Secret Successes

Scott Hardie | May 28, 2020
I got into a conversation recently with some friends that I wonder if you can expand upon: Albums that are least-loved by the public that you think are secretly the artist's best work. For instance, some of mine:

• Anthrax's Sound of White Noise is loathed by fans because it's their first album without Joey Belladonna and it doesn't sound like the thrash metal that the band was known for, but I love it most of their albums. "Hy Pro Glo" is satisfyingly heavy, and "Black Lodge" is an eerie song about Twin Peaks.

• Iron Maiden's The X Factor is their first album without Bruce Dickinson and it's more adult and real-life in tone than the playful horror of the band's earlier work. I think it's sophisticated and challenging, mellow enough to be enjoyed by people who don't like metal, and besides, Blaze Bayley's a hell of a singer. "The Aftermath" and "Judgement of Heaven" are great tracks. Too bad about that song regrettably based on the movie Falling Down.

I know some fans don't like R.E.M.'s Monster because they went electric, but it's easily my favorite of their albums. And while the latter-day Oceania cannot approach the popularity of the Smashing Pumpkins' nineties hits, I think it's beautiful and heartfelt, their best work, nearly perfect from start to finish. (Literally the only thing I'd change is the sound mix; the drums are too muted.) Anyway, I could come up with more.

What are examples like this when you felt like the fans got it wrong, and an artist's least-loved work is their best?