Legendary Albums That Almost Had Different Titles

Here are legendary rock and metal albums that almost had different titles than what they’re known as today — and why they were changed.

Some artists feel that album titles are incredibly important while others don’t put much thought into it at all (you’ll find out who), which is why a lot of bands have named albums after themselves. But whether musicians admit it or not, a record’s title is part of a fan’s first impression, right alongside the cover art and of course, the lead single.

In certain cases, musicians knew exactly what they wanted to name a collection of songs from the start. In others, they tossed around multiple working titles before eventually settling on the one everyone knows today.

There are a handful of iconic rock and metal albums that almost had different names, which honestly could’ve changed how they were initially perceived. Imagine one of your favorite releases being called something else — it’s hard to picture.

It seems cliche to ask an artist why they chose a certain name for an album, but thankfully most of them have answered the question over the years so we don’t have to wonder. Bands such as Nirvana were a bit more casual about naming records, whereas Metallica were encouraged to rename one of theirs so that stores would actually carry it.

READ MORE: Rock + Metal Bands Who Changed Their Name Before Getting Famous

Funny enough, Led Zeppelin — who titled several albums simply I, II and III — technically left their fourth album untitled, even though most people refer to it as Led Zeppelin IV. The band finally gave the follow-up an official title with Houses of the Holy and another one of their records actually ended up on this list because it originally had a different name too.

Check out some legendary rock and metal albums that initially had other titles below and why the artists ultimately changed them.

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Similarly, check out album covers that had to be changed due to controversy below.