The Ultimate Guide to the Worst Albums in Music History

Let’s try to find out which album is the worst in the history of music. In this article you will find several points of view on what the worst album is: various lists of the worst about music magazines, a list of the worst reviews from popular publications, as well as aggregated lists based on user reviews and critics.

Critic’s lists	Q Magazine ∙ Rolling Stone ∙ Loudwire ∙ Classic Rock Magazine ∙ Slipped Discs ∙ Independent ∙ AV club ∙ Flavorwire ∙ Line of Best Fit ∙ Ziffit
Lowest Rated	Pitchfork ∙ NME ∙ Rolling Stone ∙ Q Magazine ∙ Spin ∙ The Guardian ∙ Uncut ∙ Mojo ∙ Allmusic ∙ Robert Christgau
Aggregate	Metacritic by critic score ∙ Metacritic by user score ∙ Rate Your Music by user score ∙ AOTY by critic score ∙ AOTY by user score

Critic’s lists

The lists compiled by critics of various magazines included mainly albums from famous artists. There are not only bad albums, but also unsuccessful experiments, poor production (boomer albums of the 80s), changes in style, or simply personal hatred of individual artists. Some albums on this list are much better than the work of little-known artists.

Albums with the most inclusions on worst lists are:

6
Metallica – St. Anger
The Clash – Cut The Crap
4
Motley Crue – Generation Swine
David Bowie – Never Let Me Down
Genesis – Calling All Stations
Kiss – Music Form The Elder
Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music
Van Halen – Van Halen III
Billy Idol – Cyberpunk
Black Sabbath – Forbidden
3
Bob Dylan – Saved
Bruce Willis – The Return of Bruno
Chris Cornell – Scream
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Mardi Gras
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – American Dream
Duran Duran – Thank You
Limp Bizkit – Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water
Ozzy Osbourne – Under Cover
Queen + Paul Rodgers – The Cosmos Rocks
Shania Twain – Come On Over
Soundtrack – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Who – It’s Hard
Mick Jagger – Primitive Cool

Q Magazine

The 50 Worst Albums Ever April 2006

Rank	Artist	Album	Year
1	Duran Duran	Thank You	1995
initially in second place are all solo albums by Spice Girls members
2	Emma	Free Me	2004
2	Emma Bunton	A Girl Like Me	2001
2	Geri Halliwell	Passion	2005
2	Geri Halliwell	Schizophonic	1999
2	Geri Halliwell	Scream If You Wanna Go Faster	2001
2	Melanie Brown	Hot	2000
2	Melanie Brown	L.A. State of Mind	2005
2	Melanie C	Beautiful Intentions	2005
2	Melanie C	Northern Star	1999
2	Melanie C	Reason	2003
2	Victoria Beckham	Victoria Beckham	2001
3	Various Artists	Urban Renewal	2001
4	Lou Reed	Metal Machine Music	1975
5	Billy Idol	Cyberpunk	1993
6	Naomi Campbell	Babywoman	1994
7	Kevin Rowland	My Beauty	1999
8	Mick Jagger	Primitive Cool	1987
9	Westlife	….Allow Us to Be Frank	2004
10	Tin Machine	Tin Machine II	1991
11	Limp Bizkit	Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water	2000
12	Tom Jones	Mr. Jones	2002
13	Bruce Willis	The Return of Bruno	1987
14	Terence Trent D’Arby	Neither Fish Nor Flesh	1989
15	Soundtrack	Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band	1978
16	Spice Girls	Forever	2000
17	Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead	Dylan And The Dead	1989
18	Crazy Frog	Crazy Hits	2005
19	Goldie	Saturnzreturn	1998
20	Mariah Carey	Glitter	2001
21	The Clash	Cut The Crap	1985
22	Robson and Jerome	Robson & Jerome	1995
23	Alanis Morissette	Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie	1998
24	Lauryn Hill	MTV Unplugged No. 2.0	2002
25	The Cranberries	To the Faithful Departed	1996
26	Vanilla Ice	Hard to Swallow	1998
27	Destiny’s Child	Destiny Fulfilled	2004
28	The Rolling Stones	Dirty Work	1986
29	Meco	Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album	1980
30	Michael Jackson	Invincible	2001
31	Stevie Wonder & Dionne Warwick	The Woman in Red (Soundtrack)	1984
32	Ace of Base	The Sign	1993
33	Billy Ray Cyrus	Some Gave All	1992
34	Fischerspooner	#1	2001
35	Puff Daddy	Forever	1999
36	Kula Shaker	Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts	1999
37	Shania Twain	Come On Over	1997
38	Chris Rea	The Road to Hell Part 2	1999
39	Big Country	Under Cover	2001
40	The Others	The Others	2005
41	Paul Simon	Songs From the Capeman	1997
42	Babylon Zoo	The Boy With the X-Ray Eyes	1996
43	Traveling Wilburys	Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3	1990
44	KISS	Music Form The Elder	1981
45	William Shatner	The Transformed Man	1968
46	Oasis	Standing on the Shoulder of Giants	2000
47	Ozzy Osbourne	Under Cover	2005
48	Milli Vanilli	All or Nothing	1988
49	Neil Young	Everybody’s Rockin	1983
50	Beck	Midnite Vultures	1999

