Their first couple of albums flopped commercially, but later they managed to establish themselves as major acts

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Like Pulp, Bruce Springsteen, Genesis, Bon Jovi. Possibly also Velvet Underground although that debut has later become an established classic.

In this thread feel welcome both to discuss this phenomenon (like, it couldn't have happened today, could it?, and also come up with other examples of acts that were given a second a third chance and actually manage to build careers slowly.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:15 (eighteen years ago)

Hongroe

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

like, it couldn't have happened today, could it?

There's these guys called The White Stripes...

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:18 (eighteen years ago)

Wilco

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:23 (eighteen years ago)

Flaming Lips

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:23 (eighteen years ago)

Modest Mouse

c'mon this happens all the time

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:23 (eighteen years ago)

Lucinda Williams

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:25 (eighteen years ago)

White Stripes good call. In the case of Wilco I wouldn't call the first two commercial flops, or the rest could be considered flops too.

Unlike Pulp, Genesis and Bon Jovi, the other mentioned acts did at least have considerably critics backing their output in spite of low sales (well, OK, I guess the second Genesis album got some good reviews too)

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:25 (eighteen years ago)

why am I arguing with (fake) Geir

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:27 (eighteen years ago)

I don't know if the first couple of White Stripes albums could be called flops, considering the level they and their label were operating on. Soft bigotry of low expectations, and everything.

― Garrett Martin, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:31 (eighteen years ago)

flops imply heavy investment with little return, none of these acts strike me as heavy investment acts during their early years

― rps, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:32 (eighteen years ago)

(x-post)
yes this does happen a lot but no the white stripes aren't a good example. it's one thing to be a much-hyped savior of rock and roll signed to columbia records and your first album falls flat in the market. it's a whole 'nother thing to be an underground band on a tiny indie label and your first album sells quite a few copies as tiny indie labels go, and your second album a year later sells even more, and sells quite steadily, and then, boom, your next one hits. that's not flopping commercially. that's a pretty big success right out of the box.

― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:34 (eighteen years ago)

and geez, definitely a big no to Modest Mouse. Again, the first album was pretty damn successful for an indie-rock debut on a small label, and the second one did far better than anybody could have expected.

rps and fact checking cuz, we are in agreement. A better example would be, like, Limp Bizkit in 2000, or something, a major-label act with a ton of promotion whose first album died, only for the band to somehow rise like the most depressing and miserable of phoenixes.

― Garrett Martin, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 23:36 (eighteen years ago)

Chumbawumba?

― filthy dylan, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:42 (eighteen years ago)

john mellancamp?

― filthy dylan, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:43 (eighteen years ago)

rps and fact checking cuz, we are in agreement. A better example would be, like, Limp Bizkit in 2000, or something, a major-label act with a ton of promotion whose first album died, only for the band to somehow rise like the most depressing and miserable of phoenixes.

-- Garrett Martin, Tuesday, April 10, 2007 6:36 PM (2 hours ago)

uh, actually their first album was pretty successful IIRC, took a while to "break through" but ultimately sold a bunch by capitalizing on their Korn connection just as that band was breaking through themselves. or something like that. the rest is, as they say, "durstory".

i forget which ilxor was it that had the story about being asked to be the singer for lump buzzkut back when they were nobodies down in Florida?

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:52 (eighteen years ago)

remember that rock and roll band from scandanavia that called themselves the hives?

― Steve Shasta, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:54 (eighteen years ago)

but are they a major act? probably not.

― Steve Shasta, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:55 (eighteen years ago)

they sure got a lot of magazine covers! but then again so did monica lewinsky.

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:00 (eighteen years ago)

NO DOUBT
MR. MISTER

― HI DERE, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:02 (eighteen years ago)

no doubt's a good one

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:15 (eighteen years ago)

How did the first few Human League albums sell?

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:17 (eighteen years ago)

If you allow the Velvets as his "first couple of albums," Lou Reed.

― da croupier, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:28 (eighteen years ago)

woops, missed Geir's reference to the VU in the first post! But I'd like to note that Sally Can't Dance was a top 10 album, nonetheless.

― da croupier, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:29 (eighteen years ago)

The Cure, in America at least.

― da croupier, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:30 (eighteen years ago)

I think we can safely disqualify bands on indie labels.

I'd say Sugar Ray is a good example - their first album - notwithstanding a track with the best song title ever in "Danzig Needs A Hug" - tanked royally. The band regrouped and went on to sell millions.

I think there will be fewer examples of this since most labels in these economic times consider 'artist development' as A&Ring the debut and hoping it sells and dropping the band if they don't.

Oh, and xhuxk would approve the mention of Kix in this thread as well - they put out a few discs before finally going Gold.

And if Midnight Oil had a bunch of discs come out over here before "Beds Are Burning," them too (but I don't know how much of their early stuff was considered a success in Australia and a niche import over here).

― NYCNative, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 05:04 (eighteen years ago)

The early 80's were full of em....

Japan and Ultravox spring to mind....

― Jack Battery-Pack, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 07:01 (eighteen years ago)

And if Midnight Oil had a bunch of discs come out over here before "Beds Are Burning," them too (but I don't know how much of their early stuff was considered a success in Australia and a niche import over here).

See also INXS.

― ailsa, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 07:17 (eighteen years ago)

Hang on a second, if we're disqualifying indie bands then surely we should rule out Pulp too?

― emil.y, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 08:29 (eighteen years ago)

i forget which ilxor was it that had the story about being asked

Pappawhee1!e.

Midnight Oil were on a major for about seven years before Beds Are Burning, presumably had the three albums in that time released in the US (and poss. non-album EPs as well). previous two albums were indie though so don't count.

― energy flash gordon, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 09:52 (eighteen years ago)

Bob Seger? Had like 8 albums before he hit big.

― mulla atari, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 12:18 (eighteen years ago)

Chumbawumba?

One hit doesn't make them very established, does it? :)

I think we can safely disqualify bands on indie labels.

Selling lots of records on indie labels is not at all impossible, as shown by Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, The Cure, The Smiths etc.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 12:44 (eighteen years ago)

How does Dookie stack up to American Idiot? Seems as though Green Day have resurged. Although wikipedia tells me they had two albums before Dookie! So I say: Green Day

― badg, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 13:53 (eighteen years ago)

XTC?

― will, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

I was going to say Zappa, but he doesn't quite fit. He established himself as a major act without any huge "hits" by Billboard standards, just steady sales, critical success and 15 years of constant touring.

― Rock Hardy, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:06 (eighteen years ago)

Selling lots of records on indie labels is not at all impossible, as shown by Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, The Cure, The Smiths etc.

The Cure sold about 500 records before signing to a non-indie label.

― energy flash gordon, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:40 (eighteen years ago)

Tori Amos
Alanis Morrisette
Eminem
50 Cent
DMX

― Siegbran, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:45 (eighteen years ago)

Supertramp

― Joe, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:52 (eighteen years ago)

REO Speedwagon

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 15:17 (eighteen years ago)

Frank Zappa has had a few hits. And even a couple of bestselling albums in the 70s. He was well-established as a critics and cult favourite way before that though.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 15:39 (eighteen years ago)

Btw. I guess Yes fit in here too. No major success with their first couple of albums, commercially nor critically.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 15:39 (eighteen years ago)

Pink Floyd kinda counts

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 15:59 (eighteen years ago)

jay-z

― artdamages, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago)

Sly and The Family Stone

― C. Grisso/McCain, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 16:12 (eighteen years ago)

Green Day pre-Dookie were on Lookout so don't count.

― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 16:27 (eighteen years ago)

Bubba Sparxxx continues to get label deals and has scored a couple of legitimate hits but none of his albums have come close to going platinum.

― Garrett Martin, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 17:28 (eighteen years ago)

green day was pretty big right away...kerplunk was a pretty big deal.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 18:18 (eighteen years ago)

Pink Floyd kinda counts

"Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" were sizable UK hits. Particularly the latter.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 20:36 (eighteen years ago)

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