3 of the Greatest Sophomore Albums From the 1970s That Nobody Talks About

If a band is lucky, their debut album will do well. If they’re extremely lucky, their follow-up will be commercially successful, too. But when it comes to the following bands and musicians from the 1970s, their sophomore albums slipped through the cracks, despite being some of the best work of the decade. Let’s dive into some underrated gems you need to hear ASAP.

‘Radio Ethiopia’ by Patti Smith (1976)

Everyone knows Horses. That album is probably one of the most defining punk rock albums ever made and certainly the one that put Patti Smith on the map. But her follow-up, Radio Ethiopia, deserved way more love than it got as a follow-up. This sophomore record is quite a bit more adventurous than Horses and messier in a way, but that just adds to the appeal.

Radio Ethiopia did not get much love from critics when it first dropped, sadly. It only made it to No. 122 on the Billboard 200, too.

‘Adventure’ by Television (1978)

Another punk rock gem, this album from Television leaned more toward art punk and new wave. But it was an incredible follow-up to the band’s legendary debut, Marquee Moon. And yet, I never hear anyone talk about Adventure. What gives?

Adventure by Television is notably softer than its predecessor, and some critics weren’t a fan of how little edge the record had back in the day. In the end, the record didn’t even make it to the Billboard 200.

‘Radio City’ by Big Star (1974)

It’s one of the most underrated albums to come from one of the most influential rock bands that never actually got any mainstream recognition. Big Star is still lamented by many an audiophile as the group that should have gone all the way, but didn’t quite make it due to poor marketing and distribution issues via their label. 

Would power pop exist without this very record? Probably. But this is still a darn good album, and Big Star deserved way more commercial success than they got back in the day with this entry on our list of sophomore albums from the 1970s. It’s crazy to think that this album basically didn’t chart at all.

Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns