(via AudioPhix) by Danilo Castro
We’re living in an increasingly singles-driven market thanks to streaming playlists and platforms like TikTok. In many ways, we’ve reverted back to the 1950s model, where albums were compilations of filler songs with a few big singles. That said, the album is still viewed by many as the true marker of musical artistry.
A classic album is a necessary calling card to be considered a great artist, and there are numerous stories about albums that changed artists’ lives that were nearly scrapped, or made under the stress of record label expectations. The success stories are fun, but we’re here to discuss the albums that never quite made it across the finish line.
The ones that did get scrapped, and would have altered the course of their artists’ careers had they actually seen the light of day. For better, or for worse. Albums are being scrapped every other day, but these are the ones we felt were the most notable in terms of what “could have been.”
Human Highway (1973) – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Human Highway was meant to be a comeback after Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young spent the first half of the decade putting out solo material. Nash even snapped a photo of the four mercurial members on a beach. Unsurprisingly, egos, drugs and debates over which songs made the album led to it being scrapped, and songs being scattered amongst subsequent solo releases.
Crosby, Stills & Nash had a triumphant comeback with their self-titled (and Young-less) album in 1977, but they’d already aged out of their prime by then. Human Highway could have been another folk rock classic, solidifying their classic lineup and perhaps even resulting in more CSNY material…
Every Moment Has A Song 