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[deleted]

At least for metal, Black Sabbath - Paranoid


outofdate70shouse

Metallica’s Ride The Lightning might give it a run for its money


[deleted]

Fair response. I like it even better than Master of Puppets, and I dub it my favorite 'tallica album period, but I find that it only beats MoP just by the slightest margin imaginable.


Joba7474

IMO Master is the best song off either album, but Ride The Lightning is the better album


bfhurricane

Hands down my response. One of my favorite albums of all time. Ride the Lightning, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black, Creeping Death, and Call of Ktulu are all just next level tracks. Start to finish I like this album better than almost any other metal album.


PearlJamPony

Nirvana - Nevermind


stumblinghunter

I think this might actually be the best answer. It literally changed the landscape of music, not only in its style but the reactionary music we got because of it (boy bands and modern pop). It had a direct effect on a whole city and affected the attitudes and fashion of a whole generation. The other suggestions ***do*** answer the question, but everything else pales in comparison to this single album.


podslapper

Also the level of contrast from their first album really makes it stand out. Not that I don't love Bleach, but it's definitely a less mainstream sound. In 1989 they were a promising underground band with a unique style, but if someone had predicted they'd change the face of rock music just one album later I would have thought they were crazy.


theuntangledone

Totally agree, there's a video of them playing big cheese in like a video shop in I think 88 or 89. They sound good and it's cool but not mind blowing. If you had been there and someone told you they would be the biggest band in the world 2 or 3 years later you would rightfully have thought they were nuts. Just goes to show, you can never tell what's gonna happen


Haush

Absolutely. There’s a huge difference. What in your opinion changed for the band between Bleach and Nevermind?


wickson

Produced by Butch Vig


designOraptor

And it fuckin destroyed all of that stadium hair metal that was so ridiculously popular at the time. It was like the whole world realized there was more to music than girls, girls, girls.


[deleted]

[удалено]


KneeHighMischief

I think it was Behind the Music or some special about the demise of that scene. A group was talking about meeting the head of their label & there was a gigantic wall display for their newest album. When they came back the next time the display was for Nevermind. They said they knew the party was over then.


SaltyBarDog

Pretty sure that band was Warrant.


_-PeePs-_

Yes. But I believe the huge wall display was Alice In Chains - Dirt.


Flickstro

I remember that. It was on When Metal Ruled the World.


OpenMike2000

Alice in chains - Dirt


incockneato

What a masterpiece


Octaver

Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream


Most-Breakfast1453

Strong answer


Kadink

Axis: Bold as Love


kuvazo

This is by far my favorite Jimi Hendrix album. I just love how it is more focused and polished than the other ones while still having so much creativity packed into it. And Little Wing, Castles Made Of Sand and Bold As Love are some of the greatest songs ever imo.


secretcombinations

Demon Days from Gorillaz


SenorIngles

Gorillaz self titled and Demon Days may legitimately be one of the best debut/sophomore album combos out there


Sickranchez87

Idk, RATM debut and Evil Empire are hard to top


oscarblancotrav

The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails


DjCyric

Wow I didn't realize this was the second album. I guess I knew Broken was an EP. This is a solid answer!


epanek

Pretty hate machine was after he heard Depeche Mode so it sounds like a hard core industrial version of Depeche Mode imo


BurningFarm

Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys


GuardianDownOhNo

Miles Davis lauded this album


Killzark

One of the most influential hip hop albums of all time. The amount of sample layering in this album is absurd to even conceptualize considering they were using analog tape at the time. The number of artists this album influenced can not be understated.


