The ranking of the 100 greatest second albums of all time according to Consequence

The test of the "difficult second album," also known as the "sophomore" record, is, as everyone knows, one of the toughest challenges in an artist's career. For many, matching the impact of their debut has proven an impossible feat. Not for the 100 acts cited by Consequence, though, in its new ranking dedicated to the greatest "second efforts" in rock history. "Anything can happen with a debut album, but a second record inevitably comes loaded with expectations," the magazine notes in its introduction. "The first is often made in private, with practically no audience. The second, however, is born under a deadline set by someone else. Some artists refine their formula, others expand their vision. But what they do when they start to feel that pressure is always revealing, and every so often they even manage to defy the sophomore curse."
As for the rules of the ranking, Consequence explains: "Many artists have a first album that they later act as though never existed. And we do the same. Several types of records fall into this category. There are albums conceived as genuine debuts that, in hindsight, look more like demos. They often sold only a few hundred copies, as in the case of Slipknot, or even just a few dozen, as with Godspeed You! Black Emperor. In other cases, the artist was still a child when they released their first work and doesn't consider it representative of their artistic identity, as with Björk. Those records don't count either. Some artists appear in more than one project, and we consider solo careers separately from band careers… That's why 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' is counted here as Neil Young's second album rather than Crazy Horse's first. Finally, we don't count mixtapes, live albums, visual albums, EPs, or compilations."

So here is the ranking of the 100 greatest second albums of all time, according to Consequence.

100. Interpol – Antics
99. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
98. Dinosaur Jr. – You're Living All Over Me
97. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
96. Bad Bunny – YHLQMDLG
95. Iron Maiden – Killers
94. Brandy – Never Say Never
93. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
92. Megadeath – Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?
91. Black Country, New Road – Ants from Up There
90. Gorillaz – Demon Days
89. Silver Jews – The Natural Bridge
88. Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny
87. Lorde – Melodrama
86. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace Is There
85. Taylor Swift – Fearless
84. The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
83. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold as Love
82. Mobb Deep – The Infamous
81. This Heat – Deceit
80. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
79. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
78. The Strokes – Room on Fire
77. Title Fight – Floral Green
76. Erykah Badu – Mama's Gun
75. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head
74. Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It in People
73. Jane's Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual
72. Slipknot – Iowa
71. Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair
70. Deafheaven – Sunbather
69. Built to Spill – There's Nothing Wrong with Love
68. De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead
67. Joy Division – Closer
66. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
65. SZA – SOS
64. Garth Brooks – No Fences
63. Mastodon – Leviathan
62. Lou Reed – Transformer
61. Drake – Take Care
60. Weezer – Pinkerton
59. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
58. Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele
57. Aaliyah – One in a Million
56. Elvis Costello – This Year's Model
55. Pearl Jam – Vs.
54. Fugees – The Score
53. The Breeders – Last Splash
52. The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat
51. Death – Leprosy
50. My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
49. Paramore – Riot!
48. Modest Mouse – The Lonesome Crowded West
47. Hole – Live Through This
46. The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death
45. The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
44. Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
43. Adele – 21
42. Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
41. Deftones – Around the Fur
40. Fiona Apple – When the Pawn…
39. Slowdive – Souvlaki
38. Beyoncé – B'Day
37. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane over the Sea
36. Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire
35. Kanye West – Late Registration
34. Tool – Ænima
33. The Band – The Band
32. Björk – Post
31. Radiohead – The Bends
30. Dr. Dre – 2001
29. Alice in Chains – Dirt
28. Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
27. TLC – CrazySexyCool
26. Beastie Boys – Paul's Boutique
25. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
24. Metallica – Ride the Lightning
23. PJ Harvey – Rid of Me
22. A Tribe Called Quest – The Low-End Theory
21. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
20. Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory
19. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
18. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II
17. Madonna – Like a Virgin
16. Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
15. The Stooges – Fun House
14. OutKast – ATLiens
13. Slint – Spiderland
12. Frank Ocean – Blonde
11. System of a Down – Toxicity
10. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
9. Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
8. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
7. D'Angelo – Voodoo
6. Daft Punk – Discovery
5. Pixies – Doolittle
4. Carole King – Tapestry
3. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
2. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
1. Nirvana – Nevermind

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google