Music Acts that Jumped the Shark

This is a list of music acts that started out cool and innovative...but then made such DRASTIC, ridiculous changes to their sound that they converted to processed cheese and never recovered.

items

955

views

Category: Recording Artists / Groups

Modified: 2009-10-27 12:29:24.0

# ▼

Name

Genre(s)

Buy

What Do You Think?

Career Began

Albums

Labels

Nationality

1

Genesis

Hard rock,Pop rock,Progressive rock,Rock music,Soft rock,Symphonic rock

"From "Supper's Ready" to "I Can't Dance", I challenge anyone to come up with a band that started out this interesting and wound up this embarrassing."

add comment

Godalming

From Genesis to Revelation,Genesis Live,Nursery Cryme,Selling England by the Pound,Trespass,Foxtrot,3 X 3,Abacab,...And Then There Were Three...,And the Word Was...,Archive 1967-1975,Archive #2 1976-1992,A Trick of the Tail,Calling All Stations,From Genesis to Revelation (Music Club version),Genesis 1976-1982,Genesis 1983-1998,Genesis Archi

ABC Records,Atco Records,Atlantic Records,Charisma Records,Decca Records,Rhino Entertainment,Impulse! Records,Virgin Records
2

Jefferson Airplane

Acid rock,Folk rock,Hard rock,Psychedelic rock,Rock music

"I'm of course including the eventual conversion to Starship via Jefferson Starship. WTF was that?!"

add comment

San Francisco

Bless Its Pointed Little Head,Crown of Creation,Jefferson Airplane Takes Off,Surrealistic Pillow,Volunteers,After Bathing at Baxter's,2400 Fulton Street: An Anthology,2400 Fulton Street (disc 1),Bark,Feed Your Head: Live '67-'69,Flight Log,Journey: The Best Of,Live at the Monterey Festival,Loves You,Preflight,Rockstars in Concert,Takes Off,

Epic Records,RCA Records
3

Chicago

Hard rock,Jazz fusion,Pop rock,Progressive rock,Rock music

"Those early albums host some of the best music of the 70s. What was that schlock in the 80s? "

add comment

Chicago

Chicago XXX,Group Portrait, Volume 1,Night & Day Big Band,The Very Best of Chicago,Chicago Story: The Complete Greatest Hits 1967-2002,Overtime,25 or 6 to 4 (Chicago Live),Chicago 13,Chicago 16,Chicago 17,Chicago 18,Chicago 19,Chicago: 25 Years of Gold,Chicago at Carnegie Hall,Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be, Santa?,Chicago/Eart

Columbia Records,Rhino Entertainment,Warner Bros.
4

Rod Stewart

Blue-eyed soul,Blues-rock,Pop music,Rock music,Hard rock,Pop rock

"No comment needed."

add comment

London

Atlantic Crossing,Every Picture Tells a Story,Never a Dull Moment,Sing It Again Rod,Smiler,Gasoline Alley,1964 - 1969,Ain't That Loving You Baby,An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down,As Time Goes By: the Great American Songbook 2,A Night on the Town,A Spanner in the Works,Best of Rod Stewart Featuring "Reason to Believe",Best of Rod Stewa

Atlantic Records,J Records,Mercury Records,Riva Records,Vertigo Records,Warner Bros. Records

England,United Kingdom
5

REO Speedwagon

Hard rock,Pop rock,Rock music,Soft rock

"OK, so they weren't EVER that innovative....but they started out as a great rock band...and wound up as something much lighter. I'd gladly go see them live again if Gary R got his act together and rejoined the band."

add comment

Champaign

Hi Infidelity,Take It on the Run: The Best of REO Speedwagon,The Second Decade of Rock and Roll 1981 to 1991,You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish,Extended Versions,The Hits,A Decade of Rock and Roll 1970 to 1980,Building the Bridge,Find Your Own Way Home,Good Trouble,Live: You Get What You Play For,Lost in a Dream,Ridin' the Storm

Epic Records
6

Liz Phair

Alternative rock,Indie rock,Lo-fi music,Pop rock,Rock music

add comment

Exile in Guyville,Juvenilia,Somebody's Miracle,Whip-Smart,Whitechocolatespaceegg,Liz Phair,Comeandgetit,Girly Sound,Supernova

ATO Records,Capitol Records,Matador Records

United States
For Your
Information

embed

2 Comments

by Christmas Music at December 02, 2009 21:38

I can't disagree with any of these, tho i think considering "I can't dance" to be still good is pushing it. Should also add CSN to this list :)

by anonymous at August 24, 2009 09:48

What about the Prepositional Phrases? They started out as the greatest harmonizers of all time, but then got rid of their best singer, Jake the snake.

