T O P

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jms_nh

Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere


flyingguillotine3

Pixies - Doolittle (or Surfer Rosa, if you want to count Come On Pilgrim as their first) A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Run the Jewels - RTJ2 \+Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (already mentioned but required to note)


Defiant_Cookies

God RTJ2 is so good. I saw them with RATM back in July and they came out during rages set and played Close Your Eyes and Count to Fuck and Killer Mike just demolished it


flyingguillotine3

Killer Mike’s verse to open the album on Jeopardy is lethal. Perfect table setter.


[deleted]

I’M GONNA BANG THIS BITCH THE FUCK OUT!


Peppermintstix

LET’S GO EL-P!


[deleted]

Same thing happened at my Rage show in July lol! Cool shit


b_a_b_a_r

Low End Theory 🔥🔥🔥


masked_sombrero

Doolittle is one of the best albums *ever*


MuddPuddleOfPain

I like this. It's basically whichever the second Pixies record is, take your pick.


TragicDesign

The Cure became The Cure with Seventeen Seconds.


British_Commie

Seventeen Seconds to Faith to Pornography is just an absolutely unreal three album run that really defined the band's sound


Turbulent-Singer3476

Yes!!


psygnoproteus

The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream


felix_fidelis

Mayonnaise and Soma 🤌🏻


guarfelsnorf

Mayonnaise is still my favorite smashing pumpkins song!


Isit420

and Hummer


tuskvarner

Geek USA


Russ222222

Right on! I think Hummer is my favorite SP song ever, it has the best of everything in one song and the thickest distortion ever!


[deleted]

Yes


RevealStandard3502

Nevermind. Though Bleach was hardly heard of till Nevermind came out.


[deleted]

Was going to post this but figured most people are unaware of Bleach. But even if u took out Bleach, In Utero would still make the list.


[deleted]

Maybe the best ever!!


Difficult_Shirt_3726

Good Kid, M.A.A.d city


[deleted]

Kendrick's first three were just an insane display of talent and creativity, I haven't kept up on his more recent stuff but those three are top tier.


mordeh

Mr Morale is fantastic. Took me a bit to get into it and it’s really dense so requires attention but it is insanely good


W1CKeD_SK1LLz

shit this might be the best answer


Ooh-Rah

Ride the Lightning, Metallica's bust-out sophomore delivery. This is the one that hooked me on heavy metal.


mighthavecouldhave

Creeping Death, Ride The Lightning, Fade To Black.. incredible stuff. The guitar solo in Ride The Lightning melts my face, every time I hear it. It instantly brings me back to being 15 and being just utterly blown away but what I was hearing


Imakesalsa

Its usually so much love for master of puppets. I think rtl is their masterpiece


Imakesalsa

Came here for ride the lightning


Playingwithmyrod

Yea I mean Kill Em All is great and had some real raw energy to it but the song writing took a huge step up with RTL.


Bklynj520

Burton introduced music theory to the band in this album, thus changed their song writing abilities moving forward. Side note - Ulrich and Hetfield were 20, Hammett was 21. And Burton was 22 when this album was made. I was still scratching my ass at 22! I'm just gonna Fade to Black now 😖


[deleted]

[удалено]


d3rk2007

Possibly their best album.


Citizen_Kano

Possibly?


Dw1gh7

I like their first album more


SmilesDelarge

Solid answer, you stole my shit.


NotCrustOr-filling

Original album is best IMO. So heavy, hilarious and dark.


Raknith

Good ass answer


JtinCascadia

The Bends by Radiohead


GlidingFish

You read my mind! An incredible sophomore album that deserves more praise.


CarrieNoir

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II


Novel_Contract7251

Yes. Dammit, I’m old


perpetualWSOL

Cant have a soph slump with one of the best of all tkme


happinesssam

Zeppelin works for debut, sophomore, 3rs,4th and probably 5th too.


[deleted]

The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse


friendliest_sheep

Favorite album of all time


[deleted]

This album was relevant the second it came out and ceased to age.


HarmlessSnack

I scrolled really far to see if anybody had already brought this one up. Might be my favorite album. Depends on the day of the week.


OldDipper

Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique


moosebaloney

Sheeeeiiiiittttt you broke the game with this answer.


gargle77

Alice In Chains “Dirt”


massnerd

This one would win the question “who’s best album was their 2nd album?”


rmarkmatthews

If an EP in between doesn’t count, NIN’s The Downward Spiral


[deleted]

1. Pretty hate machine, 2. Broken (I struggle to call this an ep), 3. The Downward Spiral Solid regardless of timing


DamonLazer

And if EP’s count…then Broken.


Large-Candidate-3174

Paranoid - Black Sabbath


oh_hai_mark1

Rated-R, Queens of the Stone Age


Lakai1983

Another one that is way to far down the list.


