Bands that never improved on their debut?

[twosuitsluke]

My list:

Bullet for my Valentine
Down
Gallows
The Skints (they only have 3 albums mind)
Sonata Arctica (arguably)
Wolfmother

There are others that have already been mentioned but don't think I've seen the above talked about.

[Prog Snob]

Even if Floyd stopped their career before Dark Side, Piper wouldn't be their best in my opinion. I think it's a good album but with others like Saucerful and Meddle (which I think is their most underrated album), Piper is a decent introduction to a band that would later blow our minds in so many ways.

[orcus116]

I am aware that there is a small percentage of Floyd fans that swear by Piper and think they never topped it, but while I've come around to liking some of that early Syd-era stuff (many of the early singles, Jugband Blues), most of Piper still sounds like utter shit to me. But hey, to each their own.

I'm in agreement. The best thing Syd did was go insane and allow Gilmour to join the band. Obviously there's no way to tell but if the band still had the original lineup my personal guess is that they would've only achieved a level of popularity akin to Blue Oyster Cult or similar.

[Kwyjibo]

My list:
...
Down
...

I quite like Down II and Over The Under, not necessarily better than the debut but not worse either, so I wouldn't agree with that.

[twosuitsluke]

My list:
...
Down
...

I quite like Down II and Over The Under, not necessarily better than the debut but not worse either, so I wouldn't agree with that.

I like Down II and Over the Under as well but the debut is on a whole other level in my opinion 

[Art]

Yeah, i agree about Down, even though i love II. Over The Under and the EPs are okay, but not so good as II (and not even close to Nola).

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Pink Floyd, their later albums are brilliant but they have imho never captured the magic of The Piper again.

Yeah...um.  No.

I disagree, but I understand why some would have that opinion.

[bundy]

Don't think I've seen these ones mentioned yet:

Dio - Holy Diver
The Nice - The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial.

[Adami]

Controversial pick?

Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz.

[King Postwhore]

Controversial pick?

Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz.

Yeah.  Lump Diary with Blizzard and I agree.

[BlobVanDam]

Controversial pick?

Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz.

I wouldn't say it's controversial, since it's widely considered one of Ozzy's very best. I think I'd personally choose No More Tears as his best, and Diary is as good as Blizzard too, but it's splitting hairs for me.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Don't think I've seen these ones mentioned yet:

Dio - Holy Diver
The Nice - The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial.

Last in Line > Holy Diver 

[BlobVanDam]

Don't think I've seen these ones mentioned yet:

Dio - Holy Diver
The Nice - The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial.

Last in Line > Holy Diver 

I'd probably choose Holy Diver by a hair, but they're both well matched. An incredible one two punch however you rank them though.

[Cruithne]

Controversial pick?

Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz.

I'd take both Diary Of A Madman and No More Tears over it, personally, but I'm not surprised that someone might prefer Blizzard.

[Phoenix87x]

Audioslave

I really enjoy the first album, but was pretty disappointed with a weaker, gentler follow up, followed by a real mess of a 3rd album.

[Kotowboy]

Audioslave

I really enjoy the first album, but was pretty disappointed with a weaker, gentler follow up, followed by a real mess of a 3rd album.

Yup.

[FracturedMirror]

Yngwie - Rising Force

[Kotowboy]

Audioslave are the musical equivalent of a Rich tea Biscuit

[pogoowner]

Audioslave

I really enjoy the first album, but was pretty disappointed with a weaker, gentler follow up, followed by a real mess of a 3rd album.

I still really like Out of Exile, though. Lots of good songs there. Revelations was where they really dropped off a cliff, though there are still a few good songs mixed in.

[mikeyd23]

I actually really like all three Audioslave albums, each one offers something cool that I dig. However, I do agree the first album is by far the best.

[LudwigVan]

Yngwie - Rising Force

That's a good one.  Odyssey comes close.  After that is probably Marching Out.

[TAC]

Yngwie - Rising Force

That's a good one.  Odyssey comes close.  After that is probably Marching Out.

I thought of Yngwie. I was thinking that nothing he did was better than Marching Out, and then I remembered Rising Force. I'd still take Marching Out over it, but Far Beyond The Sun is one of my Top 5 Instrumentals.

[LudwigVan]

Marching Out is pretty dang good.  It's more song-oriented than Rising Force, which has a lot of instrumental type stuff on it (which is awesome).  To me, Odyssey is my favorite album ever with Joe Lynn Turner.  I like it even better than his Rainbow albums. 

[TAC]

Odyssey is excellent. I totally ignored it when it came out!

[Tomislav95]

Don't think I've seen these ones mentioned yet:

Dio - Holy Diver
The Nice - The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial.

Last in Line > Holy Diver 

I'd probably choose Holy Diver by a hair, but they're both well matched. An incredible one two punch however you rank them though.

I like Dream Evil more than both Holy Diver and Last in Line But all three are killer albums

[wolfking]

I personally wouldn't agree with Ozzy, Dio and Malmsteen, but really have no problem with others thinking that.  I can see where they are coming from.

[TAC]

I personally wouldn't agree with Ozzy, Dio and Malmsteen, but really have no problem with others thinking that.  I can see where they are coming from.

Yeah, they're all legit choices.

[Cool Chris]

Going out on a bit of a limb and saying The Doors. They obvious had plenty of radio hits after their debut, but nothing they did surpassed that masterpiece.

Piper is a decent introduction to a band that would later blow our minds in so many ways.

It's a terrible introduction to the band as nothing the did after that sounds remotely similar.

Obviously there's no way to tell but if the band still had the original lineup my personal guess is that they would've only achieved a level of popularity akin to Blue Oyster Cult or similar.

No way they would have been that popular. Unless they could have evolved out of that Psychedelic Era, they would have been another Strawberry Alarm Clock.

[ChuckSteak]

Jeff Buckley
Joni Mitchell
Nick Drake (maybe)
Comus
Shaolin Death Squad
Miriodor (maybe)
Spirogyra
Culpeper's Orchard
Linda Perhacs
Naked City (maybe)
Miasma & The Carousel Of Headless Horses
Stolen Babies

[Prog Snob]

Going out on a bit of a limb and saying The Doors. They obvious had plenty of radio hits after their debut, but nothing they did surpassed that masterpiece.

Piper is a decent introduction to a band that would later blow our minds in so many ways.

It's a terrible introduction to the band as nothing the did after that sounds remotely similar.

Disagree with it being terrible. However, I do agree with your Doors assessment.

[LudwigVan]

Asia - Asia

[FracturedMirror]

Yngwie - Rising Force

That's a good one.  Odyssey comes close.  After that is probably Marching Out.

I thought of Yngwie. I was thinking that nothing he did was better than Marching Out, and then I remembered Rising Force. I'd still take Marching Out over it, but Far Beyond The Sun is one of my Top 5 Instrumentals.

I like the other Yngwie stuff, but if I was picking his greatest album it would be Rising Force.  It was something new and it really launched a whole new guitar style.