Rolling Stone

50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists February 15, 2023

Rank	Artist	Album	Year
1	Kanye West	Ye	2018
2	The Velvet Underground	Squeeze	1973
3	Yes	Union	1991
4	Pantera	Metal Magic	1983
5	Bob Dylan	Down in the Groove	1988
6	Black Sabbath	Forbidden	1995
7	John Lennon and Yoko Ono	Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins	1968
8	Elvis Presley	Fun in Acapulco: Original Soundtrack	1963
9	Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young	American Dream	1988
10	Creedence Clearwater Revival	Mardi Gras	1972
11	The Beach Boys	Summer in Paradise	1992
12	Van Morrison	Latest Record Project, Volume 1	2021
13	Elton John	Leather Jackets	1986
14	Stephen Stills	Right By You	1984
15	The Jacksons	2300 Jackson St.	1989
16	John Mellencamp	Chestnut Street Incident	1976
17	David Bowie	Never Let Me Down	1987
18	Lou Reed	Mistrial	1986
19	George Harrison	Gone Troppo	1982
20	Queen + Paul Rodgers	The Cosmos Rocks	2008
21	Carole King	Speeding Time	1983
22	The Doors	Full Circle	1972
23	Cheap Trick	The Doctor	1986
24	Lil Wayne	Rebirth	2010
25	Neil Young	Fork in the Road	2009
26	Madonna	American Life	2003
27	Run-DMC	Crown Royal	2001
28	The Allman Brothers Band	Brothers of the Road	1981
29	Joni Mitchell	Dog Eat Dog	1985
30	Paul McCartney	Give My Regards To Broad Street	1984
31	Weezer	Raditude	2009
32	Liz Phair	Liz Phair	2003
33	Devo	Smooth Noodle Maps	1990
34	Aerosmith	Nine Lives	1997
35	Pete Townshend	Psychoderelict	1993
36	Kiss	Music Form The Elder	1981
37	Fleetwood Mac	Time	1995
38	Prince	Chaos and Disorder	1996
39	The Monkees	Changes	1970
40	The Kinks	Soap Opera	1975
41	Genesis	Calling All Stations	1997
42	The Clash	Cut The Crap	1985
43	Metallica	St. Anger	2003
44	R.E.M.	Around the Sun	2004
45	Willie Nelson	Countryman	2005
46	Outkast	Idlewild	2006
47	The Grateful Dead	Built to Last	1989
48	Van Halen	Van Halen III	1998
49	Billy Joel	The Bridge	1986
50	The Who	It’s Hard	1982

Loudwire

25 Worst Albums by Legendary Metal + Hard Rock Bands November 21, 2023

Artist	Album	Year
Alice Cooper	Welcome 2 My Nightmare	2011
Anthrax	Volume 8 – The Threat Is Real	1998
Bad Religion	Into the Unknown	1983
Black Sabbath	Forbidden	1995
Celtic Frost	Cold Lake	1988
Deep Purple	Bananas	2003
Def Leppard	Songs From the Sparkle Lounge	2008
Dio	Angry Machines	1996
Guns N’ Roses	Chinese Democracy	2008
Iron Maiden	Virtual XI	1998
Judas Priest	Demolition	2001
KISS	Hot in the Shade	1989
Korn	Untitled	2007
Megadeth	Risk	1999
Metallica	St. Anger	2003
Morbid Angel	Illud Divinum Insanus	2011
Motley Crue	Generation Swine	1997
Ozzy Osbourne	Black Rain	2007
Pantera	Metal Magic	1983
Queensryche	Frequency Unknown	2013
Scorpions	Eye II Eye	1999
Skid Row	Revolutions Per Minute	2006
Slayer	Diabolus in Musica	1998
The Stooges	The Weirdness	2007
Van Halen	Van Halen III	1998

Classic Rock Magazine

50 Worst Albums Of All Time 2012

№	Artist	Album	Year
1	KISS	Music Form The Elder	1981
2	Billy Idol	Cyberpunk	1993
3	Jon Anderson	Olias Of Sunhillow	1976
4	Soundtrack	Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band	1978
5	David Bowie	Tonight	1984
6	David Bowie	Never Let Me Down	1987
7	Tin Machine	Tin Machine II	1991
8	Neil Young	Trans	1982
9	Neil Young	Everybody’s Rockin	1983
10	Neil Young	Landing On Water	1986
11	Bob Dylan	Dylan	1973
12	Bob Dylan	Saved	1980
13	Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead	Dylan And The Dead	1989
14	Queen	Hot Space	1982
15	Emerson, Lake & Palmer	Love Beach	1978
16	The Clash	Cut The Crap	1985
17	Michael Bolton	Soul Provider	1989
18	T. Rex	Zinc Alloy	1974
19	Killing Joke	Outside The Gate	1988
20	Motley Crue	Generation Swine	1997
21	Rod Stewart	Body Wishes	1983
22	Capitan Beefheart	Bluejeans & Moonbeams	1974
23	Def Leppard	X	2002
24	Electric Light Orchestra	On The Third Day	1973
25	Mick Jagger	Primitive Cool	1987
26	Gene Simmons	Asshole	2004
27	George Harrison	Gone Troppo	1982
28	Scorpions	Eye II Eye	1999
29	Van Halen	Van Halen III	1998
30	Iron Maiden	The X Factor	1995
31	Black Sabbath	Born Again	1983
32	Genesis	Calling All Stations	1997
33	The Doors	Other Voices	1971
34	The Rolling Stones	Dirty Work	1986
35	Aerosmith	Just Push Play	2001
36	AC/DC	Fly On The Wall	1985
37	Crosby, Stills & Nash	Live It Up	1990
38	Deep Purple	The House Of Blue Light	1987
39	The Who	It’s Hard	1982
40	Creedence Clearwater Revival	Mardi Gras	1972
41	Fleetwood Mac	Time	1995
42	The Byrds	Byrdmanix	1971
43	Jimi Hendrix	Crash Landing	1975
44	Ozzy Osbourne	Under Cover	2005
45	Guns N’ Roses	The Spaghetti Incident?	1993
46	Bon Jovi	This Left Feels Right	2003
47	Scott Wieland	The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year	2011
48	Metallica	St. Anger	2003
49	Metallica & Lou Reed	Lulu	2011
50	Lou Reed	Metal Machine Music	1975

