The Top 10 Classic Albums That Accidentally Ruined Music

January 20, 2010 160 Comments

Over the years, a select number of albums have changed music forever. These are the albums that affected listeners worldwide and completely flipped the game upside down. On the other hand, some of these same legendary works also unknowingly helped create some of the worst musical blunders we wish we could all forget.

10. Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
9. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
8. Legend — Bob Marley
7. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols – Sex Pistols
6. Paul’s Boutique — Beastie Boys

Source: Fin Costello/Getty Images

5. Van Halen – Van Halen

We all know that Van Halen I is one of the most important and influential albums of all time and that it single-handedly helped usher in the glam metal/hair metal era that ruled the entire 1980s. Even though Halen destroys almost every single band of this genre, their undeniable influence helped create a buttload of trash that totally devolved rock.

One of biggest elements to blame in this situation is Eddie’s rapid guitar-playing chops and teeth metal attitude. His guitar-playing sent shockwaves through the world of rock ‘n’ roll and made a bazillion other guitarists/bands think they should try and follow suit. It would have been amazing if most of these acts were even half as good as Halen, but we all know now that this was very far from the truth. Hair metal/glam metal was more decadence than substance and almost ruined popular music in the process. Oh, and if anyone out there tries to say that the Bulletboys were awesome, my head might just go ahead and explode, y’all.

4. Nevermind — Nirvana
3. Straight Outta Compton — N.W.A.
2. Thriller — Michael Jackson
1. Frampton Comes Alive! — Peter Frampton

Filed Under: Van Halen

pushtoshove

Steve …..I love the fact that we can post here and give our opinions because this is still a free country….Rock On Brother!!!! Scar….My Man….You fucking nailed it brotha….Now …about hair bands…I am glad for Van Halen because we might not have had George Lynch , Skid Row and even Steeler ( Anyone remember them,with Ron Keel on Vocals and Yngwie Malmsteen on guitar? ) Randy Rhoads?!?!?!? Hell Yeah!!!
Rich

Duck, cool post man. Its interesting to see people’s opinions on music – I’m guessing that by the time the 90s came around you were old enough to see through the uprise in grunge after the hair metal of the 80s. And I for one can see that not all of the hair metal bands were that bad, but I was a 90s kid and am pretty loyal to the grunge bands of the time. Yeah, theres a lot of post-grunge shit like Nickelback that isn’t worth listening to, but stuff like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains (who I believe toured with Van Halen a few times) were seriously talented.

Every kid goes through a Nirvana stage, I’ve been through mine. Cobain wrote some good music but I never understood how you can release a multi platinum album, influence millions of people through your music, then be unsatisfied with it. Its pretty petty, tbh. But he’s gone now, and Dave Grohl got success he never would have without leaving Nirvana. Have you heard the first Foo Fighters record? It is all soley done by Dave – guitars, bass, drums, vocals, production, recording…you may not think much of grunge but to guys like me it was a movement man!

But hey, music is SUBJECTIVE and everybody has their own opinion. I’m a 19 year old English Literature student who lives in England and I tell you, NOBODY knows who Van Halen are. But when they think of “Jump” (the song everybody knows) and think “cheese”, I think “awesome guitar solo”. When I crank out 5150, my flatmates go turn on some Maximo Park or other indie shit.

Call me a snob but I prefer bands that are mentioned in this list for their innovation and originality – bands that are on the airwaves today mostly just sound the same.

VH is timeless – I’m sure that the guys would be proud that older guys who saw them live when they started out, or guys like me (coincidently 2 months exactly older than Wolfgang) still love them and their records.
Steve

Pushtoshove: Take care man! Rock on!
http://none Dirty Duck

Rich:

19 huh? You lucky son of gun! Enjoy every min. of it! I was 19 once….and then I blinked.

Great post yourself!

My rant was a little half assed cause I never fully have enough time to really sit here and write. Trying to balance working and VH can be fun, but stressful! Sometimes after I write a lot,I’ll look back at it days later and groan! UGH!
Did I really write that? No….no bi-polar, just a quick thinker ready to drive off into the hay at any time. Rock and roll has my soul! Funny you mentioned JUMP as known as cheese by many but that you love the guitar solo! Fuckin’ me too brother! I dont care what anyone thinks…JUMP is a great song! I always think summer man. It’s just one of those timeless songs that always makes me feel good and put a smile on my face. Dave was truly the man. Dont know how much knowledge you have of the roots of the band, but my advice is do your homework if you dont. One of the most intresting rock bands next to the stones and aerosmith (mind you im talkin 70′s stones and aerosmith!)and their live shows
(with ROTH) are still talked about to this day ( ex; check out “Uchained” live oakland 81′-youtube)VH was a rock monster back in its day. Blew sabbath and many other bands off the stage as “openers”!! Maaaan I love classic VH! They were truly something in their prime. I’m not a HAGAR fan but im not here to try and persuade you into the classic era. Like I always say: let the music do the talking! It’s about whatever moves you!

As far as my rant on grunge,let me just say this: you’re right….there were some groups that came out of that era that were (are)talented. I just hated the fact that many never had the balls to say that VH, KISS, SABBATH, ETC werent an influence! It was like they were embarassed of what got them into the music to begin with! Then the whole world (fuck that, not me!) turned on groups like RATT and said their music sucked now that Kurt’s flannel look and life sucks attitude became popular. Bullshit! Have you ever heard of ARCADE? It’s stephen pearcy’s group after ratt. If you can google the song ” Screaming S.O.S” you’ll see that this wasnt no hairband…..they were a rockband! If it wasnt for the coming of grunge that album (which fuckin’ rocks by the way) would have sold millions! But times do change and nothing stays the same and dont know what you got till’ its gone whatev. At least we still have all that great music to listen to at any time and some great memories to go along with it!

So sad that not many know VH in england. It’s up to you to spread the word brother! Play those songs for your friends….google the old shows…read the books (Crazy from the heat / Everybody wanys some: the VH saga)and keep the legacy alive! Stay young and keep on rockin’ and rollin’!
Rich

Duck, those are the reasons why Alice In Chains will probably always be my favourite grunge band, because they cite influcences from a decade that many people in the 90s tried to forget. Jerry Cantrell, the guitarist, thanks Eddie Van Halen in the album sleeve of “Dirt”, their best selling album. Hopefully enough people looked at that and checked him out!

I love all VH music. Although I do understand for guys like you there is no other VH than with Dave. I usually say I prefer the Sammy era, but to be honest, I love it for the riffs and tricks that Eddie pulls out on every single record, from 1978 to 1998. I have a few bootlegs of both eras which both rock – with Dave, you get the brown sound and those amazing tunes such as Girl Gone Bad and House Of Pain, and with Sammy you get stuff like 5150, Summer Nights, AFU etc. Gary even had a few good ones, but the only way I’ve ever been able to look at Van Halen is retrospectively…I feel like I know my stuff, but I could use some books!

I wasn’t trying to really defend grunge, I was just saying that I guess everyone loves the music they grew up with. And at the end of the day, both decades featured talented guys who picked up a guitar and changed things. It was cool that Eddie and the boys got through 2 very different decades with their style of music, but probably because it was influential, original and timeless! I don’t care what people say about keyboards, if the song fits then it fits.

I have seen some Oakland shots and man, that is some of the best live material I have seen of Van Halen! I really hope that somebody somewhere gets the rest of the material out, if it exists.

Not many know VH here and I guess they get less and less limelight every year. They haven’t been over here since the Balance tour apparently, so you can see that 15 years of absence has done a lot for their popularity! (Apparently they were going to come over here with Gary but the shows were cancelled). Saying that, I caught Sammy and Mike with CF in London and they rocked out. The only members I have yet to see of VH are Eddie, Alex and Dave, the 3 I’ve wanted to see for the longest!

Its a shame that bands like Van Halen no longer exist, I don’t know of too many bands nowadays on the current rock scene that really blow me away with their music – seems like its all in the past.

Its easy to get into a long rant on here, I’ve done it myself (I think I did on this page, somewhere) but at the end of the day, people are just upset that VH aren’t bringing out any news of an album. I just want to see this legend in person before he gives it up!
http://none Dirty Duck

Rich:

I’m not a huge alice in chains fan but “Again” is one of my favourite songs man. That is one heavy sonofabitch!
Dug “Would”, “Angry Chair”, and “Man in the box” too…
Sad how he died huh? Imagine dying and being eaten by your own cats? Christ…
Soundgarden I never got into for some reason. It’s very strange too cause they were a tight band. Actually….I LOVE the song “Heretic”. Have you ever heared it? It’s off the “Pump up the volume” movie soundtrack (*Great film from 1990 starring christian slater if you havent seen it!). If you can download it, it’s a great song. Brings me back!
Check it out!

