# Enduring musical artists whose first albums were never bettered **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410 "2011-06-14T10:31:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![samjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@samjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samjones)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/61 "2011-06-14T18:27:53Z")
> [@ghostman](#): > > Ozzy - Blizzard was perfect.. In retrospect, Diary was about the same. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/62 "2011-06-14T18:33:39Z")
The first Crosby, Stills and Nash album is just about perfect. I love their next two albums but nothing touches the first. Depending how you define enduring career, the first Buffalo Springfield album counts. Santana made a number of great albums but I could argue that no other group’s sound and personality was as completely defined by a great first album. Astral Weeks was Van Morrison’s second solo album, BTW. And Moondance is better. So is Saint Dominic’s Preview. ---
**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 14, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/63 "2011-06-14T18:49:33Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > 5/12/1967: _Are You Experienced?_ released > 9/18/1970: Jimi Hendrix dies Nonetheless, his career as an album artist continues to this day. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Astral Weeks was Van Morrison’s second solo album, BTW. Technically, yes, but _Blowin’ Your Mind_ was a collection of tracks, mostly intended as potential singles, compiled by producer Bert Burns and issued as an album without Morrison’s knowledge. _Astral Weeks_ was the first album Morrison recorded _as an album_. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/64 "2011-06-14T18:50:17Z")
I’d argue Sheryl Crow never topped _Tuesday Night Music Club_ her first album. Partially because that album came about because of some informal jam & writing sessions. The other musicians never got the writing credit that Crow took. Her ex bf Kevin Gilbert cowrote a lot of that album. > **[Tuesday Night Music Club](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesday_Night_Music_Club)** > > Tuesday Night Music Club is the debut album from American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, released on August 3, 1993. The first two singles from the album were not particularly successful. However, the album gained attention after the success of the fourth single, "All I Wanna Do", based on the Wyn Cooper poem "Fun" and co-written by David Baerwald, Bill Bottrell, Sheryl Crow, and Kevin Gilbert. The single eventually reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, propelling the album to number t It ... ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/65 "2011-06-14T18:53:20Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I can’t disagree with your argument, but … > > 5/12/1967: _Are You Experienced?_ released > 9/18/1970: Jimi Hendrix dies > > Maybe I’m working from the wrong definition of “enduring.” I did acknowledge, explicitly, in the post you quoted, that “Yeah, not all of these are ‘enduring’.” He did have four “real” LPs, however (unlike nowadays, when artists commonly have hiatuses between albums that last longer than Jimi’s entire career), so not exactly a flash in the pan, either. ---
**Author:** ![samjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@samjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samjones)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/66 "2011-06-14T18:53:41Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Astral Weeks was Van Morrison’s second solo album, BTW. And Moondance is better. So is Saint Dominic’s Preview. I can’t really see any quality distinction between Moondance and Astral Weeks. Astral Weeks was arranged and styled by Richard Davis and Moondance was arranged and styled by Van Morrison. No other Van Morrison album sounds anything like Astral Weeks including the versions of the songs from Astral Weeks that were recorded before Astral Weeks without Richard Davis. Richard Davis’s ethos permeates. Astral Weeks is _his_ album - Van Morrison merely wrote and sang it. Other Van Morrison albums of the time _can_ be compared easily to Moondance - the horns, lots of backing vocals, etc. Moondance is the best of the bunch. St. Dom’s is a close second. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/67 "2011-06-14T18:57:59Z")
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run. Nothing he made after that came close. I know he had some hits, but as far as a complete album goes, this was his best and he hasn’t come close since then. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/68 "2011-06-14T19:00:25Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Santana made a number of great albums but I could argue that no other group’s sound and personality was as completely defined by a great first album. I think you’ve got a good one there. Although he’s changed his supporting cast very often, and the group that made Santana and Abraxas didn’t last much longer than those albums. