Has Chinese Democracy achieved cult status?

[IRanOutOfIdeas]

I think you'd be a bit hard-pressed to find a devoted following of CD outside of this forum. When it exceeds that then it'd be cult in my opinion.

[Rovim]

I think you'd be a bit hard-pressed to find a devoted following of CD outside of this forum. When it exceeds that then it'd be cult in my opinion.

3 million sold? How many liked it? uneducated guess: 1 million. Is that less then a cult, more?

[RichardNixon]

Stop trying to make CD a misunderstood masterpiece Guess what? It's not. Not at all.

That's a matter of opinion.

No, that's like the stupidest statement ever.

[johnnybebad]

Cult albums become cult albums when bands from the future cite the album as an influence.

Velvet Underground & Nico, Raw Power, etc.

I really can't imagine any scenario where you read a young band saying "we were really influence by Chinese Democracy era Guns N' Roses"

[Rovim]

Cult albums become cult albums when bands from the future cite the album as an influence.

Velvet Underground & Nico, Raw Power, etc.

I really can't imagine any scenario where you read a young band saying "we were really influence by Chinese Democracy era Guns N' Roses"

It has already begun.

[Bono]

No. he holds no significance in the music world. It's a failure in the eyes of way too many. Too many people simply don't like the songs. It hasn't grown in popularity. It hasn't stood the text of time. It's not even remotely a cult classic. It isn't even an influential record in any way shape or form. Nobody will talk or care about this album in 10 years. Hell nobody cares about it now. The myth of cd was cool. The actually cd not so much and that perception is never gonna change.

[Rovim]

No. he holds no significance in the music world. It's a failure in the eyes of way too many. Too many people simply don't like the songs. It hasn't grown in popularity. It hasn't stood the text of time. It's not even remotely a cult classic. It isn't even an influential record in any way shape or form. Nobody will talk or care about this album in 10 years. Hell nobody cares about it now. The myth of cd was cool. The actually cd not so much and that perception is never gonna change.

It's only been out for 5 years. Way too early to know if it stood the test of time. How many people liked The Velvet Underground work when it came out? How many people bought Nick Drake's albums?

Many people that knew nothing about Chinese loved it when I made them aware of it. From very young people to 50 year olds that were curious about what Axl worked so hard on. A bunch of my friends said Axl still had it after listening to Better, There Was A Time, and Catcher.

On top of that, we only got to hear half of it according to Axl, so the complete project is not out yet.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Rovim

[classicrawker]

If people go in with an open mind, its a great record. In my opinion, people's problems with the record have nothing to do with music (whether they realize or admit it or not). Its the image and perception of Axl, old GNR, etc that prevents people from giving CD its due.

Yeah right people would really love ChiDem if only they did not hate Axl so much...........they just don't know it.... ....thanks for clearing that up for us............... ​

[RichardNixon]

Cult albums become cult albums when bands from the future cite the album as an influence.

Velvet Underground & Nico, Raw Power, etc.

I don't know. I can think of plenty of albums that most people wouldn't cite as an influence that have achieved cult status:

Motley Crue--Motley Crue (the 1994 s/t album)

KISS- Music From the Elder

Aeromith- Rock In a Hard Place

The Monkees- Head (soundtrack)

The Doors- Other Voices

[wfuckinga]

MC94 and the KISS album kick ASS. I'd put Tiny Music by STP on that list as well

[Bulldog]

MC94 and the KISS album kick ASS. I'd put Tiny Music by STP on that list as well

I love that album

[wfuckinga]

MC94 and the KISS album kick ASS. I'd put Tiny Music by STP on that list as well

I love that album

Tiny Music rocks, I wish it was more popular. I rank it third after Core and Purple

[RichardNixon]

MC94 and the KISS album kick ASS. I'd put Tiny Music by STP on that list as well

Tiny Music sold two million copies in the States alone and had three hit singles--"Art School Girl," "Big Bang Baby," and "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart," so I wouldn't really call it a cult album. When I think of a "cult album" I tend to think of an album that went under the radar of the general public that has attracted a following. Scott Weiland's 12 Bar Blues would be another example.

As for Chinese Democracy, yeah, I think that you could say that it has a cult following. A lot of people who stuck around waiting for it don't like it and a lot of people do like it. Yes, some people actually think it's a great album. I personally love it. To each his or her own.

Back to STP--I totally think that Shangri-La Dee Da was underrated and has yet to achieve the cult following that it deserves.

Edited December 27, 2013 by RichardNixon

[EvH]

Stop trying to make CD a misunderstood masterpiece Guess what? It's not. Not at all.

That's a matter of opinion.

No, that's like the stupidest statement ever.

Hilarious, 9gag is waiting for you.

[magisme]

Some people need to learn that an album doesn't achieved cult status just because they like it and almost no one else does.

[Bobbo]

It achieved shit status.

And it's lucky it even did that.

