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(#11) Black Monk Time
- The Monks
The Monks are arguably one of the weirdest and most overlooked bands on this list. The Monks were never a well-known band, but their 1966 debut album, Black Monk Time, is now recognized as an important part of contemporary music history. The German band's first and only release included tracks with names like "Shut Up" and "I Hate You," and accumulated a cult following due to its proto-punk aesthetic and dark humor - something completely unusual at the time. The band also claimed to have "invented" feedback.
The Monks began as an R&B cover band, which is evident in some of the songs on the album. Ultimately, though, they transformed into something quite the opposite of a pop group.
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(#4) Pinkerton
- Weezer
After the massive success of their self-titled record, Weezer re-emerged with Pinkerton, a more introspective and layered album that initially turned fans off and even caused singer Rivers Cuomo to retreat from the spotlight. In the years that followed, the album earned cult status as people caught on to what many perceive as its subtle brilliance. Cuomo was not responsive to the late praise, telling Rolling Stone:
It’s a hideous record… It was such a hugely painful mistake that happened in front of hundreds of thousands of people and continues to happen on a grander and grander scale and just won’t go away. It’s like getting really drunk at a party and spilling your guts in front of everyone and feeling incredibly great and cathartic about it, and then waking up the next morning and realizing what a complete fool you made of yourself.
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(#12) Spilt Milk
- Jellyfish
Considered a masterpiece by many, Jellyfish's second album, Spilt Milk, was released in 1993 following the departure of two band members. However, songwriters Andy Sturmer and Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., pulled out all the stops to create a dense and layered production.
The band broke up shortly after its release, but Spilt Milk is widely considered a cult classic by fans of sophisticated pop music. One review called the album "ridiculous, grandiose, and lovely, rolling through genres while staying true to the pop-song ideal."
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(#2) In the Aeroplane over the Sea
- Neutral Milk Hotel
When it was originally released in 1998, Neutral Milk Hotel's second album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, wasn't expected to do much. The record label didn't press many copies, and reviews were not particularly overwhelming.
As the years passed, though, the album's following grew more intense and the band's leader, Jeff Mangum, became something of a mythological figure after disappearing from the music scene. Mangum's reclusiveness intensified over the years as the album's popularity grew and critics became enamored of the songs. One journalist who contacted Mangum to discuss his life and career received a frustrated email in return. The reply perhaps encapsulates the mania surrounding Mangum all too well.
"I’m not an idea. I am a person, who obviously wants to be left alone. If my music has meant anything to you, then you’ll respect that," Mangum responded. "Since it’s my life and my story, I think I should have a little say as to when it’s told. I haven’t been given that right."
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(#8) Hi, How Are You
- Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston has been hailed as an avant-garde genius for years, thanks in part to his cult following - and the free promotion he got from Kurt Cobain wearing a Daniel Johnston t-shirt in many iconic photographs. The shirt featured the artwork for his album, Hi, How Are You, and helped catapult the mentally ill songwriter towards stardom.
Much of the intrigue surrounding Johnston comes from his mental health issues, which were chronicled in a critically acclaimed documentary. Gretchen Phillips, a friend of Johnston, once questioned why people are so interested in seeing him, and theorized that some might be fans for the wrong reasons.
"I wonder if people go see him hoping to witness a nervous breakdown," Phillips said. "Do they perceive him as their equal, or as someone they need to coax along and feel safe? As much as the audience may genuinely love his songs, I sense a lot of condescension. That's always bugged me."
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(#3) Pink Moon
- Nick Drake
The story of Nick Drake is a tragic one. The now-beloved folk singer committed suicide by overdose after releasing a string of underperforming records, including his 1972 album, Pink Moon. After his death, acclaim for the album slowly grew until the title track was used in a Volkswagen TV commercial in 2000.
The commercial caused album sales to skyrocket and sparked a renewed interest in Drake's music.
"Nick always wanted to reach a large number of people, and in the end he was depressed he didn’t," Drake's friend Joe Boyd later said of the singer's posthumous success. "It’s very sad that Nick’s not around to experience and benefit from this, but it’s a nice thing to happen."
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About This Tool
Music is a powerful tool that can inspire strong feelings. When listening to music, our brain will produce different chemical reactions according to different music. We feel very depressed and disappointed when we hear sad concerts. In horror movies, minor chords are often used to inspire a primitive sense of fear. Looking back on the history of music, many niche music artists or bands are admired by a small number of cult fans for their unique and weird music styles.
Many outstanding albums or songs are far from receiving the applause and recognition they deserve. They are considered to be cult albums. The random tool lists 12 weird albums with cult followings, maybe you have never heard their names and songs.
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