Any bands or artists who, for you, never got better than that debut album, even though they've maybe gone on to long and successful careers?

I have a couple. The Black Crowes. Their debut album had so many good songs on it, and I can't stand their output since.

Note that major label debut albums are acceptable for purposes of discussion (so the earlier indie and EP releases don't have to count).

The Pink Floyd
The Electric Light Orchestra
Dr. Feelgood

The Pretenders
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Chicago

Of the ones already posted I'd agree with Chicago, Pretenders & Black Crowes.

Chicago Transit Authority (1969) Some good stuff on 2,3&4 but nothing as brilliant as the classic debut LP.
Fat Mattress (1969)(Brilliant debut LP) 2nd LP was a mess.
Blackfeather - Mountains Of Madness (1970) Nothing after came close.
King Crimson - In The Court Of (1969)...I have recently brought the DVDs but this debut LP is the jewel in the crown by miles.
Crosby Still & Nash (1969) 2nd was a mess, drugs, fights etc killed what should have been an even better LP.The LIVE album 4 Way Street really was disapointing.
Living In The 70s - Skyhooks (1974)
Business As Usual - Men At Work (1983)
Autumnal Park - Pseudo Echo (1983)
Big Country (1983)

There are many more...will add as I remember

Elvis Costello
Meatloaf
Santana
James Taylor
Pete Townshend (solo)

these are all GREAT lps

Boston
George Michael (solo)
Seal

Boston is a great example. Awesome first album and then they just repeated the formula ever since.

you really think the second CSN album (the boat album) was a mess? i rate only a smidgeon below the couch album, 12 fabulous songs, great singing and great playing.

now the third album "daylight again" was not nearly as good, but than again it really was more of a stills/nash album with crosby tacked on whenever he was able.

Cyndi Lauper (solo, not counting Blue Angel)
Mike Oldfield (although Platinum comes close)

The Moody Blues - I like the Denny Laine R&B ("Go Now") version of the group much better than what they became known for.
Blood Sweat & Tears

Agree with the already posted Chicago, CSN, Pretenders, and Pink Floyd

I disagree on Lauper. I liked True Colors, & imo her best album is her third, A Night To Remember. Which reminds me, I haven't played that in years, I need to do so!

She did lose me after the 3rd album, though.

There's actually 8 listed so far that I disagree with.

Good call on Meat Loaf. Bat Out of Hell was just such a staggeringly good album, that it was impossible to follow up. And ever since then he's been chasing Helly.

ABC - Lexicon Of Love (Though I liked Beauty Stab a lot, nothing compared to the first one for me.)

Paula Abdul - Forever Your Girl (It was actually a fun album, but nothing after came close.)

A-Ha - Hunting High And Low

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (Can't count Y Kant Tori Read since it was pulled so quickly and everything she's done since Little Earthquakes, for me, has just gotten flakier and flakier.)

Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (I liked things afterwards, but no albums that held up for me as well, though Knife was closer than others.)

Beat Farmers - Tales Of The New West

Big Country - In A Big Country

Blue Nile - A Walk Across The Rooftops

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars (Never did anything nearly as good after this...not even close!)

Counting Crows - August & Everything After

Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross

Terence Trent D'Arby - Introducing The Hardline...

Darkness - Permission To Land

Thomas Dolby - Golden Age Of Wireless

Dream Academy - Dream Academy

Firefall - Firefall

A Flock Of Seagulls - A Flock Of Seagulls

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Garbage - Garbage

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Nick Heyward - North Of A Miracle (and for that matter, Pelican West by Haircut 100)

Hooters - Nervous Night

Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Way It Is

The Knack - Get The Knack

Julian Lennon - Valotte

Men Without Hats - Rhythm Of Youth

Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily

Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics

Pretenders - Pretenders (You could argue about Learning To Crawl, but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the debut.)

Smithereens - Especially For You

Rachel Sweet - Fool Around

Bram Tchaikovsky - Strange Man, Changed Man

UK - UK

Wang Chung - Points On A Curve (I'm choosing the ignore the Huang Chung that they reissued later.)

Yes to Counting Crows. I find their later work pandering and insipid.

Presidents of the United States of America. First thing that popped into my mind when I read the question.

Bat Out Of Hell was his second album.

Are you counting "Stoney And Meatloaf"? If so, that wasn't a solo album.

I agree with Walter P about ABC, but when a debut album is as close to perfection as "The Lexicon of Love," I don't think an artist can be held accountable for not being able to equal or exceed it. I really like most of the ABC material that has followed, and I think they delivered another classic with "Alphabet City." But to me, "The Lexicon of Love" remains the single best album released since Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours."

Fair enough.....only saw the reissued version back then that was "Meatloaf (featuring Stoney)"

Blue Murder. Self-titled debut from 1989 featuring John Sykes (ex-Whitesnake), Tony Franklin (ex-Firm) & Carmine Appice (ex-Rod Stewart).

Underrated album that had Zeppelinesque hard rock.

By the time the second album appeared nearly five years later, Sykes was the only one left from the original lineup and it wasn't the same.

+1. This belongs on my list too.