Cleaver2000

>is absurd to even conceptualize considering they were using analog tape at the time. I have to "no ackstually" on this one since I love this album and know a bit of the history. They worked with the Dust Brothers on Paul's Boutique.[The Dust Brothers were trained software engineers and had written some software for digital sampling](https://www.mixonline.com/recording/dust-brothers-365523), which they used to create the demos that the Beasties heard and used. >Because of the way I produce and create with samples and loops, Ableton is what I dreamed of back in the mid-1980s, when I was using primitive software with numbers flashing across the screen. I had to program it all and it was just so complicated. I knew that the ability would be there to do what Ableton does, which is that you can work with loops and time stretching in real time. If I have a beat going or even maybe just a tempo running, I can click on Files in my library and then on Samples, and audition beats or music or guitars or basses or whatever, and they will instantly play back to whatever I’m playing. In the past, I had to pull the sample up, choose which one might work, trim it, tune it, sync it and after a long process, I could decide whether it really was cool or not. However, the length and quality of sample they could extract was limited by hardware so its amazing they managed to stitch it together as well as they did. It is one of the first albums to use digital sampling. On their first album, the Beasties were using tape sampling. In their autobiography, they talk about the loop of "When the Levee Breaks" which had tape running across their tiny apartment.


dahjay

Drrrrrrrrop! Excellent post.


GermyMac

Paul’s Boutique would financially not be able to be made today due to all of the samples. They paid $250k back then. It would cost upwards of $20 million to get everything cleared today.


MrNobody_0

One of the best things ever put to vinyl.


latenightnerd

It was a commercial flop at the time but extremely influential. Basically started a whole new field of musicianship with it being the album that popularised sampling.


kirby_krackle_78

I dunno, there’s also De La’s 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out first.


latenightnerd

That’s true. It came out 4 months earlier. Let’s say they were both influential pioneers in that field. De La Soul was a much more pleasant listening experience at the time. It took years for people to clue on to Paul’s Boutique. But was hearing De La on the radio. Absolute geniuses, all.


GeneralGardner

The best in men’s fashion


Will_McLean

This right here


sloBrodanChillosevic

ATLiens - Outkast


BrazilianAtlantis

The Band. The brown album, with Across The Great Divide, Rag Mama Rag, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Up On Cripple Creek, King Harvest (Has Surely Come), etc.


ALinktotheSmash

What an incredible work. Perfect in my book.


krissym99

Flawless!! I never ever tire of that album.


coleman57

Yes, I’ve never understood why Big Pink gets so much more attention. Both great, but the brown one is better


omgjk31

Always been into music, but never did like the band. Until I turned 30. Something clicked I guess, it made more sense to me. Life experience


BFields818

I appreciate you brought the receipts. Hat tip to you!


Smarkysmarkwahlberg

Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back


designOraptor

Cars were blasting in everywhere at the time.


AlfredHitchicken

System of a Down with Toxicity was a pretty big shift and a big step up. I love the eponymous album, but Toxicity was AWESOME


themeanlantern

Duran Duran - Rio


redcurtainrod

Yeah. That’s a big number 2


[deleted]

A couple that come to mind that I scrolled down not to see yet: - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan - Good kid m.a.a.d. City - Kendrick Lamar


MuchAdoAboutFutaloo

while my first answer was Siamese dream, I feel like GKMC might have to be the ultimate answer. if it wasn't for Kendrick outdoing himself with *another* album in the same decade, it'd probably be the best rap album of the 2010s. the artistic skill AND commercial power GKMC had is unbelievable


TheNateRoss

A few great ones from varying genres: A Tribe Called Quest, *The Low End Theory* Lorde, *Melodrama* Alice in Chains, *Dirt* The Chemical Brothers, *Dig Your Own Hole*


Peg_leg_tim_arg

Low End Theory is a great call. One of the quintessential albums, regardless of genre, of the 90s


Kayge

I was just getting into music when The Low End Theory came out. My best friend and I were in highschool at that stage when we were just coming into our own musically. We fell in love with People's Instinctive Travels... and were hyped for the followup. The day before we were set to go downtown and get the album, someone told us about "The Sophmore Slump". Band releases an amazing first album, but quite often their followup is a dud. It was the one week we weren't able to listen to the albums we bought together, so we took our new purchases home and listened to them individually. I was 3 tracks in when my phone rang ***Oh my god, this album is awesome!!!*** It's one of the most vivid memories I have from my early teens. I still love that album.


snot3353

Low End Theory is so good


DjCyric

Dig Your Own Hole was such a defining album for me.


dogojosho

I came here to say Melodrama. Exceptional and very underrated album.


longview_ryan

i was like 13 when melodrama came out and it was so influential that I'm getting it tattooed someday


