10 Rock Albums That Almost Killed Careers

As the '80s hair metal scene started to get rolling, there was no disputing Motley Crue as kings of the Sunset Strip. Whereas Van Halen may have gotten things started in the late '70s, the Crue were the first major success stories of the hair metal genre, with every single member becoming a star in his own right. However, things start to go south when you start to break up the hard rock family.

After the major tours supporting Dr. Feelgood, Vince Neil's inability to click with the rest of the guys sent him packing during the recording of their new record. Wanting to go in a different direction, the arrival of John Corabi behind the mic led to a completely different sound on Motley's eponymous record, which was much more heavy and bluesy than their predecessors. Even though things were going well creatively, most audiences were staying home.

Compared to the massive tours that Motley had done previously, it was clear that a Crue without the full family wasn't going to go the distance. Motley Crue were always like exaggerated real life cartoon characters, so taking one of them out of the mix wasn't going to do them any favors. While Neil eventually came back to the Crue in the late '90s, this weird left turn for the group provides a great 'what-if?' scenario for what an alternate Crue could have been.