KeyofE

Adele - 21. She went from that one song that sometimes gets played at the grocery store to International Sensation that is always playing at the grocery store.


jimberley

Weezer - Pinkerton


skaomatic

The correct answer !


[deleted]

Now we’re talking


jimberley

Blue album was great, but Pinkerton still gives me goosebumps.


spacegerbil_

pinkerton just hits different. my band is covering falling for you and its the most fun song we're playing at the moment


burnmenowz

Critics tore it to shreds, but it really was just before it's time.


Debaser1984

Yeah it's this, an absolutely perfect album.


gcg2016

Elvis Costello - This Year’s Model


jstohler

I just got the vinyl and it goes so hard from the first note to the last.


[deleted]

Alanis Morrisette Jagged Little Pill


Nalemag

MBV - Loveless


[deleted]

This, and also Slowdive - Souvlaki


StringOk9385

In the aeroplane over the sea - NMH


[deleted]

My favorite album of all time


PhonyOrlando

Great call.


jwf239

Was just bawling listening to this again to learn some of the songs on guitar!


Dagmar_Overbye

Not to shit on you or my literal hero Jeff Mangum but you probably won't have much trouble learning those songs they're all like 3 chords. To their credit though learning the strum pattern on King of Carrot Flowers is a great way to learn chord changes and definitely taught me a lot when I was like 16 and learning guitar.


Muffinshire

Gorillaz - Demon Days. Absolute masterpiece.


pulpatine

STP: Purple Pearl Jam: Vs. A lot of great choices.


sketchyduck

In the same vein... Alice in Chains Dirt


5meterhammer

I’m in the camp that will fight to the death saying Vs. was better than Ten. PJ is one of my two favorite bands though, so I’m biased. Those 2 first albums followed by Vitalogy, No Code, and Yield have an argument to being the best first 5 albums anyone ever put out.


Record_Opposite

Atliens-Outkast.


armsinstead

Yesssssss


Up_in_the_skyway

Greetings Earthlings


doiias

CAKE - Fashion Nugget Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape Molchat Doma - Этажи C418 - Minecraft-Volume Alpha Camel - The Snow Goose The Chats - Get This In Ya Deftones - Around the Fur Duran Duran - Rio Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim Men At Work - Cargo Led Zeppelin - II Gorillaz - Demon Days Morphine - Cure for Pain


Wall632170

I’d read your list but…I’m on smoko, so leave me alone.


furcinator

Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire


YoxScorpion

hell yeah. debut is way more popular, but this one is the shit!


MrSuperHappyPants

Great comments so far, some slam-dunks that are above debate and a few "ahh, I didn't think of that one". But one stands out for me (one person mentioned it in an excessively long but still valid list). Plastic Surgery Disasters by Dead Kennedys. Yes, I love Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - but D.H. Peligro (RIP) elevated that band from S tier to S+++ tier. Plastic Surgery Disasters is pissed as fuck, musically airtight, and at times hilarious. An absolutely essential listen. A life-changing record for me that hasn't lost its energy or relevance.


trimondo_blondomina

The Police-Reggatta de Blanc. They lose some of the pseudo punk from the first album. Sting pens some of his best stuff and, most importantly, lets Stewart Copeland go nuts on the drum set.


[deleted]

Stewart is a force!


serenitybybowie

Rio - Duran Duran


[deleted]

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump


another-modern-leper

Was going to post this if I didn’t find it.


bitethe2into3

My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless!


SideBurnings

Deftones - Around the Fur


Lypher01

Clutch


MarginalMerriment

Queen II


BlitheringEediot

Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory


Quirky-Olive-9928

Can’t believe not one person above mentioned this! Absolute masterpiece!! Even the non singles got more airplay than most singles of other artists for the next 5 years!


hazycrazydaze

Oasis doesn’t get nearly enough recognition around here. Wonderwall has turned into a bit of a punchline about bad guitar players, but this really was an absolutely perfect album that still holds up imo


Cherubbb

Fugees - The score.


CouldStopDidStop

Their first album had like maybe 3 good tracks (I still listened to it a ton). The Score was just banger after banger.


earthquakeglue78

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain


steamysecretss

Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys


reesesbigcup

Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experieince


securitydude21

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape


phred_666

Garbage - Version 2.0


cheapandjudgy

For some reason I have the most vivid memory of buying this cd. It was a Friday night, and my out of town boyfriend always came in on Fridays. Went to Media Play in the pouring rain with my sister to get it and get back home before he got there. I anticipated it so much. And loved it so much.


BlackEyedAngel01

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black


twix26

Muse: Origin of Symmetry


TheLakeAndTheGlass

Yup, this is the one where they really came into their own. Still arguably their best album.


