# Bands that went out on a high note with their last album? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989 "2015-01-16T16:11:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/41 "2015-01-17T01:36:59Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Nitpick: [The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_This_Band_Is_Talking_Heads) > > 😉 Please note that the poster did not capitalize “the” ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/42 "2015-01-17T02:02:51Z")
> [@solost](#): > > In other words, it’s only ok to not count a later album if the band broke up, then re-formed years later and put out a crappy album. > [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > The Pixies would have been strong contender if they hadn’t released the godawful _Indie Cindy_ last year. Ah, good - then the Pixies still work :). No Kim Deal, no Pixies far as I’m concerned. Her backing vocals even on albums where she was less prevalent are still essential to making the band gel. They could maybe replace Lovering and get away with it, but otherwise the whole was more than the sum of the parts. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/43 "2015-01-17T02:33:57Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Don’t know if many of the fans who were into their more hardcore earlier stuff would agree, but Husker Du went out on a high note with _Warehouse: Songs and Stories_. Completely agree; I _liked_ the proper production and lyrics you could hear, but above all _Warehouse_ was just a damn fine set of songs. This isn’t always a popular opinion among Replacements fans, but similarly I think that _All Shook Down_ was a fine swan-song. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/44 "2015-01-17T02:42:29Z")
The Band’s soundtrack to their film The Last Waltz marks their end and its certainly a highpoint. One of the best music docu-movies ever made imho. [Islands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_%28The_Band_album%29)was released about the same time but that was mostly unreleased stuff recorded years earlier. Does anyone consider that their last album? > [@](#): > > Islands was released to fulfill the group’s contract with Capitol Records, so that the soundtrack to their film The Last Waltz could be released on Warner Bros. Records. Jericho is from the partially reformed band almost 20 years later. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/45 "2015-01-17T03:02:16Z")
I’m not sure if _Sky Full of Holes_ is the last Fountains of Wayne album or not. But if it is, I’d say their final effort was a good one. ---
**Author:** ![MeepersC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meepersc/32/12088_2.png) [@MeepersC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeepersC)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/46 "2015-01-17T03:14:05Z")
The Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary album, “That’s Why God Made the Radio”, debuted at #3 in 2012 on the Billboard charts. This was their highest debuting studio album ever. The album is no “Pet Sounds” but still achieved a great commercial success. Unfortunately, the wheels came off the bus at the end of their 50th anniversary tour (Google “Brian Wilson fired” for details) but the album still holds its own among Beach Boys fans. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/47 "2015-01-17T04:47:42Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Led Zeppelin’s “In Through the Out Door” wasn’t bad overall. Far from their best, but nothing to be ashamed of. > [@solost](#): > > I considered Led Zeppelin. Mayyybe…I’m kind of on the fence about ‘In through the Out Door’-- I always thought of it as “Zep Lite”. Is “Coda” not considered a “real” Led Zep album? Doesn’t matter, I wasn’t that impressed with it, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/48 "2015-01-17T10:37:11Z")
One more vote for Roxy Music’s Avalon. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/49 "2015-01-17T13:10:59Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > _The Division Bell_ by Pink Floyd is an excellent album. Done without Roger Waters. I think of this as Pink Floyd lite and dosn’t fit the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/50 "2015-01-17T13:44:28Z")
_Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake_ by the **Small Faces**. Definitely their high point, Marriott left the band at the end of 1968 and the others split up as a result. Several months later _Autumn Stone_ came out, but it was a fix-up of greatest hits, live tracks and some new material recorded for the next album. The rest of the band eventually became three of the Faces and I know there’s some dispute as to when the name change happened, but afaik _they_ all thought of it as different band. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/51 "2015-01-17T14:41:55Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Is “Coda” not considered a “real” Led Zep album? Doesn’t matter, I wasn’t that impressed with it, anyway. No, it’s a post-mortem collection of unreleased odds and ends recorded across their entire career. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/52 "2015-01-17T15:51:10Z")
For a long time, **Alice in Chains** final album was the self-titled one(tripod) and it was awesome. Of course, they have now continued without Layne Staley. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/53 "2015-01-17T16:02:21Z")
ABBA’s final studio album The Visitors is regarded as their best work. ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/54 "2015-01-17T18:07:02Z")
Another vote for The Last Waltz by The Band. They’re about the only rock ‘n’ roll outfit at that level I can think of who ended well: no half-assed parodies of their former greatness; no bitter lawsuits among band members; no doomed attempts to continue without their main songwriter; no ego wars that ended with a key member flouncing out. Instead, they just had a massive party with all the best musicians of the day, parted as friends and then happily got on with their individual lives. I bet achieving that after working together for so long is a lot harder than it sounds. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/55 "2015-01-17T21:16:51Z")
So true, Slade. Well put. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/56 "2015-01-17T23:15:02Z")
> [@Slade](#): > > Another vote for The Last Waltz by The Band. > > They’re about the only rock ‘n’ roll outfit at that level I can think of who ended well: no half-assed parodies of their former greatness; no bitter lawsuits among band members; no doomed attempts to continue without their main songwriter; no ego wars that ended with a key member flouncing out. Yeeeahhh…to my understanding it was not such a clean, friendly break. It may not have been public, but apparently the rest of The Band was not quite on the same wavelength with Robbie Robertson breaking everything up and kind of resented it. Apparently there were indeed some genuine hard feelings in the aftermath. And they would reform to tour and cut new albums without Robertson a few years after The Last Waltz. Levon Helm in particular seems to have developed some real issues with Robertson, particularly over copyrights. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/57 "2015-01-18T00:35:22Z")
Billy Joel’s _River of Dreams_. True, he did release _Fantasies and Delusions_, a compilation of his classical compositions, eight years later, but I don’t think that really counts for this discussion. _River_ was his last rock/pop album, and IMHO it’s his best. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/58 "2015-01-18T00:40:28Z")
**The Smiths** - [Strangeways Here We Come](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangeways,_Here_We_Come) ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/59 "2015-01-18T01:10:23Z")
Queen went out on a high note in 1991 just before Freddie Mercury’s death as a result of AIDS. The album “Innuendo” was pretty good, not their best but a good album nonetheless. Songs like “These Are The Days of Our Lives” and “Don’t Try So Hard” are good. More so considering that Mercury was in the later stages of this terrible disease. Personally not my most favorite album of theirs, but The Police went out on a high note with their 1983 album “Synchronicity”. Some great songs on their from Sting, Andy and Steve. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989/60 "2015-01-18T02:50:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Billy Joel’s _River of Dreams_. > [@Nema98](#): > > Queen went out on a high note in 1991 just before Freddie Mercury’s death as a result of AIDS. The album “Innuendo” was pretty good, not their best but a good album nonetheless. Songs like “These Are The Days of Our Lives” and “Don’t Try So Hard” are good. More so considering that Mercury was in the later stages of this terrible disease. > > Personally not my most favorite album of theirs, but The Police went out on a high note with their 1983 album “Synchronicity”. Some great songs on their from Sting, Andy and Steve. Good answers! (Except… “Steve”?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-went-out-on-a-high-note-with-their-last-album/709989.md?page=4)