It's not just certain governments that reveal stratospheric spending capable of leaving an entire country speechless… and empty-handed. Some bands have already shelled out veritable fortunes to produce new chapters in their discography. With that in mind, Kerrang! listed on its official website the most expensive rock and metal albums of all time. The list includes names like Metallica, AC/DC, Foo Fighters , and Korn , among others.
According to the magazine, the most expensive album was Chinese Democracy by Guns N' Roses . Perhaps this won't surprise rock fans, especially since the work took more than a decade to complete – something the magazine made sure to factor into the cost. The price reached $13 million due to the enormous number of musicians hired for the album, in addition to the numerous recording sessions that were necessary.
The second most expensive album in history is Hysteria by Def Leppard , which took about three years to record the final 62 minutes. The cost reached $4.5 million due to numerous delays caused by personal problems, health issues, and even a car accident involving producer Mutt Lange.
With a budget of $4 million, Korn 's Untouchables occupies the third position on the list. The album took two years to make, and five months were dedicated solely to Jonathan Davis , who often arrived at the studio, sang a note, and left, saying his voice wasn't good enough.
The Darkness made the list with the album *A One-Way Ticket To Hell… And Back* , which cost $1 million and kicked off the band's career. *One By One * also cost $1 million. In reality, that amount was spent on 29 songs and three months of recording, which the band ultimately threw away because they hated everything, and the album had to be remade, this time in just two weeks.
Without being able to confirm the total cost, Kerrang! AC/DC 's album For Those About To Rock as one of the most expensive, at approximately $1 million. Producer Mutt Lange took the recordings to various studios, searching for the perfect sound. This explains the expense and the time it took to release the album.
Also costing $1 million, Metallica's album The Black Album , made the list. Furthermore, the album also cost three marriages. Only James Hetfield remained married until the end of the project. The reason? Exhaustion. According to the band themselves, the entire production process was difficult and stressful, as they had to redo the album several times because producer Bob Rock believed the band could make a better sound.
And finally, the cheapest album on the list, yet still one of the most expensive in history, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine . The group's second album was supposed to be recorded in just five days, but it took them two and a half years, as well as traveling to almost 20 studios in search of the perfect sound. All because of the perfectionism of vocalist Kevin Shields.