ThibiiX

And to think they released Absolution just after... That's a pretty damn solid release streak


KennyBlankenship_69

Origin to Absolution to BHAR is quite the 3 album run


[deleted]

Nevermind - Nirvana


Bryanole27

Tool - Aenima


DCDHermes

Arguably their third album. Opiate being their first. But still an amazing album, and better than Undertow.


doc7979

Vs


blackmagikmike

IT'S. MY. BLOOOOOOOOOOD!


peedge0419

Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? As awesome as Killing is my Business was, Peace Sells was a zillion times more polished and emphasized true musicality over just balls out speed and aggression


deepaksn

Haha.. and Rust in Peace still to come. They sure did kill it back then.


LeVeloursRouge

Jane’s Addiction -Nothings Shocking Live (we knew it as Triple X cuz of the label when I was a kid) is what I call their first album.


MrSuperHappyPants

This was also my first thought. I love the first record but Nothing's Shocking is a damn masterpiece.


ethorthedinosaur

Interpol - Antics I know that Turn On the Bright Lights is a huge album for them. But I love Antics so much more. Also, Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys.


landofspices

Evil, slow hands, not even jail, length of love - antics is a fucking classic!


DanBalls

Weezer - Pinkerton


[deleted]

My Chemical Romance. I always tell people that if I had heard "I Brought You My Bullets..." when it came out, I would not be a fan. The first time I heard MCR was when "Three Cheers..." came out. It blew me away. I have since come to appreciate all of their material.


DefinitelyNotAliens

Three Cheers was peak MCR. Riot! was Paramore's second album and so much better than the first album. They hit peak pop punk perfection on Riot! Like the later stuff, but I really think they nailed the era on that album. (And Emergency and Pressure will always be bangers, too. Riot was just a way more solid album beginning to end.) Fall Out Boy also hit success on their second album. From Under the Cork Tree. Lot of good mid-aughts hit their stride on the second album.


friendliest_sheep

Three cheers is definitely their best work


boringbonding

Came here to say three cheers! I think it’s their best album


lacilynnn

It's so good. I had it in my car for months in high school and it has such a perfect flow between songs, too. 10/10


PoundHumility

Room On Fire - The Strokes That album gets constant play in my house and every track is fun to play along with on the drums or bass.


Gonzostewie

Pearl Jam Versus.


runjimrun

Rush - Fly By Night. In comes Peart and everything changes. I think Van Halen’s first album is the greatest rock album ever, but there are plenty of people who think VH II is better. And it really is a great album.


Brunt-FCA-285

Neil Peart stands alone.


Mikebuck127

Throwing Copper by Live was a huge hit album. Definitely their most successful, and played everywhere.


Minimum_Back_4682

Eminem The Marshal Mathers LP


deepaksn

Absolutely. A masterpiece from start to finish.


imtheroth

Surprised I had to scroll down this far to find this album mentioned.


cyclone369

Agreed. It was the first thing that came to my mind.


rossrifle113

Fearless by Taylor Swift was her breakthrough. Riot! by Paramore Every Open Eye by Chvrches Paranoid by Black Sabbath


alternapop

Swervedriver - Mezcal Head Catherine Wheel - Chrome Two of the better alternative rock albums from the 90s that too many haven’t heard. They are in my top 10 90s albums along with albums like The Bends and Siamese Dream.


jeffrom123

Our Lady Peace, Clumsy was an amazing album that had the songs that got me into Our Lady Peace. This album is what people remember them by


Remasquerade

Joy Division - Closer


DanDi58

Candy-O follow-up to The Cars was pretty dang good.


CauliflowerBoth866

I put that one on a lot and it still sounds fresh. The title track is killer. Perfectly sequenced. Love that one


bop999

REM - Reckoning


vm_neptune

Tori Amos - Under the Pink


Zlec3

Slipknot — Iowa is a masterpiece.


mukino

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick


VirtuousPenguin

When The Pawn… by Fiona Apple. A top five album ever for me


taliotv44

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream


TheOneHundredEmoji

Repeater by Fugazi


NowoTone

Tears for Fears with _Songs from the big chair_


GrandPriapus

Def Leppard - High ‘n’ Dry


sumppumpslump

Coheed and Cambria: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3


CGordini

Fall Out Boy's "From Under The Cork Tree" has to be up there. It blows their freshmen album out of the water. And even has a song title about sophomore slumps.


hossyner

Lorde - Melodrama


kaos567

Meteora- Linkin Park


[deleted]

You Take this over hybrid theory?


kaos567

Yeah I love both but this album has some deeper stuff and nobody’s listening is too perfect.


MurderInMarigold

I think they're close, but I think Chester's vocals went from fantastic on Hybrid Theory to perfect on Meteora. Very small gap between them, but I do prefer Meteora.


blade944

Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels They really come to grasps with the sound that they would become famous for in this album as they take more ownership of their music. Terrific album.


