S/D: Guaranteed career-killing words in record titles

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Inspired by the excellent Count Down: 100 albums you must *not* own..., and more specifically the mention of the long-forgotten Spin Doctors effort 'Turn the World Upside Down', are there certain words which, if included in album titles, prove deadlier than arsenic to the given artist's commercial and/or artistic success?

For example, the word 'Forever' seems particularly cursed (e.g. note sales-buggering or quality control nosediving impact of albums with this title from the Spice Girls, Wu-Tang Clan and Puff Daddy).
Similarly, including the word 'world' in the title of follow-ups to large-selling albums seems to be not such a bright idea (e.g. the aforementioned Spin Doctors album, Zingallamundi by Arrested Development, the presumably remembered by nobody album Mappa Mundi by Thousand Yard Stare, etc).

Any more examples out there?

M Carty (mj_c), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Second Coming"

mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Biggie's unfortunate 'Ready to Die'/'Life after Death' selection.

M Carty (mj_c), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 11:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"beauty"

the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

(see: ABC, wossname from Dexy's, sure there must be others...)

the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Self-titled albums that are not the debut.

Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Victory" (the Jacksons spring to mind)

mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Self-titled albums that are not the debut.

That really made me laugh. At least REM's Eponymous was an early compilation.

Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, but I can think of a few self titled not debuts that are fine...

Velvet Underground (the)
Orange Juice (the)
Beatles (white)
Portishead
Peter Gabriel (I'm guessing here)
Mutantes

and so on...

mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Aus der TV-Werbung"

Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't the last Sugarcubes album called "Here Today tomorrow next week"?

mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't the last Sugarcubes album called "Here Today tomorrow next week"? H'mmm yes - synonymous with Forever, it could be argued.

M Carty (mj_c), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Records with titles playing on the proximity between the words 'sax' and 'sex' can as a rule be discounted from any risk of quality music.

M Carty (mj_c), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh go on...let Sparks off here - they're always done puns.

Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"Neither Fish Nor Flesh" (for B2D!)

David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Colin Newman - Commercial Suicide

... cheeking tongues indeed

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Provisionally entitled the Singing Fish (or flesh)

mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"Back" is a good one. Like Sly Stone's "Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back" and "Back on the Right Track" (as well as Slick Rick's "The Ruler's Back")...

Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Begging the fickle public to "Listen" = certain death:
Flock of Seagulls "Listen" (1983)
Club Nouveau "Listen to the Message" (1988)
George Michael "Listen Without Prejudice" (1990)
Collective Soul "Listen" (1997)

briania, Wednesday, 17 March 2004 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

haha yeah Metallica sure killed themselves off back in 1991.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 02:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I think 'upside down' may be as bad as 'world'. There were many components to the fall of ths spin doctors.

Sym (shmuel), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

re 'listen', wasn't the last Everly Brothers album (for a long time) called "Pass the Chicken and Listen"?

mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Another "listen" is Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera's second solo album, "Now Listen." And who among us has heard his third?

Dr Benway (dr benway), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

or his second, even?

mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, I owned it, and I never made it all the way through. The first one was quite good, though.

Dr Benway (dr benway), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 10:10 (twenty-two years ago)


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