4 Obscure Albums by Mega-Famous Artists That You’ve Probably Never Heard

Mega-famous bands and musicians are typically known for a handful of super-popular works. However, many of those artists also have a few obscure albums in their discography that never got quite as popular. Naturally, if you’re a big fan of any of the following bands and artists, you have probably at least heard of these albums before. But for the casual listener, these albums might be total mysteries. Let’s change that, shall we?

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‘Fair Warning’ by Van Halen

Van Halen diehards have definitely heard of this album. However, I’ve never personally heard of it before. And after one listen, I’m surprised it isn’t more well-known on a mainstream level. The song “Unchained” was the only track that got substantial radio play, and that’s a real shame. The whole of Fair Warning is a beautiful display of how talented a guitarist Eddie Van Halen was.

‘The Top’ by The Cure

I love The Cure, and I know as well as any fan of this gothic rock outfit that The Top is one of the band’s most overlooked pieces of work. Released in 1984, this little slice of post-punk heaven with a psychedelic edge features beautiful experiments from Robert Smith. He rounds out the edges of the band’s identifiable sound with saxophones, flutes, violins, and Spanish and Middle Eastern stylings that nobody expected. This album got some pretty mixed reviews back in the day, and I really don’t get why. This is an enormously original album.

‘The King Of Limbs’ by Radiohead

Following up culture-changing records like OK Computer and In Rainbows is no easy feat. Sadly for Radiohead, their 2011 album The King Of Limbs left a lot of people wanting. And today, casual and non-fans might not even know this record exists.

Musically, it’s not a bad album at all. It’s quite beautiful. However, a lot of fans who had come to love Radiohead for their often anti-consumerist message didn’t love the fact that the band’s surprise release of the record via their limited liability company. NME editor Martin Robison summarized the controversy well as “the pose of anti-consumerism to win fans, then the total exploitation of that loyalty via consumerist means.”

‘Medúlla’ by Björk

I’m going to open this by mentioning that I might be Björk’s biggest fan. I’ve listened to everything she’s ever produced. That being said, I have historically slept on the 2004 experimental a cappella album Medúlla. It’s far from her most-loved works, like Post and Vespertine. I really wish I hadn’t skipped over this album for so long, because it’s actually one of Björk’s most unique and special albums from her career.

This is one of the most obscure albums out there, and it might be a bit too experimental for everyone’s tastes. However, the fact that this record is based entirely around using human vocals as an instrument makes it worth at least one listen, even for those who aren’t Björk fans.

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