Slipped Discs

Slipped Discs – The Worst Rock ’n’ Roll Records of All Time 1991

Rank	Artist	Album	Year
1	Elvis Presley	Having Fun with Elvis on Stage	1974
2	Lou Reed	Metal Machine Music	1975
3	Bob Dylan	Self Portrait	1970
4	Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young	American Dream	1988
5	Pat Boone	Pat Boone	1957
6	Milli Vanilli	the Remix Album	1990
7	Chicago	Chicago at Carnegie Hall	1971
8	The Doors	Alive, She Cried	1983
9	The Grateful Dead	Europe ’72	1972
10	Yes	Tales from Topographic Oceans	1973
11	Jethro Tull	Aqualung	1971
12	The Byrds	Byrds	1973
13	Queen	Queen II	1974
14	Queen	Live Killers	1979
15	Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe	Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe	1989
16	Shaggs	Philosophy of the World	1969
17	Shaggs	Shaggs’ Own Thing	1982
18	John Travolta	Travolta Fever	1978
19	Moody Blues	Days of Future Passed	1967
20	Various Artists	70’s Hits: Great Records of the Decade – Original Recordings Vol 1	1990
21	Bob Dylan	Bob Dylan At Budokan	1978
22	Rogers Waters	Radio K.A.O.S.	1987
23	Van Dyke Parks	Song Cycle	1967
24	The Who	Who’s Last	1984
25	The Rolling Stones	Still Life (American Concert 1981)	1982
26	Bon Jovi	Slippery When Wet	1986
27	Journey	Greatest Hits	1988
28	The Beach Boys	Still Cruisin’	1989
29	Starship	Knee Deep in the Hoopla	1985
30	Bruce Willis	the Return of Bruno	1987
31	Blood, Sweat and Tears	Blood, Sweat & Tears	1969
32	Donovan	Greatest Hits	1969
33	Rick Astley	Whenever You Need Somebody	1987
34	Emerson, Lake & Palmer	Tarkus	1971
35	Starland Vocal Band	4 X 4	1980
36	Joel Grey	Black Sheep Boy	2005
37	REO Speedwagon	Life as We Know It	1987
38	America	History: America’s Greatest Hits	1975
39	Ringo Starr	Stop and Smell the Roses	1981
40	Ringo Starr	Old Wave	1983
41	Aretha Franklin	La Diva	1979
42	Phantom, Rocker & Slick	Phantom, Rocker & Slick	1985
43	Soundtrack	Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band	1978
44	Elvis Costello & the Attractions	Goodbye Cruel World	1984
45	David Bowie	Never Let Me Down	1987
46	Scotty Moore	Guitar That Changed the World	1964
47	Tony Sheridan & the Elvis Presley TCB Band	Tony Sheridan & the Elvis Presley TCB Band	1981
48	Nick Lowe	Pinker and Prouder than Previous	1988
49	Graham Parker & the Rumour	The Parkerilla	1978
50	U2	Unforgettable Fire	1984

Independent

15 terrible albums by classic bands 11 August, 2023

Rank	Artist	Album	Year
1	Duran Duran	Thank You	1995
2	Chris Cornell	Scream	2009
3	Metallica	St. Anger	2003
4	The Clash	Cut The Crap	1985
5	Genesis	Calling All Stations	1997
6	Led Zeppelin	Presence	1976
7	Kiss	Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions	1997
8	Black Sabbath	Forbidden	1995
9	The Who	It’s Hard	1982
10	Mötley Crüe	Generation Swine	1997
11	Van Halen	Van Halen III	1998
12	The Doors	Other Voices	1971
13	Aerosmith	Draw The Line	1977
14	Queen + Paul Rodgers	The Cosmos Rocks	2008
15	Guns N’ Roses	Chinese Democracy	2008

AV Club

Terrible albums by brilliant musicians September 26, 2023

Artist	Album	Year
Aerosmith	Night In The Ruts	1979
The Beach Boys	Still Cruisin’	1989
Black Sabbath	Forbidden	1995
David Bowie	Tonight	1984
Mariah Carey	Glitter	2001
Cheap Trick	The Doctor	1986
Chicago	Hot Streets	1978
The Clash	Cut The Crap	1985
Chris Cornell	Scream	2009
Elvis Costello	Mighty Like A Rose	1991
Creedence Clearwater Revival	Mardi Gras	1972
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young	American Dream	1988
Duran Duran	Liberty	1990
Bob Dylan	Dylan	1973
Emerson, Lake & Palmer	Love Beach	1978
Genesis	Calling All Stations	1997
George Harrison	Dark Horse	1974
Billy Idol	Cyberpunk	1993
Michael Jackson	Michael	2010
Jethro Tull	A	1980
Jewel	0304	2003
Elton John	Leather Jackets	1986
Kiss	Music Form The Elder	1981
John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band	Some Time In New York City	1972
Madonna	American Life	2003
Meat Loaf	Dead Ringer	1981
Metallica	St. Anger	2003
Motley Crue	Generation Swine	1997
Paul McCartney	Give My Regards To Broad Street	1984
Stevie Nicks	The Other Side Of The Mirror	1989
Pink Floyd	The Final Cut	1983
Prince	NEWS	2003
Queen + Paul Rodgers	The Cosmos Rocks	2008
Red Hot Chili Peppers	One Hot Minute	1995
Lou Reed	Mistrial	1986
Bruce Springsteen	Only The Strong Survive	2022
Ringo Starr	Ringo The 4th	1977
Kanye West	Ye	2018
U2	Songs Of Innocence	2014
ZZ Top	Recycler	1990

