Recording artists commonly make their biggest statement with a hot debut album — Rage Against the Machine, Nas, and Lorde are great examples. A groundbreaking first record can be a blessing or a curse; all too often, bands can’t emulate the urgency or passion of their early love affair with sound.
However, some musicians have graced fans with fantastic concluding albums, breaking hearts and compounding their greatness for perpetuity.
1. Nirvana: In Utero (1993)
Would Nirvana have retained its legendary status had Kurt Cobain survived? Of course, that’s irrelevant. Our final tome of his work (other than Universal’s release of Cobain’s home recording experiments, Montage of Heck) is In Utero.
An astonishing letter from producer Steve Albini before recording began outlines his hopes for their working relationship. He writes about completing a record in two days “with high quality but minimal ‘production’ and no interference from the front office buttheads.”
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland (1968)
The title of this album comes from the studio Hendrix created after growing frustrated with the limited recording capacity in England, Ladyland. Sadly, Electric Ladyland would be Hendrix’s last commercial release before he died in 1970; Band of Gypsys would be the last live recording.
Most of Hendrix’s songs are famous, though Electric Ladyland’s songlist slaps — “Crosstown Traffic,” “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return),” and “All Along the Watchtower” are the record’s most famous tracks. However, some amazing deep cuts like “Little Miss Strange,” “Gypsy Eyes,” and the lesser-known 15-minute extended “Voodoo Chile” also stand out.
3. Van Halen: A Different Kind of Truth (2012)
The comeback that diehard Van Halen fans had desired for decades finally happened when “Diamond” Dave Lee Roth rejoined the original Van Halen lineup, with Eddie’s son Wolf Van Halen on bass. The result was mindblowing: a return to greatness after years in the wilderness and a Van Halen record with more musical variety than perhaps any other.
Songs such as “China Town,” “Tattoo,” and “You And Your Blues” capture the band in a good space where they were enjoying making music together.
4. David Bowie: Blackstar (2016)
David Bowie was never going to go quietly, although, in his latter days, reports dropped that he spent much of his final weeks strolling in New York or spending time reflecting in his apartment. Blackstar was a pre-planned goodbye album.
“How many times does an angel fall? How many people lie instead of talking tall? He trod on sacred ground, and he cried loudly into the crowd,” sings the White Duke in his fitting swansong, perhaps contemplating his existence and impending departure.
5. The Police: Synchronicity (1983)
The Police’s fifth and final record before the band’s breakup was up there with their sophisticated, clean-cut best. In 1983, The Police were at the top of their game musically, which comes across with the polished final record, Synchronicity.
Famous hits such as “Every Breathe You Take” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger” sit alongside the other highly accomplished musicianship of “Synchronicity I” and flamenco-inspired “Miss Gradenko.”
6. The Beatles: Abbey Road/Let It Be (1969, 1970)
There is debate as to which title was technically The Beatles’ last album (some consider the post-breakup Let It Be to hold this title. However, the latter opinion would contradict the band’s website, which puts the famous London recording studio album last. Some fans consider Abbey Road the band’s greatest album; others don’t.
However, it’s hard for some to see other albums’ superiority: any record with “Something” or “Here Comes the Sun” in its tracklist will always be in the conversation.
7. Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (2013)
French modern electro duo Daft Punk announced the end of their musical relationship with a fitting publicity stunt in 2021, following two awe-inspiring final records: the first was the almost perfect soundtrack for Tron: Legacy, followed by Random Access Memories.
The album takes listeners on a journey through the band’s influences, pit-stopping at Pharrell’s world hit factory for “Lucky” before Daft Punk’s arguable magnum opus, “Moroder,” a tribute to the Godfather of dance music and pioneer of the click-track, Giorgio Moroder.
8. Alice in Chains: Alice in Chains (1995)
While the Seattle grunge metal giants reformed in 2008 with a new lineup and award-winning new record, diehard fans will never forget late vocalist Layne Staley’s part in the Alice in Chains story. His death came from a smack overdose in 2002, seven years after the band’s self-titled last album.
Identified by its iconic three-legged dog cover and the backdrop of Staley’s rehab, Alice in Chains isn’t the best album and is the band’s heaviest, but it still contains several epic tracks. With bangers such as “Heaven Beside You” alongside “God Am” and “It’s Over Now.” The latter track is a fitting hybrid of acoustic and warm valve guitars that typified the band’s earlier sound — it seems like a full-circle moment.
