10 Underappreciated albums by obscure artists

Obscure (adjective):

¹ “Not discovered or known about; uncertain.”

²“Not important or well known.”

³ “Not clearly expressed or easily understood.” — Oxford Dictionary

Author’s Note- The views expressed in this article are entirely subjective and dependent on one’s own perception. What constitutes “obscurity” will invariably differ from person to person. The variables taken into account when considering the albums on this list included critical acclaim, commercial success and subsequent influence on musical landscape at the time, among others. The reason why I wanted to review this particular ensemble of albums was to make note of the changing milieu of popular music. In the age of online streaming where songs can be purchased individually, there is still something to be said about constructing entire albums that hold up to scrutiny over the course of years or even decades. That being said, this article was also meant to celebrate the artists who went sadly underappreciated for one reason or another.

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10. “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus” by Spirit (1970)

Released in 1970 by the psychedelic rock outfit, Spirit, “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus” never charted higher than 63 on the Billboard 200. The album’s name comes from “Mr. Sardonicus,” a 1961 film directed by William Castle about a man whose face becomes permanently stuck in terrifying expression while robbing his father’s grave to obtain a winning lottery ticket. The album itself plays out less like a concept album in the style of “The Wall” by Pink Floyd or “2112” by Rush and more like medley of auditory fever dreams. Without prior knowledge of their discography, it would hard to pin down Spirit‘s style if this is your introduction to the group. Songs like “Space Child” and “When I Touch You” are hypnotic earworms that feel like relics of their time. “Nature’s Way” and “Mr. Skin” are probably the most memorable tracks, but each song on this album has something to offer listeners who savor classic rock compositions.

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9. “Ocean” by Eloy (1977)

Quite frankly, Eloy is the most influential progressive rock group that nobody ever talks about. Founded by lead vocalist and guitarist Frank Borneman in 1969, the band got their name from the futuristic race of humans in the H.G. Wells novel “The Time Machine.” Although considered rock and roll legends in their native country of Germany, Eloy never had a substantial following in the United States. “Ocean” never charted in America and sold only 200,000 copies in its initial release. The album consists of four extended tracks that explode with hard rock riffs that flow seamlessly into softer, more atmospheric melodies. The transitions within the music’s composition divide the tracks in a way that makes it feel like more than just four exceptionally long songs. This album also explores the themes embedded within Greek mythology and reimagines them as a metaphor for the impending threat of nuclear proliferation in the 1970s.

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8. “Labor Days” by Aesop Rock (2001)

Aesop Rock‘s approach to making a name for himself in the world of underground hip-hop mirrored his unique outlook on life. “Labor Days”, a concept album about working, explores this outlook in poetic terms and wordplay that leaves the listener dumbstruck with thought. “Daylight” is the most well-known and celebrated track from this album. Other songs on this album that leave an indelible impression are “One Brick,” “The Tugboat Complex Pt. 3” and “Bent Life”. Despite its relative ambiguity among similar hip-hop releases from the time, “Labor Days” scored 8.7/10 in Pitchfork‘s review and four out of five stars from Rolling Stone. What makes this album compelling amidst an ocean of superficiality and braggadocious nonsense is Aesop Rock‘s dedicated rejection of that lifestyle. He simply is who he is, and that is what makes “Labor Days” an incredibly relatable album.

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7. “Sailing the Seas of Cheese” (1991)

Alternative progressive rock band Primus is an utter anomaly of the music industry. They’re just one of those bands whose sound is immediately recognizable even if the songs themselves are unfamiliar. Les Claypool, bassist and lead singer of Primus, once auditioned to be the bassist of Metallica, but was turned away because James Hetfield realized that he was “too good” and “should do his own thing.” Primus also wrote and performed the theme song for the show “South Park,” so while their music may be obscure to some, their influence on pop culture is not. Tracks like “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” and “Tommy the Cat” are mostly riff-driven instrumentals with lyrics that are borderline nonsensical. “Eleven” is a unique song written in time-metric of 11/8, which is referenced by the title. Despite the band’s goofy demeanor, they are reverenced for their innovative genre-bending style. Primus deserves to be held with the same regard as some of the greatest trio bands of all time, like Rush, Green Day or Nirvana.

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6. “You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having” by Atmosphere (2005)

I wanted to clear this misconception up right away: Atmosphere is not a rapper. Atmosphere is a group comprised of the rapper Slug,real name Sean Daley, and the DJ Ant – real name Anthony Davis. The rap duo made a departure from the sound of their previous albums with “You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having.” Produced in its entirety by Ant, the album has no featured artists on any of the tracks. Slug delivers a lyrical tirade of irreverent witticisms on every single last track of this album. The record starts strong with “The Arrival” and acts as the introduction to the concepts that are expanded upon in other tracks. Substance abuse is one of the main themes this album explores. “Panic Attack” contains commentary on America’s culture of consumerism and how it plays in to the prescription drug epidemic. “Pour Me Another (Another Poor Me)” is a personal take on the struggles of alcoholism. Listeners will have some new takeaway from this album every time they go back to it.