Flavorwire

The 50 Worst Albums Ever Made November 5, 2014

Artist	Album	Year
Alice Deejay	Who Needs Guitars Anyway?	2000
Alien Ant Farm	Anthology	2001
Attila	About That Life	2013
The Black Eyed Peas	The E.N.D.	2009
blink-182	Enema of the State	1999
brokeNCYDE	I’m Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It!	2009
Mariah Carey	Merry Christmas	1994
The Clash	Cut The Crap	1985
Phil Collins	No Jacket Required	1985
Chris Cornell	Scream	2009
The Cranberries	To the Faithful Departed	1996
Creed	Human Clay	1999
Drowning Pool	Sinner	2001
Bob Dylan	Saved	1980
Eagles, generally[sic]
Eagles	Eagles	1972
Eagles	Desperado	1973
Eagles	On the Border	1974
Eagles	One of These Nights	1975
Eagles	Hotel California	1976
Eagles	The Long Run	1979
Eagles	Long Road Out of Eden	2007
Foxygen	We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic	2013
The Grateful Dead	Terrapin Station	1977
Green Day	American Idiot	2004
Happy Mondays	Yes Please	1992
Mick Jagger	Primitive Cool	1987
Jay Z	Magna Carta (Holy Grail)	2013
Jet	Shine On	2006
Billy Joel	River of Dreams	1993
Hootie and the Blowfish	Cracked Rear View	1994
Dee Dee King	Standing in the Spotlight	1989
KISS	Lick It Up	1983
Kula Shaker	Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts	1999
Lady Gaga	ARTPOP	2013
Len	You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush	1999
The Libertines	The Libertines	2002
Limp Bizkit	Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water	2000
Linkin Park	Hybrid Theory	2000
Live	Secret Samadhi	1997
Metallica	St. Anger	2003
Alanis Morissette	Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie	1998
Mindless Self Indulgence	How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence	2013
Mr. Blobby	Mr. Blobby: The Album	1993
Nas	Nastradamus	1999
Nickelback	All the Right Reasons	2005
The Notorious B.I.G.	Born Again	1999
Oasis	Be Here Now	1997
Julian Plenti	Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper	2009
Puddle of Mudd	Come Clean	2001
The Rolling Stones	Their Satanic Majesties Request	1967
Ed Sheeran	x	2014
Shania Twain	Come On Over	1997
Thirty Seconds to Mars	Thirty Seconds to Mars	2002
Various Artists	Woodstock 1999	1999
Weezer	Raditude	2009
Scott Weiland	The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year	2011

Line of Best Fit

Top Ten Worst Albums by Great Bands April 7, 2013

Rank	Artist	Album	Year
1	Prince	Come	1994
2	David Bowie	Never Let Me Down	1987
3	Ryan Adams	Rock N Roll	2003
4	Bonnie Prince Billy	…sings Greatest Palace Music	2004
5	Japan	Adolescent Sex	1978
6	The Charlatans	Simpatico	2006
7	R.E.M.	Around the Sun	2004
8	The Shins	Port of Morrow	2012
9	Bruce Springsteen	Working on a Dream	2009
10	Bright Eyes	Cassadaga	2007

Ziffit

50 Worst Albums September 2016
Based on a survey of 2,000 Britons

Rank	Artist	Album	Year
1	Mr Blobby	Mr Blobby the Album	1994
2	Cheeky Girls	Party Time	2004
3	Vengaboys	The Party Album	1999
4	Justin Bieber	Believe	2012
5	Justin Bieber	Purpose	2015
6	Aqua	Aquarium	1997
7	Bruce Willis	The Return of Bruno	1987
8	One Direction	Take Me Home	2012
9	JLS	JLS	2009
10	Hanson	MMMBop: The Collection	2005
11	One Direction	Made in the A.M.	2015
12	Ozzy Osbourne	Under Cover	2005
13	Eminem	Recovery	2010
14	Rick Astley	The Best Of	2014
15	Britney Spears	Oops!… I did it Again	2000
16	Limp Bizkit	Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water	2009
17	Puff Daddy	Forever	2005
18	Billy Ray Cyrus	Some Gave All	1992
19	James Blunt	Back to Bedlam	2004
20	Lou Reed	Metal Machine Music	1975
21	Madonna	MDNA	2015
22	Meghan Trainor	Title	2015
23	Robbie Williams	Swing When You’re Winning	2001
24	Limp Bizkit	Results May Vary	2008
25	Nickelback	Dark Horse	2008
26	U2	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb	2004
27	Britney Spears	Greatest Hits: My Prerogative	2004
28	Michael Buble	Crazy Love	2009
29	Mika	Life in Cartoon Motion	2007
30	U2	All That You Can’t Leave Behind	2000
31	Babylon Zoo	Boy with the X-Ray Eyes	1996
32	Prince	Come	1994
33	Rod Stewart	Body Wishes	1983
34	Shania Twain	Come On Over	1997
35	Billy Idol	Cyberpunk	1993
36	Busted	Busted	2002
37	Green Day	American Idiot	2004
38	Oasis	Standing on the Shoulder of Giants	2000
39	Duran Duran	Thank You	1995
40	Michael Bolton	Time, Love and Tenderness	1991
41	Nickelback	Silver Side Up	2001
42	Bob Dylan	Saved	1980
43	Bon Jovi	What About Now	2013
44	Elvis Presley	Having Fun with Elvis on Stage	1974
45	Happy Mondays	Uncle Dysfunktional	2007
46	Justin Timberlake	Justified	2002
47	Lou Reed & Metallica	Lulu	2011
48	Aerosmith	Pump	1989
49	Avril Lavigne	Under My Skin	2004
50	Elton John	Victim of Love	1979

Lowest Rated

Here are the albums that received the lowest ratings (0/10, 0 or 1 star out of 5) from popular music magazines.