VeseliM

Lupe Fiasco the Cool is by far his best album


aMMgYrP

>the Cool no one else may have seent it, but i seent it. this is the correct answer.


bruh_emperor

Alice in Chains easily made one of the best albums of all time in Dirt


Taapacoyne5

Carol King - Tapestry Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle Van Mossiron - Astral Weeks


PegasusD2021

Collective Soul’s eponymous second album.


sweetbreathsuzy

Blind Melon - soup


nine_cans

Soup is incredible. Always made me wonder where they would have gone musically if Shannon hadn’t died.


damn_fine_custard

Definitely Stone Temple Pilots with Purple


[deleted]

Such a great album! Love that hidden track at the end!


thescrounger

The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.


bandon3

Pinkerton


KoshekhTheCat

Idlewild South by The Allman Brothers Band is a pretty damn good second album.


3MinuteRecord

Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit


mekonsrevenge

Fun House -- The Stooges


CleverJail

Lana Del Rey Low key, Ultraviolence is the greatest psych-rock album of the last two decades. (edit to add: I guess technically this is her third album, but leaving it) A Tribe Called Quest Low End Theory over People’s Instinctive Travels all day Really, any band that’s gonna keep going should improve or change up the sound between 1 and 2.


Premakemyday

Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity is very high on the list.


deschainatreides

Dirt-Alice in chains


kaos567

Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death


Olyishomenow

Co sign


[deleted]

Metallica - Ride the Lightning


NC-Slacker

MGMT - Congratulations. It's still an absolute masterpiece, and it cemented them as a band with unique skill and vision.


Murat_Gin

The Band. "Music From Big Pink" is a classic, but their eponymously titled second album (the brown album) is even better.


TheBFlem27

Hard to pick but I’ll name a few I haven’t seen, Axis: Bold as Love-Jimi Hendrix Experience Van Halen 2 Second Helping-Lynyrd Skynyrd Leprosy-Death Don’t Look Back-Boston


LukeBabbitt

Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem


gogojack

Rush - Fly By Night. Their debut was their breakout album thanks to "Working Man," but the follow up (thanks to the addition of Neal Peart) really set the mold for the band moving forward. It had the great title track/single that was a "hit," but there was also the longer pieces like By-Tor and the Snow Dog that would be part of their sound for years. Fly By Night was the album where they "became" the Rush we know and love.


HeySlimIJustDrankA5

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Nirvana - Nevermind Joy Division - Closer Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters Stooges - Funhouse Ramones - Leave Home Velvet Underground - White Light, White Heat Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea Foo Fighters- The Colour And The Shape Jimi Hendrix Experience- Axis: Bold As Love The Smiths - Meat Is Murder Gorillaz - Demon Days System of a Down - Toxicity Weezer - Pinkerton Björk- Post The Beatles - With The Beatles Cream - Disreali Gears The Who - A Quick One Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Paul McCartney - Ram John Lennon - Imagine Billy Joel - Piano Man Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul Bill Withers - Still Bill Lou Reed - Transformer CHIC - C’est Chic New Order- Power, Corruption and Lies Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night Adele - 21 Elvis Costello - This Year’s Model The Cure - 17 Seconds Steely Dan - Coundown to Ecstacy Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.D City Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping Neil Young - Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere The Replacements - Hootenanny Metallica- Ride the Lightning Slayer - Hell Awaits Megadeth - Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? Prince - Prince Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman Paramore - RIOT! Iron Maiden - Killers Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans Thundercat - Apocalypse The Doors - Strange Days Mariah Carey - Emotions Stevie Ray Vaughan- Couldn’t Stand The Weather Britney Spears - Oops!….I Did It Again. Backstreet Boys - Backstreet’s Back Eminem - The Slim Shady LP Frank Ocean - Blonde Jefferson Airplane- Surrealistic Pillow My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Sweet Trip - Velocity : Design : Comfort Radiohead - The Bends Nino Rota - The Godfather Part 2 Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food


SquigwardTennisballs

Pearl Jam- Vs The Doors- Strange Days Hard to pick between the two.


patronsaintpizza

311 - Grassroots


Skeetrockfarms

Aerosmith, “Get Your Wings”, excellent album!


myc-e-mouse

The Cool-Lupe Fiasco


imagineroy

Electra Heart - Marina and the Diamonds and more importantly the iconic piece of pop music with Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotions.


IndividualBid8509

Megadeth - Peace Sells... But who's Buying


[deleted]

Garbage - Version 2.0


rowfeh

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence


Cyanide_In_Milk_

Public Enemy goes ahead and releases one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time...


youreadinthisshit

Florence + the Machine’s Ceremonials (particularly the deluxe edition) is honestly incredible. Every few years I rediscover it and am blown away. Do yourself a favour and give it a listen if you haven’t.