This is a thread where I'd like everyone to post something significantly ironic about the career of a musical artist or group.

Here's one: Cheap Trick's breakthrough record was 1979's At Budokan.

The record was not originally intended to be released in the US. The group's first three studio albums hadn't sold mightily in the US, but when they went to Japan in the spring of 1978, they played to wildly enthusiastic fans who'd embraced them and their peculiar brand of power rock.

They decided to release a Japan-only live album culled from the shows they played at Budokan Hall as a way of capitalizing on their fame there. The album was released in the fall of 1978 while the group worked on their next studio album.

However, sales of the Japanese import were so significant in the US, that Epic Records decided to give the album an official US release. In the winter of 1979, At Budokan was released in the states and the group not only had it's first platinum album, but a top 10 single with "I Want You To Want Me."

The album's release and success also meant that the release of the studio album they'd finished, Dream Police, would have to wait until later that year to see release.

An album that was never intended for US release becomes their US breakthrough. An irony that worked rather well for Cheap Trick.

Okay, let's hear some other career ironies.

The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle

They recorded the album in 1967 as a last ditch attempt after a bunch of (really good) singles that flopped. They were on the verge of breakup, largely due to lack of success.

The album flopped in the US and UK, and they broke up soon after.

Almost 2 years later, Time of the Season became a top 10 single, and Oddessy (reissued) became known as one of the great psychedelic albums of the '60s.

A few ironies....

1. The Zombies might have stayed together if the album was successful when it was released.
...Rod was already underway with Argent.

2. Time of the Season was the last song recorded for the album...they needed one more song. (Most of the band except for writer Rod Argent didn't like it).........it wasn't first choice as a single either.

Extreme, a band known for loud powerpop, hits it big with an acoustic single, More than Words, on which only two members participate. Apparently fans prefer that to their actual sound.

Same thing happened just this past year with a band called Plain White Ts.

The Byrds were in terrible shape when Roger McGuinn covered "Hey Mr Tambourine Man" with a group of session players. Chris Hillman's praised and revolutionary bass slide intro was the work of an unknown studio musician. It gave the band new life and led to an amazing string of hits and albums with a gallery of top notch stars that influenced a generation of rock. All because of McGuinn's 12-string and a bunch of folks nobody knows.

I don't know this story is true, but I heard once that Tommy James and the Shondells had broken up when "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky" became a regional hit in Pittsburgh. The Shondell-less Tommy had to recruit a whole new band of local musicians to play gigs there. They went on to have a great run on the strength of a song only one of them had a hand in. You've got to wonder what happened to the original Shondells.

Everything But The Girl made several albums of soft, acoustic pop but it was the dance remix of "Missing" that brought them massive airplay. They decided to embrace this sound, and their music started leaning heavy on club beats and electronics.

Even more ironic: "Bob Dylan At Budokan" followed almost exactly the same recording/release template (although it was a double album) but stands today as being either head-scratching at best, an embarassment at worst.