6 Hair Metal Bands Whose Second Album Is Their Best

The sophomore slump is one of the most dreaded curses in music history — but it didn't affect these six hair metal bands whose second album is their best.

Bands get their whole lives to make their first album. They usually get about six months to make their second. The pressure to live up to the expectations of their fans, their label and themselves, compounded by a demanding touring schedule, has caused countless musicians to crash and burn on their second full-length.

Not Every Band Gets It Right on Their First Try

But there's another side to this story. Although music fans and scholars love to glamorize the lightning-in-a-bottle debut album narrative, the truth is that not every band gets it right on their first try.

Perhaps they've got the musical vision but lack the resources to make an album that lives up to their ambition. On the other hand, they might have a top-notch production team and plenty of money to burn but lack the chemistry, perspective or proper studio experience to make the most of their situation.

Enter the breakthrough second album. The one that changes everything. The one that transforms a band from an up-and-coming artist with decent potential to a world-breaking, chart-busting behemoth.

We're talking about albums such as Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil, which helped thrust glam metal into the mainstream and turned the band into icons of the era. Or Poison's Open Up and Say ... Ahh!, which yielded the quintessential power ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and the ultimate party-metal anthem "Nothin' but a Good Time."

These are the albums upon which bands build their legend. You can see these titles and more on the following list of hair metal bands whose second album is their best: