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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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'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
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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
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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
@@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"
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
@@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.
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
You should have mentioned that the reason All Things Must Pass was so uniquely amazing is that it was developed from the huge catalog of songs George had been building up while in the Beatles that didn’t make it into their albums
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).
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
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.
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!
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
I was expecting Operation Ivy to appear throughout the whole video and was SO disappointed it didn’t. They legit went: >Partner up with friends >Make a definitive top 3 punk/ska album of all time >Leave
Seeing the title "One Album Wonder," the group that immediately came to mind was Blind Faith, with members Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. Blind Faith is indisputably a One Album Wonder, as they did in fact produce only one album. It can even be argued their original material didn't fill a full album, as about 3/4 of side 2 is a jam session that takes up about 15 minutes. Now, with your inclusion of groups that produced additional albums which just didn't sell as well or receive much critical acclaim, my first thought is Bad English. Their first album was huge, but their second album got little notice. After that disappointment, the group broke up.
Implying that Sid Viscous had anything to do with the Sex Pistols’ creative output; or that George Harrison’s Cloud Nine album wasn’t immensely popular is some serious revisionist history.
really happy to say the strokes managed to avoid this distinction 19 years into their career. if you check streaming numbers, the new abnormal is the album that most closely rivals is this it
I would say they managed to avoid this by being able to produce at least one or two hit songs from every album in their discography. Reptilia and 12:51 from Room on Fire You Only Live Once from First Impressions of Earth Machu Picchu, Under Cover of Darkness and Taken for a Fool from Angles They were all played on the radio at some point. So even though the albums weren’t as big as Is This It, they at least produced songs big enough to be remembered.
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).
There is an Australian indie band called Frente! - the name includes an exclamation point (I think) - that put out a perfect alt-pop album in the 90's called "Marvin, The Album" and then disappeared, at least from American ears. There's a story there.
Partial List of One Album Wonders: King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969): While they did make more albums, this is the only album by King Crimson original/1st line-up. Derek & the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970): After this amazing debut, the band broke up after a follow up session for the next album which never came. Germs - GI (1979): With the death of Darby Crash, their could be now follow up to this explosive debut. Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog (1991): After the death of Mother Love Bone's Andrew Wood, this supergroup composed of Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell made this heartbreaking tribute. Elastica - Elastica (1995): After the first album the original line-up fell apart, leading to a sophomore slump; very similar to The Stone Roses. The Postal Service - Give Up (2003): After the amazing debut, the band hit a creative wall unable to make a follow up, they broke up, then reunited, then broke up again. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures (2009): This supergroup made one amazing release, then hung their straps after one tour.
From a certain point of view, The Beach Boys could be considered One-Album Wonders. The average music listener will view The Beach Boys' music as a dozen or so summertime surf rock songs and Pet Sounds. The majority of Beach Boys fans including myself have also sung the praises of albums like Today, Sunflower, Friends, The Christmas Album, and Holland, but Pet Sounds has completely overshadowed every other album in their discography.
Biggest one that comes to my head is the court of the crimson king by king crimson. Truly a great album and was iconic in the late 60s early 70s. Then, nothing else made by king crimson ever got as popular and they’re nowadays known for that album and their stand in jojo.
I disagree. While Court is undeniably their magnum opus, Discpline and Red and maybe Lark's Tongues in Aspic are also pretty popular. In fact their entire discography is appreciated in similar ways like Pink Floyd's is.
Late to the party but Flume’s self-titled debut album from 2012 comes to mind. That album was so unique at the time and had a massive influence on the direction and sound of electronic music. He’s continues to release music but nothing hits quite like that first album did.
The first album that came to mind for me was Blue (Self-Titled) by Weezer. Weezer obviously does super well and has had a huge career with SO many albums, but Blue had critical acclaim and expectations set that never quite appeared again for them. It's unusual that they have fans who still compare every album they make to an album from 30 years ago as a barometer of whether or not it's worth listening to.
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.
Honorable mentions: Patti Smith (Horses) Primal Scream (Screamadelica) Carole King (Tapestry) James Taylor (Sweet Baby James) Television (Marquee Moon) Have a Nice Life (Deathcounsciousness) Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) Love (Forever Changes) Justice ( Cross symbol) The zombies (odessey and oracle) Wu-Tang Clan ( 36 Chambers) Mos Def (Black on Both Sides)
Setting aside my Neutral Milk Hotel gripes for a moment, the two biggest examples of this that I can think of are experimental hip-hop duo Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein, the story behind which in some ways parallels that of Lauryn Hill's tumultuous career; and the atmospheric black metal classic that is Weakling's Dead As Dreams, a record which came out of nowhere, blew minds, and saw the band immediately disappear back into the ether. (Extreme metal in general has many of these-Winter, Burning Witch, Toadliquor and Wormphlegm also come to mind-and I know for a fact that hip-hop has even more, although I'm less well-versed in that area.)
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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'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.
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
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...
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 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”
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'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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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 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.
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
s/o yourself and Brin, really been consistently putting great videos out every week now for a while, keep it up man!
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.
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"
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.
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
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.
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.
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’d definitely say Fun’s Some Nights deserves to be on here.
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.
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.
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.
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"
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
I would love a part 2. If you make a part 2 you should include The Postal Service.
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.
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
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"
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.
no way bro doesn’t think “Living in the Material World” isn’t a super ultra classic
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
Neutral Milk Hotel just makes you feel like you're in an alternate dimension.
but ON AVERY ISLAND is so good too!!!
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?
