Sometimes bands struggle to come up with one good album a year, let alone multiple. However, sometimes inspiration strikes and sticks. In the case of the three rock bands below, they managed to write and release two major albums in a single year.
Videos by American Songwriter
3 Rock Band That Released Two Major Albums in One Year
1. Queen – Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack
We’re kicking off our list with Queen, who released both Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack in 1974. Both albums are renowned by Queen fans and stand as a commendable release streak from the rockers. Queen II was released first and includes some of Queen’s most well-crafted songs, including “Seven Seas of Rhye,” “White Queen,” and “Father to Son.” The follow-up to that work was similarly lauded. Among that tracklist is the timeless “Killer Queen.”
Though these albums aren’t necessarily the band’s biggest (though they are strong contenders), it’s a marvel just how many great songs the English outfit managed to pull together in a single year.
2. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited
Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited marked Bob Dylan’s transition into a rockier sound. Dylan cut away at his titular acoustic guitar rhythms, making room for electrified riffs. While Bringing It All Back Home might have been a jarring work for many folkie Dylan fans, the follow up firmly cemented his new sonic direction in their minds.
3. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour
Last but not least, we have the Beatles. The Fab Four released both Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour in 1967. These albums are some of the Beatles’ most experimental, off-kilter works. It seems they were on a roll with their weird, warbly songwriting considering both of these seminal works were released within a few months of each other.
(Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)
