Even the best rock bands release albums that are, for lack of a better word, terrible. It’s a shame, but many of those “bad” albums have at least one really, really good song on them. Let’s look at three incredible songs that happen to be on “terrible” albums that weren’t very well-received.
1. “X-Kid” by Green Day
Green Day’s 2012 album ¡Tré! was an unfortunate swing and a miss. While critics offered up generally good to mixed reviews of the album, the first week of sales marked a career low for the band; fans were just not that interested in it. It’s a shame, but there is one song on that album that most fans would agree is a killer track.
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That song would be “X-Kid”. This song has a lot of heat to it, despite not really sounding like a punk rock track. Billie Joe Armstrong is particularly passionate on this track as he croons about a childhood friend who sadly passed away.
2. “Under Pressure” by Queen
Whether or not Hot Space is an actual “terrible” album is up to fan opinion. However, a pretty hefty number of fans of the band and critics agree that this particular 1982 album was an artistically “disappointing” record from Queen. The band flirted with dance and disco a little too hard, and their sound on that album just doesn’t come off as authentic.
At least we have “Under Pressure”. This famous duet between Queen and David Bowie is one of the most stunning songs to be produced by either. When you really look into the lyrics, “Under Pressure” is a very arresting, eye-opening piece of work about being brave in the face of love.
3. “Never Say Die” by Black Sabbath
Out of all the incredible songs from “terrible” albums on this list, this one is famously amazing. Never Say Die was the last album to feature Ozzy Osbourne for decades. Even though the record gained certified gold status and sold pretty well, it got very mixed and negative reviews from critics. We’re not super surprised, considering the band was rife with drug abuse and drama at the time.
However, the album’s title track is an explosive one. Those dark lyrics, that killer guitar riff, that particular mix of doom, gloom, and musical beauty… This track feels more appropriate for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath than anything.
Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns
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