# Enduring musical acts whose SECOND albums were their best. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481 "2011-06-14T20:12:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/41 "2011-06-17T22:07:56Z")
Although I personally prefer his debut by a narrow margin, I’m surprised no one has mentioned Robin Trower’s **Bridge of Sighs**. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/42 "2011-06-18T00:00:53Z")
I’d say the majority would vote **System of a Down’s** sophomore album **Toxicity** as their best, although I would disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/43 "2011-06-18T00:13:28Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > I’d say the majority would vote **System of a Down’s** sophomore album **Toxicity** as their best, although I would disagree. Which one do you prefer? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/44 "2011-06-18T00:20:02Z")
Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway Shania Twain, The Woman in Me ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/45 "2011-06-18T22:30:28Z")
Sometimes I think Sinéad O’Connor’s _I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got_ is her best album and sometimes I think _The Lion and the Cobra_ is her best album. I love all her other albums, but her best album is _definitely_ one of those first two (although_Faith and Courage_ is a damn close third). As I’m typing this, I think her second, _I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got_, is her best album (though my opinion may change after I hit “submit”). ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/46 "2011-06-20T15:49:40Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Which one do you prefer? Hypnotize and Mezmerize are just as good in my opinion - Daron’s singing really improves and their harmonizing is much better. Radio/Video being a great example. God I hope they make a new album when this tour is over. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/47 "2011-06-20T15:53:26Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > This is true, but I’m a bit of an outlier… I actually think _Eat a Peach_ is a little overrated. Lots of excellent stuff, but I find it a bit bloated. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/48 "2011-06-20T16:02:04Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > Hypnotize and Mezmerize are just as good in my opinion - Daron’s singing really improves and their harmonizing is much better. Radio/Video being a great example. God I hope they make a new album when this tour is over. I think a combined “best of” Hypnotize and Mesmerize would be as good as Toxicity, but like most double albums there’s too much filler. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to either of them though, and I may have missed something. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/49 "2011-06-20T16:19:43Z")
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/50 "2011-06-21T13:47:52Z")
I’ll throw in **Cracker** Their eponymous first album was very good and had the hits of **“Happy Birthday to Me”** and **"Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)"** The second, **Kerosene Hat** , however, had the big hits **“Low”** , **“Eurotrash Girl”** , and **“Get Off This”** with **“Mr. Wrong”** and \*\*“Lonesome Johnnny Blues” \*\* as two of the other standout tracks in a completely underrated album from the grunge era. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/51 "2011-06-21T13:59:50Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > I’ll throw in **Cracker** > > Their eponymous first album was very good and had the hits of **“Happy Birthday to Me”** and **“Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)”** > > The second, **Kerosene Hat** , however, had the big hits **“Low”** , **“Eurotrash Girl”** , and **“Get Off This”** with **“Mr. Wrong”** and \*\*“Lonesome Johnnny Blues” \*\* as two of the other standout tracks in a completely underrated album from the grunge era. Cracker was awesome! I saw them live a bunch of times in the early to mid 90s. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/52 "2011-06-21T14:27:03Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Cracker was awesome! I saw them live a bunch of times in the early to mid 90s. Cracker IS awesome. Haven’t seen them live but have seen Johnny Hickman play several times (he lives in the area) with the Hickman-Dalton Gang, The Three Amigos, and as a guest of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers both locally and at RCPM’s annual Circus Mexicus. He is phenomenal. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/53 "2011-06-21T19:02:44Z")
Sugar Ray ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481/54 "2011-06-21T19:12:04Z")
Sloan, _Twice Removed_. Hard to believe they’ve now been around for 20 years, but there’s still no debate that their second album was their career highlight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-acts-whose-second-albums-were-their-best/585481.md?page=2)