Pink Floyd - Animals
Pink Floyd had been soaring high, The Dark Side Of The Moon and its follow-up, Wish You Were Here, were both phenomenally successful. Animals, their tenth studio album overall, came next in 1977. It was marked by a greater social and political content in hard-hitting lyrics. There were also increasing tensions in the band.
Perhaps that harder aspect all around and a slightly harsher sound made it stand out as different from those two predecessors. Animals is another album that has grown in stature over time; in retrospect, you realize how good it is. Having said that it wasn't a failure, it sold plenty of copies and still achieved chart success. Up to number two in the UK album charts and to third spot in the US is still a remarkable achievement, even if many might have expected number one status.
Queen - A Night At The Opera
When you look at how big Queen became and the worldwide impact of this album, you’d assume it was another number-one success for them. But the impact in the US took a bit longer while they reigned supreme back in their UK homeland. The album did top the UK chart but peaked at number four in the Billboard Top LP and Tapes chart back then.
It was their fourth studio album and a huge one at that. Released in 1975 it showcased their extraordinary range of music, styles, and songwriting. And all that with no synths, as the album sleeve proudly declares. It may not have hit the top spot on Billboard but it was still a big seller in the US. The album went on to achieve triple platinum ranking.
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