3 Times Famous Rock Stars Kept an Album From Getting Released

Being in a world-famous band, or being a famous rock star, is much more complicated than simply putting out new music. Let’s take a look at three times famous rock stars kept an album from getting released (and why)!

1. Johnny Marr

Is this one hearsay? Who knows. Either way, The Smiths’ Johnny Marr and Morrissey have butted heads quite a bit through the years, and it’s been exacerbated by Morrissey’s controversial takes and political beliefs. But according to Morrissey, Johnny Marr has been blocking the release of a greatest hits album for a while now.

According to Morrissey, via a blog post on his own website, Johnny Marr blocked the release of a previously planned greatest hits compilation album. Allegedly titled Smiths Rule OK!, the album was allegedly blocked by the guitarist because he did not approve any of the artwork that was supposed to go into the album. As of 2024, the album still hasn’t been released, and it isn’t abundantly clear what the real reason behind the block is.

2. David Bowie

After closing out an international tour at the turn of the millennium, David Bowie wanted to keep working. He looked into a few songs he recorded 40 years earlier and planned to breathe new life into them. The project was titled Toy and was basically finished. 

Unfortunately, Bowie’s label kept pushing the album back in favor of newer artist releases. Bowie, ever the creative, turned his attention to newer endeavors and stopped pushing to get the album out there. Bowie wasn’t necessarily the one who kept the album from getting released, but he didn’t seem to care that much either way. Thankfully, the album was eventually leaked and then given a proper release after Bowie’s passing.

3. Mick Jagger

If you’re a fan of Johnny Cash, you might know of Rick Rubin. He was the producer who famously brought Cash’s career back to life and has worked with a ton of musicians, including Metallica. Rubin became friends with Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in the early 1990s. The two discussed Jagger’s solo career in depth and planned an album with jazz outfit The Red Devils.

The whole album was recorded, more or less. However, Jagger kept the album from getting released… and it’s still in limbo today. Allegedly, Jagger thought the album was too rough and went in a different direction with different session musicians and different music, which resulted in his last solo record of the 1990s.

Photo by NILS MEILVANG/AFP via Getty Images

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