When it comes to music all opinions are subjective, of course – and when it comes to pop music in particular, it always feels like the criticism is slightly more intense.
But a true pop behemoth can weather even the harshest of commentary. Here are ten of the biggest albums of the 21st century that nevertheless got a royal bashing from the critics.
1. KATY PERRY: ONE OF THE BOYS
Metacritic score: 47/100 • Copies sold: 7 million
Related: The surprising stories behind six of Katy Perry's biggest hits
It may contain four huge Katy Perry hits in the form of 'I Kissed A Girl', 'Hot N Cold', 'Waking Up In Vegas' and 'Thinking Of You', but the critics were remarkably savage when it came to reviewing One Of The Boys. The harshest criticism? Probably the Allmusic one that says Katy "sinks to crass, craven depths that turn One of the Boys into a grotesque emblem of all the wretched excesses of this decade." Woah.
2. BLACK EYED PEAS: MONKEY BUSINESS
Metacritic score: 48/100 • Copies sold: 10 million
Many see 'Where Is The Love?' as the turning point where Black Eyed Peas went from adored hip-hop stars from the underground scene to chart-topping sellouts. But it was on 2005 album Monkey Business that the four-piece really took a hammering. "The dance-floor fillers are – in every sense – arse: the band's obsession with the female form, or 'lady lumps', takes precedence over their desire for world peace," The Guardian said at the time. 'My Humps' is still a tune, though.
3. DESTINY'S CHILD: DESTINY FULFILLED
Metacritic score: 52/100 • Copies sold: 4 million
It's hard to believe any critic would be against something that features the angelic tones of Beyoncé, but Destiny's Child's swansong album (before they took a break) was not popular amongst the musos at all. "Destiny Fulfilled sounds like the kind of album you make when you're saving your best material for your next solo album," said Rolling Stone magazine. "Which, in Beyonce's case, better come soon." #PoorMichelle.
4. ROBBIE WILLIAMS: ESCAPOLOGY
Metacritic score: 53/100 • Copies sold: 5 million
Related: Robbie Williams' albums ranked from worst to best
So we all know that Robbie suffered the critics' harsh words when it came to Rudebox, but in fact his largely adored album Escapology scored the exact same aggregated review average. NME were not fans at all, going as far to say that Escapology is "a parody of a Robbie Williams album". But it didn't stop him headlining three massive shows at Knebworth.
5. JENNIFER LOPEZ: J.LO
Metacritic score: 52/100 • Copies sold: 8 million
How anyone can pick apart an album that has platinum classics such as 'Love Don't Cost A Thing', 'Ain't It Funny' and 'I'm Real' on we'll never understand, but more than a few critics did just that back in 2001. "J.Lo is a calculated assault on our post-Destiny's Child sensibilities, an hysterical but fatally flawed attempt to prove that this Lopez puppet can do anything her producers ask of her," NME wrote at the time. Jeez. And to think that two Susan Boyle albums scored a better review average than this...
6. CHRISTINA AGUILERA: STRIPPED
Metacritic score: 55/100 • Copies sold: 13 million
Related: The surprising stories behind 6 of Christina Aguilera's biggest hits
Stripped will go down as one of Christina's most iconic albums, but it had to weather a rough ride when it was first released in 2002. Despite both 'Dirrty' and 'Beautiful' being career-defining smashes for the former Disney star, critics just weren't on board for her image overhaul. Words like "convoluted" and "hyper-sexual" were used to describe the collection, while in one review 'Dirrty' was genuinely referred to as a "non-song". Say what?
7. NICKELBACK: ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
Metacritic score: 41/100 • Copies sold: 7.9 million
Related: Why do people hate Nickelback? In defence of the world's most hated band
Overwhelmingly bad reviews couldn't stop Nickelback selling truckloads of their fifth studio album. That was mainly down to the humongous success of 'Rockstar', which has become their staple smash. That didn't stop The New York Times going in and declaring it "more of the worst rock lyrics ever recorded".
8. MICHAEL JACKSON: INVINCIBLE
Metacritic score: 51/100 • Copies sold: 10 million
It's still a shame that MJ's final album to be released while he was still alive is also his worst rated among critics. But claims that the collection was "over calculated", "long-winded" and "humourless" didn't stop the King of Pop's loyal followers going out and buying it in their millions.
9. JESSIE J: WHO YOU ARE
Metacritic score: 51/100 • Copies sold: 2.5 million
For someone who won the BRITs Critics' Choice Award, Jessie J's debut album didn't get the love many were probably expecting. A mammoth hit like 'Price Tag' wasn't enough to save it from some very harsh words. "Jessie J's persona seems most defined when she is being totally obnoxious," wrote Pitchfork, giving it a whole 2 out of 10. Yikes.
10. KATY PERRY: TEENAGE DREAM
Metacritic score: 52/100 • Copies sold: 6 million
Now this one really proved the critics wrong. Yep, actual pop masterpiece Teenage Dream was met with more of a negative response than a Razorlight album. But as we all know, it went on to break records. Not only did Katy achieve five No.1 singles in the US from this album alone, it also meant she matched a record set by Michael Jackson with his Bad album. The Chicago Tribune may have said that it lacked "any elegance or nuance," but you can't deny it was packed with absolute bangers.
