Most Monumental Album Flops: No. 25

Failure, it has been argued, is more interesting than success. Try telling that to the superstars on our list of all-time album flops: We'd guess they were a tad more interested in the successes. You have to rise pretty high to have a stomach-turning letdown, which is why our list includes the creators of some of the biggest-selling albums of all time. From a Prince, several princesses and a King (of Pop) to the reigning jesters of punk and hip-hop, rock's royal court is clearly subject to the same laws of gravity as the rest of us.

'Pop'
U2, 1997

Rise: Ten years after U2 assumed the rock 'n' roll throne, they planned the glitzy Popmart tour as an ironic take on consumerism, and they rushed out the accompanying album to meet the deadline.

Fall: The half-baked 'Pop' was so forgettable that U2's next album, 'All That You Can't Leave Behind,' was widely hailed as the band's "comeback" record.

Stats: 'The Joshua Tree' (1987), 10 million; 'Pop,' 1.5 million

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*All sales figures are U.S., from RIAA and Nielsen SoundScan, except where indicated.