The 3 Best Classic Rock Sophomore Albums From the 1970s

There’s an old maxim in music, an artist (or band) has a lifetime to write their first record, but it’s their second album where things get tough. Indeed, when an act releases a terrific debut, there is often a push to release another and fast.

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But that can be difficult under various time constraints. Here below, however, we wanted to showcase a trio of occasions when bands pulled off the assignment with great acclaim. Indeed, these are the best three classic rock sophomore albums from the 1970s.

‘T.N.T.’ by AC/DC (1975)

If you look up the word “explosive” in the dictionary, there is a decent chance the faces of the Sydney, Australia-born rock band AC/DC will pop up. Not only were the band’s songs volcanic but the band knew it and owned it. Hence their 1975 sophomore record release, T.N.T. The LP includes smash hits like the title track, along with “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” and a cover of the Chuck Berry song “School Days”. Sometimes you just need to blow up the mood and this album can be your soundtrack for just that.

‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath (1970)

When Black Sabbath released its self-titled debut album, the group redefined rock music in one fell swoop. Such power can be crippling for some, but not for this British-born group of heavy metal artists. Black Sabbath followed their initial success up with the sophomore LP, Paranoid, which included songs like the title track, “War Pigs”, and “Iron Man”. It’s almost impossible to imagine buying this album when it came out in 1970 and listening to it for the first time. What a joy it must have been to hear timeless music in real-time.

‘Tapestry’ by Carole King (1971)

Carole King is one of the greatest songwriters to ever walk this Earth and one of the many reasons that is true is the release of her second record, Tapestry. Just hearing it is like walking into a masterclass for composition. Unpacking songs like “I Feel The Earth Move”, “It’s Too Late”, and “You’ve Got A Friend” feels like a gift. Heck, this album even includes the original version of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”.

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