12 Albums Everyone Pretended to Love Because It Was “Cool”

12 Albums Everyone Pretended to Love Because It Was “Cool”

Some albums don’t just live in your music library, they live in your social identity.

At certain points in time, liking the “right” record felt like a shortcut to seeming interesting, cultured, or ahead of everyone else.

You didn’t necessarily have to play it often, because the real value was being able to reference it with confidence.

A few of these are genuinely brilliant, but they also became status symbols that people used to signal taste.

If you ever nodded along while secretly thinking, “I respect this more than I enjoy it,” you’re in very good company.

Here are twelve albums that earned major cool points, sometimes bigger than the actual listening experience.

1. Radiohead — Kid A

Back when “experimental” felt like the ultimate compliment, this record became an instant taste test for who was in the know.

It helped that everyone called it groundbreaking, which made admitting confusion feel like announcing you didn’t “get” art.

A lot of listeners learned the talking points first, then tried to train their ears to catch up afterward.

It’s not that the album is unlistenable, because it has moments that are genuinely stunning and emotional.

It’s that playing it casually can feel like homework when you just wanted something comforting and familiar.

People often praised the cold electronic textures and abstract mood because that sounded sophisticated at the time.

Privately, many skipped to the tracks that felt more song-like and quietly left the rest for “later.”

Owning it, naming it, and defending it sometimes mattered more than actually craving it on a normal day.

2. The Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground & Nico

This one became the indie world’s secret handshake, because knowing it implied you knew everything that came after it.

The banana cover alone is a symbol, and symbols tend to travel faster than actual listening habits.

Plenty of people loved the idea of Lou Reed’s grit and Nico’s icy presence more than the full experience.

It’s raw, minimal, and historically huge, but it can also feel oddly distant if you’re not in the right mood.

Talking about it made you sound serious, like you were the type who collected obscure records and opinions.

Some fans genuinely adore its bleak beauty, while others mostly admire what it represents in music history.

When friends said it was “life-changing,” it felt easier to agree than to admit you were underwhelmed.

In a lot of circles, being familiar with it mattered as much as loving it from start to finish.

3. Neutral Milk Hotel — In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Few albums became a personality badge quite like this one, especially in the era of dorm rooms and thrift-store cool.

People quoted lyrics as if they were sacred texts, which made it hard to admit the vocals weren’t for everyone.

The lo-fi chaos and earnestness can feel either magical or exhausting, depending on your patience that day.

It’s also drenched in myth, and myths have a way of pressuring listeners to feel something profound.

Some fans connected deeply to its messy emotion, but others mainly connected to the group identity around it.

Saying you loved it signaled you were sensitive, artsy, and not afraid of strange sounds and big feelings.

Quietly, a lot of people only returned to a couple of songs and treated the rest like required reading.

The “cool” part wasn’t just the music, but the implication that you understood it on a deeper level.

4. My Bloody Valentine — Loveless

In the world of music credibility, shoegaze became a flex, and this album was the ultimate proof of membership.

The swirling wall of sound can feel hypnotic, but it can also feel like staring at static and insisting it’s a movie.

Many listeners talked about hidden melodies and emotional undertones because that sounded more impressive than “it’s really loud.”

It’s undeniably influential, yet influence doesn’t always equal immediate enjoyment for people hearing it the first time.

The truth is that it often takes effort, headphones, and the “right” mindset to appreciate what’s happening.

Some fans honestly love getting lost in the blur, while others mainly love being associated with the blur.

It was common to claim devotion because not loving it could brand you as basic or impatient.

Even today, the album’s cool factor sometimes arrives long before genuine affection does.

5. Captain Beefheart — Trout Mask Replica

There are records people reference like trophies, and this one is basically the trophy case itself.

It’s chaotic, abrasive, and intentionally difficult, which makes it perfect for proving you’re not scared of “real” art.

A lot of listeners pretended they enjoyed it because admitting it sounded like nonsense felt embarrassing.

The album’s reputation does heavy lifting, since its legend suggests that only the enlightened truly understand it.

In practice, many people put it on once, made a serious face, and never returned to it.

Talking about it, though, could win instant points with the type of friend who values obscurity as a virtue.

Some adventurous fans genuinely appreciate its strange genius, but plenty more appreciate what it communicates about them.

It became less about pleasure and more about signaling a fearless, highbrow musical identity.

6. Miles Davis — Bitches Brew

Jazz credibility has its own social currency, and this album is one of the biggest bills in circulation.

It’s massive, messy, and mesmerizing, but it’s also the kind of listening that demands time and attention.

Many people claimed to love it because it suggested maturity, sophistication, and a serious relationship with music.

The improvisation can feel thrilling, yet it can also feel like you walked into a conversation halfway through.

