5 Famous Albums Recorded During Band Meltdowns

Some of the greatest albums ever made have been recorded during periods of major conflict between the bands that made these records. In some cases, these conflicts were only temporary, and the band endured to fight another day. In others, the tumultuous recording process would lead to a final split for the group in question. Here are five famous albums recorded during some very noteworthy band meltdowns.

1. The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (1967)
2. The Beatles – Let It Be (1970)
3. The Velvet Underground – Loaded (1970)
4. The Smiths – Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
5. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995)

The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (1967)

The Beach Boys’ 12th studio album ended up as just a fraction of the vision for the total project. Initially conceived as Smile, the complete version is now regarded as one of the great lost albums.

The group’s co-founder Brian Wilson had intended the album to take things even further following the innovations of their previous LP, Pet Sounds. But by December 1966, internal conflict in the band and other issues had reached such an intense level that it led Wilson to call a halt to his original idea for the album. 

However, the group was then faced with the problem that they still had a contractual obligation to deliver a record, and this led to the birth of Smiley Smile. At the time it was viewed as a disappointment, but has since become the subject of much admiration on its own terms, and has even been described as a “near-masterpiece.” 

The Beatles – Let It Be (1970)

In May 1970, The Beatles released their 12th studio album Let It Be. A documentary film of the same title was also released to coincide with the LP release. 

It would also be the band’s final released album due to their split that same year, though it was actually recorded before Abbey Road. The period of 1969 to 1970, during which the album was created, also witnessed the gradual unraveling of the band, with numerous conflicts between the four members occurring during the recording sessions. 

However, the band themselves still recognised that they had made something good despite the turmoil: as George Harrison remarked after hearing a version of “Two of Us,” “It sounds lovely, that, now, after all the anguish we went through it.”

The Velvet Underground – Loaded (1970)

The Velvet Underground were not as well known to the wider public as some of their contemporaries, but they had an immense impact on those who did get to hear their work. As the producer Brian Eno once put it, “The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band.” 

Loaded was the band’s fourth album, and their last with key member Lou Reed. The band was under pressure to make the album a success, having been dropped by their previous label, and things became extremely fraught between the members of the group during the recording process, with drummer Maureen Tucker absent from the recording sessions and Reed himself virtually disowning the final result and leaving the band before it was released. Despite this, Loaded became a fan favourite and continues to be influential more than half a century after it was released.

The Smiths – Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)

Strangeways, Here We Come was the fourth studio album by The Smiths, and as it would turn out, it was also their last. By the time the album was released in September 1987, the group had split under highly acrimonious circumstances, following Johnny Marr’s departure from the band during the summer of that year. 

From some perspectives, the recording of the album actually seemed harmonious, but conflict between Marr and vocalist Morrissey was quietly accumulating behind the scenes. In the aftermath of recording the album, Marr was suffering from exhaustion and frustration with the band's management and took a break in June 1987, before leaving the band for good the following month. Despite all this, both Morrissey and Marr, in their respective memoirs, would ultimately laud the final result as one of the high points of the band’s career.

Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995)

Liam and Noel Gallagher, the brothers at the heart of Oasis, have had a famously fractious relationship for almost as long as they have been in the public eye. One of their most acclaimed albums, 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory, was made during what happened to be one of the most difficult periods of their relationship, and one which almost brought an end to the band at the peak of their success. 

The Gallaghers got into a series of fights at the recording studio in Wales, one of which culminated in Noel smashing studio equipment with a cricket bat. Ultimately, they got through it and the album would turn out to be one of their most successful. The band would eventually split in 2009, before reforming in 2024 and going on a reunion tour, during which the hits of this second album were frequently featured in their set lists. 

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