12 Worst Sellout Albums In Hard Rock

Selling out doesn't have to be a bad thing on principle. While the more radio-friendly sounds a band has to offer might not have their best material, it's a great way for young hard rockers to get used to this heavier style of music. However, when some bands go too far, it's a burn you won't soon forget.

Over the years, many bands have come out with records that are a shell of the band we know, with songs that sound as hollow and insipid as the worst of pop music.

Instead of reaching into their souls to bring their audience quality material, these songs are the equivalent of just cashing a check and coaxing off the goodwill of your already existing fanbase. Whether that be to just redo the formula over again or hop on the trendy sounds of the day, these artists have a lot to answer for given the sound of these records.

That's not to say that all of these records tarnished these bands' reputation. For as much cringe is on display here, many of these artists have been able to turn it around and bounce back with some of the best tracks of their career. But with these records as the predecessor, they certainly had a long road back to normalcy.

By the time Twisted Sister reached the mid 80's, they had covered more ground than most bands could hope for. After hardening up the glam rock look of the 70's, the band became darlings of early MTV with the album Stay Hungry, with angry protest songs like "We're Not Gonna Take It." So where do you go after you run out of things to be angry about?

With their main songwriting fire centered around being angry, vocalist Dee Snider found it difficult to write about rebelling against the man once he had paid his dues and become a rock star. Trying to be make the magic strike twice, Come Out and Play is the sound of a band desperately trying to bring their initial fury back in full form. What really sealed the deal as being a drop off was the pop-centric singles, where the band pulls in guest stars like Billy Joel and Alice Cooper to try and legitimize their arrival as rock heroes.

Sister's music always had a tuneful bent to it, but who was necessarily asking for the glam rock transplants to cover the Shangrilas on record? Though nothing can tarnish the band's classic hits, this was first sign that things were about to go very wrong.