Masterpiece Albums That Sold Poorly Upon Release

When discussing the best albums of all time, many people focus on chart success and commercial popularity. However, there are numerous legendary albums that struggled to find an audience upon release but have since become cherished masterpieces. This article delves into some of these overlooked and underappreciated albums that haveButtonItem sold poorly.

The Ramones - Leave Home (1976)

One of the seminal punk rock discs, Leave Home by The Ramones, sold only 6,000 copies in the U.S. in 1976. It would take 38 years for it to go gold. Yet, in Sweden, the album managed to chart at number 48 in 1976. Leave Home can be credited as one of the first punk albums ever released and has had a profound influence on the punk rock genre that followed.

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground Nico (1967)

The Velvet Underground Nico, released in 1967, saw a similarly modest release of 30,000 copies over its first five years. Despite its underwhelming sales, this album is now recognized as a groundbreaking piece of music that heavily influenced the art and music scenes of the following years.

POCO - Good Feeling To Know (1972)

Good Feeling To Know by Poco represents a prime example of an album that was underappreciated at the time but has since become highly regarded. Released after six years of collaboration and extensive live performances, this album showcased the band's mature songwriting and harmonies. However, its potential to achieve mainstream success was contingent on Richie Furay deciding to stay with the band. Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition, and Furay moved on to form Buffalo Springfield after Good Feeling To Know released a single album with the band.

Gene Clark’s Solo Output

Gene Clark, one of my all-time favorite artists, released several critically acclaimed yet commercially underperforming albums. Here are four of them:

Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers (1967) The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard Clark (1968) White Light (1971) No Other (1974)

These albums highlight Clark's genius and showcase his unique voice, which often went unnoticed by mainstream audiences due to the challenging period of the recordings during the 1960s and 1970s.

Conclusion

The history of recorded music is replete with examples of talented artists and their overlooked masterpieces. Albums that sold poorly upon release have often endured critical acclaim and gained a loyal fanbase over time. These stories serve as a testament to the enduring power of music and the importance of giving a chance to artists who may not have found immediate success.