It usually happens to the first album because there's literally infinite time to make your debut album. All subsequent albums are weighed down by expectations of time, money, or dozens of other factors.
@@morrits3969Michael Jackson used to do something like that with his songs. He would write and record a bunch of songs and the songs that didn't make it on a particular album, he would hold them for his next albums.
This concept makes me think of Some Nights by Fun. That album had 3 huge songs and good a lot of commercial and critical acclaim and then the band never made anything else
That album is doodoo. Yeah, it has a tremendous opening but it becomes pretty forgettable after Carry On. Still, those three Songs at the beginning are fantastic.
I feel like George Harrison’s Cloud Nine deserves some recognition. It took the music world by storm when it released, and is the reason why we have the gift that is The Traveling Wilburys. My man George is much more than just his triple album
Exactly what I came here to say. Also, while The Beatles put Harrison on the map, The Traveling Wilburys was his crowning achievement and shouldn’t be left out of a discussion about what his fans are likely listening to.
His follow up to ATMP, Living in the Material World is an amazing album as well and one that was another #1 album for George in the US. Also, he did have big hits later in the 70’s and specially in the 80’s, including his turn with The Traveling Wilburys. One album wonder? Nope.
I totally understand your argument for George Harrison being on this list and while I agree to a degree, I want to stress how good some of his other albums are. "Living in the Material World", "Thirty Three & a Third", "George Harrison (1979)" and even "Brainwashed" are all on a similar level as "All Things Must Pass", and they all have songs that rival songs on that album. I would still say ATMP is his best album, but it's closer than you would think.
He had 3 number 1 singles in the US: My Sweet Lord (#1 in UK) from ATMP, Give Me Love (#8 in UK) from Living in the Material World, and Got My Mind Set On You (#2 in UK) from Cloud Nine. The last of these came out in 1987, really hammering home how inaccurate the One Album Wonder label is.@@mosquerajoseph7305
But a lot of them are still very good and creative. That’s just a very high bar to match up to. It’s very similar to people who expect Nas to make an album that’s on the level of Illmatic.
I disagree about his other albums being lackluster. Endtroducing was a groundbreaking album that created an entire genre of music. While the other albums may not be in the same place sonically or historically they are all really amazing albums. I especially like his Mountains Will Fall and his last album Our Pathetic Age. If you listen to his live set All Basses Covered you could see where he was headed pretty clearly and it was definitely not a matter of repeating the same formula over and over, which is what makes an interesting artist and shows growth as a person.
Not really sure about George on this one. If your argument is that most people only listen to the one album then you could classify hundreds of artists as one album wonders because they have one album bigger than all their others. After ATMP, "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" was a massive hit, along with its parent album. Cloud Nine was also a big hit with a couple of big singles, and the Traveling Wilburys were big too. Regardless of popularity, all those albums are worth a listen.
i get u but isn't anything was pretty well received too and i'd argue is great in its own right ans=d also the you made me realise" ep. the early ecstasy and wine i would say is quite underrated
Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish is one of the most obvious examples for me. One of the best-selling albums of all time and they never released anything ever again even moderately approaching its success.
BOSTON is definitey not a one album wonder. Yes, the debut was never matched (17 x platinum) but the next 2 albums were #1 selling 7 and 4 x platinum respectively...not too shaby. On top of that, they scored their only Hot 100 #1 single in 1986, a decade after their debut.
Sky Ferreira is a name that immediately came to mind with her only album (Night Time, My Time) turning 10 this year. Fantastic record from start to finish.
I think including solo albums by members of popular bands is kind of cheating, I would never say Lauryn Hill is a one-album wonder when she made The Score. DJ Shadow and Slint for example come to mind. And maybe you could count Burial as a different type of one-album wonder, since he basically switched to shorter formats? Depends on how well you like his debut album.
Personally I disagree. It would be one thing if someone like Diana Ross had one hit album after the Supremes. Then we’re talking about someone whose group was purely background. Gladys Knight would be a more extreme example. But the Fugees were a true three-person group, and their success was a group effort. That’s also why even though I adore him, but JC Chasez is a no-album wonder. It’s an accomplishment to have a career after a group because for most, the group and the solo personas are very separate.
I always think of the New Radicals when I think one album wonders Such a vibe of an album, slaps from front to back, Get What You Give is one of the best pop songs of our time and yet he never followed it up, Gregg still had a fantastic career as a songwriter after the fact but I still can't help but think what could've been if he never disbanded the project
Todd In The Shadows did a retrospective about that album. I guess what it came down to is the lead singer/songwriter wanted nothing to do with fame after You Get What You Give became a massive hit. It also goes into his pretty impressive track record as a songwriter/producer.
I'd argue it definitely wasn't Sid's death that prevented the Pistols from making more music, it was the fact that they and their management are/were way too individually volatile to exist in the same space for long periods of time.
I am a casual punk fan, so I didn't know until I went to the Museum of Punk Rock in Vegas that Sid was basically just there for the image. He didn't know how to play bass when he joined the band, literally none of his contributions are on Never Mind the Bollocks, and he barely knew what he was doing on-stage.
The Pistols were done by the time they finished their set on Winterland, after that point there was no chance of more Sex Pistols records coming out, with or without Sid.
The one album not here that I've been screaming about for years now is The Wallflowers' _Bringing Down the Horse_. That thing was EVERYWHERE, and I was convinced at the time that Jacob Dylan had everything that was going to make him a star. But afterwards...nothing. I'll still bust out Everybody Out of the Water every once in a while, but nothing else touched that first album.
timestamps 0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Never Mind The Bollocks - Sex Pistols 1:35 - Grace - Jeff Buckley 1:58 - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill 3:40 - Boston 4:50 - The Stone Roses 6:47 - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel 8:43 - All Things Must Pass - George Harrison 10:20 - The Dutchess - Fergie 11:28 - The Heist - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I'll toss in Elastica's 1995 S/T debut for consideration. They rose out of the Brit pop explosion of the mid 90's with a more punk edge and Justine was an undeniable force of a frontwoman. They may not have exploded like the artists on this list but they made an impact, dropped 16 bops on the world and were never able to recreate the magic on their final two records.
Their 2nd album "The Menace" came out in 2000, a few years after that Britpop era, which had long ended, and it just felt like strange timing considering Donna had already left the band, and Annie left at one point, not to mention Justine had broken up with Damon Albarn and then a year later after the album's release, their label owned by Steve Lamacq folded. Justine has since said that she regretted making that album
A couple of albums that always spring to my mind when thinking of this subject are Tracy Chapman's self-titled album, and Introducing the Hardline... by Terence Trent D'Arby.
Tf you mean George Harrison is a one album wonder? Living in The Material World and Cloud Nine were big albums. And even some of his more underrated albums like the self titled and brainwashed are fantastic
Yeeeeeeeeeah, but they weren't universally beloved, right? I mean, I ADORE Blunted on Reality by the fugees. Hell, I adore a bunch of stuff most people haven't heard of.
George set the bar so high. But everything else he did was still great. He could never beat the first solo album. Traveling Willburys was huge, he was the biggest influence on the hits.
Modjo’s self titled comes to mind. Lady (Hear Me Tonight) has been a popular sound for Instagram reels. Once I found the song & the album, I was hooked. I wish they had made more
Yeah that's what I wanted to comment. If you take into account that the reason they didn't make more records wasn't Sid's death (he was barely on NMTB anyway) but necause Rotten left in early 1978 and the band was pretty much over at that point it would have been a much more interesting story that would fit this video. And I would add that while the Sex Pistols as a group were a one album wonder, John Lydon would hit his artistic peak later on with Pil which were a much more interesting and musically revolutionary group than the Sex Pistols, especially those first three albums
Fun. and The Killers definetly deserve a mention. Syd Barret also should be mentioned although I don't know if he would count since his monumental strides in acid and psychedelic rock all come from his only pink Floyd album, and the band itself lived on ever after he went insane.
