Artists that start on a high and then never quite achieve that peak again

[guydarryl]

Whitney Houston - first couple of albums

 

[Colonel_Mad]

Damien Rice.

It was a pretty low bar for him to fall off to be fair.

 

[chartz]

Mika. Great first album – then…

 

[Colonel_Mad]

Arctic Monkeys. Never listen to any of the follow up albums any more. Can barely remember a song from them either. However, that debut......essential.

 

[Brown Bottle]

Arctic Monkeys. Never listen to any of the follow up albums any more. Can barely remember a song from them either. However, that debut......essential.

Yes, there are occasional tracks like 505 I like but I don't listen to later albums either. Due to being able to stream I also avoided wasting money on the nonsense that is 'Tranquility Base Hotel...'

Cheers BB

 

[Woodface]

I actually like the last Arctic Monkeys album, a slight change from their previous output but unlike bands that develop.

 

[RJohan]

Tubes. The first one was great. Then...

 

[EddieT]

Rage Against The Machine. First album was always going to be tough to follow....

Battle for Los Angeles gets a lot of love

 

[Darren L]

Stone Roses

 

[springer]

Oasis

 

[rabidlistener]

John Mayer - Room for Squares - A breath of fresh air but the rest of his output has been a bit bland & average except for a blistering live version of 'Covered in Rain'

 

[cubastreet]

Rage Against The Machine. First album was always going to be tough to follow....

Yep very strong album, it still makes the hairs on my arms stand on end.

 

[Frizzy]

Stones have been living off first four albums for decades, they’ve become their own tribute act.

 

[Interceptor]

Coldplay - Parachutes

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Hmm. Three that come to mind:

1. Heart - Dreamboat Annie was a wonderful debut but nothing that came later really did it for me.
2. It's a Beautiful Day - Again, great debut (and one of the best covers ever) but the rest..?
3. Judie Tzuke - Welcome to the Cruise is excellent. All downhill thereafter.

All vey subjective, obviously...

Judie Tzuke made several good albums!

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Badly Drawn Boy

The Hour of the Bewilderbeast is excellent, the rest, not so.

Rage Against The Machine.

The Ting Tings

Public Enemy (3 great albums followed by meh)

The Specials

Daft Punk

Big yes to the Badly Drawn Boy! Superb first album. I actually paid for the next one with real money and feel robbed to this day.
Always hated Daft Punk so all as bad each other.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties
Dire Straits- Dire Straits
Elvis Costello- My Aim Is True (marginally)

Has to be a wind up post surely?

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Yes, to an extent I agree, but I always think that if Trout Mask Replica was the only album he ever made, then he still would have contributed a massive amount to modern music. You also have to understand that subsequent record labels always sought to make him more commercially acceptable.

"Bat Chain Puller" is about my favourite.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Kate Bush. "The kick inside" was an amazing debut, "Lionheart" a solid follow up, and then (IMO) mediocrity.

The Dreaming is her best album... Obvs. Aerial the worst.

 

[Gingerbeard]

Zero 7 - Simple Things

Nothing they did following this brilliant debut got close IMHO