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/69 "2011-06-14T19:10:21Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run. > > Nothing he made after that came close. I know he had some hits, but as far as a complete album goes, this was his best and he hasn’t come close since then. That’s not his first album though, is it? Isn’t his debut _Greetings from Asbury Park_? ETA: And, even so, while _Born to Run_ is probably my favorite, too, it’s a difficult choice. He’s certainly come close since then, especially with _Nebraska_, but arguments can also be made for _The River_ and _Born in the USA_. Lots of great work from that guy and his band. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/70 "2011-06-14T19:13:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s not his first album though, is it? Isn’t his debut _Greetings from Asbury Park_? > > ETA: And, even so, while _Born to Run_ is probably my favorite, too, it’s a difficult choice. He’s certainly come close since then, especially with _Nebraska_, but arguments can also be made for _The River_ and _Born in the USA_. Lots of great work from that guy and his band. You are indeed correct - my mistake there. Thanks for the correction. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/71 "2011-06-14T19:16:16Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > You are indeed correct - my mistake there. Thanks for the correction. :smack: Actually, it looks like Born To Run is his _third_ album, with the second being _The Wild, the Innocent, & the E Street Shuffle_. Somehow, I’ve never heard that one. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/72 "2011-06-14T19:35:31Z")
John Prine. More than a dozen albums in 40 years, but the songs that everyone seems to know (and cover) are on his debut. Jonathan Richman: 20+ albums since the mid-70s, but nothing is quite as good or critically acclaimed as his (patchwork) debut, and even his second (first proper, I guess) career reset album sets the template for and is (in my cafesocietal opinion) more solid than the next 20. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/73 "2011-06-14T19:45:59Z")
My favourite debut album is \*See The Light \*by the Jeff Healy Band. He made plenty of music after that, but nothing really touched the excellence or success of that first album. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/74 "2011-06-14T19:47:55Z")
The Flying Burrito Brothers - 'The Gilded Palace of Sin" Harvey Mandel - ‘Christo Redentor’ +1 on ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/75 "2011-06-14T20:04:09Z")
Pearl Jam’s **Ten** was their best and first. **Vitalogy** came close to matching it, but is considered a bit too uneven. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/76 "2011-06-14T20:23:18Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > I like a lot of Counting Crows’ other stuff, too, but _August and Everything After_ is one of my favorite albums of all time. Yeah, _This Desert Life_ is awesome and overlooked by a lot of people, but _August and Everything After_ is basically the perfect mid-90s record. > [@stpauler](#): > > **Barenaked Ladies** _Gordon_ is thoroughly listenable, their following albums just don’t hit that watermark. I’d argue that _Stunt_ is pretty great from top to bottom and is just as good as _Gordon_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/77 "2011-06-14T21:06:52Z")
**The Doors**. **L.A.Woman** came close, but nothing beats the self-titled debut. ---
**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 14, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/78 "2011-06-14T21:20:36Z")
Blood Sweat & Tears: **The Child Is Father to the Man**. The second album had the hits, but the debut was the great one. George Harrison: **All Things Must Pass** Traffic: **Mr. Fantasy** ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/79 "2011-06-14T21:25:13Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I hadn’t heard this consensus that Murmur is the best album This. I know we had a big set of polls on REM songs by album, but was there a straight-up favorite/best REM album poll? I’m sure _Murmur_ would be in the top handful, but it certainly wouldn’t be a _clear_ winner if it was even the top choice. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410/80 "2011-06-14T21:33:25Z")
**Boston** put out a self-titled debut album that represented a paradigm shift for popular music. It was completely different from the disco sound that permeated the airwaves at the time, and it was a tight, perfectly conceived Swiss watch of an album. Every single song on it was a hit – how often does a band put out a first album without a single clunker of a song on it? Future albums had singles that approached the stuff on _Boston_ in quality, but no album of theirs really bettered that first one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enduring-musical-artists-whose-first-albums-were-never-bettered/585410.md?page=5)