I understand why you would say fun. They had one huge album, which was their second. However, I think their first album was by far the better album. It's a different style. It's more chamber pop, with heavy Queen influence. I absolutely love it.
I would disagree with The Killers. Sam's Town (which I like better than Hot Fuss on the whole) sold 5 million copies worldwide vs. Hot Fuss' 7 million and had two pretty big hits with When You Were Young and Read My Mind. I would say those two albums stand head and shoulders above the rest of their discography even though there are some great tunes here and there and Day and Age also sold relatively well with Human being a platinum single and Spaceman being a minor hit.
I take exception to Lauryn Hill and Aeroplane being on this list. Lauryn Hill has an entire body of work with The Fugees and Soulquarians. And I love On Avery Island.
Dude, I'm not the biggest fan, but JESUS: I meet people who mention Minor Threat, QUICK, when you ask them "so what kind of music do you like), TO THIS DAY.
@@BertleMcGertle it’s both. It’s also embrace and egg hunt and the evens. Ian mackaye never stays in a band that long. Fugazi did have like 7 or 8 full albums though so idk if they really count
George Harrison has two #1 albums and another that got to #2. Of his singles, yes My Sweet Lord was his only #1.. but Got My Mind Set on You peaked at #2 (plus a couple other top 10 hits)
He didn’t have a number 2 album. He had 2 number one albums. ATMP and it’s follow up Living in the Material World which went to number one and quickly disappeared based on the success of ATMP. It sold less than 1/20th of its predecessor and no other album sold 1/10th of ATMP. Cloud Nine was a relative comeback, but it’s awful and didn’t come close to his previous commercial success.
Burial - Untrue - instant classic from 2007, helped to take UK underground electronic music into a moody and spectral realm (“future garage” was created because of this); only 12” and EPs have been released since Untrue Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells - inaugural release from Virgin Records and a then 19-year old’s musical catharsis, got a big boost in exposure thanks to its use in The Exorcist; like ATMP, very interesting follow-ups but nothing like Tubular Bells Slint - Spiderland - the band members had considerable experience in the Louisville KY punk thanks to starting out at the age of 12 and were all approaching 20 when making what arguably a cornerstone album of post-rock; split afterwards and did other things There are plenty of electronic music acts that could qualify like Global Communication’s 76:14 or KLF’s Chill Out. More often than not, these are one-offs and in a collection of a number of different aliases/monikers. The current underground EM scenes also have this in spades.
The two definitive one album wonders I’m shocked that you left out are The La’s and Terence Trent D’Arby. They are both basically perfect debut albums from artists that more or less vanished from the public’s consciousness. (TTD still releases great music under the name Sananda Maitreya; the La’s never put out another album).
Black Sheep- Choice is Yours, KMD and Basehhead- Play With Toys. All debut albums. But they came out towards the end of the 90s Golden Age of Hip Hop when the music was becoming less culturally artistic and more vapid/commercial.
I agree that King Crimson couldn’t beat Crimson King, it’s just on another level, but albums like Red still slap, like I think Fallen Angel is one of their best songs, but all of this goes to show how good their debut is, maybe the best debut album ever made, or at least one of the best for sure
I can't agree, even if in the court of the crinsom King is like one of my 5 favorite albums. Albums like Red, Lark's toungues in aspic and discipline are legendary progressive rock albums and some of the most influential and iconic music on the genre. And actually considered to have one of the better discographies in classic progressive rock, one of the few classic prog bands that doesn't have a truly terrible album (or that's what I've heard, still haven't listened all of their albums).
Good takes. If you make another video in this series, I think New Miserable Experience - the Gin Blossoms and Cracked Rear View - Hootie and the Blowfish deserve mentions. Iconic records that were the biggest moment for each band, and nothing has really compared following.
One album that came to mind for me was Blu & Exile's Below the Heavens. Amongst the blogs and underground rap fans, it's heralded as one of those classic, iconic albums of that time period. I think only recently (like the last few months maybe?) Blu and Exile actually got back the rights to the album, which is wild to think that this album that's been so highly praised, the people who created it weren't seeing much of anything from it.
This is a cool concept. There are a lot of acts that have one massive album but then mostly fall off. Alanis Morissette, Hootie and the Blowflish, Third Eye Blind, Hanson, KT Tunstall, The Presidents of the United States of America (band), etc etc.
@@YoshiCh1ef-je6me nope, just check the numbers if you don’t believe me. Their first album sold 6 times as many copies as their next biggest album, which was their second album. I remember when it came out, as I was a pretty big fan. There was almost no buzz for it and the singles from it got hardly any play.
I think you're missing the point. He didn't say these were their only albums or that the others weren't good, but that the one album stands out way above the rest.
@@osubucknut100In terms of online discussion, though, Aeroplane absolutely takes the lead. I’ve rarely seen the other albums mentioned out of NHM’s subreddit, which was randomly recommended to me once.
I think you could add Fetty Wap into the list, as he was a likable club rapper that wanted to put on for his city but that came crashing down due to falling out with old friends, expensive spending habits, failing to replicate older material and of course, his massive legal issues. Kind of a shame he didn't get to stick around but he definitely left a mark in 2015 when he came on the scene.
@@thisaintnoparty BEP was on their Monkey Business tour when she dropped the Duchess and by the time she toured 2 years later...The Peas were in the studio recording The E.N.D. and were recording The Beginning while they were on tour for The END. And released The Beginning 13 days after The END World tour. Fergie said it herself on My Humps "I'm gonna make you work"
deathcontiousness by have a nice life is also a good example. personally, i love the second album and im ok with the third, but almost NOBODY listens to them in comparison to deathcontiousness.
Christopher cross has to be one of the biggest one album wonders out there. His 1979 album won all 5 Grammys in one night matching billie eillish and nothing really successful after 1985
The nineties were a goldmine of this, weren't they? Off the top of my head: Sixteen Stone by Bush Elastica Oracular Spectacular by MGMT Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms Pocket Full Of Kryptonite by Spin Doctors 11 by Smithereens The Score by the Fugees Fallen by Evanescence Throwing Copper by Live Vincebus Eruptum by Blue Cheer Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company Death Walks Behind You by Atomic Rooster Living In The Plastic Age by the Buggles Take A Picture by Margo Guryan Vs. by Mission Of Burma And counting the great acts who only had one The La's Temple of the Dog Apple by Mother Love Bone Bigger Better Faster More by 4 Non Blondes Toy Matinee Oar by Skip Spence Lift To Experience by the Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads Young Marble Giants Szobel by Herman Szobel Energy by Operation Ivy God, how cool is it we have so many albums
I'm pretty sure MGMT's Little Dark Age has reached a similar level of acclaim and popularity, even though it came out years and years after Oracular Spectacular...actually that might be an idea for a follow up series: 2nd wind albums that came out years after a band's up-till-then only major success/one-hit wonder album
Love these videos. Comparable to the one hit wonder, another similar topic - the TWO hit wonder. Musicians like Rick Astley, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Natasha Bedingfield, and Owl City come to mind, but I'm sure there are more.
Jackson C Frank is definitely in this category. A fantastic Folk/Singer-Songwriter album with production from Paul Simon that was an early influence on guys like Nick Drake, but no real chance to follow it up. Life just kept getting in his way, knocking him down over and over until he died many years later with just a handful of other songs to his name as well as some covers and short live performances
Not a super popular opinion, but George Harrison's album Wonderwall Music is one of the best albums out there. It's a soundtrack, so nobody talks about it, but it's some of the most dream-like music I've heard.
