10 Music Artists Who Released Their Best Album Second

5. Nevermind - Nirvana

Nirvana are a band that frequently provoke questions of 'what if?'.

The hypotheticals around Kurt Cobain's short life or Dave Grohl's continued success are never-ending. They surely occupy the thoughts of hipsters around the globe, yet the one often undisputed belief when it comes to Nirvana is that their second album, Nevermind, has gone down as their magnum opus.

Almost as iconic as the Washington-based outfit themselves, Nevermind captured everything great about Nirvana, all wrapped in album art that is immediately recognisable. Less abrasive than In Utero and far more refined, polished and youthful than 1989's Bleach, Nevermind took influence from the likes of Pixies (and in particular their debut, Surfer Rosa) and R.E.M, and it shows with the heavy bass notes of In Bloom or the piercing guitar of crowning tune Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Nevermind is a staple of 'Greatest Albums' lists, frequently being hailed as the best offering from the Pacific Northwest Grunge scene. Accolades are aplenty for this album, thanks to tunes that still resonate with disenfranchised youths even today.

No record collection is complete without Nevermind, which is more than can be said for their first album, as fantastic as it may be.