Not all albums are created equal. Every artist is unique, and while some choose the recording studio to produce their albums, others look for something completely different. Some artists draw inspiration from a certain environment or simply like the acoustics of a particular place. As a result, some albums were recorded in unusual locations.
Kanye West hosted a huge listening party for his latest album, 'Donda,' at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22. However, soccer fans were surprised to see him wandering the stadium during a game a couple of days later! A few people snapped him on Instagram and he was wearing the same red outfit and face-cover from the listening party. This sparked rumors that he was staying at the stadium, which turned out to be true. An area had been cordoned off with a placard reading 'Donda Studio at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.' West also took to Instagram to share a photo of his humble living quarters at the stadium. It showed a windowless room with cinderblock walls and a single bed. Pretty spartan for the millionaire rapper! West appeared to be very much in the zone while perfecting the album.
Sabbath's fifth album was recorded at Clearwell Castle, a Gothic mansion in the Forest of Dean, England. The band used to rehearse in the castle's dungeon!
Guitarist Tony Iommi reported a paranormal experience where the band saw a cloaked figure walking into a room. They followed it to see who it was, but found nobody in the room.
The album that catapulted the industrial rockers to stardom was recorded at 10050 Cielo Drive in California, US. This is where the Manson Family, a cult led by serial killer Charles Manson, committed the Tate murders in 1969.
Band leader Trent Reznor reported that he would come home to find bouquets of dead roses and lit candles at the house's gate. He confessed that it was all very eerie because he was not sure if these were left for Sharon Tate (who was murdered) or Manson.
This hugely successful album has some of the band's greatest hits, including 'Under the Bridge' and 'Give it Away.' The album was recorded at The Mansion, a house where allegedly illusionist Harry Houdini's widow lived. Other famous acts recorded at the mansion, including Jay-Z, Maroon 5, and Marilyn Manson.
The band's drummer, Chad Smith, refused to sleep in the house, as he believed it was haunted by a woman who was murdered there in the 1930s. Members of the metal band Slipknot, who also recorded at The Mansion, also reported a number of paranormal events.
Paul McCartney and Wings - 'Band on the Run' and 'London Town'
Paul McCartney's band recorded two albums in two unusual places. 'Band on the Run' was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria, and 'London Town' aboard a yacht in the Virgin Islands.
Paul McCartney and Wings - 'Band on the Run' and 'London Town'
Reportedly, several band members were mugged while recording 'Band on the Run' in Lagos. Despite being uneventful, the yacht recording sessions might have inspired Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, as years later he used a houseboat to record music.
'OK Computer' is one of the British band's most critically acclaimed albums and includes hits such as 'Karma Police' and 'Paranoid Android.' The album was recorded in a 15th-century Tudor mansion in England. Interestingly, this is where King Henry VIII kept his illegitimate daughter.
The former monastery, now owned by ex-Bond girl Jane Seymour, is reportedly haunted. Radiohead's front man Thom Yorke said that ghosts would speak to him in his sleep, and that once he got up one morning after hearing voices and decided to cut his hair.
The Man in Black recorded his famous live album at Folsom State Prison in California. This was the first album ever recorded in a maximum-security prison.
The concept was such a hit, that he went on to record live albums at San Quentin State Prison, Tennessee Prison, and even at Österåker Prison in Sweden.
Icelandic band Sigur Rós recorded their third album in a recording studio called Sundlaugin. The studio was actually set up in an abandoned 1930s swimming pool.
Apparently the band originally intended to record the album at an abandoned NATO base in Iceland. The swimming pool and surrounding properties were eventually bought by the band.
