10 Classic Rock Bands Never Better Than Their First Album

When Stevie Ray Vaughan first burst onto the pop scene, you could have sworn it was something ripped out of a Clint Eastwood movie. Brandishing a guitar as his weapon of choice, the leads that Vaughan would eventually lay down on David Bowie's Let's Dance album made him the most captivating guitar player in the world. After being a sideman for a while, Texas Flood gave us a subtle taste as to what Vaughan could really do.

Across this record, Stevie uses his guitar to deliver the greatest blues licks to come out of the '80s, from the slinky groove of "Pride and Joy" to the relentless speed of "Rude Mood." Though Vaughan had a strong companion piece with the album Couldn't Stand the Weather, his first step up to plate remains his most indelible performance on record.

Though Vaughan would explore more pertinent songwriting topics on albums like In Step, there was nothing that could stand in the way of his biggest hits. Just when he seemed to be gearing up to blow us away again, Vaughan was taken from us after a devastating plane crash in 1990. Vaughan may have had the chops of three guitarists in one, but the cold reality of death brought his career to an abrupt end.