The 111 Best Unreleased, Shelved, Lost Albums

Recently I tried to find a comprehensive list of all the unreleased, shelved, lost albums.  It was almost impossible.  Most sites just had partial lists…missing many albums.  Some lists hadn’t been updated in years.  Some lists only included albums that were pure speculation.  I wanted to create a big list that included as much as I could find.  Of course, since I had to make the list 111 albums, I decided to combine release by a single artist.  You should still get the idea.

 Some of these albums were mildly released by the artists, in the form of demo tapes, but never had a proper release.  Some of the albums were shelved and have leaked (I have noted where this has happened).  Other albums featured tracks that would go on to be on new albums.  And some of the albums are only rumor and supposedly exist…we hope.  There is a huge list of Death Row releases that are supposedly sitting in the vaults somewhere…most of these are based on speculation and very few are known to actually exist.  That’s not to say they aren’t real…there’s just no telling what is real at this point.

 This is probably not everything…so if I’m missing something let me know!!…there’s no reason I can’t make a Part 2.

 The 111 Best Unreleased, Shelved, Lost Albums:

 1. 311 – Unity – first album (leaked)

 2. 50 Cent – Power of A Dollar – first album (leaked)

3. Adam Ant – Persuasion – shelved

4. Atmosphere – Strictly Leakage – fan only internet giveaway (leaked)

5. Bad Radio – Tower Records/What The Funk Demos – Eddie Vedder’s first band (leaked)

6. Bad Religion – Limited Edition – promo compilation of B-sides (leaked)

7. The Beach Boys – Smile - unreleased/unfinished follow-up to Pet Sounds

8. The Beastie Boys – Country Mike’s Greatest Hits – joke album made for friends (leaked)

9. The Beatles – Sessions – compilation of famous outtakes (scrapped)

10. The Beatles – A Toot and a Snore – last McCartney/Lennon studio session (leaked)

11. Beck – Modern Guilt (Acoustic) – internet video release (leaked)

12. Beck’s Record Club – Oar, Songs of Leonard Cohen, Velvet Underground, & Kick – Beck’s cover album project.  4 albums all shown with video (leaked)

13. Ben Lee – Sings Against Me! New Wave – internet fan release (leaked)

14. Boise Cover Band (Doug Martsch) – Boise Cover Band – tour only (leaked)

15. Boston – Mother’s Milk – first production sessions (few tracks have emerged)

16. Brian Eno – My Squelchy Life – abandoned by Brian (some tracks have been used on other albums)

17. Brian Wilson – Adult child, Sweet Insanity – 2 lost albums abandoned

18. Bruce Springsteen – Ties That Bind – Original concept prior to The River. (some songs made it to other albums)

19. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (Electric version) – myth only

20. Buffalo Springfield – Stampede – shelved by label

21. Butthole Surfers – After The Astronaut – shelved by label (leaked)

22. Cake – Live at the Crystal Palace – shelved by label

23. Nick Cannon – Stages – abandoned by Nick

24. Chicago – Stone of Sisyphus – rejected by label

25. Crust Brothers – Marquee Mark – Stephen Malkmus side-project (leaked)

26. Cybernauts (Def Leppard) – Live – self-released by band for limited mail order only (leaked)

27. Danger Mouse – The Grey Album – infamous mash-up album (leaked)

28. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Side of the Soul - shelved by label (leaked)

29. Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters – Pocketwatch – cassette only demo release (leaked)

30. Dave Mathews – Lillywhite Sessions – abandoned sessions (leaked)

31. David Bowie – Toy – shelved album

32. Dead Kennedys – 1978 Demos – rejected session

33. Dennis Wilson – Bamboo – shelved by label

34. Dixie Chicks – Thank Heavens For Dale Evans, Little Ol’ Cowgirl, Shouldn’t Have Told You That - 3 early demo albums prior to Natalie joining band (leaked)

