Top 10 Bands with the Most Chronologically Confusing Studio Albums

Normally, a band's studio album discography would be fine, but these bands are confusing. Either because they have two albums titled the same thing, or the same album with two titles, or even the same album title with a completely different track listing.

The Top Ten

  1. AC/DC

    AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band founded in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Bon Scott was the lead singer from 1974 until his death from acute alcohol poisoning in 1980. He was succeeded by Brian Johnson.... read more

    One of my favorite bands of all time, but their discography is very confusing. Most people think High Voltage was their first album. They are right, but it isn't the same album they are thinking of. The High Voltage most people know is actually the T.N.T. album with two songs removed and two songs from the original High Voltage added in.

    That's not the only confusing thing about them. The original version of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap contained the songs Jailbreak and R.I.P. (Rock in Peace), but they were removed for the international release. Instead, they were replaced with Rocker, a song from T.N.T. and a new song titled Love at First Feel. I should also mention that the tracklisting for both versions of Dirty Deeds is different, besides the title track being the first song.

    On their next album, Let There Be Rock, it was mostly intact, but the song Crabsody in Blue was removed for international release and instead replaced with Problem Child, a song that already appeared on both versions of Dirty Deeds. It's the same song, but the main difference is that the Let There Be Rock version doesn't have the false climax at the end of the song.

    Powerage was mostly the same, being the first album to have the same album artwork for all releases, but European versions of the album contained a song titled Cold Hearted Man and some of them removed Rock N Roll Damnation. Pretty much every album after that was mostly the same, though Highway to Hell had two different album covers. However, it gets confusing once again with the 74 Jailbreak EP, which contained four of the songs from the original High Voltage and the song Jailbreak from Dirty Deeds. Only Jailbreak wasn't recorded in 1974. It was recorded in 1976.

  2. The Beatles

    The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular... read more

    Yes, even the Beatles' studio albums are confusing. Not every album by the Beatles was released everywhere. Some were only released in the UK. Their album titled "The Beatles' Second Album" was actually the third studio album released in the USA.

  3. Quiet Riot

    Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band that was founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni. The group initially went by the name Mach 1, then changed it to Little Women, and finally settled on Quiet Riot in May 1975.... read more

    They seem normal until you get to QR III (Quiet Riot III), which is their fifth album. Most people didn't know the first two Quiet Riot albums existed because they were only released in Japan. Then, you get to QR (Quiet Riot), where they now have two self-titled albums. Lastly, there is Quiet Riot 10, which is their 12th album.

  4. Chicago

    Chicago is an American rock band that formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1968, they initially performed under the name Chicago Transit Authority before shortening it to Chicago in 1969. The band described themselves as a "rock and roll band with horns" and gained fame for their unique blend of rock... read more

    They have many albums titled Chicago [Insert number here]. However, if you only consider studio albums, you will realize some numbers are skipped. This is because these numbers appeared on compilation albums.

  5. Weezer

    Weezer is an American alternative rock and power pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1992. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals).... read more

    They have four self-titled albums. Some people use the color of the album cover and refer to them by that (e.g., The Red Album).

  6. Stone Temple Pilots

    Stone Temple Pilots is an alternative rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989.

    The current lineup features brothers Dean DeLeo (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass), along with drummer Eric Kretz. The original lead vocalist, Scott Weiland, was with the band until 2013. After his departure... read more

    In 2010, they released a self-titled album. In 2018, they made a new album, and what is it called? The same thing as the 2010 album.

  7. Killswitch Engage

    Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts. The band formed in 1999 after the breakup of Overcast and Aftershock. They are considered one of the pioneering bands of the metalcore genre.

    In 2000, they released a self-titled album. In 2009, they did the same thing. They released two self-titled albums in one decade.

  8. Van Halen

    Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. From 1974 until 1985, the band's lineup consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony.... read more

    Van Halen is mostly normal until you get to Van Halen III, which is not their third album. It's their 11th.

  9. Def Leppard

    Def Leppard are an English hard rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.

    The band rose to international fame with albums like Pyromania (1983) and Hysteria (1987), the latter of which sold over 20 million copies worldwide. They were inducted... read more

  10. Killing Joke

    Killing Joke are an English rock band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England. The original lineup included Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson, Geordie Walker, and Youth. The band is known for its influence on industrial rock, punk, and heavy metal genres.

    And those two self-titled albums happen to be some of the band's best work.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Everlife

    Everlife was an American pop rock band composed of three sisters, Amber, Sarah, and Julia Ross. The group was active primarily in the 2000s and gained popularity through their association with Disney projects... read more

  12. ?

    Faust

    The most confusing discography ever. Several albums were released long after being recorded. There are compilations of theirs made of only unheard material. All members are credited simply as "performer" on each album. Worst of all, two lineups record separately but under the 'Faust' name. I will never understand them or their history.

    13. The Contenders

  13. Fleetwood Mac

    Fleetwood Mac was a British-American rock band formed in July 1967 in London. The band sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Its 1977 album Rumours is one of the best-selling albums ever, with more than 40 million copies sold globally... read more

  14. Judas Priest

    Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are frequently ranked among the greatest metal bands of all time and are commonly called "The Metal Gods," after their song on the 1980 album British Steel. Their influence on the development of heavy metal is profound... read more

    The question is: do you count Killing Machine and Hell Bent for Leather as one album or separate albums? I consider them one album. They are basically the same album with the same cover but with two names because one had to be changed to avoid controversy. They also have different track listings.

  15. Cheap Trick

    Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. As of 2025, the band consists of Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson, and Daxx Nielsen. They are best known for hits like I Want You to Want Me and Surrender.

  16. Sodom

    Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. Over the years, the band has undergone numerous lineup changes, with bassist and vocalist Tom Angelripper remaining the only constant member. Sodom is considered one of the big four of Teutonic thrash metal alongside Kreator, Destruction... read more

    There are actually two different versions of Obsessed by Cruelty, but other than that, they are normal.

  17. Vader

    Vader is a Polish death metal band from Olsztyn. Formed in 1983, the group was founded by then-bassist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek and guitarist Zbigniew "Vika" Wróblewski. Starting as a heavy metal group, Vader transitioned to thrash and speed metal before embracing death metal in the late 1980s. The band's... read more

    In 2017, they released an album called Dark Age, but the album is a rerecord of their first album.

  18. Trouble

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