10 Failed Albums That Became Cult Classics

Some say that each generation of music is best defined by the amount and quality of classics that it produces. Occasionally, an album may seem like it's on track for legendary status, then it suddenly falls off the face of the earth. In the opposite incidence, an album may fail to make even the faintest of splashes on the music industry at first, then it suddenly explodes in popularity and earns the right to call itself a cult classic.

A few bands in music's complex and detailed history have had the great fortune of falling into immediate fame with a critically acclaimed international smash hit record. Bands like Guns n Roses, Sex Pistols and Linkin Park for example. Some iconic bands did not have this luxury however and had to wait years, even decades, before their work received the credit and praise they deserved...

When Dave Mustaine was kicked out of a young up and coming thrash band called Metallica in the early 80's, it seemed that he would become a footnote name in the careers of an ultra famous metal band. Evidently, this proved to be completely false, as Mustaine struck back at his former band mates by forming the now legendary thrash tyrants, Megadeth. Although, Megadeth's rise to fame certainly did not get the same flying start as Metallica.

With a budget of just $8,000, Megadeth had to write, record and produce their debut record in a matter of months. The low budget of the album was reflected by the original cover art, which Combat (Megadeth's label) made using a plastic skull and tin foil shades despite protests from both Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson. Even with such a low budget, the record failed to return a profit or any notable success, peaking at #169 in US Billboard charts and #149 in the UK album chart.

'Killing is my Business' didn't start to gain a more worthy reputation until as early as 2002, when the re-mastered and remixed version of the record was released (with an alternative cover of course). The original fuzzy and cheap sounding recording had been replaced by the crisp, roaring Megadeth sound we're all familiar with today and the legacy was finally solidified.