@@TeShiky MF DOOM dropped those projects under a different name. He usually does that for him and a producer. Its not a one hit wonder since he still made good music.
@@kaydenjones3183 clearly you're misunderstanding my point. King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn only have one album that people care about. No one was talking about good music or one hit wonders.
I haven’t watched this but clicked to say both Ferris Wheel on Fire and On Avery Island are classics. And Little Birds. ITAOTS is obviously always going to be the hit but they have other great works.
I'll go as far as to say that Ferris Wheel on Fire is BETTER than ITAOTS and On Avery Island. I mean if we also count the unreleased deeptakes, still Ferris Wheel is the best.
Surprised at no Alanis Morisette, she's basically the textbook example of this phenomenon. Her Jagged Little Pill album has like 4-5 giant hits on it that still get played on radio to this day, yet not a single other album has any songs I recognize.
Sid Vicious's death didn't broke up the band, because they already had tensions within themselves during the American tour that drifted them separately. John Lydin even said that Steve Jones wouldn't dare to play more than three chords.
George’s All Things Must Pass might be his only great and big success album. But his discography is fantastic, one of the most consistent of the 4 Beatles. He also had a great commercial success with the fantastic Cloud Nine too
George Harrison not only had ATMP, but also Living in the Material World, 33 & 1/3, Self Titled 1979, and Cloud 9!!! Not even close to a 1 album wonder!
Macklemore's issue wasn't the prior three albums posted, it was solely with Kendrick's album... Then he attempted a good hearted yet failed response to the issue and the rest is history
I would like to mention Tiffany, the 80s starlet. Her second album, which by her own admission, wasn't a commercial success. If she had any albums after that, I feel that they are relatively unknown. Her first album was a huge success. I could listen to the entire album and enjoy every song. I feel that the albums' production was part of its success. The particular production gave the album a "color" and atmosphere which was appealing. The album could have been produced "normally" but it might not have been as successful.
Before I watch the video, I think to myself....Are Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians mentioned? "Shooting Ribberbands at the Stars" is an absolute masterpiece of an album.....then nothing (of note).
I would definitely mention Comus, First Utterance is considered one of the greatest prog folk albums of all time while their other 2 albums are forgotten
You did forget one major candidate for your list; Third Eye Blind. They had almost half their first album go to the charts back in the late 90s, also a great and unique group deserving of the highest accolades
I feel like Myths of the Near Future by Klaxons deserves a shoutout, it was widely considered one of the best albums of 2007, the band became famous overnight and even headlined the Reading and Leeds festivals, but they only made 2 other albums after that, and none of them even came close to living up to their initial success. It's also a banger album so it deserves some recognition
The reason the Sex Pistols couldn't make another album was that Johnny Rotten quit. Sid was a non-entity when it came to recording and song writing and recording.
I think you should have mentioned Cracked Rear view by hootie and the Blowfish that is definitely a one hit album and it's personally one of my favorites. It is the 19th best selling album in the United States but they never had another Smash hit like that. But I'd say it is one of the best 90s albums and it's crazy it sold that much
We all know MGMT’s oracular spectacular belongs here. Little dark age is a quiet masterpiece but it’s nothing compared to the major impact and airwaves they had in the late 2000s
Slint’s Spiderland is quite the one album wonder. Excellent project that managed to do so much with so little at the start of their career even asking for a female singer to come audition (on back cover) but sadly the attention never came so they parted ways and disappeared
I understand why you put George Harrison on here. But personally, as a fan of his work, I don't feel comfortable calling him a One Album Wonder. They might not be as popular or sonically connected as All Things Must Pass, but Living In The Material World and Brainwashed are great albums. Also Cloud Nine and Darkhorse are really good, they have some flaws but are enjoyable.
Great concept! Fugees: The Score comes to mind for me. (although I personally ADORE their debut and single post Score EP). They split because L & Clef split. Those three records are a great place to find a LOT more Lauryn, and she's got multiple features on Wyclef's The Carnival. I do NOT recommend her SECOND album, though, and I'M the dude who made my OWN Fugees shirts in HS in the 90s, and bought/buys anything they touch (VHS tape, John Forte's criminally underrated solo debut, -you name it.
I would like to throw 'we started nothing' by The Ting Tings into the fray - which I would consider to be a forgotten classic in pop music minimalism. Obviously it had the undeniable hit of 'that's not my name', a song that still lingers on in pop culture today, but there was also 'Shut up and let me go' and 'Great Dj', which also performed decently on the charts. The Ting Tings were shaping up for greatness, with their own kind of sound and Bri'ish charisma, a greatness that would have only been secured if they didn't wait 4 years with no promotion to come out with a follow up, which had NOTHING of anything people liked from their first album, from the instrumentals and hooks down to the way it was produced. From what I gather, they scrapped their 2010 follow up because their record label... Liked it too much? The Tings apparently didn't want another smash hit, and so deleted the project off their laptops and started again, to very mixed results. I think they also pissed their label off by making them spend a million pounds on a video they didn't even use (I have no idea why they had the power to reject a video that was shot and editted, but it would explain the lack of marketting presence their second record had).Weird guys. They're putting out stuff now, but I think in trying to be too different from what they'd done before they'd completely lost their way, which is a real shame because their first record is so amazingly consistent.
Uhhhhhhh, You got some interesting tastes (In extremely bloated demoes of half decent songs preformed by an obviously unprepared and not mentally competent performer) Ignore dat, That’s my opinion you can like what you like :3
Amazed "Frampton Comes Alive" wasn't on the list. Everybody and their brother had that album in the 70s, and it was a brilliant showcase for Frampton, but nothing else he released came close to that impact. I'd also add Bryan Adam's "Reckless", Norah Jones' "Come Away with Me", Julan Lennon's "Valotte", and Christopher Cross's s/t debut.
Bryan Addams had hits before Reckless, Cuts Like A Knife was his album before Reckless which had the title track and Straight From The Heart. And Waking up the neighbors had Everything I do I do it for you Can't stop this thing we started. Bryan adams had a number one hit in 1995. The last time bryan adams charted in the US was in 1998 with a song that peaked at number 8. His first single was a disco song, and his last hit was after grunge...far from a one album wonder.
Others have already mentioned Marquee Moon by Television and Turn Off The Bright Lights by Interpol, which I completely agree with, so I'd like to throw in one I haven't seen anyone mention, which is Silent Alarm by Bloc Party. From everything I know about this band, their debut seems to be a great post-punk revival record, which they then followed up on with dud after dud after dud.
"If somebody is listening to George Harrison, it's either The Beatles or 'All Things Must Pass'." In the name of Satan, what was that? "All Things Must Pass" is definitely his best work and the best solo album by an ex-Bealte, but George's second studio album was a huge hit as well. The same with his 1987 comeback. If we talk about brazilian fans, the 1979 album receives a lot of attention too. And let's not forget the Travelling Wilburys as well.
I know you touched on it but for Neutral Milk Hotel, Aeroplane is defiantly their best album but I’d argue that On Avery Island, is almost on par with it, it has some of their best songs on it like Naomi, I personally wouldn’t call it a warmup album but I completely understand if other people don’t think as highly on it as I do since Aeroplane is obviously still better.
Wrong about Boston though. They are a two album wonder. Third Stage songs commonly played on radio and I prefer it over the first album. Their debut set the record for most sold until Guns n' Roses debut so are they a one album wonder since the other albums they released were nowhere as good as the first?
