Underrated albums that you absolutely love

Here are a few of mine. Most people tend to brush these off as the weaker entries in these artists' catalogs, but if you tell me otherwise, you're just wrong

The Pogues - Peace & Love
The Rolling Stones - Black & Blue
The Clash - Sandinista (though I know they have a huge cult following)
Pink Floyd - Animals
Santana - Havana Moon
Animals - Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted
U2 - Pop (not my absolute favorite, but solid enough, plus it fits the theme)
R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
John Lennon - Rock'n'roll
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (especially with Candy's Room on there)😍
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

The Idols - Chocolate

I'm sure there are plenty more I can't think of right now

Anyway, no need to trash anyone else's taste—people love to hate on these records—so why don't you guys share one of yours?
😉

Right off the bat, the first thing that comes to mind is "Human After All" by Daft Punk. It’s honestly tragic how a wave of bad reviews can absolutely tank the sales of an album that actually had hit potential. 👎

Then you've got that 10,000 Hz legend from Aira—personally, I couldn't stand much of that album.

Or take "Play with Bootsy" by Bootsy Collins; that whole album was basically just one big joke.

And so on...

Dana Anderson4 said:Here are a few of mine. Most people tend to brush these off as the weaker entries in these artists' discographies, but if you think otherwise, you're just flat-out wrong—they're excellent (or at least very good).

The Pogues - Peace & Love
R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

I'm with you on this one.

Peace & Love - man, what a record! Honestly, The Pogues with Shane are untouchable for me. It might not be their absolute masterpiece, but it’s incredibly solid and I absolutely love it.

New Adventures in Hi-Fi - this one was such a pleasant surprise. After the previous two albums which did absolutely nothing for me... you had "Out of Time" (which felt a bit over the top, though Michael finally hit those low, low, low notes and I dig several tracks), then basically nothing, nothing again, and then suddenly these beautiful "New Adventures," and then it's over. I have zero complaints.

Houses of the Holy - I just love it, plain and simple.

A few more for the list:

The Clash - Combat Rock (not exactly a crowd favorite, is it?)
The Smiths - "Strangeways, Here We Come" - a really cool record, and I'm not even a die-hard Smiths fanatic.
Blockade, I can't recall the name.

Personally, I think New Adventures in Hi-Fi is a killer album. It’s pretty much the only R.E.M. record I have the patience to sit through from start to finish. And E-Bow the Letter? Absolute classic. 🙂

I’m in total agreement with Jason Chavez32 regarding Daft Punk. That album is absolute perfection. Even now, Bootsy manages to deliver these moments of pure genius, even if his recent records have started to sound pretty much identical to one another (a few years back, I caught that Steve Raab show on Fox, where Bootsy was a guest alongside his wife—who was maybe forty years his junior—and he kept grabbing her breasts just to show the audience how massive they were).
In my estimation, the post-Green phase of Fleetwood Mac is significantly superior to Green's own era (a take that usually earns me a bit of grief from the old guard), and nearly the entire Springsteen catalog is nothing short of impressive.

New Adventures is excellent
Many people consider FNM's album of the Year to be a weak effort... personally, I think it's great
Pearl Jam's No Code
Pulp's last one, We Love Life, is completely overlooked, yet to me, it's nearly on par with their previous three masterpieces
Smashing Pumpkins' Washing Machine

June of 44😍

It’s not just good—it’s easily their best work yet.

Peace & Love is easily my favorite from The Pogues—and honestly, Animals is the best thing Pink Floyd ever did after Barrett (though I find it hard to even call them Pink Floyd at that point)

ff - you could have it so much better
Self-proclaimed experts think the first one was better, but this one just straight up kicks ass!

Of course I love Combat Rock! 😍
I guess "Straight to Hell" might actually be my favorite thing by The Clash—though picking just one track is pretty much impossible.

If people think Houses of the Holy is a weaker album, then it’s right down there on my list too. It's peak Led Zeppelin, period.

Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy—hands down, easily the best

pixies-bossanova
pixies-trompe le monde

While I definitely agree that Surfer Rosa and Doolittle are absolute masterpieces, I think these two are just as incredible

the white stripes-de stijl

In my opinion, it's a much better record than the overhyped Elephant, which only stays relevant because of "Seven Nation Army"

Also, Bambi Molesters' "Play Out of Tune"—even though the band members themselves aren't big fans—is such a sweet listen to me😛

I'll probably think of a few more soon...

Adam Mendoza8 said:ff - you could have it so much better
Fake experts think the first one's better, but this one just kicks ass!

Honestly, I think the second one blows the first out of the water too. Same deal with Interpol. Antics hits way harder than that first record, can't even remember the name of it.

Douglas Taylor4 said:The Clash - Combat Rock

I'm totally on board with this

Dana Anderson4 said:The Clash - Sandinista (they really do have a massive fanbase!)
Pink Floyd - Animals
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

I guess I'll sign off on those too,
but I might add a few more to the list:
Elvis Costello - Spike
Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel😍
New Bomb Turks - any of their later albums, I suppose
Public Image Ltd - their album
Sonic Youth - NYC Ghosts & Flowers
The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me (definitely my favorite)
X - More Fun in the New World (also great)
Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell😁
Trans Am - TA

Nicholas Perez33 said:Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell 😁

Listen... Speak & Spell is an absolute masterpiece. Please, I’m begging you, don't go putting it under the "weaker albums" category. 🙂

ruggedcrane22 said:I honestly think the Green era of Fleetwood Mac was way better than Green's solo stuff (though I usually just get side-eyed by the old-timers for saying that)

Man, I feel totally blindsided too. For once, I'm right there with you... 😁

Susan Clark10 said:Look, Speak and Spell is a total masterpiece. Please don't go putting it in the 'weaker albums' category.🙂

Uh, maybe take another look at the thread description? None of the albums listed here are actually "weak." It’s quite the opposite—even if critics usually disagree. And honestly, those early Depeche Mode records are some of my absolute favorites too...

Dana Anderson4 said:Ahem, read the thread title again. None of the albums listed here are actually "weak"—quite the opposite, really—even if the critics tend to think otherwise. And honestly, those early Depeche Mode records are my absolute favorites too...

But that’s exactly my point. The whole topic is about "albums considered weaker"... and I honestly can't think of a single person who would call Speak and Spell a "weak" album, you know? 😉

Nicholas Perez33 said:elvis costello - spike

Spike is fantastic, and honestly, Punch the Clock gets way less credit than it deserves.

Miss L is out on the road again. said:That’s exactly my point. The thread title says "albums considered weaker," but I honestly don't know a single person who thinks *Speak & Spell* is anything less than a classic, you know? 😉

Looks like Gall only gave him three stars.🤣