Pitchfork

1.0
Total – Tanzmusik der Renaissance (1996)
The Moog Cookbook – Plays the Classic Rock Hits: “Ye Olde Space Bande” (1998)
CIV – Thirteen Day Getaway (1998)
Geoff Farina – Blobscape (2002)
Statistics – Often Lie (2005)
The Stooges – The Weirdness (2007)
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan – Pullhair Rubeye (2007)
Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu (2011)
Mac Miller – Blue Slide Park (2011)
Pixies – EP1 (2013)

0.9
The Kelley Deal 6000 – Boom! Boom! Boom! (1997)
The Zombies – As Far as I Can See… (2004)
Gay Dad – Leisure Noise (1999)

0.8
Stone Temple Pilots – Tiny Music… Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop (1996)
The Samples – Here and Somewhere Else (1998)
Belle & Sebastian – The Boy With the Arab Strap (1998)
KISS – Unmasked (1980)
Toe – Variant (2000)
Metallica – St. Anger (2003)
Northern State – Dying in Stereo (2003)

0.7
The Promise Ring – Electric Pink (2000)
Panthers – Are You Down?? (2002)

0.6
Liars Academy – No News is Good News (2001)
Andrew W.K. – I Get Wet (2001) [8.6 for reissue in 2012]
Various Artists – Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads (2006)

0.5
The Explosion – The Explosion (2000)
ИOИ – Children of the Black Sun (2002)
Death From Above 1979 – Romance Bloody Romance (Remixes & B Sides) (2005)

0.4
Various Artists – Who Covers Who (1995)
Courtney Love – In Conversation (1999)
Bootleg Nine Inch Nails – Things Falling Apart (2000)
Butthole Surfers – Weird Revolution (2001)
Weezer – Make Believe (2005)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – The Effects of 333 (2008)

0.34
Michael Nyman – The Claim (2001)

0.3
T. Rex – Light of Love (1974)
Allan Holdsworth – None Too Soon (1996)
Meg Lee Chin – Piece and Love (1999)
Old Time Relijun – Uterus and Fire (1999)

0.2
Wolfie – Where’s Wolfie (1999)
Vue – Vue (2000)
Shat – The Cunt Chronicles (2002)
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – Angles (2008)
Various Artists – Johnny Cash Remixed (2009)

0.1
Badawi – The Heretic of Ether (1999)
The Push Kings – Feel No Fade (2001)

0.0
Peter Criss – Peter Criss (1978)
Flaming Lips – Zaireeka (1997)
John Frusciante – Smile From the Streets You Hold (1997)
Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Best of B.T.O. (Remastered Hits) (1998)
KISS – Music From The Elder (1981)
Sonic Youth – NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000)
Liz Phair – Liz Phair (2003)
Travis Morrison – Travistan (2004)
Robert Pollard – Relaxation of the Asshole (2005) [have a dual rating of 0.0 and 10.0]
Jet – Shine On (2006)

NME

0/10
LMFAO – Sorry for Party Rocking (2011)
Megadeth – Risk (1999)
B*Witched – Awake And Breathe (1999)
Pram – Sargasso Sea (1995)
Miss Kittin & The Hacker – Two (2009)
3OH!3 – Streets Of Gold (2010)
Scouting For Girls – Everybody Wants To Be On TV (2010)
Good Charlotte – The Chronicles Of Life And Death (2004)
Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (2005)
Barenaked Ladies – Maroon (2000)
Tom Odell – Long Way Down (2013)

1/10
The Red Krayola – Introduction (2006)
Nelly – Suit (2004)
Cosmo Jarvis – Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange? (2011)
Roll Deep – Winner Stays On (2010)
Chase & Status – No More Idols (2011)
God Help The Girl – God Help The Girl (2009)
The Black Crowes – Lions (2001)
Limp Bizkit – Gold Cobra (2011)
Pure Love – Anthems (2013)
Disturbed – Ten Thousand Fists (2005)
Morcheeba – Charango (2002)
Skunk Anansie – Black Traffic (2012)
Frankmusik – Complete Me (2009)
Jamiroquai – Dynamite (2005)
The Fiery Furnaces – Blueberry Boat (2004)
Smith & Burrows – Funny Looking Angels (2011)
Good Charlotte – Cardiology (2011)

Rolling Stone

Chris Cornell – Scream (2009)
Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy (2000)

Gym Class Heroes – The Papercut Chronicles II (2011)
Kevin Federline – Playing With Fire (2006)

more 1 star reviews in The Rolling Stone Record Guide 1979 issue, 1983 issue, 2004 issue

Q Magazine

Adam Green – Gemstones (2005)

The Knife – Silent Shout (2006)
Brett Anderson – Brett Anderson (2007)

Spin

0/10
Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned (2004)
Cocorosie – Noah’s Ark (2005)

1/10
Gucci Mane – Baytl (2011)
Everclear – Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time For A Bad Attitude (2000)
Mooney Suzuki – Have Mercy (2007)

The Guardian

Jamie Foxx – Unpredictable (2005)
Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion(2007)

Uncut

1/10
I’m From Barcelona – Let Me Introduce My Friends (2007)

Mojo

1/10
Willie Nelson – Milk Cow Blues (2000)

Allmusic

800+ studio albums with 1 star rating – here.

Robert Christgau

Robert’s least rated albums for Consumer Guide from the 1969 to 1989. In 1990, Christgau changed his grading scale and focused more on albums he liked (B+ and higher). More reviews here.

