As pop writers ply us with their year-end lists and recommendations, it’s useful to remember that there’s a strong inverse relationship between the artists that critics love and the musicians who actually sell.
For every “Thriller” or “Born in the U.S.A.” that tops both best-of and sales lists, there are dozens of albums so loaded down with critical hosannas that they quickly sink to the bottom of the Billboard charts – assuming they even made the grade in the first place.
What’s especially remarkable is that some of these albums have been invoked decade after decade as part of the most influential, most canonical titles in the pop universe. As the following list shows, fellow musicians and writers appear to be the only ones listening.
In our tally of the 10 Biggest Critical Darlings of All Time, only one of the following releases, even after nearly 40 years, has managed to go gold – 500,000 copies shipped – the bare minimum for a hit in today’s platinum-obsessed pop world.
1 Lou Reed & the Velvet Underground
Some call Reed the Godfather of Punk, but the public has largely been unmoved by his oeuvre. As a solo artist, his seminal early-’70s releases “Transformer” – which includes the classic “Walk on the Wild Side” – and “Berlin” both failed to crack the Top 20.
Meanwhile, the Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut, “The Velvet Underground and Nico,” peaked at number 171, which was the good news. The following “White Light/White Heat” and “The Velvet Underground” peaked at 199 and 197, respectively.
2 David Bowie
While Bowie has scored a number of decent hits, two of his most beloved records have never found much favor with the American Public. Even with the anthemic “Changes,” 1971’s “Hunky Dory” barely hit the Top 100. Now considered a glam-rock institution, “Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars” never rose above the No. 75 slot in either its original 1972 release or 1990 re-release, though it did manage to go gold.
3 Iggy Pop & the Stooges
OK, so maybe he co-wrote Bowie’s hit “China Girl” and “Lust for Life” now makes for a nice cruise-ship ad, but Iggy and his first band have never had much raw power in the sales racks. No Stooges album ever broke through the Top 100, and of Iggy’s first two solo efforts, 1977’s “The Idiot” fared best with a spot at No. 72.
4 The Ramones
Since the early CBGB scene is still invoked with such extraordinary reverence, it’s hard to imagine that almost nobody’s record collection includes 1976’s “The Ramones,” featuring such two-minute classics as “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Beat on the Brat.” Despite its touchstone status as the first punk record, it peaked at No. 111.
5 Gram Parsons
The inspiration for dozens of underperforming alt-country critical faves such as Wilco and Neko Case, Parsons proved he was sales-rack poison with the Byrd’s 1968 country-rock hybrid “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.” Meanwhile, his best-known solo album, 1973’s “Grievous Angel,” has still sold fewer than 150,000 copies.
6 Patti Smith
The beloved New York institution helped usher in the punk era, but despite scoring a hit with the Boss’ “Because the Night,” neither her groundbreaking 1975 debut “Horses” nor 1978’s “Easter” found much traction with rock fans.
7 Nick Drake
The morose British songster died before anyone knew who he was, but legions of droopy hipsters have swooned to his albums since then. Yet even after a huge push thanks to a VW ad, his 1972 “Pink Moon” album – not to mention two others and a string of compilations – has never even charted.
8 Dusty Springfield
Three little words, “Dusty in Memphis,” tend to send critics aflame with joy at the notion of the U.K. songbird spending time in a country vibe. But the 1969 album featuring “Son of a Preacher Man” peaked at No. 99.
9 Sonic Youth
The perennial New York noise rockers routinely see “EVOL” (1986), “Daydream Nation” (1988) and “Goo” (1990) heralded as harbingers of the grunge era. But the band’s chaotic sound has never caught on, partially explaining why Lollapalooza had to be canceled in 2004, the year they were headliners.
10 Massive Attack
Yes, every “chill” nightclub and downtempo DJ owes the Attack a major debt, but Britain’s groundbreaking ambient group has never made much hay here in the U.S. Neither 1991’s hugely influential “Blue Lines” or 1998’s minor hit “Mezzanine” have hit the gold standard.
