Victory lap albums

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

[Nova Carmina]

While I prefer the Thin Lizzy, I recognize that Destroyer is an epic Kiss album.

[goose]

Kansas Point Of Know Return or ACDC's For Those About to Rock hit closest to the mark for me

 

ETA: I agree that RnRO seems like KISS's victory lap.

Edited February 13, 2022 by goose

[invisible airwave]

Station to Station should be a victory lap considering Fame from the previous album hit number one.

 

I would add these:

 

Green by REM

Rattle and Hum by U2 - Hit or miss but some good songs and not as bad as Pop.

Wish by The Cure

Songs of Faith and Devotion by Depeche Mode

Hard Promises by TP

Deftones self titled

Darkness on the Edge of Town by the boss

Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Station to Station should be a victory lap considering Fame from the previous album hit number one.

 

I would add these:

 

Green by REM

Rattle and Hum by U2 - Hit or miss but some good songs and not as bad as Pop.

Wish by The Cure

Songs of Faith and Devotion by Depeche Mode

Hard Promises by TP

Deftones self titled

Darkness on the Edge of Town by the boss

Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran

 

Thought about some of those, didn’t think about others. Green was probably the only one I was really strongly considering, but in a way Green is the moment REM actually made it. Document was definitely the breakout album, but Green is the one that actually sounds like a breakout album. More hits, more commercial sounding, a bit closer to their soft and easy going sound on the next two records. But it could definitely be on this list.

[ST3V]

Pieces of Eight is my pick, seeing as it's my favorite album from my favorite band, but PoKR comes pretty close.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

I picked PoKR. Easy choice there. It's like Kansas' "Moving Pictures" -- they followed up their breakthrough album (Leftoverture) with a monster.

[JohnRogers]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

 

PW was Rush's breakthrough album and MP was their biggest seller, so yeah, that would make Signals their victory lap.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

 

PW was Rush's breakthrough album and MP was their biggest seller, so yeah, that would make Signals their victory lap.

 

See I thought about Signals.... but it doesn't read as a victory lap to me. It seems more like they got what they wanted so they immediately moved on and did something else, synthier. It reads more like the first chapter of the next book.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

 

PW was Rush's breakthrough album and MP was their biggest seller, so yeah, that would make Signals their victory lap.

 

See I thought about Signals.... but it doesn't read as a victory lap to me. It seems more like they got what they wanted so they immediately moved on and did something else, synthier. It reads more like the first chapter of the next book.

 

I guess you could say the same about a couple of these, so there's that.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

 

PW was Rush's breakthrough album and MP was their biggest seller, so yeah, that would make Signals their victory lap.

 

See I thought about Signals.... but it doesn't read as a victory lap to me. It seems more like they got what they wanted so they immediately moved on and did something else, synthier. It reads more like the first chapter of the next book.

 

I guess you could say the same about a couple of these, so there's that.

 

Fair points. Still a good idea for a poll.

[goose]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

 

PW was Rush's breakthrough album and MP was their biggest seller, so yeah, that would make Signals their victory lap.

 

See I thought about Signals.... but it doesn't read as a victory lap to me. It seems more like they got what they wanted so they immediately moved on and did something else, synthier. It reads more like the first chapter of the next book.

 

I guess you could say the same about a couple of these, so there's that.

Prince's Around the World in a Day fits that bill. U2's Achtung Baby as well, though it's not listed here. Edited February 13, 2022 by goose

[Stormtron]

Went with Thin Lizzy here. Two banger albums in one year.

[Rick N. Backer]

I absolutely love Point of Entry. But I think of Defenders of the Faith as Priest's "victory lap," coming after the monster Screaming for Vengeance.

 

Of those listed, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) is a no-brainer for me.

[Rick N. Backer]

And, ironically given its departure in the elimination threads, Obsession is UFO's "victory lap."

 

A few other notable ones IMO:

 

Def Leppard - Hysteria (coming after Pyromania)

Ozzy - Diary of a Madman (Blizzard of Ozz)

Aerosmith - Rocks (Toys in the Attic)

[chemistry1973]

I picked AC/DC since FTATR is just as good as Back in Black — the drop in quality after that album makes it more evident a victory lap too.

[tangy]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

 

Hmmm..

 

What about synchronicity?

 

Others mentioned signals. Clockwork angels is the most victorious of all imo.

 

Is the victory lap, their final lap? As in recording

 

ETA- d'oh. Signals over clockwork based on your definition.

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by tangy

[BastillePark]

One of those albums is not like the others. Flats and sharps will tell you which.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

One of those albums is not like the others. Flats and sharps will tell you which.

