In music we tend to glorify the debut album, always craving the newest and shiniest thing out. The downside of that is usually we're slightly disappointed in the follow up sophomore album, possibly what led to the phenomenon known as the "sophomore slump".
Our expectations are set so high that we tend to discount the second effort, sometimes leading us to be pleasantly surprised by the third album. But in most cases, after some time has passed, we come to appreciate the sophomore effort a little more. Some artists debunk the sophomore slump theory right away by dropping undeniable albums that cement their place in history. We'll explore plenty of examples of such albums as we countdown the Top 10 Sophomore Albums of the 2000s, as well as some that just missed the cut.
Let us know if we missed any stand-out sophomore efforts (they have to be from the 2000s, mind you) in the comment sections. If there's a subject you want us to tackle, shout that out too.