Top in
Category

Related
Lists

Top on
Ranker

Top 500 Musical Groups/Artists of Alltime

Top 500 Rock Bands isn't 100% accurate as this includes solo artists, and though it does not include jazz or blues it does include soul, R&B, Americana, reggae, and classic country (yes, that is somewhat arbitrary, but for whatever reason i listen to blues and jazz differently than the rest, and would be too hard to compare Miles or Ornette or Hooker to, say, Aerosmith). Criteria for my greatest bands of all time list is a combination of recorded albums, live shows I've seen, live recordings I've heard, radio songs, and even overall image/album covers/general coolness or uniqueness. I guess that was a way of trying to explain that the ranking is just a gut feeling. But it's probably about 50% based on "live chops", hence the lower ranking of the Beatles, who quit playing live before the most creative parts of their career. I am very into live shows and live recordings. Obviously, this list will change over time. I'm adding commentary to items whenever i get a spare minute or something interesting comes to mind about a band, probably 10-20 entries a month.

by Clark Benson

21 Most Embarassing Songs Friends Can Find On Your iPod

Have you ever let someone look at your IPOD and have them say, "You have this song on there? How embarrassing." I think we all have and it had to be one of these songs on this list.

by theothermother

Top 500 Musical Groups/Artists of Alltime

Community List

Top 10 Sexiest Rappers of 2009 | The Hottest Rapper of 2009

Not really sure if this is a list of the Top 10 Sexiest Rappers, or the Top 10 Sexist Rappers of 2009. I think they (unfortunately) might be interchangeable. Yum.

by etriplett

Rolling Stones: 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time

Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best drummers of all time. For the full article go to:

by Music Lover

Bands That Will Get You Into a Hipster's Pants

How does one seem to keep up with the cutting edge without obviously being a poser? How can you make that hot hipster think you're hip as well? First of all, don't try to like the "coolest" or most "up and coming" band of the moment, because it's always possible that they're already passe in the hipster world. Instead, stick with the classics and a few things no one has heard of. Listen to these bands, read a little bit about them, and mention them in passing... And remember to use a condom.

by Lillian Behrendt

Phish Festival 8 Set-By-Set Review

Reviewing Phish Festival 8; a live review of the Phish festival. Liveblog is ranked by Set Quality. Full coverage and wrapup of Phish Acoustic Set.

for additional coverage: Jambase http://www.jambase.com/articles/story.aspx?storyID=20251

by Clark Benson

Top in
Category

Related
Lists

Top on
Ranker

Rolling Stones' 100 Greatest Vocalists of All Time

Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best singers of all-time. For the full article go to: www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/11/12/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-100-greatest-singers/

by Music Lover

Alltime Best Bands from Illinois

Chicago bands and Illinois bands in general. As a native Chicagoan who went to school in Champaign, i feel entitled to weigh in on this matter. That said, i'm probably missing the boat on some less prominent Chicago bands of the late nineties and "oughts".

One side note to this list - for the most part, i have a thing where i can tell by a band name if i WON"T like a band, it's about 95% accurate for bands that have albums out, and probably even more for all bands. the two times in my life where i have been most wrong about band names happened when i was still living in Illinois back in 1991. I saw a band whose name i hated but who had some local buzz at the Lounge Ax - they were called the Vulgar Boatmen. As predicted, they totally weren't for me. So, having broken my rule and gone out to see a band with a horrible name, i decided i wasn't going to get burned twice. The next two young bands i blew off, for "lame band name reasons" were called Uncle Tupelo and the Smashing Pumpkins.

doh!

by Clark Benson

Music I've Seen Live

More or less ordered from best to worst. My opinion on it seems to change pretty frequently though.

by Kramer

Bonnaroo 09 liveblog

“Liveblog” of Bonnaroo 2009. Bonnaroo 09 Reviews, some Setlists, etc. Listed in order of preference, not schedule order. Continually updated.

5PM Sat update: In the middle of a no-win situation; that would be the combo of Mule>Wilco>Volta (3 of my alltime fave live bands, followed by another, The Boss). It will be impossible to see all of Mule or Wilco due to overlap. I will have to split the baby.

12:30 AM sat update - i did my best. i have seen a lot of amazing rock. it is entirely possible that this day, Sat June 13, 2009, will prove to be my best-ever single day of Rock (one must count sets that start in the early AM as part of the prior day, to be fair). The key variables will be a) my stamina. b) Nine Inch Nails, who are going on at 1am, and who were one of if not the absolute best sets of music i saw last year.

2AM Sat/Sun AM stop the presses:
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails announces this is their last show ever in US at Bonnaroo

7:40PM Sun - it's current up to this point. Phish closing headline performance is the last thing on agenda. I need coffee.

10:10 PM Sun.
Coffee in bloodstream and halfway thru Phish there is BIG news: Bruce Springsteen is on stage performing with Phish. 3 songs so far. see details below.

by Clark Benson

10 Bands To Know So That Older People Think You Are Cool

Bottom line: everyone relates to music. Whether you are going to interview with the manager at an old-blooded company, or meeting prospective in-laws, the music below is always an easy way to relate. When things get tough, talk about music. In an economy like this, pulling out that music card is definitely a way to break down the corporate wall. Try it. I mean, if the interview is going really badly, what have you got to lose? Most of all, those that are not quite into to the Gen-Y malarkey that we're into will appreciate the fact that we appreciate their golden years. Picture this: a drunken conversation with your gun-cleaning, tool-using, father-in-law to be. One mention of Frankie Valli and he will turn off all the lights and start to dance with his wife, cigar in hand. Then, at that moment, you will be golden...and you can bang his daughter.

by ElaineyO

After Beatles Rock Band, What's Next?

Guitar Hero has either released, or plans to release Guitar Hero Aerosmith, Metallica & Van Halen. Now Rock Band will go them one better with the release of The Beatles Rock Band. This begs the question: What's Next? Where do you go from The Beatles with either of these video game franchises? Here are some ideas.

by ericsandberg

The 5 Worst College Majors Ever

The Worst Cops In The World

10 Fun Movie Drinking Games

10 Most Bizarre Items Found on Craigslist

20 Most Intimidating Fictional Sharks Of A...

Top 20 Science Myths

10 Most Misleading Movie Trailers