* AcclaimedFlop: ''Imperial Bedroom'' received high praise from publications such as ''NME'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''The New York Times'', but its three singles barely charted in the UK and didn't chart at all in the US, with the album only reaching #30 in the Billboard Albums Chart.
* BlackSheepHit: EC has said that "Every Day I Write The Book" is his most overrated song.
* CreatorBacklash:
** Costello has expressed disappointment with ''Goodbye Cruel World''. The liner notes to the 1995 reissue open with the sentence "Congratulations, you've just bought our worst album", but continue by explaining that he feels this way because the period in which it was made was marred by personal concerns and he chose the wrong approach to recording the songs. In 2004, he noted that:
-->"Now, with the benefit of a little more distance, I am able to say that it is probably the worst record that I could have made of a decent bunch of songs."
** He's urged radio stations to stop playing his song "Oliver's Army" because the lyrics include the N word.
** He seems to view his debut single "Less Than Zero" as this. It's only appeared on one of his numerous best-of compilations, and he's made some unenthusiastic comments about it over the years (basically regretting what he considers a lack of subtlety in the song).
* CreatorBreakdown:
** While making ''Music/BloodAndChocolate'', Costello had just had a messy divorce, was going through some trouble with his backing band The Attractions, and was rumored to be drinking an absolutely heroic amount of alcohol to cope. It's one of his bitterest albums, and (to some) [[TrueArtIsAngsty one of the most underrated]]. His marital difficulties also contributed to ''Goodbye Cruel World's'' bland [[TheEighties '80s]] production. On the other hand, his problems also inspired much of the material on ''Imperial Bedroom'', which many fans consider to be his masterpiece and many critics list as one of the greatest albums of all time.
** [[WordOfGod The liner notes]] to his 1990's Creator/{{Rykodisc}} reissues explain a gradual story of Costello, married and advancing in his career, determined not to fall prey [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll to the temptations and vices of pop stardom]] and [[SelfFulfillingProphecy failing miserably at it.]] Promiscuity, [[DrugsAreBad substance abuse (mainly amphetamines and alcohol)]] and occasional slip-ups like the [[OldShame Ray Charles slurring incident]] would follow him in the early years with the Attractions. His first marriage would deteriorate, as would his friendship with bassist Bruce Thomas; these incidents and circumstances [[RealitySubtext would inform many of his songs in the eighties and influence much of his musical decision making (and the feel of many of his records)]], at least as far back as ''Get Happy!!'', if not earlier.
* FanNickname: "The Other Elvis", [[Music/ElvisPresley another famous musician]] is referred to as simply "Elvis".
* MissingEpisode:
** In his memoirs he talks about finding the master tape of Music/JoeJackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" at a recording studio he was working at. Since that song was often characterized as being InTheStyleOf Costello, Costello decided to jokingly dub his own lead vocal to the backing track. Then after listening back to it, he promptly had the vocal track erased.
** The GreatestHitsAlbum ''Extreme Honey'' was originally going to include a CoverVersion of "Pop Life" with altered lyrics as its token new recording. Music/{{Prince}} denied permission, so Costello constructed a new original song, "The Bridge I Burned", out of elements of his intended arrangement of "Pop Life" . If you know what you're looking for, there are some similarities in the final product, and the very first words sung in the song are still "pop life".
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Costello was approached by Music/{{REM}} to produce their third album, ''Music/FablesOfTheReconstruction'', but he dropped out for unspecified reasons; production duties were ultimately taken up by Joe Boyd.
** He agreed to produce Music/TheyMightBeGiants' fourth album ''Music/Apollo18'', but he was asked without Elektra asking the band, and the band declined due to wanting to produce the album themselves.
* WorkingTitle:
** ''Little Hitler'', ''Girls! Girls! Girls!''[[note]]taken from an album by [[Music/ElvisPresley the original Elvis]][[/note]] and ''The King of Belgium''[[note]]whom Costello allegedly resembled[[/note]] for ''Music/ThisYearsModel''. Costello used two of these later--"Two Little Hitlers" became a song on ''Armed Forces''[[note]]"Little Hitler" itself had already become a Music/NickLowe song[[/note]], and ''Girls! Girls! Girls!'' became a GreatestHits compilation.
** ''Emotional Fascism'' for ''Armed Forces''. The phrase still appears on the album's innersleeve.
** ''Idiophone'' for ''Brutal Youth''.
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