Good Bands That Turned Bad
shailynn
They never tell you what you need to know.
What are some musical groups that you once thought were good but turned bad? Also what album or time period did they change?
For me...
Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Rick Rubin produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik was a turning point for me. Was not a fan of that album but it was okay. Everything after that was garbage as far as I am concerned. Everything before that when they all were on heroin was awesome.
U2 - everything that came after the 80s and when Bono started wearing those stupid glasses.
Genesis - everything that was made after Phil Collins solo work when he joined back up.
Beastie Boys - first two albums were amazing, then they decided to play instruments. That wasn’t a good choice in my opinion. Still get a kick out of Paul’s Boutique to this day.
Nas and Jay-Z - like so many rappers once they became filthy rich it’s like they lost their edge. Everyone likes rap songs about the struggle, everyone rolls their eyes when it comes to rap songs flaunting wealth.
For me...
Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Rick Rubin produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik was a turning point for me. Was not a fan of that album but it was okay. Everything after that was garbage as far as I am concerned. Everything before that when they all were on heroin was awesome.
U2 - everything that came after the 80s and when Bono started wearing those stupid glasses.
Genesis - everything that was made after Phil Collins solo work when he joined back up.
Beastie Boys - first two albums were amazing, then they decided to play instruments. That wasn’t a good choice in my opinion. Still get a kick out of Paul’s Boutique to this day.
Nas and Jay-Z - like so many rappers once they became filthy rich it’s like they lost their edge. Everyone likes rap songs about the struggle, everyone rolls their eyes when it comes to rap songs flaunting wealth.
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33 comments
Offspring
Metallica
Drive By Truckers - Really dug the albums Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day, The Dirty South, and A Blessing And A Curse. After Jason Isbell left the band, they went to shit. They became too preachy with politics and the female vocalist added for the next three albums was horrible. DBT seems to be fading away while Jason Isbell is having a successful solo career.
With their first few albums they blow their creative loads that’s been building up their whole lives, so to speak.
After that they generally lose their energy and either repeat and copy themselves or go off in weird directions.
Agree on several others mentioned.
I think Metallica is one that bought into a heavy metal formula and kept turning out very similar music after a certain point.
A short list would be -
REM - anything after Green was far too commercial and pop-ish for me.
The Clash - huge sell out and decline with Combat Rock.
Bruuuuce sold out and got too into the issues a long time ago! Darkness on the edge of town was one of his last great albums. I still love Atlantic City as a song - but Nebraska was too much political crap otherwise.
I still enjoy U2. But, I am in the minority. Although, when I heard the guitar intro to Sunday Bloody Sunday, I realized how much I missed their early sound.
Elton John is an artist who turned to shit several decades ago.
I think Kanye’s first few albums were excellent - and then he seemed to lose his way.
Beastie Boys fell away quickly - but I think it was impossible to keep that intensity and energy going for any amount of time.
Here’s a funny old SNL bit with Phil Hartmann as Sinatra!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7SdIJimk-w…
Def Leppard after 2nd album High n Dry
AC/DC after Back in Black
Surprised to not see anyone else trashing Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door. Jimmy Page has called it "a little soft" and said he and Bonham didn't like it
On the other hand, I like all U2 - some albums better than others, but no bad album IMO
In Through the Out Door I thought was a great album. A decade in the music world can be a long time in terms of musical taste of the audience. While it was a departure from the type of stuff that made Zep the dominant band for 10 years, it hit the #1 spot on the charts within two weeks of release. At some point you've got to understand the changing times and go with it. In the Evening, All My Love and Fool in the Rain are classics still heard all the time on radio. I'm Gonna Crawl was more of the more deep rooted blues tracks, reminiscent of the old Led Zep, and is barely remembered today. Also you've got to attribute a lot of the highly synthesized pop-sounds of the album to the fact that Bonham and Page were so consumed by alcohol and heroin, respectively, that they missed many rehearsal and recording sessions, leaving the bulk of everything to Plant and Jones. And who could forget the record sleeve artwork with the watercolors!
whitesnake's decline begins when they kicked out john sykes.
some may say the rolling stones. mick taylor leaving the band and cutting out dance/disco tracks on black and blue and some girls signified many to be the beginning of overall decline of the stones. to me black n blue to me is an underrated album and some girls is a top 10-15 album of all-time.
Only place to go is downhill after that.
I disagree with Cashman1234 about Elton John. He is getting better as his ass gets looser!
I love that young filly Taylor Swift! She's embracing my trans queen brothers and letting her freak flag fly!
Just a few commments on above. I don’t get Peter Gabriel Genesis. It’s puts me to sleep. Phil Collins Genesis is just so much better.
U2 had some good songs in the 2000’s like Vertigo and City of blinding lights. That last album really sucked by them though.
Agree on Springsteen.
Sadly, I think Axel still thinks he’s a huge star!
Def Leppard ... amazing first 2 (maybe 3) albums, then also not much.
Motley Crue as well, Poison ... pretty much any of my 80’s bands I suppose. Good thing they all had amazing first and second albums!
Elvis Costello - Great first few albums. Hit a wall at Almost Blue and rarely has had a good song since.
Yes - great first 5 albums. Everything after sucked. They are still doing oldies cruises.
Joy Division - Great Band! New Order - not so much.
The Pixies - reformed in 2014 and really shouldn't have.
Kings of Leon - three great records. Toured with U2, went pop, and have sucked ever since.
Totally agree with sinclair about the Drive By Truckers
Red Hot chili peppers and Allison in Chains.
Two years ago a relative purchase tickets for Allison in chains I went because I felt obligated. Spent most of the time in the lobby but could still hear their crappy ass sound
A lot of longtime rock bands go softer because the vocalist's throat can no longer hold up. I think of Tool and AFI.
She was cute and hot about 10-15 years ago.
https://www.pornhub.com/pornstar/allysin…
I wonder if there’s any correlation to bands/artists jumping the shark once a porn star uses their name? I know there’s a Brittany Rears, and there’s a girl who looked like Miley Cyrus.
Eminem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZHWy6W0…
I like a lot of their music and I have been to a couple concert.
Queensryche - Good up until the mid 90's, then Geoff Tate lost his vocal range, then was kicked out and the current singer just isn't as good.
Metallica - Still my favorite band, but their song writing peaked at And Justice For All. Black Album was OK, but from Load to St Anger had to be the worst group of songs by a once great band. It looked like they may come back with Death Magnetic, then came the aptly titled Hardwired to Self Destruct.