No, Sid's death DID NOT prevent the Sex Pistols from making "further releases", as the Pistols had broken up in January 1978 and Sid died a year later in February 1979. Glen Matlock was the bass player on 'Bollocks' anyway (as a hired gun, since he'd been fired from the band at the time, but continues to perform with the reformed Pistols to this day), so the statement is wrong on multiple levels
I really don't agree with George Harrison on here, sure All Things Must Pass is his most popular album but lumping him in with Lauryn Hill as a One Album Wonder makes no sense. Is The Velvet Underground also a One Album Wonder because their debut is so everpresent in music history, and more specifically its album cover is so recognizable and iconic? What about Meat Loaf with Bat Out of Hell? Or even Pink Floyd with Dark Side of the Moon? George had several more great albums after ATMP, my personal favorites being Thirty Three and a Third, the self-titled, and Cloud Nine, the last of which had a number 1 single that was literally the 3rd biggest song of its year. An artist's most popular album kinda eclipsing a lot of their other work doesn't make them a One Album Wonder, it would have to be an extreme case like Boston where the one album is considered a classic and then no one cares about anything else.
Okay. Putting Boston in the list just goes to show you're really stretching the idea of "one-album wonder." Sorry. I thought this was supposed to be a list of acts who did ONE album that achieved some measure of success and then the act pretty much disappeared or left the business, not just the idea of "this one particular album was such a master work that they never replicated."
I’m gonna disagree with you on George Harrison just a little bit. You said “if someone’s listening to George, it’s either the Beatles or this Album.” I would amend that to “The Beatles, this album, or the Traveling Wilburys.” I thought about mentioning Cloud 9, but that has definitely faded over the years. So yeah, you’re mostly right. George was more of a side man than a solo act, but damn, that first Wilburys album is *also* a one-album wonder
Ace of Base’s debut album The Sign/Happy Nation (depending on country sold 19 million. Their second album sold 5 million and wasn’t as compelling. One of their members was traumatised by a stalker attack and didn’t want to participate any more.
I really enjoyed the video so I don't want to make a negative comment but including Boston (whose second and third albums combined for 11 million copies sold and both have songs that were on the radio for decades) and George Harrison (who, as others have mentioned, had other platinum solo albums and was a Beatle) just kind of convinces me that one album wonder is not really a thing.
I wouldn't call George a one-album wonder. Cloud 9 was huge when it came out. Sure it wasn't on the level of ATMP, but it was still pretty successful.
Cloud 9 has his worst album cover too
Ik it’s irrelevant but I needed to say it
@@mosquerajoseph7305 it's definitely his worst album cover lol
@mosquerajoseph7305 Idk man, "Somewhere In England" and "Gone Troppo" give it a run for its money.
@@aidanhickey9845 this is among the worst takes I’ve ever seen
Living in the material world was very successful too, Give me love went to number one even
It usually happens to the first album because there's literally infinite time to make your debut album. All subsequent albums are weighed down by expectations of time, money, or dozens of other factors.
My guitar teacher used to say "you've got your whole life to write your first album, and you only have 1 year to write your second"
This is why you should just spent years and years recording multiple album and release them in intervals lol
@@morrits3969I think most artists would prefer that, but their contracts/labels usually force them into making them a lot quicker
@@morrits3969Michael Jackson used to do something like that with his songs. He would write and record a bunch of songs and the songs that didn't make it on a particular album, he would hold them for his next albums.
This concept makes me think of Some Nights by Fun. That album had 3 huge songs and good a lot of commercial and critical acclaim and then the band never made anything else
Also Nate Ruess' solo career flopped
I mean Jack Antonoff still writes like 50% of all popular music today
@@ChestormYeah, but if we went by that logic then The Buggles and The New Radicals wouldn't qualify either, which seems silly for a number of reasons.
That album is doodoo. Yeah, it has a tremendous opening but it becomes pretty forgettable after Carry On. Still, those three Songs at the beginning are fantastic.
Nate also had a decently successful band called the format before Fun broke up.
The Stone Roses was the standout band of my childhood, my dad is a huge fan. Tragic they never got the chance to fulfil their potential and hype
Gotta love how the lead singer is in Harry Potter
and an anti-vacine conspiracy theorist nut who now performs his solo material alone on stage to backing tapes@@JayLiszte
They were a part of the alternative dance scene with that album
Their second album is good
Second Coming and its b-sides are great
I feel like George Harrison’s Cloud Nine deserves some recognition. It took the music world by storm when it released, and is the reason why we have the gift that is The Traveling Wilburys. My man George is much more than just his triple album
Exactly what I came here to say. Also, while The Beatles put Harrison on the map, The Traveling Wilburys was his crowning achievement and shouldn’t be left out of a discussion about what his fans are likely listening to.
I actually loved "Gone Troppo" by him. Very weird ♥
But George put out more than one album.
George has many more good songs besides ATMP, pretty much his whole career has gems in it
His follow up to ATMP, Living in the Material World is an amazing album as well and one that was another #1 album for George in the US. Also, he did have big hits later in the 70’s and specially in the 80’s, including his turn with The Traveling Wilburys. One album wonder? Nope.
I totally understand your argument for George Harrison being on this list and while I agree to a degree, I want to stress how good some of his other albums are. "Living in the Material World", "Thirty Three & a Third", "George Harrison (1979)" and even "Brainwashed" are all on a similar level as "All Things Must Pass", and they all have songs that rival songs on that album. I would still say ATMP is his best album, but it's closer than you would think.
Living In The Material World had his biggest hit I believe
He had 3 number 1 singles in the US: My Sweet Lord (#1 in UK) from ATMP, Give Me Love (#8 in UK) from Living in the Material World, and Got My Mind Set On You (#2 in UK) from Cloud Nine. The last of these came out in 1987, really hammering home how inaccurate the One Album Wonder label is.@@mosquerajoseph7305
Stole my words ehe, love his discography (mostly the 5 you’ve named) plus both of the wilburys records
@@backfloop wilburys albums are also good! “End of the line” will always be a banger
Couldn’t agree more. If he was to mention an ex beatle he should’ve put imagine.
Nobody’s said Spiderland by Slint yet I think that fits perfectly here
100%. Tweez is okay, but Spiderland is utterly amazing.
Nobody knows who they are so they don’t count.
Same bucket as NMH. Tweez is the warmup, Spiderland is the classic, and then they never recorded another one after that.
idk, I like to see the 1994 EP as a little epilogue to Spiderland
One I always bring up is Endtroducing by DJ Shadow. It was so incredibly good but none of his other albums even come close to that masterpiece.
He has other albums?
But a lot of them are still very good and creative. That’s just a very high bar to match up to. It’s very similar to people who expect Nas to make an album that’s on the level of Illmatic.
I disagree about his other albums being lackluster. Endtroducing was a groundbreaking album that created an entire genre of music. While the other albums may not be in the same place sonically or historically they are all really amazing albums. I especially like his Mountains Will Fall and his last album Our Pathetic Age. If you listen to his live set All Basses Covered you could see where he was headed pretty clearly and it was definitely not a matter of repeating the same formula over and over, which is what makes an interesting artist and shows growth as a person.
The Private Press was definitely an underrated follow up. I think it’s more diverse than endtroducing.
His collabs with Cut Chemist are highly respected critically and among his peers
Not really sure about George on this one. If your argument is that most people only listen to the one album then you could classify hundreds of artists as one album wonders because they have one album bigger than all their others. After ATMP, "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" was a massive hit, along with its parent album. Cloud Nine was also a big hit with a couple of big singles, and the Traveling Wilburys were big too. Regardless of popularity, all those albums are worth a listen.
I think that Loveless by My Bloody Valentine qualifies as a one album wonder. One of the greatest and most influential albums of the 90s.
i get u but isn't anything was pretty well received too and i'd argue is great in its own right ans=d also the you made me realise" ep. the early ecstasy and wine i would say is quite underrated
Loveless is yet another reason why 1991 could be considered the greatest year of rock. Ever.
