Who do you think has the greatest sophomore album?

Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

The Cure became The Cure with Seventeen Seconds.

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

Yes!!

Pixies - Doolittle (or Surfer Rosa, if you want to count Come On Pilgrim as their first)

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

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

Low End Theory 🔥🔥🔥

Doolittle is one of the best albums ever

The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Mayonnaise and Soma 🤌🏻

Yes

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

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

Came here for ride the lightning

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.

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

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.

Maybe the best ever!!

System of a Down with Toxicity.

Possibly their best album.

Solid answer, you stole my shit.

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

Good ass answer

Elvis Costello - This Year’s Model

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

Love this record

Alanis Morrisette Jagged Little Pill

Good Kid, M.A.A.d city

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.

shit this might be the best answer

The Bends by Radiohead

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

The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse

Favorite album of all time

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

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.

Saw them play this album for its anniversary. What an incredible experience.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Yes. Dammit, I’m old

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

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

Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique

Sheeeeiiiiittttt you broke the game with this answer.

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).

Alice In Chains “Dirt”

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

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

And if EP’s count…then Broken.

Rated-R, Queens of the Stone Age

Another one that is way to far down the list.

Similarly,

Paranoid - Black Sabbath

Came in here to make sure Paranoid was mentioned.

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.

It’s a good parameter of success.

Weezer - Pinkerton

The correct answer !

Now we’re talking

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

Yeah it's this, an absolutely perfect album.

Clutch

Queen II

an incredible and honestly underrated album

MBV - Loveless

This, and also Slowdive - Souvlaki

Yes!

In the aeroplane over the sea - NMH

My favorite album of all time

Great call.

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

Atliens-Outkast.

Yesssssss

Greetings Earthlings

CAKE - Fashion Nugget

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

I did not expect to see a Morphine album on here

STP: Purple

In the same vein... Alice in Chains Dirt

Gorillaz - Demon Days. Absolute masterpiece.

I remember camping and listening to this on a discman when it came out. Incredible album.

The Police-Reggatta de Blanc.

Stewart is a force!

Another answer I was hoping to see!! Although I’m biased as Reggarta de Blanc is in my top 5 fave albums. Blown away the first time I heard Message in a Bottle, Stewart’s drumming took me by surprise in the best way

Rio - Duran Duran

Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire

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

This is my favorite by them.

My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless!

Deftones - Around the Fur

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

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

Nevermind - Nirvana

Fugees - The score.

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

Man this album is so good. Such a good stamp in time too.

Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experieince

Great pick!

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory

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!

Garbage - Version 2.0

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.

Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys

Swervedriver - Mezcal Head

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

Joy Division - Closer

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

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

I knew I was missing one from my sophomore 5 CD stuck on an island List (Foo, RHCP BSSM, Crowes Southern Harmony, PJ VS, STP Purple)...

Vs

IT'S. MY. BLOOOOOOOOOOD!

Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?

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

Interpol - Antics

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

Slipknot — Iowa is a masterpiece.

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

Muse: Origin of Symmetry

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

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.

Three Cheers was peak MCR.

Three cheers is definitely their best work

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

Room On Fire - The Strokes

Repeater by Fugazi

Tears for Fears with Songs from the big chair

Weezer - Pinkerton

Tool - Aenima

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

Jane’s Addiction -Nothings Shocking

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

Rush - Fly By Night. In comes Peart and everything changes.

Neil Peart stands alone.

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

Pearl Jam Versus.

Eminem The Marshal Mathers LP

Absolutely. A masterpiece from start to finish.

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

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

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

REM - Reckoning

Tori Amos - Under the Pink

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

Collective Soul’s eponymous second album.

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

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

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Pinkerton

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

Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit

Fun House -- The Stooges

Lana Del Rey

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

Dirt-Alice in chains

Def Leppard - High ‘n’ Dry

Coheed and Cambria: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3

Fall Out Boy's "From Under The Cork Tree" has to be up there.

Just finished a 6hr drive and banged this album front to back. Was gonna answer with this. The song that always makes me really remember this as a good sophomore album is “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year.”

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

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

Hard to pick but I’ll name a few I haven’t seen,

Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels

Lupe Fiasco the Cool is by far his best album

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

Lorde - Melodrama

The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.

Meteora- Linkin Park

You Take this over hybrid theory?

Blind Melon - soup

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

311 - Grassroots

Aerosmith, “Get Your Wings”, excellent album!

The Cool-Lupe Fiasco

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

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

Garbage - Version 2.0

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

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

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.

Metallica - Ride the Lightning

Definitely Stone Temple Pilots with Purple

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

Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death

Co sign

Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Armed Forces (unless you count My Aim is True as the debut which is EC and the band Clover, which means This Years Model would be the sophomore effort)

Post by Bjork.

No Need To Argue by The Cranberries

Evanescence - The Open Door

Ride the Lightning

Ride the Lightning

Iron Maiden-Killers

Dua Lipa got me through the pandemic

I know they always get listed as the band everyone loves to hate but Coldplay’s A Rush of Blood to the Head is actually an amazing album and a great following to Parachutes.

Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual