If there’s one thing those of us who aren’t famous hear over and over again, it’s how taxing, draining, and dehumanizing fame truly is. There are definitely those who seem to enjoy it, as well as a whole host of folks who continue to do everything in their power to attain it, but the idea of worldwide notoriety being a Faustian bargain is so prevalent in our culture that’d be a cliché if we didn’t see it play out repeatedly in the real world. [Insert Chappell Roan reference here.]
The downsides of fame are innumerable: losing control of your image and sense of identity, not getting to choose your audience and potentially cultivating a fanbase you despise, pressure from corporate executives who could give a shit about your art… the list goes on. The main upside, of course, is having the opportunity to realize and share your vision — that and the fact that you’ll likely never have to double-check the price of produce again. I mean, it’s one banana, Michael. What could it cost, $10?
Still, as enticing as the bounties of celebrity are, some artists feel compelled to rebel against them. Maybe it was taking a toll on their mental health, maybe they were fed up with their own deified prestige, or maybe they were looking for a way to tell their label where they could shove it. Regardless of the reason, there’s really only one thing to do when you find yourself in such a situation — write an album that’ll piss people off.
From Bob Dylan attempting to downplay his cultural importance to Nirvana trying to check their meteoric rise to figures like Neil Young or Talk Talk turning in records that spark genuine legal disputes, the history of antagonistic albums is as intriguing as it is spiteful. Join us as we take a look at 11 projects that were designed to piss you off, presented in chronological order.
— Jonah Krueger
Editorial Coordinator