Their debut was good but loveless was a whole different level
but thats not true, all of mbvs albums have been critcally acclaimed, i mean mbvs release crashed their whole webpage
um.. they are a 2 album wonder
Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish is one of the most obvious examples for me. One of the best-selling albums of all time and they never released anything ever again even moderately approaching its success.
Definitely. Everyone loved Cracked Rear View. Fairweather Johnson got released directly to the used CD bin.
Fairweather Johnson is triple platinum. Granted, it's not close to the debut but that's still a pretty massive hit.
@@Kylora2112 Another Todd in the Shadows fan, I see.
Hootiemania is impossible to explain. How did an Applebees bar band sell THAT many album?
@@ChelaximPeople in Middle America/Flyover Country were sick of the endless negativity coming out of the grunge scene and saw Hootie as an alternative
BOSTON is definitey not a one album wonder. Yes, the debut was never matched (17 x platinum) but the next 2 albums were #1 selling 7 and 4 x platinum respectively...not too shaby. On top of that, they scored their only Hot 100 #1 single in 1986, a decade after their debut.
Agreed. Third Stage was incredible!
Amanda
I suspect that this guy isn't very accurate when he's not basing his videos on other people's content.
I think Fetty Wap should have been on this list. His self titled album is one of the greatest hit making albums of the last decade
at first i thought this was a joke but you're actually right
SEVENTEEN THIRTY EIGHT
@@joecreamer4584honestly like that album got like 6 hits on it and some of them are back to back
@@arlofleenor1838AY, I'M LIKE WHATS UP HELLO
Ngl it’s not as popular but he has a few other decent records, and he just had a hit on a new one with “Sweet Yams”
Sky Ferreira is a name that immediately came to mind with her only album (Night Time, My Time) turning 10 this year. Fantastic record from start to finish.
Hopefully this changes soon 😭
It's because of her label blocking the release of her sophomore album. There's a Free Sky Ferreira movement going on...
I think including solo albums by members of popular bands is kind of cheating, I would never say Lauryn Hill is a one-album wonder when she made The Score. DJ Shadow and Slint for example come to mind. And maybe you could count Burial as a different type of one-album wonder, since he basically switched to shorter formats? Depends on how well you like his debut album.
Same has to go for Fergie too becuz The Black Eyed Peas has a few multi-platinum albums
But Burial also has Untrue??
@@scruvydom That's what I mean. Untrue makes him a one album wonder depending on what you think of his only other album
(I think self titled slaps!) @@JaviVader9
Personally I disagree. It would be one thing if someone like Diana Ross had one hit album after the Supremes. Then we’re talking about someone whose group was purely background. Gladys Knight would be a more extreme example. But the Fugees were a true three-person group, and their success was a group effort. That’s also why even though I adore him, but JC Chasez is a no-album wonder. It’s an accomplishment to have a career after a group because for most, the group and the solo personas are very separate.
I always think of the New Radicals when I think one album wonders
Such a vibe of an album, slaps from front to back, Get What You Give is one of the best pop songs of our time and yet he never followed it up, Gregg still had a fantastic career as a songwriter after the fact but I still can't help but think what could've been if he never disbanded the project
I agree
Todd In The Shadows did a retrospective about that album. I guess what it came down to is the lead singer/songwriter wanted nothing to do with fame after You Get What You Give became a massive hit. It also goes into his pretty impressive track record as a songwriter/producer.
Can't believe he missed this.
Except... "You Get What You Give" was really the only song that was an actual hit, which sort of disqualifies the album for this list.
I'd argue it definitely wasn't Sid's death that prevented the Pistols from making more music, it was the fact that they and their management are/were way too individually volatile to exist in the same space for long periods of time.
I am a casual punk fan, so I didn't know until I went to the Museum of Punk Rock in Vegas that Sid was basically just there for the image. He didn't know how to play bass when he joined the band, literally none of his contributions are on Never Mind the Bollocks, and he barely knew what he was doing on-stage.
The band was already done when Sid died, so I don't know where they got the idea that there could ever have been a second album.
All the points made here are valid.
The Pistols were done by the time they finished their set on Winterland, after that point there was no chance of more Sex Pistols records coming out, with or without Sid.
The one album not here that I've been screaming about for years now is The Wallflowers' _Bringing Down the Horse_. That thing was EVERYWHERE, and I was convinced at the time that Jacob Dylan had everything that was going to make him a star. But afterwards...nothing. I'll still bust out Everybody Out of the Water every once in a while, but nothing else touched that first album.
Yeah, WTF
timestamps
0:00 - Intro
1:31 - Never Mind The Bollocks - Sex Pistols
1:35 - Grace - Jeff Buckley
1:58 - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
3:40 - Boston
4:50 - The Stone Roses
6:47 - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
8:43 - All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
10:20 - The Dutchess - Fergie
11:28 - The Heist - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
the sex pistols and jeff buckley are not on the list. he mentions them in passing to say they dont count.
@@seroquelchamberdoesnt mean there isnt a timestamp
Boston is NOT a one album wonder. Biggest hit came from "Third Stage" (1986.) It went to #1.
i didnt make the list@@davej.meister5421
@@davej.meister5421don’t look back also sold over 7 million in the USA alone
I haven’t seen it mentioned yet, but I think Bleed America by Jimmy Eat World is a great example of a one album wonder.
I don't know about that, a massive portion of their fanbase thinks Clarity is their masterpiece.
That makes me sad since I listen to Futures more than any other Jimmy Eat World album.
Futures was still pretty popular and clarity is their best. Not on the same level as the others here.
I'll toss in Elastica's 1995 S/T debut for consideration. They rose out of the Brit pop explosion of the mid 90's with a more punk edge and Justine was an undeniable force of a frontwoman. They may not have exploded like the artists on this list but they made an impact, dropped 16 bops on the world and were never able to recreate the magic on their final two records.
The problem with Elastica is their album fell short of expectations. They're early demos and Peel Sessions were much stronger.
And then after the band broke up Justine just stopped making music and became an artist
@CanadaWaxSolvent interesting. I'd never heard the early demos. I'll have to find them and give them a listen.
Their 2nd album "The Menace" came out in 2000, a few years after that Britpop era, which had long ended, and it just felt like strange timing considering Donna had already left the band, and Annie left at one point, not to mention Justine had broken up with Damon Albarn and then a year later after the album's release, their label owned by Steve Lamacq folded. Justine has since said that she regretted making that album
That album is damn near perfect. I even love The Menace, as weird as it is. It basically gave us M.I.A. for better or worse
Surely George Harrison late 80's album 'Cloud 9' is worth a mention. It's a great album and did well on the charts and sold very well.
A couple of albums that always spring to my mind when thinking of this subject are Tracy Chapman's self-titled album, and Introducing the Hardline... by Terence Trent D'Arby.
Tf you mean George Harrison is a one album wonder? Living in The Material World and Cloud Nine were big albums. And even some of his more underrated albums like the self titled and brainwashed are fantastic
Yeeeeeeeeeah, but they weren't universally beloved, right? I mean, I ADORE Blunted on Reality by the fugees. Hell, I adore a bunch of stuff most people haven't heard of.
George set the bar so high. But everything else he did was still great. He could never beat the first solo album. Traveling Willburys was huge, he was the biggest influence on the hits.
Modjo’s self titled comes to mind. Lady (Hear Me Tonight) has been a popular sound for Instagram reels. Once I found the song & the album, I was hooked. I wish they had made more
To be fair the Sex Pistols were a spent force and split up before Sid Vicious passed away
Yeah that's what I wanted to comment. If you take into account that the reason they didn't make more records wasn't Sid's death (he was barely on NMTB anyway) but necause Rotten left in early 1978 and the band was pretty much over at that point it would have been a much more interesting story that would fit this video. And I would add that while the Sex Pistols as a group were a one album wonder, John Lydon would hit his artistic peak later on with Pil which were a much more interesting and musically revolutionary group than the Sex Pistols, especially those first three albums
Fun. and The Killers definetly deserve a mention. Syd Barret also should be mentioned although I don't know if he would count since his monumental strides in acid and psychedelic rock all come from his only pink Floyd album, and the band itself lived on ever after he went insane.
The killers while never in the us getting to hot fuss levels again, did maintain a huge following and are huge across the pond.
@@jacobgregersen377 I know but I feel like you could say the same about George Harrison, if that's the standard were going with
All of The Killers albums charted in the top ten, if not top five on Billboard, so no, they don’t qualify
I understand why you would say fun. They had one huge album, which was their second. However, I think their first album was by far the better album. It's a different style. It's more chamber pop, with heavy Queen influence. I absolutely love it.
I would disagree with The Killers. Sam's Town (which I like better than Hot Fuss on the whole) sold 5 million copies worldwide vs. Hot Fuss' 7 million and had two pretty big hits with When You Were Young and Read My Mind. I would say those two albums stand head and shoulders above the rest of their discography even though there are some great tunes here and there and Day and Age also sold relatively well with Human being a platinum single and Spaceman being a minor hit.
I take exception to Lauryn Hill and Aeroplane being on this list.
Lauryn Hill has an entire body of work with The Fugees and Soulquarians. And I love On Avery Island.
SHOUTOUT MINOR THREAT!!!!!!! Their entire discography is like 45 minutes long just as the hardcore gods intended
Dude, I'm not the biggest fan, but JESUS: I meet people who mention Minor Threat, QUICK, when you ask them "so what kind of music do you like), TO THIS DAY.
A punk classic
That's fugazi
@@BertleMcGertle it’s both. It’s also embrace and egg hunt and the evens. Ian mackaye never stays in a band that long. Fugazi did have like 7 or 8 full albums though so idk if they really count
George Harrison has two #1 albums and another that got to #2.
Of his singles, yes My Sweet Lord was his only #1.. but Got My Mind Set on You peaked at #2 (plus a couple other top 10 hits)
yeah i definitely wouldn't call him a one album wonder... If you look at the rest of his albums he has atleast a hit or two in each
And another number one hit (Give me love) after All Things Must Pass
Got My Mind Set On You hit #1
He didn’t have a number 2 album. He had 2 number one albums. ATMP and it’s follow up Living in the Material World which went to number one and quickly disappeared based on the success of ATMP. It sold less than 1/20th of its predecessor and no other album sold 1/10th of ATMP. Cloud Nine was a relative comeback, but it’s awful and didn’t come close to his previous commercial success.
The concert for bangladesh won the Grammy for album of the year.
Burial - Untrue - instant classic from 2007, helped to take UK underground electronic music into a moody and spectral realm (“future garage” was created because of this); only 12” and EPs have been released since Untrue
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells - inaugural release from Virgin Records and a then 19-year old’s musical catharsis, got a big boost in exposure thanks to its use in The Exorcist; like ATMP, very interesting follow-ups but nothing like Tubular Bells
Slint - Spiderland - the band members had considerable experience in the Louisville KY punk thanks to starting out at the age of 12 and were all approaching 20 when making what arguably a cornerstone album of post-rock; split afterwards and did other things
There are plenty of electronic music acts that could qualify like Global Communication’s 76:14 or KLF’s Chill Out. More often than not, these are one-offs and in a collection of a number of different aliases/monikers. The current underground EM scenes also have this in spades.
I would love a part 2. If you make a part 2 you should include The Postal Service.
The two definitive one album wonders I’m shocked that you left out are The La’s and Terence Trent D’Arby. They are both basically perfect debut albums from artists that more or less vanished from the public’s consciousness. (TTD still releases great music under the name Sananda Maitreya; the La’s never put out another album).
Inclined to agree about TTD, but it feels like The La's are only really known for one song (There She Goes) these days.
I’d definitely say Fun’s Some Nights deserves to be on here.
Black Sheep- Choice is Yours, KMD and Basehhead- Play With Toys. All debut albums. But they came out towards the end of the 90s Golden Age of Hip Hop when the music was becoming less culturally artistic and more vapid/commercial.
Controversially, I think In The Court of the Crimson King is a one album wonder for King Crimson. Sorry, they just couldn't beat that album
I agree that King Crimson couldn’t beat Crimson King, it’s just on another level, but albums like Red still slap, like I think Fallen Angel is one of their best songs, but all of this goes to show how good their debut is, maybe the best debut album ever made, or at least one of the best for sure
What about Red? What about Discipline? What about Larks Tounges in Aspic? This is like saying that Radioheads OK Computer is a one album wonder, stfu.
I can't agree, even if in the court of the crinsom King is like one of my 5 favorite albums. Albums like Red, Lark's toungues in aspic and discipline are legendary progressive rock albums and some of the most influential and iconic music on the genre. And actually considered to have one of the better discographies in classic progressive rock, one of the few classic prog bands that doesn't have a truly terrible album (or that's what I've heard, still haven't listened all of their albums).
Red is better, hate to say it
Good takes. If you make another video in this series, I think New Miserable Experience - the Gin Blossoms and Cracked Rear View - Hootie and the Blowfish deserve mentions. Iconic records that were the biggest moment for each band, and nothing has really compared following.
One album that came to mind for me was Blu & Exile's Below the Heavens. Amongst the blogs and underground rap fans, it's heralded as one of those classic, iconic albums of that time period. I think only recently (like the last few months maybe?) Blu and Exile actually got back the rights to the album, which is wild to think that this album that's been so highly praised, the people who created it weren't seeing much of anything from it.
This is a cool concept. There are a lot of acts that have one massive album but then mostly fall off. Alanis Morissette, Hootie and the Blowflish, Third Eye Blind, Hanson, KT Tunstall, The Presidents of the United States of America (band), etc etc.
I'm pretty sure Presidents of the United States of America aren't, and had at least one other album that was about as successful as the first
@@YoshiCh1ef-je6me nope, just check the numbers if you don’t believe me. Their first album sold 6 times as many copies as their next biggest album, which was their second album. I remember when it came out, as I was a pretty big fan. There was almost no buzz for it and the singles from it got hardly any play.
@@patorjk Okay then. Though it is really sad that a lot of artists from the 90's fall into the "one album wonder"
Neutral milk hotel are not one album wonders. On Avery island and Ferris wheel on fire are both good as hell
I think you're missing the point. He didn't say these were their only albums or that the others weren't good, but that the one album stands out way above the rest.
@@marks.3303 Aeroplane and Ferris Wheel are pretty close in quality
@@osubucknut100In terms of online discussion, though, Aeroplane absolutely takes the lead.
I’ve rarely seen the other albums mentioned out of NHM’s subreddit, which was randomly recommended to me once.
I think you could add Fetty Wap into the list, as he was a likable club rapper that wanted to put on for his city but that came crashing down due to falling out with old friends, expensive spending habits, failing to replicate older material and of course, his massive legal issues. Kind of a shame he didn't get to stick around but he definitely left a mark in 2015 when he came on the scene.
I have zero idea why fergie dropped one hit record and didn't for 10 more years
Probably because BEP reunited a few years after.
Drugs are a hell of a drug.
