# The sophomore jinx that didn't happen

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 13, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676 "2016-08-13T16:32:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676/21 "2016-08-14T17:16:38Z")

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Soda Stereo’s eponymous debut album was really good, but “Nada Personal” just made them explode into Latin America.

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**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:** [August 14, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676/22 "2016-08-14T23:51:40Z")

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> [@DonLogan](#):
>
> Zep.

Yep, my first thought, too. Pearl Jam is another one. _Ten_ was huge in alternative rock circles, but _Vs,_, at least in my estimation, was much better.

I can think of a bunch of other bands where the second album equalled or surpassed a well-regarded first album (probably a high percentage of the bands I listen to), but many are stretching the definition of the first album being a monster hit.

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**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:** [August 14, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676/23 "2016-08-14T23:59:02Z")

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Also, Kanye West’s follow-up to _College Dropout_ (_Late Registration_) is another one that comes to mind. I prefer the former, it’s nearly a coin-toss. At any rate, no sophomore slump there.

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**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676/24 "2016-08-15T01:17:40Z")

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I think there’s going to be some heavy bias here in that bands that have two successful albums are likely to continue to have successful albums and thus go on to be big stars that will be remembered when thinking about things like this. There are probably plenty of bands that had one big album and then never went anywhere; we just don’t remember them very much because they’re overshadowed by all the bands that were bigger.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sophomore-jinx-that-didnt-happen/762676/25 "2016-08-15T01:43:09Z")

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Foreigner. Every one of their first five albums charted in the top 5: _Foreigner_, _Double Vision_, _Head Games_, _4_ (hit #1 on the charts), and _Agent Provocateur_.

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