10 Great Rock Music Acts Who Were Too Far Ahead Of Their Time
2. The Wildhearts
One of the biggest unknowns in rock’s history is how The Wildhearts aren’t international megastars. Considering they effectively invented what is now perceived as ‘modern rock’, The Wildhearts are deserving of a lot more credit than they receive. The rock revolutionaries formed in 1989 but didn’t truly hit their stride until the release of ‘Earth vs the Wildhearts’ in 1993. They continued the momentum by releasing their most successful album to date, ‘P.H.U.Q.’, in 1995. Peaking at #6 in the UK albums chart, it seemed that The Wildhearts were on track for a colossal career in rock.
Alas, rock’s next big thing suddenly took several turns for the worst. For one, The Wildhearts had already burnt through ten different members by the time ‘P.H.U.Q.’ was released, and vocalist Ginger was the only founding member still standing. Plus, by the time ‘Endless, Nameless’ was in the works in 1997, several members of the group were struggling with drug addiction, and Ginger decided to split the band. According to Record Collector, Ginger feared that "at least one of them would end up dead" if the band kept up their volatile lifestyle.
The Wildhearts reformed in 2001 but have disbanded and reunited several times since, having been rocked by a barrage of personal battles. Family commitments, continued drug misuse, mental health, controversial autobiographies, legal action, and even amputations have all been a bane on The Wildhearts’ existence, while the generation of bands they inspired conquered the world.