E-
Aorta – Aorta (1969)
Kim Fowley – I’m Bad (1972)

E
Bow Wow Wow – Twelve Original Recordings (1982)
Canned Heat – Vintage (1969)
Bob Dylan – Dylan (1973)
Kim Fowley – Outrageous (1969)
Guns N’ Roses – G N’ R Lies (1988)
Kay Huntington – What’s Happening to Our World? (1970)
Jebadiah – Rock ‘n’ Soul (1978)
David Peel and the Lower East Side – The Pope Smokes Dope (1972)
The Rock and Roll Revival – The Greatest Oldies Done Hear and Now (1969)
Peter Schickele – Good-Time Ticket (1969)
Sha Na Na – Rock & Roll Is Hear to Stay! (1969)
Laurie Styvers – Spilt Milk (1971)
Bernie Taupin – Bernie Taupin (1972)
Wolfman Jack – Wolfman Jack (1972)
Various – Ultimate Worship Music (2004)

E+
Carmen – Fandangos in Space (1974)
Congress of Wonders – Sophmoric (1973)
Eli Radish – I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier (1969)
Harrison & Tyler – Try It–You’ll Like It (1972)
Burt Reynolds – Ask Me What I Am (1973)
Murray Roman – Busted (1972)
Various – Wow Hits 2003 (2002)

Aggregate

Collectively voted the worst.

Metacritic by critic score

Albums with 45 points or less based on 7 reviews. A Metascore (points) is a weighted average of reviews from top critics and publications. Only more or less famous performers may be included in this list. No one will review blatant trash or little-known bands. Kevin Federline’s Playing with Fire is the worst album according to the music review aggregator Metacritic.

Sc	Artist	Album	Year
15	Kevin Federline	Playing With Fire	2006
33	Limp Bizkit	Results May Vary	2003
34	Viva Brother	Famous First Words	2011
34	Phil Collins	Testify	2002
35	Dirty Vegas	One	2004
37	Lil Wayne	Rebirth	2010
37	Charlie Puth	Nine Track Mind	2016
37	Louis XIV	Slick Dogs And Ponies	2008
37	Puddle Of Mudd	Life On Display	2003
38	Chris Brown	Fortune	2012
38	6ix9ine	DUMMY BOY	2018
39	The Panic Channel	(One)	2006
39	Richard Ashcroft	United Nations of Sound	2011
39	V-Nasty	BAYTL	2011
39	Chris Brown	Graffiti	2009
40	Alanis Morissette	Jagged Little Pill Acoustic	2005
40	Liz Phair	Liz Phair	2003
40	Backstreet Boys	Never Gone	2005
40	Paul Oakenfold	A Lively Mind	2006
41	Staind	14 Shades Of Grey	2003
41	Nickelback	All The Right Reasons	2005
41	Megadeth	Super Collider	2013
41	Chingy	Hoodstar	2006
42	Black Flag	What The…	2013
42	Kreayshawn	Somethin’ ‘Bout Kreay	2012
42	Queen + Paul Rodgers	Cosmos Rocks	2008
42	Soulja Boy Tell Em	iSouljaBoyTellem	2008
42	Rod Stewart	It Had to Be You… The Great American Songbook	2002
42	The Twang	Jewellery Quarter	2009
42	Chris Cornell	Scream	2009
43	Lenny Kravitz	Baptism	2004
43	Ashlee Simpson	I Am Me	2005
43	The Chainsmokers	Memories: Do Not Open	2017
43	Ben Lee	The Rebirth Of Venus	2009
43	Run-D.M.C.	Crown Royal	2001
43	Mariah Carey	Charmbracelet	2002
44	Audio Bullys	Generation	2006
44	Liam Payne	LP1	2019
44	The Stooges	The Weirdness	2007
44	The Entrance Band	The Entrance Band	2009
44	XXXTentacion	Skins	2018
44	The Vines	Melodia	2008
44	Bizarre	Hannicap Circus	2005
44	Meat Loaf	Hell in a Handbasket	2012
45	Good Charlotte	Good Morning Revival	2007
45	Damon Albarn	Democrazy	2003
45	Jennifer Lopez	Como Ama Una Mujer	2007
45	Incubus	8	2017
45	Santana	All That I Am	2005
45	G-Unit	T.O.S. (Terminate On Sight)	2008
45	Ja Rule	Blood In My Eye	2003
45	Jennifer Lopez	A.K.A.	2014
45	James Blunt	Some Kind of Trouble	2011
45	Spice Girls	Forever	2000
45	Billy Talent	Billy Talent III	2009
45	Santana	Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time	2010
45	Santana	Shape Shifter	2012
45	Mos Def	True Magic [First Version]	2006
45	Metallica	Lulu	2011

Metacritic by user score

All the same albums, only through the eyes of users. Since users are more “cruel”, the threshold has been reduced to 40 points. iSouljaBoyTellem by Soulja Boy Tell Em is the Metacritic users’ least favorite album.

