Biggest drop in quality/sales (popular music, bands and solo artists)

[kempiejon]

I must admit Be Here Now was the first thing I thought of reading that, although you did rather set it up to exactly reflect what happened to Oasis - two albums developed at leisure before they were famous, then just couldn't cope with creating more material in the frenzy of touring etc that happens once you've made it. It's not particularly uncommon that, they were lucky to have the chance to make two albums before the industry ate them, rather than having to make "that difficult second album".

I'd always heard it as that difficult third album but the reasoning stands. t'internet offered me the phrase sophomore album - for that difficult 2nd. Even some stats exploring the third album syndrome https://towardsdatascience.com/https-to ... 5d7a710412

[Mike4]

I'd like to nominate Wishbone Ash.

First four albums, just AWESOME. All the rest, meh.

[AleisterCrowley]

Third Radiohead akbum is 'the best' .....probably
Pablo Honey (1993) - learning their trade
The Bends (1995) - fully formed, consistently good
OK Computer (1997) - the masterpiece

Kid A and later divide opinion - but at least they didn't decide to keep remaking OK Computer over and over again

[Hallucigenia]

If you're talking bands from that era, then Blur is an obvious example of the latter - I suspect most people will have only heard of There's No Other Way from their first two albums, but then they really hit their stride with Parklife and the albums after that.

Talking of playing hits, setlist allows some detail on Radiohead playing Creep live, which is one of the famous examples where an act don't play very much one of their best-known-to-non-fans songs. 31 times since 2003, or 11.7% of 265 gigs, mostly the Coachellas, Glasto etc. I must admit, I just don't really get Radiohead. A friend of a friend knows them well, so I did go to see them once, around the time they were pushing that first pay-what-you-want album (Googles - In Rainbows) and I have to say as an entertainment experience that I've been to it was up there with the first half of England v Kazakhstan around the same time.

[servodude]

Third Radiohead akbum is 'the best' .....probably
Pablo Honey (1993) - learning their trade
The Bends (1995) - fully formed, consistently good
OK Computer (1997) - the masterpiece

Kid A and later divide opinion - but at least they didn't decide to keep remaking OK Computer over and over again

I thought of this https://youtu.be/Zkvhszm_ae4 when I saw the original post

But really if Radiohead fit the bill for inclusion here they do so in the same way as the Beatles

-sd

[dealtn]

Talking of playing hits, setlist allows some detail on Radiohead playing Creep live, which is one of the famous examples where an act don't play very much one of their best-known-to-non-fans songs. 31 times since 2003, or 11.7% of 265 gigs, mostly the Coachellas, Glasto etc. I must admit, I just don't really get Radiohead. A friend of a friend knows them well, so I did go to see them once, around the time they were pushing that first pay-what-you-want album (Googles - In Rainbows) and I have to say as an entertainment experience that I've been to it was up there with the first half of England v Kazakhstan around the same time.

I've seen them twice. The first was in Oxford just as they were starting out (as Radiohead at least) in my final year at Uni. I had to "google" but I think that must have been at the Jericho in 1991. Second time when opening for James at The Brixton Academy (again googling) which was December 1993.

So I have heard them play Creep live at least.

[servodude]

Talking of playing hits, setlist allows some detail on Radiohead playing Creep live, which is one of the famous examples where an act don't play very much one of their best-known-to-non-fans songs. 31 times since 2003, or 11.7% of 265 gigs, mostly the Coachellas, Glasto etc. I must admit, I just don't really get Radiohead. A friend of a friend knows them well, so I did go to see them once, around the time they were pushing that first pay-what-you-want album (Googles - In Rainbows) and I have to say as an entertainment experience that I've been to it was up there with the first half of England v Kazakhstan around the same time.

I've seen them twice. The first was in Oxford just as they were starting out (as Radiohead at least) in my final year at Uni. I had to "google" but I think that must have been at the Jericho in 1991. Second time when opening for James at The Brixton Academy (again googling) which was December 1993.

So I have heard them play Creep live at least.

91 they played Tuts in Glasgow with the Smashing Pumpkins; I honestly can't remember which was the headliner now

[dionaeamuscipula]

Going back to the original:

Terence Trent D'Arby. First album: a thing of wonder and beauty. Second album: well.

Duffy.

Couple of albums I've listened to recently which are so utterly brilliant as single bodies of work that they completely transcend the artist's other work:

Ingenue by k d lang
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette

DM

[simoan]

Third Radiohead akbum is 'the best' .....probably
Pablo Honey (1993) - learning their trade
The Bends (1995) - fully formed, consistently good
OK Computer (1997) - the masterpiece

Kid A and later divide opinion - but at least they didn't decide to keep remaking OK Computer over and over again

I thought of this https://youtu.be/Zkvhszm_ae4 when I saw the original post

But really if Radiohead fit the bill for inclusion here they do so in the same way as the Beatles

-sd

I can’t believe anyone could include Radiohead under the subject of this thread!! That is the very definition of sacrilege. They are One of most inventive constantly evolving bands ever, and still going strong and producing stunning music. Even their side projects are brilliant e.g. Thom Yorke with UNKLE, Jonny Greenwood’s Oscar winning film scores, and more recently the two of them in The Smile who have just released a brilliant album which is right up there with their best ever work. Must be nailed on for a Mercury Prize nomination.

