When an artist decides a project is too raw, disastrous, or personal for public consumption, they usually expect it to stay locked away forever. But in the music industry, absolute control is an illusion. Whether exposed by relentless bootleggers, internet leaks, or corporate battles, these legendary unreleased albums escaped the vault despite the fierce efforts of the musicians who tried to bury them.
#1: Prince — The Black Album (1987)
Just days before its scheduled release, Prince suffered a spiritual crisis—or a bad trip—and declared the dark, aggressive funk album “evil.” He ordered Warner Bros. to destroy all 500,000 pressed copies, paying out of pocket to cancel the launch. However, a few promotional vinyl copies escaped, spawning one of the most widely bootlegged records in history before Prince finally allowed an official limited release in 1994.
