You'd think that after releasing an incredible, critically acclaimed album, an artist would have more of an incentive to continue along the same path. For one reason or another, however, these six artists closed out their careers on their best album.
1. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Though there are plenty of pop artists who debuted strongly and then gradually declined over the course of their career, Simon & Garfunkel did just the opposite: their critical and commercial stature grew steadily right up until their final studio album, 1970's Bridge Over Troubled Water. Along with containing some of Art Garfunkel's greatest vocal performances and Paul Simon's greatest songs, the album is also the most cohesive, eclectic, and lushly produced of the duo's career.
2. Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)
Whereas Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water is a soaring and triumphant goodbye, Nick Drake's Pink Moon is more of a whimpering forfeit. After releasing two brilliantly written and produced albums to little commercial attention, Nick Drake returned to the studio for two nights in 1971 to record the 28-minute Pink Moon, an achingly beautiful album featuring nothing but Drake's voice, guitar, and a single piano overdub. Like Drake's previous albums, Pink Moon failed to make a commercial impact, and in 1974, he passed away of an antidepressant overdose at age 26.
3. Joy Division - Closer (1980)
Joy Division may have had just two studio albums to its credit, but they're both all-time classics of alternative music. 1979's skeletal Unknown Pleasures set the blueprint for the stark gothic rock that would come out of the UK in the '80s, but the more expansive Closer from 1980 would prove to be the band's best work, adding synthesizers and more sonic eclecticism to its oppressively dark palette. Two months before Closer was released, however, lead singer Ian Curtis would commit suicide, effectively ending Joy Division.
4. Slint - Spiderland (1991)
Like Joy Division, Louisville post-rock band Slint released just two albums during its career, but deciding which is the band's best is really no challenge at all. 1989's Tweez is an occasionally inspired yet ultimately undercooked effort, while 1991's Spiderland is one of the most singular and intensely unsettling albums ever recorded. Slint split up soon after recording Spiderland, and though the band has since reunited, it has yet to release a new album.
5. Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
If I were to listen to Nirvana's three studio albums without any prior knowledge of the band, I would probably guess that In Utero was its second album, rather than its third. It comes off like the missing link between the sludgy noise of Bleach and the slick melodic sound of Nevermind, and this is exactly why it's Nirvana's best album. It perfectly captures the elements that made Nirvana great: punk noise combined with pop melody.
6. At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command (2000)
If history has taught us anything, it's that punk rock and commercial success rarely mix well. Case in point: El Paso's At The Drive-In, whose third album Relationship of Command was so explosive and masterful that it brought the band out of the punk underground. However, just six months after releasing Relationship of Command, At The Drive-In split-up, largely due to its exhaustive touring and creative differences.
What other artists saved their best album for last? Let us know in the comments section!
