Celebrating fantastic second albums throughout modern music history.
The sophomore album tends to be a large hurdle for many bands. Especially if they were fortunate enough to have had a very successful debut album. Expectations following a groundbreaking or commercially successful album can be astronomical- an impossible standard set not only by fans of the group but also the major labels distributing the group’s record.
Many bands have ground to a halt due to the aptly named, “Sophomore Slump”. Labels have shelved band’s effort leaving their groups in limbo, some bands change their sound to disastrous results or simply due to the fact that this new batch of songs are less hashed out because they are generally being written while on the road supporting the artist’s first release.
Whatever the case, many things can and do go wrong when writing and recording their follow up albums but on the flip side of things sometimes it’s the more polished second album that everything falls in place for. This list is celebrating those albums.
This is much less a ranking of albums and more a collection of one hundred bands and albums I enjoyed and I hope you do as well. Even though most of the heavier hitters are later on so I guess maybe they are ranked? I don’t know. Who really cares? So let’s get started.
As always, if you think I’m wrong or I forgot some great records don’t be afraid to email me or message me on my socials and call me dumb.
80.) Alien Ant Farm
“ANThology”
Peaked at #11 on Billboard 200
79.) Ace of Base
“The Sign”
The Sign is listed among the Top 100 Best-selling Albums of All Time by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales in excess of 21 million copies.
Also nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Album
78.) Linkin Park
“Meteora”
It is certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was ranked number 36 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of the 2000s.
77.) KoRn
“Life is Peachy”
Debuted and peaked at #3 on the billboard 200
76.) Fugees
“The Score”
Won Grammy award for best rap album
Nominated for album of the year
75.) Jane’s Addiction
“Ritual De Lo Habitual”
Peaked at #19 on billboard 200
74.) Every Time I Die
“Hot Damn!”
73.) Chevelle
“Wonder What’s Next”
Peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200
72.) Bayside
“Bayside”
71.) Everlast
“Whitey Ford Sings the Blues”
Its lead single “What It’s Like” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks. “Ends” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Alternative Songs, “Today (Watch Me Shine)” peaked at No. 12 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40, and the other two did not appear in main music charts. “Painkillers” appeared in the 1999 Jet Li film Black Mask.