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5. “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too” by New Radicals (1998)

If you remember New Radicals‘ only studio album ever released, it is probably for reasons that don’t have to do with the album itself. Songs from this album have been featured in TV shows like “Scrubs,” “Community,” and “Daria” and added to the soundtracks of movies like “Big Daddy,” “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed,” and “Click.” Peaking at 41 on the U.S. Billboard 200, “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too” is an album full of societal critiques of corporate America that are presented in a way that doesn’t beat its listeners over the head with left-wing sociopolitical commentary. Gregg Alexander, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was New Radicals only constant member. That is why “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too” is sometimes considered to be one of Alexander’s solo albums, as he recruited a wide variety of studio-musicians during its production. “You Get What You Give” is the group’s one-hit wonder, which peaked at 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 14 on the Billboard Pop charts. This album also contains several hidden gems that have also held up over the years, such as “Someday We’ll Know” and “Technicolor Lover” to only name a couple. Alexander, who also produced the album in its entirety, eventually chose to disband New Radicals to focus producing songs for the likes of Rod Stewart, Enrique Iglesias and Ronan Keating.

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4. “The Gift” by The Jam (1982)

While technically obscure to many American listeners, The Jam was far more popular in their native country of England. They were known for their punk rock influences and for invigorating the mod revival subculture of English music in the 1970’s. By the early 1980’s The Jam established themselves as leaders of the mod revival scene that hearkened back to the style of energetic punk rock that once enveloped the landscape of English music. “The Gift” was The Jam‘s ultimate contribution to the mod revival subgenre. Although “The Gift” spent 25 weeks on the U.K. album charts where it peaked at number 1, it spent only 16 weeks on the Billboard 200 album charts before peaking at 82. The album features “A Town Called Malice,” the only song by The Jam to chart in America, an upbeat dance-party track that feels like a nostalgia trip. Other tracks like “Just Who is the 5 O’Clock Hero?” and “Trans-Global Express” are just as catchy and rhythmically remarkable. “The Gift” would prove to be somewhat of an opus for The Jam, as the group would break up while promoting it during their “Trans-Global Express Tour.”

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3. “Frogstomp” by Silverchair (1995)

Do you remember what you were up to when you were 15 years old? If you were a member of the Australian rock band Silverchair, you were promoting the release of your first studio album. “Frogstomp” climbed all the way to number 1 on the Australian album charts and peaked at 2 on New Zealand’s album charts. In the U.S., “Frogstomp” peaked at 9 on the Billboard 200, giving the teenaged post-grunge alternative rockers a solid following in America. Songs like “Israel’s Son,” “Pure Massacre” and “Tomorrow” each offer different takes on the evolving direction of grunge-rock at the time. “Frogstomp” was definitive proof that any artist with a creative vision and the initiative to act on their ambitions can contribute something that is profound and remarkable, no matter their age. Silverchair capitalized on their early success by following it up with a more toned down, alternative rock style. The group would evolve their body of work by incorporating orchestral and art rock influences into their subsequent releases.

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2. “Argus” by Wishbone Ash (1972)

Wishbone Ash succeeded where others had failed in the music industry of the 1970s.  Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris has cited Wishbone Ash as an influence on his own music career. Their harmonious dual-lead guitar style was innovative at the time of the release of their third album, “Argus.” A medieval-themed blend of folk music and progressive hard-rock, there is not a single throw-away song on “Argus.” “Time Was”, the album opener, is nearly ten solid minutes of dynamic melody that builds upon itself as it goes on. “Leaf and Stream,” a tranquil ballad about nature, contrasts the bold progression of the other tracks. The track most reminiscent of Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath is “The King Will Come,” another extended progressive hard-rock jam that exudes as much gusto as anything from this time period.

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1. “Soup” by Blind Melon (1995)

Shannon Hoon was in the musical prime of his life in 1995. The singer-songwriter and guitarist had moved to Los Angeles from his hometown of Dayton, Indiana, in 1985 before forming the band Blind Melon in 1990. He and his bandmates produced a four-song demo tape that year that led to them signing a $500,00 recording contract with Capitol Records. After releasing their self-titled debut album in 1992, they toured and opened for acts like Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N’ Roses, and Soundgarden over the course of that year. They subsequently released their follow up sophomore album, “Soup”, in 1995. The album’s producer, Andy Wallace, is featured on the cover sipping soup from a bowl. What makes “Soup” remarkable is the unique hidden tracks it contains. Although the song “Hello/Goodbye” acts as a hidden track just before the opening song, “Galaxie,” there is another track hidden within the pregap of the CD. Listeners had to put the CD in their player and rewind into the negative pregap space as soon as track one begins, revealing the song before index 01 in the CD’s table of contents. The vocals on this track are backmasked, meaning they were recorded backward onto a track that is meant to be played forwards, while the instrumentation is played normally. This hidden track also functions as the album’s overture, featuring components of the songs “Lemonade” and “New Life.” The somber themes presented in “Soup” are juxtaposed with more light-hearted tracks. For example, “Galaxie” is a song written by Hoon about his car, which was a 1964 Ford Galaxie. “New Life” is about the birth of Hoon’s daughter, Nico Blue, whom their third album was named after. These songs are in stark contrast of other tracks like “2 X 4”, a song about Hoon’s experience at a drug detox facility or “Skinned,” a song about serial killer Ed Gein. The most impactful song on this album is “Mouthful of Cavities,” an autobiographical examination of Hoon’s life from the perspective of a close friend. This would be Blind Melon‘s last album before Hoon’s death from a cocaine overdose while on tour in October of 1995. Hoon was featured posthumously on “Nico,” the proceeds of which were used to establish a college trust fund for his daughter.