10 Memorable Rock Bands Who Only Released ONE Album
Dave Grohl, Eric Clapton and Les Claypool are one-hit wonders. Kind of.
Sometimes a rock band comes along that really sticks on the brain. Maybe it's the group's catchy hooks, their quirky methods of musical fusion, or the fact they dress exclusively in Lycra and animal masks.
But just because they're memorable doesn't mean they're here to stay.
The world of rock music can be a cruel and unforgiving place, whether you're just starting out as a plucky quintet, reforming from the ashes of a worn-out old-school act, or putting together the next world-devouring supergroup. Bands break-up, they tear themselves apart, their members move onto pastures new and, sometimes, they get it so right the first time they decide to just call it a day.
And this can mean that we only get a single opportunity to experience the next big rock legends' creative endeavours before they dissolve in the aether. Sure, reunion tours and compilation albums are alright, but they're no match for some brand new sounds to programme into your brain.
While not every band in this article excreted 24Kt musical gold, each of their albums is well worth a listen and is more than likely to leave you wanting more. But, consider yourselves warned, there's no more for you! Not one drop of it.
10. Oysterhead, The Grand Pecking Order (2001)
Primus frontman Les Claypool may be the most prolific bassist alive, putting his trademark slap style and distinctive vocal twang to a multitude of projects across a profusion of genres. Most of his outputs have proven fruitful, but anyone who is anyone in the alt rock funk fusion scene knows only too well of his fabled yet initially short-lived project Oysterhead.
A supergroup of the finest pedigree, the band features Claypool on vocals and bass, Trey Anastasio of Phish on vocals and guitar, and The Police's Stewart Copeland on drums. Originally assembled for a single, high-profile performance, the trio instead developed a full album from the material they had created together and released The Grand Pecking Order in 2001.
An eclectic blend of rock genres, with funky basslines, silky smooth guitar work and a seamless percussive spine, the record features all the surprising musical diversions one would expect from such an eclectic mix of artists.
Oysterhead reunited in 2019 and began playing shows again in 2020. Though the run of their new tour was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they still managed to play several festivals in 2021 and will continue with similar appearances in 2022. But whether new material will one day surface is anyone's guess.