3 Legendary Rock Albums Artists Thought Would End Their Careers

Being a creative person is not easy. The famous fictional ad man Don Draper once said, “It’s about living in the not-knowing.” You make something, put it out into the world, and there is no guarantee anyone will love or even like it. Here below, we wanted to highlight that very phenomenon. We wanted to dive into the histories of three particular albums that artists thought might kill their momentum. Indeed, these are three legendary rock albums that artists thought would end their careers.

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‘Kid A’ by Radiohead (2000)

Radiohead is like a campfire. The band is always changing, reshaping, and reforming. In the 1990s, the British-born group became famous thanks to songs like “Creep” and “Karma Police”. But then they switched things up. They dropped their more traditional instruments for electronic songwriting. Would their legions of fans stick with them after this abrupt left turn? Well, it turns out they would. Indeed, Radiohead’s 2000 LP, Kid A, is beloved. It’s a classic. It’s one of the signature albums of the 21st century. But it was a big risk to make.

‘Pet Sounds’ by The Beach Boys (1966)

In the early days of The Beach Boys, the singing group gave fans simple, precious pop songs. They recorded and released tunes about surfing, having fun on the beach, and holding hands with crushes. But then they grew up. While the group released their first album, Surfin’ Safari, in 1962, it was in 1966 when they became legends. The Beach Boys’ 1966 LP, Pet Sounds, is a classic. But when Brian Wilson and company were making it, there was worry it was too lush, too orchestral. Would their teenybopper fans dig it? In the end, it’s become an all-timer. But that wasn’t always clear.

‘Blood On The Tracks’ by Bob Dylan (1975)

When we listen to Bob Dylan’s music, we often think he’s laying out the secrets of life. But that doesn’t mean his process of writing his songs is always so fluid. Take, for example, his 1975 LP, Blood On The Tracks. The album almost never got released. Dylan’s songs at the time seemed to rub people the wrong way. They were too long, too bare. The record was going nowhere. In fact, just hours before it was to be released, Dylan left New York and flew to Minneapolis to re-record a handful of the tracks with a band his brother David had arranged. In the end, the album came together. But it was almost scrapped after many fits and starts.

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