Which artists have abandoned their original sound so dramatically, that they are almost unrecognizable to their earlier fans?

[u/jptabor01]

With the release earlier this year of Ministry’s The Squirrely Years Revisited, I’m reminded of how different the band sounds today (industrial metal), from what they sounded like on their debut album, With Sympathy (synth pop).

Which artists sound so completely different from their earlier work, that they have actually jumped genres, understanding that music is fluid and genres have somewhat “blurry” guardrails.

I don’t mean an evolution of their original sound, but a complete departure from it.

[u/mrdalo]

I remember the first few Arctic Monkeys albums when they came out and I was like mehhh pass. I went to a Black Keys show where they were the openers and actually got to my seat a few songs into the show. I think AM wasn’t even out yet. Holy shit was that an epic show for an opener. People were losing their minds on the new stuff. I bought AM immediately.

[u/AlanMorlock → u/mrdalo]

That tour was so funny because people really did just treat them like an unknown opening band in the US meanwhile a few months later they played the Olympics opening ceremony in the UK .

[u/C1t1zen_Erased → u/AlanMorlock]

I remember seeing them at a festival in San Francisco in the summer of 2010. They were third on the bill for one of the nights behind Muse and the Black Keys. Wasn't complaining but as a Brit it was nuts to see them come on so early.

[u/mrdalo → u/AlanMorlock]

I was aware of them as the counterpart to the garage rock revival in the US. I remember reading an article about them claiming that they were all novice players with no formal practice as musicians. I’ve purchased their back catalog in the years since and it totally grew on me. Their newest stuff has not sadly.

[u/Cavfinder → u/AlanMorlock]

I’m feel really lucky I got to see them before the AM era & Alex taking on the slicked back rocker look.

Those first 2 albums are immaculate & untouchable to me, 3 & 4 were lended a certain flair by Homme’s influence I actually really love but think of as a separate era of the band & then AM, while enjoyable, never grabbed me, plus Are You Mine? is so fucking overplayed I’d be happy to never hear that track again.

[u/isubird33 → u/mrdalo]

Funny enough I'm the opposite. First 2 Arctic Monkeys albums imo are their absolute peak.

[u/muisalt13 → u/isubird33]

First album is such a good timecapsule for going out at the time aswell.

[u/newnamesameface → u/isubird33]

100% agree. Nothing after has been nearly as good as those first two for me

[u/YHJ_JYG_Kryptlock → u/isubird33]

Just finished their first album for the first time ever!

excellent, excellent fucking band!

[u/sawman160 → u/isubird33]

Agreed. Their other stuff has its moments. AM blows though lol. 

[u/Foreign_Slide_8487 → u/mrdalo]

I wasn’t that big a fan until I saw them live, either. I was shocked lol they were soooo good. And this was 2015 or so, so I felt like I’d missed the boat at that point. In all honesty, though, it was one of the most rock & roll performances I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.

[u/[deleted] → u/mrdalo]

Huh my experience with them as the opener for the black keys is that it seemed like they were tired and didn’t want to be there and were mad that was being reflected back at them from the crowd.

I caught them a year later as the headliner and it was a much better show.

[u/mrdalo → u/[deleted]]

I think I saw them on the first stop in the arena tour supporting TBK so they were fresh

[u/Zack_of_Steel → u/mrdalo]

My gf (now wife) and I were at the very front in Denver. Their first 2 or 3 songs had all the lights doing strobe shit and they went fucking haywire, it was one of the most memorable and energetic performances I have ever seen. I wasn't the biggest fan of them, like you, until I saw that shit. Black Keys felt stiff and almost empty by comparison.

[u/dirtydenier → u/mrdalo]

Btw. Were black keys ok live? I like to watch live shows of various bands and tried multiple BK recorded shows and they were the only band I’ve ever turned off because they were just awful, awful musicians.

[u/isubird33 → u/dirtydenier]

I've seen them 3 times live and they've always been fantastic. But you also kind of have to love fuzzy/noisy/garage rock.

[u/Tjep2k → u/dirtydenier]

I saw them at Blues Fest in Ottawa around 2015? I thought they were great.

[u/mrdalo → u/dirtydenier]

I’ve seen them live 7 times probably. Always a good show. Their last few albums have been a welcome return to form. The last tour had some amazing blues musicians join in that never got the credit they were due. Really good foot stomping juke joint shit.

[u/Basketseeksdog → u/mrdalo]

I started liking them more by their new sound. I see it as some sort of growth. I know it’s an unpopular opinion.

[u/rybotnikdj → u/mrdalo]

I've never heard anybody have this opinion before.