10 Amazing Artists With Terrible Debut Albums

Debut albums can be quite the strange beast. Some acts absolutely knock it out of the park on their first attempt, creating instant classics that go down as staples of that particular genre, with some even never surpassing the heights of their debut. But what about all the amazing artists, who like a fine wine, needed the time to age and master their craft, unfortunately releasing a terrible debut album?

Whether it was bad timing, lack of inspiration, or questionable production, their debuts never quite hit the heights imagined by the artist or their record label. These artists, despite their terrible debut, got it together later down the line, with their future records selling millions of copies worldwide. Some of these famous false starts do showcase glimpses of an artist's future potential, whilst others see acts who are yet to find their niche and settle into a genre and style they can call their own.

A common thread is also the lack of direction in these albums, resulting in offerings with often lacklustre track listings and production. Here is a selection of the most interesting and curious terrible first steps from future household names.

Released in 1962, the self-titled debut of the man who would go on to sell over 125 million albums sadly never reaches the heights he would go on to achieve in the rest of his career. One of the reasons Bob Dylan's first release was not a huge success was that the album is mostly a covers album, containing only two original songs written by the future voice of a generation.

Despite being a fine and enjoyable listen, the record's production is also somewhat bare. This can be slightly forgiven, considering it's a low budget debut, but with 13 songs containing just acoustic guitar, harmonica, and vocals, the LP lacks the punch and harmonic intrigue of Dylan's later work.

Bob Dylan and the album's producer John Hammond were both disappointed with the project's sales and reception upon release, selling roughly only 5,000 copies in the first year. Dylan would thankfully go on to rectify this with his second attempt, 1963's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, which was an immediate success, selling 10,000 copies a month and contained several of his most iconic songs.