10 Perfect Rock Singles On Bad Albums

Is there a bigger injustice than an artist teasing you with a stellar song and then following it up with an album of absolute dross? Perhaps the only thing that comes close, is the Tories (allegedly) throwing a party during lockdown... , but digress.

The release of a decent single, is a sure fire way to stoke up anticipation for an artist's latest body of work. When Arctic Monkeys released R U Mine, it got fans in a fevered state of an excitement; when Damon Albarn teased us with Clint Eastwood, fans of Brit-pop were surprised but enchanted by the sound of his new project; and when The White Stripes dropped Seven Nation Army, it solidified the duo as the reining king and queen of garage rock.

But a single that stirs your musical desire and ignites your sonic imagination, isn't always an indication that the following album will be worth your time. Admittedly, this is a rare occurrence, but the term 'one hit wonder' exists for a reason.

What happened to these guys? When they exploded onto the music scene back in the early 2000s they injected a good helping of '70s Southern rock into a floundering music scene. For a brief moment, the moustachioed sons of preachers, were the saving grace of rock music. Molly's Chamber, Red Morning Light, and The Bucket, were all tracks that rumbled along with punchy bass lines, making you flounder about with a carefree madness.

They released three albums of edgy but accessible garage rock before slapping us all in the face with a flaccid take on arena rock. In 2013 they dropped a string of singles in anticipation for their sixth record. Sadly, for the most part, it was an offensively bland collection of tracks. We will refrain from further exploring the the decline of Kings Of Leon, and instead focus on one of their last hints of brilliance.

Beautiful War was released as the fourth single, and although it wasn't an all out Southern rocker, it was a return to form. Caleb Followill has always had a knack for writing soulful and introspective ballads. He went hard in his youth, but during the later stages of manhood, he revealed his more sensitive and tender side. Beautiful War, was exactly that, it explored the struggles of loving someone unconditionally even when they wrong you. It starts off slow, but before long you're swept up in the emotion of it all.