Styx.
I loathe Styx mainly because of this album cover.
I frequently browse used records, and this abomination turns up frequently.
Thought it was a great albulm but then I think Tunnel of Love is his best work.
I agree —if I never hear Born in the USA again I’ll be happy. I still love the albums prior to that, but that album was just so overdone at the time and I still haven’t recovered.
And I hated Tunnel of Love more than any other album he’s done.
Then you’re not really addressing the OP, now, are you? 
Linky no worky. Is it the Kilroy Was Here album you were going for?
I came to this thread specifically to mention Styx. They went from being one of the top musical acts of the 1980’s to a laughinstock.
And the funny thing is, IMHO their best work is from before they got popular. Renegade, Suite Madame Blue and Blue Collar Man all came before they hit it really big.
He was trying for the cover to Pieces of Eight.
Styx and Kansas are both pretty wretched bands that were once loved by millions.
I hated them when their music came out. I couldn’t figure out who was listening to this stuff. I lumped them in with DMB, but I think we discussed that once before. I think you will be suprised to find a large group of people detest these bands. It’s was never the type of music I would listen to. One of my freinds liked them, but my opinion of his musical taste was not complementry.
Oasis
Manic Street Preachers
I thought Metallica’s latest album was very well received. To me it’s sort of a cross between their older albums and the Black Album.
Smashing Pumpkins, if they’re hated it’s probably because their guitar and bass players are different. Saw them over the summer, they still rock. Billy is really good on guitar. Got a little too experimental in places, but that’s the Pumpkins.
Kid Rock’s current song is doing well on rock, country, and Top 40 stations. He’s sort of a douche, but I’m sure he’s selling records.
Kiss. They peaked around 1978 or so, and define “once loved” by the fact they sold out stadiums around the world, and were probably the richest band in the world as well, at least in terms of licensing products.
Now Gene Simmons is keeping that past alive almost singlehandedly.
Yeah, I was a fan of them when I was 16, and pretty much hated them by age 18. Now I watch a video every now and then out of nostalgia. And I think, I used to like that?!
Aqua’s album Aquarium (of Barbie Girl fame) sold 15,000,000 copies worldwide with 4,000,000 in the U.S. You’re not going to find too many people who would admit to that.
I still like them, though.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
Boy George destroyed himself with heroin, and the contrast between the confidently transgressive young singer and the grouchy, broken old man is just so pathetic that his music now seems ridiculous.
Boy George is still making music? Did anybody else know about this? (And can you really be counted as being “hated so very very much” if everyone has forgotten you existed?)
This is who I thought of immediately. Billed as the next Beatles. Uh-huh.
If you ever want to doom a promising band, declare them the next Beatles.
All rap music is the next Beatles! Oh, and country music bands–them too!
Ben Folds.
Condier the classic progression -
[ul]
[li]universal critcal adoration for first album[/li]
[li]#1 Hit on second album, critics tolerating of albums uneven-ness[/li]
[li]Unmitgated shit on 3rd album and Fold’s solo career - scorn increasing incrementally with each release[/li]
[li]Latest Ben Folds Five album widely considered worst record ever made.[/li][/ul]
A lot of things can happen in 11 years. Example: threads can get old.