Top 10 Anticipated but Disappointing Albums
#10: Revival (2017)
Eminem
Dont be fooled by its title -- if anything, this album put Slim Shadys career in the ICU. On 2017s Revival, Eminem went for a kitchen sink approach with its sounds, subject matter, and features. It featured songs about his personal life and politics, a large amount of rock samples, and guest artists from Ed Sheeran to Beyoncé: in other words, it was all over the place and lacked a clear focus. The political songs on Revival received extra criticism: while many rappers have dissed Donald Trumps first presidency, which was ongoing at the time of release, Eminem just felt like an odd messenger. It took up more airtime than fans wanted, which could have gone towards sharpening Revivals themes.
#9: Man of the Woods (2018)
Justin Timberlake
When JT said yee-haw, many listeners answered hell naw. Justin Timberlakes folk and country-inspired record Man of the Woods was released days after he performed at the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show, but it wasnt exactly a touchdown. While the album was a relative success, boasting two hit singles in Filthy and Say Something, it lacked Timberlakes previous coolness, instead highlighting his latent corny side. Some reviewers gave Man of the Woods points for experimenting, but it didnt fully commit to the country bit or his familiar R&B sound. Alienating fans from both genres, the woods in question ended up ablaze in a forest fire.
#8: Solar Power (2021)
Lorde
That kind of luxe just aint for us, but is it for her after all? On Lordes 2021 album Solar Power, she sang about Goop-style wellness culture and being a prettier Jesus over a beachy backdrop. The albums escapist tone, especially during the pandemic when celebrities got called out for their ill-timed summer vacations, rubbed some listeners the wrong way; they felt that Lorde had abandoned her socially conscious roots displayed in her breakout hit Royals and lost the relatability displayed on her Melodrama album. Furthermore, Solar Power was the latest in a string of Jack Antonoff-produced albums by female artists from Taylor Swift to Lana Del Rey, and to many, it was the trends clear saturation point.
#7: Weezer (Green Album) (2001)
Weezer
To some people, this band was on a holiday from making truly great music. The Green Album wasnt even Weezers first encounter with fan backlash -- that would be their previous album, 1996s Pinkerton, which was criticized for its personal, sometimes uncomfortable lyrics. But after the band went the totally opposite direction on 2001s Green Album, fans thought they overcorrected. The music was perfectly passable and full of catchy hooks, but it lacked Weezers previous edge and risk-taking altogether, seemingly in anticipation of another critical beatdown. Still, compared to future missteps, they had much further to fall and the Green Album is looked back on somewhat fondly.
#6: Self-Portrait (1970)
Bob Dylan
Never mind a rolling stone -- this album went over more like a lead balloon. In 1970, Bob Dylan released Self-Portrait, a double album consisting mostly of pop and folk covers. Dylans songwriting has always been more celebrated than his singing, so releasing covers made people zero in on the latter, where he had adopted a country croon. Self-Portrait was viewed as a failure, but it turned out that was exactly what Dylan wanted. Hes since revealed that he purposely released an album critics would pan, calling it a joke and admitting that he put a lot of crap on it. He was dissatisfied with his lofty reputation after the 1960s, and Self-Portrait was Dylans way of relieving himself of all expectations.
#5: Humanz (2017)
Gorillaz
Its coming up, its coming up Its no Dare. After a long hiatus following their 2010 albums Plastic Beach and The Fall, Gorillaz finally returned in 2017 with Humanz. The tracklist had some promising features including Grace Jones and Pusha T, as well as up-and-comers Kali Uchis and Vince Staples -- some might even say too many features. Not counting the interludes, Gorillaz creator Damon Albarn only shined solo on one song. He seemed oddly absent from his own album, and felt more like the curator of a musical collective than the actual artist fans had waited seven years for. Overall, Humanz disappointed because there were too many cooks in the kitchen and listeners were only invested in one of them.
#4: St. Anger (2003)
Metallica
Even metals biggest band isnt immune to a midlife crisis. On 2003s St. Anger, Metallica entered the new millennium hot off a lawsuit against music sharing site Napster. The band made a few sonic departures in the albums recording process, and listeners didnt take kindly to the changes. Not only was St. Angers dissonant snare drum sound an unpopular choice, but of all things, it was completely devoid of guitar solos. Add in attempts at chasing trends with nu-metal influences and cringey lyrics like My lifestyle determines my death style, and you have a pretty rough adjustment period for Metallica in the 2000s.
#3: The Big Day (2019)
Chance the Rapper
50 years after John Lennon and Yoko Onos critically reviled Wedding Album, an unlikely artist repeated history. In 2019, all the hype Chance the Rapper built with his mixtapes suddenly died when he released his debut studio album, The Big Day. Based on his recent wedding to longtime girlfriend Kirsten Corley, the 22-track, 77-minute-long album didnt discuss much of anything else. While Chances marital bliss was palpable, The Big Day felt like the marriage version of a YouTuber who gets pregnant and abruptly changes all their content to mommy vlogging overnight. Chance saw continued commercial success thanks to Justin Biebers song Holy, but his reputation among serious hip-hop heads has yet to fully recover.
#2: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Guns N Roses
If some fans had their way, theyd put this sweet child up for adoption. After first announcing the title Chinese Democracy in 1999, Guns N Roses took until 2008 to finally release their sixth studio album. Several factors led to the delay, including leaks, label disputes, and lineup changes -- shout-out to Buckethead, the bands eccentric guitarist in the early aughts. By the time Chinese Democracy was finished, it was the most expensive rock album ever made, a title it still holds. GNRs comeback could have been much worse, but it wasnt the magnum opus people demanded after such a long wait. Its industrial influences drew comparisons to Nine Inch Nails, and didnt sound like the Guns N Roses everyone was waiting for.
#1: Be Here Now (1997)
Oasis
This album didnt just disappoint one fanbase; it killed an entire movement. Oasiss third album, 1997s Be Here Now was hugely successful and even celebrated by fans and critics initially -- after all, they were slow to catch onto the brilliance of its predecessor, (Whats the Story) Morning Glory? and didnt want to be wrong again. But once listeners had more time to sit on it, they turned against Be Here Now. Between its lengthy tracklist, uneven production and lyrics, and general overexposure, the album was simply too big for its britches and couldnt measure up to the bands ambitions. The Britpop bubble bursting can be traced back directly to this album, and the genres relevance would only decline from there.
Do you have a soft spot for any of these albums? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!