9. Jeff Buckley: Grace (1994)
Jeff Buckley was one of America’s enigmas: a flawlessly talented artist with an identity problem amid a difficult alternative music scene. It wasn’t easy being a heritage artist swimming in a sea of post-grunge and nu-metal sharks; consequently, Grace only found success in Europe and Australia before Buckley’s death augmented his legend. Within a few years, the album had propelled Buckley’s name into the same sentence as greats like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.
Grace is almost a perfect album: a blend of Buckley’s original and cover songs, including the excellent “Dream Brother,” “Grace,” and “Mojo Pin.” However, it was Buckley’s slaying of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that elevated his status to rock god.
10. System of a Down: Mesmerize/Hypnotize (2005)
The Californian-Armenian noiseniks sit in the upper pantheon of metal greatness, even though they haven’t released a new album since 2005. The good news (at the time) was that they would release two albums in one year: Mesmerize and Hypnotize; the bad news was fans wouldn’t hear another studio album again.
The first disc feels like the band leads listeners by the hand, guiding them through a demented post-apocalyptic America — one reeling from two years of a new Gulf War, dealing with dark themes with occasional bouts of lyrical gibberish and joyful thrash metallurgy. Will we ever see them again? If we do, lead guitarist and co-vocalist Daron Malakian needs to move aside and let Serj Tankian take the mic again.
11. The Stone Roses: Second Coming (1994)
Manchester band Stone Roses defined their turn-of-the-decade zeitgeist, and following the success of their highly acclaimed debut “Fool’s Gold,” the band’s follow-up record came after a rocky period.
However, even if the band’s novelty had faded midway through the decade, the album still holds some quintessential Roses tracks: “Breaking into Heaven” and “Begging You” squeezed some drops of the band’s pure Mad-Chester elixir for one last taste before going their separate ways.
12. Nick Drake: Pink Moon (1972)
The British acoustic folk guitarist and singer Nick Drake had a short, three-record career, a life cut short by self-assisted death at 26 years old. His mesmeric guitar skills and delicate, velvet singing tone were huge talents juxtaposed with a retiring character, terrified of performing in front of crowds.
His last studio album, Pink Moon, is his best; there were few acoustic guitarists with such a creatively fluid style. “I cannot think of anybody else I’ve ever recorded, with that little studio experience and at that age, who had that ability,” said Pink Moon producer John Wood in a recent Guardian interview. “It was extraordinary.”
13. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Lauryn Hill is an enigma — aren’t the most talented ones always? It has been twenty-five years since she graced music fans with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, one of the greatest R&B albums ever released. It still sits as her only ever album, and former Fugees Bandmate Praswell admitted in a recent video talk she hasn’t produced another since due to feeling “uninspired.”
Hill chose a life of motherhood and privacy, like a Haitian Kate Bush, a musical genius with no point to prove. We will always thank her for her Miseducation — the album is even in the Library of Congress.
14. Johnny Cash: American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
The Man in Black departed this mortal coil in 2003, closing the book on a six-decade music career that saw him team up with producer Rick Rubin in the later stages.
Cash’s guest musician-laden swansong LP contains songs that the new generation will remember him by, including covers of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water,” among other life-affirming songs. American IV: The Man Comes Around was some send-off.
15. Tupac Shakur: All Eyez on Me (1996)
Tupac Shakur’s Las Vegas murder in 1994 robbed the world of a huge star. The rapper, known for his engaging personality, good looks, and intelligent lyricism, left the world too soon; the only silver lining was that he went out on his A-game. All Eyez on Me is still a hip-hop Goliath, featuring collaborations with Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, and Redman, among other hip-hop royalty. The album’s flagship song is “California Love,” though other hits include “How Do Ya Want It” and “I Ain’t Mad at Cha.”
Many fans were too heartbroken to follow Tupac’s posthumous hologram career; All Eyez on Me will remain for many his musical remaining memory.
Read More From Us – 17 Movies With Zero Expectations That Blew Us Away
Never judge a book by its cover. You can say the same about movies.
Some of our favorite films are the ones we went into with no expectations. Despite this, they blew us away from start to finish.
17 Movies With Zero Expectations That Blew Us Away
Read More From Us – Classic 80s Movies Better Than Anything Released Today
The 80s was an incredible time for film. From award-winning cinema to hilarious comedies and everything in between, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Thankfully, many of these 80s movies still hold up today. I regularly find myself watching these beloved 80s movies more often than modern cinema.