@@thisaintnoparty BEP was on their Monkey Business tour when she dropped the Duchess and by the time she toured 2 years later...The Peas were in the studio recording The E.N.D. and were recording The Beginning while they were on tour for The END. And released The Beginning 13 days after The END World tour. Fergie said it herself on My Humps "I'm gonna make you work"
deathcontiousness by have a nice life is also a good example. personally, i love the second album and im ok with the third, but almost NOBODY listens to them in comparison to deathcontiousness.
Christopher cross has to be one of the biggest one album wonders out there. His 1979 album won all 5 Grammys in one night matching billie eillish and nothing really successful after 1985
After that have a #1 Single with "Arthur's Theme" and won an Oscar for it, but definitely was a "One Album Wonder"
The nineties were a goldmine of this, weren't they? Off the top of my head:
Sixteen Stone by Bush
Elastica
Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish
New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms
Pocket Full Of Kryptonite by Spin Doctors
11 by Smithereens
The Score by the Fugees
Fallen by Evanescence
Throwing Copper by Live
Vincebus Eruptum by Blue Cheer
Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company
Death Walks Behind You by Atomic Rooster
Living In The Plastic Age by the Buggles
Take A Picture by Margo Guryan
Vs. by Mission Of Burma
And counting the great acts who only had one
The La's
Temple of the Dog
Apple by Mother Love Bone
Bigger Better Faster More by 4 Non Blondes
Toy Matinee
Oar by Skip Spence
Lift To Experience by the Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
Young Marble Giants
Szobel by Herman Szobel
Energy by Operation Ivy
God, how cool is it we have so many albums
I'm pretty sure MGMT's Little Dark Age has reached a similar level of acclaim and popularity, even though it came out years and years after Oracular Spectacular...actually that might be an idea for a follow up series: 2nd wind albums that came out years after a band's up-till-then only major success/one-hit wonder album
Love these videos. Comparable to the one hit wonder, another similar topic - the TWO hit wonder. Musicians like Rick Astley, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Natasha Bedingfield, and Owl City come to mind, but I'm sure there are more.
Jackson C Frank is definitely in this category. A fantastic Folk/Singer-Songwriter album with production from Paul Simon that was an early influence on guys like Nick Drake, but no real chance to follow it up. Life just kept getting in his way, knocking him down over and over until he died many years later with just a handful of other songs to his name as well as some covers and short live performances
The blues ran the game.
Put some respect on “Living in the Material World” smh
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is one of my all-time favourite albums, so I'm looking forward to hearing their prior project
It’s really good! One of my favorites
Also listen to Ferris Wheel on Fire EP
Their demos are also really good.
Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm I think may be a good candidate as majority of would go to that album. Also Give Up by The Postal Service
Not a super popular opinion, but George Harrison's album Wonderwall Music is one of the best albums out there. It's a soundtrack, so nobody talks about it, but it's some of the most dream-like music I've heard.
Agreed, I love it dearly.
I'd like to nominate Carole King, and if we're counting side projects, Madvillainy and King Geedorah are clearcut examples aswell
Lmao
@@kaydenjones3183 this wasnt a joke bud
@@TeShiky MF DOOM dropped those projects under a different name. He usually does that for him and a producer. Its not a one hit wonder since he still made good music.
@@kaydenjones3183 clearly you're misunderstanding my point. King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn only have one album that people care about. No one was talking about good music or one hit wonders.
@@TeShiky did you watch the start of the video?
I haven’t watched this but clicked to say both Ferris Wheel on Fire and On Avery Island are classics. And Little Birds. ITAOTS is obviously always going to be the hit but they have other great works.
I'll go as far as to say that Ferris Wheel on Fire is BETTER than ITAOTS and On Avery Island. I mean if we also count the unreleased deeptakes, still Ferris Wheel is the best.
Isn't it just an EP though?
Nothing against Aeroplane, but I listen to Ferris Wheel and Avery Island more often. Song for Sex, Gardenhead, Naomi are simply incredible songs.
Yea I was just gonna say the same
Surprised at no Alanis Morisette, she's basically the textbook example of this phenomenon. Her Jagged Little Pill album has like 4-5 giant hits on it that still get played on radio to this day, yet not a single other album has any songs I recognize.
Sublime's 1996 album Sublime
Tricky's Maxinquay
Sid Vicious's death didn't broke up the band, because they already had tensions within themselves during the American tour that drifted them separately. John Lydin even said that Steve Jones wouldn't dare to play more than three chords.
George’s All Things Must Pass might be his only great and big success album. But his discography is fantastic, one of the most consistent of the 4 Beatles. He also had a great commercial success with the fantastic Cloud Nine too
George Harrison not only had ATMP, but also Living in the Material World, 33 & 1/3, Self Titled 1979, and Cloud 9!!! Not even close to a 1 album wonder!
Similar to the stone roses there is also "urban hymns" by The Verve
Their two previous albums are great on their own
And A Northern Soul is one of the albums of the 90s
Macklemore's issue wasn't the prior three albums posted, it was solely with Kendrick's album... Then he attempted a good hearted yet failed response to the issue and the rest is history
Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt was planned to be his only album. That would be such an iconic one album wonder. Thankfully he gave us so many more albums
I would like to mention Tiffany, the 80s starlet. Her second album, which by her own admission, wasn't a commercial success. If she had any albums after that, I feel that they are relatively unknown. Her first album was a huge success. I could listen to the entire album and enjoy every song. I feel that the albums' production was part of its success. The particular production gave the album a "color" and atmosphere which was appealing. The album could have been produced "normally" but it might not have been as successful.
Tiffany has put out 11 albums, one last year. Her recent stuff is bluesy rock and country.
Before I watch the video, I think to myself....Are Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians mentioned?
"Shooting Ribberbands at the Stars" is an absolute masterpiece of an album.....then nothing (of note).
I would definitely mention Comus, First Utterance is considered one of the greatest prog folk albums of all time while their other 2 albums are forgotten
You did forget one major candidate for your list; Third Eye Blind. They had almost half their first album go to the charts back in the late 90s, also a great and unique group deserving of the highest accolades
I feel like Myths of the Near Future by Klaxons deserves a shoutout, it was widely considered one of the best albums of 2007, the band became famous overnight and even headlined the Reading and Leeds festivals, but they only made 2 other albums after that, and none of them even came close to living up to their initial success. It's also a banger album so it deserves some recognition
The reason the Sex Pistols couldn't make another album was that Johnny Rotten quit. Sid was a non-entity when it came to recording and song writing and recording.
I think you should have mentioned Cracked Rear view by hootie and the Blowfish that is definitely a one hit album and it's personally one of my favorites. It is the 19th best selling album in the United States but they never had another Smash hit like that. But I'd say it is one of the best 90s albums and it's crazy it sold that much
100% agreed - I know they have a discography after CRV, but it's nowhere near as popular.
@brentfunkhouser yeah they do but I couldn't get into it
@brentfunkhouser plus its hard to top a song like Let her cry
Sid Vicious' death had nothing to do with the creative process. Can't be sure he even had anything to do with the recording process
I would have felt bad if i was macklemore too, tbh. How Ye didnt hijack the speech again, i will never kbow
We all know MGMT’s oracular spectacular belongs here. Little dark age is a quiet masterpiece but it’s nothing compared to the major impact and airwaves they had in the late 2000s
So they’re not a one album wonder? Little dark age got a lot of acclaim and streams.
I would also argue that congratulations is their best album. Their only flop of an album is their self-titled.
Before little dark age released I would say it was true but not anymore
Slint’s Spiderland is quite the one album wonder. Excellent project that managed to do so much with so little at the start of their career even asking for a female singer to come audition (on back cover) but sadly the attention never came so they parted ways and disappeared
I understand why you put George Harrison on here. But personally, as a fan of his work, I don't feel comfortable calling him a One Album Wonder. They might not be as popular or sonically connected as All Things Must Pass, but Living In The Material World and Brainwashed are great albums. Also Cloud Nine and Darkhorse are really good, they have some flaws but are enjoyable.
