Be Honest...
The 80s sold an unbelievable number of rock albums. Just apparently not these. A few had major labels behind them. Some received reviews that should have made them huge. Others helped create sounds that would make different bands rich years later. Yet almost all of them disappeared with little fanfare and little sales.
So...were we right, or did you actually own one?
“Old Wave” (Ringo Starr)
A solo album by a Beatle sounds like an unlikely candidate for this list, but Ringo Starr’s 1983 release was not issued in the United States or Britain at the time. It appeared in a handful of other markets and attracted almost no attention. Apparently even being a former Beatle does not help when two of the world’s largest record-buying countries cannot buy the album.
“Jeopardy” (The Sound)
Critics tried their best. Jeopardy received five-star reviews from NME, Sounds and Melody Maker. Record buyers remained unmoved. The Sound’s 1980 debut failed to chart in Britain and the band never escaped cult status. Apparently unanimous praise only helps when someone actually walks into a record store.
Fotoburo De Boer, Wikimedia Commons
“Metal Magic” (Pantera)
This is not the Pantera most people remember. The band’s independently released 1983 debut featured a teenage Dimebag Darrell, glam-metal songs and an unforgettable homemade cover. Vinnie Paul later said Metal Magic had sold only about 5,000 copies by 1990. Then Pantera completely reinvented itself.
Annamaria DiSanto, Getty Images
“Stands for Decibels” (The dB’s)
The dB’s came from North Carolina, made one of the most critically adored power-pop debuts of the decade and still could not get it released in America. Stands for Decibels arrived through a British label in 1981. American listeners would not get an official release until years after the band had split up.
Chris Sikich, Wikimedia Commons
“Black Rose” (Black Rose)
Cher fronted this rock band with guitarist Les Dudek, but her name never appeared on the album cover and her face was hidden in the group photograph. The 1980 album failed to chart, no tour followed and Black Rose soon broke up. Cher eventually returned to being Cher. The album never received the same opportunity.
“Soul-Crusher” (White Zombie)
Long before White Zombie filled arenas, the band released this noisy and almost unrecognizable debut through its own tiny label. Just 2,000 vinyl copies were produced, followed by another 2,000 when Caroline Records reissued it. Owning an original Soul-Crusher is considerably more impressive than owning Astro-Creep: 2000.
“DaDa” (Alice Cooper)
Alice Cooper reunited with producer Bob Ezrin for this strange 1983 concept album. Warner Bros. barely promoted it, no American single appeared and Cooper never toured behind it. DaDa completely missed the Billboard 200, and none of its songs has ever become a regular part of his live show.
“Is This Real?” (Wipers)
Wipers released Is This Real? in 1980 and barely registered beyond the Pacific Northwest. More than a decade later, Nirvana covered two of its songs and Kurt Cobain openly praised the band’s influence. Wipers helped create the sound that conquered the 90s. They just received almost none of the rewards.
“The Brains” (The Brains)
Before Cyndi Lauper turned “Money Changes Everything” into a hit, it belonged to Atlanta rock band the Brains. Their 1980 debut included the original version of the song, while the album itself was produced by Steve Lillywhite. Neither the song nor the album broke through. Lauper became a star with their material. The Brains remained a trivia question.
“The Offspring” (The Offspring)
Five years before Smash, the Offspring released this 1989 debut through the tiny Nemesis label. Only 5,000 copies were initially produced, and it took the band roughly two and a half years to sell them. Millions eventually bought Offspring albums. Almost none of them started with this one.
Richard Abrahamson (RoundKid Photography), Wikimedia Commons
“Ultramega OK” (Soundgarden)
Before Superunknown turned Soundgarden into one of the biggest bands in America, the group released this rough 1988 debut through SST Records. The band was unhappy with the production, critics were divided and sales were modest. It still earned a Grammy nomination after the category was introduced, proving that an album could be respected without actually being widely owned.
“Goo Goo Dolls” (Goo Goo Dolls)
Forget “Iris.” The Goo Goo Dolls’ $750 debut sounded like it had come from an entirely different band. Bassist Robby Takac handled every lead vocal, while John Rzeznik was still just the guitarist. Released through small independent labels in 1987, it disappeared long before the band discovered radio-friendly ballads.
Sixhundredsix, Wikimedia Commons
“Into the Unknown” (Bad Religion)
Bad Religion followed its punk debut with synthesizers, keyboards and long progressive-rock songs. Fans were baffled, the band soon fractured and most of the original 10,000 copies were reportedly returned to the label. The group later returned to punk and became hugely influential. Into the Unknown became the album even many Bad Religion fans never owned.
Nicklas Andersson, http://www.carbonatedink.com/, Wikimedia Commons
“Underwater Moonlight” (The Soft Boys)
The Soft Boys spent only about £600 recording Underwater Moonlight. It received little attention, sold poorly and was followed by the band’s breakup within months. Then something strange happened: musicians kept discovering it. The album eventually influenced R.E.M. and became a recognized psychedelic classic. The original buyers were simply decades early.
“We Care a Lot” (Faith No More)
This was Faith No More before Mike Patton, “Epic” and MTV. The band financed its 1985 debut itself, with Chuck Mosley handling the vocals and an early version of “We Care a Lot” leading the way. The album vanished for years and remained commercially unavailable for roughly two decades.
