This got me thinking, how many other bands have released stunning debut albums that they have failed to surpass. Here’s my top 20 debut albums, that the artists never managed to beat. (IMHO)
20Ramones:
Ramones
1976
19Adam And The Ants:
Dirk Wears White Sox
1979
18Tori Amos:
Little Earthquakes
1991
17Frankie Goes To Hollywood:
Welcome To The Pleasure Dome
1984
16Alabama 3:
Exile On Coldharbour Lane
1997
15Coldplay:
Parachutes
2000
14Gomez:
Bring It On
1998
13Guns 'N Roses:
Appetite For Destruction
1987
12JJ72:
JJ72
2000
11Devo:
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
1978
10Kaiser Chiefs:
Employment
2005
9Massive Attack:
Blue Lines
1991
8Lynyrd Skynyrd:
Pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd
1973
7Patti Smith:
Horses
1975
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6Television:
Marquee Moon
1977
5Elastica:
Elastica
1995
4Pearl Jam:
Ten
1991
3The Stone Roses:
The Stone Roses
1989
2Sex Pistols:
Never Mind The Bollocks
1977
1Jeff Buckley:
Grace
1994
Feel free to disagree and post a comment, or add something I may have missed.
4 comments:
I don't entirely agree with Tori Amos being in this list. Some albums have been just as good as her first offering.
Also Coldplay. A Rush Of Blood To The Head was almost as good as the first (but I still prefer the first).
Counting Crows - August And Everything After
Portishead - Dummy
Hmmm, what about Dire Straits - Dire Straits (in my opinion, not based on record sales!).
What about The Doors?
James Blunt ;-)
There must be others...
I considered Portishead's Dummy, but I really like their 2nd and 3rd albums so missed it off, although admittedly I do like their first album best.
I also considered the first Dire Straits and Doors albums but dismissed them on account of really good follow up albums, “Strange Days, LA Woman, Soft Parade, Communiqué, Love Over Gold.
Tori Amos I guess should technically not be on the list as was already pointed out to me “Why Kant Tori Read” was her first album. But I still think there’s been a big gap between Little Earthquakes and her subsequent work. Tell me one song that compares to “Winter” on her other albums?
Counting Crows first album was not put on because I much prefer “Recovering the Satellites” to their first album. But I admit these 2 albums stand head and shoulders above the rest.
James Blunt? Not in a position to comment.
Nothing controversial in my top 10 debut albums then?
Any more suggestions?
Yeah, I realised my mistake about Portishead after posting - Dummy is the best album, but all other albums are still very good.
"Why Kant Tori Read" was by "Why Kant Tori Read", of which Tori Amos was lead singer. So, it doesn't count.
There are plenty of really good Tori songs on subsequent albums. "Bells for Her", "Take To The Sky", "Tear In Your Hand". Off her later albums, "I Can't See New York" from Scarlets Walk is one of my favourites. Great video too.
Plenty of items in your top twenty that I wouldn't count, on the grounds that I don't think much of their debut albums either ;-)
Jeff Buckley's second album wasn't all that bad, but Grace was a fantastic album. I partially agree with Pearl Jam - Ten is definitely their best (I have the remastered version with their MTV unplugged DVD winging its way to me), but some of their other albums are pretty good too.
Agree with Gomez, Elastica, Kaiser Chiefs and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Not sure about Massive Attack.
Guns N' Roses - maybe.
I never really got into the Stone Roses.
The Music by Music was an awesome first album especially for a band so young. All went downhill from there.
I also think the Jeff Buckley entry is a little unfair because who knows what he might have made had he been around to make it.
Sorry for the late post I have just discovered this blog!
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