"It’s weird. It’s been kind of a reversal from Pablo Honey. We had an album that sold a lot but wasn’t taken much notice of and now we’ve become that horrible thing of a band’s band, or a critic’s band."
The 'difficult second album'. A term commonly used to describe when artists fail to match the commercial or critical success of their debut, also commonly referred to as 'the sophomore slump' by our friends from across the pond.
From complex marketing campaigns gating an artist's next big statement to music critics ready to scrutinise every note, the evolution of the industry has played the biggest part in making the follow-up record the moment where the pressure really begins, a project burdened with expectations before it’s even heard. Despite this, artists have been defying the 'second album curse' across musical generations: Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Radiohead, Adele, OutKast, Mobb Deep, PJ Harvey, Björk, SZA, and many more all managing to significantly grow their loyal fanbases upon the release of their second albums.
So what is the recipe for a successful second album? Whether repeating the formula of an acclaimed debut or completely switching it up, it seems there is not one set of rules for an artist's next step. We take a look at a selection of ten second albums* which have found a home in our Rough Trade Essential range, to better understand where it all went right.
*This selection of 10 is just a snapshot of a multitude of great 'sophomore' albums which are deemed Rough Trade Essential, but these 10 are a solid example of artists who managed to really push their sound further, meet expectations and, in some cases, release their most celebrated work.
Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ (1963)
The album that turned Bob Dylan into one of popular music’s greatest songwriters. Following underwhelming sales with his 1962 self-titled debut album, The Freewheelin’ marked Dylan's move from traditional blues standards towards his own modern acoustic style. A style which would shape generations of artists, balancing protest anthems with tender love songs and lyrical poetry. Its influence on folk, rock and songwriting is difficult to overstate.
Radiohead – The Bends (1995)
One of the most beloved guitar records of the 1990s, Radiohead released their second album into the Britpop era, refusing to submit to any of the scene's popular tropes and style. The Bends was self-aware of its status as a second album; its name referencing decompression sickness from surfacing too quickly in scuba diving was a metaphor for their sudden, dizzying success following the unexpected hit Creep. Where their all-be-it widely popular debut Pablo Honey was viewed as somewhat an adaptation of grunge, The Bends was perceived as an ambitious artistic leap: Thom Yorke's falsetto range piercing over a wall of acoustic and electric guitars, more abstract sonically, yet more concise production. In an 1996 interview for US magazine Addicted To Noise, Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood explained:
"It’s weird. It’s been kind of a reversal from Pablo Honey. We had an album that sold a lot but wasn’t taken much notice of and now we’ve become that horrible thing of a band’s band, or a critic’s band."
This reflection proved true. Over time, The Bends gave Radiohead long-term credibility, producing enduring alternative radio staples like Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry and Street Spirit (Fade Out), cementing their status as major rock innovators of real critcal acclaim.
Fugees – The Score (1996)
An essential record that belongs in every hip-hop collection, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras brought three distinct voices to a record packed with unforgettable hooks. The album is widely acknowledged as a huge step up from their debut, Blunted In Reality, a smoother mix of hip-hop and reggae which leant into more conscious rap blended with soul samples and Hill's commanding vocals. Their iconic reworking of Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly remains a high point of the album, which will forever remain a timeless classic. The Score won the Grammy for Best Rap Album and not only helped establish the Fugees as pioneers of alternative hip hop but also as one of the defining groups of the 1990s. Sadly, The Score ended up seeing the Fugees go out with a bang, as the release ended up being not only their second album but also their final album, as personal tensions led them to pursue solo careers. The trio last reunited on stage in 2023, and Wyclef and Lauryn have continued to perform together, their last outing being a surprise appearance at Jay-Z's London run of the Reasonable Doubt 30 tour, at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Fiona Apple – When the Pawn… (1999)
Fiona Apple’s second album properly introduced the fierce side to her strange and beautiful world, a thrilling collision of jazz-inflected piano and deeply personal lyrics that refused to soften the emotion. "Hunger hurts, but starving works when it costs too much to love". Tidal (Fiona Apple's debut album) was a poignant arrival for Apple, but just shy of 19, there was clearly so much still to come from the talented songwriter. It was from this album onwards that Fiona Apple has amassed a devoted cult audience, one which deeply connects with her raw explorations of trauma, mental health, power dynamics, and womanhood.
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006)
There's no beating around the bush, everything Amy released established her as a once-in-a-generation voice. Back to Black conveyed the real emotional weight of Amy's life, drawing on heartbreak, guilt, grief and addiction to build on the loose, smoky sound first introduced on her debut Frank. A record that sounds timeless while feeling entirely of its moment. The UK’s best-selling album of 2007, Amy took on life's difficulties and poured them into sonic excellence. No difficult second album in sight.
