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Why Do Artists Only Ever Have ONE Standout Album?


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Old 23-06-2012, 13:05
cudzndrips
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I've come to the conclusion that a musician or group truly only ever has ONE career standout album, why can't they continue writing standout material for every album? Here's a few examples:

Bon Jovi - Slippery When When
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Magnum - Wings of Heaven
Queen - The Works
Michael Jackson - Thriller
U2 - Joshua Tree
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:08
Fabala
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So Bad or Off The Wall are not stand out albums? I'm not even a Michael Jackson fan but they are cracking albums.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:12
cudzndrips
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They may be good albums but they're not career difining albums, it's the same with Bon Jovi's slippery album, I loved New Jersey but it's still not in the same league as Slippery.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:20
Canks
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Bowie has at least 6
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:23
little-monster
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It varies on opinion really
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:30
Fabala
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Bowie has at least 6
So do The Beatles.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:32
iseloid
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Stevie Wonder has about 4. It depends on the person. MJ had 3 but his solo career only properly began with Off The Wall. You can have many more, but not everyone can have it all.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:32
Elanor
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Well surely that's what 'standout' means - it's one that stands out! They can't all stand out or then they'd all be high quality and none of them would stand out.

Having said that, I'm a Springsteen fan, and almost all of his albums are fantastic.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:34
shackfan
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And The Smiths have at least 3.
And I would totally disagree with Queens The Works. For me it is Night at the opera, Queen 2 or Day at the races.
I think the op is totally wrong on this one.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:37
Canks
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So do The Beatles.
Definitely. Roxy Music has 3. Prince has 2... Maybe it's more modern artists who fail to sustain the goods
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:39
Fabala
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Definitely. Roxy Music has 3. Prince has 2... Maybe it's more modern artists who fail to sustain the goods
I get what the op is saying in that a lot of artists seem to reach a critically and commercial peak and then cannot sustain it. But that is certainly not a universal truth.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:39
Fabala
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And The Smiths have at least 3.
And I would totally disagree with Queens The Works. For me it is Night at the opera, Queen 2 or Day at the races.
I think the op is totally wrong on this one.
Out of interest what 3 albums?
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:47
PJ1893
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I've come to the conclusion that a musician or group truly only ever has ONE career standout album, why can't they continue writing standout material for every album? Here's a few examples:

Bon Jovi - Slippery When When
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Magnum - Wings of Heaven
Queen - The Works
Michael Jackson - Thriller
U2 - Joshua Tree
Before clicking on this thread I was going to mention Michael Jackson. Like others have said I think many consider Bad and Off The Wall as standout albums as well.

Also, I think U2 have at least two: Achtung baby and The Joshua Tree.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:49
elasticlove
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Madonna has at least Like a Prayer and Ray of Light.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:50
Hav_mor91
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No most artists if good enough will have more than one but will have the one iconic album like

Kate Bush- Hounds of Love but she also has Kick Inside, Aerial, The Dreaming
The Smiths- The Queen Is Dead, Meat Is Murder
the list goes on.
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Old 23-06-2012, 13:59
I IZ Ghetto
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Madonna has at least Like a Prayer and Ray of Light.
Have a gold star for beating Josh Pinder to it
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Old 23-06-2012, 14:05
Steve35
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I've come to the conclusion that a musician or group truly only ever has ONE career standout album, why can't they continue writing standout material for every album? Here's a few examples:

Bon Jovi - Slippery When When
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Magnum - Wings of Heaven
Queen - The Works
Michael Jackson - Thriller
U2 - Joshua Tree
Which era Def Leppard do you prefer, pre Hysteria or after? I prefer pre because Steve Clark was still alive and playing
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Old 23-06-2012, 14:24
Tryon
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I would add All That You Can't Leave Behind to that list of U2 classics.
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Old 23-06-2012, 15:24
spaceoddity
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I guess it differs on opinion and other things but for example Kate Bush has had a few career defining albums with Hounds of Love, Aerial and to an extent The Kick Inside and The Dreaming.
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Old 23-06-2012, 15:30
starsailor
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Oasis have two, with Definitly Maybe and Whats the story (Morning Glory). Can't decide which is better for those.

Theres plenty of other bands with more than 1. Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zep...all with multiple stand-out albums.
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Old 23-06-2012, 15:48
O.Michel
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Some artists find it difficult to ever have ONE half decent album, so I don't find it odd that 99,9% of acts don't have many classic, career-defining records
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Old 23-06-2012, 16:18
CLL Dodge
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If there were more than one the "stand out" definition would be diluted, though the more albums an artist puts out the more ups and downs they are likely to have.
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Old 23-06-2012, 17:29
vauxhall1964
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Kraftwerk had 3 landmark albums, each influencing entire genres.
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Old 23-06-2012, 17:34
Hit Em Up Style
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Madonna has had several. True Blue, Like A Prayer and Ray Of Light.

Depending on who you ask however Erotica, American Life, Confessions On A Dancefloor are also considered her best.
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Old 23-06-2012, 17:39
Fear of Fours
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Joni Mitchell has several standout albums in her back catalogue.
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