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
You should have mentioned that the reason All Things Must Pass was so uniquely amazing is that it was developed from the huge catalog of songs George had been building up while in the Beatles that didn’t make it into their albums
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
The Dutchess front to back absolutely fucking slaps
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
Wonderful analysis
I would have felt bad if i was macklemore too, tbh. How Ye didnt hijack the speech again, i will never kbow
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
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!
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
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
Sublime's 1996 album Sublime
Tricky's Maxinquay
I was expecting Operation Ivy to appear throughout the whole video and was SO disappointed it didn’t.
They legit went:
>Partner up with friends
>Make a definitive top 3 punk/ska album of all time
>Leave
Seeing the title "One Album Wonder," the group that immediately came to mind was Blind Faith, with members Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. Blind Faith is indisputably a One Album Wonder, as they did in fact produce only one album. It can even be argued their original material didn't fill a full album, as about 3/4 of side 2 is a jam session that takes up about 15 minutes.
Now, with your inclusion of groups that produced additional albums which just didn't sell as well or receive much critical acclaim, my first thought is Bad English. Their first album was huge, but their second album got little notice. After that disappointment, the group broke up.
Implying that Sid Viscous had anything to do with the Sex Pistols’ creative output; or that George Harrison’s Cloud Nine album wasn’t immensely popular is some serious revisionist history.
Gaelle's "Transient" should be up there. Imagine making all time great R&B album then just disappeared.
really happy to say the strokes managed to avoid this distinction 19 years into their career. if you check streaming numbers, the new abnormal is the album that most closely rivals is this it
I would say they managed to avoid this by being able to produce at least one or two hit songs from every album in their discography.
Reptilia and 12:51 from Room on Fire
You Only Live Once from First Impressions of Earth
Machu Picchu, Under Cover of Darkness and Taken for a Fool from Angles
They were all played on the radio at some point. So even though the albums weren’t as big as Is This It, they at least produced songs big enough to be remembered.
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).
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
There is an Australian indie band called Frente! - the name includes an exclamation point (I think) - that put out a perfect alt-pop album in the 90's called "Marvin, The Album" and then disappeared, at least from American ears. There's a story there.
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
Partial List of One Album Wonders:
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969): While they did make more albums, this is the only album by King Crimson original/1st line-up.
Derek & the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970): After this amazing debut, the band broke up after a follow up session for the next album which never came.
Germs - GI (1979): With the death of Darby Crash, their could be now follow up to this explosive debut.
Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog (1991): After the death of Mother Love Bone's Andrew Wood, this supergroup composed of Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell made this heartbreaking tribute.
Elastica - Elastica (1995): After the first album the original line-up fell apart, leading to a sophomore slump; very similar to The Stone Roses.
The Postal Service - Give Up (2003): After the amazing debut, the band hit a creative wall unable to make a follow up, they broke up, then reunited, then broke up again.
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures (2009): This supergroup made one amazing release, then hung their straps after one tour.
From a certain point of view, The Beach Boys could be considered One-Album Wonders. The average music listener will view The Beach Boys' music as a dozen or so summertime surf rock songs and Pet Sounds. The majority of Beach Boys fans including myself have also sung the praises of albums like Today, Sunflower, Friends, The Christmas Album, and Holland, but Pet Sounds has completely overshadowed every other album in their discography.
Well they made albums when people didn’t make albums at least not how they make them in the modern sense
The stone roses debut album is honestly in the top 5 albums of all time. 7 incredible songs in a single album is very very rare
i'm surprised you never mentioned butial's "untrue", i always see people talk about that one more than any of their other projects
Biggest one that comes to my head is the court of the crimson king by king crimson. Truly a great album and was iconic in the late 60s early 70s. Then, nothing else made by king crimson ever got as popular and they’re nowadays known for that album and their stand in jojo.
I disagree. While Court is undeniably their magnum opus, Discpline and Red and maybe Lark's Tongues in Aspic are also pretty popular. In fact their entire discography is appreciated in similar ways like Pink Floyd's is.
Red was amazing? So was larks tongues? Starless was good too. I feel like alot of people didn’t watch the video.
Late to the party but Flume’s self-titled debut album from 2012 comes to mind. That album was so unique at the time and had a massive influence on the direction and sound of electronic music. He’s continues to release music but nothing hits quite like that first album did.
The first album that came to mind for me was Blue (Self-Titled) by Weezer. Weezer obviously does super well and has had a huge career with SO many albums, but Blue had critical acclaim and expectations set that never quite appeared again for them. It's unusual that they have fans who still compare every album they make to an album from 30 years ago as a barometer of whether or not it's worth listening to.
The New Radicals fit this really well. One absolutely killer album.
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.
Honorable mentions:
Patti Smith (Horses)
Primal Scream (Screamadelica)
Carole King (Tapestry)
James Taylor (Sweet Baby James)
Television (Marquee Moon)
Have a Nice Life (Deathcounsciousness)
Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes)
Love (Forever Changes)
Justice ( Cross symbol)
The zombies (odessey and oracle)
Wu-Tang Clan ( 36 Chambers)
Mos Def (Black on Both Sides)
Don’t ever in your life call George Harrison a one album wonder
Setting aside my Neutral Milk Hotel gripes for a moment, the two biggest examples of this that I can think of are experimental hip-hop duo Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein, the story behind which in some ways parallels that of Lauryn Hill's tumultuous career; and the atmospheric black metal classic that is Weakling's Dead As Dreams, a record which came out of nowhere, blew minds, and saw the band immediately disappear back into the ether. (Extreme metal in general has many of these-Winter, Burning Witch, Toadliquor and Wormphlegm also come to mind-and I know for a fact that hip-hop has even more, although I'm less well-versed in that area.)
Cool Concept, glad im early