8 Musicians Who Sound NOTHING Like They Did When They Started

8. Goo Goo Dolls Were Thrash Rockers

Did you know that the Goo Goo Dolls were once capable of rocking? No, really. There was a point when "Long Way Down" wasn't considered the grittiest thing they'd ever recorded. Their first album, the aptly named Goo Goo Dolls, was pure, messy punk rock, complete with shouted lyrics and sloppy guitar shredding.

It was recorded on a shoestring budget with a different lead singer (Johnny Rzeznik was reportedly too shy to step up to the mic) and, according to the band, a complete lack of sobriety. The result is a Dead Kennedys-esque album that would thoroughly confuse anyone who accidentally put a bunch of random Goo Goo Dolls songs into the jukebox. (That's a thing people still do, right?) Their follow-up, 1989's Jed, had a little more sheen to it, but is still a far cry from the adult contemporary waiting room music the Goo Goo Dolls would go on to produce later in their career.

This album had a song on it called "Sex Maggot." So that's...a thing.

Even their major label debut in 1990, Hold Me Up, was still a true garage rock album. Really, it wasn't until a few years later that they released their breakthrough single, "Name," that they swiftly transitioned into being your mother's favorite rock band.