3 Legendary Albums That No One Wants To Listen to Twice

Sometimes, an album is so good but so devastating that fans can only enjoy a thorough listen just once. I certainly don’t blame them. Maybe certain albums are meant to be experienced just one time. Let’s look at just a few albums that are definitely legendary, but might be too difficult to listen to a second time.

‘Either/Or’ by Elliott Smith (1997)

This record from the late Elliott Smith features little else but his soft vocals and an acoustic guitar. A big part of Smith’s music was exploring vulnerability, depression, existentialism, and being broken-hearted. That’s definitely the theme of Either/Or. It ends with a bright note full of hope with “Say Yes”. But those who know about his violent, shocking end at the age of only 34, just a few years after Either/Or was released, likely can’t listen to this devastating indie folk album again.

‘Blackstar’ by David Bowie (2016)

While the average listener might be able to stomach this album more than twice (it’s really, objectively good art rock music), diehard fans of David Bowie likely struggle with revisiting Blackstar. This album was Bowie’s final album, released just two days before Bowie passed away from liver cancer. He knew he was dying, and Blackstar was his swan song for his fans. And it’s not exactly an upbeat record, either. Blackstar’s theme is entirely centered around death, dying, and mortality, and it’s a challenging but rewarding listen for anyone.

‘Carrie & Lowell’ by Sufjan Stevens (2019)

Personally, listening to this album for the first time was like being hit by a truck. While Sufjan Stevens has never been a stranger to very sad music, Carrie & Lowell from 2019 takes the cake. From the very beginning, it’s clear that this album is going to absolutely wreck the listener. Stevens produced the record as a memorial for his mother, Carrie, who passed in 2012, as well as a tribute to his stepfather, Lowell, who helped Stevens establish Asthmatic Kitty Records in 1999. 

Stevens’ relationship with his mother was complex, as she suffered from mental illness and substance abuse. If you’ve got abandonment issues, this entry on our list of legendary albums is not the kind of record you can listen to twice. But it is completely and totally beautiful.

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