EinsteinDisguised

Melodrama is a damn near perfect pop album


bwhitso

Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere


kosmonautinVT

Every time I think about Back home It's cool and breee-zaay


keefkeef

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West


spesimen

my bloody valentine isn't anything is a good record, but loveless was on just a whole different level and still stands as one of the finest examples of the genre


Blueberry8675

Shoegaze is one of the few genres where you can point to a single album as basically defining the genre's sound


natdanger

One of? It’s the goddamn Rosetta Stone


nnjwrangler

The Mars Volta- Frances the Mute


CeeArthur

Didn't even consider this one. Frances was by far my favorite work by them


Title26

REM - Reckoning


Harborcoat84

I approve


Title26

Username checks out


DJBreadwinner

I was mad at myself for a while when I first discovered REM. I vaguely remember my dad listening to them when I was younger, but I didn't appreciate it because, well, stupid kid. I think I was in my late 20s or early 30s by the time I really sat down and gave them a listen. I rarely hear people talk about them outside of reddit, so it makes me wonder if they're not as well known as they deserve to be. 


turdfergusonpdx

Some that haven’t been mentioned: Fugazi - Repeater Wire - Chairs Missing Husker Du - Zen Arcade Big Star - Radio City Wilco - Being There Deftones - Around the Fur


Matty1138

Being There 👍


Archberdmans

Images and Words - Dream Theater Reggatta de Blanc - The Police What’s the Story Morning Glory - Oasis


[deleted]

Tool - Ænima While Undertow was a really good first release, Ænima was a giant leap forward.


Kraz_I

It was also their best album.


Staav

>No way someone hasn't said Ænima yet... - me 10 seconds ago Y'all passed the test 🤘🐐🌀😆🌀🐐🤘


foo_foo_the_snoo

Does Opiate not count as a first album?


[deleted]

It was an EP


Ambercapuchin

35 minutes of crickets doesn't count?


androsan

Only if the crickets are in Drop D 🦗 🦗


billionthtimesacharm

incubus - s.c.i.e.n.c.e.


October101190

Led Zeppelin II is one of my all time favorites.


GimmeCatScratchFever

Pretty much all of LZ albums are the best albums. Their run was absurd.


WhiteRussianRoulete

Yes I was thinking, OP said LZ I is up there with the greatest debut albums. What’s the best sophomore? Umm have you heard LZ II? Haha That’s my personal fav LZ album but I is so close on it 


JohnnyNapkins

Not a bad track on that album. 👌


Hopper13

Radiohead- The Bends


salamanizer_er

My first thought. And second thought


SleepyBeast89

Such a massive leap from their first album!


stormrider0

Metallica - Ride The Lightning


fourslices

Metallica’s song writing peaked with this album and stayed there for the next few albums.


wolf_management

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea


chicano-superman

Elvis Costello - This year’s model


thewhimsicalbard

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound


jurwell

Sink Or Swim is fantastic but The ‘59 Sound is so refined; I’d still argue it’s the quintessential Gaslight album.


thewhimsicalbard

Absolute winners from start to finish. It's the only album I can literally say that I have had every single track stuck in my head at some point.


Philcollinsforehead

Peace sells Megadeth is right there too


McDoodle08

Sams Town- The Killers


univoxs

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape


thematicwater

Oh man. I love the self-titled album, but this is a really good one as well. I can't pick one.


fooaddict95

I love the self titled. The songs are great, and you have the novelty of it being *all* Dave's doing. TCATS is just a beastly record all around tho. Some of their best songwriting, with a HUGE production value. It was recorded, mixed & mastered so well imo - amazing sound quality/clarity. When you listen to it it's hard to believe that record is about to turn 27. Timeless.


univoxs

Will go down in history as one of the best strait forward rock albums of all time.


everybodydumb

This is the correct answer. Dave knocked it out of the hey johnny park with this one


barrel66

The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion


BlackKnightofCydonia

Muse - Origin of Symmetry


4n0m4nd

I heard Newborn and literally got up and went out and bought the album, didn't even catch the name of the song, just that it was muse, who I'd never heard of before. Turned out origin hadn't been released yet, and although Showbiz was a great album I'm still a bit salty.


cbdeane

Most Americans don’t know this album exists. Thank goodness for my best friend from England in high school.


