The 15 Worst Albums by Great Rock Bands

Every band here has a masterpiece somewhere else in the catalogue. These are the records their own fans skip.

1

Lulu

The 2011 Lou Reed and Metallica collaboration, routinely voted the worst record either made.

1000pts

2

St. Anger

Metallica's 2003 album, remembered for a snare sound its own fans imitate as a joke.

952pts

3

Van Halen III

The 1998 album with Gary Cherone on vocals, the band's only one-off singer.

800pts

4

Dirty Work

The Rolling Stones' 1986 low point, recorded while Jagger and Richards barely spoke.

714pts

5

Cut the Crap

The Clash's 1985 album, made without Mick Jones and disowned soon after.

714pts

6

Load

Metallica's 1996 blues-rock turn, still the dividing line in the band's fanbase.

647pts

7

Hot Space

Queen's 1982 disco-funk experiment, which emptied arenas in the United States.

571pts

8

Never Let Me Down

David Bowie's 1987 album, which he later called his nadir.

483pts

9

Music from The Elder

Kiss's 1981 concept album with an orchestra, abandoned live almost immediately.

381pts

10

Forbidden

Black Sabbath's 1995 album, produced by Body Count's Ernie C and disowned by the band.

381pts

11

Risk

Megadeth's 1999 pivot to radio rock, which cost them Marty Friedman.

381pts

12

It's Hard

The Who's 1982 farewell, the record the band spent decades apologising for.

260pts

13

Cold Lake

Celtic Frost's 1988 glam detour, a genre change nobody asked for.

260pts

14

Generations

Journey's 2005 album, on which every member took a turn singing lead.

260pts

15

Night in the Ruts

Aerosmith's 1979 album, cut mid-collapse with Joe Perry already out of the band.

114pts