All-time worst music albums

Everyone has an opinion on the best popular music albums of all time. Call us pessimists, but at OUP we were wondering, what are the worst albums? Luckily, we have the best resource for all things music, Colin Larkin editor of the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. The 4th edition of this exhaustive source, a co-publication of Muze and Oxford University Press, is now available.

Check out what albums really make Larkin’s ears ring. Come back to the blog on Monday, October 30th to take the Pop Music Quiz and again on Monday, November 6th to read Larkin’s essay “Shoot The Designer.”

• 10cc: Alive (Jade/ Creative Man 1993)
• 13th Floor Elevators: Live (International Artists 1968)
• 1910 FruitGum Co.: Hard Ride (Buddah 1969)
• Alice Cooper: Flush The Fashion (Warners 1980)
• Allman, Gregg: with Cher as Allman And Woman Two The Hard Way (Warners 1977)
• Animals: The Ark (I.R.S. 1983)

• Annette: Hawaiiannette (Buena Vista 1960)
  • Italiannette (Buena Vista 1960)
  • Annette Sings (Buena Vista 1960)
  • Teen Street (Buena Vista 1962)
  • The Story of My Teens (Buena Vista 1962)
  • Annette Sings Golden Surfin’ Hits (Buena Vista 1964)
  • The Best of Broadway (Disneyland 1965)
• Archies: Jingle Jangle (Kirshner 1969)
• Autry, Gene: Rusty the Rocking Horse & Bucky, The Bucking Bronco 10-inch album (Columbia 1955)
• Avalon, Frankie: Italiano (Chancellor 1962)
• Baker, Chet: Blood, Chet & Tears (Verve 1970)
• Baldry, Long John: Everything Stops for Tea (Warners 1972)
• Beach Boys: Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (River North 1996)
• Bee Gees: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band film soundtrack (RSO)
• Bolton, Michael: This Is The Time: The Christmas Album (Columbia 1996)
• Booker T. And The MGs: In The Christmas Spirit (Stax 1966)
• Boone, Pat: The Country Side of Pat Boone (Motown 1977)
• Chamberlain, Richard: Joy in the Morning (MGM 1964)
• Checker, Chubby: Chubby’s Folk Album (Parkway 1964)
• Cher: with Gregg Allman as Allman And Woman Two The Hard Way (Warners 1977)
• Chesnutt, Mark: Doing My Country Thing (Axbar 2000)
• Chipmunks: Sing the Beatles Hits (Liberty 1964)
• Darin, Bobby: Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Dolittle (Atlantic 1967)
• Dylan, Bob: with the Grateful Dead Dylan and the Dead (Columbia 1990)
• Electric Light Orchestra: as ELO 2 Moment of Truth (Edel 1994)
• Father Abraham and The Smurfs: Merry Christmas With The Smurfs (Dureco 1983)
• Frampton, Peter: Premonition (Atlantic 1986)
• Grateful Dead: with Bob Dylan Dylan and the Dead (Columbia 1990)
• Greenbaum, Norman: Back Home Again (Reprise 1971)
• Hall, Tom T.: Country Songs For Kids (Mercury 1988)
• Hanson: Snowed In For Christmas (Mercury 1997)
• Hyland, Brian: Country Meets Folk (ABC 1964)
• Jackson, LaToya: From Nashville To You aka My Country Collection (MarGor 1994)
• Jefferson Airplane: Jefferson Airplane (Epic 1989)
• Jefferson Starship: as Starship Love Among The Cannibals (RCA 1989)
• Lennon, John: with Yoko Ono Unfinished Music No 1 – Two Virgins (Apple 1968)
• Love: Reel to Real (RSO 1974)
• McCartney, Paul: Give My Regards to Broad Street film soundtrack (Parlophone/ Columbia)
• Metheny, Pat: Zero Tolerance For Silence (Geffen 1994)
• Milli Vanilli: Two X TwoM Remix Album (Arista/ Cooltempo 1989))
• Moon, Keith: Two Sides Of The Moon (Polydor 1975)
• New Kids on the Block: Merry, Merry Christmas (Columbia 1989)
• Nitzsche, Jack: Dance To The Hits Of The Beatles (Reprise 1964)
• Ocasek, Ric: Quick Change The World (Reprise 1993)
• Osmond, Little Jimmy: Kimi Wa Pretty (Epic 1981)
• Paul and Paula: Holiday For Teens (Philips 1963)
• Presley, Elvis: Having Fun With Elvis on Stage (RCA 1974)
• Rawls, Lou: Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! (Capitol 1967)
  • Metal Machine Music (RCA 1975)
• Rhinoceros: Better Times Are Coming (Elektra 1970)
• Rich, Buddy: Buddy Just Sings (Verve 1957)
• Royal Guardsmen: Snoopy For President (Laurie 1968)
• Rundgren, Todd:Initiation (Bearsville 1975)
• Sadler, Barry, Staff Sgt.: The “A” Team (RCA 1966)
• Savalas, Telly: Telly (MCA 1975)
• Smith, ‘Whistling’ Jack: Around The World With Whistling Jack Smith (Deram 1967)
• Smurfs: Merry Christmas With The Smurfs (Dureco 1983)
• Starr, Ringo: Old Wave (Bellaphon, RCA 1983)
• Sutch, Screaming Lord: Lord Sutch And Heavy Friends (Atlantic 1970)
• Ultimate Spinach: III (MGM 1969)
• Vicious, Sid: Sid Dead Live (Anagram 1997)
• Village People: Sex Over The Phone (Ariola 1985)
• Walker, Jerry Jeff: Christmas Gonzo Style (Rykodisc 1994)
• Young, Neil: Landing On Water (Geffen 1986)