One Album Wonders

#1
VolsSportsFan

VolsSportsFan

Where are the turtles?
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#1
Similiar to one-hit wonders, what about groups that had one big album and never were able to really follow-up to that success. For example:

Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View sold a bazillion copies and had like 5 singles, and nothing they've done since has come even close. To be fair, their follow-up Fairweather Johnson did go I think double platinum and had a few minor hits, and honestly I thought it maybe better than CRV. Rucker has done well as a country singer.

Third Eye Blind - I never cared for them that much but their debut had about 5 hits and was really big. Their follow up had 1 hit and after that they've pretty much been obscure.

Vertical Horizon - I don't know which album of their's it was but the one they released in 1999 spawned several rock hits that got a lot of radio play, but I've heard jack from them since. They seemed to almost disappear after 2000.
 
#2
#2
Matchbox 20's first album is stellar, start to finish. I know they had a couple of radio-friendly "hits" since, and Rob Thomas has his own thing now, but nothing even comes close to their original offering.

Good call on Third Eye Blind. Another fantastic first album. Since then...not so much.

Lit - A Place in the Sun

Helmet - Meantime

Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See

Train - Again, I know they have released other radio tracks, but they all suck

Counting Crows - August and Everything After

Alanis Morissette - Her second best album was the 10 year acoustic tribute to Jagged Little Pill

David Gray - Not as well known, but White Ladder is one of my favorite albums. The newer ones have a few decent songs, but pale in comparison.
 
#4
#4
i second helmet and counting crows.

alien ant farm anthology is great, but i think it was their second album maybe. the others i have heard are nowhere near as good.
 
#6
#6
The Sex Pistols
Elastica
At The Drive-In
The Postal Service
Minor Threat
Spin Doctors
Men At Work
Spacehog
 
#8
#8
wounded mullet said:
The Sex Pistols
Elastica
At The Drive-In
The Postal Service
Minor Threat
Spin Doctors
Men At Work
Spacehog
Click to expand...

Good list. I have or had all but three on that list.

I'd throw out Boston. Their debut was multi-platinum. Their second album took forever and while it got radio play it generally sucked. Not sure if they made anymore after that.
 
#11
#11
The Fixx

they released several albums, but "Reach the Beach" was, by far, their most successful.

Asia
a-ha (I'm probably one of the few people that bought their second album "Scoundrel Days" which is actually better than "Hunting High and Low")
A Flock of Seagulls

I'll disagree with Men At Work being a one album wonder, "Business as Usual" and "Cargo" both reached #1 in the US
 
#12
#12
volinbham said:
Good list. I have or had all but three on that list.

I'd throw out Boston. Their debut was multi-platinum. Their second album took forever and while it got radio play it generally sucked. Not sure if they made anymore after that.
Click to expand...
we all have different tastes, so I always hesitate to post about musical likes or dislikes .. that said, I couldn't disagree more about "Don't Look Back" .. great album that still rocks today .. my favs are "Don't Look Back", "It's Easy", "Feelin' Satisfied", "Party", and "Don't Be Afraid" .. worth a second listen as they have stood the test of time, imo .. course, I could see how somebody would think that they sound too 70-ish today ..

"A Man I'll Never Be" is a little weak compared to their other songs on that album .. but I heard it the other day, and it sounds better 30 years later ..


"Third Stage" (their third album - 1986) had a couple of songs that were pretty good ... "Amanda", "We're Ready" and "Cool the Engines" .. the rest was not up to par iirc ..

/rant
th_beer.gif
 
#13
#13
As much as it pains me to say it, Nirvana could be considered a One Album Wonder.

Nevermind was great, but In Utero wasn't as good because Cobain wasn't able to put the music he wanted to on there.
 
#15
#15
Kingston Vol said:
As much as it pains me to say it, Nirvana could be considered a One Album Wonder.

Nevermind was great, but In Utero wasn't as good because Cobain wasn't able to put the music he wanted to on there.
Click to expand...

You're joking, right? Some of his best and most personal stuff was on that record. Nevermind was the weakest album in their catalog, imo.
 
#16
#16
DinkinFlicka said:
You're joking, right? Some of his best and most personal stuff was on that record. Nevermind was the weakest album in their catalog, imo.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's just me, but I thought Nevermind was much better. I liked Heart Shaped Box and Pennyroyal Tea on In Utero, the rest was just ok in my opinion. Cobain himself said he didn't like In Utero, he was pissed the record company wouldn't let him put what he wanted on it. Some say that's what put him over the edge.
 
#17
#17
Kingston Vol said:
Maybe it's just me, but I thought Nevermind was much better. I liked Heart Shaped Box and Pennyroyal Tea on In Utero, the rest was just ok in my opinion. Cobain himself said he didn't like In Utero, he was pissed the record company wouldn't let him put what he wanted on it. Some say that's what put him over the edge.
Click to expand...

How can you label Francis Farmer and Serve The Servants as okay? Dude, those are easily in the top 5 Nirvana tracks!

I think you're confusing the story. The whole band, not just Kurt, disliked the production of the album. They felt it wasn't dirty enough and that it was too polished. Lyrically, it's as personal and direct as Kurt ever was throughout his musical career.

Nevermind and In Utero aside, Bleach might be their best record. Little known fact, it was the only album that didn't feature Dave Grohl on drums.

Nirvana were at their best when they were raw and incoherent.
 
#21
#21
wounded mullet said:
The Sex Pistols
Elastica
At The Drive-In
The Postal Service
Minor Threat
Spin Doctors
Men At Work
Spacehog
Click to expand...

Lets be fair here, they only made one album and it was fantastic. They never attempted a second album. Who really knows if they could do it again.
 
#23
#23
I think Fairweather Johnson is a great album and thus I can't consider Hottie a one-album wonder.

Spin Doctors anyone? Or do they qualify as a two-hit wonder?
 
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