10 Pop-Punk Bands Whose Second Album Was Better Than Their First
7. Blink-182
Blink-182 are probably the biggest misnomer of this list, as their third and fourth albums were undoubtedly much more successful than their first and second.
However, for the purposes of this list, we need to chuck our thoughts on Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket to one side and look solely at their first two releases.
Cheshire Cat, their first release, was, by all means, a strong seller for an independent band - even at a time when piracy was just starting to peak. The album was released back in 1995, initially on cassette before a later CD release. While it's now seen as an iconic album, it was very much a "first album" in the regard of it now sounding like blink-182, but like a dissected version of what we know them to be with sprinkles of their trademarks throughout.
Featuring Carousel and M&M's as its openers and containing 16 tracks, it's a great listen for blink fans, but Dude Ranch was much more cohesive and polished and kicked off the band's journey to the top.
Dude Ranch was certified gold in 1998, and had broken one million copies by 2001. Filled with tracks like Dammit, Pathetic, Voyeur and Josie, it's plain to see why the album eclipsed its predecessor.