 

Yeah The Black Keys aren't a classic rock band. So what? El Camino was one of the best examples of a victory lap album I thought up.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I almost included more modern stuff, like Fall Out Boy's American Beauty / American Psycho and Panic! At The Disco's Pray For The Wicked. Very obvious victory laps to me, but I felt at that point I'd get a lot more comments about how they don't belong next to a bunch of classics.

[invisible airwave]

Station to Station should be a victory lap considering Fame from the previous album hit number one.

 

I would add these:

 

Green by REM

Rattle and Hum by U2 - Hit or miss but some good songs and not as bad as Pop.

Wish by The Cure

Songs of Faith and Devotion by Depeche Mode

Hard Promises by TP

Deftones self titled

Darkness on the Edge of Town by the boss

Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran

 

Thought about some of those, didn’t think about others. Green was probably the only one I was really strongly considering, but in a way Green is the moment REM actually made it. Document was definitely the breakout album, but Green is the one that actually sounds like a breakout album. More hits, more commercial sounding, a bit closer to their soft and easy going sound on the next two records. But it could definitely be on this list.

 

Some could say they made it with Out of Time since Losing My Religion is their highest charting hit at number 4 and Shiny Happy People even cracked top 10. Oh, and winning MTV's video of the year moonman was nice as well.

Edited February 14, 2022 by invisible airwave

[invisible airwave]

Here are a handful of albums that feel like quick victory laps to the albums that finally “made it.” For me, to qualify it had to follow up the band’s most commercially successful album up to that point no more than 2 years later, and had to feel somewhat like a response to their newfound success. I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure you may disagree with some of these choices (should Styx’s victory lap be Kilroy? Shouldn’t Kiss’s be Rock And Roll Over?) To those arguments I say: sure, probably. But here’s how I see it at this time, so here’s the poll for today.

I know we don't discuss RUSH here but would Signals qualify as a victory lap?

 

Oddly enough, their highest charting song was New World Man which doesn't get played as much as Limelight and Sawyer. The Police sound of that song kind of helped.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Station to Station should be a victory lap considering Fame from the previous album hit number one.

 

I would add these:

 

Green by REM

Rattle and Hum by U2 - Hit or miss but some good songs and not as bad as Pop.

Wish by The Cure

Songs of Faith and Devotion by Depeche Mode

Hard Promises by TP

Deftones self titled

Darkness on the Edge of Town by the boss

Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran

 

Thought about some of those, didn’t think about others. Green was probably the only one I was really strongly considering, but in a way Green is the moment REM actually made it. Document was definitely the breakout album, but Green is the one that actually sounds like a breakout album. More hits, more commercial sounding, a bit closer to their soft and easy going sound on the next two records. But it could definitely be on this list.

 

Some could say they made it with Out of Time since Losing My Religion is their highest charting hit at number 4 and Shiny Happy People even cracked top 10. Oh, and winning MTV's video of the year moonman was nice as well.

 

I thought about that too! Would that make Automatic For The People the victory lap? I'm really not sure, but I think it has a stronger case than Green does.

[Lurkst]

Station to Station should be a victory lap considering Fame from the previous album hit number one.

 

I would add these:

 

Green by REM

Rattle and Hum by U2 - Hit or miss but some good songs and not as bad as Pop.

Wish by The Cure

Songs of Faith and Devotion by Depeche Mode

Hard Promises by TP

Deftones self titled

Darkness on the Edge of Town by the boss

Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran

 

Thought about some of those, didn’t think about others. Green was probably the only one I was really strongly considering, but in a way Green is the moment REM actually made it. Document was definitely the breakout album, but Green is the one that actually sounds like a breakout album. More hits, more commercial sounding, a bit closer to their soft and easy going sound on the next two records. But it could definitely be on this list.

 

Some could say they made it with Out of Time since Losing My Religion is their highest charting hit at number 4 and Shiny Happy People even cracked top 10. Oh, and winning MTV's video of the year moonman was nice as well.

 

I thought about that too! Would that make Automatic For The People the victory lap? I'm really not sure, but I think it has a stronger case than Green does.

 

Globally anyway Out Of Time and specifically Losing My Religion were what made REM's name.

 

If so, Automatic... would potentially be the greatest victory lap album ever :)

 

Unfortunately (for their record company) they then signed an enormous deal just as the quality of songs took a downward turn.

 

 

 

[driventotheedge]

Ozzy - Diary of a Madman (Blizzard of Ozz)

Aerosmith - Rocks (Toys in the Attic)

Great call on both of these. Diary and Blizzard were all put down on tape during the same sessions.