[RussTCB]

Some people need to learn that an album doesn't achieved cult status just because they like it and almost no one else does.

By your logic, the Chris Gaines album doesn't count!!!

Wait... I think you may be on to something...

[wasted]

it's either Apocalyose now or Heavens gate. So yes. But it is it David Koresh or Pulp Fiction?

[Padme]

If there ever was a cult type of GN´R album that would be Live Like A Suicide. Small group of people were aware of it and they like it. It was independent and underground. That album meant to be that way. I don´t think Axl meant to create some kind of cult with CD. He just made a follow up of the UYI albums.

[RichardNixon]

Some people need to learn that an album doesn't achieved cult status just because they like it and almost no one else does.

Some people need to learn what exactly "cult status" means and that there are people outside of this board that also like the album. Look over at amazon.com:

3.6 out of 5 stars

(422)

3.6 out of 5 stars

5 star

173

4 star

85

3 star

55

2 star

40

1 star

69

There is a large range of opinions with regard to the album. Plenty of fans do like the album and I'm willing to bet that a fair amount of people who posted one-star reviews never even heard it.

Edited December 27, 2013 by RichardNixon

[magisme]

You guys try so hard. It's adorable.

[D-GenerationX]

You guys try so hard. It's adorable.

And to what end? What's the endgame here?

If you like it, who cares? But why must go on this fool's errand to try and build it up and claim it achieved all these things.

You like it, cool. Few did. It happens.

[RichardNixon]

You guys try so hard. It's adorable.

And to what end? What's the endgame here?

If you like it, who cares? But why must go on this fool's errand to try and build it up and claim it achieved all these things.

You like it, cool. Few did. It happens.

If anything, people are going on a "fool's errand" to try to show that "nobody liked it except for people on this board." I have no problem with folks who listened to the album and don't like it, what bothers me is people who try to force their opinion that it's a shit album down everyone else's throat.

[username]

You guys try so hard. It's adorable.

And to what end? What's the endgame here?

If you like it, who cares? But why must go on this fool's errand to try and build it up and claim it achieved all these things.

You like it, cool. Few did. It happens.

If anything, people are going on a "fool's errand" to try to show that "nobody liked it except for people on this board." I have no problem with folks who listened to the album and don't like it, what bothers me is people who try to force their opinion that it's a shit album down everyone else's throat.

Really? You're bothered by yourself?

And Amazon? Really? I mean REALLY? So whoohoo, there are 250 people on the internet who like CD. Most of them probably do post here.

The key difference is that with cult albums is that it's very underground and not well known. Chinese Democracy IS well know. People are aware of it. They just don't give a fuck.

Stop trying to make excuses. Stop trying to make CD be a hit. It wasn't. Deal with it. People either didn't care anymore, or they thought it blew big hairy donkeyballs or they're among the 250 people in the world who think it's the best album ever made (and, incidentally, all wear tin-foil hats).

[RichardNixon]

You guys try so hard. It's adorable.

And to what end? What's the endgame here?

If you like it, who cares? But why must go on this fool's errand to try and build it up and claim it achieved all these things.

You like it, cool. Few did. It happens.

If anything, people are going on a "fool's errand" to try to show that "nobody liked it except for people on this board." I have no problem with folks who listened to the album and don't like it, what bothers me is people who try to force their opinion that it's a shit album down everyone else's throat.

Really? You're bothered by yourself?

And Amazon? Really? I mean REALLY? So whoohoo, there are 250 people on the internet who like CD. Most of them probably do post here.

The key difference is that with cult albums is that it's very underground and not well known. Chinese Democracy IS well know. People are aware of it. They just don't give a fuck.

Stop trying to make excuses. Stop trying to make CD be a hit. It wasn't. Deal with it. People either didn't care anymore, or they thought it blew big hairy donkeyballs or they're among the 250 people in the world who think it's the best album ever made (and, incidentally, all wear tin-foil hats).

Touchy...

Again, you really don't seem to understand what a "cult" album is. I listed several cult albums earlier in this thread released by major rock acts. An album that has achieved cult status doesn't have to be "underground and not well known," although you could argue that CD is not well-known as most people haven't listened to it front-to-back. I posted the amazon stats to rebuff the claim that "most everyone" thinks that this album is shit. "Most people" have no opinion of the album because they never heard it. There is no real consensus that the album "blew big hairy donkeyballs."

Here's an example of an album that achieved cult status--Motley Crue's 1994 album. It was released in the spring of 1994 and was a huge flop (it shipped Gold but sold maybe 350k). Yet the album had its fans and there were people who loved the Corabi-era. Throughout the 1990s and beyond, even after Vince returned, there were fans on message boards that raved about MC94, some citing it as best Motley Crue album. So even if it "flopped," the album has its fans and has achieved cult status. Not every album that underperforms is a cult album, but MC94 was.

Edited December 27, 2013 by RichardNixon