an electronic mess created in the studio.
There is one salvageable moment in the form of Eminence Front, but the lyrics of the tune sound like the band have checked out. From the way Townshend talks about everything being artificial to the shout of "It's a put on," it's almost like he's letting you in on the group's fragmented state. The band were able to survive without Keith Moon for a handful of years, but once this mess was unleashed, one of rock's greatest bands went out with a whimper rather than a bang.