FEATURE: What ‘Sophomore Slump’?! Second Albums That Amazed the Critics

FEATURE:

What ‘Sophomore Slump’?!

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Second Albums That Amazed the Critics

_________

THERE is an actual phenomenon…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

known as the ‘sophomore slump’. In musical terms; it states those who produce exceptional debuts and get critics hot with that first-time brilliance will slow and disappoint when it comes to the follow-up. Maybe that is a sign of too much pressure and expectation; getting lucky right out the gates – or people building unrealistic visions of the artist. The years have been littered with artists who failed to live up to the brilliance of their debuts...

We had The Stones Roses’ awkward Second Coming. There was The Strokes’ Room on Fire – and the fact it transposed Is This It (their debut) in terms of appropriate critical summary. Guillemots’ Red (2008) was a shadow of 2006’s Through the Windowpane. There are some albums that come along and, either maintain the genius of the debut or goes that one step further: defies all of the odds and show that early flash of brilliance was no fluke!

I have assembled a collection of the best second albums: those that kept the public hooked and, with it, brought in new fans…

ALL ALBUM COVERS:

Getty Images

____________

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique

Release Date: 25th July, 1989

Label: Capitol

Genres: Alternative; Hip-Hop

Debut: Licenced to Ill (1986)

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle

Release Date: 11th September, 1973

Label: Columbia

Genres: Rock ‘n’ Roll; R&B

Debut: Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)

Amy Winehouse – Back to Black

Release Date: 27th October, 2006

Label: Island

Genres: Soul; R&B; Neo-Soul

Debut: Frank (2003)

Radiohead – The Bends

Release Date: 13th March, 1995

Labels: Capitol; Parlophone

Genres: Alternative-Rock; Indie-Rock

Debut: Pablo Honey (1993)

Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model

Release Date: 17th March, 1978

Label: Radar

Genres: New-Wave; Power-Pop

Debut: My Aim Is True (1977)

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II

Release Date: 22nd October, 1969

Label: Atlantic

Genres: Hard-Rock; Blues

Debut: Led Zeppelin (1969)

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Release Date: 28th June, 1988

Labels: Def Jam; Columbia

Genre: Hip-Hop

Debut: Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)

Kanye West – Late Registration

Release Date: 30th August, 2005

Labels: Roc-A-Fella; Def Jam

Genre: Hip-Hop

Debut: The College Dropout (2004)

Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish

Release Date: 10th May, 1993

Labels: Food (U.K.); SBK (U.S.)

Genre: Britpop

Debut: Leisure (1991)

Carole King – Tapestry

Release Date: 10th February, 1971

Label: Ode

Genres: Soft-Rock; Pop

Debut: Writer (1970)

Nirvana – Nevermind

Release Date: 24th September, 1991

Label: DSG

Genres: Grunge; Alternative-Rock

Debut: Bleach (1989)

Weezer – Pinkerton

Release Date: 24th September, 1996

Label: DGC

Genres: Alternative-Rock; Power-Pop; Emo

Debut: Weezer (1994)

Adele – 21

Release Date: 24th September, 2011

Labels: XL; Columbia

Genres: Soul; Pop; R&B

Debut: 19 (2008)

Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Release Date: 19th February, 1998

Labels: Merge; Domino

Genres: Indie-Rock; Lo-Fi

Debut: On Avery Island (1996)

Madonna – Like a Virgin

Release Date: 12th November, 1984

Labels: Sire; Warner Bros.

Genre: Dance-Pop

Debut: Madonna (1983)

Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

Release Date: 27th May, 1963