"Desolation Boulevard" is the third studio album by the British glam rock band Sweet, released in November 1974. The album was issued in two distinct versions: one by RCA Records in Europe and another by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada, and Japan.
The RCA version of Desolation Boulevard features the single "Turn It Down" and the original recording of "Fox on the Run." The Capitol version, which was released in the U.S. in July 1975, includes the band's 1973 hit single "The Ballroom Blitz" and the single version of "Fox on the Run." In the United States, the album peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200 in October 1975.
Desolation Boulevard is widely regarded as the band's best album. Andy Scott, Sweet's guitarist, described the album as a reflection of the band's diversity, noting that the variety of styles showcased on the record proved the band's refusal to be formulaic, securing its place as a definitive album in Sweet's history.
The album's cover artwork was designed by the renowned art group Hipgnosis, known for their work with major bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, The Alan Parsons Project, and Led Zeppelin. The background photo was taken near the entrance of a rock music club called Filthy McNasty's, located at 8852 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Today, the location is home to The Viper Room, the site where actor River Phoenix tragically died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning in 1993.
The U.S. version of the album's cover featured slight alterations, including additional road signs and modifications to the album's title and band logo.
