3 Classic Rock Albums That Musicians Publicly Turned Their Backs On

Some albums aren’t acknowledged by the artists who made them. Artists grow like the rest of us, and sometimes their work doesn’t age well with them. The three classic rock albums below are ones that artists refused to stand by. Whether that’s because they weren’t their best work, they were changed behind their backs, or they earned a kind of success they weren’t ready for.

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‘Let It Be’ — The Beatles

Though The Beatles’ Let It Be is a fan favorite, it wasn’t what the band wanted as a final product. Finished up after the group called it quits; the production wasn’t what Paul McCartney wanted. It was far too busy, where McCartney wanted it to feel more stripped back, hence the Naked redux version of the album.

Other bandmates thought the album was as good as it could be, given the band had much bigger issues to worry about in the wake of their breakup. Nevertheless, McCartney was so upset with the record that he sent a letter to Allen Klein and Phil Spector, the masterminds behind the production change, telling them never to mess with his album again.

‘Nevermind’ — Nirvana

Nirvana’s Nevermind was a runaway success. It took the band from counterculture heroes to full-blown rock stars. While that might’ve excited many bands, it wasn’t what Nirvana was after. Their follow-up to this record proves that they weren’t ready to stand behind Nevermind and instead wanted to distance themselves from it.

In Utero was very different from the listener-friendly songs on Nevermind, especially the standout “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” These songs, though popular amongst fans, were far too off-kilter to be mainstream hits.

‘Time’ — Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac’s Time isn’t their most famous work, and for good reason. This album featured only Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine McVie of the classic band lineup. While Fleetwood Mac went through many personnel changes over the years, once their fans heard Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, they were impossible to forget.

In hindsight, it seems the group knew these songs wouldn’t be their most popular, and the album isn’t widely discussed today. But, at any rate, they did the best they could without two of their key members. While the other members had their own unique magic, the core lineup needed to stay intact once it was established.

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