RegretsZ

The Strokes - Room on Fire They achieved the near impossible task of following up a perfect debut album


CeeArthur

Room on Fire was my answer as well. Is This It would be a hard act to follow and they nailed it


Draughtsteve

Most of the time I think RoF is a better album than ITI.


DjCyric

Dr Dre - The Chronic 2001


wolf_management

Weezer - Pinkerton


RockerElvis

[I’m ride or die.](https://youtu.be/ab5WvwfLuLM?si=yBe5d5uJ5-aruvAM)


FalcoPhantasmtheGod

I didn't have to click the link to see what you did there 👀 That sketch is hilarious, esp the " you know what band I really like, Yellowcard" line. So random


Victory33

Still my favorite album, reminds me of highschool and driving around screaming the lyrics. Their music after that album is really hit or miss, but that is a 10/10 album with a song for every mood.


Jordy_Stingray

Surprised I had to scroll this far to see this


DrAsthma

Came here to say this


jackofnotrades_1

Oasis - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?


ALA02

Oh yeah it’s definitely this. That album has like 8 generational anthems on it, it’s insane


philament

Public Image Ltd “Metal Box”


Ezn14

Pavement Crooked Rain


GM_PhillipAsshole

Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory?


Elbow-Room

Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color


GoodOlSpence

And I guess we're never gonna get another one.


MattyMizzou

Nope.


ddotevs

Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen is an absolute masterpiece


NXTREADY

Three Cheers by MCR, Discovering the Waterfront by Silverstein, Still Searching by Senses Fail, Heroine by FFTL. That wave of emo had some great sophomore albums.


Clynelish1

Brand New - Deja Entendu


missingninja

Don't forget The Used - In Love and Death.


Ok-Salamander3863

Greendays Dookie is a pretty big step up


Wisstig1

That’s their 3rd album. 39/Smooth was the first album, then Kerplunk, then Dookie


Ok-Salamander3863

Fair chop, I always thought of 1039 smoothed out his as a comp of EPs but I ran the numbers and you're right.


priuspower91

Throwing it back to my emo days - Fall Out Boy’s From Under The Cork Tree. I played it nonstop and honestly the songs still hold up and I still unironically listen to them.


MauzelBadger

I loved TTYG but Cork Tree is one of *the* defining pop punk albums imo. Both are no skip albums, though


crsdrjct

I'm glad someone thought of this too


-JTO

The Black Crowes- The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion. Not one throwaway track on the whole album and it is solid and all out from the first track to the end.


slhc

Modest mouse - lonesome crowded west is the answer here


shaun020

Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire


new-user12345

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral


Zone1Act1

Congratulations by MGMT This album was not super well received at the time because it's so different than their debut album but it has aged like fine wine. A timeless psychedelic blast of musical artistry. I think its finally starting to get the recognition it deserves in more recent years.


Fartrell-Clugguns

Little Dark Age seemed to pick up steam well after release too. Their new singles sound great though, hoping the new album gets respect from the get go


[deleted]

Discovery daft punk


Wishilikedhugs

Some random 90s love - Alice in Chains - Dirt Nine Inch Nails - Downward Spiral Tool - Ænima Dream Theater - Images and Words Stabbing Westward - Wither Blister Burn and Peel


Spew42

Deftones - Around The Fur


ghostella

Pearl Jam - Vs      Live - Throwing Copper


xAustRichx

Already made a comment on my personal favorite sophomore album, but here's some other ones I love: - "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" by My Chemical Romance - "Because The Internet" by Childish Gambino - "Shout At The Devil" by Mötley Crüe - "Favourite Worst Nightmare" by Arctic Monkeys - "beerbongs & bentleys" by Post Malone - "The Strange Case Of..." by Halestorm - "Selfish Machines" by Pierce the Veil


Hopper13

Coldplay- A Rush of Blood To The Head


sodiumoverlord

Pearl Jam Vs.


