# That \*outstanding\* album of an artist/band **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 6, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562 "2026-11-06T16:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/61 "2026-11-06T21:16:09Z")
Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend World Party - Bang The Pretenders - The Pretenders ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/62 "2026-11-06T21:16:39Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Nitpick - _Look Sharp!_ What business do _you_ have with that album anyway? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/63 "2026-11-06T21:17:45Z")
Bloody autocorrect. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/64 "2026-11-06T21:29:31Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > _Wildflowers_ may be my personal favorite. Same here. “Damn The Torpedoes” and “Full Moon Fever” are outstanding, but “Wildflowers” was Tom Petty’s masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/65 "2026-11-06T21:33:53Z")
I guess I don’t quite get what we are going for… it doesn’t seem to be an album that is miles above everything else the band ever put out, since the OP put in Madonna and Eric Clapton and even _two_ Springsteen albums. So if it’s just albums that define a group’s output or somehow stand above the crowd _as albums_ I’ll nominate two from the same year (1993) Counting Crows - August and Everything After Nirvana - In Utero ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/66 "2026-11-06T21:34:41Z")
Lots of good ones here, many of which I own. I’d also add: Dire Straits - [Brothers in Arms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_in_Arms_(album)) David Bowie - Space Oddity ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/67 "2026-11-06T21:41:01Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > David Bowie - Space Oddity We already had a nomination for “Ziggy Stardust”, but in my mind “Hunky Dory” is Bowie’s outstanding album. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/68 "2026-11-06T21:42:23Z")
Aside on Space Oddity - the title track is the one that gets the most airplay, but it’s far from my favorite on the album. Otherwise, well, I think we can all agree that Bowie had plenty of watts of brilliance to spare on multiple outstanding albums! ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/69 "2026-11-06T21:46:32Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Otherwise, well, I think we can all agree that Bowie had plenty of watts of brilliance to spare on multiple outstanding albums! You’re so right, even “Station To Station”, an album the artist attested 30 years later to have no memories of recording it, is a gem. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/70 "2026-11-06T21:51:04Z")
Black Sabbath - _Black Sabbath_ Ramones - _Ramones_ Eno - _Here Come the Warm Jets_ ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/71 "2026-11-06T21:56:14Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Eno - _Here Come the Warm Jets_ _Taking Tiger Mountain_ for me. * * * Amy Winehouse’s _Back To Black_ was outstanding, but she didn’t manage to make any more after that. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/72 "2026-11-06T22:02:08Z")
The Monkees: Headquarters Wishbone Ash: Argus ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/73 "2026-11-06T22:03:03Z")
SANTANA ABRAXAS ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/74 "2026-11-06T22:57:36Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust Nitpick: it’s _The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars_ And I agree, as a massive Bowie fan, that this one is a notch above the rest (including _Hunky Dory_) ---
**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:** [November 6, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/75 "2026-11-06T23:05:07Z")
R.E.M., _Lifes Rich Pageant_ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/76 "2026-11-06T23:16:33Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Ramones - _Ramones_ It’s one of the best debut albums ever, but it doesn’t beat “Rocket To Russia”. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/77 "2026-11-06T23:18:10Z")
I came in to mention Carol King- Tapestry, but I see it already has two mentions. If you are a guitar player or just like a good guitar album you should consider Robin Trower- Bridge of Sighs. Hendrix level right there. Not a bad song. An often overlooked album is Super Session. Al Cooper (not Alice), Steve Stills, and some Mike BloomField. half is very good. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2026, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/78 "2026-11-06T23:43:16Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Al Cooper (not Alice) Kooper. Brings to mind a friend of mine talking about the recent movie “A Complete Unknown”. He was really surprised to learn Alice Cooper was in Bob’s backing band. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/79 "2026-11-06T23:50:54Z")
ZZ Top, Eliminator Def Leppard, Pyromania Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind (sorry @Loach ) ---
**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:** [November 6, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562/80 "2026-11-06T23:51:41Z")
Sepultura - Roots It really was the culmination of all their growth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-outstanding-album-of-an-artist-band/1034562.md?page=5)