“Script of the Bridge” (The Chameleons)
The Chameleons’ 1983 debut eventually became a beloved post-punk record. American listeners did not even receive the complete album. MCA shortened it to eight songs, removed four tracks and renamed the band Chameleons U.K. It was not exactly the easiest way to build a large American audience.
“Clairvoyance” (Screaming Trees)
Years before “Nearly Lost You,” Screaming Trees recorded this raw debut for Velvetone Records in 1986. The album mixed psychedelia, garage rock and the beginnings of the Seattle sound, but distribution was tiny and almost nobody outside the region heard it. By the time the band reached MTV, Clairvoyance had already become a collector’s item.
Naomi Petersen. Distributed by SST Records., Wikimedia Commons
“Hear It Is” (The Flaming Lips)
The Flaming Lips released their first full-length album in 1986, seven years before “She Don’t Use Jelly” finally put them on MTV. Wayne Coyne had only recently taken over as lead singer from his brother Mark. The strange ideas were already there. The large audience most definitely was not.
Drew de F Fawkes, Wikimedia Commons
“Dinosaur” (Dinosaur)
They were still called Dinosaur when this $500 home-studio debut appeared in 1985. Critical indifference helped limit first-year sales to roughly 1,500 copies. A legal dispute later added “Jr.” to the band’s name, and their next album changed everything. This awkward first step remained largely forgotten.
“Ample Destruction” (Jag Panzer)
Jag Panzer released Ample Destruction through the small Azra label in 1984. Poor marketing and limited distribution kept it buried, while unofficial copies circulated among metal fans who could not find the real thing. It eventually became an underground favorite, which did very little for the band when the bills were due.
Jeffrey Pollack, Wikimedia Commons
“Happy Nightmare Baby” (Opal)
Opal featured former Rain Parade guitarist David Roback and former Dream Syndicate bassist Kendra Smith. Their only full-length album appeared in 1987, then Smith left during the supporting tour. Hope Sandoval replaced her, Opal became Mazzy Star and Roback finally found success. Happy Nightmare Baby was the barely heard bridge between them.
“Born Too Late” (Saint Vitus)
The title said almost everything. Saint Vitus played slow, crushing rock inspired by early Black Sabbath while 80s metal was becoming faster, flashier and much more polished. Mainstream metal audiences rejected them, so the band found a home on SST Records instead. Recognition arrived, but Born Too Late really was born too early.
Debbie Ramone, Wikimedia Commons
“L7” (L7)
Before Bricks Are Heavy and “Pretend We’re Dead,” L7 released this raw 1988 debut through Epitaph. The album had almost none of the polished heaviness that later brought the band to MTV, and its small-label release kept it well outside the mainstream. The attitude was already there. The audience was still several years away.
Goroth, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
“A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window” (Cardiacs)
Even the title refused to make things easy. Cardiacs filled their first proper studio album with sudden tempo changes, theatrical vocals, pop hooks and progressive-rock chaos. The single “Is This the Life” reached only number 80 in Britain. The band inspired intense devotion, but seemingly one listener at a time.
Alphabet Business Concern, Wikimedia Commons
“California” (American Music Club)
American Music Club’s California earned glowing reviews and was later included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. None of that turned it into a commercial success in 1988. Mark Eitzel’s beautifully unhappy songs found critics immediately. The larger audience needed considerably more time.
“Crystal Logic” (Manilla Road)
Recorded in Kansas and released through the tiny Roadster label in 1983, Crystal Logic had almost none of the machinery needed to create a hit. What it did have was an epic sound and an increasingly devoted underground following. Manilla Road became enormously important to a very small group of people.
Florian Stangl from Bayern, Wikimedia Commons
“Today” (Galaxie 500)
Galaxie 500’s first album appeared on the tiny Aurora label in 1988. Its slow, hazy songs sounded nothing like the bright pop dominating radio, and the record made almost no commercial impression. The trio became far more influential after breaking up, which is always helpful except when a band is still together.
“Out of the Silent Planet” (King’s X)
Critics and fellow musicians loved King’s X, but that admiration never translated into the expected sales. Their 1988 debut under the King’s X name peaked at number 144 on the Billboard 200. Kerrang! still named it its album of the year. Apparently the magazine’s readers forgot to buy it.
Robert Knight Archive, Getty Images
“Gluey Porch Treatments” (Melvins)
Released only on vinyl by Alchemy Records in 1987, the Melvins’ debut offered the slow, heavy sound that would help shape grunge. At the time, it mostly confused people. The album later received several reissues, but anyone who owned that original pressing really can prove us wrong.
Enric likes Funk ;), Wikimedia Commons
“The Bears” (The Bears)
Adrian Belew had already played with David Bowie, Talking Heads and King Crimson when he formed the Bears. Their 1987 debut had smart songs, glowing reviews, an I.R.S. Records release and cover art by Mad magazine legend Mort Drucker. Somehow, all of that produced almost no commercial impact.
So...Were We Wrong?
If you owned one or more of these when it first came out (no, discovering it on CD 15 years later does not count), congratulations: we were wrong (and we're very happy about it).
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Wikimedia Commons
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