Albums that are one of the artist's worst, but contain one of their best songs

Pretty simple. Sometimes an album can be an artist's absolute worst (objectively or subjectively), but contain one song that is one of the artist's absolute best.

Examples of this for me would be Ambrosia's "One Eighty", a pretty mediocre album which ends with the fantastic Biggest Part Of Me, and Echobelly's "People Are Expensive", which is my least favorite album of their's but contains my favorite Echobelly song, Down To Earth.

 

Led Zeppelin's Presence has "Achilles' Last Stand"

 

Can't come up with an example.

Closest I can get is the Dave Clark Five's If somebody loves you. This 1970 album is certainly one their poorest but it includes their dynamite cover of Dino Valenti's Get together.

 

I'm not particularly impressed with Yes's Time and a Word or Relayer but they each have one of their best songs in the title track of the former and the Soon portion of The Gates of Delirium in the latter.

 

Dylan's "Brownsville Girl" on the Knocked Out Loaded LP.

 

its a tough one. my knocked out loaded..../ brownsville girl

edit: dammit, missed it by 'that much'

 

HEART Private Audition LP: The track 'Perfect stranger' is a great song.
ABBA: Ring Ring LP: Some good catchy songs.

 

The horrible Beatles For Sale with its one redeeming song - Mr. Moonlight.

I kid, but only because I can't think of too many albums I dislike enough to only like one song. The closest I can come is the Blue Oyster Cult album Club Ninja, but even that has a few tracks I like. But the one I like most is "Dancin' in the Ruins" so I'll go with that. Though its not even close to their best song so - FAIL.

 

Give My Regards To Broad street - No More Lonely Nights

 

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Goodbye Cruel World is considered a bad album, but has the great track, "Love Field".

 

"Edward The Mad Shirt Grinder" from Quicksilver Messenger Service's Shady Grove.

 

"This is England" on Cut the Crap.

 

Many Jesus and Mary Chain fans hate the album "Stoned and Dethroned" (i like it) but the song "Sometimes Always" is one of their best

 

For me, the highlights on that album are Achilles, Nobody's Fault but Mine & Tea For One

For Tea for One, I liked to sit back and a have a whiskey listening to that.

 

Porcupine Tree's "On The Sunday Of Life" has 3 masterpieces hidden among it's mostly mediocre 18 tracks: Radioactive Toy, Nine Cats, and It Will Rain For A Million Years.

 

David Bowie - Tonight has "Loving the Alien"

 

Grateful Dead's Go To Heaven gave us "Althea".

(Granted... better live... but still...)

 

LOL, I was thinking of Go To Heaven. I don't think it's a bad album at all, but 'one of their worst.'

Possibly the best album cover they ever put out.

 

Scorpions "Wild Child" from Pure Instinct

I really like Wild Child, but the rest of the album is awful IMO.

 

Arcade Fire: Reflektor- Afterlife

 

Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark is bottom 3 album but the title track is one of their all-time classics.

 

Morrissey's Maladjusted is considered by most to be his "least best" solo album, and it contains Alma Matters, one of his best songs.

 

Genesis - No Son of Mine from We Can't Dance, the album isn't bad per se, but it's easily one of the weakest and this one is the standout. It's extended length isn't wasted but rather builds to a chorus that hits hard, and ends with Phil's vocals almost desperate which get the tone across well and Mike's cool guitar solo fades out great. It's an album full of good and bad songs but this is the only one from We Can't Dance I'd call great.

Renaissance - Azure d'Or. Now I actually quite like this record and think it's essential in their discography but The Flood at Lyons is absolutely a top 10 track. It has all the markings of a great song by them - symphonic structure, Camp's sick bass lines and Annie's vocals bringing it all together. All in 5 minutes, which prior albums only reserved the "epics" for the 10+ minute tracks.

 

Queen/Hot Space/'Under Pressure'