10 Classic Albums That Were Originally Considered Failures
5. Destroyer - KISS
The mid '70s marked a huge turning point for KISS. When the band's first three studio albums fell on deaf ears, their live album Alive! pushed them to the top of the rock heap, having captured the manic energy that comes with seeing the band onstage. The band may have been ready to test the waters, but the release of Destroyer ended up being too much too soon for some fans.
Going into the studio with superproducer Bob Ezrin, the band created some of the most theatrical pieces of their career, from the story-driven Detroit Rock City to the world's first true power ballad, Beth. Songs like these still feel fresh after all these years, but KISS fans were originally mortified. After finally nailing their sound with Alive!, this left turn into produced records ended up being too much for most fans to stomach.
The band ended up dealing with this problem first hand, with most of their friends noting how different the album sounded rather than raving about how great it was. Destroyer may have been a bit of a black sheep at first, but the fun-loving vibe of this record became the blueprint for everything from glam rock to heavy metal. It may have been different than your typical hard rock, but when has KISS ever been an ordinary band?