As you might know, it very common for an album to have a good first half but then the second is more filler-lite but what albums actually have the better second half than the first?

 

My first pick would be Meat Is Murder by The Smiths & The Queen Is Dead... I mean Bigmouth Strikes Again, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out alone >>>

How I’m Feeling Now by Charli (party 4 u, anthems, visions as a 1-2-3 punch gives me a nosebleed it’s so good)

 

Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain (Thoroughfare, Ptolemaea, Gibson Girl, Sun Bleached Flies, Strangers) 

Evermore 

Midnights with the 3am tracks 

Just now, Timeless said:

Midnights with the 3am tracks 

Love the clarification cause Side B is mostly skips on the standard 

Sweetener

Jennifer Lopez - This Is Me...Now

 

First half is amazing but second half is more personal

 

25 by Adele

 

1 minute ago, Bloodflowers. said:

Jennifer Lopez - This Is Me...Now

 

First half is amazing but second half is more personal

 

Tea tbh. Dear Ben, Part II & Hearts And Flowers.

Most of my favourites on Carolines Pang are on the 2nd half

 

reputation 

Abbey road 

Legit nothing comes to mind to be honest. 
 

I feel like it's sort of an unspoken rule to have your best work in the first half of a record. 

The Weeknd's "After Hours" is a great modern example of this.

 

The first half is strong in its own right, but it's more of a slow burner setting up the narrative and introducing the themes. "Escape From LA" and "Heartless" (tracks 6 and 7) represent a shift into something more intense, and then...

 

 

These other two examples are less unanimously agreed, and very much based on my own personal opinion. Firstly, Ariana Grande's "positions", where it's mainly because of the first half featuring my two major skips ("shut up" and "six thirty"), plus "34+35" not working so early in the tracklist in my opinion. While "motive", "off the table", and "safety net" are among my top favourite tracks, I still find the second half superior for being more consistent, not to mention its order much smoother and more rewarding when considering the album's narraitve.

 

 

And finally, "Rainbow" by Mariah Carey. The first half starts off strong with two great singles and "Bliss", but then it descends into Mariah's most uninspired and derivative 90s material, with "After Tonight" being my least favourite of the bunch. As someone who adores "Did I Do That?", the second half is all-killer-no-filler for me while showcasing Mariah's songwriting skills at their best. "Crybaby" and "Petals" in particular are undeniable career highlights, while, in another unpopular opinion, I love "Thank God I Found You" 's original version and think it's a perfect way to conclude the project.

 

 

 

Colbie Caillat - Gypsy Heart

Queen - Queen II

 

Side A is decent, but Side B is unreal good.

undoubtedly 

 

 

Dare by Human League always comes to mind first, the fact that the last 3 tracks are the best and the best song is the last one, their MINDS!

Midnights lowkey; outside of Maroon, Anti-Hero, and You’re On Your Own, Kid, all of the best songs come after track 10 (Labyrinth, Mastermind, The Great War, High Infidelity, Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve, Dear Reader, Hits Different, You’re Losing Me). 
 

The majority of the best tracks didn’t even make the standard edition of the album. 

Edited February 20, 20242 yr by 1989

Renaissance 

Bedtime Stories

Lil Uzi's Pink Tape or whatever its called! 

Janelle Monáe's Electric Lady. The first half has a lot of fantastic songs but the second half is simply superior. Sally Ride, Dorothy Dandridge Eyes, Ghetto Woman, It's Code, What an Experience... I mean it's just perfection.

Ephorize's second half has Spoiled Milk Titties, Post Pic, Total and Single While Taken.

Scarlet