10 Hard Rock Debut Albums That Suck

There's always a bit of contention surrounding Styx as a whole. Hell, there are probably still a certain subsect of fans who argue that these hard rock darlings were never even that good in their prime. Despite having some great tracks that have withstood the test of time, their first album was a bit too much for your average joe to handle.

Compared to what they would be delivering on albums like The Grand Illusion, Styx's self-titled is in a totally different musical galaxy. Being descendants of prog rock giants like Yes and Genesis, you can definitely hear them wearing their influences on their sleeve a bit too much, with the closest thing to a hit being Best Thing, which would later be re-recorded altogether once the band gained a bit more traction. For those going back to hear more stuff like Renegade and Come Sail Away, all this album offers is some generic musical movements and even an interpolation of Aaron Copeland's Movement for the Common Man.

However, the biggest crime of this album is the fact that Tommy Shaw isn't even in the group yet, leaving Dennis DeYoung as the real captain of the musical pieces. Though DeYoung is serviceable for what he is, this kind of record just sounds like it's aching for that little extra spark to send it over the edge.