Good Songs from Albums That Alienated Fans

Some albums are usually criticised, yet some critics praise songs as highlights from the album. So here my twelve examples of 30 good songs from albums that alienated fans.

1. "Bad Girl" and "Rain" by Madonna from Erotica (1992)

Despite the album's bad publicity, the third and fifth singles from the Queen of Pop's 1992 album, "Bad Girl" and "Rain" were pop ballads and critically praised. However those two songs did not become Top 10 hit in Madonna's homeland America, with the former barely became a Top 40 hit and the latter became a Top 20 hit. 

Had Erotica's lead single been "Deeper and Deeper", then "Bad Girl" would have been a number-one hit, plus "Erotica" would never been a single at all, a theory started by some fans. The music video for "Bad Girl" also starred Christopher Walken as an angel, a role that he would later play in the 1995 supernatural horror The Prophecy and the "Rain" music video had a cameo role by Koichi Sakamoto from the Japanese synthpop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra as the director.

Here's a video for "Bad Girl":

Here's a video for "Rain":

2. "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters" and "Sad but True" by Metallica from Metallica (1991)

Though it has been considered as one of the heavy metal band's greatest works, it alienated longtime fans when it was released in 1991. The best-selling black album had good hits such as "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters" and "Sad but True". "Enter Sandman" has remained one of the most-played songs by the band since its 1991 live debut.

"The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters" are heavy rock ballads, with the former being a reverse of their previous ballads (melodic verse with a heavier chorus) and the latter being a usual rock ballad. The first three singles were US Top 40 hits, while the last was a Top 100 hit.

Though I'm not a fan of heavy metal music, these songs are truly hard rock classics.

Here's a video for "Enter Sandman":

Here's a video for "The Unforgiven":


Here's a video for "Nothing Else Matters":


Here's a video for "Sad but True":

3. "Warped", "My Friends" and "Aeroplane" by Red Hot Chili Peppers from One Hot Minute (1995)

Who could remember Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction replaced John Frusciante as the guitarist of alt-rock legends Red Hot Chili Peppers. Well, One Hot Minute received backlash from fans and most songs from the albums are no longer played by the band.

However, "Warped" is an alt-metal meets Queen, with "My Friends" being a continuation of "Under the Bridge" and "Aeroplane" is a feelgood funk rock song.

Here's a video for "Warped":


Here's a video for "My Friends":
 

Here's a video for "Aeroplane":

4. "Ava Adore" and "Perfect" by The Smashing Pumpkins from Adore (1998)

The Smashing Pumpkins' fourth album Adore alienated several fans as they went through a new phase, switching from hipster alt-rock to more darkish gothic rock. Not only that, it became the only album by the band as a trio due to the firing of drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. 

However, the two singles from the album, "Ava Adore" and "Perfect" became Top 40 hits in the UK and you gotta love the one-shot music video for "Ava Adore" followed by the sequel to "1979", "Perfect".

Here's a video for "Ava Adore":

Here's a video for "Perfect":

5. "Androgyny", "Cherry Lips" and "Shut Your Mouth" by Garbage from Beautiful Garbage (2001)

Remember when Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson cropped her mid-length red hair and later dyed it platinum blonde? The alternative rock band's third album Beautiful Garbage alienated fans with their new pop-influenced sound, so much that several songs from the album is no longer played by the band.

Still, the highlights are "Androgyny" (Blondie-meets-Eurythmics), "Cherry Lips" (as if Madonna wrote that song) and "Shut Your Mouth" (proto-Bleed Like Me era). All were UK Top 40 hits.

Here's a video for "Androgyny":

Here's a video for "Cherry Lips":


Here's a video for "Shut Your Mouth":

6. "New", "Ex-Girlfriend" and "Simple Kind of Life" by No Doubt from Return of Saturn (2000)

Remember when No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani dyed her platinum blonde (ironically, she is a natural brunette) pink sometime in 1999? The result was the band's fourth album Return of Saturn, which like Beautiful Garbage, was a fan-alienating album. 

"New" was the taster for the album and also promoted the 1999 film Go, "Ex-Girlfriend" and "Simple Kind of Life" were moderately successful. The first two were UK Top 40 hits, while the latter was the album's only US Top 40 hit.

Here's a video for "New":

Here's a video for "Ex-Girlfriend":

Here's a video for "Simple Kind of Life":

7. "Daysleeper" by R.E.M. from Up (1998)

Several fans of alt-rock pioneers R.E.M. were angered with the band's new electronic sound after the departure of drummer Peter Buck in 1997. The band's first album as a trio, Up met with unfavourable response. However, "Daysleeper" was a Top 40 hit in the UK.

Here's a video for "Daysleeper":

8. "You Rock My World" and "Cry" by Michael Jackson from Invincible (2001)

The King of Pop's highly-anticipated Invincible album was released in October 2001, however its hopes of success was cut short due to 9/11. Because of this, Jackson did not tour at all except doing a concert celebrating his 30 years as a performer and blamed his record company Sony on the album's failure to become a bigger hit. 

Still, "You Rock My World" and "Cry" had moderate success and became one of his last hits in his lifetime, also if he was still alive then he would've performed those songs for his This Is It concert series. The former is last to feature the singer.

Here's a video for "You Rock My World":


Here's the video for "Cry":

9. "Feel Good Time" and "Trouble" by Pink from Try This (2003)

Remember when Pink went more punkish with Try This? Well say no more. American pop rocker Pink (real name Alecia Moore) released "Feel Good Time" as a collaboration with producer William Orbit, which was included in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle soundtrack and the lead international single for her 2003 album.

The next single "Trouble" was also a hit, however like "Feel Good Time", it was a moderate hit in the Billboard Hot 100. Because of this, it resulted with Try This becoming a commercial failure. However, during from this album to end of the Funhouse era, Pink would sport a nose ring.

Here's the video for "Feel Good Time":



Here's the video for "Trouble":

10. "Russian Roulette", "Rude Boy", "Rockstar 101" and "Te Amo" by Rihanna from Rated R (2009)

Not completely alienated fans, but it wasn't successful as her 2007 million-seller Good Girl Gone Bad. "Russian Roulette" and "Rude Boy" were big hits in the UK and the US, while "Rockstar 101" never charted in the UK and "Te Amo" never charted in the US at all. 

Still some longtime fans like the rockier image of the Barbadian singer.

Here's a video for "Russian Roulette":



Here's a video for "Rude Boy":


Here's a video for "Rockstar 101":


Here's a video for "Te Amo":

11. "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson from Mechanical Animals (1998)

You know when industrial shock rocker Marilyn Manson briefly changed his gothic industrial look to more Bowie-esque look in 1998? Say no more, as fans were very alienated with the glam rock-inspired album Mechanical Animals, which became his eponymous band's most successful album, with over 15 million copies sold worldwide. 

There's two songs that is considered to be the highlights of the album and they are "The Dope Show" and "Coma White".

Here's a video for "The Dope Show":

Here's a video for "Coma White":

12. "Did It Again" and "Breathe" by Kylie Minogue from Impossible Princess (1997)

The Aussie Queen of Pop tried to go less pop with the trip hop-influenced Impossible Princess album (though in the UK, it was the third self-titled album by her due renaming it after the death of Princess Diana of Wales), which actually predated Madonna's 1998 trip hop-influenced album Ray of Light (which came out on March 1998) by four months. 

Though it was a critical and commercial success in her native Australia, the critical and commercial reception of the album in Britain when it came out on May 1998 was negative, with popular magazines Q and NME gave it two-star rating and a four out of ten rating, respectively.

However, Q has since praised the album in 2003, when it was called a "hidden gem" and considered it as a lost pop masterpiece. Despite this, Minogue went disco with the 2000 comeback Light Years after departing from Deconstruction Records. Two songs that can be considered one of the highlights are the singles "Did It Again" and "Breathe".

Here's the video for "Did It Again":

Here's the video for "Breathe":