Classic Albums that never charted (or charted low)

[petefij]

Hi there,

was just looking through the Guinness book of Hit albums, like the music nerd I am, and was surprised to see Joy Division's Unkown Pleasures only charted at #71. Velevt Underground's Andy Warhol banana album famoulsy never charted either - any other classic albums which were over-looked at the time?

Pete

[LouBarlow]

White Light/White Heat only reached #199 in the US :lol:

I don't think Marquee Moon ever charted in the US, though seem to recall it did better here.

[DM]

Pixies - Surfer Rosa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfer_Rosa

[Mr Majestik]

A year or so ago Mojo magazine gave away a special magazine about the 80's which had small reviews of the decades seminal albums. The vast majority chated in the low 30's here and didn't chart at all in the US.

[DM]

The Libertines - Up The Bracket (#35)
The La's - The La's (#30)

[SIMON ADEBISI]

The Libertines - Up The Bracket (#35)

Classic?

[DM]

In my opinion? Yes. It appears in quite a lot of lists does it not?

[SIMON ADEBISI]

I suppose it does.

But when you hear the term "classic albums" you think of Led Zepellin IV or Reign In Blood :D

[DM]

Age is a good measure although you do get the odd instant classic. Arcade Fire - Funeral? Where did that get?

[Art Vanderlay]

Both guesses...

Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

Any of the 3 proper Nick Drake albums

[SIMON ADEBISI]

Age is a good measure although you do get the odd instant classic. Arcade Fire - Funeral? Where did that get?

131 in the billboard chart according to google. Mental!

[ceiberman]

Hi there,

was just looking through the Guinness book of Hit albums, like the music nerd I am, and was surprised to see Joy Division's Unkown Pleasures only charted at #71. Velevt Underground's Andy Warhol banana album famoulsy never charted either - any other classic albums which were over-looked at the time?

Pete

VU were one of those bands (like Big Star) that were incredibly influential but sold next to nothing. I guess it was case of all the right people getting to hear them but nobody else.

[petefij]

131 in the billboard chart according to google. Mental!
Funeral went # 42 in Uk Album charts, Television Marquee Moon # 28.

Nick Drake, Go-Betweens, & Big Star are all good examples .

[stefmcd]

The Stone Roses - 19
Whats going on - Marvin Gaye - no chart position
Forever Changes - Love - 24
The Band - 25
Odelay - Beck - 18
The Doors - 43
Grace - Jeff Buckley - did not chart
Horses - Patti Smith - did not chart
Younger than yesterday - The Byrds - 37
Moondance - Van morrison - 32
bloodsugarsexmagik - Red hot chilli peppers - 25
funhouse - the stooges - did not chart
live at the apollo vol 1 - James Brown - did not chart
Moby Grape - did not chart
Countdown to ecstasy - Steely Dan - did not chart
No other - Gene Clark - did not chart
The Ramones - did not chart
Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons - did not chart
Everybody knows this is nowher - Neil Young - did notchart
Placebo - 40
Layla and other... - did not chart
Green - REM - 27
Rain Dogs - Tom Waits - 29
The nightfly - Donald Fagen - 44
Surfer Rosa - The Pixies - did not chart
Dust in Memphis - Dusty Springfield - did not chart
Solid Air - John Martyn - did not chart
REmain in light - Talking heads - 21
Psychocandy - Jesus MAry chain - 31
Steve McQueen - Prefab Sprout - 21
Van Halen - 34

[DM]

Stone Roses was a #1 LP. Are those US figures?

[stefmcd]

Stone Roses was a #1 LP. Are those US figures?

Nope Uk figures - Stone Roses was nowhere near no. 1. Don't even know why you would think so. SR were unknown to many of my contemporaries and as an 18 year old when the album came out that should tell you everything.
:)

P.S. The Stone Roses did hit the top 10 in 2004 when the dvd release came out!

[gingertom]

AC/CD - Powerage - The best Bon Scott Album - and IMO still the best AC/DC album UK chart 26 - in the US it only achieved 133!!

[DM]

Nope Uk figures - Stone Roses was nowhere near no. 1. Don't even know why you would think so. SR were unknown to many of my contemporaries and as an 18 year old when the album came out that should tell you everything.
:)

P.S. The Stone Roses did hit the top 10 in 2004 when the dvd release came out!

I was wrong but you were wronger ;) #9 LP. All my mates were into them at the time and the whole Madchester thing was kicking off. They were a popular band.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Roses_discography

[stefmcd]

I was wrong but you were wronger ;) #9 LP. All my mates were into them at the time and the whole Madchester thing was kicking off. They were a popular band.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Roses_discography

The number 9 stat is definitely wrong - Wikipedia frequently is. I've checked the 19 position via a good number of soucres.

Popularity is relative. They were commercial pygmies compared to Happy Mondays, New Order, The Smiths and, I suspect, The Charlatans.

Of course their brilliant music has ensured steady sales since 1989.

[Mr Majestik]

It took a long time for the Stone Roses LP to start selling. It wasn't till they released the Fools Gold single at the height of 'Baggy' did they start shifting records.

[bigman]

The number 9 stat is definitely wrong - Wikipedia frequently is. I've checked the 19 position via a good number of soucres.

It did peak at Number 19 in 1989 - and re-entered at 23 in 2005.

Then it went back in at number 9 in July 2004, and then it re-entered again in October 2005 and, oddly, peaked at 19 again.

I think that the recent re-entries were due to it being available for about 3 quid in HMV sales at the time.

[stefmcd]

I think that the recent re-entries were due to it being available for about 3 quid in HMV sales at the time.

3 quid - LOL - best music bargain ever? The Las, Screamadelica and Bandwagonesque regularly appear at such knockdown prices. A group representing pop perfection in the early 90s. Every time I see them at this price I think who can I buy that for?

:)

[puddleduck]

Probably showing my age, as for me "The Stone Roses" is a timeless classic, I'm pretty surprised it charted (comparatively) low.