Rejected Original Titles of 30 Classic Albums
What if the Beatles kept the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band theme but called their album something else altogether? Or what if Nirvana decided to string together two other words from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and made them, instead of "never mind," the name of their breakthrough album? That's what we're exploring in the following list of Rejected Original Titles of Classic Albums.
After all, as with a band's name, titles are more than just words on the album covers. They're reflections of the music and themes inside. And sometimes they make all the difference in the world: Pet Sounds was originally called Remember the Zoo, which strips the Beach Boys' classic of its hard-earned elegance.
We've found examples of 30 well-known records whose titles went through changes from the time that sessions began until the finished product hit record-store shelves. Some of them, including classics by David Bowie, U2 and Radiohead, had several working titles. Others, such as those by the Who and Metallica, originally had names that were a bit too controversial for the public. And even when the Sex Pistols came up with a new title for their only release, they still had to go to court to have it deemed appropriate.
We doubt the LPs on our list of Rejected Original Titles of Classic Albums would have the same meanings under other names. Check them out below.