10 Worst Debut Albums By Amazing Rock Artists
These bands got off to a terrible start, but eventually overcame it in the end.
First impressions are very important. Imagine meeting a partner's parents for the first time wearing an un-ironed shirt, ripped trousers, and shoes with holes in the bottom. You probably wouldn't get invited back round for Christmas dinner.
The same is true in music, although un-ironed shirts are probably more acceptable.
If a debut album flops, the chances of a second release drastically decrease. Not all artists are defined by their first record - Taylor Swift sure isn't a country singer these days - but it definitely helps to have something good under your belt from your first attempt.
Unfortunately, the following bands could not say they'd done that.
If these famous acts had stopped after just one record, they would not be nearly as beloved as they are today. Some would take a little time to find the sound that best fit them, whilst others were missing members that would complete their classic line-ups.
Others, well, they were just bad.
Thankfully, all of this was overcome and these groups all eventually found their way to the top of the mountain. And thank God they did, because these albums would have been a sad way to go out.
10. Sonic Flower Groove - Primal Scream
Formed in Scotland in 1982, Primal Scream really found their feet in 1991 with their seminal album Screamadelica. After that came out, it was full steam ahead for these '60s-infused rockers. However, there were two albums before Screamadelica that were a lot less funky.
Their self-titled second album did well enough amongst critics, but failed to make any sort of splash on the UK charts. As for their first album from 1987, oh boy...
Sonic Flower Groove was full of jangly pop guitars and close harmonies, which were fine, if a little uninspired. Critics at the time really didn't like it, with Melody Maker saying it had "no songs, just a dusty pile of dull leftovers".
"Dusty" and "Dull" are two words you really don't want to see in a review of your work.
Primal Scream had yet to find what would make them special and instead churned out a watered-down version of a genre that had its heyday 20 years earlier. They were able to refine their sound down the line, but it was touch and go for a while as to whether or not they'd be given the time to do so.