favorite Pazz & Jop "one-hit wonder" album, 1974-2018

I must be living in a parallel universe from the one that was drastically changed by the B-52s' first album.

How sad.

10000 HZ was a critical flop from what I remember

Modest Mouse made it because they had a hit single from that album I imagine

I'm most surprised that Air and Phoenix are on that list, given the very positive critical reception that 10,000 Hz Legend, The Virgin Suicides, Talkie Walkie, United, Alphabetical and It's Never Been Like That got. These did not even make the P&J top 40?

just checked again and it would seem not

Quick aside: that thing I mentioned yesterday where the impact of MTV sometimes totally throws my sense of an '80s/'90s hit single out of whack? I just remembered one of the more gobsmacking examples: Van Halen's megahit 'Hot for Teacher', which streaked like a rocket all the way to...#56 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Tough choice between the Go-Go's, the Breeders and Air.

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I'm most surprised that Air and Phoenix are on that list, given the very positive critical reception that 10,000 Hz Legend, The Virgin Suicides, Talkie Walkie, United, Alphabetical and It's Never Been Like That got. These did not even make the P&J top 40?

Air and Phoenix had kind of opposite trajectories. Moon Safari made a big splash but official follow-up 10,000 Hz Legend was considered a disappointing misstep, as I recall, and the reception to the rest of Air's output has generally been "oh sure, seems pleasant enough." Meanwhile, Phoenix's first few albums were well-liked within certain circles, but I think some rockist-oriented critics were confused by them -- if they paid attention to them at all. The band didn't really break through to a wide audience until Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

The Cars!!!!!!!

^^^

I went with Arctic Monkeys. I still play that record and, if my sixteen year old son made geeky album lists, it might very well top his as he literally wore out my CD and I had to buy another one. Which says something about it, I think.

Voted for Rick James over Oasis and Elastica. Arctic Monkeys made far better albums after their debut.

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