10 Albums That Killed Artists' Careers
9. The Endless River - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are one of those rare bands in rock history whose sound is much bigger than any individual person. Even when the band lost their founding member Syd Barrett, they soldiered on and created some of the greatest prog rock ever made on albums like Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Once you start taking more key members out of the equation though, things tend to get a little spotty.
After songwriter Roger Waters' departure in the late '80s, the band put out a few more records before moving on to solo projects. It feels like that's where Floyd should have ended, but the Endless River was one of the most unnecessary albums to come from one of rock's greatest bands. Standing at about an hour, never has an album title felt more apt, with songs that drag on for what feels like eternity.
With most of the album being instrumental and Roger Waters still out of the picture, this collection of tracks ends up feeling less like a sonic statement and more like a contractual obligation that needs to be fulfilled. Pink Floyd has gifted the rock world with some of the greatest soundscapes in music, but when it comes to their final statement, this river has drowned many listeners in its day.