12 Most Hated Hard Rock Albums (From Great Bands)
5. X - Def Leppard
By the time the 90's rolled around, it was not necessarily cool to be Def Leppard anymore. While the band may have dominated the 80's landscape with albums like Pyromania and Hysteria, the super-polished sound didn't have a prayer in the age of grunge.
While the band tried to do the more alternative sound on Slang, most fans felt perplexed more than anything. As the decade closed, the band came out with another great release with Euphoria, but wanted to venture even further for the follow-up. Looking back on it today, X is one of the bands most detested albums by hardcore Leppard fans.
The entire album feels like the band trying to fit themselves into the pop landscape of the early 2000's, with more glossy production and melodies that were more radio-friendly than the band had ever attempted. For someone who blasted Pyromania, this attempt at more commercial success felt more in line with Maroon 5 than the golden age of rock.
Though the album stands up pretty decently as a piece of 2000's pop, it is a bit disconcerting coming from a band who always proudly proclaimed their rock roots throughout their songs. Though the band eventually returned to the more rock-centric sound on later records, this is still seen as one of the weirdest avenues the band have ever gone down.