Fans praise its innovation and atmosphere, which is fair, but not everyone wants that atmosphere on a casual drive.

Some listeners admired it like a museum piece while rarely choosing it for everyday enjoyment.

It was easier to say, “This is essential,” than to admit you’d rather play something more immediate.

Owning it often functioned as a cultural signal, even for people who only truly knew the first few minutes.

7. Sonic Youth — Daydream Nation

When indie rock started acting like an intellectual pursuit, this album became required coursework.

It’s long, noisy, and brilliant in places, but it also asks for more patience than many people wanted to admit.

Saying you loved it could instantly place you in a cooler category than someone who preferred radio-friendly hits.

The guitar textures and sprawling songs are genuinely influential, yet influence can still feel like a chore to sit through.

A lot of listeners respected the idea of it more than the experience of playing it straight through.

People often highlighted its “art” qualities to justify moments that felt repetitive or overly indulgent.

In private, many gravitated to a couple of standout tracks and quietly ignored the rest of the marathon.

The album’s reputation made it feel safer to overstate your devotion than to admit you weren’t always in the mood.

8. Talking Heads — Remain in Light

For years, loving this album signaled that you had adventurous taste without drifting into complete chaos.

Its rhythms are addictive, but the dense layers can still feel overwhelming if you just wanted something simple.

People praised it as genius because it’s easier to call something genius than to explain why it doesn’t click for you.

The record rewards repeat listens, yet not everyone had the patience to do the homework required for the payoff.

It also became a go-to reference for sounding smart about music, art school energy, and cultural influence.

Many listeners sincerely adore it, but some mainly adored being the type of person who adored it.

Admitting you didn’t connect with it could feel like confessing you missed a joke everyone else understood.

So plenty of people nodded enthusiastically, even if they mostly played the same two songs on loop.

9. Kanye West — Yeezus

At the height of its hype, this album was treated like a test of who was ahead of the curve.

It helped that calling it brilliant made you seem brave, like you weren’t afraid of harsh sounds and sharp edges.

A lot of people defended it loudly because they didn’t want to be mistaken for someone who “doesn’t get” innovation.

The production is aggressive and fascinating, but it can also feel stressful when you’re not in the mood for confrontation.

Some listeners genuinely loved the audacity, while others mostly loved the social reward of praising audacity.

The record became a debate topic, and debate topics often attract people who enjoy arguments more than the music.

Privately, many skipped around instead of living with the whole project the way they claimed they did.

In certain circles, saying you loved it was almost shorthand for being culturally literate and unshockable.

10. Bjӧrk — Homogenic

Art-pop devotion has always sounded impressive, and this album became one of the most stylish ways to prove it.

It’s emotionally intense and sonically bold, which can be exhilarating when you’re ready for drama and texture.

The problem is that not everyone is ready for that level of intensity on an average afternoon.

Many people praised it because it made them seem adventurous, worldly, and immune to mainstream boredom.

It’s a masterpiece for plenty of fans, but it also intimidated listeners who wanted melody without emotional whiplash.

Admitting it wasn’t your thing could feel like admitting you lacked imagination or depth.

So some people performed enthusiasm, learned the “best songs,” and kept the full album at a respectful distance.

It became a fashionable statement piece, whether or not it was genuinely part of someone’s daily rotation.

11. Arcade Fire — Funeral

During peak indie years, loving this album felt like a ticket into a certain kind of community.

It was emotional, dramatic, and big, which made it perfect for people who wanted music to feel important.

At the same time, the hype created pressure, because nobody wanted to be the person who “didn’t feel it.”

Some listeners connected immediately, while others mostly connected to the shared ritual of calling it essential.

The songs can be cathartic, yet the album’s earnestness can also feel heavy if you prefer subtlety.

Many people treated it like a cultural milestone, even if they didn’t actually revisit it very often.

It was common to proclaim love because that declaration came with instant indie credibility.

In friend groups where everyone worshipped it, agreeing felt simpler than admitting you were only half-convinced.

12. Bon Iver — 22, A Million

When “being deep” became part of music taste, this album offered an easy way to signal emotional complexity.

Its fractured vocals and glitchy textures are interesting, but they can also feel like decoding a message in real time.

Many listeners insisted they loved it because it sounded like growth, evolution, and artistic bravery.

The truth is that not everyone wanted bravery when they were just trying to feel comforted by a song.

Some fans genuinely found it beautiful, while others missed the simpler intimacy of earlier work but stayed quiet.

Praising it publicly made you seem thoughtful, sensitive, and plugged into the indie conversation.

Privately, plenty of people cherry-picked the most accessible tracks and let the rest fade into the background.

The album often earned more respect than replays, which is usually the clearest sign of “cool-love.”