Bands whose most iconic record is their first one, but which is also stylistically an outlier in their catalog

The Damned

There probably are a lot of examples of this, but nobody cares because the band became completely obscure after the change. Something like The Bravery for instance.

Elastica (ducks)

There probably are a lot of examples of this, but nobody cares because the band became completely obscure after the change. Something like The Bravery for instance.

I would question how iconic the first album is in this case.

"What Goes On", man

I'll withdraw my offhand VU suggestion if no one agrees but I don't hear this song as all that weird and droney. It seems like a pretty straightforward upbeat rock tune to me, based on a variation on a standard 3-chord progression, at least compared to something like "Venus in Furs".

I would question how iconic the first album is in this case.

― My Body's Made of Crushed Little Evening Stars (Sund4r), 4. marts 2017 14:38 (twenty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's definitely their 'most' iconic one, though...

Ha, OK

Casket Girls - first one is their best

A lot of shoegaze/proto-shoegaze bands could go here (some, like Ride and JAMC, have been listed already).

Plenty of second wave techno too, e.g. LFO.

blood sweat & tears, obv.

There's a thread of albums that are 20 years old, and I've seen a bunch of recognition for stuff that is turning 30.

But we all seem to have agreed to let 2017 go by without acknowledging that Velvet Underground & Nico turned 50.