Sc	Artist	Album	Year
14	Soulja Boy Tell Em	iSouljaBoyTellem	2008
15	Robin Thicke	Paula	2014
19	6ix9ine	DUMMY BOY	2018
21	John Legend	A Legendary Christmas	2018
21	The Chainsmokers	Memories: Do Not Open	2017
21	Soulja Boy Tell Em	souljaboytellem.Com	2007
21	Kevin Federline	Playing With Fire	2006
22	Kid Rock	First Kiss	2015
22	V-Nasty	BAYTL	2011
23	Rick Ross	Hood Billionaire	2014
23	Santana	Corazón	2014
23	Metallica	Lulu	2011
24	Lil Xan	Total Xanarchy	2018
24	Chingy	Hoodstar	2006
24	Dirty Vegas	One	2004
25	DJ Khaled	KHALED KHALED	2021
25	Lil Pump	Harverd Dropout	2019
25	Sheryl Crow	Be Myself	2017
25	Dizzee Rascal	The Fifth	2013
25	Flo Rida	Wild Ones	2012
25	Viva Brother	Famous First Words	2011
25	Paul Oakenfold	A Lively Mind	2006
26	Mims	Music Is My Savior	2007
27	will.i.am	#willpower	2013
27	Jamel Irief	Selling My Soul	2012
28	DJ Khaled	Father Of Asahd	2019
28	Soulja Boy Tell Em	The DeAndre Way	2010
29	Jack Harlow	Come Home the Kids Miss You	2022
29	Scouting For Girls	Everybody Wants To Be On TV	2010
30	Uncle Kracker	Seventy Two & Sunny	2004
31	Van Morrison	Latest Record Project, Vol. 1	2021
32	Danzig	Black Laden Crown	2017
32	Mariah Carey	Merry Christmas II You	2010
32	Sheryl Crow	100 Miles from Memphis	2010
33	Diplo	Chapter 1: Snake Oil	2020
33	UB40	Getting Over the Storm	2013
33	Lil Wayne	Rebirth	2010
34	Chris Brown	Fortune	2012
34	Taio Cruz	Rokstarr	2010
34	Justin Bieber	My World 2.0	2010
34	Jonas Brothers	Lines, Vines and Trying Times	2009
35	Drake	Certified Lover Boy	2021
35	Sheryl Crow	Feels Like Home	2013
35	Meat Loaf	Hell in a Handbasket	2012
35	Mims	Guilt	2009
36	Rat Boy	Internationally Unknown	2019
36	Mindy Smith	Long Island Shores	2006
36	Ashanti	Concrete Rose	2004
37	Sheryl Crow	Threads	2019
37	Chance the Rapper	The Big Day	2019
37	Luke Bryan	Kill the Lights	2015
37	Toby Keith	Honkytonk University	2005
38	Flo Rida	Mail On Sunday	2008
38	XXXTentacion	Skins	2018
38	DJ Khaled	Grateful	2017
38	Tyga	Hotel California	2013
38	Kid Rock	Rebel Soul	2012
38	Daughtry	Break the Spell	2011
38	Misfits	The Devil’s Rain	2011
39	Drake	Scorpion	2018
39	Lil Yachty	Teenage Emotions	2017
39	Kodaline	Coming Up for Air	2015
39	Lil Wayne	I Am Not a Human Being II	2013
39	T-Pain	rEvolver	2011
39	Blake Shelton	Red River Blue	2011
40	Authentic	LL Cool J	2013
40	Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time	Santana	2010
40	Streets Of Gold	3OH!3	2010

Rate Your Music by user score

Probably, it’s the most truthful list due to a huge selection of albums. A huge number of disgusting albums that received ratings from RYM users, which reputable publications are unlikely to ever get around to.RYM uses its own weighing system, read more about the system here. I’m a Meme by Onision is the worst albums accourding RYM.

Rank	Artist	Album	Rating	Users	Year
1	Onision	I’m a Meme	0.57	478	2019
2	Tom MacDonald & Adam Calhoun	The Brave II	0.59	491	2023
3	Onision	Onision	0.60	531	2012
4	Doug Walker	Nostalgia Critic’s The Wall	0.65	4132	2019
5	Tom MacDonald & Adam Calhoun	The Brave	0.63	843	2022
6	Iced Earth	A Narrative Soundscape	0.67	663	2022
7	Hentai Dude	OWO What’s This?	0.67	709	2015
8	Tom MacDonald	Deathreats	0.69	1012	2018
9	Ronald Reagan	Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine	0.69	1411	1962
10	Psychosexual	Torch the Faith	0.74	433	2020
11	Ironic Punishment Division	Trigger Warning	0.75	524	2018
12	Tones and I	Welcome to the Madhouse	0.81	2210	2021
13	Kid Rock	Bad Reputation	0.79	659	2022
14	Lil Xan	Total Xanarchy	0.85	4593	2018
15	Tougher Than Nails	Delusional Blasphemies Destroyed	0.79	348	2021
16	José Sepúlveda	Homenaje a un gran General	0.78	470	1998
17	Wyatt James	Fuck Eating on the Weekend	0.83	337	2023
18	Chris Brown	Heartbreak on a Full Moon	0.83	982	2017
19	Six Feet Under	Graveyard Classics IV: The Number of the Priest	0.84	623	2016
20	Tom Sawyer	Momma	0.84	427	2020
21	brokeNCYDE	Bc13	0.83	531	2008
22	93PUNX	93Punx	0.89	889	2019
23	Kevin Federline	Playing With Fire	0.88	733	2006
24	6ix9ine	Leyenda viva	0.90	502	2023
25	Dan Bull	The Life of Pablo	0.87	384	2016
26	Black Eyed Peas	Elevation	0.91	672	2022
27	Onision	I Am Trash	0.58	268	2020
28	Borgore	#NEWGOREORDER	0.91	362	2014
29	XXXTENTACION	Bad Vibes Forever	0.96	3524	2019
30	Unkle Adams	Planting Seeds	0.93	454	2016
31	brokeNCYDE	Guilty Pleasure	0.91	343	2011
32	The Faggets	We Don’t Give a Fuck About Shit	0.97	601	2021
33	Eminem	Revival	1,03	10720	2017
34	Trapt	Shadow Work	0.95	428	2020
35	Mike Love, Bruce Johnston & David Marks	Salute NASCAR	0.97	379	1998
36	6ix9ine	TattleTales	1.0	1981	2020
37	brokeNCYDE	The Broken!	0.92	490	2007
38	The Beach Boys	Summer in Paradise	1,01	1929	1992
39	Justin Bieber	My Worlds Acoustic	0.95	464	2010
40	AJR	Born and Bred	0.69	322	2010

AOTY by critic score

The list of albums on AOTY is wider than on Metacritic. Another difference, AOTY uses the arithmetic mean. For this reason, albums with a minimum number of reviews are included. Kevin Federline’s Playing with Fire is the worst here too, no wonder.

