4 Classic 80s Albums That Obliterated the Sophomore Slump

Sustaining momentum from album to album was no easy feat in the 80s. New acts and artists popped out of the woodwork from all angles to compete. Many were the acts that struggled to follow up on successful debuts.

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The four albums we’re about to highlight, however, proved that a sophomore slump wasn’t necessarily automatic. These four artists used their brilliant second albums as stepping stones to massive careers.

‘Rio’ by Duran Duran

You might not remember the fact that Duran Duran’s self-titled debut in 1981 actually made it to the Top 10 on the US album charts. It just didn’t have any hit singles (at least in America) to leave much of an impact on the culture. Rio solved that problem in a major way. With more confident songwriting, more dynamic production, and a general fearlessness that set it apart, it turned Duran Duran into worldwide superstars. (The videos didn’t hurt, either.) What’s striking listening to this album today is just how deep it goes. Album tracks like “The Chauffeur” are just as memorable as the massive hits. Duran Duran sustained their stardom quite well. But it’s fair to argue they never artistically topped Rio.

‘Like A Virgin’ by Madonna

On the surface, Madonna took the pop music world by storm with her debut album in 1983. But that really only set the table for the level of world domination that she attained a year later with Like A Virgin. Even though outside writers were still heavily involved (especially on the hit singles), there was a sense that she had taken control of the artistic direction in a more forceful way on this record. As a singer, she grew leaps and bounds, projecting both utter confidence and subtle vulnerability on the title track and turning “Material Girl” into a feminist anthem with her savvy reading of the lyrics. Amidst so many mega-albums that arrived in 1984, Madonna’s sophomore effort could go toe-to-toe with any of them.

‘Songs From The Big Chair’ by Tears For Fears

Unlike the case of Duran Duran, American audiences pretty much took no notice of The Hurting, Tears For Fears’ 1983 debut album. On that record, the duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith showed that there was an introspective, melancholy side of the British New Wave. On Songs From The Big Chair, things didn’t get suddenly happy-go-lucky (although “Head Over Heels” showed a lighter side). Instead, the grand statement songs “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” and “Shout” came laden with a tad more bombast and ear candy in the margins. That allowed the messages to go down quite smoothly. Back-to-back No. 1 singles in the US cemented them as pop music heroes, albeit somewhat morose ones.

‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ by Public Enemy

We could have chosen several rap albums from the second half of the 80s that would have done this list proud. But it’s our belief that It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back might just be the premier hip-hop LP of the 80s, maybe of all time. Needless to say, as a sophomore album, it has to get the nod here. Public Enemy had already shown their potency on Yo! Bum Rush The Show in 1987. That was a starker affair, however. To magnify the messages being delivered with such passion and potency by Chuck D., the production by Eric Sadler and Hank Shocklee of The Bomb Squad amped up the density and intensity. Anthems like “Night Of The Living Baseheads” and “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos” showed rap was an ideal medium for unfiltered social commentary.

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