10 Sophomore Slump Albums By Amazing Bands

Even the most die hard U2 fans would probably understand why some rock fans can’t get into them. The larger than life aesthetic that they have for themselves can be a little much for some people to take in, and when you add in Bono’s preachiness it starts to wear on you a little bit when you’re trying to hear the hits. So when you have the preachiness front and center in the middle of your album, you can see why October tended to get left in the dirt.

While Boy hit the ground running with anthems like I Will Follow, U2’s second record is a much heavier listen than what this young band were probably capable of at the time, making songs like Gloria that questioned different parts of the band’s religious faith. There are definitely some good moments on this record like I Fall Down and Rejoice, but neither of them are necessarily cut out to be singles either, sounding more like really good deep cuts from better U2 albums down the road.

Then again, the band would correct this problem real quick, making War a much more abrasive record that was equal parts angry and heartfelt whenever it needed to be. If there’s anyone to thank for steering U2 through the dark times, it’s their manager, who helped deal with a difficult album like this and never let the label drop them. This is the kind of album that is enough to alienate an entire fanbase, but if they had been dropped right after this, we would have never gotten songs like Where the Streets Have No Name or One.