There arent any bands out there today like VH because the world has focused on nothing but “the next american idol”….you know…become a rockstar overnight bullshit.
Nope, sorry….it just dont happen that way! Groups like VH, SABBATH, AEROSMITH, THE STONES, JEFF BECK, DEEP PURPLE, ZEPPLIN, ACDC, (should I go on?) all started from the bottom and worked their way to the top. They LIVED the music…they LOVED the music…shit,they WERE the music. Now? A bunch of wannabe’s who think because they LOOK rock and roll, they are! I’ve had it with that shit. Let me tell you something. You wanna know what i look like? I look the complete opposite of what someone would think with all my rock and roll rants. You know, long hair, the whole nine yards. Nope! I look like I belong on an abercrombie poster. But let me tell you…take away the pretty boy looks and I’m more rock and roll then 1/2 the cats I know….who look it! LOL! It’s about what it makes you feel when you hear it! VH had that!
IT WAS A SHOW….IT WAS A PARTY….IT WAS (as dave would say) a CELEBRATION! and all were invited. Today? It’s all about green peace….energy drinks…and no orginality.
I mean sure..you gotta steal a little here and there form your idols, but christ, can we TRY and do something that makes an impact? Rock stars used to be so fuckin’ cool man. Now? Miley Cyrus is known as a rock star. You see where I’m coming from? History for all the wrong reasons my man.
Panama Red

I loved the early 90′s. Alice In Chains, probably my favorite band from the “grunge” era, they were so friggin great. I knew Layne died of an overdose which is horribly tragic and which I saw coming sadly, but I didn’t know about the cat thing. Jesus Christ! If that’s true that is just unbelievably horrible. He was so talented and awesome.
By the way Duck you would appreciate the fact that when someone asked Jerry Cantrell who he preferred with VH-Dave or Sam (keep in mind he’s a friend of Sammy’s) He said something like “I love Sammy but I gotta say Dave man.”
I don’t really have a preference personally, I appreciate both eras for what they are. But back on the subject of “grunge”. I love the other bands too from that time like Soundgarden, STP, Pearl Jam, NIN, RHCP, Nirvana, etc. But I was a little late with some of em’. When everyone was walking around in school with NIN, RHCP, Rollins band, Soundgarden, and Nirvana shirts I was wearing Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd shirts. Almost everyone my age except my closest friends didn’t think VH was cool. They thought they were over and past their time. I didn’t really care. I knew they were awesome and didn’t give a shit about following what most people thought was a popular kind of music. Looking back I probably should have opened my mind to more bands but I was too busy catching up on all of the music before my time that I missed out on or was able to just catch the tail end of before they broke up. Once I got caught up, I got more into these other bands.

Duck – I know what you’re sayin about “rock stars” these days now. The over-night sensations and all of that shit. Instead of having to bust your Ass working your way up from dingy bars while struggling. Learning how to play an instrument, writing your own lyrics and not lip-synching. I agree with you completely. It kind of sickens me actually when I think about it.
You mentioned that Miley Virus(that was a typo but I left it) cheezball. The spawn of Billy …retch…Ray. Chew on this for a minute(and then you’ll want to spit it out or throw it up) Madonna has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Somebody explain to me how Madonna is rock and roll… ugh I just threw up in my mouth a little. Anyway, I’m ranting again. Oh yeah, Duck good call on the “Pump up the Volume” soundtrack. That whole soundtrack is good. “Wave of Mutilation” is a great song by the Pixies. “Everybody Knows” was pretty cool too by Concrete Blonds but I like the original version by Leonard Cohen better.
And also you mentiond VH blowing away the bands they were opening for. True dat. I remember hearing about certain guitarists not wanting Van Halen to be the openers because they would steal the show.

Rich – It’s cool that you’re 19 and into the kind of music you’re into. Keeping an open mind and not being a snob. That’s cool. Like Duck said, Enjoy being 19 while you can. It’s over before you know it. Have the time of your life so you don’t look back with any regrets my brotha.