Sc	Artist	Album	Year	Reviews
20	Kevin Federline	Playing With Fire	2006	6
29	The Enemy	Streets in the Sky	2012	6
30	Cute Is What We Aim For	Rotation	2008	5
34	Bo Bice	The Real Thing	2005	5
34	Lil Wayne	Rebirth	2010	22
35	Gucci Mane & V-Nasty	BAYTL	2011	8
35	Puddle of Mudd	Life on Display	2003	5
35	Sly Stone	I’m Back! Family & Friends	2011	5
35	The Script	#3	2012	7
35	Tulisa	The Female Boss	2012	6
36	6ix9ine	DUMMY BOY	2018	10
36	Chris Brown	Fortune	2012	13
36	Cute Is What We Aim For	The Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch	2006	7
36	Dirty Vegas	One	2004	5
36	Shwayze	Shwayze	2008	6
37	Cast	Troubled Times	2011	6
37	Iglu & Hartly	& Then Boom	2008	8
37	Nickelback	All the Right Reasons	2005	5
37	Rock Star Supernova	Rock Star Supernova	2006	5
37	Viva Brother	Famous First Words	2011	20
38	Bloodhound Gang	Hefty Fine	2005	5
38	Kid Cudi	Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven	2015	8
38	Rod Stewart	It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook	2002	5
38	Soulja Boy	souljaboytellem.com	2007	6
39	Fitz & the Tantrums	Fitz & the Tantrums	2016	8
39	Gavin Rossdale	WANDERlust	2008	6
39	Hadouken!	For the Masses	2010	6
39	Maroon 5	JORDI	2021	13
39	Spice Girls	Forever	2000	7
39	Staind	14 Shades of Grey	2003	7
39	Sugababes	Sweet 7	2010	9
39	The Pussycat Dolls	Doll Domination	2008	8
39	The Twang	Jewellery Quarter	2009	7
40	Air Traffic	Fractured Life	2007	5
40	Gary Numan	Pure	2000	5
40	Jennifer Lopez	Como Ama una Mujer	2007	5
40	Limp Bizkit	Results May Vary	2003	10
40	Nickelback	Dark Horse	2008	11
40	Pendulum	In Silico	2008	5
40	Prince	20Ten	2010	6
40	Remi Nicole	My Conscience and I	2007	7
40	Scouting For Girls	Scouting for Girls	2007	5
40	Theory of a Deadman	The Truth Is…	2011	5
41	Ben Lee	The Rebirth of Venus	2009	9
41	Dec. 99th	December 99th	2016	5
41	Live	Songs From Black Mountain	2006	6
41	Liz Phair	Liz Phair	2003	16
41	Louis XIV	Slick Dogs and Ponies	2008	7
41	Uffie	Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans	2010	15
41	will.i.am	#willpower	2013	9

AOTY by user score

The lowest ratings among aggregators are here. How bad is an album if the average score from 300 users is 1/100? RYM Users and AOTY Users are in solidarity by choosing I’m a Meme by Onision as the worst.

Sc	Artist	Album	Year	Reviews
1	Onision	I’m a Meme	2019	143
1	Onision	The Banana Man	2019	480
1	Onision	Onision	2012	87
1	Me&me	Playdough Cooked in Tea	2017	788
1	Onision	I Am Trash	2020	385
1	Tom MacDonald & Adam Calhoun	The Brave II	2023	879
2	Tom Macdonald & Madchild	Killing The Neighbors	2020	96
2	Tom MacDonald	Renegade	2022	308
2	Tom MacDonald & Adam Calhoun	The Brave	2022	1021
3	Tom MacDonald	The Revolution	2022	114
3	Hentai Dude	OWO What’s This?	2015	750
3	Tom MacDonald	Us Against The World	2021	333
3	Tom MacDonald	Ghostories	2019	134
3	Tom MacDonald	Deathreats	2018	195
3	Tom MacDonald	Gravestones	2020	127
3	Tom MacDonald	See You Tomorrow	2015	104
3	Iced Earth	A Narrative Soundscape	2022	327
3	Doug Walker	Nostalgia Critic’s The Wall	2019	1094
4	R. Kelly	I Admit It	2022	613
4	BRANDON HART, Nova Rockafeller & Tom MacDonald	As Far As the Stars	2021	57
4	Ronnie Radke	Watch Me	2013	704
4	Jake Paul & Team 10	Litmas	2017	315
4	Blood On The Dance Floor	Let’s Start a Riot	2008	166
5	Kodiyakredd	TRENDSETTERS	2022	179
5	TECHROW & Jonathan Hay	Nirvana Reimagined As House & Techno	2021	148
5	Tom MacDonald	LeeAnn’s Son	2014	147
6	Trippie Redd	Spooky Sounds	2020	393
6	DEMONDICE	DEMONDICE EP	2017	638
6	Kid Rock	Bad Reputation	2022	669
6	Cokie the Clown	You’re Welcome	2019	193
8	TRAMP STAMPS	WE GOT DRUNK AND MADE AN EP	2021	525
6	Justin Bieber	Couple Goals	2020	81
6	Psychosexual	Torch The Faith	2020	59
6	Panic! at the Disco	House of Memories	2022	83
7	Various Artists	Pornhub Valentine’s Day Album	2019	266
7	Tones And I	Welcome To The Madhouse	2021	1768
7	Burger King	You Rule. Jingles	2023	785
7	DEMONDICE	Satan’s Lemonade Stand Vol. 1	2017	264
7	Tom MacDonald	Dream People and the Whiskey Wars	2015	77
7	Tom Sawyer	Daddy	2019	146