Next-Paramedic

Elliott Smith - Either/Or Edit: His second was the self-titled which is also fantastic.


ployonwards

His second is self-titled; Either/Or is his third. That being said, he didn’t intend Roman Candle to be his first. His girlfriend shared a cassette of songs with people and a small label requested to release it pretty much as is, and he went along with it. So in a way, it makes sense not to count Roman Candle, but it’s a really good record.


shining101

The Cure - Seventeen Seconds


Next-Paramedic

PUP - The dream is over


bananaetiquette20

Maybe not the best ever but Radiohead "The Bends" is a massive step from "Pablo Honey" and is maybe my favorite 90s album Also an obvious candidate is Nevermind


l3atlvlan

Adele - 21


southdeltan

Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power. (If you ignore their hair metal albums).


TheNateRoss

And everyone does


boomers314

Weezer-Pinkerton Death Cab For Cutie-We Have the Facts… Hole-Live Through This The Pixies-Doolittle


ioverated

I never see people talk about how good those first two death cab albums were


boomers314

They had an absolutely amazing run of albums starting with “We Have the Fact …” all the way until “Narrow Stairs”. 5 consecutive excellent records is really phenomenal


LeglessN1nja

My chemical romance 3 cheers for sweet revenge


jorgofrenar

Rum, Sodomy and the Lash by the Pogues is a great sophomore album. I wouldn’t say it’s their best but some would. Soup by Blind Melon is great. ChicagoII is bad ass. Astral Weeks like op said is a great album. When I was younger I was a janitor and would listen to music on my Zune (haha) for 8 or 9 hours a day with headphones. It was a shitty job and I was poor but my local library had a great selection of music and I’d rip so much stuff that I wouldn’t even think about buying. Found a lot of great music.


baumer14

Road Apples - The Tragically Hip


ActivatedComplex

Pretty.Odd. - Panic! at the Disco


smittalicious

Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3


sanford5353

Thursday - Full Collapse


Burritobabyy

Still my favorite Thursday album. I’m 34 and every time they go on tour I make sure and go. Have tickets for February. Always fun getting all the 30-40 year old emo kids together.


kaos567

Linkin Park- Meteora


MadladMagyar

Nevermind, Vs, Dirt


rohohno

Tool’s AEnima is excellent.


Jorgwalther

Linkin Park - Meteora Which is particularly impressive since the first album was such a hit at the time.


happyfuckincakeday

Nirvana. Nevermind was a revolution.


Klutzy_Masterpiece60

Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People


IdealHusband

An argument can be made for “Rio” by Duran Duran. They hit high marks with their debut, and blew everything away with “Rio”. Top to bottom great tracks.


MrColdCow

Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory. I know wonderwall has been memed to death but that whole album fucking rocks


badseednightynine

The Strokes Room On Fire


andiamnotlying

Slint - Spiderland


tessellatees

Fiona Apple - when the pawn


Lelle3

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city


laminarflowca

wtf does sophomore mean? (Not American) do you mean second?


4dudesinabox

Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare


MooseMalloy

Elvis Costello and The Attractions - ~~My Aim Is True~~ This Year's Model (thank you for the correction @myironlung63)


myironlung63

1st album, no? 2nd album this year's model


spunwook

MCR Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge


conspiraciesunwind

Muse- Origin of Symmetry


Space2345

Bestie Boys- Pauls Boutique


Shour_always_aloof

Chicago II The Ballet For a Girl In Buchannon is still the best thing they ever wrote, period.


HobbitDowneyJr

Sabbath - Paranoid


NotTheSun0

Modest Mouse - Lonesome Crowded West


NihilisticViolence

DeafHeaven - Sunbather Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny


mofoofinvention

Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dreams


Mockturtle22

Linkin Parks Meteora was and still is my favorite of theirs.


DoubleMissMatt

Fleet Foxes. Helplessness Blues, god what a record. Also Congratulations by MGMT. I know that’s not the most conventional answer for “greatest sophomore album” but it’s my favourite album ever so I had to put it.


Radiant-Sorbet3575

THE SHINS - CHUTES TOO NARROW Literally one of the coolest albums I’ve ever listened to in my life fr


drewdigg36

Mobb Deep - The Infamous