Surfthis!- I still have an old guitar mag from, I think, 1988 that came with a vinyl single of Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.” I never took the record out of the magazine. There wasn’t a need to, they played that song on the radio all the time. That was a cool song from a cool band with a great guitar player, Vernon Reid.
http://vhnd.com 51yr old fan

to Rich,Duck, and Panama Red, i just wanted to share with you how growing up in the 60′s and and going to high school in the 70′s made the transition to VH so perfect for me. If you haven’t already seen these 2 movies (DAZED AND CONFUSED and OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE) the soundtracks from these movies were in my opinion some of the greatest songs ever. those shows are so right on about how it was like back then. so to have VH come along and turn it up a couple of notches was so natural. when i have VH cranked I’m in another world. thanks for letting me share this.
http://none Dirty Duck

51yr old fan:

Thanks for the retrospect! I can only imagine what it was like back then. Dazed and Confuzed and Outside Providence are two of my favourite films! One of my favourite lines in dazed is when they’re talking about the era’s: “The 60′s rocked….the 70′s…well they obviously suck”
So funny how we look at things differently when we’re living it, but when we look back we miss what seemed so shitty back then. Funny how life is. The music on those soundtracks ARE stellar and I’ve played those discs many many many times! “Highway Star” , “Cherry bomb (LOVE the runaways! Cheri Curri was a cutie! Joan jett? Mmmmm!)”Rock and roll hoochie koo”, “Livin’ in the usa”, “Free Ride”, man I could go on and on! LOVE those tunes! Great party albums too. Just put em’ on and let em’ play straight thru! We may not always be on the same wavelenth on the whole VH thing at times…but I’ve always had respect for you living as a teen and young adult in a glorious time of music and concerts! You’ve seen things I’ll never ever get to see…
And when I crank VH I’m in another world too!

Panama Red:

Great post as always!

“Pump up the volume” is a great soundtrack! All those songs you mentioned are killer tracks and “Wave of mutilation” was one of my favourite songs growin’ up. I can still picture christian slater (Happy harry hard on) walking down the street of suburbia to school in the movie. With THAT song in the background. 1990 was a loooooong time ago. I was just entering highschool. Who would have ever thunk that I’d miss that too! Sheesh!
Panama Red

Man I miss Layne Staley with AIC. I remember seeing an AIC video, I think it was “Again” and I could tell he was withering away. It was very frustrating to me at the time because I knew he was gonna die but there was nothing I could do about it. Honestly, I can’t believe Scott Weiland and Phil Anselmo are still alive. I don’t know how they’ve managed that. Man it’s crazy to think about all of the talented badasses we’ve lost. I mean, just in my lifetime I have felt there has been a traumatic and huge loss of talent. Dimebag Darrell – The best Heavy Metal guitarist ever in my honest opinion. Layne Staley. Kurt Cobain are the most famous but there’s been more. There has also been a lot of close calls by other musicians too.

Dirty Duck – I agree about “Highway Star” and “Cherry Bomb”. Back in tha eighties my older brother and his friends always bought those Circus and Hit Parader mags and he ripped out a page-mini poster of Joan Jett that I hung on my wall. LOL
I always thought she was incredibly sexy. The other girls in the Runaways too. Cool band. I heard one of the women from the Runaways is writing a tell-all book. And I heard that they are making a movie about the Runaways/Joan Jett. That hot chick from those dreadful looking Twilight movies is playing Jett. I think her name is Kristin Stewart. Good casting.

51yr old fan – Thanks man. It’s cool to hear about music from someone who experienced the sixties and seventies music scene. And Yeah, I have the soundtrack to Dazed and Confused but I don’t remember hearing about Outside Providence. I guess I missed out on that. I’ll check it out.

Rich – What I said about having the time of your life without regrets….that’s probably kind of a dumb thing for me to say. I mean Everybody should be having the time of their life when their 19, but just try to keep yourself in check too. I’m not trying to “school” you or anything. I don’t want to come across as an egotistical douche. It’s just when I was 18, 19 I got out of control with alcohol and drugs and I pay for the results of that every day. It’s really probably impossible for anyone to teach a 19 year old this kind of lesson. I mean when I was 19 I thought I was indestructible. That was part of the problem. We aren’t. And you probably feel like that. I don’t know it’s probably a waste of time to say this stuff. I wouldn’t have listened to it when I was your age. But maybe not every 19 yr old is the same. People probably can’t learn life’s lessons unless they’ve lived them so I’m probably wasting your time. But If you can go out and party a lot and get lots of poon and still manage to keep yourself in check , you’ll be golden. I’ve learned what moderation is and it’s saved my life. Just barely, but I’m alive.
Later on man, and don’t listen to those goons that are too concerned with trying to fit in with everyone else to make their own choices about what music to listen to. Those chodes are a waste of your time. Hang out with real people that know about real music. I’m not just talking about Van Halen. There are tons of great bands out there that you will never hear on the radio and music that those guys you were talking about don’t know about. Later bro.