From Stardom to Struggle: 10 Musical Artists Whose Fame Couldn’t Carry Them

Matt Harris

Woman listening to music

One-hit wonders aren't just confined to single releases. Some artists blast onto the scene with a stunning album, but they can't seem to follow it up. For some fans, they know all the deep cuts, but to the mainstream, only one or two songs come to mind when we think of these artists.

1. Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper
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The original poster put Cyndi Lauper as a suggestion, stating that her debut album, She's So Unusual, sold over 16 million copies worldwide. Her follow-up, True Colors, sold four million, so while that's a considerable drop, it's not as though Cyndi Lauper vanished without a trace.

2. Toadies

Man working
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I must admit I hadn't come across Toadies until I saw this discussion, but I like what I'm hearing. Having sold over a million with their debut Rubberneck, the band experienced a familiar problem known as “second album syndrome.” They couldn't find the songs to follow it up and slipped back into anonymity.

3. The Ting Tings

Jules de Martino play drums and Katie White play guitar and jump down from The Ting Ting
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The debut album, We Started Nothing, by The Ting Tings reached number one on the U.K. charts while making some inroads into the U.S. It was a massive success for this quirky duo, but they've yet to live up to a promising start. One poster thanks The Ting Tings for providing the “earworm of the century.”

4. MC Hammer

MC Hammer
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The man with the parachute pants went from hero to zero in a short amount of time. MC Hammer's debut album, Feel My Power, wasn't an instant smash, but his third release, Please Hammer Don't Hurt ‘Em, launched his career. One commenter describes Hammer as a “novelty rap act,” and that novelty factor led to his downfall.

5. Blind Melon

Blind Melon band
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American rock band Blind Melon experienced one of the most significant drops in sales from their first to second album. Blind Melon sold over four million copies, while the follow-up, Soup, couldn't hit the 250,000 mark. One person describes Soup as “an incredible album,” and it's hard to understand the dramatic slump.

6. Terence Trent D'Arby

Man listening to music
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It was tough for Terence Trent D'Arby to follow a debut album with many hits, including “If You Let Me Stay” and “Sign Your Name.” The singer is still recording, but his fame dwindled after Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby came out in 1987.

7. Boston

Band performing in concert
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Boston set the bar way too high with their self-titled debut album. “More Than a Feeling” is one of the greatest rock tracks of all time, and I'm currently listening to it via a TV ad in the U.K. Boston was followed up by Don't Look Back two years later, but the band could never match their first release.

8. Gin Blossoms

Gin Blossoms rock band
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I waited for the forum to say Gin Blossoms, and they didn't disappoint. I'll never understand why this band didn't enjoy sustained success after releasing the brilliant debut album Dusted. The follow-up, New Miserable Experience, performed better, but, as one respondent states, “nothing good” came after that.

9. The Stone Roses

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, AUGUST 10: Ian Brown and the Stone Roses play live in concert at the annual Sziget Music Festival on August 10, 2012 in Budapest, Germany
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An artist always knows they are in trouble when an album is “critically acclaimed.” The phrase means that there will be a niche following, but sales will be terrible. That was the case for the Stone Roses, whose second album, appropriately titled Second Coming, bombed. One individual suggests that the release was so different from the successful first album that new Stone Roses fans didn't get it.

10. Peter Frampton

Peter Frampton
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Singer-songwriter Peter Frampton enjoyed success with bands such as Humble Pie and the Herd. In the 1970s, he went solo, and his first double album, Frampton Comes Alive, was a smash on both sides of the Atlantic. He seemed set for a long solo career, but poor sales blighted the follow-up I'm in You. One respondent describes the album's title track as a “maudlin ballad,” which isn't a great endorsement.

10 Most Humble Celebrities Who Live Frugal Lifestyles

Keanu Reeves
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While some celebrities live lavish lifestyles, others prefer low profiles. They may not be making headlines for their extravagant lifestyle. Still, they are certainly making an impact in the world. Despite their fame and fortune, some live modestly and give back to society. Here are some of our favorite celebrities living the most frugal, happy lives!

10 Most Humble Celebrities Who Live Frugal Lifestyles

10 Best Pieces of Media Depicting a Frugal Lifestyle To Inspire You

Nomadland
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Most media is all about excess. Characters drive flashy cars, live in expensive cities, wear the finest fashions, eat the best foods, and never run short of cash before payday. Sure, we know it's fiction. But a teeny-tiny part of our brains might tell us that we deserve to have all this great stuff, too. The reality is that most of us couldn't keep up a lifestyle like that without going into debt. Not a good look!

10 Best Pieces of Media Depicting a Frugal Lifestyle To Inspire You

Source: Reddit.

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