Lots of bands/artists make 2 or 3 great albums but how many can still make a great 8th album?

Their last solid start-to-finsh lp to me

 

Elvis
Album 10 - Elvis is Back
Album 35 - Nbc TV special
Album 36 - From Elvis In Mempis

 

I’m curious about that: Do the seven albums that precede it all have to be great?

For example, the band I cited earlier, Sonic Youth—from what I hear, their first few albums suck. (I haven’t heard any before their fourth, Sister.)

 

yes it is subjective, and equally unreasonable. but fun!

some things also aren't relevant to this lemniscate of a number, like for example mark hollis...

 

Bee Gees

Depending on what you consider their "first" album:

2 Years On (if you count their two Australian records)
To Whom It May Concern (if you don't)

 

to honour my new avatar

 

I’ll say Sleater-Kinney, even though their eighth album, No Cities to Love, didn’t rock my world. Critics loved it, which is what matters.

 

Subdudes

 

The Beatles
Chicago
The Beach Boys
Abba

 

Anthrax for sure!

 

I was going to say Laura Nyro, but as it happens, 'Nested' is her eighth album and that's about my least favourite of hers. However, if you discount the live 'Season of Lights' then no.8 is 'Mother's Spiritual' which is pretty darn good.

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet (unless it's in a pic that doesn't show up in a search): 'Deadwing' - Porcupine Tree

'Let's Change the World With Music' - Prefab Sprout, although no.9 'Crimson/Red' is better

I make 'Carrie and Lowell' no.8 for Sufjan Stevens if you discount the 'All Delighted People' EP and the record of the BQE project.

 

Amy Grant's 8th album is the incredibly well known album Heart In Motion. IMO, it is a great pop album.
DeGarmo & Key's 8th album is "Streetlight" (a great rockin' album)
Johnny Cash's Now There Was a Song is his 8th album and a classic
Gordon Lightfoot's 8th album is another great one, Old Dan's Records
Jimmy Buffett's 8th album is Son of a Son of a Sailor, a classic album from him.

 

John Fahey - The Yellow Princess and John Martyn - Sunday's Child. Each was just getting revved up and would soon produce some of their bets work.

Guess Who #10 (which is actually their 8th official album as the GW) and their best IMO. They had one more solid album in Road Food, then Burton grew that regretful mustache and started wearing suits. Oh well.

 

My temptation was to present a protracted list that diluted "great" in a solution of "really really good", so I pared it down (did I just mix metaphors?); though as IICD23 observed, it's all subjectively relevant. Let me say, however, that it pains me greatly to exclude the Surfer's "Weird Revolution", but integrity and all that...so:

Meat Puppets: "Too High to Die" (thoroughly brilliant, and even more amazing, it sparked a sequence of 6 releases through the present in which numbers 13 and 14 are my absolute favourites - which makes the ongoing drought truly frustrating)

The Mekons: "Rock 'n Roll" (what can I say? adored by critics, loved by the base, and a prime point of entry (along with "Fear/Whiskey") to this tremendously unheralded band's magnificent body of work)

EDIT: Good heavens, omission of the year: Flaming Lips - Yoshimi... - but I see others had it covered!

 

Status Quo - Blue For You.
Drive-by Truckers - The Big To-Do.
Queen - The Game.
ZZ Top - Eliminator.

 

Another vote here for Automatic For The People. Ditto RUSH's classic, Moving Pictures.

Also... David Bowie (Diamond Dogs) and Journey (Frontiers) come to mind.

 

Sloan

Sloan discography - Wikipedia

 

Yes for the 3 Albums that I placed in Bold Text. Not familiar with a few of those Bands, but was not impressed that Green Day Album, as they just tried to repeat the formula for 'American Idiot', and '21st Century Breakdown' was just a weaker version-IMO. 'American Idiot' was a Great Album though.

 

I do not follow most of The Who's 1960s Album to track how many were issued(only care about 'Tommy' and the 1970s Music), but if 'Quadrophenia' is their 8th Album, then stop the Phone Calls, as way have a Winner!!!!
Although, need more time to see how 'And Nothing Hurt'-Spiritualized might equal the Greatness of 'Quadrophenia'.

 

Nice(Nick) Call(Cave) and actually the Best Albums in their Discography-IMO

 

Earl Klugh - Crazy For You (1981)



Michael Franks - Passion Fruit (1983)


James Taylor - JT

 

i thought that was the point lol
I mean one good album depends merely upon the subjective opinion of (a) fan/s

 

that's one I find hard ... because I love the good son and henry's dream an awful lot too