11 votes

Do you like any albums that the rest of an artist's fanbase despised, or that were critically panned? Which ones?

Being pretty intensely into punk music, this's happened to me a few hundred times, at least.

27 comments

  1. [8]
    trojanhorse
    Link
    I really like Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. Obviously Funeral is by far the better album, but Neon Bible is so good. Keep the Car Running is brilliant.

    I really like Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. Obviously Funeral is by far the better album, but Neon Bible is so good. Keep the Car Running is brilliant.

    5 votes
    1. [7]
      Eva
      Link Parent
      Canadian indie-rock represent! But yeah, I agree with that; Neon Bible was great.

      Canadian indie-rock represent! But yeah, I agree with that; Neon Bible was great.

      1 vote
      1. [6]
        trojanhorse
        Link Parent
        I can't believe when I hear that the album wasn't that well received. It's just so good. Speaking of Canadian Indie rock, You Forgot it in People is one of the best Indie rock albums of all time....

        I can't believe when I hear that the album wasn't that well received. It's just so good.

        Speaking of Canadian Indie rock, You Forgot it in People is one of the best Indie rock albums of all time. Top 10. And that puts it in the ranks of The Lonesome Crowded West and If You're Feeling Sinister. I know those two aren't Canadian. I am just expressing how highly I hold that album.

        2 votes
        1. [5]
          Eva
          Link Parent
          I feel like it shows how shifted my tastes are that I think TLCW is one of the worst Modern Mouse albums. Like, I feel so odd for saying it, but Interstate 8, The Moon and Antarctica, & This is a...

          I feel like it shows how shifted my tastes are that I think TLCW is one of the worst Modern Mouse albums. Like, I feel so odd for saying it, but Interstate 8, The Moon and Antarctica, & This is a Long Drive hit me so much better.

          But YES that's absolutely one of the best indie-rock albums. Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl is just a beautiful song.

          2 votes
          1. [4]
            trojanhorse
            Link Parent
            This is a Long Drive is great just because of the song Dramamine. That song is incredible. Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl and I'm Still Your Fag make me kind of sad, but I love them....

            This is a Long Drive is great just because of the song Dramamine. That song is incredible.

            Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl and I'm Still Your Fag make me kind of sad, but I love them. Capture the Flag and KC Accidental never get old.

            3 votes
            1. Eva
              Link Parent
              Yes on all counts.

              Yes on all counts.

            2. [2]
              jgb
              Link Parent
              My favourite Modest Mouse album is Good News (unpopular opinion, I know), but Dramamine is definitely one of their very best tracks.

              My favourite Modest Mouse album is Good News (unpopular opinion, I know), but Dramamine is definitely one of their very best tracks.

              1. trojanhorse
                Link Parent
                The View and Bury Me With It are great. The View might be my favorite on that album. I didn't realize bury me with it was the title track for a while.

                The View and Bury Me With It are great. The View might be my favorite on that album. I didn't realize bury me with it was the title track for a while.

  2. FlamboyantGiColor
    Link
    I strongly prefer Congratulations and their self-titled album to Oracular Spectacular. Although I enjoy the second half of OS as well. Also Little Dark Age is hot garbage. This post is about MGMT

    I strongly prefer Congratulations and their self-titled album to Oracular Spectacular.

    Although I enjoy the second half of OS as well.

    Also Little Dark Age is hot garbage.

    This post is about MGMT

    3 votes
  3. Eva
    Link
    To err off the side of punk since it's a given (or at least, into post-punk), Tokyo Police Club is a great example of this. While their most recent "album" (technically two EPs they mashed...

    To err off the side of punk since it's a given (or at least, into post-punk), Tokyo Police Club is a great example of this.

    While their most recent "album" (technically two EPs they mashed together) was adored by almost everyone, and their debut was on a lot of AOTY lists, the two records in-between those two were either mocked, or just flat out ignored, by both their fanbase and most critics.

    Absolute shame, really - Champ, their second record, is one of my favourite records of all time, and Forcefield, their third, was a genuinely amazing spacepop record, while still maintaining the quality-of-writing that Monks, their vocalist/guitarist, has had their entire career.

    They've got a new record coming in October, which I'm really excited for. It sounds...different, but pretty classic already. I think it's going to be great.

    2 votes
  4. [2]
    Erik
    Link
    I am generally a fan of follow-up albums. Usually bands break on the scene and then everyone pans their follow-up effort, but I almost always enjoy them more than the breakout effort. The biggest...

    I am generally a fan of follow-up albums. Usually bands break on the scene and then everyone pans their follow-up effort, but I almost always enjoy them more than the breakout effort.

    The biggest example of this, to me, is that I think Say Hello to Sunshine is Finch's better album out of the first two. I know it commercially bombed, kinda destroyed the band (they reunited for a bit, only to split again) and none of the fans like it. Some fans outright hate it.

    But I think it's a much better album than What It is to Burn, which while enjoyable, is very immature lyrically and composition-wise in my opinion.

    2 votes
    1. Eva
      Link Parent
      That's generally a good stance to take!

      That's generally a good stance to take!

      2 votes
  5. [2]
    Cleb
    Link
    I really like Bon Iver's 22, A Million and consider it his best album. It's not really hated or disliked too much by most of the fanbase, but a lot of people think it's his worst album so far. My...

    I really like Bon Iver's 22, A Million and consider it his best album. It's not really hated or disliked too much by most of the fanbase, but a lot of people think it's his worst album so far.

    My Bon Iver takes in general are the reverse of what I see most commonly, as I think that For Emma, Forever Ago is his worst and the self-titled is the second best of his albums.