35. Djali Zwan – Spun Soundtrack – Zwan’s 2nd album was a soundtrack – shelved (leaked)

36. Dr. Dre & Ice Cube – Helter Skelter – lost in Death Row vaults

37. Duff McKagan’s Loaded – Dark Days – shelved by label (leaked)

38. Duran Duran – Reportage – abandoned follow-up to Astronaut

39. Eminem – Infinite – first album demo only release (leaked)

40. Foxy Brown – Ill Na Na 2 – The Fever – shelved (leaked)

41. Green Day – Cigarettes and Valentines – stolen from band

42. Hittman – Murda Weapon – shelved by label (leaked)

43. Ian McCullough/Johnny Marr – Untitled – abandonned by Ian and Johnny

44. Jewel (folk) – Save The Linoleum – first album promo (leaked)

45. Jewell (hip-hop) – Women To Women – shelved by Death Row

46. Jimi Hendrix – Black Gold – 4-track session with Jimi and a guitar (rumor)

47. John Fogerty – Hoodoo – shelved by label (leaked)

48. Johnette Napolitano – Sound of A Woman – shelved by label (leaked)

49. Juliana Hatfield – God’s Foot – shelved by label (leaked)

50. Jungle Brothers – Crazy Wisdom Masters – shelved (leaked)

51. Katy Perry – Katy Perry (A) – first album (leaked)

52. Korn – Korn Kovers – Korn covers their idols – abandonned

53. Kraftwerk – Technopop – early album shelved (leaked)

54. Lady of Rage – Eargasm – locked in Death Row vault

55. Large Professor – The LP – shelved (leaked)

56. Left Eye – N.I.N.A. – lost in vaults after her death (leaked)

57. Live (Public Affection) – Death of a Dictionary – first demo album (leaked)

58. Manchester Orchestra – Nobody Sings Anymore – first album shelved (leaked)

59. Mary Lou Lord – Real, TSWL (To Sir With Love) - 2 first self-released albums (leaked)

60. Master – 1985 Album – landmark thrash metal album shelved (leaked)

61. MC Hammer & 2 Pac – Too Tight – yes, this is real.  lost in Death Row Vault (leaked)

62. Metallica – The Presido Album – abandoned 2001 album (partially leaked)

63. Mic Jagger and the Red Devils – Checkin’ Up On My Baby – shelved (leaked)

64. Monty Python – Hastily Cobbled Together For A Fast Buck – shelved (leaked)

65. Mountain Goats – Hail and Farewell, Gothenburg – shelved (leaked)

66. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams, Home Grown – 2 albums abandoned by Neil (many songs ended up on later albums)

67. Nate Dogg – Nate Dogg – lost in Death Row Vault

68. Nickelback – Hesher – first self-released album

69. Oasis – MTV Unplugged – abandonned with Liam refused to sing (leaked)

70. ODB – A Son Unique – posthumous release on hold (leaked)

71. Okkervil River – Golden Opportunities – rareties album fan only internet release (leaked)

72. On A Friday (Radiohead) – Demos – early Radiohead tracks (leaked)

73. Peter Gabriel – I/O – abandoned by Peter

74. Petey Pablo – Same Eyez on Me – Lost in Death Row Vault (leaked)

75. Pink Floyd – Household Objects – rumored album by band using only utensils

76. Prefab Sprout – Michael Jackson: Behind The Veil, Zorro The Fox, Princess Diana Opera, Earth: The Story So Far – 4 albums shelved by Patty McAloon

77. Prince – Crystal Ball (1986), Black Album, Camille, Dream Factory - 4 abandonned albums (many tracks ended up on other albums)

78. Q-Tip – Open – shelved by label (leaked)

79. Quicksand – Untitled 3rd Album – 1998 album abandoned by band (leaked)

80. Ray Davies – 80 Days – shelved by label

81. Rilo Kiley – The Initial Friend - first self-released album(leaked)

82. Rival Schools – II – shelved album (leaked)

83. Ryan Adams – Suicide Handbook, 48 Hours, Destroyer, Elizabethtown Demos, Pinkheart Sessions - 4 albums abandoned by Ryan (leaked)

84. Ryan Adams – Darkbreaker, Black Hole, The Strokes’ Is This It – rumored to exist

85. RZA – The Cure – shelved

86. Seal – Togetherland – shelved by label (leaked)

87. Shaquille O’Neal – Superfriends – shelved by label

88. Sisqo – Unreleased Album – abandonned by Sisqo

89. Smashing Pumpkins – Reel Time Demos – first sessions (leaked)

90. Snoop Dogg – Smokefest – limited album for friends (leaked)

91. Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary – lost Death Row album (leaked)

92. Soundgarden – B-Sides – follow-up to A-sides (many songs previously released)

93. Space – Love You More than Football – shelved by label

94. Stalk-Forrest Group – St. Cecila – Blue Oyster Cult’s psychadelic album (leaked)

95. Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Sh*t – lost in Death Row vault

96. The Strokes – Live in London – shelved by label (leaked)

97. TGT (Tank, Ginuwine, Tyrese) – TGT The Album – abandoned by rappers

98. Trey Anastasio – The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday – early solo album (leaked)

99. Triple Fast Action – T3FA – giveaway by lead singer Wes Kidd (leaked)

100. Tupac/Makaveli – One Nation – lost in Death Row Vault.

101. Tupac & Outlawz – War Wounds – Lost in Death Row Vault

102. Weezer – Songs From The Black Hole – abandonned by Rivers

103. Whiskeytown – Freightwhaler, Those Weren’t the Days, Fucker - 3 unused sessions (leaked)

104. The Who – Lifehouse – Pete’s baby – many songs went on to be other albums

105. Wicked Lester (KISS) – Wicked Lester – Kiss’ first album (leaked)

106. Tapeworm (Trent Reznor/Maynard Keenan) – The Tapeworm Project – abandoned by artists

107. The The – Gun Sluts – shelved by label (leaked)

108. Tori Amos – Y Cant Tori Read – shelved by label (leaked)

109. Xero (Linkin Park) – Xero – first album (leaked)

110. Zack de la Rocha – Solo Album – shelved by label in lieu of Rage reunion

111. Ziggy Marley – Children Playing – shelved – partially leaked

11 Ways to Save The Music Industry

This week, the new Rolling Stone did an article on the 40 most exciting things about rock music today. Record Store Day was not on the list. And honestly…it should have been the number one. The music industry is looking for ways to increase sales…and this is annually been a huge hit, selling out all the releases.

The music industry isn’t dead…you can still save it. Here are some ideas how…

Long live the album!