What Came Next...

Episode 60: Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion I & II

After the runaway hit that was Appetite for Destruction Guns n' Roses kept themselves both on the chart and as the targets of controversy with the stop-gap G n' R Lies in 1988.  The real album to follow their smash debut was actually two: Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, released on September 17, 1991 at midnight.  With over four standard albums' worth of music the band remained radio staples throughout the early 1990s.  However, the sheer volume was both welcome and overwhelming. 

Episode 59: Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon

The death of Randy Rhoads during the tour for Diary of a Madman was a severe blow to Ozzy Osbourne, especially after the success of that album.  Jack Blades replaced Rhoads on guitar for the live recording, Speak of the Devil, but it was Jake E. Lee that was brought in to be a permanent part of Ozzy's band for Bark at the Moon.  However, behind the scenes, there was always Sharon, making sure her husband got all the credit and the band that did the heavy lifting got shafted.  Despite this the album still manage to do well and added a pop sheen to Ozzy's image. 

Episode 58: Asia - Alpha

Progressive rock music had dwindled in popularity as the '70s came to a close.  Still, Asia was able to score a major hit with "Heat of the Moment" from their 1982 debut album Asia.  Their record label wanted more and wanted in quick and the result was 1983's Alpha, where the band tried to copy the hitmaking formula, but failed at making as engaging an album as their first. 

Episode 57: Buggles - Adventures in Modern Recording

Although only a minor hit in the U.S., "Video Killed the Radio Star" topped the charts in a number of countries, and Buggles' 1979 The Age of Plastic became a hit in many countries.  It was popular enough that Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, the two main members of the band, were asked to join Yes for their Drama album in 1980.  When Yes broke up the plan was to make another Buggles album, only Downes got recruited into Asia.  Horn went ahead anyway, using demos and new songs, to create the second and last album by the band. 

Episode 56: "Weird Al" Yankovic - Polka Party!

Although he was already popular with fans of Dr. Demento, "Weird Al" Yankovic scored a top-40 hit with "Eat It" in 1984 from the album In 3-D, and followed it up with one of the best comedy albums ever in Dare to Be Stupid.  It seemed that a "Weird Al" parody was just the thing an artist needed to be relevant.  Or, that was what his label Scotti Bros. thought.  Instead of letting him do what he does best they started making suggestion.  Combine that with a year that didn't produce the greatest pop songs and we get the first dud from the master of parody, Polka Party!. 

Episode 55: Billy Joel - 52nd Street

The Stranger was the album that, after a decade of setbacks, finally made Billy Joel a success.  It was no surprise it's follow-up, 1978's 52nd Street, debuted at number one.  The sound was a bit jazzier - it was named after the street that hosted a number of famous jazz clubs - and it still produced a number of hits.  It would, however, find itself in thrift store bins within a few years of its release, and ultimately sell a bit less than its predecessor. 

Episode 54: Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town

Born to Run made Bruce Springsteen a star, but he had a major problem with manager and producer Mike Appel.  Appel wanted to control how Springsteen's career went while the Boss thought he should definitely be the boss.  It came to legal blows, delaying the recording and release of a new album for three years.  When Darkness on the Edge of Town was released in 1978 it had a darker tone than its predecessors and a more focused lyrical style.  At first a critical and commercial disappointment, it is now considered one of his best albums. 

Episode 53: Thompson Twins - Here's to Future Days

Thompson Twins combined intelligent lyrics, sparking synth-pop and a unique visual image to spawn an international hit with their 1983 album Into the Gap.  For the follow-up they didn't change the formula much, but producer Alex Sadkin was out and, eventually, former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers was in.  Several factors delayed production of the album but, in the end, it was still a moderate success, although nowhere near as good as the two that came before it. 

Episode 52: Foreigner - Agent Provocateur

Foreigner was immediately popular from the start, with their 1977 album being a major hit.  Things just got better until 1981's 4, which spawned a number of hit singles and hand multi-Platinum success.  When Agent Provocateur was released in late 1984 it produced a number one hit with "I Want to Know What Love Is", but failed to reach the heights of its predecessor. 

Episode 51: U2 - Zooropa

Achtung Baby was an even bigger hit for U2 than The Joshua Tree. With a change of sound they increased their worldwide fandom yet continued to make challenging music. During a lull in their tour they decided to make a quick EP of new material, but that soon expanded into 1992's Zooropa. While still a hit with fans and critics it would signal a turnaround in the fortunes for the Irish band.