Big Thief – Capacity (2017)
Barely a year on from their acclaimed debut Masterpiece, Adrianne Lenker and co. delivered a record that was equally as powerful whilst being quietly devastating. The songs move between folk storytelling, understated indie rock and moments of vulnerability. Mary and Mythological Beauty are especially striking, revealing Lenker’s gift for turning deeply personal experiences into something universal. Big Thief’s Capacity is where the band’s emotional world really opened up, establishing that here was a band that had plenty more to come from where they had started.
Rosalía – El Mal Querer (2018)
Built around the structure of a medieval flamenco-inspired story of love, jealousy and control, it blends traditional Spanish music with contemporary pop, R&B and electronic production. This album moved mountains for what Spanish-language pop could sound like on a global scale and confirmed Rosalía as an artist who is impossible to ignore. A true modern classic.
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher (2020)
Building on the promise of Stranger in the Alps, Punisher expanded Phoebe's sound into lusher arrangements, eerier harmonies and lyrics that find humour in the bleakest corners of everyday life. A firm favourite among our Rough Trade community ever since we hosted Phoebe for Rough Trade in-stores back in 2017.
Dean Blunt – Black Metal (2014)
The return of the mysterious Dean Blunt. Blending hazy R&B, experimental electronics, dub, folk and fractured pop, it’s a record built on atmosphere and ambiguity, much like its author. Black Metal felt like Dean Blunt's arrival, a much wider record in scope than his debut Redeemer, with the compelling vocals of his frequent collaborator Joanne Robertson guiding the project to an even stranger, beautiful and occasionally unsettling place. The majority of Blunt's output is released on World Music, the primary distribution channel for Blunt's own extensive catalogue, side projects, and collaborative releases, but Black Metal stands out as one of just two full-lengths the enigmatic artist has released via our good friends at Rough Trade Records. An important sequel in Blunt's illustrative career, one which gradually attained Dean Blunt his cult status.
Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There (2022)
Ants From Up There took Black Country, New Road from an exciting new guitar band to one of the most ambitious groups in contemporary guitar music. Sweeping strings, dramatic builds, piano-led ballads and moments of glorious chaos. The last album to feature BCNR's original lineup with lead vocalist Isaac. The band described it as their true debut: A considered overhaul of what came before, but with the same beguiling charm:
"The music has got its own sound world and, production-wise, has its own sound world too. It feels like the first album we have done. A grown-up album."
Lewis from Black Country, New Road speaking with Rough Trade in 2022.
READ: Recounting Ants From Up There
Further Listening
Across the last seven decades, artists have repeatedly proven that the second album doesn’t have to be difficult. This longlist celebrates the extensive range of albums which fall into this category.
Best second albums of the 1960s
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II, The Beatles – With the Beatles, The Beach Boys - Surfin’ U.S.A and Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds of Silence
Best second albums of the 1970s
Iggy Pop - Lust for Life, Black Sabbath – Paranoid, Lou Reed – Transformer, Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure, Patti Smith Group – Radio Ethiopia and The Police – Reggatta de Blanc.
Best second albums of the 1980s
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair and Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Best second albums of the 1990s
Nirvana - Nevermind, My Bloody Valentine - Loveless, Slint -Spiderland, PJ Harvey - Rid of Me, The Breeders - Last Splash, Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, TLC — CrazySexyCool, Björk - Post, Mobb Deep- The Infamous, Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, OutKast - ATLiens, Deftones - Around the Fur and Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Best second albums of the 2000s
D’Angelo - Voodoo, Daft Punk - Discovery, System of a Down — Toxicity, The Strokes - Room on Fire, Interpol - Antics, Gorillaz - Demon Days, Beyoncé — B’Day and Paramore - Riot!
Best second albums of the 2010s
Adele - 21, Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials, Tame Impala — Lonerism, Frank Ocean - Blonde, Wolf Alice - Visions of a Life, IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance and Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death, Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city.
Best second albums of the 2020s
Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under, Snail Mail - Valentine, Nilüfer Yanya - PAINLESS, SZA - SOS, yeule - Glitch Princess, Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine, Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, CMAT - Crazymad, for Me, Kelela — Raven, Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS, Sampha - LAHAI, Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On and Wet Leg - Moisturiser.
Discover More
Ranked: Radiohead's Greatest Albums
Ranked: Fiona Apple's Greatest Albums
Ranked: Big Thief's Greatest Albums
Recounting: Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road