    2 votes
    1. Eva
      Link Parent
      Isn't it just the worst thing when that happens? So frustrating but at the same time weirdly fulfilling.

      My [ . . . ] takes in general are the reverse of what I see most commonly

      Isn't it just the worst thing when that happens? So frustrating but at the same time weirdly fulfilling.

      2 votes
  6. demifiend
    Link
    Two of my favorite Black Sabbath albums are Headless Cross and Cross Purposes, but many Sabbath fans don't care for the albums with Tony Martin on vocals at all.

    Two of my favorite Black Sabbath albums are Headless Cross and Cross Purposes, but many Sabbath fans don't care for the albums with Tony Martin on vocals at all.

    2 votes
  7. [4]
    mithranqueen
    Link
    Year of the Black Rainbow is widely considered Coheed & Cambria's "worst" album by the general fanbase, but contains some of my favorite songs (particularly Here We Are Juggernaut and Far).

    Year of the Black Rainbow is widely considered Coheed & Cambria's "worst" album by the general fanbase, but contains some of my favorite songs (particularly Here We Are Juggernaut and Far).

    2 votes
    1. [3]
      Eva
      Link Parent
      In what world? Most of Coheed's fanbase thinks their worst album is The Color Before the Sun, I thought. (But yeah, YotBR is really a fun album.)

      In what world? Most of Coheed's fanbase thinks their worst album is The Color Before the Sun, I thought. (But yeah, YotBR is really a fun album.)

      1. [2]
        mithranqueen
        Link Parent
        That seems to be the general opinion of Reddit's /r/TheFence (which, to be fair, is where most of my interaction with "the fanbase" comes from) but yeah, plenty of people dislike Color Before the...

        That seems to be the general opinion of Reddit's /r/TheFence (which, to be fair, is where most of my interaction with "the fanbase" comes from) but yeah, plenty of people dislike Color Before the Sun as well. CBtS has plenty of great tracks too, though (You've Got Spirit Kid, Island, Here to Mars).

        2 votes
        1. Eva
          Link Parent
          Oh absolutely; there's not a track from it I didn't love. I'll never get why people don't like it - some people are a bit too prog-centric, I guess? I'll give them that - The Color Before the Sun...

          Oh absolutely; there's not a track from it I didn't love. I'll never get why people don't like it - some people are a bit too prog-centric, I guess? I'll give them that - The Color Before the Sun wasn't a prog album.

          2 votes
  8. nonesuchluck
    (edited )
    Link
    Linkin Park fans mostly hate A Thousand Suns. I liked Hybrid Theory and Minutes to Midnight when I was younger and angrier (I'm still nostalgic about them and can enjoy), but ATS is the one I...

    Linkin Park fans mostly hate A Thousand Suns. I liked Hybrid Theory and Minutes to Midnight when I was younger and angrier (I'm still nostalgic about them and can enjoy), but ATS is the one I still love and listen to. It's a concept album dealing with fear of nuclear warfare, and has a synthier, more electronic sound than their usual work. Co-produced by Rick Rubin, who took the metal out of nu-metal and left the nu: it's aggressive, metaphysical pop music, but every hook lands. It prominently samples speeches from Oppenheimer and MLK Jr. No offense to LP fans, but I think they have it wrong about A Thousand Suns. This album is amazing.

    2 votes
  9. elJugo
    Link
    I personally love Godspeeds Yanqui U.X.O., it wasn't really despised by the fanbase, but critically it was a bit of a flop (at least compared to Lift Your Skinny Fists...). Never understood why.

    I personally love Godspeeds Yanqui U.X.O., it wasn't really despised by the fanbase, but critically it was a bit of a flop (at least compared to Lift Your Skinny Fists...). Never understood why.

    2 votes
  10. zptc
    Link
    Pretty much everything from The Black Keys over the past several years. I liked (most) of the new and different stuff they tried, but most of the fanbase seems to want them to continue to sound...

    Pretty much everything from The Black Keys over the past several years. I liked (most) of the new and different stuff they tried, but most of the fanbase seems to want them to continue to sound like two guys in a basement until the end of time.

    2 votes
  11. [2]
    Akir
    Link
    I like Nightwish. But it seems that 75% of their fanbase hates any given album they produce. Does that count?

    I like Nightwish. But it seems that 75% of their fanbase hates any given album they produce. Does that count?

    2 votes
    1. Eva
      Link Parent
      Ha, I love bands with fanbases like that.

      Ha, I love bands with fanbases like that.

  12. [2]
    dangersalad
    Link
    I really like the Shooter Jennings album Black Ribbons. It is a complete departure from his previous three country/southern rock albums, venturing into concept rock (with narration tracks done by...

    I really like the Shooter Jennings album Black Ribbons. It is a complete departure from his previous three country/southern rock albums, venturing into concept rock (with narration tracks done by Stephen King!).

    It was poorly received among his fans that only like the country stuff, but I think it is a great album.

    1 vote
    1. Eva
      Link Parent
      That sounds really ambitious. I like the sound of it! Will give it a listen at some point near the future, concept albums are great.

      That sounds really ambitious. I like the sound of it! Will give it a listen at some point near the future, concept albums are great.

      1 vote
  13. tunneljumper
    Link
    I enjoy Government Plates by Death Grips, and I think it's better than No Love Deep Web. I'm not sure if this album qualifies as the reception was more lukewarm and mixed rather than universally...

    I enjoy Government Plates by Death Grips, and I think it's better than No Love Deep Web.

    I'm not sure if this album qualifies as the reception was more lukewarm and mixed rather than universally panned, but Zeitgeist by The Smashing Pumpkins is another one of my favorites.

    1 vote