Fan poll: 5 best sophomore albums of all time

Second albums can be redemptive or a curse. It’s a critical, frequently daunting position as the pressure sets in for artists to live up to or transcend their debuts. Earlier this year, we polled our readers about the greatest debut records, and now we’re following that up by asking them to name the best sophomore albums of all time. The answers, of course, comprised countless genres and years, from Siamese Dream to Full Collapse. It reminded us just how many great second albums exist, but we’re only looking at the top fan picks, which are ranked below.

Read more: Every My Chemical Romance album ranked

5. Linkin Park – Meteora

Meteora defied the sophomore slump by polishing the best parts of Hybrid Theory and becoming more radio-friendly in the process, drawing thousands of new ears to the band. Linkin Park were already on a path as they blurred rock and rap to great effect, and their 2003 album holds some of their most colossal hits (“Breaking The Habit,” “Numb”). These aren’t just recognizable to their fans — they remain some of the most potent rock songs of the decade.

4. Nirvana – Nevermind

Nirvana made history with Nevermind. On their second album, they traded the sludgy grunge of Bleach for cleaner, poppier hooks that soared alongside Kurt Cobain’s raspy vocals. It had a massive, disorienting effect, turning them into MTV darlings who were suddenly being hounded for autographs and had to hide in their dressing rooms after their shows. Following its release, the band even appeared on the cover of this magazine — their first nationally — where Cobain expressed his deep discomfort with fame.

3. Paramore – Riot!

Riot! simply has no skips. By building on what they started with All We Know Is Falling, Paramore created a formidable album that launched them into emo stardom. From searing anthems (“Misery Business,” “Let The Flames Begin”) to melancholy gems (“When It Rains”), Paramore were clearly on another level, boiling over with rage and a desire to prove themselves in an overtly misogynistic scene. The whole album demonstrates the band becoming an absolute powerhouse — one that’d later stretch themselves and evolve into something even greater as the years passed.

2. Fall Out Boy – From Under the Cork Tree

Listening to From Under the Cork Tree from start to end is an emotional experience, but it still holds up so many years later. Armed with biblically long song titles and high drama, Fall Out Boy upped the stakes and came out triumphant. Its songs were bolstered by stunning lyricism — “The best part of ‘believe’ is the ‘lie’” (“Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year”) — which crowned Pete Wentz as one of the genre’s deftest writers. It’s an album forever tied with 2000s pop punk and emo, but it soundtracked and altered many people’s lives for the better.

1. My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge was bound to score the top spot. Wholly dramatic and anthemic, My Chemical Romance’s second album threaded a lofty concept — a pair of lovers who make a deal with the devil to be reunited after death — into a baker’s dozen of dark songs. The result was phenomenal. “Helena” — a tribute to the Way brothers’ grandmother, Elena — created a mantra with “so long and goodnight.” “It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish,” beyond its killer title, hit all the right places, and “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” became an enduring anthem. It blew Bullets out of the water, and they’d only continue to ascend with their next LP.

Source: altpress.com