# Where did THAT come from? - Artists who put out one awesome work **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317 "2013-01-15T19:19:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/81 "2013-01-21T09:40:55Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Peak chart position is not a good metric of song excellence And to illustrate that point, there has only been one album that has had six number-one singles. Can you guess what is? _Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band_? _Highway 61 Revisited_? _Exile on Main Street_? _The Dark Side of the Moon_? _Who’s Next_? _Led Zeppelin IV_? _Pet Sounds_? _London Calling_? _Are You Experienced?_ _Nevermind_? _Born to Run_? _Rumours_? _The Joshua Tree_? _The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust_? All good guesses but no. None of those albums had what it takes. It was: _Teenage Dream_ by Katy Perry. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/82 "2013-01-21T14:42:47Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Love-“Forever Changes”. Their other stuff isn’t bad but this is far better than anything else and is probably my favorite album of all time. You beat me to it.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/83 "2013-01-21T15:59:56Z")
A lot of artists have a magnum opus. The Doors did it with their first album, unfortunately for the fans. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/84 "2013-01-21T17:08:48Z")
bup writes: \> “Summer in the City” is far and away the best thing the Lovin’ Spoonful ever \> recorded. If that’s your opinion, then that’s your opinion, but I disagree with you. I think a lot of their work is good: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Lovin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lovin)’\_Spoonful ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/85 "2013-01-21T18:30:34Z")
I kind of agree with the OP. _Dookie_ was great, but something about _American Idiot_ makes me feel like I’m listening to a classical magnum opus. It is an album that is greater than the sum of its parts. I’m a fan of most of Live’s work, but _Throwing Copper_ is a transcendental masterpiece. The first time I heard it, I was like, ‘‘Oh, this must be what it’s like to meet God.’’ If Tori Amos’ _Little Earthquakes_ album were a painting, it would be hanging in the Louvre. The rest of her stuff - meh. ---
**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 21, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/86 "2013-01-21T19:16:23Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > If Tori Amos’ _Little Earthquakes_ album were a painting, it would be hanging in the Louvre. The rest of her stuff - meh. Have you given Scarlet’s walk a try? For me it is up there with LE. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/87 "2013-01-23T18:22:16Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > \*\*King Crimson \*\*never managed to come close to topping their debut, _In the Court of the Crimson King_. Ian McDonald and Michael Giles left the band around their sophomore effort, and the loss of McDonald’s fantastic woodwinds and Michael Giles’ incredibly tasteful drums meant that they could never replicate that ethereal magic in my view. Disagree. Starless & Bible Black, Red, Discipline, and others are equally mind blowing. What you said is equivalent to claiming the only thing noteworthy by The Who is Tommy. That would be equally false. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317/88 "2013-01-23T18:27:42Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Disagree. > Starless & Bible Black, Red, Discipline, and others are equally mind blowing. > > What you said is equivalent to claiming the only thing noteworthy by The Who is Tommy. That would be equally false. Well, that’s just - like - your opinion, man. I don’t care for their later work nearly as much, myself. I wish I did. You get to enjoy a lot more King Crimson than I do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-that-come-from-artists-who-put-out-one-awesome-work/647317.md?page=4)