All the best, Si

[servodude]

Third Radiohead akbum is 'the best' .....probably
Pablo Honey (1993) - learning their trade
The Bends (1995) - fully formed, consistently good
OK Computer (1997) - the masterpiece

Kid A and later divide opinion - but at least they didn't decide to keep remaking OK Computer over and over again

I thought of this https://youtu.be/Zkvhszm_ae4 when I saw the original post

But really if Radiohead fit the bill for inclusion here they do so in the same way as the Beatles

-sd

I can’t believe anyone could include Radiohead under the subject of this thread!! That is the very definition of sacrilege. They are One of most inventive constantly evolving bands ever, and still going strong and producing stunning music. Even their side projects are brilliant e.g. Thom Yorke with UNKLE, Jonny Greenwood’s Oscar winning film scores, and more recently the two of them in The Smile who have just released a brilliant album which is right up there with their best ever work. Must be nailed on for a Mercury Prize nomination.

All the best, Si

No argument here... that video of Thom and Jonny playing Numbers on a bench (https://youtu.be/Ti6qhk3tX2s) is one of the best things on you tube

[simoan]

Third Radiohead akbum is 'the best' .....probably
Pablo Honey (1993) - learning their trade
The Bends (1995) - fully formed, consistently good
OK Computer (1997) - the masterpiece

Kid A and later divide opinion - but at least they didn't decide to keep remaking OK Computer over and over again

I thought of this https://youtu.be/Zkvhszm_ae4 when I saw the original post

But really if Radiohead fit the bill for inclusion here they do so in the same way as the Beatles

-sd

I can’t believe anyone could include Radiohead under the subject of this thread!! That is the very definition of sacrilege. They are One of most inventive constantly evolving bands ever, and still going strong and producing stunning music. Even their side projects are brilliant e.g. Thom Yorke with UNKLE, Jonny Greenwood’s Oscar winning film scores, and more recently the two of them in The Smile who have just released a brilliant album which is right up there with their best ever work. Must be nailed on for a Mercury Prize nomination.

All the best, Si

No argument here... that video of Thom and Jonny playing Numbers on a bench (https://youtu.be/Ti6qhk3tX2s) is one of the best things on you tube

No argument here either. I love that video (and song). My other half doesn't like Radiohead but I showed her that YT video and even she admitted they are super talented people. Still doesn't like the music though BTW The Numbers is in 3/4 time, like a Waltz. I think one of the reasons many people find their music "difficult" is because of the way they play around with time signatures.

[NotSure]

Fun Lovin' Criminals.

Finlay Quaye.

[AleisterCrowley]

...
I can’t believe anyone could include Radiohead under the subject of this thread!! That is the very definition of sacrilege. T.
..., Si

I don't think anyone did, at least not as an example of quality dropping - they were a bit of a tangent from the main debate, following a comment about difficult 3rd albums

[moorfield]

I've always been interested in the career trajectories of popular acts - some gradually peak, then retire; some peak then fade away gradually; some artists seem to be sinusoidal in popularity (Neil Young !)
What I'm thinking about is the acts that have built up to something big, possibly had a reasonable follow on album, then they seem to have dropped off a cliff.

The one and only Chesney Hawkes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvMsp7s78Do

But he only needed the one hit to show us how good he was, 4 minutes of genius, nothing could surpass that. His work was done.

[terminal7]

Bob Dylan 60 year career has had more ups and downs than the Monaco Grand Prix

1962 - 1980: so many brilliant albums and basement tapes
1980 - 1997: the descent into oblivion - even the most dedicated Bobheads had largely abandoned ship
1997 - 2006: brilliant resurgence started by Time out of Mind
2006 onwards: another descent into dross - no way back this time?

T7

Dylan's live concerts don't reflect these fluctuations as clearly they call down upon a back catalogue of a multitude of great songs

[kiloran]

Bob Dylan 60 year career has had more ups and downs than the Monaco Grand Prix

1962 - 1980: so many brilliant albums and basement tapes
1980 - 1997: the descent into oblivion - even the most dedicated Bobheads had largely abandoned ship
1997 - 2006: brilliant resurgence started by Time out of Mind
2006 onwards: another descent into dross - no way back this time?

And then back on the upward path in 2020 with Rough and Rowdy Ways at the age of 80

--kiloran

[pje16]

And then back on the upward path in 2020 with Rough and Rowdy Ways at the age of 80

--kiloran

and on tour with it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_and ... _Wide_Tour
I'm not a fan BUT
Respect
PS turned 81 last week

[AleisterCrowley]

Bob Dylan 60 year career has had more ups and downs than the Monaco Grand Prix
....
2006 onwards: another descent into dross - no way back this time?
T7

No direction home, surely ?

[terminal7]

Bob Dylan 60 year career has had more ups and downs than the Monaco Grand Prix
....
2006 onwards: another descent into dross - no way back this time?
T7

No direction home, surely ?

Oh dear me -

T7 (not dark yet - but clearly getting there)