Index > Would people still care about (band/act) if their best album didn’t exist? > Re: Would people still care about (band/act) if their best album didn’t exist? > They have other songs people know from a bunch of different albums.

(real response)

Posted by Mighty Kurtz (@mightykurtz) on May 21, 2026, 8:50 p.m.

With the Beatles and Stones, this topic is pointless. You’d need to ask what if they broke up earlier (It’d be interesting to see what legacy the Beatles leave behind if they stopped at Help! or Rubber Soul).

Black Sabbath - They’d be screwed without Paranoid.

Blondie - Their biggest song ever is on “Parallel Lines”, so I doubt they could live without it. Fortunately I like “Eat to the Beat” more.

Cream - If they only had one album that’s not, “Goodbye”, they’d still be remembered.

Deep Purple - Might as well not exist without Machine Head. Today they’d just be known as a really good semi-prog band.

The Doors - Would survive losing one of their albums with Morrison.

Eurythmics - No problem here. Their best-known song is on a pretty average 2nd album.

Judas Priest - There’s a good chance they’d disappear without British Steel, although the live album before that one went platinum

Zeppelin - Again, hard to say how much of their legacy is coasting on IV/Zoso/whatever

Kinks - They’ll always be famous for “You Really Got Me”, hardly any albums needed

R.E.M. - Somehow they didn’t start getting radio hits (at least not ones played today) until after making their best records.

Sly and the Family Stone - Easy one. Nope!

Steely Dan - Depends on what you think is their best album. It just can’t be the first one.

Yes - Without Fragile, they would only exist for die-hards