3 Albums That Fans Hated But Critics Praised

In music, it is a frequent phenomenon that critics and fans disagree. After all, critics are paid to judge, and fans aren’t paid for anything. They are just there to enjoy the music. That being so, there has historically been a strict contrast between the opinions of fans and critics, especially when it comes to a handful of albums.

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Every year, there are albums that are incredibly divisive in terms of taste. Frankly, there are only a few albums that are unanimously agreed upon as “good.” Consequently, fans and critics have been arguing about the quality of albums for decades upon decades, and here are three albums fans hated but critics praised.

‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ by Eminem

Eminem’s historic album, The Marshall Mathers LP, was revolutionary. It was also crass, violent, and incredibly visceral. Consequently, fans thought Eminem’s album was verbose and contained taboo that themes that were entirely unnecessary.

Contrary to the fans, critics praised this album, as they believed it to be ahead of its time and a body of work that articulated Eminem’s lyrical genius. Matter of fact, Sputnikmusic wrote, “a truly special album, unique in rap’s canon, owing its spirit to rock and its heritage to rap, in a way I’ve rarely heard.”

‘Chinese Democracy’ by Guns N’ Roses

Released in 2008, Chinese Democracy by Guns N’ Roses was raked over the coals by fans. Many fans believed the album strayed away from Guns N’ Roses’ traditional sound. Hence, they believed the album to be unrecognizable and ultimately bad. However, that is exactly why the critics loved it.

One of the more positive reviews given to Chinese Democracy was written by Louder Sound years after the release in 2018. They wrote in their review, “So, forget the background noise and give Chinese Democracy the credit it deserves: a killer rock ‘n’ roll record with scope, ambition and, most importantly of all, kicka— songs.”

‘St. Anger’ by Metallica

When Metallica released St. Anger in 2003, fans were absolutely outraged. In short, they believed the album was overproduced, and featured poor vocals as well as poor instrumentals. The masses believed it to be the worst album of Metallica’s career. Many critics believed the same thing, but a handful of them sung its praises in their reviews.

Concerning the emotional nuance in the lyrics of the album, Loudwire stated the album’s lyrics have a “rawness” and “intensity.” They also praised the title track, “Frantic,” stating that there was “no better track to open the record” with. In all, this just goes to show how diverse taste can truly be.

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