10 Hard Rock Albums Critics Were Completely Wrong About

Throughout most of this list, these records are comprised of songs that never really got a fair shake. Over the years, thousands of bands have come through with albums that don't deserve the harsh criticism they receive. Once in a blue moon though, you get an album that is granted praise where it doesn't deserve it.

Though Metallica had been going through a rough spot leading up to the recording of St. Anger, the resulting album is one of the harshest listens in the band's catalog, with songs that feel half-finished and ear-grading at their worst. However, that didn't stop the big wigs of the record industry from piling on the compliments when it came to this record. While every other reviewer was raving about this being the heaviest in the band's catalog, they were ignoring the fact that said heaviness was the exact reason that fans were turned off by it, with one of the worst snare drum sounds in recorded history.

Many would place this in the bottom half of the band's catalog, but all those blind praises ended up winning the title track a Grammy the next year. For any other band, this record would have gotten torn to shreds, but when it's Metallica, most critics were quick to look past its flaws.