10 Artists That Disowned Their Own Songs

Every band has to end up dealing with the dreaded second album whenever they make it big. If your first introduction to the music scene set the world on fire, everyone is going to have eyes glued to your every move to see what you’re going to do next. That kind of pressure would seem to be hard on anyone, let alone someone who was already losing touch with his rock star dreams.

Not really enjoying the constant attention that came with fame, Rivers Cuomo spent his downtime from Weezer attending Harvard and living the life of a hermit, only to come back with a whole new emotional album for the band called Pinkerton. At the time, this was the biggest disaster the band could have hoped for, being way too introspective and dark and the public outright rejecting it that year. Though Pinkerton would get its due recognition as one of the best records of the ‘90s, the same could not be said for Rivers.

Looking back on it, Cuomo still hasn’t made his peace with Pinkerton all that much, saying that the record is hideous and likening it to when you puke your guts out at a party. Granted, it’s not like you can’t see where he’s coming from either, with most of these lyrics verging on the creepy side. For the most part, this record feels like you’re combing through the pages of Rivers’ diary, and it’s up for you to decide whether that’s a good or bad thing. It’s worked wonders for fans over the years, but Rivers thinks he may have worn his heart on his sleeve a little too much this time.