Ah, the sweet smell of success. But what comes after? Bands have a popular album. They get smitten with their own success, take too many drugs, only had one good idea in the first place, are close to breaking up, release a half-baked effort, are hamstrung by the label—all reasons why the follow-up is terrible or, rather, why the follow-up is not well received by the public. The Non-Definitive Guide to the Follow-Up - Article - Stylus Magazine