Great concept! Fugees: The Score comes to mind for me. (although I personally ADORE their debut and single post Score EP). They split because L & Clef split. Those three records are a great place to find a LOT more Lauryn, and she's got multiple features on Wyclef's The Carnival. I do NOT recommend her SECOND album, though, and I'M the dude who made my OWN Fugees shirts in HS in the 90s, and bought/buys anything they touch (VHS tape, John Forte's criminally underrated solo debut, -you name it.
I would like to throw 'we started nothing' by The Ting Tings into the fray - which I would consider to be a forgotten classic in pop music minimalism. Obviously it had the undeniable hit of 'that's not my name', a song that still lingers on in pop culture today, but there was also 'Shut up and let me go' and 'Great Dj', which also performed decently on the charts. The Ting Tings were shaping up for greatness, with their own kind of sound and Bri'ish charisma, a greatness that would have only been secured if they didn't wait 4 years with no promotion to come out with a follow up, which had NOTHING of anything people liked from their first album, from the instrumentals and hooks down to the way it was produced. From what I gather, they scrapped their 2010 follow up because their record label... Liked it too much? The Tings apparently didn't want another smash hit, and so deleted the project off their laptops and started again, to very mixed results. I think they also pissed their label off by making them spend a million pounds on a video they didn't even use (I have no idea why they had the power to reject a video that was shot and editted, but it would explain the lack of marketting presence their second record had).Weird guys. They're putting out stuff now, but I think in trying to be too different from what they'd done before they'd completely lost their way, which is a real shame because their first record is so amazingly consistent.
I Love the Tings tings!
I don't think Sid Vicious dying was the problem with the Sex Pistols 🙄
I think part of Fergies fall was not only being a part of TBEP but also bc she got a lot of bad publicity for pooping herself on stage
s/o yourself and Brin, really been consistently putting great videos out every week now for a while, keep it up man!
no way bro doesn’t think “Living in the Material World” isn’t a super ultra classic
Lauryn Hill's MTV unplugged album is fire.
Uhhhhhhh, You got some interesting tastes (In extremely bloated demoes of half decent songs preformed by an obviously unprepared and not mentally competent performer)
Ignore dat, That’s my opinion you can like what you like :3
Neutral Milk Hotel just makes you feel like you're in an alternate dimension.
but ON AVERY ISLAND is so good too!!!
Hard disagree on George, his body of work is full of songs on par of those on all things must pass
Amazed "Frampton Comes Alive" wasn't on the list. Everybody and their brother had that album in the 70s, and it was a brilliant showcase for Frampton, but nothing else he released came close to that impact. I'd also add Bryan Adam's "Reckless", Norah Jones' "Come Away with Me", Julan Lennon's "Valotte", and Christopher Cross's s/t debut.
I agree 100% about the last three.
Bryan Addams had hits before Reckless, Cuts Like A Knife was his album before Reckless which had the title track and Straight From The Heart. And Waking up the neighbors had Everything I do I do it for you Can't stop this thing we started. Bryan adams had a number one hit in 1995. The last time bryan adams charted in the US was in 1998 with a song that peaked at number 8.
His first single was a disco song, and his last hit was after grunge...far from a one album wonder.
Others have already mentioned Marquee Moon by Television and Turn Off The Bright Lights by Interpol, which I completely agree with, so I'd like to throw in one I haven't seen anyone mention, which is Silent Alarm by Bloc Party. From everything I know about this band, their debut seems to be a great post-punk revival record, which they then followed up on with dud after dud after dud.
Interpol's other albums are pretty good. Not TOTBL level but good.
Marquee Moon, yeah, Adventure and that other one are just not even close.
Interpol actually had bigger commercial success with their second album, although their debut is definitely their best.
The Sex Pistols did not break up because of Sid Vicious’ death
Don’t ever in your life call George Harrison a one album wonder
"If somebody is listening to George Harrison, it's either The Beatles or 'All Things Must Pass'." In the name of Satan, what was that? "All Things Must Pass" is definitely his best work and the best solo album by an ex-Bealte, but George's second studio album was a huge hit as well. The same with his 1987 comeback. If we talk about brazilian fans, the 1979 album receives a lot of attention too. And let's not forget the Travelling Wilburys as well.
I know you did not just say George Harrison was a one album wonder.
I know you touched on it but for Neutral Milk Hotel, Aeroplane is defiantly their best album but I’d argue that On Avery Island, is almost on par with it, it has some of their best songs on it like Naomi, I personally wouldn’t call it a warmup album but I completely understand if other people don’t think as highly on it as I do since Aeroplane is obviously still better.
Wrong about Boston though. They are a two album wonder. Third Stage songs commonly played on radio and I prefer it over the first album. Their debut set the record for most sold until Guns n' Roses debut so are they a one album wonder since the other albums they released were nowhere as good as the first?
I listened to Third Stage all throughout high school
No, Sid's death DID NOT prevent the Sex Pistols from making "further releases", as the Pistols had broken up in January 1978 and Sid died a year later in February 1979. Glen Matlock was the bass player on 'Bollocks' anyway (as a hired gun, since he'd been fired from the band at the time, but continues to perform with the reformed Pistols to this day), so the statement is wrong on multiple levels
I really don't agree with George Harrison on here, sure All Things Must Pass is his most popular album but lumping him in with Lauryn Hill as a One Album Wonder makes no sense. Is The Velvet Underground also a One Album Wonder because their debut is so everpresent in music history, and more specifically its album cover is so recognizable and iconic? What about Meat Loaf with Bat Out of Hell? Or even Pink Floyd with Dark Side of the Moon? George had several more great albums after ATMP, my personal favorites being Thirty Three and a Third, the self-titled, and Cloud Nine, the last of which had a number 1 single that was literally the 3rd biggest song of its year. An artist's most popular album kinda eclipsing a lot of their other work doesn't make them a One Album Wonder, it would have to be an extreme case like Boston where the one album is considered a classic and then no one cares about anything else.
Okay. Putting Boston in the list just goes to show you're really stretching the idea of "one-album wonder." Sorry. I thought this was supposed to be a list of acts who did ONE album that achieved some measure of success and then the act pretty much disappeared or left the business, not just the idea of "this one particular album was such a master work that they never replicated."
I’m gonna disagree with you on George Harrison just a little bit. You said “if someone’s listening to George, it’s either the Beatles or this Album.” I would amend that to “The Beatles, this album, or the Traveling Wilburys.” I thought about mentioning Cloud 9, but that has definitely faded over the years. So yeah, you’re mostly right. George was more of a side man than a solo act, but damn, that first Wilburys album is *also* a one-album wonder
Ace of Base’s debut album The Sign/Happy Nation (depending on country sold 19 million. Their second album sold 5 million and wasn’t as compelling. One of their members was traumatised by a stalker attack and didn’t want to participate any more.
Also one of the guys was found out to be a former not z.
Ace of Base is not music
George's Cloud 9 is one I do see gets more recognition than ATMP nowadays, but even then both are terrific albums so...
I think you missed The La's with their amazing self tittle album.
I really enjoyed the video so I don't want to make a negative comment but including Boston (whose second and third albums combined for 11 million copies sold and both have songs that were on the radio for decades) and George Harrison (who, as others have mentioned, had other platinum solo albums and was a Beatle) just kind of convinces me that one album wonder is not really a thing.
Neutral Milk Hotel are NOT a one album wonder. On Avery Island is genuinely amazing