What Came Next...

Ghost is one of those rare modern rock bands that has increased in popularity over the last few years, selling out stadiums and frequently debuting in the upper realm of the album charts. Not a mean feat as that is usually relegated to pop acts, with rock having become a thing of the past. With their faux occult stylings and extensive comic lore, Ghost have managed to gain fans of all ages despite heavy gatekeeping in the metal community. 2022's Impera truly broke them into the mainstream, and Skeletá, released in 2025, is keeping them there. However, the more pop they become, the less leader Tobias Forge seems to be delving into his own creativity.

After a decade absent John Fogerty returned to the spotlight with the hit album Centerfield in 1985, only to be promptly sued by his old label boss Saul Zaentz for plagiarizing himself. Fogerty won, but legal costs and the desire to remain in the spotlight meant a second album had to come out fast. That album was 1986's Eye of the Zombie, which saw Fogerty embracing the synths and rum machines of the mid-1980s with predictably disappointing results.

After departing Yes during the sessions for the follow=up to 1978's Tormato Jon Anderson took his songs with him. They formed the backbone of his second solo album, Song of Seven, in 1980. The album is a hodgepodge of different styles, ranging from the folksy stuff he wanted to do with Yes to more progressive music. Unfortunately, it doesn't make for a satisfying follow-up to Olias of Sunhillow.

After the success of 1973's We're an American Band Grand Funk Railroad (or simply Grand Funk) maintained producer Todd Rundgren for their 1974 album Shinin' On. Although it gave them another number one song with their cover of "The Loco-Motion" it didn't measure up in quality to the predecessor. The signs of the upcoming burnout were there but they still managed to produce a decent album.

Gin Blossoms scored a surprise hit with their second album New Miserable Experience. However, that success was bittersweet. Most of the songs were written by Doug Hopkins who was fired from the band while making the album due to his increased unreliability due to his alcoholism. A&M Records made things worse by making him sign over his royalties despite the fact he played on the majority of the release. Hopkins committed suicide in 1993 so, despite a top 10 hit from the soundtrack to Empire Records, it was a while before another Gin Blossoms album came out. When it did the title pretty much said it all.

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.

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.

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!.

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.

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.

It took a while for Pink Floyd to regain their focus but, when they did, it eventually resulted in the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. One of the most popular and well-known albums in the world, it shot the band to a level of stardom they previously failed to achieve. After a long tour, a long recording session and Roger Waters coming more to the forefront of the band, Wish You Were Here was released in 1975. Partially a tribute to Syd Barrett, partially a warning about the music industry, it gives their previous album quite a challenge for the best in the group's catalog.

After nearly a decade apart the Mark II version of Deep Purple reformed and made a successful comeback album with Perfect Strangers. It wasn't long before the same tensions that led to lineup changes previously resurfaced and, between a long tour behind the album and slow-going coming up with new ideas, it was three years before The House of Blue Light was released. The album was a blatant attempt to sound like the bands they had influenced.

The B-52's suffered a major tragedy with the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson and, though they managed to get 1986's Bouncing Off the Satellites put together and released, it appeared that may be their final album. In 1989, however, they came back in a big way with Cosmic Thing and the hit "Love Shack". Cindy Wilson left to focus on her family in 1990 and, tired, with one member down and under pressure to replicate the success of "Love Shack", the B-52's went into the studio and recorded 1991's Good Stuff.