10 Artists Who Released Their Best Album First
8. August and Everything After - Counting Crows
Firmly in the mix of great 90's alt-rock bands, Counting Crows found fans with their enjoyable melodies and Adam Duritz' desperate, beautiful vocal ability.
August And Everything After was one of the finest releases of the mid-90's, which is praise enough for the Berkeley-born band. Though their catalogue spans far past the 1993 debut (including new music in 2021), their first outing is easily as beloved as the band itself.
With uplifting plucky tunes like Rain King wonderfully juxtaposed by the tranquil, troubadour-ish notes of Omaha, August and Everything After is a fantastic introduction to a band that is loved by casual audiences and popular musicians alike. In a time and place where artists like The Offspring, No Doubt, Goldfinger and Faith No More were finding their footing with more angsty, youthful post punk-inspired sounds, Counting Crows leaned into something entirely different, with critical and commercial success never far behind.
Before Shrek fell Accidentally in Love in 2004, Counting Crows had already achieved the impossible of creating a truly great first impression, which is a feat that few have been able to replicate.
"If I knew Picasso, I'd buy myself a grey guitar and play."