10 Rock Albums That Killed Artists' Careers
6. Van Halen III - Van Halen
Through the glory years of rock and roll, Van Halen were one of the few bands who could be considered bulletproof. Along with being sent on a roller coaster ride of albums and tours, they managed to do the impossible when they replaced their charismatic frontman David Lee Roth with the equally electric presence of Sammy Hagar. Once we reached the late '90s though, we were starting to see some cracks in the foundation.
After Sammy went AWOL from the band, Eddie had the bright idea of launching a new and improved Van Halen with Gary Cherone from Extreme behind the mic. It didn't seem like the worst idea in the world, but Van Halen III turned into one of the most ear piercing records to ever have the name Van Halen tied to it. From the lackluster production to every song being stretched out for way too long, this is where Van Halen lost their magic, with half of the songs feeling like unfinished demos of what could have potentially been great Sammy songs.
Also it doesn't help that Cherone is doing (or was told to do) what sounds like a Sammy impression, which makes for such a weird noise whenever it comes up on songs like Year to the Day or Without You. This might have been more forgiving if it was an Eddie Van Halen solo project, but when it became associated with the main band, it was by far the lowest they had sunk in their career.