Bands with great second albums

Oops.  My ignorance on my 2 choices.

Black Sabbath released Paranoid on the Fall 1970 several months only after their debut

Dire Straits second album,”Communique,” was even better than their great self-titled first album with the smash hit single, “Sultans of Swing.”

George Michael - listen without prejudice

Extreme - Pornograffity

Sailor by Steve Miller BandOne of my all time favorite LP's.

While I like Medusa, I think Diva was a way better album from Annie. Medusa is almost as strong, but I don't think it beats it. IMHO.

Nobody mentioned ELO as far as I can see. The first album was all roy Wood essentially. He founded the band with an assist from Jeff Lynne.Roy left the band after the first album because, well, he's Roy Wood and it became Jeff Lynnes' band. That's when ELO became ELO.
It's been posited that Marky was a far better drummer than Tommy.That sounds like a thought from someone that listened to the albums instead of actually saw the band. I saw the original Ramones at lesast a dozen times and then more than a few times after Tommy handed off the drumming duties.
Marky was a really good drummer, don't get me wrong, but the original Ramones were about as tight as a band can be. Later Ramones, while still Ramones, were not quite the same.

Now there's an argument to be made that most bands say what they want to say at the start and few keep on at the level of the beginning. Some do certainly but the original Ramones were, in my opinion, better in every respect to the later band. Is that because of the change in drummers?
Nah, only one factor. Tommy was great though.
One thing I do roundly dispute though, the Ramones fourth release was not their best. Far and away their best was "It's Alive". Perhaps that's my perspective because I saw them so many times. Perhaps not. That's the one for me. No contest.

Garbage;
Nirvana;
Morcheeba.

The Babys "Broken Heart"
Eddie Money "Life For the Taking" (IMO his best lp)
Ryan Bingham "Roadhouse Sun"

Red Rider "As Far As Siam"

there next one became their masterpiece "Neruda"

Tracy Chapman ’Crossroads"
Suzanne Vega "Solitude Standing" !!
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band "Stranger In Town"
Savoy Brown "Getting to the Point"
Cracker "Kerosene Hat" !!

Big Thief "Capacity"

All great second albums everyone is listing, but most are classic rock. Here is an “electronic” artist who actually records and has shows with his band (plays several instruments including the xylophone). On a side note, this is also the case with Moby and Bonobo (they do dj shows and with their band shows). I’ve seen many great shows, but I have to say Trentemoller’s at The Ogden Theater (Denver) and Moby Play tour at Red Rocks Amphitheater is a close second (along with CSN 2012 at Red Rocks, Bonobo at The Ogden, The Cult at The Ogden, The Allman Brothers Dreams tour at Red Rocks, M83 at The Brady Theater in Tulsa - rare better live than recordings, Maceo Parker at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle). I’m sidetracked with my life long obsession...Time for something new to many. Trentemoller’s The Last Resort is followed by another equally great album Into The Great Wide Yonder. When he played “Miss You” live (after the band left the stage in his xylophone) I was hooked forever. Top of my list of greatest cuts (consistently over the weeks and years). Enjoy!

Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation

Blondie - Plastic Letters
Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground
The Mothers - Absolutely Free
Husker Du Everything - Falls Apart
Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels
Pixies - Doolittle
The Stooges - Funhouse
Hole Live - Through This
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Firstborn is Dead

and my fave second album ever:

The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire

Grace Potter
Shelby Lynne

Beth Orton - Central Reservation

Cake

... SANTANA ...

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I may have missed 'em, but two that I haven't seen:

The Reivers "Translate Slowly" is an early alt-country  gem.  In my book, it remains at/near the top of the heap for that genre thirty years on.

Graham Parker's "Heat Treatment" was a great R&B flavored record from Parker before he decided to pursue the leaner, harder edged sound of The Rumour.

i think "translate slowly" was the debut, but it's a great record--curiously unavailable on spotify, so i found the disc and it really does hold up well. their later records aren't as good.

i'll also throw out dwight twilley "twilley don't mind"--not sure if it's got better songs than "sincerely," though it's certainly better-produced. also, "meat puppets ii", a timeless classic which was a huge evolutionary leap from their noisy debut.

+1 Warren Zevon "Excitable Boy" I didn't realize that was his second, great album.

It wasn't. Was officially his third album. The self titled Album was his 2nd Album. Superb Album and better than Excitable Boy.

Kathleen Edwards "Back To Me"